August 17th "3rd Tuesday" Series: Long Distance Collaboration

One of a creator’s great joys—and challenges—are opportunities for creative collaboration.   In-person collaboration certainly involves the complexities of sharing space and materials, negotiating big decisions and small.  However, once the lovely waters of collaboration have been braved, the rewards are always well worth the work. Along the way, new friendships are often forged, and with them the promise of future collaborative creations!

But what does creative collaboration look like when done virtually across distances,  specifically in these times of Covid? 

Coyote’s Soundbite (Lantana) creators John Agard and Piet Grobler offered their insights on creativity and long-distance collaboration in our August 17th  3rd Tuesday event, moderated by Katherine Cook School Teacher-Librarian, former OIB Committee Chair, and CTCB Friends of the Center member Patrick Gall.   

The hour-long conversation began with John Agard’s illuminating reading of a passage from Coyote’s Soundbite, after which John shared his creative goals behind Coyote’s Soundbite,  one of which was the hope to infuse a story for children with subtle humor that would also resonate with adults.  

The challenge for Piet Grobler was to illustrate John’s story in such a way that stayed true to the many layers of the story—which include representations of a variety of cultural backgrounds and beliefs, feminist sensibilities, and explorations of current environmental and ecological challenges.  At the same time, Piet had to create images that would captivate the imaginations of young readers. 

Which brought the discussion to how the audience for each book affects how authors and illustrators create.  On this point John and Piet, although geographically separated by distance, shared the same vision of the reader being an integral part of the creative process.  

The conversation wound back to Coyote’s Soundbite as Piet gave us a peek into how he saved materials from other projects so he could re-use them in the collaged Coyote Soundbite illustrations, bringing together the real-world ecological challenges and the ecological themes raised in the story. 

John and Piet’s conversation illuminated how the rewards and outcomes of collaboration can overcome  the challenges of  being separated by distance —especially during times such as these when in-person collaboration isn’t possible.  We hope to see more collaborative creations from John and Piet in the future! 

Watch the interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0T61yjiikI .

July 20th "3rd Tuesday" Series with Roger Mello: The World as a Creative Space

The words “artist studio” tend to conjure up images of glass jars full of paint brushes and pencils, half-finished canvases and sketches on tables, and the smells of paint and imagination hanging in the air.  And in the case of author and Hans Christian Andersen Illustrator Award winning creator Roger Mello, these images would be correct—sort of.    

For this CTCB “3rd Tuesday” chat, Roger joined CTCB Director Junko Yokota to share the unique nature of HIS artist studio.  Or rather STUDIOS.    

 For Roger Mello, the world is his studio. 

During the hour-long discussion, Roger let us in on the secret to his inspiration:  he pays attention to EVERYTHING around him, from glimpses of trees on a roadside to brick pig iron ovens spied out a car window.  And from these glimpses, Roger sketches on whatever is handy—the paper napkin under his cup on an airplane or in one of his many sketchbooks.  

 It is from these sketches that his studios blossom around the world:  a specially built studio on Jeju Island in South Korea, a living room floor in Illinois, or in one of his studio spaces at home in Brazil.  

And what beautiful creations come from these far-flung spaces.  At the end of the chat Roger shared some of his previously unseen pieces from his portfolio—much to the delight of all who joined us.   

 At the end of our time together, Roger had proven that the building blocks of artistic expression are all around us, as are the magical spaces to bring our inspiration to life. 

Watch the interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXsOSBWSnfc&t=8s

August 11th Salon: USBBY's Outstanding International Books: Explorations & Conversations

We have found a great way to beat the August heat and summer storms: exploring international children’s books! On August 11th we hosted our second August virtual salon, following up a splendid first salon with Publisher Spotlight’s Ellen Myrick exploring new 2020 international children’s books.

