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Shining the Light on Authentic Native Voices in Children's Literature at the Upcoming NCTE Conference

11/13/2022

 

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.
Picture
         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!
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/
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.

You may also be interested in

NCTE 2022 Sessions Sponsored by CLA
  • The 2022 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
  • CLA Master Class
  • CLA Breakfast
A listing of NCTE 2022 Sessions of Interest for CLA Members Assembled by members of CLA’s DEI Committee

2022 CLA Breakfast

10/31/2022

 

by Angela Wiseman & Ally Hauptman (2022 Co-Chairs)

We invite you to join us for our annual Children’s Literature Assembly Breakfast at the 2022 NCTE Convention featuring the award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft! Our breakfast is on Sunday November 20th, starting at 7am (PST) and takes place in Ballroom D at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The CLA breakfast is not to be missed! As you have seen in other blog posts, we will present awards, have an art auction and book raffle, and then Jerry Craft will speak and sign books afterwards! You need a ticket to the CLA Breakfast to attend. If you have already registered for the NCTE conference, but would like to purchase a ticket to the breakfast, the easiest way to do this is to call NCTE directly at (877) 369-6283.
2022 CLA Breakfast at NCTE on 11/20/22 @ 7 am
We would like to present some background on the esteemed, award-winning author-illustrator, Jerry Craft. As Publishers Weekly described in a book review about New Kid, Jerry Craft masterfully creates realistic stories that feature real life characters, “deftly weaving discussions of race, socioeconomics, colorism, and solidarity into an accessible narrative.”

We were first introduced to his work when we read New Kid, which was published in 2019. New Kid is part of a trilogy; Class Act is the second book and the third will be released in the near future. This fantastic book about Jordan Banks describes his experiences dealing with life as an adolescent while attending a private school where he doesn’t always fit in. He’s one of the only students of Color at this school and experiences prejudice and racism as he realizes how both race and socioeconomic factors impact the way people treat each other. Jerry Craft is motivated to show realistic portrayals of children in his books, but he also really wants children, particularly children of Color,  to see themselves in his stories.
Before Jordan Banks, Jerry Craft wrote the comic strip Mama’s Boyz, which features the Porter family. It depicts the experience of Pauline Porter, a mother who is single-parent to two teenaged sons named Tyrell and Yusuf. While depicting real life experiences of a family, it was important that he had characters that he could imagine his own sons reading and relating to. If you visit his website, the first thing you see next to his profile and books is a quote that says “I make the books I wish I had when I was a kid.”
Mama's Boyz comic strip sample
(Image from https://www.lambiek.net/artists/c/craft-jerry.htm)
If you regularly attend the CLA Breakfasts at NCTE, you know what a wonderful experience they are! But if you haven’t, we welcome you to join us! It’s a great opportunity to meet other people who are passionate about children’s literature, hear an amazing author-illustrator, purchase raffle tickets for wonderful books, and possibly bid on art from children’s illustrators! We hope to see you there!

Angela Wiseman and Ally Hauptman

​Ally Hauptman is a CLA Board Member and co-chair of the 2022 CLA Breakfast Committee. She is an associate professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.

Angela Wiseman is a CLA Board Member and is co-chair of the 2022 CLA Breakfast Committee. She is an associate professor of literacy education at North Carolina State University.

Children’s Literature Assembly Art Auction at the 2022 NCTE Conference

10/18/2022

 

by Peggy Rice and Ally Hauptman representing the Ways and Means Committee

Each year at the NCTE Conference, the Children’s Literature Assembly hosts a breakfast. It is one of our favorite events of the conference because we get to listen to an author speak about their work and we get to see the gorgeous artwork available in the silent auction. This year our speaker is Jerry Craft, Newbery winner and author of New Kid and Class Act. Jerry is also contributing a piece of art to the auction! 

The Ways and Means Committee spends a better part of the year communicating with children’s picture book authors/illustrators about donating artwork to support the major goals of our organization. CLA is committed to promoting high quality children’s books in classrooms and supporting research focused on the importance of children’s literature. 

