Words Take Wing: Honoring Diversity in Children's Literature
Annual UC Davis Children's Literature Lecture
This event, hosted by the School of Education, is a celebration of the creation of children's literature as an art.
Children's literature is acutely significant in the literacy lives of our youth. Writers and illustrators capture the intensity of the emotional content, beauty, and emerging world perceptions in the lives of children. Words Take Wing invites notable children's authors and illustrators to share a glimpse into their art of crafting words and images that seize our hearts and minds. This event is sponsored by the UC Davis School of Education.
Robert D. San Souci
February 27, 2008
Robert San Souci's books - many of them retellings of traditional folk tales - celebrate cultures from around the world. He has written over 80 books and has collaborated with his brother, Daniel, on nine of his books. Daniel is an illustrator. His most recent titles include The Reluctant Dragon, Little Pierre, and The Well at the End of the World. For more information about San Souci, visit his Web site at www.rsansouci.com.
Read a local review of his talk at the Daily Democrat.
Patricia McKissack- February 26, 2007
Last year's Words Take Wing author delighted more than 1,000 children, teachers and community members with two lectures, focusing on storytelling and her personal journey as a children's literature author.
McKissack told her audience that she began her career as a writer to tell stories that hadn't been written for children, from the ghost stories and tall tales of her youth to stories about the many contributions made by African Americans that have been previously overlooked.
"We learn how to make decisions from the books we read as children," she told her audience. "If you don't see yourself in those stories, you think you can't participate. That's a real tragedy."
A prolific writer of stories about African Americans and historical fiction, McKissack frequently collaborates with her husband, Fredrick, who accompanied her on her trip to Davis. Together, they have written over one hundred books about the African-American experience, winning notable awards such as the 2003 Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Days of Jubilee.
To learn more about Patricia McKissack, visit the Scholastic Web site.
Pam Muñoz Ryan - 2006
Pam Muñoz Ryan, has written over 30 books for young people in many genres, including the novel, Esperanza Rising , winner of the Pura Belpre Medal, the Jane Addams Peace Award, an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults, the Americas Award Honor andother accolades. When Marian Sang is the recipient of the National Council of Teachers of English Orbis Pictus Award for excellence in non-fiction. Becoming Naomi Leon received the ALA Schneider Family Award, the Tomás Rivera Award, and an ALA Notable. She is twice the recipient of the Willa Cather Literary Award for Writing and a four-time nominee for the California Young Reader Medal, receiving the medal for Riding Freedom in 2000. To learn more about Ryan, visit her Web site.
Laurence Yep - 2005
In 2005, Laurence Yep served as the inaugural speaker. Dr. Yep's interest in intersecting cultures, differing perspectives and the links between generations of people all illustrate the rich diversity of ideas found in children's literature. His stories excite children and teens by placing them in unfamiliar worlds with protagonists who share their sense of wonder and discovery. Yep's 2005 Words Take Wing lecture, "My Father's Watch," is available for sale at the UC Davis Bookstore. To read more about Yep, visit Scholastic.