Our August 11th salon welcomed Patrick Gall (former OIB Committee Chairperson) and Anamaria Anderson (current OIB Committee Chairperson). Together they guided attendees through the finer points of the OIB committee and selection process, and then went on to facilitate an energizing conversation that spanned a wide variety of timely, vital topics for teachers, librarians, and anyone dedicated to international children’s literature.

The good news is that all of the information and ideas we exchanged are not lost! We invite you to enjoy this recording of our OIB Salon. If you find you have questions or suggestions of any kind, please share them with us at ctcb@nl..edu!

Links and Resources

All about OIB

https://www.usbby.org/outstanding-international-books-list.html

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=presenting-the-2020-international-books-list

Book Sources: Publishers, etc…

https://www.getepic.com/

https://cassavarepublic.biz/?v=7516fd43adaa

https://lantanapublishing.com

Other Resources

https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1061115320116183042

https://www.teachingbooks.net/

https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

August 4th Salon: Reading the World with Publisher Spotlight's Ellen Myrick

A big part of the salons, institutes, and events we create and share at the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books is the opportunity to grow and learn with our colleagues—in person. However, with the pandemic still in full-force we—and so many like us—have had to step into the virtual world as we continue to strive to support each other on our journeys to use children’s books to uplift and unite the world.

On August 4th we were delighted to host a virtual salon featuring Publisher Spotlight president Ellen Myrick as she shared a very special selection of this year’s international books. Her selection featured a wide range of styles and age-ranges, across fiction and non-fiction. But don’t take my word for it! We invite you to enjoy Ellen’s outstanding presentation for yourself!

March 2020 Salon: Celebration of Japanese Children's Books with Sue Conolly

In March we continued our Salon Series with long-time Friend of the Center Sue Conolly, who is the new Elementary School Librarian at Chiyoda International School in Tokyo, Japan.

Our goal for the evening was to take an up-close and personal look at a selection of Japanese picture book titles and, with Sue’s guidance, to explore the at times surprising similarities and differences between books published in the United States, and books published in Japan.

Luckily for us, Sue brought her vivid love of picture books as well as her expertise and deep appreciation for international books overall, and for Japanese children’s books in particular—along with a beautiful collection of titles for us to explore.

The biggest and most lasting lesson taken away from this Salon was that the power of beautiful illustrations to transcend borders and even language. Although most of the attendees could not read the text of the books, the illustrations spoke for themselves, giving us a peek into new and different ways to see our world.

In addition to the larger thematic and artistic nuances of Japanese picture books were the more practical considerations: the ways in which many Japanese picture books included back matter and additional support materials, as well as the variety of ways the books were physically constructed, with inserts and extra book jacket components designed to remove and share to recommend the book to others.

After a delicious dinner (which included lessons in making Japanese onigiri (rice balls)) Sue invited each attendee to select a book to keep—a precious memento as well as a generous reminder to all of us of the importance of stories in our lives, and the power they hold to bring us together.

October 2019 Roger Mello Salon : Opening the Plight of Marginalized Children Through "Charcoal Boys"

Question, Disrupt, Transform: Challenging the Use of Literary Classics, PreK through YA

Educators, librarians and others dedicated to literacy  often find themselves standing at a crossroads between their memories of beloved books from their own childhoods, and the reality of the harmful language, themes and imagery those books may contain.   For many, it is difficult to accept that many “classic” books of the past may need to be critically re-evaluated before being given to today’s young readers. 

On March 2nd, we endeavored to explore this growing unease surrounding “classic” literature by inviting seven passionate and visionary literacy and literature experts to engage in conversation about the power books hold in the lives of young people, and to guide us towards embracing literature as a look towards building a better future.

The day began with our first keynote conversation between literacy expert and advocate Dr. Alfred Tatum and literacy reform leader Cornelius Minor.  Their shared passion for guiding young people towards becoming engaged and action-focused readers and writers was clear as they challenged each other and attendees with probing questions interlaced with thought-provoking anecdotes and plenty of humor.  Dr. Tatum and Cornelius’ honest, thoughtful responses laid a foundation of respect and safety that led to a question and answer session in which attendees felt safe to ask deep questions and to embrace new knowledge and ideas.