Ways and Means Committee

Raven Cromwell
Michelle Hasty
Ally Hauptman
Mary Lee Hahn
Rachelle Kuehl
Marion Rocco
Peggy Rice
We are excited to share with you some of the artwork we have received and will be available for purchase through the auction this year. There are more pieces coming, so there will be a second blog coming soon! Without further ado, we invite you to view these beautiful contributions by Kevin Henkes, Grant Snider, Juliet Menéndez, Ellen Heck, Bonnie Lui, Alaina Chau, Amanda Calatzis, Brandon James Scott, Dan Yaccarino, and Elizabeth Erazo Baez. As an added bonus this year, each piece of art will be auctioned off with the book in which it appears!

Elizabeth Erazo Baez

Elizabeth Erazo Baez, talented artist, illustrator, curator and art teacher, is  of Puerto Rican heritage.  Impacted by her experiences growing up in Puerto Rico, she uses bright Caribbean colors and creates lush, tropical views, depicting the cultural lifestyle.
Art for Auction: Elizabeth has contributed three, expressive 11 x 14 pieces, with matting, from Alicia and the Hurricane: A Story of Puerto Rico,  a bilingual picture book written by Leslea Newman (2022). Each illustration includes an image of the coqui, a tree frog that is native to the island and beloved by the main character, Alicia. 


Amanda Calatzis

Amanda Calatzis, talented author-illustrator, incorporates light into her illustrations to convey warmth.
Picture
Art for Auction: This 17 x 11 inch, uplifting illustration is from Mr. Roger’s Gift of Music by Donna Cangelosi (2022), a picture book biography, that celebrates the power of music in his life. It depicts Mr. Rogers and the flow of music in his home.


Alina Chau

Alina Chau, a talented animator, author-illustrator  grew up in Hong Kong in an Indonesian-Chinese family. Her work is inspired by her unique Southeast Asian heritage. In 2018, a book she illustrated, The Nian Monster by Andrea Wang, received a Picture Book Honor by the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)

Art for Auction:  This 14 x 10 inch watercolor illustration is from Bonnie’s Rocket by Emmeline Lee (2022), a historical fiction picture book inspired by the experiences of the author’s grandfather with the Apollo 11 space mission. It depicts Bonnie, whose father is an engineer for the Apollo 11 space mission, conceptualizing a rocket that she designs, builds and tests.

Picture

Ellen Heck

Ellen Heck, is a talented printmaker who explores identity in her work.

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Art for Auction:  This 10 x 8 inch piece includes eye-catching black and white scratchboard images from A is for Bee: An Alphabet Book in Translation (2022), her lavishly illustrated debut multilingual alphabet picture book that was inspired by reading Lithuanian alphabet books to her son. Throughout the book, she has included hidden letter forms to create a seek and find element for readers.


Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes, is an award-winning, prolific author-illustrator of picture books and novels.  He received the 2020 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for his significant and lasting contributions as an American author-illustrator, publishing books in the United States.  His award-winning works include Kitten’s Full Moon, winner of the 2005 Caldecott and The Year of Billy Miller, the 2014 recipient of a Newbery Honor.
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Art for Auction:  This  9.5 x 4 inch illustration of pastel colored, expressive elephants is from A Parade of Elephants (2018), which is an ALA Notable Book. This delightful book for preschoolers focuses on a day-long march of five elephants and includes opportunities for counting, as well as exploration of opposites.


Bonnie Lui

Bonnie Lui, is a talented illustrator of picture books for children who is also a background painter for Dreamworks and WB. In 2021, she published her first children’s book that she authored and illustrated, “ABC of Feelings.”

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Art for Auction:  This 4 x 6 inch otherworldly illustration from So Not Ghoul by Karen Yin (2022), depicts the main character, Mimi, who is a Chinese-American ghost girl haunting a new American school.  In this playful ghost story, Mimi embraces her bicultural identity.    


