Barbara Zulant Kiefer |
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My first presentation for Barbara’s class was on the Brambly Hedge series. I had read the books before (in Spanish), but she encouraged me to look deeper: to put the child’s eye at the center; to see how color, and perspective, and composition convey meaning; how images and words combine to create this wonderful world for us to enter and explore as we read. We later went together on a study trip to Britain, and it was hard not to see glimpses of Brambly Hedge as we drove across the countryside and discussed fantasy books.
I traveled all the way from Colombia to study with Barbara, and she not only guided me along the way, but also made me feel right at home. |
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The best poetry for children captures the emotions and experiences of childhood.
Knock at a Star: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by X. J. Kennedy and Dorothy M. Kennedy
Submitted by Lisa Pinkerton
Knock at a Star: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by X. J. Kennedy and Dorothy M. Kennedy
Submitted by Lisa Pinkerton
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As a doctoral student at The Ohio State University, I had the privilege of co-teaching the Poetry for Children course with Barbara. I gained a deep appreciation for children’s poetry. Each week, Barbara brought a stack of books to class featuring a wide range of poetry tones, topics, and themes, from serious to silly, sports to school, and seasons to science. We immersed ourselves in poetry. Barbara believed that poetry for children “should reflect the real emotions of childhood,” rather than being “coy, nostalgic, or sentimental.” (1) Many of the best children's poems feel joyful, sad, angry, or fanciful - all the emotions that real children experience. This semester, I’m teaching Poetry for Children and I’m so grateful that Barbara’s poetic sensibility has left its indelible mark on the course and on my teaching.
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(1) Kiefer, B. Z., Tyson, C. A., Barger, B. P., Patrick, L., & Reilly-Sanders, E. (2023). Charlotte Huck’s children’s literature: A brief guide (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill. p. 303
Picturebook.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Submitted by Melissa Wilson
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Submitted by Melissa Wilson
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The Merriam Webster Dictionary’s changes the spelling to picture-book.
Google puts a blue line under the word. Word puts the dreaded red squiggle under it. I’m not sure how Adobe Acrobat feels about its spelling. But I do know how Barb Kiefer felt. It was always one word—no space, no hyphen—just one word. When I asked her why she spelled the word that way, she was very clear. A picturebook has text and illustrations that amplify each other; they don’t stand alone. And then she would pull out a picturebook (my favorite example was Where the Wild Things Are) and show you how it worked. There was no space between the pictures and the book’s text. Picturebook—now every time I get the red squiggle or blue line or spell checked, I smile and remember Barb! |
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Never underestimate a picturebook - look closely and think deeply.
The Potential of Picturebooks: From Visual Literacy to Aesthetic Understanding by Barbara Z. Kiefer
Submitted by Trish Bandré
The Potential of Picturebooks: From Visual Literacy to Aesthetic Understanding by Barbara Z. Kiefer
Submitted by Trish Bandré
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While studying at The Ohio State University, Janet Hickman, my adviser, recommended Barbara’s book. I had always been drawn to picturebooks and was compelled to learn the “why” as well as the “what” of this unique art form. This book opened my eyes in numerous ways and gave me the words to name and describe what I had loved about picturebooks but didn’t know how to express. A few years later, Dr. Kiefer joined the faculty at OSU, and I was fortunate enough to have her on my dissertation committee. I will always be grateful for her wisdom and insight.
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Picturebooks are a string of pearls--the pearls are the illustrations and the string is the printed text.
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee
Submitted by Kathy G. Short
The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee
Submitted by Kathy G. Short
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One of Barb’s major contributions to the field was her book on The Potential of Picturebooks: From Visual Literacy to Aesthetic Understanding (1995). She argued that a picturebook is a unique art object in which the images and words combine in a transformative way, so the reader comes away with more than the sum of the parts. Her own love of art and background in the field of art came together with her passion for children’s books to challenge the rest of us to explore the intersection of art and picturebooks in deeper ways. She enjoyed picturebooks that used the design of the book in meaning-making as occurs in The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee, where the gutter is an essential element of the story.
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Shapes, lines, and light in illustrations tell readers something.
Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather’s American Journey by Katie Yamasaki
Submitted by Jongsun Wee
Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather’s American Journey by Katie Yamasaki
Submitted by Jongsun Wee
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It’s no secret that Dr. Kiefer loved picturebooks. She had so much respect for illustrators. Dr. Kiefer emphasized the interdependence of text and pictures in our class at The Ohio State University. She guided us to pay attention to illustrations and think about why the illustrator made certain choices of colors, shapes, lines, and light. In class, we enjoyed finding information hidden in the illustrations. I am forever grateful to Dr. Kiefer for opening the door of the picturebook world to me. I will keep sharing her love of picturebooks with my students.
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All I really need to know and see and appreciate about the art of the picturebook I learned from Barbara.
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Submitted by Cynthia A. Tyson
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Submitted by Cynthia A. Tyson
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The Potential of Picturebooks: From Visual Literacy to Aesthetic Understanding, was not wisdom at the top of the museums of art mountains, but in one of my children's literature courses, was Barbara, holding open the 1942 Caldecott winner Make Way for Ducklings so gently said, “Isn’t this just beautiful? We should always explore the potential of the picturebook as an art object.” And it is still true, no matter how many books I read—when I go out into the world of children’s literature, I always open my eyes and heart wide for the aesthetic appreciation of the picture book as a work of art.
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Pay attention to the use of shape and white space to advance the story.
The Mountains of Tibet by Mordicai Gerstein
Submitted by Denise Dávila
The Mountains of Tibet by Mordicai Gerstein
Submitted by Denise Dávila
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Prior to studying with Dr. Kiefer, I loved children’s literature. However, I was not attuned to engaging with picturebooks as aesthetic art objects in and of themselves. I remember one evening in which Barbara walked our class through each of Gerstein’s illustrations of The Mountains of Tibet, which School Library Journal describes as “a beautifully gentle look at one human being dealing with life’s choices and possibilities'' via the journey of a Tibetan woodcutter’s death and reincarnation. Because of Barbara, I came to love this book and to appreciate how illustrators’ use of shape and white space advance the story.
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The picturebook is both an art form and a teaching tool.
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, illustrated by Daniel Minter
Submitted by Mary Ann Cappiello
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, illustrated by Daniel Minter
Submitted by Mary Ann Cappiello
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Taking “The Art of the Picturebook” with Barbara at Teachers College deepened my understanding of the picturebook as both an art form and a teaching tool. Barbara taught me how the art in a nonfiction picturebook - the lines, shapes, and colors; the art historical references; the choice of medium - all work together to convey information to the reader and elicit an emotional response within the reader. In Blue, this year’s Orbis Pictus winner, illustrator Daniel Minter uses contrasts: close-ups and panoramas, warm colors and shades of blue, varying lines and shapes. These all deepen readers’ understanding of and emotional connections to the color blue across different cultural contexts, time periods, and technologies.
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Nurture every child’s inner artist.
Yasmin the Painter by Saadi Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly
Submitted by Caitlin L. Ryan
Yasmin the Painter by Saadi Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly
Submitted by Caitlin L. Ryan
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One day while I was a graduate student, a conversation with Dr. Kiefer and others turned to nurturing children’s artistic abilities. Barb was frustrated that classrooms too often limited children’s art to basic materials like pencils and crayons on small pieces of paper. She said, passionately, “You’ve got to give them measles!” We were very confused…until we realized she’d said EASELS. Now that sounded like the Barb Kiefer we knew! The momentary misunderstanding was something we laughed about for years, and its message stuck with me. Barb saw every child as an artist. She knew children could see and create in ways that could express ideas about the world and teach us as adults in the process. She’s the reason the covers of Language Arts (2) featured children’s art from 2007-2010, the reason I teach about arts-based responses to literature in my courses, and the reason my son has an easel in his playroom now.
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(2) Specially in volumes 84-88
Learn from excellence in children’s literature.
Language Arts by National Council of Teachers of English
Submitted by Laurie Katz
Language Arts by National Council of Teachers of English
Submitted by Laurie Katz
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Barb and I came into the Department of Teaching & Learning at the same time – 2003. I remember being at a faculty meeting before I officially started where I learned that Barb was also coming to the department. Everyone was extremely excited to have someone of her caliber as the Charlotte Huck Chair. Before I started at OSU in Integrated Teaching & Learning, I really didn’t know much about the esteemed reputation of the children’s literature faculty at the university. It wasn’t until I became one of the Language Arts co-editors with Barbara that I learned about the field of children’s literature. Her love, passion, enthusiasm, and expertise permeated throughout the group of editors. One of her roles was being in charge of the 3rd issue of each volume, which was specially geared towards children’s literature. Many of the covers of these issues and others came from Barb’s network, including the two issues above.
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Art and storytelling build relationships—don’t be afraid to be bold.
Hiroshima No Pika by Maruki Toshi
Submitted by Hilary Brewster
Hiroshima No Pika by Maruki Toshi
Submitted by Hilary Brewster
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When I was a doctoral student in the Literature for Children and Young Adults program at The Ohio State University, I was more on the YA side than the kid lit side, having previously taught high school English. However, our program luckily required us to take various children’s literature courses with Dr. Barbara Kiefer. In one of them, she shared with us the heartbreaking and exquisite picturebook Hiroshima No Pika, an account of the nuclear annihilation of the titular city. Not your “typical” children’s book, to be sure. With this lesson and others, Dr. Kiefer taught us that it is not only recommended, but necessary, to integrate potentially troubling literature into classrooms of all levels in order to have conversations about empathy, community, and, subsequently, vulnerability. I have shared this book with my upper-level college students who often cite it as one they, too, remember years later.
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Nonfiction can be as compelling as fiction.