We moved on to a practioner’s panel moderated by Research Librarian and blogger Edi Campbell.   Our panel included Cornelius Minor, Kimiko Pettis and Jessica Lifshitz.  Through Edi’s carefully considered questions, panelists shared their  personal and professional  experiences using—or being required to use-- “classic literature”.  They also discussed the ways they restructured their teaching and curricula to confront dated and damaging text and to adopt alternate selections to empower their young readers.

The morning ended with Dr. Robert Moorehead giving a  brief “big picture” talk about the social, political and historical context of works of  “classic” literature.  His talk also encouraged attendees to consider the role of whiteness and systemic racism when encountering racist/prejudiced language and themes in older books they may still be required to use. 

Four roundtable sessions followed in the afternoon.  Attendees each chose one roundtable to join.  Facilitators in each room guided and encouraged conversation with our keynote speakers and panelists joining in as well.   The roundtable themes included:

            -Problematic Text…Now what?

            -How do I Face Whiteness and White Fragility?

            -How do I Maintain a culturally Responsive

Collection?

            -What Should I Do?: Practical Scenarios

The day wrapped up with our second keynote conversation between inclusive educator and researcher Kass Minor and poet, writer, and Creative Writing professor and educator Naomi Shihab Nye.   The ensuing conversation grew into a bridge between the educational facets of literacy and literature, and the creative, with the overarching focus always returning to the most important part of literacy:  the reader.  

Our event concluded with a poetry reading by Naomi.

The challenge of navigating the use of problematic “classic” literature has sparked much emotional and professional  debate and division among educators, literacy experts and parents of young readers.  For an event such as ours, with the focus trained directly upon the challenges of “classic” literature, one might have expected this controversy to  appear.  Instead, attendees were invited into a safe space where they could consider the lived professional experiences of our speakers, ask honest, difficult questions and feel free to engage in discussion and debate. 

Thus once again we find ourselves where we have been after many of our previous institutes:  reflecting upon the community-building power of creating safe, collaborative spaces where people can learn, share ideas and engage in meaningful discussion.  The literacy work that we do in all our varied capacities with young people directly touches the future that we all share.  It is this future that we look towards when we examine writing from the past and recognize the flaws and potential for damage that can be contained within the words.    It is our continuing hope to keep on creating times and spaces where educators, librarians, creators and literacy workers can come together to examine where we’ve been, recognize where we are and meet the challenges we face in guiding  our young people towards the future. 

Indivisible 10 Years Later: The Conversation Continues

Ten years ago, on June 20th, 2007, the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books presented an institute entitled “INDIVISIBLE: Teaching for Social Justice through Literature for Children and Adolescents”.  

The full day event featured talks, workshops and seminars by notable experts in the fields of education,  librarianship and social justice. Topics spanning issues of poverty, gender identity, sexual orientation, civil rights and racism were all explored through the lens of children’s and adolescent books.

As the ten year anniversary of the original “Indivisible” event drew near, we reflected upon some somber realities—that as a nation and a world we still wrestled with the same social justice issues and  that we were still striving for respect and equality.

Thus we commemorated our continuing commitment to social justice  with this year’s  October 14th institute: “Indivisible 10 Years Later: Conversations in Social Justice Through Children’s and Adolescent Literature”.  

Our day opened with a riveting and starkly honest conversation between our keynote “conversationalists” award-winning author Kwame Alexander and literacy reform leader Cornelius Minor.   

Together they set a challenging and action-oriented tone for our 100+ attendees that resonated throughout the day.   They also laid the groundwork for our overall focus on engaging with the day’s issues through active conversation rather than classic lecture-style, maintaining a shared commitment to creating a safe space together where honest questions and sharing could take place.  