Juliet Menéndez

Juliet Menéndez, a talented Guatemalan American author-illustrator, is a former bilingual teacher in New York City. While teaching, she noticed a need for children’s books depicting Latinas.
Art for Auction: This  framed 18 x 23 inch gorgeous illustration is from Juliet’s first children’s book, Latinitas: Celebrating 40 Big Dreamers (2021), a collected biography of influential Latinas who followed their dreams. It depicts Rigoberta Menchu Tum, the 1992 winner of the Nobel Peace prize, in recognition of her work as an advocate of Indian Rights and ethno-cultural reconciliation. Other Latinas included in the collection include Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Evelyn Miralles, NASA’s first virtual reality engineer.
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Brandon James Scott

Brandon James Scott, is a critically acclaimed Canadian, creative director working in animation and an author-illustrator of children’s books. He  created the award-winning animated series, Justin Time.

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Art for Auction: This 20 x 20 inch humorous illustration from A Bear, A Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom (2022) captures the high energy of the hungry bear and the angry bee. Brandon’s expressive illustrations delight young readers while inspiring them to write poetry

Grant Snider

Grant Snider, is a talented author-illustrator of children’s picture books and creator of comics that have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review.

Art for Auction: This  14 x 11 inch brightly colored illustration from One Boy Watching  (2022) depicts the boy on his daily bus ride.  Grant’s use of color invites young readers to engage with the outside world through observation.
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Dan Yaccarino

Dan Yaccarino, is an acclaimed author-illustrator of children’s books and creator of animated series based on his books, such as Doug Unplugs (AppleTV) and Oswald (Nickelodeon).

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Art for Auction: This 20 x 20 inch graphic style illustration is from City Under the City  (2022). It depicts Bix and her rat friend heading home from the City Under the City with books that they have discovered on their adventure. The charming illustrations and Bix’s appreciation for books inspire young readers to move away from a screen and read a book.

Peggy Rice is an associate professor in the Department of Elementary Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is a member of the Ways and Means Committee for CLA.

Ally Hauptman is an associate professor at Lipscomb University. She is the chair of the Ways and Means Committee for CLA and a serving CLA board member.

To be able to participate in this year's CLA Art Auction, don't forget to prepurchase your tickets for the 2022 Children's Literature Assembly Breakfast featuring Jerry Craft. Tickets are available through the registration portal for NCTE2022.
CLA invites you to its 2022 Breakfast featuring Jerry Craft. Purchase tickets at https://convention.ncte.org/registration/

And the Children’s Literature Assembly Breakfast Speaker is…

5/24/2022

 

By Angela Wiseman and Ally Hauptman, Breakfast Committee co-chairs

We are so happy to announce the CLA Breakfast Speaker for 2022 - it’s Jerry Craft!

Mark your calendars now! This will be such a fantastic session, taking place November 20, 2022 in Anaheim, CA.

Jerry Craft is an author and illustrator of many books, but most recently has published the graphic novel trilogy New Kid, Class Act, and an additional book that continues Jordan Bank’s experiences that will be coming out shortly! Craft has won multiple awards, including a Newbery Award, a Kirkus Book Award, and a Coretta Scott King Award for his book New Kid. 

We have a breakfast speaker interview that is coming out in the Journal of Children’s Literature in the fall, but we wanted to share our top 10 reasons why you should attend the CLA Breakfast at the NCTE Conference!
10. You will get a Jerry Craft book to add to your collection!

9. After the breakfast, Jerry will be signing books - so you can get your book autographed!

8. He is going to share his creative process with you, including the way his life has shaped his stories.

7. This may be your only opportunity to hear from a graphic novelist who has earned a Newbery Award - he is the first and only person to do this!

6.The passion Jerry Craft has for illustrating and authoring books that represent children of Color and inspiring others to read wonderful books is powerful - you won’t want to miss it!

5. Jerry Craft wants to show Black boy joy and realities of his own lived experiences. You can find out how his stories do this!

