Center and Faculty News

• Read the latest news at http://sdsuchildlit.blogspot.com/
  
  
• Lissa Paul, Lecture: "In Search of Eliza Fenwick (1766-1840): Or, the Trials and Tribulations of Writing a Life"

  Wed, May 1, 5:00pm – 6:30pm
  SSE 1401

  The National Center for the Study of Children's Literature and the Department of English & Comparative Literature are proud to co-sponsor Professor Lissa Paul's lecture on Eliza Fenwick. Paul's lecture concerns her latest book project, which she originally intended to be a standard biographical “life” of Eliza Fenwick (1766-1840), what one might call a literary biography. However, over the course of her research and writing, Paul realized that a Possession-like narrative, something that entwines Fenwick's life story with Paul's own search for that life, provided the better structure. As Fenwick’s story is an adventure story, an immigrant’s story, a mother’s story, a writer’s story, and the story of an abolitionist slave-holder, its narrative structure is fraught, especially as there are missing pieces and complicated ethical questions to negotiate. Paul's talk is an attempt to navigate the Scylla and Charybdis of writing Eliza’s life. It is a public lecture, for students, faculty, and our community.

  
  

• Kenneth Kidd, Lecture: Philosophy for Children

  Thu, April 11, 5:00pm – 6:30pm
  HT 140

  Professor Kid's presentation, Philosophy for children, is this year's annual talk hosted by The National Center for the Study of Children's Literature and the Department of English & Comparative Literature. Serving faculty, students, and our local community, these public lectures raise important issues in the study of childhood and children's culture and literature. Professor Kidd's discussion emerges from his latest book project, in which he investigates childhood agency in relation to a society that simultaneously reveres and condescends to children. He asks what a "philosophy for children" might look like, especially as our notions of childhood are provided for children by adults, and all too rarely emerge from children themselves.

  Read more on the NCSCL Blog
  

• We are hosting our 10th Semi-Annual Children's Book Review Marathon on campus, Saturday, March 16, from 12:30-3:30. Nineteen volunteers consisting of current and past graduate students, SDSU faculty, city librarians, and teachers will be on hand to review books. The goal is to review at least 26 books on Saturday, with more reviews coming in over the next few weeks. Reviews will be posted on our blog.
  
• Professor Jerry Griswold Retires; Professor Alida Allison named new director of the National Center for the Study of Children's Literature. Read More.
  
  
• KPBS's Maureen Cavanaugh interviews Dr. Alida Allison on "The Best New Children's Books for Summer" (June 28, 2010) - Click here to listen to the interview (16 min., MP3) (posted 7/18/10)
  
  
• SDSU News Center's article "Best Summer Reads for Kids" (June 15, 2010) features an interview with Professor Alida Allison and Librarian Linda Salem, and discusses the National Center for the Study of Children's Literature's Book Review Service (posted 7/18/10)

• New 2010 Children's Literature Reviews are now available! (posted 3/28/10)
  
  
• The Adventures of Mark Twain: A Centenary Celebration: visit our blog for details on SDSU literary and dramatic events held throughout this year celebrating America's Storyteller. (posted 3/28/10)
  

• New 2009 Children's Literature Reviews are now available! (posted 8/8/09)
  
  
• Check out the new English & Comparative Literature blogspot for the latest dept. news. Several Children's Literature faculty were recently featured. (posted 7/4/08)
  
  
• Be sure to check out Conferences & Events for some upcoming Children's Literature presentations at SDSU (posted 2/27/08)
  
  
• What is that special quality that makes some children's literature writers great? Perhaps they confer with their "inner child" on what fascinates children. Jerry Griswold reflects on this idea in his new book, Feeling Like a Kid: Childhood and Children's Literature. Click HERE to listen to Griswold's radio interview with Tom Fudge on KPBS's "These Days." (posted 1/4/07)

• Children's Book Review Service. Looking for a good children's book? Recommendations by SDSU Children's Literature faculty--from picture books to Young Adult fiction, from Shel Silverstein to Susan Cooper--are being posted at our newly re-opened campus reviews site. These reviews are in addition to those now appearing at Parents' Choice (www.parentschoice.org) where you will find essays by Jerry Griswold, Peter Neumeyer, and Jerry Farber; as well as recommendations for ABC books, pop-ups, books about other cultures, and reviews by Alida Allison, Toni Rowden, and Mark Janssen. The two sites now complement each other. Please visit us at both locations. (posted 1/27/06)

• New MA Specialization in Children's Literature in English/Comparative Literature. For more information, including graduate program requirements and deadlines, click HERE.

Generous Donation Funds Endowed Professorship

The National Center for the Study of Children's Literature wishes to gratefully acknowledge an extraordinary contribution by longtime friends of the Center, Ray Sabin and A.K. Jones. This gift will make possible, in perpetuity, the Ray Sabin and A.K. Jones Endowed Professorship in Children’s Literature. In creating this position, Jones expressed their hope that "the faculty member hired for this position will inspire others and encourage them to make Children's Literature a part of their everyday lives."
Sabin and Jones are both alums of SDSU. Jones is also an elementary-school teacher who retired after 30 years in San Diego classrooms. Inveterate travelers, "Ray and A.K." remain, nonetheless, deeply involved in the Center's activities and planning, and they can often be found at many of the Center's various events. (posted 1/06)

DONORS WELCOME

The NCSCL welcomes contributions to further its work and its aim of fostering an appreciation of Children's Literature among parents and children, students and teachers, and the public at large. We are especially seeking donations that would provide scholarships for needy graduate students and for San Diego school teachers who wish to earn the Certificate and make more use of Children's Literature in their classrooms.

For more information on how to contribute, please visit the Giving section of our website.

For past program and faculty news, please visit our past news section.

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