Breakout sessions followed next, offering attendees six different sessions to attend, each led by a leader in education, librarianship and/or social justice:

Laura Beltchenko-Educating the Whole Child: Utilizing Multicultural and Culturally Diverse Children’s Picture Books to Support Cognitive and Affective Development of Elementary Students

Betsy Bird-Finding Religion in Books for Kids: Collection Management and Spiritual Diversity

Amina Chaudrhi-Multiracial Stories: Windows, Mirrors and Gaps in Children’s Literature 

Elisa Gall-Interrogating Whiteness

Ronell Whitaker & Eric Kallenborn-Diversity in Comics

Brian Wilson-Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

 

Using children’s and adolescent literature as the lens through which the various breakout session topics were viewed, attendees were able to dive deeper into specific facets of social justice, engage in conversation and embrace the inherent challenges and points of vulnerability.  

At lunch break attendees were treated to a Skype visit by poet Janet Wong, who shared her own perspectives on social justice followed by a reading of several of her poems. 

 The afternoon panel, “Reading, Responding and Resisting: Anti-Racist Advocacy in the World of Education, Librarianship and Children’s & YA Literature” narrowed our focus more closely upon the benefits, challenges and set-backs in wielding literature as an agent for change.  Mediated by Deerfield Public Librarian and “Reading While White” contributor Elisa Gall, our panel offered diverse perspectives and a breadth of experience and knowledge including Research Librarian and blogger Edi Campbell, Associate Professor in MLIS and author Sarah Park Dahlen and Boston University children’s literature lecturer and researcher Laura Jiménez. 

Together they informed and challenged our attendees across a broad range of social justice issues, drawing powerful example from their own experiences and across the breadth of  children’s  and adolescent  literature.

We began the day committed to using conversation as the primary vehicle for engaging with social justice issues and children’s and adolescent literature.   Sparked and modeled by our keynote conversationalists Kwame and Cornelius, our attendees took up the challenge and in doing so, became agents of their own learning.  At each break time and through lunch attendees could be heard actively discussing social justice topics raised by speakers and breakout session leaders.  Many attendees actively sought out speakers for further clarification or simply discussion.   

At the close of the event attendees were invited to take a moment to share, if they chose, their thoughts about the day.  A number of attendees volunteered, and offered not only their thanks, but also carefully considered insights and suggestions for moving forward.  This same thoughtful—and thought-provoking—commentary continued on the feedback attendees shared with us in the post-event questionnaire.  Attendee responses  spanned a range of topics and ideas, such as:

“I took away the notion that we should prioritize children's safety within a classroom (not just physical but emotional safety) and that if students are having behavioral issues in a class, we should be asking different questions. Not ‘what is wrong with these students?’ but rather, 'What is going on in the school or class that is leading to students having trouble engaging?’”

“One thing that the diverse children's literature panel said stood out: ‘Listen to us’ when they say that a book or its characters are not accurately presenting a cultural perspective. It is important to look to people from the culture and believe them when they say it is not an accurate representation.”

“Gave me ideas for how my library can support social justice work in classrooms; the panels inspired me and gave me courage to continue this work in a hostile environment.”

“It exceeded my expectations by challenging my thinking and providing me with sources to help me explain what I learned.”

“I needed to know that I am not alone in this work. “

Herein lies the deeper value in engaging with issues in social justice that affect our lives so deeply:   in creating a safe space to share our wisdom and  ideas as well as our weaknesses and uncertainties we are creating communities of trust and honesty.   There is nothing easy about guiding our young people towards a better future, nor towards educating ourselves  away from stereotypes, prejudice and intolerance.  It is our hope to offer more events and spaces of learning and sharing such as this, where educators, librarians and anyone committed to guiding young people can gather to find ways to use the power of our stories to teach and inspire.

Social Media Institute 2016: I Tweeted, I Tumbled, I Taught

Social Media is increasingly the communication lifeblood among educators, librarians and creators passionate about children, their literature, and their education.  To address the growing power and influence of social media, the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books kicked off 2016 with its annual CTCB Institute with a focus on Social Media. This event, sponsored in part by the Pajeau Foundation and in partnership with SCBWI and SCIRA, brought together nine diverse and dedicated voices all speaking to the power and problems in our online lives.

