M.T. Anderson is FINALLY HERE in Fresno, CA!

Award-winning young adult author 
M.T. Anderson will speak tonight, 
Friday October 5, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at the 
Woodward Branch Library. The event is open 
to the public. Please RSVP at 559-278-8116 or at jcrow@csufresno.edu.

  

 














Created by Simon & Schuster, a book trailer for Jasper Dash and the Flame-Pits of Delaware!  This video clip was extracted from M.T. Anderson's official website at:
http://mt-anderson.com/

M. T. Anderson to speak on October 5, 2012

The public is invited to a talk by award-winning author M. T. Anderson. Anderson will speak for the Arne Nixon Center Advocates (ANCA) annual meeting on Friday, October 5, at the Woodward Park Branch Library, 944 East Perrin Avenue, in northeast Fresno. A catered reception for the author will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the talk to follow at 7:00 p.m.

Anderson has written many books for young people, including picture books for children, series books for middle grade readers, and novels for teens and adults. His science fiction satire Feed was a finalist for the National Book Award and was the winner of the L.A. Times Book Prize.  Set in a futuristic dystopian society where consumers receive internet advertising and entertainment programming wired directly into their brains, Feed provides a thought-provoking look at a consumer society where addled minds and inarticulate tongues are the norm.  

Anderson received additional accolades for his two-part historical fiction series “The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation.”  Volume one, The Pox Party, won the National Book Award and The Boston Globe—Horn Book Prize. That volume and the second, The Kingdom on the Waves, were Printz Honor Books.

ANCA supports the work of the Center, including its many projects, events, and exhibits through its fund raising efforts. ANCA President Denise Sciandra will preside over a brief business meeting before the talk. If you would like to become an ANCA member, please see our electronic membership form at www.arnenixoncenter.org/help/helpform.shtml or email the Center at arne.nixon.center@gmail.com.

Anderson’s books will be available for purchase and signing at the meeting. Parking for the event is free. There is no charge for admission, but reservations are required by calling 559.278.8116 or by emailing jcrow@csufresno.edu by October 1.

2012 Wild About Books Winners Announced!

       

This summer the Arne Nixon Center came together with local television station Channel 47, A Book Barn Bookstore in Clovis, All Signs Printing, and Petunia’s Place Bookstore for Children to present a writing and illustration contest for young people. The contest, Wild About Books, encouraged students from third to twelfth grades to creatively express themselves through writing and illustration. Channel 47’s Zara Arboleda and Jenny Toste drove home the message by hosting local authors on their early morning show, several of which had begun their own writing careers inspired by such contests.  Doug Hansen, Bonnie Hearn Hill, Michael Elsohn Ross, Dorina Lazo Gilmore, and Joan Schoettler were some of the children’s authors that appeared every Thursday morning throughout May and June. President Welty also lent his support by taping a public service announcement with Arboleda which aired until the contest’s entry deadline on July 1^st.

The contest consisted of four categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and illustration, with all submissions required to contain a reference to books. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winning entrants at a celebration to be held in early December.  In addition to the prizes, Linden Publishing has generously offered to publish an anthology of the winning pieces which will be given to each winner. Additional anthologies will be for sale, with the proceeds going towards next year’s contest prizes. Listed below are the winners in all divisions and categories. Grand prize winners will be announced.

  

Congratulations!

Division A: Grades 3-5

Fiction
1^st Prize                              “Stegy Goes to the Fresno State Library”, by Sammy Iliff
Honorable Mention             "’Secret’" Reading in my Dollhouse”,  by Katie Boyles
Honorable Mention             “Duke the Very Special Dog”, by Elyse Brewer      
Non-Fiction
1^st Prize         “Why I Love the Baseball Card Adventure Series”, by Quaid Copher
Poetry
1^st Prize                                      “Caught”, by Zeke Fuller
Illustration
1^st Prize                                      The Floating Castles, by Malcolm Church
 Honorable Mention      The Sea Monster of the Ocean of Flying Fishes, by Hazel Koh
 Honorable Mention              Adventure Time, by Kaden Johnson 