Adventurous Women: Eight True Stories About Women Who Made a Difference by Penny Colman
Submitted by Evelyn Freeman
Adventurous Women: Eight True Stories About Women Who Made a Difference by Penny Colman
Submitted by Evelyn Freeman
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Barbara and I shared a commitment to increasing the awareness and appreciation of quality nonfiction for children. In February 2006, Barbara organized a symposium at OSU on nonfiction, which featured the author Penny Colman. Penny autographed this book for me at the symposium and wrote a long inscription that referred to my advocacy for nonfiction. Barbara was so knowledgeable about all genres of children’s literature. I will miss her and our wonderful discussions about books.
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There is power in connecting books with readers.
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Submitted by Sara Kersten-Parrish
El Deafo by Cece Bell
Submitted by Sara Kersten-Parrish
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Behind her ubiquitous rolling cart laden with books, I would frequently see Barb grab a title, thrust it at someone and say, “I know you’ll love this.” She took great value in knowing what her students would like to read. Barbara handed El Deafo to me, looked me in the eye, and said, “This book is important for you.” And, it was. When reading El Deafo, I felt seen for the very first time as someone who is deaf like the protagonist and author. Barbara saw me and saw the connection a book could bring.
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Book sharer.
The Ask and the Answer from the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
Submitted by Michele D. Castleman
The Ask and the Answer from the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
Submitted by Michele D. Castleman
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Dr. Kiefer was the queen of sharing books. When I first met her on a visit to OSU, I was amazed by how filled her office was with books. Throughout my time in the program, Dr. Kiefer hooked me on multiple authors and series, of which the Chaos Walking series stands out the most in my memory. When the second book came out in Great Britain, Dr. Kiefer ordered a copy from abroad so she could read The Ask and the Answer as soon as possible. She happily shared her beautiful, British hardcover with a long line of students one-by-one. As a teacher, I have worked to embody Dr. Kiefer’s spirit of creating excitement over young adult and children’s literature. My office is overrun with books. I joke with my colleagues that someday I will die happy under a pile of my fallen books. But, more importantly, I have followed her example and happily share personal copies of my own books with students.
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Enjoy going to faraway places.
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Submitted by Ann Neely
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Submitted by Ann Neely
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I first met Barbara Kiefer when we were both participating in a children’s literature conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Like Miss Rumphius on one of her many trips, I knew I had made a friend I’d never forget. We had lovely conversations over a glass of wine at the end of each day… some about children’s literature, of course, others about life as a professor and life in general. And, like Miss Rumphius, Barbara brought beauty to our world!
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Pay attention to the roots of fantasy - they connect us.
The Grey King by Susan Cooper
Submitted by Bettie Parsons Barger
The Grey King by Susan Cooper
Submitted by Bettie Parsons Barger
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Prior to studying fantasy with Dr. Kiefer, I often overlooked the details that connected past to present. She taught me that the setting is actually a character in fantasy; the time spent developing the storyworld mattered immensely. I could feel the damp, cool air as I walked beside Will Stanton in the dense fog of the Welsh mountains, adding to my suspense. That was one of the biggest joys of learning from Barbara; she broadened my perspective and understanding. Her insights pushed me to think deeply about children's literature in new ways. She challenged me to explore genres and topics I normally avoided and to consider the types of readers who might enjoy them. Her love of this genre, of children’s literature, has deepened my love of the field too.
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Work hard to share books.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Submitted by Pat Scharer
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Submitted by Pat Scharer
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Barbara’s work sharing books was truly a model for us all. She taught classes, worked with individual teachers, wrote books, conducted research and, most of all, shared her love of books. Her office overflowed with books, but if you’d ask her about one–chances are she could find it right away and discuss it with you. She didn’t have an easy road and overcame many challenges, but she knew it was worth it because the impact of books on lives is immense.
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Look closely: Share what you wonder and what you learn.
Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer
Submitted by Erika Thulin Dawes
Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer
Submitted by Erika Thulin Dawes
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Deepening my passion for picturebooks, Barbara gave me new lenses for viewing them, prompting me to see and experience so much more. Curious at her core, Barbara brought a spirit of inquiry to each book. She modeled how to go beyond, connecting with authors and asking questions about their composing and illustrating processes. Barbara provided new perspectives on the potential of children’s books across the curriculum and insights on how to get to know a wide range of young readers to build engaged communities. Learning with Barbara meant Wonder Walking through the world of books. I’m so grateful for the journey.
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Children’s books are books that have the child’s eye at the center.
Koala Lou by Mem Fox, illustrated by Pamela Lofts
Submitted by Erin Reilly-Sanders
Koala Lou by Mem Fox, illustrated by Pamela Lofts
Submitted by Erin Reilly-Sanders
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One of the first activities I remember from a Barbara Kiefer-style children’s literature class compared Koala Lou by Mem Fox (illustrations by Pamela Lofts) with Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (illustrations by Sheila McGraw). The viewpoint of a small koala trying to win her mother’s love through athletic prowess starkly contrasted to a parent’s (occasionally creepy) expressions of love as their child grows up, demonstrating that not all books read or marketed to children are written through their perspective. Above all, Barbara stressed the importance of adults “getting” children’s literature and the perspective that will best speak to its intended audience. Today, her quick discernment echoes in my mind as I read and share great books that have the child’s eye at the center.
Barbara, we Do love you! We always have, and we always will. |
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Bettie Parsons Barger is an Associate Professor at Winthrop University and has been a CLA Member for 10+ years.
Lisa Pinkerton is an Associate Clinical Professor at The Ohio State University. Her current roles with CLA include serving as a Board Member and as an Expert Class Co-Chair.
Erin Reilly-Sanders is an architect at Schooley Caldwell Associates and an independent scholar with a doctorate in children's literature from The Ohio State University.
Lisa Pinkerton is an Associate Clinical Professor at The Ohio State University. Her current roles with CLA include serving as a Board Member and as an Expert Class Co-Chair.
Erin Reilly-Sanders is an architect at Schooley Caldwell Associates and an independent scholar with a doctorate in children's literature from The Ohio State University.
By Lauren Liang & Xenia Hadjioannou
Welcome back to the start of school and the fall semester! Whether it is your first year of teaching or your 30th, the first day of school is always an exciting event. We hope that you were able to celebrate with your new learners and mark the day with hope and joy as you look forward to adventuring together into new inquiries and understandings.
As you take these first steps on the 2023-24 school year journey, we want to remind you of the CLA resources here for your support and growth. Below we list some of the many CLA offerings that we hope you will utilize this year for your classrooms.
As you take these first steps on the 2023-24 school year journey, we want to remind you of the CLA resources here for your support and growth. Below we list some of the many CLA offerings that we hope you will utilize this year for your classrooms.
The CLA Blog
CLA Blog posts, published on Tuesdays every other week from September through May, are designed for educators and librarians who read with children and bring books to them to support their learning, feed their curiosity, give flight to their imagination, and kindle in them a love for literature and reading. Within our blog you will find posts written by CLA members, offering ideas, tips, and recommendations for sharing books with young people in pursuit of diverse goals and objectives. You will also find posts foregrounding upcoming CLA events, announcing award application opportunities, and celebrating the work of our CLA committees.
CLA Notables Award Lists
The CLA Notables are announced annually in March. Throughout the year, members of the CLA Notables Committee read, review, discuss, and debate the merits of over 400 books written for children (K-8th grade) published in the previous year. They then create a final list of 30 books they mark as being the best of the best for use in English Language Arts classrooms and school libraries.
Note: If you attend the annual NCTE Convention, you will not want to miss the Notables session, during which you will hear all about the books that made the Notables list that year. And, if you win our raffle at the CLA Breakfast, you may find yourself leaving the session with a full set of the books on that list.
Note: If you attend the annual NCTE Convention, you will not want to miss the Notables session, during which you will hear all about the books that made the Notables list that year. And, if you win our raffle at the CLA Breakfast, you may find yourself leaving the session with a full set of the books on that list.
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From the CLA Blog
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From CLA’s Video Library
(member exclusive) |
Journal of Children’s Literature
CLA’s semi-annual academic journal, The Journal of Children’s Literature, highlights scholarship in the field and contributes to vital conversations about children’s books and literacy education. The journal offers scholarly, peer reviewed feature articles and columns related to children’s literature. It also offers articles contributed by CLA’s committees, including an exploration of the years Notables books, an interview with the keynote speaker of the CLA Breakfast, a comprehensive report of our annual Expent Class, and contributions from the recipients of CLA awards.
CLA Breakfast at NCTE
Every year, on Sunday morning of the NCTE annual convention, CLA hosts one of our most beloved events: the CLA Breakfast. Beyond celebrating the recipients of CLA’s Grants and Awards and featuring our popular Art Auction, the CLA Breakfast features renowned authors and illustrators as keynote speakers. Over the past few years, breakfast attendees were fortunate to hear Jerry Craft (2022); Cynthia Leitich-Smith , Traci Sorell, Michaela Goade, Carole Lindstrom, and Kevin Maillard (2021), Jason Reynolds (2020), Yuyi Morales (2019), and Candace Fleming and Erik Rohmann (2018).
In 2023, we are delighted to feature Traci Sorell as our keynote Breakfast speaker. When registering for the NCTE Conference, purchase your breakfast ticket and join us on Sunday, November 19th at 7:00 am!
In 2023, we are delighted to feature Traci Sorell as our keynote Breakfast speaker. When registering for the NCTE Conference, purchase your breakfast ticket and join us on Sunday, November 19th at 7:00 am!
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From the CLA Blog
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From CLA’s Video Library
(member exclusive) |
CLA Expert Class at NCTE
Another annual event CLA sponsors at the NCTE Convention is the CLA Expert Class, which was formerly known as the CLA Master Class. The session is structured as a professional development opportunity for teachers of children’s literature, and typically involves book creators and children’s literature scholars in conversations about vital and timely issues in the field.
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From the CLA Blog
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From CLA’s Video Library
(member exclusive. Open access for September 2023) |
Student Special Events
CLA’s student members are actively involved in the work of the Assembly. The CLA Student Committee organizes several events throughout the year, including the Annual Student Committee Webinar, and a CLA Student Social at the NCTE conference. In addition, student members have opportunities to serve on other CLA committees and apply for the Vivian Yenika Agbaw Student Conference Grant, which helps defray costs for the NCTE Conference.