The event opened with a comprehensive and frequently hilarious keynote talk by Julie Danielson, creator of the “Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast” blog.  Julie offered our 60+ attendees a glimpse at the relatively brief and frequently bumpy history of social media among educators, librarians and creators. She then shared her personal highs and lows along her own social media path.

Following Julie, our first panelists addressed our morning theme, “Social Media as a Creative Force.”  The three-member morning panel—teacher and prolific blogger Colby Sharp, teacher, blogger and recipient of the Apple Distinguished Educator’s Award Mike Lewis, and Evanston Library Collection Development Manager, author and blogger Betsy Bird—was mediated by Andrew Medlar, President of the Association of Library Services for Children, a division of the American Library Association and Assistant Chief of the Chicago Public Library. Colby and Mike each shared examples of how they use social media in their own classrooms to connect their students with larger themes as well as with authors and illustrators—as Mike described it, “revealing the inner workings of the world of books”.  Betsy expanded the talk to encompass the scope and depth of using social media in a library setting as well as the rewards and challenges of striking the balance between personal and professional life in the online public eye.

The afternoon panel tackled the challenging theme of “Managing Internet Culture,” a topic mediated by Dean Rob Muller, Dean of the National College of Education, National Louis University.  Our panelists represented diverse approaches to this theme:  Chicago attorney Darcy Proctor, Associate Superintendent Laura Beltchenko, Research Librarian and blogger Edi Campbell and William Teale, University of Illinois at Chicago University Scholar /Director of the UIC Center for Literacy and incoming president of the International Literacy Association. Our attendees were taken on a journey that encompassed a multitude of challenges related to using social media: from legal concerns for educators and school districts to integrating social media into teacher training and preparation programs, and from ethical and social responsibility in social media for marginalized people to the changing face of professional organizations in the internet age.  

Each panel was followed by breakout sessions, where attendees divided into smaller groups with individual panelists and CTCB mediators. These breakout sessions proved to be valuable opportunities for attendees to connect with panelists and other attendees, by exchanging ideas in a relaxed format.  

Attendees were also treated to two lunch time speakers thanks entirely to social media and Skype. As attendees relaxed and enjoyed lunch, Chicago school librarians and CTCB Friends Board Members Patrick Gall and Elisa Gall interviewed the creator of the “Let’s Get Busy” Podcast Phil Bildner.    Panelist Betsy Bird then  dug deeper into the role of social media for creators with author Matthew Winner, adding new perspectives to our day’s discoveries.

At the end of the day, however, what did attendees and panelists take away from this day, so full of divergent and at times conflicting perspectives on social media?   The feedback was as consistent as it was promising—that social media has far more potential to expand and deepen learning, librarianship and creating than many of those in attendance thought possible.  Attendees, panelists and CTCB members made their way from today’s event actively engaged in conversation, still exchanging ideas long after the microphones and projectors had been turned off.  

by Christina Moorehead

Author Event: Welcome to Chicago, Betsy!

The CTCB was proud to officially welcome Betsy Bird to the Chicago area as Evanston Public Library’s new Collection Development Manager.  Our October 7th event drew friends and colleagues from around the Chicago area to enjoy a lively, thought-provoking presentation by Betsy on her new book “Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children’s Literature”.   Copies of Betsy’s new book  as well as her joyous 2013 book "Giant Dance Party" were available for purchase afterwards, with Betsy on hand to answer questions, chat about children’s literature and sign copies of her book.   Afterward attendees enjoyed refreshments and discussion with colleagues.   A warm and wonderful welcome to our friend and colleague Betsy Bird!

