Category Archives: Events

Judy Blume to speak at Mark Twain House

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The Mark Twain House & Museum is hosting Judy Blume next week as a fundraiser for the historic home and museum. Judy is a wonderful writer who has changed the lives of children all over the world for many decades.

They still have a number of seats left for the event. She’s speaking on Thursday, June 21st at the University of Hartford. Tickets can be purchased at http://harttweb.hartford.edu/tickets.aspx (they are $25, $40, or $85 depending on seating, and an opening reception with Judy at the highest ticket level). Judy will also be doing a book signing after the event.

The Mark Twain House is offering a discount code for local organizations, especially those with kids involved, in order to make the event more affordable for families. The discount code is FUDGE and can be entered online when buying tickets, or over the phone.

NCLC remembers Maurice Sendak

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My favorite memory of Mr. Sendak comes from a dinner at Dean Emeritus Dr. David Woods’ house.  Dean Woods had invited a few folks over following Sendak’s visit to UConn to deliver the inaugural Robert Gray Memorial Lecture.  Another of the guests was Etienne Delessert, also a well-known children’s illustrator from western Connecticut.  They discussed politics.

ImageThe NCLC holds original Sendak illustrations from the book he did with Ruth Krauss in 1952, A hole is to dig.  It was one of his first major books arranged by Ursula Nordstrom.  The NCLC also hold a few illustrations for Somebody else’s nut tree by Krauss, published in 1958.

What a wonderful, scary, brilliant man.

–Terri J. Goldich, Curator

CT Children’s Book Fair planning underway

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The planning committee for the CT Children’s Book Fair is already busy lining up presenters and programs for the 21st Fair to be held on the Storrs campus on November 10-11, 2012.  So far we’ve lined up Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah Plain and Tall and many other great books; Robert Sabuda, the paper engineer par excellence and creator of marvelous pop-up books; Barbara McClintock, author and illustrator of the award-winning Adele and Simon books; and Katie Davis, author and illustrator of Little Chicken’s Big Day, which won the 2011 Trailee Award.  The exhibit in the Dodd Center’s Gallery From October 2012 to February 2013 will showcase Katie’s archives which are housed in the Northeast Children’s Literature Collection.  We’re considering presenting a panel on bullying in addition to the panel on literature for teens, which has been popular for the last two years.  Breakfast with Clifford will of course be a highlight both Saturday and Sunday mornings.  For more information get automatic updates from the Fair’s Facebook page. 

–Terri J. Goldich, Curator

Susan Raab interviewed for Cynsations

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Susan Raab, CEO of Raab Associates and sponsor of the Raab Associates Prize for Illustration was interviewed by Laurie Cutter for Cynsations. There’s a wonderful reference to the Raab Prize about half-way down this interesting interview about children’s literature, marketing, favorite books, and of course, the Connecticut Children’s Book Fair dinner last year when everyone drew on the dishes (thanks, Mo).

Chris Raschka wins 2012 Caldecott Medal!

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Congratulations to Chris Raschka for winning the 2012 Caldecott Medal for A Ball for Daisy, a wordless book about a little dog whose favorite possession is accidentally destroyed.  When interviewed on NPR, Raschka tells Robert Siegel of All Things Considered that creating the book was “certainly a challenge. It went through many, many variations.”  This is Raschka’s second Caldecott Medal; his first was for Hello, Goodbye Window in 2006 and in 1994 he received a Caldecott Honor  for his Yo! Yes?  Raschka appeared at the 2008 Connecticut Children’s Book Fair and we hope to see him again soon.  Congratulations, Chris!

Oral Histories added to NCLC’s website

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l-r: Terri J. Goldich, Curator; Billie M. Levy, Donor; Kena Sosa, Researcher. Seated: Mrs. Eva Greenwood.

l-r: Terri J. Goldich, Curator; Billie M. Levy, Donor; Kena Sosa, Researcher. Seated: Mrs. Eva Greenwood.

In April, 2011, Ms. Kena Sosa became the 4th recipient of a Billie M. Levy Travel and Research Grant. Her topic of research is the experience of Jewish children who escaped Nazi persecution to England and other countries by means of the Kindertransport program. This link goes to a full description and access to the transcripts of two oral histories conducted with women who were transported to England as children in the Kindertransport program. Ms. Sosa’s PowerPoint presentation, a requirement of the Levy Travel and Research Grant, is also available from the web site.  This was the first grant presentation to leave the audience in tears.

Pet Therapy Dogs to visit CT Children’s Book Fair

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We’ve added some great activities for the kids (and their grownups, too) to the Connecticut Children’s Book Fair this year. On Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 12-13 from 10-12, Paws 4 Books in Mansfield will bring their pet therapy dogs for kids to read to. Each day from 2-4, Tails of Joy will bring their doggies for a visit, too.
 Tails of Joy

Tomie dePaola celebrates the Wilder Award in style (of course)!

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Suzy Staubach and I were invited to attend a lovely brunch at Tomie’s house to celebrate his being awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, given by the American Library Association which “…“honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”  The dePaola house is absolutely charming, with room after room where wonderful sculptures, artwork, toys, candles, antiques, and dePaola creations abound.  One piece of artwork in particular caught my eye:  a pencil and ink drawing of Tomie as a Saint, with a drink in one hand and a paintbrush in the other, surrounded by children holding their hands out in begging posture.  Trina Schart Hyman, one of Tomie’s dear friends, was working on the drawing when she left for the hospice care where she later passed away.  The drawing was still on her drawing table.  She didn’t have time to ink in the entire piece but she did get the drink glass done!

Check out Suzy’s blog at www.willowtreepottery.us/Willow_Tree_Pottery/BiblioPotter/Entries/2011/8/1_Tomie_dePaola_Pot_Collector.html and Elizabeth Bluemle’s post with lots of photos at http://blogs.publishersweekly.com/blogs/shelftalker/.
Tomie’s home is surrounded by elegant gardens, with benches in strategic places to best view the grounds.  There is a small hidden garden outside of a sliding glass door and a very inviting swimming pool.  Almost heaven, New Hampshire.

l to r: Suzy Staubach, General Books Manager, UConn Co-op; Tomie dePaola, Wilder Award recipient for 2011; Terri J. Goldich, Curator, Northeast Children's Literature Collection

Thanks, NECBA and Scholastic!

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Thanks, Nan Sorensen, Scholastic, and the rest of the New England Children’s Booksellers for the donation of books by the wonderful authors at your conference on June 15.  It was fun to give tours to such knowledgeable and engaged listeners.  And your speakers were delightful:  M.T. Anderson, Nan Rossiter, Joyce Baskin, Angela DiTerlizzi, and all the rest of the stellar lineup.  I had the pleasure of awarding Matt Collins the CT Book Award for Children’s Illustration last year at the CT Center for the Book’s celebration so it was great to see him again.  What a talented group of folks you are!

–Terri J. Goldich, Curator