May 25, 2008
Jon Scieszka’s Mission: Foster A New Generation of Readers
Beloved author of children’s books Jon Scieszka was recently appointed the first National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress. The position was created to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.
In this podcast episode, Scieszka outlines the issues our industry and country face in the quest to put more books in the hands of more children.
Scieszka will provide Introductory Remarks at this year’s Children’s Book and Author Breakfast (Friday, May 30, 8:00AM – 9:30AM in the Concourse Hall). This opening-day breakfast will feature Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Judy Blume, author of Going, Going, Gone! with the Pain and the Great One, and Neil Gaiman, author of The Graveyard Book. Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox will be the Master of Ceremonies.
For more information about this event, please click here.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
As surely as Thumbelina helped nurture the spirit of the damsel in distress waiting to be rescued by knights of Hans Christian Anderson’s era, so too do today’s children’s books form nutrients of tomorrow’s adults.
Whether we like it or not, children’s psyches are fed even as they play and have fun. I welcome Jon to this new appointment. As children’s writers, we need to celebrate and encourage socially responsible writing that still manages to preserve the wonder of the world of children’s literature. Unfortunately, many publishers are (understandably) reaching for the celebrity glitz that sells.
Looking forward to this new awareness of books that nurture young minds.
Karen Sinclair