Harnessing Our Super Powers for the Children’s Literature Assembly: A Call to Serve

By Ruth Lowery, Chair of CLA's Nominating Committee

Now more than ever the work of the CLA is of utmost importance for teachers, students, librarian, parents, and all stake holders involved in expanding the landscape of children’s literature. Each year CLA elects three new candidates to serve a three-year term. This year, we have 12 amazing scholars comprising authors, teachers, and teacher educators who have accepted the nomination to be on the ballot for the 2024-2026 spots.  

The election will be held October 2 - 12, 2023 and all CLA members will have the opportunity to select their top three candidates. We look forward to welcoming the newly elected board members during the CLA Breakfast at the NCTE Convention in Columbus, OH.
 
This post serves as a brief introduction to our 12 nominees. Detailed candidate statements are available on the Elections page.

Meet the Candidates

Josh Coleman
The University of Iowa

Josh Coleman is an Assistant Professor of English Education at the University of Iowa. His work advocates for the integration of LGBTQ+ Children’s and Youth Literature in classrooms and teacher education.

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Amanda Deliman
Utah State University-Salt Lake

Amanda Deliman is a teacher educator in Literacy Education who centers her scholarship and teaching around humanizing pedagogical practices and valuing the needs of the whole learner.

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Wenyu Guo
University of South Florida

Wenyu Guo is an Assistant Professor of Literacy Studies. She is dedicated to advancing multicultural and antiracist children’s literature for young readers. She advocates for their right to explore literature reflecting their heritage and race .

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Christian M. Hines
Texas State University

Christian Hines is an Assistant Professor of Reading and Literacy. She credits books as her safe space, which aided in formulating her identity. A former high school teacher, she strives to continually advance and advocate for equitable teaching practices that center inclusive children’s and young adult literature.

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Laura Hudock
Framingham State University

Laura Hudock, a former first and fifth grade teacher, is an Assistant Professor of Literacy. An advocate for culturally sustaining children’s literature in local P-12 classrooms, her passion for children’s literature underlies her  dedication to the field.

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Liz Thackeray Nelson
Utah Valley University

Liz Thackeray Nelson is an Assistant Professor of Literacy. She has served CLA as Membership Committee Chair and Co-Editor for the CLA Blog. She is working to devise policies and find ways to increase outreach and education to support teachers, librarians, and community leaders in fighting against censorship and ensuring children’s access to diverse texts.

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Kasey Short
Charlotte Country Day School, NC

Kasey Short is a Literacy Educator. She believes that literature is an essential component to children’s academic and social emotional development. She is committed to continuing to expand her own knowledge of current children’s literature and sharing that knowledge with educators.

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Kathy G. Short
University of Arizona

Kathy G. Short is Regents Professor of children’s literature and Director of Worlds of Words, the center of global literacies and literatures at the University of Arizona. She brings her leadership experiences with other children’s literature organizations, book award committees, and a lifetime commitment to children’s literature to further the mission of CLA.

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Melissa Stewart
Children’s Book Author

Melissa Stewart is a children’s book author. A Sibert Medal Honoree, nonfiction advocate, and past Board member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, she provides a unique perspective of how children’s literature is created, and teachers and students interactions with the literature.

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Anita Stratton
Dublin City Schools, OH

Anita Stratton, in an elementary educator for Dublin City Schools in Ohio. She is passionate about sharing children’s literature that supports multilingualism and translanguaging. Creating a classroom environment that is inclusive of all stories is at the heart of her pedagogy.

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Meghan Valerio
Canfield Schools, OH

Meghan Valerio, a former elementary teacher and reading specialist, currently serves as District Literacy Coach for Canfield Schools in Ohio. She has served CLA through Blog contributions and the Research Award Review Committee. Meghan’s research examines the interactions between the complexities of the text, the reading process, and instructional practices when teaching with children’s literature.

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Saba Khan Vlach
University of Iowa

Saba Khan Vlach is an Assistant Professor of Elementary Literacy Education. She was one of the first literacy teachers to be awarded CLA’s Bonnie Campbell Hill National Literacy Leader award. Since then, she continues to bring illustrators, publishing houses, family communities, and scholars together to advocate for rich and diverse children’s and young adult literature.

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Ruth Lowery is Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Faculty Affairs in the College of Education of the University of North Texas. She is immediate past president of CLA and chair of the Nominating Committee.