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From the CLA Blog
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From CLA’s Video Library
(member exclusive)
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Lauren Aimonette Liang is Associate Professor at the Deparment of Educational Psychology of the University of Utah. She is a past president of CLA and co-editor of the CLA Blog.
Xenia Hadjioannou is Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the Berks Campus of Penn State. She is President of CLA and co-editor of the CLA Blog.
Xenia Hadjioannou is Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the Berks Campus of Penn State. She is President of CLA and co-editor of the CLA Blog.
By Andrea Page and Jackie Arnold, 2023 CLA Breakfast Chairs
What do teachers, teacher educators, and librarians want?
When choosing high quality literature to build your classroom library, it’s important to think about the following:
- Have I included authentic, culturally diverse literature?
- Am I choosing material easily integrated into lesson plans?
- Have I chosen different types of literary voices?
- Have I selected a diverse group of writing styles?
Add Native Children’s Authors and Books to Your List
A fabulous author to include is Traci Sorell (Cherokee), an accomplished author whose significant works are about “people and events not usually found in classroom texts.” She wants to “remedy inaccuracies and model a respectful approach to Native stories.”
Traci is a Keynote Speaker at this year’s National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) conference in Columbus, Ohio. She will be a featured author at the Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) Breakfast in November. Sign up for the conference and get a breakfast ticket to meet one of America’s current literary rock stars!
Traci is a Keynote Speaker at this year’s National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) conference in Columbus, Ohio. She will be a featured author at the Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) Breakfast in November. Sign up for the conference and get a breakfast ticket to meet one of America’s current literary rock stars!
4 Ways to Integrate Traci’s Books in the Classroom
1) USE CORE QUESTIONS WHILE READING
Paired with We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga (ill. Frané Lessac) and Indian No More (co-author Charlene Willing McManis).
According to renowned educator Laura Robb, “Issues and core questions breathe life and energy into class discussions, add the twist - the connector - that adolescents need to bond to books, ideas, and concepts” (Robb, 2008, p. 94).
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Picture Book Core Questions about Relationships
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga (2018) Book description from publisher’s website A look at modern Native American life as told by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-le-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Curriculum/Theme Connections: Family and kinship, personal narratives in poetic form, contributions of family members to society, expressing gratitude across four seasons. Vertical Divider
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Middle Grade Core Questions about Justice / Injustice
Indian No More (2019) with co-author Charlene Willing McManis Book description from publisher’s website Regina Petit’s Umpqua family has always lived on the Grand Ronde Reservation. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight - even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations, she lives with her tribe and practices her tribal customs. Having been forced from their homeland, the family enters the Federal Indian Relocation Program, and they move to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood and has never met kids of other races. Her neighbors have never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina faces racism personally. Curriculum/Theme Connections: History of tribal sovereignty and removal, effect of termination, identity, family and kinship, resiliency. |
2) USE T-CHARTS DURING OR AFTER READING
Paired with Powwow Day (Ill. Madelyn Goodnight) and Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer (Ill. Natasha Donovan).
As you read, collect text evidence that shows how an author reveals story elements (download T-chart as PDF).
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Powwow Day (2022)
Book description from publisher’s website River wants so badly to dance at powwow day as she does every year. In this uplifting and contemporary picture book perfect for beginning readers, follow River’s journey from feeling isolated after an illness to learning the healing power of community. Curriculum Connections: family events, competitions, writing a personal narrative (Write about a time when you were sick and missed out on something important to you.) |
After reading, fill in a 3 -2 -1 chart (download as PDF) to show your understanding of the story.
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Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer (2021)
Book description from publisher’s website Mary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s first female engineer. Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross’s journey from being the only girl in a high school math class to becoming a teacher to pursuing an engineering degree, joining the top-secret Skunk Works division of Lockheed, and being a mentor for Native Americans and young women interested in engineering. Curriculum Connections: Values - education, cooperation, humility, determination, perseverance, notable Native Americans, STEAM concepts. |
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3) EXPERIENCE AUTHOR'S VOICE USING MENTOR TEXTS
Paired with We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know (ill. Frané Lessac) and Contenders (ill. Arigon Starr, Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma).
Author’s voice is a combination of word choice and language usage in sentence structure, fluency, and rhythm.
Author’s voice appeals to the senses. Read the story aloud and LISTEN to how the sentences flow. What do you notice about the rhythm of the sentences? How do they connect to the story? Go on a scavenger hunt (download as PDF) to collect the words the author has chosen. How does the word choice plus the style of the sentences enhance the story?
Author’s voice appeals to the senses. Read the story aloud and LISTEN to how the sentences flow. What do you notice about the rhythm of the sentences? How do they connect to the story? Go on a scavenger hunt (download as PDF) to collect the words the author has chosen. How does the word choice plus the style of the sentences enhance the story?
You’ll notice that the introductory writing voice in We Are Still Here sets the tone and structure of the book, similar to beginning a lesson for a class. The individual voices shine in their presentations, like individual students speaking, in real life, in front of a class. Similarly, in Contenders, the characters bounce back and forth between the two, with short, curt sentences, followed by long sentences. Can you hear the action of the baseball game? Strong verbs make the story active and lively. What else did you discover?
We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know (2021)
Book description from publisher’s website Twelve Native American kids present historical and contemporary laws, policies, struggles, and victories in Native life, each with a powerful refrain: We are still here! The book illuminates a tremendous amount of historical information in an engaging, classroom framework. Each fictionalized student presents on a topic that is relevant to the historical and present lives of Native American communities. Curriculum Connections: vocabulary unique to present day Native communities, education is important. |
Contenders (2023)
Book description from publisher’s website The true story of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who in 1911 became the first two Native pro baseball players to face off in a World Series. Charles Bender grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota. John Meyers was raised on the Cahuilla reservation in Southern California. Despite their mutual respect for each other’s talents and their shared dedication to Native representation in baseball, the media was determined to pit them against each other. However, they never gave up on their dreams of being pro baseball players and didn’t let the supposed rivalry created by the media or the racism they faced within the stadium stop them. They continued to break barriers and went on to play a combined total of nine championships. Curriculum Connections: primary sources, bias in media, mascots, racism, prejudice, determination, perseverance, baseball history, role models. |
4) USE POETRY TO EXPRESS EMOTIONS
Paired with At the Mountain's Base (ill. Weshoyot, Alvitre) and Mascot (co-authored with Charles Waters)
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Poetry can be about any topic that matters to you, surprises you, and/or makes you look at everyday life in a new way. Poetry has many forms.
At the Mountain's Base (2019) Book description from publisher’s website A family, separated by duty and distance, waits for a loved one to return home in this lyrical picture book celebrating the bonds of a Cherokee family and the bravery of history-making women pilots. Curriculum Connections: Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, World War II, pilots, women in the military. Vertical Divider
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There are two sides to a story. How do the authors show many viewpoints in their story Mascot, a novel-in-verse?
Mascot (release date September 2023) Book description from publisher’s website In Rye, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, people work hard, kids go to school, and football is big on Friday nights. An eighth-grade English teacher creates an assignment for her class to debate whether Rye’s mascot should stay or change. Now six middle-schoolers–-all with different backgrounds and beliefs–-get involved in the contentious issue that already has the suburb turned upside down with everyone choosing sides and arguments getting ugly. Told from several perspectives, readers see how each student comes to new understandings about identity, tradition, and what it means to stand up for real change. Curriculum Connections: prejudice, Native culture, stereotype, athletic competitions, debates, finding courage, cooperation. |
Meet Traci Sorell at the CLA Breakfast at NCTE
We hope you will add the work of Traci Sorell to your classroom libraries. The four strategies above can be paired with other books as well. #WNDB #SupportNativeCreatives
Come and meet Traci at the 2023 NCTE Conference in Columbus, Ohio on November 16-19, 2023. Registration for the conference and tickets for the CLA Breakfast will become available in late summer. Plan to register for the conference and sign up for the CLA Breakfast on Sunday to hear Traci talk about her books and her contributions as a children’s author. We hope to see you there!
Come and meet Traci at the 2023 NCTE Conference in Columbus, Ohio on November 16-19, 2023. Registration for the conference and tickets for the CLA Breakfast will become available in late summer. Plan to register for the conference and sign up for the CLA Breakfast on Sunday to hear Traci talk about her books and her contributions as a children’s author. We hope to see you there!
CITATIONS LIST
Robb, L. (2008). Differentiating Reading Instruction: How to Teach Reading To Meet the Needs of Each Student. Scholastic Teaching Resources: Theory and Practice.
Andrea Page (Hunkpapa Lakota) is a children’s author who has a published book, Sioux Code Talkers of World War II (Pelican Publishing Co. 2017). She hopes to have more published books in the future. In the meantime, she writes educator guides for publishers and works on projects for We Need Diverse Books (WNDB). Andrea serves as a Board member of the Children’s Literature Assembly (CLA) of the NCTE. She lives in Rochester, NY with her husband. Please visit www.WriterAndreaPage.com.
Jackie Arnold is an associate professor at the Department of Teacher Education of the University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio. Jackie is co-editor of the Dragon Lode, a children's literature journal published by the International Literacy Association Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG).
Jackie Arnold is an associate professor at the Department of Teacher Education of the University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio. Jackie is co-editor of the Dragon Lode, a children's literature journal published by the International Literacy Association Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG).
By Mary Napoli and Angela Wiseman
Every other year, the Children’s Literature Assembly recognizes the work of one early career individual who shows extraordinary promise as a researcher and leader in the field of children’s literature. In anticipation of the 2023 award cycle, we present reflections from Dr. Jon Wargo, Assistant Professor and Teacher Educator in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. Dr. Wargo, who was the 2021 recipient of the Early Career Award, offers insights into researching and studying children’s literature.
