My Story, Your Story, Our Story: Cultural Connections and Issues in Children's Literature
Monday, November 21, 9:00-3:30 PM
Chicago Hilton Hotel and Towers, Room TBA

This small and intimate workshop features a panel of respected and award winning authors and illustrators who will discuss their artistic and creative processes and the ways in which they consider issues of cultural authenticity as they write and illustrate their books. Additional panel members will include educators who facilitate children's responses to
multiethnic literature.

Beginning the day will be Nikki Grimes. A New York Times bestselling author, Nikki is the recipient of the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Attendees will also have the pleasure of listening to Eric Velasquez, winner of the 2011 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award for Grandma's Gift (Velasquez, 2010). Jenny Han will be our third presenter and together with her illustrator, Julia Kuo, will present her newest book for children, Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (2011), about an "All-American-Korean-American" third grader.

Workshop members will have an opportunity to engage in an interactive session with Kathy Short, a professor at the University of Arizona. Kathy has focused her work on global literature, literature circles, curriculum as inquiry, and collaborative learning environments for teachers and children. Finally, elementary teacher Saba Vlach will share how she uses multiethnic children's literature with her students and their responses to the authors' books presented previously in the workshop.

If you have any questions please contact Joan Williams or Mary Napoli. [ Workshop Brochure ]