SUBURBAN MOSAIC BOOKS OF THE YEAR BOOK DISCUSSION

On Saturday, March 7th, from 1:00 PM ­ 3:00PM, the Center for Teaching through Children's Books hosted an exciting discussion of two Suburban Mosaic Books of the Year: The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng (Grades 2­4) and Kids of Kabul by Deborah Ellis (Middle School). The intimate event was comprised of twenty­ five attendees: NLU faculty, librarians, teachers, and other education professionals. “The Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year Program seeks to confront issues of racial and social justice and promote cross-cultural understanding through literature" (http://www.suburbanmosaicbooks.org).  Suburban Mosaic is thus dedicated to reaching a deeper understanding of the various cultures in our communities in order to reduce prejudice, racism, and the systemic marginalization of populations. Together we discussed how these titles met this mission. 

The program opened with a brief presentation by Toby Rajput, the Children's and Youth Literature Librarian for the University and for the CTCB. She discussed Suburban Mosaic’s mission and history, guidelines for the event’s book discussion, Teachingbooks.net (a resource database of instructional materials to supplement K–12 reading and library activities), and then examined the featured titles and authors in greater detail. She cheerfully concluded with a read aloud of another wonderful Suburban Mosaic Book of the Year: 

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/ Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown (Preschool Title). 

The program continued with discussions of the featured books, organized into three breakout groups that were led by Friends of the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books. The Friends are a group of librarians, teachers, reading specialists, and retired professionals in the field of education who are enthusiastic about children's literature and serve as a public information and service group for the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books. 

The event closed with attendees sharing their thoughts and ideas, and what they learned as a result of their group’s discussion. We solicited feedback on the program with an exit slip, asking 3 things attendees learned, two things they’d like to know more about, and one suggestion for improving the program. 

To our delight, most suggestions were extremely positive: 

“Keep it the same, it's perfect!"  

"Great as is!"      

"Have more discussion groups such as this."  

"The program was outstanding!"  

"It was awesome!"  

To reference our third e­mail blast for the event, like James Baldwin, we believe:  

“Literature is indispensable to the world. The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way a person looks at reality, then you can change it.” 

The event was a huge success and we hope to host more book discussions in the future. The enthusiasm exhibited by our staff and attendees inspired many to want to learn more about social justice and diversity titles, how to introduce books about diversity to students, and how to get more involved in social action projects using literature. 

by Annie Miller

Picture Book and Visual Literacy Institute

We kicked off 2015 on January 10th with  the Picture Book and Visual Literacy Institute, co-presented by the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books and ESL STEM Success Grant! This exciting event featured  keynotes from renowned literacy experts on stimulating topics and hosted  open discussions and participatory roundtable debates focused on Caldecott and ELL. The event included lunch, as well as book browsing/purchasing!

Keynote 1: Junko Yokota, Director, Center for Teaching through Children’s Books

Topic:  Reading the Visuals in Picture Books: Cultural Considerations: How is cultural representation in illustration analyzed, and how much does it matter in the evaluation of the book as a whole?  What is the potential impact on children of the choices adults make regarding cultural representation in picture books?

Keynote 2: Eric Rohmann, Children's Book Author and Illustrator, Caldecott Award Winner

Topic: Pictures into Stories: I always begin with an image. From there a picture book story finds its way. In picture books there are two languages "spoken": words and images. I’ll talk and demonstrate through stories and images how they share, interweave and elevate oneanother.

 Caldecott-Focus Strand

  *   In Admiration of Children's Literature…Selecting Picture Books and Investigating Illustrations for Visual Literacy Development: Picture books and their illustrations provide us with visual messages that often go beyond the text. Viewing a myriad of picture books. we will explore, visual thinking strategies, methods for close reading of illustrations and comprehend the differentiated messages picture books share with our students.  - Laura Beltchenko, Literacy and Common Core consultant.

  *   Mock Caldecott Roundtable Discussions facilitated by the Friends of the Center (librarians, teachers, reading specialists).