Division B: Grades 6-8 

Fiction    

1^st Prize                                      “Codexia”, by Maya Vannin

 Honorable Mention               “The Wolves Before Time”, by Tessa Nelson

Honorable Mention              “Ella's Adventures in Wonderland”, by Ragon Nichols 

Non-Fiction 

1^st Prize                        “That's What Best Friends Are For”, by Gwyneth Phagnasay Le

Honorable Mention              “Revolutionary National Holiday”’, by Simon Cao 

Poetry 

1^st Prize                                     “Wild About Books”, by J. J. Sutton

Honorable Mention                           “In Time”, by Bret Moran

Honorable Mention                  “The Hidden Beast”, by Serena Tang 

Illustration 

1^st Prize                                      Fireworks at Dusk, by Tyra Holly

Honorable Mention                    Smaug, by Ezekiel J. Benavides

Honorable Mention              The Wolves Before Time, by Tessa Nelson

Division C: Grades 9-12

Fiction  

1^st Prize                                      “Charlie's Portal”’  by Valerie Campos         
Honorable Mention              “The Hypocritical Antics of Mr. Smothers”, by Graeme Merrow
Honorable Mention              “The Book Jumper”, by Jessica Rinehart
Non-Fiction
1^st Prize                              “My Journey to the River Sea”, by Madelyn Knutson
Honorable Mention                “Manifesting Destiny”, by Natasha Velaquez
Honorable Mention                     “Swift's Proposal”, by William Tang
Poetry
1^st Prize                               “Book Lover  An Acrostic Poem”, by Claire Copher
Honorable Mention                    “The Reality”, by Andrew W. Hollender
Honorable Mention                     “My Strange Dreams”, by William Tang
Illustration
1^st Prize                                            Hungry Dog, by Treshon Holly

The World of Costume Dolls and Wooden Toys

On behalf of the Arne Nixon Center, we thank Karin and Robert Larka for their generous donation of Russian costume dolls and wood carved toys.

Viewhere:Karin and Robert Larka Collection

Invitational visits to the Soviet Union offered Arne Nixon the opportunity to enrich lives of those around the world. He shared stories to children and made presentations to university groups, Soviet Publishers, editors, and others who worked with children’s literature. These items were purchased by the Larka family while traveling with Arne Nixon and Karin Sabul. Ms. Sabul, from Tallinn, Estonia, was their tour guide during a trip to Russia in 1987.

Included in this donation are 21 Bogorodskoe Wood Carved Toys.

Bogorodskoe Wood Carving is a folk craft of carved toys and sculpture from soft wood—linden, alder, and aspen. It has existed in the village of Bogorodskoe (presently located in Zagorsk Raion, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation) probably since the 16th or 17th century. In the beginning of the 20th century the master craftsmen united into an artel known as the Bogorodskoe Engraver from 1923; in 1960 it was transformed into the Bogorodskoe Factory of Artistic Wood Carving. There is a professional technical school. Until the end of the 19th century Bogorodskoe wood carving preserved the traditional technique of shallow cuts, which revealed only the necessary details for the characterization of personages in the figurines of people and animals and moving toys (“bobbers,” “blacksmiths,” and so on). These details were often emphasized with bright painting. At the turn of the 20th century, the technique of cutting was replaced by more detailed working of the figures, which are then assembled into compositions and daily scenes on themes from fables, fairy tales, popular prints, poems, and, in Soviet times, from contemporary events and history as well.

Masters of Bogorodskoe wood carving include F. S. Balaev, A. G. Chushkin, V. S. Zinin, I. K. Stulov, M. A. Pronin, and M. F. Barinov.

Vasilenko, V. M. Russkaia narodnaia rez’ba i ros’pis po derevu XVIII-XX vv. Moscow, 1960.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserve

Journey to Your Imagination's Destination!

  Today Barnes and Noble launches 16th Annual Summer Reading Program!

Identify your favorite authors and illustrators
Explore different genres of literature
Imagine yourself in a historical or fictional characters role

Design a summer vacation related to your books destination

 and more.......