In what way has children’s literature shaped or affected your research?
Children’s and Young adult literature is and remains a central aspect of my research. Whether examining how young readers remediate responses to children’s texts or tracing how queer youth – as a concept – is discursively constructed through literary discussions featuring LGBTQ+ texts, children’s and young adult literature is not only a personal area of teaching but a scholarly avenue I seek to contribute to.
What’s your favorite children’s picturebook and why?
I have a complicated response to this question. When I was little, my mom would read me Goodnight Moon before bed. As I grew older, she (quite literally!) cut, hacked, and edited the Goodnight Moon book into a revised Goodnight Jon text. My mom passed away in January of this year. This book, “Goodnight Jon,” is a constant memory of her and a keepsake I will forever cherish.
What advice would you have for early career scholars?
My advice is two-fold. First, I encourage early career folks to write, read, and persist. Although I am not a “write every day” scholar, I write for significant amounts of time each week. Much of my inspiration for writing comes from reading. I regularly download and read 1-2 articles before writing sessions to feel inspired by ideas and language. Second, I would add that if provided with the opportunity, make your teaching a central part of your research agenda. As a former public school teacher, much of what I was interested in examining through my scholarship was located in personal problems of practice encountered as an early years educator. Now, as a teacher educator, I regularly use the classroom space as a place of inquiry.
What are your future directions for literacy research, including ways of incorporating children’s literature?
Currently, two research projects take up children’s and youth literature as a central focus. First, in a project examining the “(il)logics of adolescence,” my doctoral student (Kyle Smith) and I are investigating how undergraduates in a youth media and literature course discursively construct queer childhoods through reading and responding to LGBTQ+ literature. In a second project, I am tracing young children’s play(giarism) of popular children’s texts (e.g., Mo Willems' picturebooks) and examining what, if anything, they may teach us about issues of genre, originality, and emergent literacy.
What children’s literature scholar has influenced your work? Explain.
For me, both because of where I went to graduate school (Michigan State University) and also because of his impressive scholarly trajectory, Dr. Thomas Crisp is and remains a huge influence on my work. As a queer cisgender teacher educator, seeing someone ask critical questions about gender, sexuality, and genre has been so important. From his earliest work on Rainbow Boys and Boy Meets Boy to his latest collaborations focusing on the form of non-fiction, Tom is in a league of his own! I would also say that many of my junior scholar colleagues in the field (e.g., Drs. Josh Coleman, Angel Matos, Stephanie Toliver) are huge influences on my thinking.
We are thankful for Dr. Wargo’s stories, perspectives and wisdom! As the field of children’s literature continues to thrive with an extensive body of research to support our inquiries and pedagogical approaches, we encourage early-career scholars to apply for the 2023 cycle. Stay tuned for more information on the CLA blog and website!
Mary Napoli is a former editor of The Journal of Children's Literature and is co-chair of the 2023 Early Career Award Committee. She is an associate professor of education and reading at Penn State University Harrisburg.
Angela Wiseman is a CLA Board Member and is co-chair of the 2023 Early Career Award Committee. She is an associate professor of literacy education at North Carolina State University.
Angela Wiseman is a CLA Board Member and is co-chair of the 2023 Early Career Award Committee. She is an associate professor of literacy education at North Carolina State University.
By Nancy J. Johnson
We're excited to invite our CLA member-leaders who are
Classroom Teachers
or
Literacy Coaches
or
Teacher Educators
to apply for the 2023 Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award.
Classroom Teachers
or
Literacy Coaches
or
Teacher Educators
to apply for the 2023 Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award.
Without a doubt, the past few years have tested your teaching in ways that defy imagination. CLA salutes your knowledge, creativity, innovative pedagogy, including how you've re-imagined resources that keep literacy learning at the heart of your students' lives. Now it's time to channel your hopes and dreams as a teacher of readers and writers by applying for the 2023 Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award.
Who is Bonnie Campbell Hill and what is this award?
Bonnie Campbell Hill was a teacher, literacy leader, reader and writer, and a good friend of CLA. Bonnie worked extensively in elementary and middle schools, mentoring teachers around the world, and collaborating with them at state, national, and international conferences. Her teaching and writing (including nine books and numerous articles) centered around literature circles, writing instruction, classroom-based assessment, developmental continuums, portfolios, and student-led conferences. Following a cancer diagnosis 13 years ago, Bonnie dreamed of opportunities to continue her fierce advocacy for teachers as literacy leaders. In fall 2010, her family, friends, and colleagues launched Bonnie's Big Idea, a project to honor and maintain her literacy legacy. The Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award is an outgrowth of Bonnie's Big Idea. It recognizes two literacy leaders annually, and is generously funded by Dr. Hill's family. CLA is honored to serve as the home for this national award.
What does this award mean for you?
This award recognizes your role as a literacy leader and provides funding ($2,500 plus $150 in professional materials published by Heinemann) to support your own big literacy-related ideas. We recognize the role you play as a literacy leader, whether in your classroom, your school, or even your greater educational community. Now it's time to dream about -- and create -- opportunities that turn your challenges, your questions, your professional needs, even your hopes and dreams into reality. You can do that through a Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award.
What goes into your application? How do you apply?
Start with your own big ideas about literacy learning/teaching and professional development. If you were granted $2,500, how could you use that money to support your work as a literacy leader for grades K-8? Your application must include a proposed plan, a budget, your resume or vita, and a letter of support from an administrator/supervisor. Your proposed plan could focus on attending a workshop, class, or conference with colleagues. OR you could design classes, workshops, or literacy-focused events to support your work as a literacy leader. OR You could sponsor a professional book study for a team of colleagues. OR ...
You're welcome to be creative as you plan your proposal, but remember to use the award requirements as you prepare your application. These include: membership in both NCTE and CLA and submission of all application materials no later than August 10, 2023. To learn how to apply, access the 2023 BCH National Literacy Leader Award Application Call (PDF, Word Document). Further Information about the award is available on the award page on the CLA Website.
If you're unsure whether you and your ideas are award-worthy, you might find it valuable to "meet" some of the prior BCH Award recipients and learn about their proposals.
Who is Bonnie Campbell Hill and what is this award?
Bonnie Campbell Hill was a teacher, literacy leader, reader and writer, and a good friend of CLA. Bonnie worked extensively in elementary and middle schools, mentoring teachers around the world, and collaborating with them at state, national, and international conferences. Her teaching and writing (including nine books and numerous articles) centered around literature circles, writing instruction, classroom-based assessment, developmental continuums, portfolios, and student-led conferences. Following a cancer diagnosis 13 years ago, Bonnie dreamed of opportunities to continue her fierce advocacy for teachers as literacy leaders. In fall 2010, her family, friends, and colleagues launched Bonnie's Big Idea, a project to honor and maintain her literacy legacy. The Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award is an outgrowth of Bonnie's Big Idea. It recognizes two literacy leaders annually, and is generously funded by Dr. Hill's family. CLA is honored to serve as the home for this national award.
What does this award mean for you?
This award recognizes your role as a literacy leader and provides funding ($2,500 plus $150 in professional materials published by Heinemann) to support your own big literacy-related ideas. We recognize the role you play as a literacy leader, whether in your classroom, your school, or even your greater educational community. Now it's time to dream about -- and create -- opportunities that turn your challenges, your questions, your professional needs, even your hopes and dreams into reality. You can do that through a Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader Award.
What goes into your application? How do you apply?
Start with your own big ideas about literacy learning/teaching and professional development. If you were granted $2,500, how could you use that money to support your work as a literacy leader for grades K-8? Your application must include a proposed plan, a budget, your resume or vita, and a letter of support from an administrator/supervisor. Your proposed plan could focus on attending a workshop, class, or conference with colleagues. OR you could design classes, workshops, or literacy-focused events to support your work as a literacy leader. OR You could sponsor a professional book study for a team of colleagues. OR ...
You're welcome to be creative as you plan your proposal, but remember to use the award requirements as you prepare your application. These include: membership in both NCTE and CLA and submission of all application materials no later than August 10, 2023. To learn how to apply, access the 2023 BCH National Literacy Leader Award Application Call (PDF, Word Document). Further Information about the award is available on the award page on the CLA Website.
If you're unsure whether you and your ideas are award-worthy, you might find it valuable to "meet" some of the prior BCH Award recipients and learn about their proposals.
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Questions? Feel free to contact Nancy Johnson at njjohnson0303@gmail.com.
Where to submit? Send your proposal to Mary Ellen Oslick at moslick@stetson.edu. Remember, applications are due by August 10th. |
Nancy J. Johnson is the co-chair BCH National Literacy Award Committee and professor emerita, Western Washington University.
By Kathryn Will, Michelle Ladd, and Calli Leach
Our lives are full of many days, weeks, months, and seasons as the years stack up one after the other. Books can support children making connections to these patterns in their lives and developing connections to their families and the natural world around them. We have created a text set capturing the cyclical nature of time throughout our lives that invites children to lean into rich vocabulary, and the use of literary elements such as personification and metaphorical thinking as they develop their understanding of change over time. Teachers can easily deepen and extend the texts in various ways and we have gathered a few to get you started.
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All From A Walnut
Written by Ammi-Joan Paquette Illustrated by Felicita Sala Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers an imprint of ABRAMS |
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This story examines the ties connecting us to our ancestors as it explores the relationship of a grandfather with his granddaughter, Emilia. One morning she finds a walnut on her nightstand, and it is the beginning of learning about the roots of her family’s story as time cycles through seasons and years. Grandpa teaches Emilia how to plant and nurture the seed as it grows, connecting her to those before her. Through this process Emilia discovers how the cycle of life is similar for nature and humans, and how the smallest of seeds can grow into a strong, healthy tree. Although her grandfather dies in the text, she is comforted by her connection to him and her ancestors through the burgeoning life of her own walnut tree.