ELL-Focus Strand 

  *   The Languages and Complexities of Wordless Picture Books: Developing Comprehension Strategies for English Learners (Grades PreK-12), Silent picture books offer open access to students of all linguistic backgrounds and second language proficiency levels through complex textual features, themes, and plots. Come step into the wonderful world of international, borderless texts that require the use of sophisticated comprehension strategies, while also providing safe spaces for creativity, playfulness, and critical thinking. - Dr. Ruth Quiroa, Associate Professor in Reading & Language at National Louis University.

  *   Draw a Scientist: What Does a Scientist Look Like?, an action research project by members of the CPS STEM Success Grant ESL Endorsement Cohort, presented by CPS teacher Misty Richmond.

SCBWI Author/Illustrator Showcase

On Saturday, September 27th, 2014, the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books, in partnership with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Illinois Chapter, and SCIRA (The Suburban Council of the International Reading Association), presented our 5th annual Local Author/Illustrator Showcase for the 2014-15 school year.

Our morning session included author/illustrator visits with the following guests: Suzanne Slade, W. Nikola-Lisa (Gyroscope Books), Natasha Tarpley, Laurie Lawlor, Miriam Busch, Jim Aylesworth, Larry Day, Rachel Wilson, Ami Polonsky, Brianna DuMont, Lori Degman, Laura Montenegro, Jude Mandell, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Chris Rylander, Nancy Stevenson, Marlene Targ Brill, Scott Gustafson, Fern Schumer, Cindy Kenney

Our afternoon session featured an additional professional development opportunity, a conversation with a local author/illustrator, a keynote by W. Nikola-Lisa, intimate Writer’s Workshop breakouts with SCBWI authors:

• Suzanne Slade: Practical Ways to Inspire Students to Read & Write about STEM Topics - (true confessions of an engineer who hated writing, now turned children's author who LOVES writing!)
• Natasha Tarpley: What We Talk About When We Talk About Diversity
• Laurie Lawlor: Teaching Writing to Students (Common Core Curriculum Focus Workshop)

Institute: Teaching Through Informational Texts

On Saturday, April 12, 2014, the Center for Teaching through Children’s Books, in partnership with the ESL STEM Success Grant and the Suburban Council of IRA (SCIRA), hosted an exciting full-day nonfiction institute entitled “Teaching Through informational Texts.” The event was made possible by a generous grant from the Pajeau Foundation. 

Teachers, librarians, administrators and reading specialists alike gathered for an engaging and interactive day to learn from featured academic, Dr. Marc Aronson (historian, author, editor), as well as other keynote speakers from various backgrounds: Laura Beltchenko (Literacy and Common Core Consultant), Judith Fradin (author), Nick Glass (founder of Teachingbooks.net), Susan Dove Lempke (Booklist, Hornbook reviewer of children’s nonfiction), and Toby Rajput (CTCB librarian, 2012 Sibert Committee Member). 

The Center for Teaching through Children’s Books achieved its proposal to the Pajeau Foundation: to offer an institute that focuses on Informational Books and Common Core – relevant topics that have become more integrated into today’s youth education. From discovering new ways to build Common Core connections, to tutorials about innovative online text analysis tools, the day was undeniably insightful and inspiring. One attendee commented, “I couldn't have improved [the institute]. I don't think anyone will walk out of here the same person they were when they walked in today.” Indeed, the support, knowledge and enthusiasm from our attendees, speakers, and staff made the day a true success. 

The institute likewise gave us the opportunity to hand out evaluative surveys: to explore ways that we can attract a more diversified audience and to dig deeper into areas of interest for future events. Of those surveyed, our needs assessment revealed that a majority of people would like to see more coursework offered on interpreting the Common Core State Standards, topical nonfiction, and Children’s Literature (specifically Picture Books). Other noteworthy discoveries included a strong desire towards sessions that focus on utilizing international books in the classroom, and digital diversity with children’s books. 

The institute and its survey results made CTCB’s collaborative mission, which is our dedication to excellence in teaching with quality literature for children and adolescents, even clearer, as well as its relevance with children’s literacy today.