 

Read eight books this summer, submit your reading journal
and receive one book FREE!
 

Enjoy the Scholastic Discover More Series!

 

Weasles, wolves and owls........

A Beautiful Tribute to Jean Craighead George.
Walk with us as we reminisce.

Margarita Engle: Author put Fresno on the literary map.

Fresno's best-known children's author is making book news around the world. Actually, Margarita Engle lives in Clovis, but we can proudly claim her on behalf of the area. Since 2006 she has published seven books for young people, many reflecting her family history.

In 1947, Margarita's father, an American artist, read a "National Geographic" article about the city of Trinidad, on Cuba's southern coast. He went there to paint and met a beautiful Cuban artist. Neither spoke the other's language, but art and love conquered differences and they were married. Their daughter Margarita grew up in Los Angeles, but spent summers with her mother's large family in Cuba. Later, travel restrictions kept them apart, but by that time, childhood memories and a curiosity about Cuban history were deeply ingrained.

In college, Margarita gave up writing to study agronomy and botany. After teaching agronomy at Cal State Pomona, she returned to writing with an enhanced perspective and a new mentor, Chicano author Tomás Rivera.

Her novels in verse present vivid pictures of a Cuba filled with tropical birds, fragrant plants, exotic sounds and tastes, and above all with feelings that bring the people and the country to life.

"The Poet Slave of Cuba" tells of Juan Francisco Manzano, born a slave in 1797. Though slaves are forbidden to read and write, he learns how. This intelligent boy is kept as a pet by a rich woman, who makes him recite for guests. His story is almost too sad to read, but Margarita always offers a sense of hope, in this case his adult success as a poet.

Her second book, "The Surrender Tree," set in 1896 during Cuba's revolution against Spain, features a nurse who is an escaped slave. She heals people from both sides using medicinal plants. The book won a Newbery Honor from the American Library Association; Margarita is the first Hispanic author to receive such recognition.

"Tropical Secrets," tells the story of 13-year-old Daniel, who escapes Nazi Germany on a ship filled with Jewish refugees. When the United States turns the boat away, it sails to Havana. There a Cuban girl helps Daniel to learn Spanish and a new way of life.

"The Firefly Letters," my favorite of Margarita's books, is based on the real life of Frederika Bremer, a Swedish biologist who visited Cuba in 1851. A pregnant teenage slave serves as her interpreter, speaking English and Spanish. The third character, a wealthy girl, has less freedom than either of the other two.
"Summer Birds," a picture book, features Maria Merian, born in Germany in 1647. At age 13, she discovered that butterflies grew from caterpillars, rather than springing from mud, as people believed then.
"Hurricane Dancers" describes some Cubans' first encounters with the Spanish, again through the eyes of a bilingual slave.

Margarita's newest heroine, in "The Wild Book," is based on her grandmother, who was dyslexic as a child and who lived to be 103. The author knew her well.

Margarita's books have won Pura Belpré, Jane Addams and Américas awards, to name a few. She has been honored by the International Reading Association, the Library of Congress, and the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany. Next month she will be a featured speaker at the Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore.

Her books have universal appeal for all ages. This bilingual author, who receives little notice in her home town, is bringing honor to Fresno. Viva, Margarita!

Valley Voice: Saturday, May. 05, 2012 | 12:00 AM

By Angelica Carpenter, Curator Emerita for the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature, 
Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno

Annual Children's Literature Association ~ June 2012

Thursday, June 14, 2012:
Literary Slipstreams:
39th Annual Children’s Literature Association Conference
Simmons College

Annual Children's Literature Association

Maurice Sendak 1928 ~ 2012 But the wild things cried, "Oh please don't go — we'll eat you up — we love you so!" From Where The Wild Things Are, 1983. We welcome you to visit our reading library. Pull up a chair and reminisce with our broad collection of Maurice Sendaks' creative spirit published in books, posters, stage productions, storyboards and more! Enjoy the beloved author and curmudgeon as  he shares  his thoughts in classic Sendak style and colorful language. Watch the HBO Documentary "Tell Them Anyting You Want." A Portrait of Maurice Sendak. In addition, a wonderful review of the artists' life by The New York Times. Times Article: May 9, 2012

