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]
    • the Children’s Literature Assembly Breakfast featuring notable authors and illustrators as keynote speakers,
    • the Children’s Literature Assembly Expert Class where teachers and teacher educators engage in discussion and activities focused on teaching children’s literature in post-secondary institutions,
    • the Notable Books the the English Language Arts session during which the Notables committee highlights the books included in the most recent Notables list.

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

Megan Van Deventer (Chair)
Sara Sterner (Vice Chair)
Mary Lee Hahn 
Liz Nelson (membership)
Dori Harrison
membership Committee

Liz Thackeray Nelson (Chair)
Emmaline Ellis (Vice Chair)
Xenia Hadjioannou (Website Manager)
Trish Bandré (Treasurer)
Jace Brown
ways and means Committee
Josh Coleman (Chair)
Rebecca Stortz (Vice Chair)
Raven Cromwell (Past Chair)
Melissa Stewart
Sarah Reid
Breakfast Committee
Wenyu Guo (Chair)
Lisa Morris Wilkey (Chair)
Craig Young (Vice Chair)
Desiree Cueto (Vice Chair)
CLA Expert Class committee (Formerly Master Class)
Suriati Abas (Chair)
Deanna Day (Vice Chair)
Kathy Short (Past Chair)
Endowment committee
Miriam Martinez (Chair)
Mary Ann Cappiello (At-Large)
Mary-Kate Sableski (President)
Xenia Hadjioannou (Past President)
Trish Bandre (Treasurer)
Notables committee
2026 Notables Committee (copyright 2025)
Laura Hudock (2026 Chair)
Ally Hauptman (Chair-Elect)
Mary Ellen Oslick
Jason Lewis
Julianne Scullen
Bettie Parsons Barger
Sarah Sterner
Patrick Andrus (past chair)

student committee
Mahek Chirag Pathak
Sarah Reid
Rose Kjesbo
Alicia Delgado
Dana Raine
Leah Day
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity
Rene M. Rodriguez- Astacio (Chair)
Grace Enriquez (Past Chair)
Vice Chair
Jongsun Wee
Kathryn Will
Nominating Committee
Xenia Hadjionnaou (Chair, Past President)
Mary-Kate Sableski (President)
Adam Crawley (Vice President)
Rene M. Rodriguez- Astacio (DEI Chair)
Research Award committee
Emmaline Ellis (chair)
Tiffeni Fontno (vice chair)
Sally Brown
Jackie Arnold
Bonnie Campbell Hill Literacy Leader Award committee
Jennifer Slagus (Chair)
Gina Doepker (Vice Chair)
Jason Lewis (2025 recipient)
Emmaline Ellis (2025 recipient)
Amber Moore
Mary Ellen Oslick (Past Chair)
early career award committee
Courtney Shimek (Chair)
Josh Coleman (Past Chair)
Janine Schall
Kara Coffino
Journal of Children’s Literature Editors
2026-2028
Jennifer Graff
Xenia Hadjioannou
Katie Sciurba
NCTE liaison
Kristen Ritchie
publisher representative
Vivian Yenika-Agbaw Student Conference Grant
Darren Diguid (Chair)
Mary Napoli
Suzette Youngs

Officers

President
Mary-Kate Sableski (27)
University of Dayton
Vice-President
Adam Crawley (27)
University of Colorado Boulder
Secretary
Meghan Valerio (27)
Canfield School District
Treasurer
Trish Bandré
Salina Public Schools (’27)
Email the treasurer about non-membership payment and accounting transactions
Historian
Lauren Aimonette Liang 
University of Utah ('27)
Past President
Xenia Hadjioannou ('27)
Penn State University, Berks Campus
Other Elected Board Members
  • Kathy Short, University of Arizona ('26)
  • Liz Nelson, Utah Valley University ('26)
  • Melissa Stewart, Author ('26)
  • Suriati Abas, SUNY One0nta ('27)
  • Dorian Harrison, the Ohio State University ('27)
  • Jennifer Slagus, West Chester University of Pennsylvania('27)
  • Josh Coleman, Arizona State University ('28)
  • Courtney Shimek, West Virginia University ('28)
  • Tiffeni Fontno, Vanderbilt-Peabody Library ('28)

CLA MEMBERSHIP

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