Felicita Sala’s illustrations are warm and inviting and capture the powerful emotions in the book. You may explore more about her work and illustrative process on her website.
This video is another resource that allows children to watch a time-lapsed growth of a walnut:
Felicita Sala’s illustrations are warm and inviting and capture the powerful emotions in the book. You may explore more about her work and illustrative process on her website.
This video is another resource that allows children to watch a time-lapsed growth of a walnut:
The Red Canoe
Written and illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert
Published by Creative Editions, an imprint of The Creative Company
Written and illustrated by Anne Yvonne Gilbert
Published by Creative Editions, an imprint of The Creative Company
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Told through the canoe’s perspective, the rich, beautiful, and descriptive language of this text takes the reader on a journey over a lifetime and beyond. First, throughout the life of a young boy who grows in skill and body through adventures outdoors in the canoe. He carefully wraps the canoe up for storage when he leaves to serve in the war, but does not return. After many years of storage (with plenty of wildland visitors over the years), the canoe hears the boathouse door creak open and the book ends with a young boy and his dad beginning the restoration process. Throughout the book, the reader experiences change over time of both people and their belongings as they grow older. Children will see how someone’s forgotten possessions can become another’s treasure.
After reading the book, children might consider family heirlooms they have in their house, the people who had them before, and what was happening during the historical periods of the life of the object. This will allow them to make connections between the book and their lives as they ponder item representation and the values that they may hold.
An interview with Anne Yvonne Gilbert is another resource that can give children additional information about her writing and illustrating processes.
After reading the book, children might consider family heirlooms they have in their house, the people who had them before, and what was happening during the historical periods of the life of the object. This will allow them to make connections between the book and their lives as they ponder item representation and the values that they may hold.
An interview with Anne Yvonne Gilbert is another resource that can give children additional information about her writing and illustrating processes.
Mother Winter
Written and illustrated by James Christopher Carroll
Published by Creative Additions an imprint of The Creative Company
Written and illustrated by James Christopher Carroll
Published by Creative Additions an imprint of The Creative Company
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“Children are swept away on Mother Winter's long coattails” and are taken on a magical journey as they explore the wonders of the winter season. Throughout the book, Carroll incorporates metaphorical language in the rich poetic text. Readers are invited to explore the qualities of life winter brings while imagining a walk in the outdoors.
If you are interested in learning about how James Christopher Carroll created the book, check out the video below.
After reading the book, reread the text, pulling out the rich descriptions of winter as a class. Then, with consideration of the current season, go out for a walk, asking students to collect observations and noticings. Share these, thinking about the ways you might add descriptors and specificity to the collection. Use this rich word back to write a seasonal poem or a class book.
If you are interested in learning about how James Christopher Carroll created the book, check out the video below.
After reading the book, reread the text, pulling out the rich descriptions of winter as a class. Then, with consideration of the current season, go out for a walk, asking students to collect observations and noticings. Share these, thinking about the ways you might add descriptors and specificity to the collection. Use this rich word back to write a seasonal poem or a class book.
The 2023 Notable Children’s Books in Language Arts Committee (NCBLA), read, reviewed, and discussed 651 books of various genres written for K-8 children in the past year. These works of poetry and prose were analyzed using the charge of the committee that asked us to consider the following when choosing the top 30 texts for grades K-8:
1. Appealing format,
2. Enduring quality,
3. Exemplary quality for their genre, and
4. Meeting one or more of the following:
a. Use of language: play on words, word origins, history of language
b. Uniqueness in use of language or style
c. Invitation of child response or engagement
We are really excited about the 2023 NCBLA list and hope you are too!
Committee members:
Kathryn Will, Chair, University of Maine Farmington
Patrick Andrus, Eden Prairie School District, Minnesota
Dorian Harrison, Ohio State University at Newark
Joyce Herbeck, Montana State University
Laura Hudock, Framingham State University, Massachusetts
Lynette Smith, Walden University, Pennsylvania
Fran Wilson, Madeira Elementary School, Ohio
1. Appealing format,
2. Enduring quality,
3. Exemplary quality for their genre, and
4. Meeting one or more of the following:
a. Use of language: play on words, word origins, history of language
b. Uniqueness in use of language or style
c. Invitation of child response or engagement
We are really excited about the 2023 NCBLA list and hope you are too!
Committee members:
Kathryn Will, Chair, University of Maine Farmington
Patrick Andrus, Eden Prairie School District, Minnesota
Dorian Harrison, Ohio State University at Newark
Joyce Herbeck, Montana State University
Laura Hudock, Framingham State University, Massachusetts
Lynette Smith, Walden University, Pennsylvania
Fran Wilson, Madeira Elementary School, Ohio
Kathryn Will is an Associate Professor of Literacy at the University of Maine Farmington (@KWsLitCrew). She is passionate about sharing the power of children's literature with her students, including the two listed below who assisted in the creation of this post and supported her work as the Chair of the 2023 NCBLA committee.
Michelle Ladd is a preservice teacher at the University of Maine at Farmington. She is a nontraditional student and a mother to three young children. She hopes to one day inspire creativity and foster individuality in a PreK-3rd grade classroom.
Calli Leach is a preservice teacher at the University of Maine at Farmington. She is passionate about helping her future students develop a love for reading and writing, as well as being a 4-H volunteer for the state of Maine.
Michelle Ladd is a preservice teacher at the University of Maine at Farmington. She is a nontraditional student and a mother to three young children. She hopes to one day inspire creativity and foster individuality in a PreK-3rd grade classroom.
Calli Leach is a preservice teacher at the University of Maine at Farmington. She is passionate about helping her future students develop a love for reading and writing, as well as being a 4-H volunteer for the state of Maine.
By Xenia Hadjioannou & Mary Ann Cappiello on behalf of the Biography Clearinghouse
Wondering how to find and curate biographies suited to the interests of your students or to your curricular needs? Frustrated by a piecemeal approach, cross-referencing booklists, award lists, and Google searches? The Biography Clearinghouse has a year end gift for you!
We have created a collection of biographies for young people on LibraryThing, an online book cataloging service. The collection makes use of “tags” with which users can use to guide and focus their searches. This continually updated collection is intended as a tool for educators of all subjects and age groups, librarians, and anyone else who enjoys and works with biographies. We are busily tagging the books in our collection and will continue to add and tag more titles!
The best part about it? You can access our collection for free and without having to sign up for an account. You can search the collection by theme, literary elements, geographic location, format feature, profession/discipline, etc.
To learn how to access, navigate, and search through the Biography Clearinghouse Collection review the information below.
We have created a collection of biographies for young people on LibraryThing, an online book cataloging service. The collection makes use of “tags” with which users can use to guide and focus their searches. This continually updated collection is intended as a tool for educators of all subjects and age groups, librarians, and anyone else who enjoys and works with biographies. We are busily tagging the books in our collection and will continue to add and tag more titles!
The best part about it? You can access our collection for free and without having to sign up for an account. You can search the collection by theme, literary elements, geographic location, format feature, profession/discipline, etc.
To learn how to access, navigate, and search through the Biography Clearinghouse Collection review the information below.
How do I access the Biography Clearinghouse Collection?
Simply go to https://www.librarything.com/catalog/Teachwithbios. There you will see our entire catalog listing. In the “Tags” column you will see all the tags assigned to each book by members of the Biography Clearinghouse.
How do I search through your catalog?
- I am looking for information on a particular biography. How do I search through your catalog?
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For more advanced search options, you can click on the triangle next to the “Search this library” field to expand the search menu. You can then use the available options to constrain your search.
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- I am looking for biographies on a particular topic/theme or with certain characteristics. How do I run my search?
Clicking on a tag will produce a listing of all books in our catalog we have annotated with it.
Have any questions? Biographies to add to our collection? Suggested tags? Please email us at teachwithbios@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you.
Xenia Hadjioannou is an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the Berks campus of Penn State University where she teaches and works with preservice teachers through various courses in language and literacy methodology. Xenia is the co-author of Translanguaging for Emergent Bilinguals. She is the Vice President and Website Manager of the Children's Literature Assembly, and a co-editor of The CLA Blog.
Mary Ann Cappiello is a Professor of Language and Literacy at Lesley University, where she teaches courses in children’s literature and literacy methods. For twelve years, she blogged about teaching with children’s literature at The Classroom Bookshelf. She is a former chair of NCTE’s Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction K-8. Mary Ann is the coauthor of Text Sets in Action: Pathways Through Content Area Literacy (2021).
Mary Ann Cappiello is a Professor of Language and Literacy at Lesley University, where she teaches courses in children’s literature and literacy methods. For twelve years, she blogged about teaching with children’s literature at The Classroom Bookshelf. She is a former chair of NCTE’s Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction K-8. Mary Ann is the coauthor of Text Sets in Action: Pathways Through Content Area Literacy (2021).
By Emmaline Ellis, Laurie Esposito, and Jennifer Slagus
In response to an increase in attempts to ban and challenge various children’s and young adult books, the topic of this year’s Children’s Literature Assembly Student Committee (CLA-SC) Annual Student Webinar was “Book Bans: Who, How, and Why?” As a committee with diverse experiences, interests, and roles in the field of children’s literature, the CLA-SC members find these movements to be particularly concerning, as the targeted books are often those that feature characters who are LGBTQIA+, Black, or Hispanic. While some book challenges have received pushback, many others have been successful. These decisions made us wonder - how do books become banned? What is the reasoning supporting these bans? And, who are the decision-makers behind book bans? These burning questions were the guiding focus of this year’s CLA-SC Student Webinar.
In order to learn more about the decision-making processes behind book bans, we enlisted the expertise of four esteemed panelists, all of whom are CLA Committee or Board Members. In this post, we summarize and highlight each panelists’ professional or personal experiences and insight as they relate to book bans, and conclude by sharing the informative and helpful resources shared throughout the Webinar. CLA Members can access a video recording of the webinar within the members-only section of the CLA website.
In order to learn more about the decision-making processes behind book bans, we enlisted the expertise of four esteemed panelists, all of whom are CLA Committee or Board Members. In this post, we summarize and highlight each panelists’ professional or personal experiences and insight as they relate to book bans, and conclude by sharing the informative and helpful resources shared throughout the Webinar. CLA Members can access a video recording of the webinar within the members-only section of the CLA website.
Dr. Rachel Skrlac Lo
Our first panelist shared the story of a book challenge in her suburban Philadelphia school district. Dr. Rachel Skrlac Lo, Assistant Professor of Education at Villanova University and parent of a child in the district, described the district’s response when a fellow parent challenged Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer. In violation of its own protocol, the district removed the book from the high school library pending review by an anonymous ad hoc committee. Various district stakeholders justified the challenge with concerns about potentially harmful psychological effects and age appropriateness. Dr. Skrlac Lo countered these unsubstantiated concerns with empirical data on the harm under-representation in schools causes LGBTQIA+ youth.
Although Gender Queer was ultimately returned to the library’s shelves in June 2022, Dr. Skrlac Lo pointed out that a single complaint rendered the book inaccessible to all students for nearly an entire academic year. In concluding her presentation, Dr. Skrlac Lo focused on ways in which we can act against book challenges and bans in schools. She encouraged us to share our expertise through engagement in public discourse. For example, we could join community groups, attend committee meetings, write to legislators, and write op-ed pieces for local publications. Perhaps most importantly, she urged us to “resist and push against” deficit narratives as we listen to and support members of groups targeted by censorship efforts.
Our first panelist shared the story of a book challenge in her suburban Philadelphia school district. Dr. Rachel Skrlac Lo, Assistant Professor of Education at Villanova University and parent of a child in the district, described the district’s response when a fellow parent challenged Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer. In violation of its own protocol, the district removed the book from the high school library pending review by an anonymous ad hoc committee. Various district stakeholders justified the challenge with concerns about potentially harmful psychological effects and age appropriateness. Dr. Skrlac Lo countered these unsubstantiated concerns with empirical data on the harm under-representation in schools causes LGBTQIA+ youth.
Although Gender Queer was ultimately returned to the library’s shelves in June 2022, Dr. Skrlac Lo pointed out that a single complaint rendered the book inaccessible to all students for nearly an entire academic year. In concluding her presentation, Dr. Skrlac Lo focused on ways in which we can act against book challenges and bans in schools. She encouraged us to share our expertise through engagement in public discourse. For example, we could join community groups, attend committee meetings, write to legislators, and write op-ed pieces for local publications. Perhaps most importantly, she urged us to “resist and push against” deficit narratives as we listen to and support members of groups targeted by censorship efforts.
Breakout Quote for Dr. Skrlac Lo:
...in this case, these book challenges weren’t about pushing us to really think about concern for the child. They are political posturing of power.
Dr. Nadine Bryce
Dr. Nadine Bryce, an Associate Professor of Literacy at Hunter College, presented on “Book Challenges, Book Bans, and Anti-CRT Laws: New York.” Dr. Bryce spoke to the “how” processes behind book bans by sharing information about the history of book bans, particularly in New York, and included personal anecdotes from educators with whom she spoke about this topic. Book challenges and bans seem to occur with more frequency and noise in other states, and Dr. Bryce was surprised to learn that there are two bills currently pending in the New York State Legislature that would restrict the use of certain books or topics based on their reference to racism or Critical Race Theory. Dr. Bryce put forth a passionate argument that while certain books may not be appropriate for certain age groups, adults can make informed choices about whether or not individual readers are equipped to handle critical engagement with literature. Dr. Bryce echoed Rudine Sims Bishop’s (1990) seminal piece on windows, mirrors, and doors, and advocated for children’s access to all books so that they can locate themselves and others within literature. Book bans are restrictive, instill fear, and create complicated power relationships. Instead, by ensuring that children have thoughtful access to all books, literature can continue to create pathways for children to reimagine and transform our world.
Dr. Nadine Bryce, an Associate Professor of Literacy at Hunter College, presented on “Book Challenges, Book Bans, and Anti-CRT Laws: New York.” Dr. Bryce spoke to the “how” processes behind book bans by sharing information about the history of book bans, particularly in New York, and included personal anecdotes from educators with whom she spoke about this topic. Book challenges and bans seem to occur with more frequency and noise in other states, and Dr. Bryce was surprised to learn that there are two bills currently pending in the New York State Legislature that would restrict the use of certain books or topics based on their reference to racism or Critical Race Theory. Dr. Bryce put forth a passionate argument that while certain books may not be appropriate for certain age groups, adults can make informed choices about whether or not individual readers are equipped to handle critical engagement with literature. Dr. Bryce echoed Rudine Sims Bishop’s (1990) seminal piece on windows, mirrors, and doors, and advocated for children’s access to all books so that they can locate themselves and others within literature. Book bans are restrictive, instill fear, and create complicated power relationships. Instead, by ensuring that children have thoughtful access to all books, literature can continue to create pathways for children to reimagine and transform our world.
Breakout Quote for Dr. Bryce:
We can probably agree that not every book is good for every reader, but books with challenging subject matter that generates strong emotions can teach us a lot about how to harness the power of discomfort that is a part of our lives and our world. Parents are the first arbiters of whether or not a book was appropriate for a child, but banning books from all children is restrictive and has larger implications, instilling fear and seeking control over who has access to difficult stories, and limits opportunities for all.
Dr. Wendy Stephens
As an experienced school librarian and current Associate Professor and School Librarian Chair at Jacksonville State University, Dr. Wendy Stephens has experience navigating the topic of challenged books censorship with both high school students and parents and future librarians. Dr. Stephens poignantly made the case for school librarians to defend libraries as “laboratories of intellectual freedom,” citing the 1982 Supreme Court case Island Trees School District versus Pico, when a group of students legally challenged a movement by local parents to ban “permissive” literature from their district’s libraries. The Supreme Court ruled that based on the rights upheld by the First Amendment, public schools cannot restrict access to books based on their content. Due to this landmark case, Dr. Stephens provided the webinar attendees with “overarching intellectual freedom principles” to aid in the selection of texts for school libraries (i.e. “have a policy and stick to the policy”), as well as strategies for when a book is being reconsidered (i.e. have your reconsideration committee established before a book is challenged). By using these strategies, librarians can minimize outside scrutiny while still serving students’ needs and interests. To preserve students’ intellectual freedom, adults should shift their focus from defending specific titles and authors to advocating against book bans in general. In her conclusion, Dr. Stephens provided a list of useful resources from the Alabama School Library Association: Intellectual Freedom Committee.
As an experienced school librarian and current Associate Professor and School Librarian Chair at Jacksonville State University, Dr. Wendy Stephens has experience navigating the topic of challenged books censorship with both high school students and parents and future librarians. Dr. Stephens poignantly made the case for school librarians to defend libraries as “laboratories of intellectual freedom,” citing the 1982 Supreme Court case Island Trees School District versus Pico, when a group of students legally challenged a movement by local parents to ban “permissive” literature from their district’s libraries. The Supreme Court ruled that based on the rights upheld by the First Amendment, public schools cannot restrict access to books based on their content. Due to this landmark case, Dr. Stephens provided the webinar attendees with “overarching intellectual freedom principles” to aid in the selection of texts for school libraries (i.e. “have a policy and stick to the policy”), as well as strategies for when a book is being reconsidered (i.e. have your reconsideration committee established before a book is challenged). By using these strategies, librarians can minimize outside scrutiny while still serving students’ needs and interests. To preserve students’ intellectual freedom, adults should shift their focus from defending specific titles and authors to advocating against book bans in general. In her conclusion, Dr. Stephens provided a list of useful resources from the Alabama School Library Association: Intellectual Freedom Committee.
Breakout Quote for Dr. Stephens:
It’s incumbent on librarians to defend student expression as well as the right to receive information.
Dr. Lester Laminack
Our final panelist, Dr. Lester Laminack, is a children’s author and educational consultant. He shared his experience growing up gay in the southern United States during a time when children’s books did not hold stories of kids like him. Dr. Laminack traced the historic resonance of this exclusion and discussed how exclusion and fear still inform the rampant book bans seen across the country today. Efforts toward literary exclusion and restriction have resulted in thousands of books facing challenges or bans, many for their LGBTQIA+ and anti-racist content. Yet, Dr. Laminack answered this bleak reality with hope. In harkening back to the 2021 and 2022 theme of Banned Books Week, he shared that “Books unite us, but censorship divides us.” He argued that a child’s only censor for what they read should be their own parents’ decisions, not the opinions of elected officials or other anonymous adults. Like Dr. Bryce, Dr. Laminack emphasized the importance of mirrors and windows (Bishop, 1990) within children’s literature, and provided an emotionally provoking discussion on the benefits of LGBTQIA+ representation. As it is through sharing the stories of diverse experiences—of the reality of fear and pain, but also of joy—that books offer insight and spark conversations that can “help students focus on what they have in common. Those are the windows.” And it is those mirrors and windows that, Dr. Laminack notes, enable children’s literature to have the “power to make us more human.”
Our final panelist, Dr. Lester Laminack, is a children’s author and educational consultant. He shared his experience growing up gay in the southern United States during a time when children’s books did not hold stories of kids like him. Dr. Laminack traced the historic resonance of this exclusion and discussed how exclusion and fear still inform the rampant book bans seen across the country today. Efforts toward literary exclusion and restriction have resulted in thousands of books facing challenges or bans, many for their LGBTQIA+ and anti-racist content. Yet, Dr. Laminack answered this bleak reality with hope. In harkening back to the 2021 and 2022 theme of Banned Books Week, he shared that “Books unite us, but censorship divides us.” He argued that a child’s only censor for what they read should be their own parents’ decisions, not the opinions of elected officials or other anonymous adults. Like Dr. Bryce, Dr. Laminack emphasized the importance of mirrors and windows (Bishop, 1990) within children’s literature, and provided an emotionally provoking discussion on the benefits of LGBTQIA+ representation. As it is through sharing the stories of diverse experiences—of the reality of fear and pain, but also of joy—that books offer insight and spark conversations that can “help students focus on what they have in common. Those are the windows.” And it is those mirrors and windows that, Dr. Laminack notes, enable children’s literature to have the “power to make us more human.”
Breakout Quote for Dr. Laminack:
Literature provides our youth an opportunity to broaden their visions of what it is like to share their deepest truth, to face their greatest fears, to live through the aftermath of their experience…But until we have access to books, we don’t have those windows. We can’t broaden ourselves.
Conclusion
This year’s Student Webinar was eye-opening and insightful, thanks to our four wonderful panelists whose passionate presentations helped us to understand the decision-making processes behind book bans and book challenges. We hope we can speak for all of the attendees of this event when we say that the webinar helped us feel informed and empowered to push back against such processes.
Throughout the webinar, our esteemed panelists shared a number of resources about banned and challenged books, as well as strategies to advocate for children’s access to all books.
Webinar Resources:
This year’s Student Webinar was eye-opening and insightful, thanks to our four wonderful panelists whose passionate presentations helped us to understand the decision-making processes behind book bans and book challenges. We hope we can speak for all of the attendees of this event when we say that the webinar helped us feel informed and empowered to push back against such processes.
Throughout the webinar, our esteemed panelists shared a number of resources about banned and challenged books, as well as strategies to advocate for children’s access to all books.
Webinar Resources:
- Recording of 2022 Webinar available to CLA Members
- Alabama School Library Association: Intellectual Freedom Committee Recommended Resources
- Articles from The Radnorite, Radnor High School Student Newspaper:
- Blogpost by Dr. Laminack, "Why We Need LGBTQ+ Literature for Children and Youth"
- It Gets Better Project, resources in support of LGBTQIA+ youth
- Kenneth Kidd’s “Not Censorship but Selection”: Censorship and/as Prizing (2009)
- Nancy Larrick’s The All-White World of Children's Books (1965)
- Podcast Read the Room
- Video of Rudine Sims Bishop on Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
Emmaline Ellis (she/her/hers) is a PhD Candidate in the Literacy and Learners program at Temple University and the current Chair of the CLA Student Committee. Emmaline’s research interests include investigating how the design of picturebooks influences book-related discussion in early learning environments.
Laurie Esposito (she/her/hers) is a PhD Candidate in the Literacy and Learners program at Temple University and a member of the CLA Student Committee. She is interested in the use of reader response theories to explore students’ use of immersive reading technologies and culturally conscious texts.
Jennifer Slagus (they/she) is a multiply-neurodivergent PhD student in Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts of Education at Brock University (Canada) and a member of the CLA Student Committee. Their research focuses on neurodivergent representation in 21st century literature for middle grade readers.
CLA-SC Member List:
· Emmaline Ellis
· Laurie Esposito
· Wenyu Guo
· Ling Hao
· Ashley Johnson
· Jennifer Pulliam
· Jennifer Slagus
· Meghan Valerio
Laurie Esposito (she/her/hers) is a PhD Candidate in the Literacy and Learners program at Temple University and a member of the CLA Student Committee. She is interested in the use of reader response theories to explore students’ use of immersive reading technologies and culturally conscious texts.
Jennifer Slagus (they/she) is a multiply-neurodivergent PhD student in Social, Cultural, and Political Contexts of Education at Brock University (Canada) and a member of the CLA Student Committee. Their research focuses on neurodivergent representation in 21st century literature for middle grade readers.
CLA-SC Member List:
· Emmaline Ellis
· Laurie Esposito
· Wenyu Guo
· Ling Hao
· Ashley Johnson
· Jennifer Pulliam
· Jennifer Slagus
· Meghan Valerio
By Lisa Pinkerton, S. Adam Crawley, and Sara K. Sterner
Starting in 1994, the Children's Literature Assembly (CLA) has sponsored a Master Class at the annual NCTE Convention. This session provides K-12 teachers and teacher educators, as well as other members of the organization, the opportunity to gain insight into effective pedagogies for fostering a love of literature across diverse classroom and academic contexts.
The 29th annual Master Class is titled "Books as Lighthouses: Using Children’s Literature to Illuminate and Provide Hope in the Darkness of Sexual Abuse." This year’s session will take place on Saturday, November 19th from 6:00-7:15 p.m. (Pacific) in Anaheim, CA.
The 2022 Master Class is organized around a moderated panel, followed by a discussant led Q&A with the following esteemed authors, illustrator, translator, and editor of children’s literature:
The 29th annual Master Class is titled "Books as Lighthouses: Using Children’s Literature to Illuminate and Provide Hope in the Darkness of Sexual Abuse." This year’s session will take place on Saturday, November 19th from 6:00-7:15 p.m. (Pacific) in Anaheim, CA.
The 2022 Master Class is organized around a moderated panel, followed by a discussant led Q&A with the following esteemed authors, illustrator, translator, and editor of children’s literature:
2022 CLA Master Class Contributors
PANELISTS
Paula Chase-Hyman is the author of nine middle grade and young adult books. So Done, her critically acclaimed middle grade debut, was named a 2018 Kirkus Reviews Best Book and was followed by two more books in the series: Dough Boys and Turning Point. She is also the author of the young adult series, Del Rio Bay Clique. Co-founder of the award-winning blog, The Brown Bookshelf, Paula is a longtime “advocate for diversifying the type of fiction featuring Black characters that’s highlighted among educators, librarians and parents” (author website).
Paula Chase-Hyman is the author of nine middle grade and young adult books. So Done, her critically acclaimed middle grade debut, was named a 2018 Kirkus Reviews Best Book and was followed by two more books in the series: Dough Boys and Turning Point. She is also the author of the young adult series, Del Rio Bay Clique. Co-founder of the award-winning blog, The Brown Bookshelf, Paula is a longtime “advocate for diversifying the type of fiction featuring Black characters that’s highlighted among educators, librarians and parents” (author website).
Kate Messner is a New York Times bestselling author who is “passionately curious and writes books for kids who wonder, too” (author website). She has written numerous award-winning picture books and novels, including The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs (illustrated by Matthew Forsythe), named a CLA 2019 Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts. She is also the author of numerous fiction and nonfiction series including Ranger in Time and History Smashers. Kate’s middle grade novel, Chirp, was a 2020 New England Book Award finalist. In her blog Countdown to CHIRP, Kate shares all about the writing process behind her novel, Chirp, including actual charts that played an integral role in her revision process.
Mary Kate Castellani is Publishing Director at Bloomsbury Children’s Books and the editor of Chirp (Messner, 2020). In a recent interview about the book and depictions of #MeToo trauma in middle grade literature, Mary Kate emphasized the dedication that she and Kate Messner share in: “addressing these relevant topics in a way that is appropriate for each age level, meeting kids where they are, and ideally preparing them for how to cope with such events” (Maughan, 2020, para. 22). Further, she spoke to the relevance of such books: “Many adults don’t like to think that kids are aware of such challenging subjects, but they are, and we need to equip them with the right knowledge to protect themselves and each other” (para. 22).
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Valérie Fontaine is the author of The Big Bad Wolf in My House, her first book to be translated into English. A Quebec writer and French-language author, Valérie has published more than thirty-five books for young people. She frequently visits schools to share her books with children and teachers. Each week, she can be found reading stories to children live on Facebook. Valérie shares that she “loves writing books as much as she loves reading and talking about them” (https://houseofanansi.com).
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Nathalie Dion is the illustrator of The Big Bad Wolf in My House. An award-winning freelance illustrator based in Montreal, she studied Design Arts at Concordia University. Nathalie exhibits her work in art galleries and museums, and she works on commissioned assignments in both editorial and children’s book illustration. Her favorite artistic tools are her Cintiq tablet and her numeric paintbrushes.
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Shelley Tanaka is the translator of The Big Bad Wolf in My House. She is a Canadian award-winning author, translator, and editor. She has written and translated more than thirty books for children and young adults. Among the many awards that Shelley has won are the Orbis Pictus Award, the Mr. Christie’s Book Award, and the Science in Society Book Award. Shelley teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA Program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
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MODERATOR AND DISCUSSANT
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Betsy Bird, the panel moderator, is a children’s author, librarian, podcaster, blogger, and reviewer. She is the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. Betsy is a frequent blogger at the School Library Journal site: A Fuse #8 Production, where she has reviewed a number of children’s books that address the topic of this master class. She also reviews books for Kirkus and The New York Times and hosts Fuse 8 n’ Kate, a podcast with her sister about classic children’s books.
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Dr. Dorian Harrison, the panel discussant, is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University at Newark. With over 15 years of experience in education, she teaches foundational and licensure courses in literacy at the undergraduate and graduate level. Dr. Dorian Harrison’s research explores how equity in literacy education is enacted, paying particular attention to the ways communities of learners are challenging deficit views and practices. Her research is aimed at not only improving classroom practice but also restructuring how institutions prepare future educators to engage with diverse populations of students and communities.
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The 2022 Master Class
The 29th annual CLA Master Class seeks to examine a particular shift in the landscape of children's literature, one that reflects the zeitgeist of the #MeToo movement, which has prompted an increase in the number of middle grade books that address issues of sexual violence (de León, 2020; Maughan, 2020; Robillard et al., 2021). The session will explore how books can nurture healing and hope in readers who have experienced such trauma, as well as provide information and support to protect readers. A panel of book creators (e.g., authors, illustrator, translator, editor) will share how their honest and sensitive stories illuminate the topic of sexual violence.
The following overriding questions will guide the session: How might books with dark subject matter foster hope in readers? And, how might teachers and teacher educators facilitate reader engagement with these vital books? We hope that attendees will leave the session with a more nuanced understanding of the shifting landscape of children's literature relative to the #MeToo movement, along with a deeper level of comfort using these books in classrooms, especially in light of the turbulent times that teachers and teacher educators inhabit relative to censorship.
The following overriding questions will guide the session: How might books with dark subject matter foster hope in readers? And, how might teachers and teacher educators facilitate reader engagement with these vital books? We hope that attendees will leave the session with a more nuanced understanding of the shifting landscape of children's literature relative to the #MeToo movement, along with a deeper level of comfort using these books in classrooms, especially in light of the turbulent times that teachers and teacher educators inhabit relative to censorship.
References
de León, C. (2020, June 17). Why more children's books are tackling sexual harassment and abuse. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/books/childrens-books-middle-grade-metoo-sexual-abuse.html
Maughan, S. (2020, April 13). Eye on middle grade: Editors discuss some of the latest developments in the category. Publishers Weekly, 23-21. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/83006-eye-on-middle-grade-spring-2020.html
Robillard, C. M., Choate, L., Bach, J., & Cantey, C. (2021). Crossing the line: Representations of sexual violence in middle-grade novels. The ALAN Review, 49(1), 33-47.
Resources
Paula Chase-Hyman’s Interview with Reading Middle Grade Blog.
Kate Messner’s Interview with BookPage
Valérie Fontaine’s Interview with Foreword Reviews
Nathalie Dion’s Feature in Canadian Children’s Book News
Shelley Tanaka’s Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations
de León, C. (2020, June 17). Why more children's books are tackling sexual harassment and abuse. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/books/childrens-books-middle-grade-metoo-sexual-abuse.html
Maughan, S. (2020, April 13). Eye on middle grade: Editors discuss some of the latest developments in the category. Publishers Weekly, 23-21. Retrieved from https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/83006-eye-on-middle-grade-spring-2020.html
Robillard, C. M., Choate, L., Bach, J., & Cantey, C. (2021). Crossing the line: Representations of sexual violence in middle-grade novels. The ALAN Review, 49(1), 33-47.
Resources
Paula Chase-Hyman’s Interview with Reading Middle Grade Blog.
Kate Messner’s Interview with BookPage
Valérie Fontaine’s Interview with Foreword Reviews
Nathalie Dion’s Feature in Canadian Children’s Book News
Shelley Tanaka’s Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations
Lisa Pinkerton (she/her) is the Marie Clay Endowed Chair in Reading Recovery and Early Literacy at The Ohio State University. Her current roles with CLA include serving as a Board Member and Master Class Co-Chair. In addition, she served on NCTE’s Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children committee from 2016-2019.
S. Adam Crawley (he/him) is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His current roles with CLA include serving as a Board Member and Master Class Co-Chair. In addition, he is the treasurer of NCTE’s Genders and Sexualities Equalities Alliance (GSEA).
Sara K. Sterner (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at Cal Poly Humboldt and the Leader of the Liberal Studies Elementary Education Program in the School of Education. Her current roles with CLA include serving as a Board Member and Master Class Co-Chair.
S. Adam Crawley (he/him) is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His current roles with CLA include serving as a Board Member and Master Class Co-Chair. In addition, he is the treasurer of NCTE’s Genders and Sexualities Equalities Alliance (GSEA).
Sara K. Sterner (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at Cal Poly Humboldt and the Leader of the Liberal Studies Elementary Education Program in the School of Education. Her current roles with CLA include serving as a Board Member and Master Class Co-Chair.
by Andrea M. Page
| The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) November conference is here! With so many fantastic sessions to attend, I’d like to shine a light on several Indigenous/First Nation/Native creatives who will be presenting at this year’s conference. Did you know that according to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), of the estimated 3427 books published in 2021 in the U.S. by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) authors, only 60 books, or 0.017% were written by Native authors? An additional 74 books about Indigenous people and their culture were written by non-Natives. The numbers are slowly rising since the first detailed set of data released by the CCBC in 2002, when only six Native authors published books, yet at that time, 64 books were published about Indigenous people and/or culture written by non-Natives. Educators know how important it is to recognize and appreciate diversity in children’s literature, and ensure children have access to books and characters that represent authentic voices. No group is more diverse than Indigenous cultures across the globe. In the United States alone, there are nearly 600 federally recognized tribes, all with similar traditions and values but very different cultures based on their geographic locations. Each tribe has its own worldview. |  |
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Fall is a time of harvest and celebration. After the hard work of planting seeds, BIPOC voices are important, new ideas seed new experiences laboring and growing, Authentic Indigenous voices are taking root and thriving and reaping the harvest, Fresh Native Creatives, values, culture, and humor are plenty it is a time to feast and celebrate. |
Teachers, Librarians, and other attendees, whose goal is to enlighten readers and reflect with open minds on a variety of worldviews…join these Native Creatives who will be presenting at NCTE. Let’s shine the light on their authentic voices and celebrate together. Hope to see you there!
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THURSDAY Darcie Little Badger A.28 Shining a Light on Rural YA Literature: Presenting the Winners of the Whippoorwill Award for Rural Young Adult Literature Thursday, 09:30 - 10:45 Carole Lindstrom B.04 Birds Aren’t Real: Literature as Truth and Light in Dark Times Thursday, 11:00 - 12:15 FRIDAY Traci Sorell E.31 Possibilities of Poetry: Excavating and Exploring Identity in the Elementary Classroom Friday, 09:30 - 10:45 Angeline Boulley F.06 Constellations and Not a Single Star: Shining and Rising Native Voices on Collaboration and Writing Truths Friday, 11:00 - 12:15 Carole Lindstrom F.06 Constellations and Not a Single Star: Shining and Rising Native Voices on Collaboration and Writing Truths Friday, 11:00 - 12:15 Traci Sorell F.06 Constellations and Not a Single Star: Shining and Rising Native Voices on Collaboration and Writing Truths Friday, 11:00 - 12:15 Laurel Goodluck F.06 Constellations and Not a Single Star: Shining and Rising Native Voices on Collaboration and Writing Truths Friday, 11:00 - 12:15 Traci Sorell G.04 Bring the Light In: Children’s Literature for Truth Telling Friday, 12:30 - 13:45 Monique Gray Smith H.04 Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants with Adapter Monique Gray Smith Friday, 14:00 - 15:15 Angeline Boulley HI.01 High School Matters—Learning Liberated: Reading, Writing, and Discussion Grounded in Multimodal Pedagogies Friday, 14:00 - 16:45 Traci Sorell H.34 Teaching with the 2022 Charlotte Huck and Orbis Pictus Award Books ROOM 204-A 14:00-15:15 SATURDAY Traci Sorell K.10 #DisruptTexts Now More Than Ever Saturday, 11:00 - 12:15 Angeline Boulley K.37 Teaching Young Adult Literature: Creating Space to Pursue Light and to Dream Saturday, 11:00 - 12:15 Joy Harjo L.30 #TeachLivingPoets and US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo Present Living Nations, Living Words, and Teaching Native Nations Poets Saturday, 12:30 - 13:45 Traci Sorell M.14 Connecting through Story: The Transformative Power of Daily Picture Book Read-Alouds Saturday, 14:45 - 16:00 Arigon Starr M.14 Connecting through Story: The Transformative Power of Daily Picture Book Read-Alouds Saturday, 14:45 - 16:00 Jen Ferguson N.08 Countering Harmful Media Narratives with Young Adult Literature Saturday, 16:15 - 17:30 |
NCTE 2022 Native Authors Darcie Little Badger (Lipan Apache). Author of Elatsoe and A Snake Falls to Earth. Website: darcielittlebadger.wordpress.com Carole Lindstrom (Anishinabe/Metis, tribally enrolled with the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) Author of Girls Dance, Boys Fiddle, and We are Water Protectors. Website: carolelindstrom.com Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation citizen) Author of We are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, At the Mountain’s Base, Powwow Day, Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer, and Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series Website: tracisorell.com Monique Gray Smith (Cree, Lakota and Scottish) Author of My Heart Fills With Happiness, You Hold Me Up, When we are Kind, Lucy and Lola and I Hope, Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience, Braiding Sweetgrass, and Tilly and the Crazy Eights Website: moniquegraysmith.com Angeline Boulley (enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) Author of Firekeeper's Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed. Website: angelineboulley.com Laurel Goodluck (Mandan and Hidatsa from the prairies of North Dakota, and Tsimshian from a rainforest in Alaska). Author of Forever Coursins. Fortcoming books: Rock your Mocs and Too Much Website: laurelgoodluck.com Joy Harjo (member of the Mvskoke Nation and belongs to Oce Vpofv (Hickory Ground)). Author of An American Sunrise, The Good Luck Cat and For a Girl Becoming. Website: joyharjo.com Arigon Starr (enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma) . Illustrator of Super Indian and Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers Website arigonstarr.com Jen Ferguson (Michif/Métis) Author of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet Website: jenfergusonwrites.com |
Resource:
Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/books-by-and-or-about-poc-2018/
Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/literature-resources/ccbc-diversity-statistics/books-by-and-or-about-poc-2018/
Andrea Page (Hunkpapa Lakota / German) is a children’s author, educator, and Board Member of the Children’s Literature Assembly of the NCTE. Her debut middle grade book, SIOUX CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II, is the story of seven Native American Code Talkers’ military service in the Pacific Theater. Andrea lives with her husband in Rochester, New York. Visit her website at WriterAndreaPage.com.
Authors:
CLA Members
Supporting PreK-12 and university teachers as they share children’s literature with their students in all classroom contexts.
Disclaimer
The opinions and ideas posted in the individual entries are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of CLA or the Blog Editors.
The opinions and ideas posted in the individual entries are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of CLA or the Blog Editors.
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Instructions to Authors
If you are a current CLA member and you would like to contribute a post to the CLA Blog, please read the Instructions to Authors and email co-editor Liz Thackeray Nelson with your idea.
If you are a current CLA member and you would like to contribute a post to the CLA Blog, please read the Instructions to Authors and email co-editor Liz Thackeray Nelson with your idea.
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