Maurice Sendak 1928 ~ 2012

But the wild things cried, "Oh please don't go — we'll eat you up — we love you so!" From Where The Wild Things Are, 1983. We welcome you to visit our reading library. Pull up a chair and reminisce with our broad collection of Maurice Sendaks' creative spirit published in books, posters, stage productions, storyboards and more! Enjoy the beloved author and curmudgeon as  he shares  his thoughts in classic Sendak style and colorful language. Watch the HBO Documentary "Tell Them Anyting You Want." A Portrait of Maurice Sendak.

In addition, a wonderful review of the artists' life by The New York Times. Times Article: May 9, 2012

Maurice Sendak 1928 ~ 2012

Collection includes signed editions by author.

Part of the collection of Maurice Sendak located.

 

Wild About Books: Interview by CBS47 Fresno, CA

Thank you Zara Arboleda, CBS 47,  for the opportunity to share the news of the contest "Wild About Books!"

Jennifer Crow, Interim Curator at The Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature, announced the contest details this morning on CBS 47. 

Enjoy the interview here. CBS47, Fresno, CA Interview with Jennifer Crow

One of many sponsors of the contest , CBS 47 encouraged  students  to participate and become part of the Central Valley's rich culture of authors and illustrators.

'Wild About Books' is a writing contest for children between 3rd and 12th grade.The contest will award prizes for writing and illustrating.

Prizes will be awarded for grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 and range from $25 to $100.

The contest is open to students in Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare Counties.

Entry forms can be picked up at the CBS47 Studios at 4880 N. Fist Street in Fresno, A Book Barn at 640 Clovis Avenue in Clovis, Arne Nixon Center for Children's Literature, Madden Library at Fresno State, and all Fresno County Public Libraries.

Contest details, guidelines and permission form accesible online by clicking here. 

Womack Lecture: FAIR Education Act

Jennifer Crow, Interim Curator at the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children's Literature
welcomes Dr. Robert McGarry, Shelbi Day and Lee Wind.

Three panelists presented to an engaged audience at the Henry Madden Library on Wednesday evening, May  1, 2012. Each speaker presented experienced, informative and varying perspectives regarding the  FAIR Education Act.

Shelbi Day, staff attorney in the Western Regional Office of Lambda Legal, did a great job at explaining the law behind the Act and the reasons for the Act. Her passion on the topic and willingness to translate the evolution of the law with a non - lawyer audience created understanding and awareness.

In addition, Dr. Robert McGarry, director of education for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, was a wonderful speaker, centering his talk on the value of respecting difference..  His message reflected the impact on students when people are left out of the textbooks in describing our history.

And finally,  Dr. Lee Wind, author, speaker, and official blogger for the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators was a brilliant speaker as well.   His ability to engage with the audience, get us to interact  and bring the program around full-circle was a successful effort towards a content rich event. He brought humor, love, and pizzazz into this very serious FAIR Education Act topic.

Audience questions were welcomed and discussed. And appreciation was experienced for all speakers, who have experienced and seen such difficult and even negative events in their lives and careers but continue to approach  this serious FAIR Education Act topic with passion and a positive manner.

Thank you again to all our speakers for your contributions to an EXCELLENT lecture event!

To view more photos of this event Womack Lecture: FAIR Education Act Panel

Contest: Student Writers and Illustrators!