4. Jerry Craft is known as the “hardest working author” ever. His story and journey are inspiring!

3. His books are translated into 13 languages! 

2. Jerry Craft has brilliant ideas about how to use his books in the classroom!

1. His books are full of “Easter eggs” - hidden jokes, cultural references, and fun facts. You will have to reread all his books after you hear about them!

Jerry Craft Photo
Jerry Craft

New Kid Cover
Class Act cover
Phote of Jarry Craft and Breaktfast co-chairs
​Ally Hauptman is a CLA Board Member and co-chair of the 2022 CLA Breakfast Committee. She is an associate professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.

Angela Wiseman is a CLA Board Member and is co-chair of the 2022 CLA Breakfast Committee. She is an associate professor of literacy education at North Carolina State University.

Gearing Up for NCTE2022 & Winter Hiatus

12/14/2021

 

by Xenia Hadjioannou, Lauren Liang, Liz Thackeray Nelson (Editors of the CLA Blog)

Link to the call for proposal for NCTE 2022
During the Closing Session of the 2021 NCTE Convention,  María E. Fránquiz, Program Chair for the 2022 conference, announced the theme of the 2022 Annual NCTE Convention: ¡Sueños! Pursuing the Light. With this call for proposals, María is inviting us "to think of ways that we can pursue and bring light to each other, to our profession, and our organization." The full clip of her announcement is provided below.
Clip from the Closing Session at NCTE 2021: María Fránquiz announcing the theme for NCTE 2022
Published with permission | Transcript

Out of the Darkness Grows the Light

In her announcement, María Fránquiz discussed drawing inspiration from the work of Sister Mary Corita Kent, "a social justice advocate, artist educator, designer and poet" and shared Kent's poem from the 1977 serigraph titled out of the darkness.

María also referenced a recently published children's biography of Corita Kent written by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Kara Kramer: Make Meatballs Sing: The Life and Art of Corita Kent. The biography, which was composed in close collaboration with the Corita Center and includes reproductions of her work, was recently selected as one of the 2022 Orbis Pictus recommended books.

Cover of Make Meatballs Sing

out of the darkness
Corita Kent, 1977

out of the darkness
of one moment
grows the light
of another moment
perhaps in some distant time
if not in the next moment
love the darkness
An image of the out of darkness cerigraph as well as comprehensive collection of Corita Kent’s artwork can be found on the website of The Corita Art Center.

Golden Line Strategy

Another children's title María Fránquiz connected to the 2022 NCTE Conference theme of ¡Sueños! Pursuing the Light is a picturebook by Yuyi Morales published as Bright Star in English and Lucero in Spanish. In this book, a young fawn explores a border territory, gently guided and encouraged by a maternal voice.

Using the golden line strategy, María pulled out the line:
"No matter where you are, you are a bright star inside our hearts."

"Dondequiera que estés, eres un lucero en nuestros corazones."

In reflecting on the excerpt, María commented, "For me, this line embodies, the belief of light within each person, child or adult. It is repeated in different forms in the story. The message offers protection to children because it presents the possibility of a caring person or community somewhere. This line radiates hope and love. I think that line also ties nicely with the lighthouse logo that incorporates our theme for the 2022 Convention. With the moon, and the stars brightly shining and the constellation beyond the lighthouses of our different parts of the world."
If you are interested in learning more about the golden line strategy, check out our post From the 2020 Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts in which Jeanne Fain, the 2020 Notables Committee Chair, describes the strategy and offers ideas and recommendations for practice.

Submitting Proposals for NCTE 2022

  • Call for Proposals
  • Proposal submission online form for NCTE 2022.
  • Proposals are due by 11:59 p.m. ET, Tuesday, January 18, 2022.
  • For any questions, please email NCTEevents@ncte.org.
Lucero cover
Bright Star Cover
Hiatus Announcement & Wishes for the new year. We will be back in January
Xenia Hadjioannou is Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the Harrisburg Campus of Penn State. She is Vice President of CLA and co-editor of the CLA Blog.

Lauren Aimonette Liang is Associate Professor at the Deparment of Educational Psychology of the University of Utah. She is Past President of CLA and co-editor of the CLA Blog.

