Nation's Top Authors to Speak at 36th Annual Conference on Children's Literature

Some of the nation's top authors and illustrators of children's literature will speak to school teachers and library media specialists from across Georgia during the 36th Annual Conference on Children's Literature on April 29-30 at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education in Athens.

Winners of the Georgia Children's Book Award and the Georgia Children's Picture Storybook Award are invited each year to the conference to speak and accept their awards. This year's conference features Judy Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin, authors of The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine; Nikki Grimes, poet and author of Danitra Brown Leaves Town; Robert Sabuda, author of America the Beautiful!: A Pop-Up Book, Joseph Bruchac, winner of the 2004 Georgia Children's Book Award for Skeleton Man; and Helen Lester , author and co-winner of the 2004 Georgia Children's Picture Storybook Award for Hooway for Wodney Wat.

The conference, sponsored by the UGA College of Education's department of language and literacy education and the Georgia Center, is attended by K-8th grade teachers and library media specialists, as well as many public librarians throughout Georgia.

The Georgia Children's Book Award was established in 1968 by Sheldon Root, a professor in UGA's department of language education, The purpose of the award is to foster a love of reading in the children of Georgia, and to introduce them to a collection of books worthy of receiving an award for literary excellence.

The award is given in two categories – picture books and novels – and is chosen from a list of titles suggested by a committee of librarians, teachers, and children's literature specialists. The books receiving the most votes from children in grades K-4 (picture book category) and 4-8 (novel category) are the winners.

Past notable Georgia Children's Book Award winners include: David Shannon, author of No, David; Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Breath! The Horrible Trouble With Hally Tosis; Elizabeth Levy, author of My Life as a Fifth Grade Comedian; and Laurence Yep, author of The Imp That Ate My Homework.

In addition to the author sessions, the storyteller luncheon and the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl State Finals, autographing is one of the most popular events of the conference. Typically, each speaker is available for autographing several times during the conference. In addition to books by all of the session speakers, other children's books and professional books are also available for sale at the conference.

For details on the conference, authors or to register, please contact 800/884-1381 or 706/542-2134 or visit the conference website at http://www.gactr.uga.edu/conferences/2005/Apr/29/child_lit.phtml


Friday, March 25, 2005
WRITER/CONTACT: Ashley M. Meijerink, 706/542-7193, Ashley.Meijerink@gactr.uga.edu