Student Writing and Illustration Contest: 
Submissions accepted from June 1 - July 1, 2012.
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a published author or illustrator? Now’s your chance! If you are a student in grades 3 - 12 and have a passion for fiction, non-fiction, poetry or illustration, let the juices flow and submit your creation! Choose any subject related to books. Entry and permission forms including award details may be downloaded from www.cvyoungwritersprize.com OR may be picked up at the following locations: A Book Barn, 640 Clovis Avenue, Clovis, California, Fresno County Library ( any branch ), Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, and KGPE CBS 47, 4880 N. First St., Fresno, California

Panel Discussion: FAIR Education Act

Join us on Tuesday, 5/1. The Printise J. Womack Lecture endowment, the Henry Madden Library, and the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature invite everyone to attend a panel discussion on the FAIR (Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, Respectful) Education Act. The discussion will be held from 7 – 9 p.m. in the Henry Madden Library, Room 2206.
Our guest lecturers will discuss the FAIR Education Act, presenting information about the law’s impact, curriculum development, and implementation in the schools.
Panelist include Lee Wind, M.Ed. Blogger, author and speaker, Wind holds a master’s degree in Education and Media from Harvard, Robert McGarry, Ed.D. Director of Education for GLSEN—the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and Shelbi Day. Staff Attorney in the Western Regional Office of Lambda Legal.

Secret Garden Party 2012 Honors Authors

Sunday, April 15, 2012,
Arne Nixon Center of Study for Children's Literature honors authors Alma Flora Ada and
F. Isabel Campoy.

( F. Isabel Campoy, Author, Jennifer Crow, Interim Curator and Alma Flora Ada, Author)

To view more photos of this event, visit the Center's web album: Secret Garden Party 2012

Angelica Carpenter's Retirement

At the end of 2011, Angelica Carpenter, curator of the Arne Nixon Center decided to retire. Angelica has been with the Center since its conception and she has worked to make the Arne Nixon Center one of the most significant children's literature research centers in the country.

Below is the last Curator's Corner article that Angelica wrote in The Magic Mirror (Spring 2012). To view the complete newsletter, visit our website.

Greetings from a recent retiree with a new title, Curator Emerita. It was a difficult decision to retire at the end of 2011, as I absolutely loved my job, which I consider to be the best in the world. However it could be tiring (largely because I make it that way) and I was ready for a rest and a change. 

So now when I am at the Library, I’m there as a patron instead of a librarian. I’m writing a new biography for young adults, about Matilda Joslyn Gage, who was L. Frank Baum’s mother-in-law. That’s how she came onto my radar, through my interest in Baum and Oz, but she was a famous feminist and author in her own right. After she was widowed she spent winters with the Baums—her daughter Maud, Maud’s husband Frank, and their four sons. She encouraged Frank to write down the stories he told his sons, and to submit the to a publisher. I don’t think that it is a coincidence that Baum’s Oz is a feminist utopia, ruled by women. 

The Henry Madden Library is a terrific resource for authors. Before moving here, I wrote three books in a Florida city with minimal library resources. In Fresno I wrote two more, a much easier task with access to an outstanding academic library. My habit of writing about Victorians means that I need to read many books published in the Victorian era. It always surprises me how many of these are in the Madden collection. And if they are not, I can get them through Interlibrary Loan. A million books, dazzling databases, and specialist librarians who have helped me to track down all kinds of elusive information (like what year did bustles go out of style?)—research is fun here and wonderfully productive. While writing this book, I will stay involved with the Arne Nixon Center, as a volunteer and a Life Member of ANCA. 

I have also signed up to FERP, as part of the Faculty Early Retirement Program, starting next fall. This program allows retired faculty members to work part-time. My plan is to catalog, or help with exhibitions, or process the papers of authors or illustrators, or to do anything else that is needed. But not full-time and not early in the morning! 

It’s a wonderful job when you get to do anything you can dream of. If anyone had told me, when I was eight years old, that someday I would get to put on a national Oz conference, my daughter says that I would have started planning it right then. 

My plans were not accomplished alone—they involved the help and support of many other people, in and out of the Library. I thank all of you for taking my wild ideas seriously. 

The Library plans a national search to fill my job. In the meantime, the Arne Nixon Center will be led by Jennifer Crow, who is already working on some interesting new projects. My email will still be the same — angelica@csufresno.edu — and I look forward to hearing from friends and colleagues as I continue to work in children’s literature, in a slightly new capacity.

Happy reading!

A few celebratory pictures from Angelica's retirement party in December 2011: