Bite Thy Nails In Anticipation, Peoples – The Coming of the Ambassador is Nigh
To the nub, preferably. I just received the following missive. Here’s the press release:
First U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature to be Revealed on January 3, 2008
NEW YORK, NY December 13, 2007 – The Children’s Book Council (CBC), in association with the Library of Congress’ Center for the Book, will announce the inaugural National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, a children’s laureate for the United States, on January 3, 2008. Appointed for a two-year term, the post was created to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to literacy, education, and the development and betterment of children’s lives. The National Ambassador will choose a platform accordingly, also to be revealed on announcement date, and will advocate this policy throughout his/her travels and tenure.
The National Ambassador was chosen by a selection committee based on a number of criteria, including the candidate’s contribution to young people’s literature, known ability to relate to children, dynamic and engaging personality, among other considerations. The five members of the inaugural selection committee include:
Leonard Marcus – preeminent children’s book historian and critic. He has directed Parenting magazine’s annual Best Books of the Year Awards since its inception and is a three-time judge of the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year prize. He is a standing member of The Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award committee.
Hazel Rochman – editor at ALA Booklist and now a contributing editor, reviewing books for children and young adults. She has served on numerous book committees, and chaired the National Book Award committee for young people’s literature.
Maria Salvadore – Coordinator of Children’s Service for the DC Public Library until 2000. Her work for numerous local and national organizations includes the Kennedy Center Education Department, Reading Is Fundamental, BPS Ready To Learn Service, WETA’s Reading Rockets, among many others.
Henrietta M. Smith – professor emeritus, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Florida. Service to ALA includes membership on Newbery, Caldecott, Batchelder, Carnegie and Notable Film committees and chair of the Wilder committee.
Jewell Stoddard – co-owner of the Cheshire Cat Book Store in Washington DC—one of the first children’s bookstores in the country. She has served on the Caldecott and Boston-Globe Horn Book Award committees, and chaired the 2002 Award committee for the Washington Post-Children’s Book Guild Award for Nonfiction.
Cast your bets now. Or don’t. Actually, I’ve no idea who’s even up for the running. Fun to think about, though.
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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Please God, let it not be a Bush.
Or Madonna.
Here’s the part that bothers me. This was attached to the end of my press release”
Cheerios is the leading sponsor of the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature initiative. Through its Spoonfuls of Stories® program, Cheerios gets books into children’s hands and encourages families to read together. Over the past 6 years, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories has distributed more than 30 million books free inside cereal boxes, and donated more than $2.5 million to First Book®, a national children’s literacy organization.
Yeah, when I think of quality children’s literature I think about those books that use Cheerios and M&Ms to teach counting and whatnot. They’re they perfect sponsor of a position promoting “the development and betterment of children’s lives.”
(Man, I hate it when I forget to add the formatting to my cranky tirades)
I am confident it’s going to be Judy Blume.
That’s my vote!
Ah, David, good eye. I noticed this as well, though I saw no point in posting it here since I thought that might give Cheerios some free publicity they did not need. Then again, maybe I should have included it, if only to bring to bear the implications of corporate sponsorship and the idea of a “National Ambassador”. And the line between government and large corporations grows even more razor thin with each passing day. Did they really need a sponsor anyway? I understand that this is a job of sorts, but surely there could have been a better way of doing this than to rope in a cereal maker.
How do you judge if someone has a “dynamic and engaging personality”? Pretty harsh to be x-ed in committee discussions with a “Naaaaah. She’s way too dull.”
Anyway, my guess would be Katherine Paterson.
Phyllis Naylor …. or …. If you really want a “dynamic and engaging personality,” I’d go for Jennifer Holm. After all, two Newbery honors AND the author of Babymouse? Except that Judy Blume and Phyllis Naylor have more “name” value — people know who they are.
-wendieO