The Children's Literature Assembly (CLA) of the National Council of Teachers of English is a professional community of children’s literature enthusiasts who advocate the centrality of literature in children’s academic and personal lives. We believe every teacher needs a wide and extensive knowledge base of books published for children and young adults.

CHILDREN'S LITERACY ADVOCACY

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It is a teacher's privilege and responsibility to help students discover the joy of reading, while they also teach students how to internalize the skills and strategies of fluent reading. This occurs through teacher modeling, reading aloud quality literature to the class, recommending books to children based on their individual interests, and through incorporating literature into teaching lessons and learning activities across the curriculum. To that end, the members of CLA are dedicated to achieving the following goals:
  • To provide a forum for exchange among teachers of children's literature who share keen interest in children and classrooms;
  • To promote children's literature as a field of learning, research, and classroom application;
  • To undertake and disseminate programs and projects of special interest to those interested in children's literature; and
  • To work cooperatively with other organizations devoted to the promotion of literature in children's lives

In our pursuit of these goals, we engage in the following advocacy work:
  • publish the biannual, peer-reviewed Journal of Children's Literature that includes empirical research involving children’s literature, interviews with and profiles of noted authors and illustrators, as well as reviews of children's and professional books;
  • create the annual Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award
  • host the following events at NCTE’s annual convention [CLA @ NCTE]
    • Children’s Literature Breakfast featuring notable authors and illustrators as keynote speakers,
    • Children’s Literature Master Class where teachers and teacher educators engage in discussion and activities focused on teaching children’s literature in post-secondary institutions, and the
    • Children’s Literature Workshop, an interactive, thematic session involving notable children’s authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers.

The Children's Literature Assembly seeks the support of all individuals and organizations engaged in the preparation and continuing education of teachers in the pursuit of this essential goal.

Committees and Representatives

Communications Committee
Wendy Stephens (Chair and MailChimp)
Xenia Hadjioannou (Website Manager)
Mary Lee Hahn (Social Media)
membership Committee
Jeanne Fain (Chair)
Sue Corbin
ways and means Committee
Linda Parsons (Chair)
Raven Cromwell
Marion Rocco
Ally Hauptman
Miriam Martinez
Sharon O’Neal
Deborah Wooten
Breakfast Committee
Deanna Day-Wiff & Barbara Ward (2019 Co-Chairs)
April Bedford & Cynthia Alaniz (2020 Co-Chairs)
master class committee
2019 Co-Chairs:
Louise Shaw
Michele Marx
 
2020 Co-Chairs:
Jacqualine Arnold
Mary-Kate Sableski
Endowment committee
Chair: Miriam Martinez
Jennifer Graff (Past-President)
Lauren A. Liang (President)
Ruth Lowery (President-Elect)
Trish Bandre (Treasurer)
Xenia Hadjioannou (At-large member, Website Manager)
Linda Parsons (At-large member, Ways and Means Committee Chair)
Notables committee
2019 Chair: Jeanne Fain
2018 (Past) Chair: Cynthia Alaniz
2017 (Past-Past) Chair: Diana Porter

student committee
 S. Adam Crawley (chair)
Lo DeWalt
Alex Berglund
Laura Lemanski
Adrienne Lowe
Liz Thackeray Nelson
Sara Sterner.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity
Angie Zapata (Chair)
Thomas Crisp
Monica Kleekamp
Jon Wargo
Quintin Bostic
Noreen Rodriguez
Christina King
Nominating Committee
Jennifer Graff (Chair, Past-President)
Lauren A. Liang (President)
Ruth Lowery (President-Elect)
Angie Zapata (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Chair)
Research Award committee
Linda Parsons (Chair 2019)
Jenn Sanders
Megan van Deventer
Bonnie Campbell Hill Literacy Leader Award committee
Nancy Johnson (Award Chair ’19)
early career award committee
Deanna Day-Wiff (chair)
 April Bedford
Journal of Children’s Literature Editors
Donna Adomat (’18)
Angela Wiseman (’18)
Karla Möller (’18)
NCTE liaison
Kristen Suchor
publisher representative
Lisa Nadel, Random House

Officers

President
Lauren Aimonette Liang
University of Utah (’20)
Vice-President
Ruth Lowery
The Ohio State University (’20)
Secretary
Roberta Price Gardner
Kennesaw State University (’20)
Historical Minutes
Treasurer
Trish Bandré
Salina Public Schools (’20)
Email the treasurer about non-membership payment and accounting transactions via PayPal

Historical Financial Reports
Historian
Amy McClure
Ohio Wesleyan University ('18)
Past President
Jennifer M. Graff
University of Georgia ('20)
Other Elected Board Members
  • Linda Parsons, The Ohio State University (’19)
  • Louise Shaw, Southern Connecticut State University (’19)
  • Barbara Ward, Washington State University (’19)
  • Jacqualine Arnold, University of Dayton ('20)
  • Xenia Hadjioannou, Penn State University, Harrisburg ('20)
  • Mary-Kate Sableski, University of Dayton ('20)
  • Cynthia Alaniz, Coppell Indep. School District, Texas (’21)
  • April Bedford, Brooklyn College (’21)
  • Miriam Martinez, University of Texas, San Antonio (’21)

CLA MEMBERSHIP

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