Childrens Literature

Honor Maurice Sendak with Play

Darell Hammond | Posted 05.09.2012

Darell Hammond

Where The Wild Things Are shows us that children need to be free to roam, explore and invent in order to understand their place in the world that surrounds them.

Trayvon -- Killed by an Idea

Zetta Elliott | Posted 05.02.2012

Zetta Elliott

In 2009, a year after the publication of my first picture book, Bird, I wrote an open letter to the children's publishing industry. I appealed to the ...

Meet Alfonse

Genevieve Piturro | Posted 04.24.2012

Genevieve Piturro

I will always remember one of my first reading groups in Yonkers, N.Y. One afternoon four little girls walked in and took a seat with me at our reading table. I said, "Oh, it's us girls today!" Then little Alfonse walked in and I said, "And one boy!"

The Problem With Curbing Curiosity

Nancy A. Scott | Posted 04.12.2012

Nancy A. Scott

If teachers (or family, or media) don't ask questions, then usually children will stop asking as well -- and their natural curiosity and imagination, which are the stepping stones to skeptical thinking, become censored in the meantime.

"Charlotte's Web" and the Power of Words

Leah Singer | Posted 05.27.2012

Leah Singer

As E.B. White so beautifully says, Charlotte is indeed a true friend and a good writer. The beauty lies with that little spider who changed (and saved) lives through the power of her writing. I only hope I can live up to Charlotte and do the same with my words.

He Should Have Been There All Along: Let Us Remember What Democracy Is All About

Pam Allyn | Posted 04.28.2012

Pam Allyn

Are we really so uncertain and so unsure of how stable our society is that we would become this afraid to share the perspectives of those who have experienced feelings of isolation -- or loneliness in our society or who have a different story to tell?

More Children's Book Awards

Monica Edinger | Posted 04.22.2012

Monica Edinger

While the ALA awards for children's books and media may be the most well-known, there are many other worthy awards for children's books as well. All of these are excellent sources for those looking for great reads for the children in their lives.

Dreaming of Dresses: Transgender Books for Children

B.J. Epstein | Posted 04.16.2012

B.J. Epstein

I am unfortunately aware of no texts about transgender characters for readers between 5 and 12 or so. However, there are a couple of picture books, which at least can be used with children up until the age of 5 or 6, regardless of whether they are themselves trans or know any trans people.

"You Are Worth Keeping Safe": Condoms, Teenagers and the Media

B.J. Epstein | Posted 04.01.2012

B.J. Epstein

Young adult literature -- which is where adolescents might get some of their ideas about sex -- is not quite there in terms of safe sex.

Newbery, Caldecott Winners Announced

AP | HILLEL ITALIE | Posted 03.24.2012

NEW YORK — This year's winners of the top prizes in children's literature were honored for stories of resilience over the most everyday troubles...

Balanced Life -- Looking for Some Reading Suggestions in Children's or Young-Adult Literature?

Gretchen Rubin | Posted 10.03.2011

Gretchen Rubin

Every Wednesday is Tip Day, or List Day. This Wednesday: Some reading suggestions in children's and young-adult literature. I've written many tim...

Dahl, Rowling, Blume And 7 More Authors Your Child Should Know

Cicily Janus | Posted 10.03.2011

Cicily Janus

I've taken it upon myself to pick out the books I believe to have the most universally sound parenting advice. The lessons learned in these books are powerful, making them worth a second read as an adult.

Beverly Cleary At 95: A Talk With Ramona Quimby's Creator

The Atlantic | Posted 09.06.2011

In this month's Atlantic magazine, literary editor Benjamin Schwarz delves into the work of children's book author Beverly Cleary, whose books have so...

I'm With Meghan Cox Gurdon

Ru Freeman | Posted 08.21.2011

Ru Freeman

As the parent of three avid readers, I agree with Meghan Cox Gurdon's point that what is considered "banning" in the book trade is known in the parenting world as doing our job.

Why I Write for Children: A Response to Martin Amis

Charles London | Posted 05.25.2011

Charles London

I am often asked why I write for children. What, people wonder, could have possessed me to bring myself down to the level of a ten year old?

Returning to Busytown: Remembering Richard Scarry

The New York Public Library | Posted 05.25.2011

The New York Public Library

Born in Boston in 1919, Scarry was a terrible student who loathed school. He was, however, a talented illustrator.

Erotic Grimm's Fairy Tale Book Pulled From Children's Shelves In China

Posted 05.25.2011

An X-rated collection of Grimm Brothers' classic fairy tales -- including one in which the heroine engages in sexual relations with both her father an...

'Boy In The Striped Pajamas' Author Talks New Book

The Guardian | Michelle Pauli | Posted 05.25.2011

It's hardly surprising that an author who made his name with a novel for children set during the Holocaust should expect a certain seriousness from li...

Roald Dahl Funny Prize Goes To Louise Rennison

guardian.co.uk | Michelle Pauli | Posted 05.25.2011

The prize was set up two years ago by the author Michael Rosen as part of his children's laureateship, and seeks to celebrate the books that make chil...

An Atheist Celebrates Rosh Hashanah

Alan Singer | Posted 05.25.2011

Alan Singer

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur have always been problems for me because their meaning is overwhelmingly religious.

A Wickedly Wonderful Children's Book: Three Ladies Beside the Sea

Sherman Yellen | Posted 05.25.2011

Sherman Yellen

Three cheers for The New York Review Children's Collection. They have been reissuing lost and neglected juvenile classics, wonders of children's literature that a new generation of children will be dazzled by.

The Spirit of Words: Building Children's Books

Rebecca Serle | Posted 05.25.2011

Rebecca Serle

what I'd like to talk about here is a discussion the panelists had on spirit verses word accuracy in children's books. Let me explain.

An Adult in a Child's World

Rebecca Serle | Posted 11.17.2011

Rebecca Serle

I once thought I had to give up children's books to be an adult, that I had to shelve them in order to become the writer I wanted to be. But it is in these books that we find the secret to writing.

Demanding Diversity In Publishing

Zetta Elliott | Posted 05.25.2011

Zetta Elliott

I don't think people of color will "breakthrough" in the publishing arena in significant numbers until publishers are held accountable for the discriminatory practices that marginalize diverse voices.

Bedtime Reading: Children's Stories To Inspire You In Your Sleep

Pam Allyn | Posted 11.17.2011

Pam Allyn

Here are my top recommendations for bedtime reading for all ages in 2010. Our great authors, honoring the mysterious yet profound world of childhood, steer us toward peace, and the promise of hope.