Liz Thackeray Nelson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Utah. She is co-chair of CLA's membership committee and co-editor of the CLA Blog.

Join CLA at the 2020 NCTE Virtual Convention

11/17/2020

 

BY LAUREN AIMONETTE LIANG

Last year, right around this time, the Fall 2019 issue of JCL arrived in the mail. In the President’s Message I had written a bit about my excitement for the upcoming NCTE conference:
It starts for me with the airplane travel. Coming from my area, it is rare to board a flight heading to a major conference and not encounter fellow teachers, librarians, and researchers embarking on the same adventure. We wave, ask about colleagues and friends, and buzz a bit with excitement. (I often think the other travelers must later wonder about these groups of individuals who are all grading papers and reading thick books, while simultaneously winning all the in-flight trivia and scrabble games.)  

Once we arrive at the NCTE city, conference-goers from all over are grabbing bags, looking for shuttles and taxis, and heading off to the area hotels. Immediately there is a shared sense of purpose and anticipation. Conversations break out in the hotel elevators about whether registration is open, and the time of the opening session. Hordes of badge-wearing, tote-bag laden attendees appear in long lines at the coffee stands and take over the sidewalks in their sensible walking shoes as they head off for the day.

And then the conference! Hour after hour of thought-provoking sessions, with speakers addressing the important issues in our field, provoking new ideas, and sharing possible solutions. The vibrant displays of new books in the exhibit hall waiting to be shared by knowledgeable and enthusiastic publishers who offer sneak peeks that might be perfect for your classroom. And, best of all, that amazing shared sense of being present with each other—knowing that the people gathered here care just as deeply as you do about supporting children’s and teen’s literacy experiences and growth.

The Children’s Literature Assembly events at NCTE are a highlight for many attendees. A history of consistent excellence makes our CLA Notables Session, CLA Master Class, and CLA Breakfast the starred events on many personal conference schedules...

This year’s conference will be a little different. No elevator chats with fellow badge-wearing attendees—but more #NCTE2020 tweets taking their place. Less wearing of sensible walking shoes—but likely a lot more feet clad in comfy slippers. However, I am certain that the most important part of the NCTE experience will remain the same: that gathering to passionately share and learn together how to support the literacy experiences and growth of our youth. Perhaps the virtual experience may allow for more to attend this year without the burden or barriers of travel. How we gather is, in the end, much less important than the fact that we simply do—that we find a way to make assembly and community.

For those attending the 2020 NCTE Virtual Convention, we hope our two live events will provide that powerful gathering space.

Interested in registering for the 2020 NCTE Virtual Convention?
Registration

Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts AwardS

Join the members of the Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts award committee in a live event on Sunday afternoon from 1:45- 3:00 pm ET. Throughout the fall this blog has featured posts from members of this committee. Join them live for more outstanding 2020 titles and suggestions for classroom use.

NOTABLES live event on Sunday afternoon from 1:45- 3:00 pm ET at NCTE2020

Annual CLA Breakfast

Bring your breakfast to listen to amazing author Jason Reynolds, this year’s CLA Breakfast keynote speaker! In a live session Sunday morning from 9:00 – 10:15 am ET, the 2020-21 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature will talk about his writing and more.
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Add to your experience by submitting a question from you, or from your students, to be answered live during the session! 
Submit Questions
Prepare by exploring our annual “table trivia” game, this year to be played virtually
Trivia Game
CLA MEMBERS

Explore the interview with Jason Reynolds featured in the Fall 2020 issue of JCL
FALL JCL ISSUE [46(2)]
Lauren Aimonette Liang is an associate professor at the University of Utah and the current president of CLA.

Upcoming Events of Interest to our CLA Members

9/15/2020

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

ALSC National Institute
October 2-3

"The 2020 ALSC Virtual Institute welcomes anyone interested in developing their skills, competencies, and awareness of issues in children's literacy and library service, including front-line youth librarians and library workers; children's literature experts and practitioners; education and library school faculty; and other interested adults."

Registration and information link
.

School Library Journal Day of Dialogue
October 15

"Join us for the most anticipated librarian gathering of the year—now fully virtual and free to attend! Our daylong program of author panels, in-depth conversations, and keynote talks will keep you informed, inspired, and entertained. Attendees will hear about the latest and most exciting forthcoming titles for children, tweens, and teens, from picture books and nonfiction to graphic novels and YA, and engage in Q&A sessions with authors and illustrators. Visit the virtual exhibits hall to network with leading publishers, enjoy additional author chats, and download digital galleys and other free resources."

Registration and information link.

YALSA Symposium
November 6-8

"The Young Adult Services Symposium is open to everyone, not just YALSA members.  
Programs will cover the entire spectrum of topics related to providing services for and with young adults.  Session content is focused around key issues in YALSA's recent report."


Registration and information link.

Fostering Dialogue: Teaching Children's Literature at University
November 19-21

"The 1st International ONLINE Conference Fostering Dialogue offers plenary and parallel sessions related to how we teach children’s literature at university level, both undergraduate and graduate. The ONLINE Conference uses an innovative format supported by a rich and detailed website, a dedicated YouTube channel, and archived presentations."

Registration and information link.

ALAN Workshop
November 22-24

"The highlight of each year is the annual ALAN Workshop. At this gathering, you’ll meet with colleagues from across the country, receive copies of some of the best and most popular young adult titles, and get to hear from a host of young adult authors. The workshop is held each year in conjunction with the NCTE Annual Convention."

Registration and information link.

ILA NEXT Professional Interactive Learning Events
October 3-29

"Professional learning doesn't live in a vacuum. ILA Next looks at the impact of distance and hybrid learning, equity and access, social-emotional development, and trauma responsiveness on high-quality literacy instruction."

Registration and information link.


School Library Journal's Annual Summit
October 24

"Join us Saturday, October 24 for School Library Journal Summit: Culture Shift. Now in its 16th year, this national convening will focus on creating a culture that promotes an equitable world and closes the opportunity gap for all children.In this free, day-long event, you’ll gain skills, ideas, and support in leading the change you want to see in your library, school, and community."

Registration and information link.

USBBY Annual Membership Meeting and International Children's Book Day Presentation
November 14

"This one- hour meeting will include a special program to highlight USBBY’s sponsorship of the 2021 International Children’s Book Day, April 2. " The event will feature Hans Christian Andersen recipient Roger Mello from Brazil and award-winning Cuban American author Margarita Engle.

USBBY Membership Page
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NCTE
November 19-22

"Join thousands of educators, experts, authors, administrators, publishers, and others for the 2020 NCTE Virtual Annual Convention, November 19-22."

Registration and information link.

The 2020 annual NCTE convention will feature virtual versions of the CLA Blreakfast (featuring Jason Reynolds) and of the Notables session.

CEL Convention
November 22-23

"What, in this time of cultural and political divisiveness, should our priorities be? How should we be moving things forward? What ideas, experiences, and opportunities should we support? What kind of momentum can we generate? What kind of movements can we build? The 2020 Virtual CEL Annual Convention seeks to explore these concerns."

Registration and information link.

Ongoing Events

NCTE Member Gatherings

A series of member-exclusive online gatherings. Each event "fosters conversation, brings new ideas, and builds relationships with your fellow NCTE members during the isolating time of COVID-19."

Registration and information link.

NCTE Learning on Demand Web Seminars

“Learn from leaders in our field from the comfort of your couch. On Demand Web seminar recordings include all audio, video, chat, and discussion from past live events.”

Information link.

ALA Online Learning

"ALA eLearning--webinars, courses, workshops, e-forums and more--covers library-related fundamentals, advances, trends, and hot topics for all types of libraries. Find the online options that can best keep you and your colleagues and staff current."

Registration and information link.

ILA Digital Events

“ILA Digital Events range from high-quality professional development opportunities to engaging discussions on timely topics. These events also give you a chance to become active within the ILA community, provide access to high-quality online resources, and connect with like-minded educators at a time and place that's convenient for you.”

Registration and information link.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Takes A Stance Against Racism

6/4/2020

 
In response to the recent events surrounding the death of George Floyd, NCTE's Presidential Team has released a letter taking a stance against racism. Below we, the Children's Literature Assembly of NCTE, provide this important letter in its entirety.
This statement was written by the leaders of the NCTE Presidential Team.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) denounces all forms of racial violence and brutality. We grieve with the family and friends of George Floyd and with all who are suffering during these devastating times. As we seek justice, we stand in solidarity with demonstrations and protests that raise awareness of, and that call for action against, systemic racism in this country. Because we treasure our First Amendment rights, we also denounce the arrest and mistreatment of journalists, especially journalists of Color, who work tirelessly to keep the world informed about what is happening in our various communities.

Injustices and acts of brutality are real. In fact, they are revolting. Racist acts keep recurring, and systems of oppression continue to exist, proving the need for systemic and structural change. That change can begin with protests, but ultimately it must happen through action. As educators, we are poised to lead the way through our teaching.

NCTE’s vision and long-held commitment is “to apply the power of language and literacy to actively pursue justice and equity for all students and the educators who serve them.” As literacy educators, we are concerned for our students and their families. We pledge to continue our efforts to create equity inside classrooms. We celebrate theGary B., et al. v. Whitmer, et al. settlement: students in Detroit and elsewhere “have a fundamental right to education.” And we applaud the New Mexico Yazzie/Martinez decision “to provide all students with a uniform and sufficient education . . . .”  Equity in classrooms for teachers of English and our students is paramount. It is through education that we believe we can make a lasting difference.

This includes educating about the right to vote. As Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has advised, “ . . . if you want change in America, go and register to vote. Show up at the polls.”

Picture
We cannot stop there. As literacy educators, our aim is to help students and communities to imagine a better, more humane world and to take the steps to achieve it. As advocated by NCTE’s Statement on Anti-Racism to Support Teaching and Learning, we must be active, both collectively and individually, in “counteracting racism and other forms of bigotry in teaching materials, methods, and programs for the teaching and learning of English and the language arts.”

As the nation’s oldest organization of preK through graduate school literacy educators, NCTE has a rich history of deriving expertise and advocacy from its members’ professional research, practice, and knowledge. We are stronger by looking to one another for wisdom. Some of our NCTE members have already begun to speak on recent events, such as the Early Childhood Education Assembly, which recently released its powerful Call to Action Countering Anti-Blackness in Society & Schools. We are grateful for this work, and we know that other NCTE members are also finding ways to address these issues and to provide resources.

NCTE’s publications serve as important resources that can guide our thoughts and actions during this time, and we recommend them to you. The following materials may also be helpful:
  • Resources from the Committee against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English
    • What Anti-Racist Teachers Do
    • Qualities of Anti-Racist ELA Curricula
  • NCTE Statement on Anti-Racism to Promote Teaching and Learning
  • From the Early Childhood Education Assembly: Call to Action Countering Anti-Blackness in Society & Schools
  • CCCC Statement on Effective Institutional Responses to Threats of Violence and Violent Acts against Minoritized and Marginalized Faculty and Graduate Students

Also, we remind members that NCTE continues to offer opportunities such as the online Member Gatherings and author-led talks as ways to ensure that we support, encourage, and uplift each other. Know that we are committed to motivating action, working for educational equity, and standing in solidarity, together.

Leah Zuidema, President
Alfredo Celedón Luján, President-Elect
Valerie Kinloch, Vice President
Franki Sibberson, Past President
Emily Kirkpatrick, Executive Director


Editors' Note

Many organizations, newspapers, book creators, literacy scholars, teachers and bookstores have created compelling antiracist booklists for different age groups, which are widely available on social media and on websites and blogs. We encourage our members and other readers to explore and use these lists with the children in their lives.
Image by Orna Wachman from Pixabay

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