Category | News

KSU features award-winning authors at conference

Published on March 18, 2008 by The Sentinel

    The 2008 Annual Conference on Literature for Children and
Adolescents is coming to KSU to give students and faculty the
opportunity to learn from five award-winning authors.  The conference
will be held Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28 at the KSU Center
for Continuing Education.

    With authors from diverse backgrounds and skills, the conference appeals to a variety of individuals. Alice Snyder, co-coordinator of the conference, welcomes all interested saying, “the literature conference is geared for elementary, middle school, and high school teachers, media specialists, public librarians, and undergraduate and graduate teacher education students and English majors.”

    Snyder describes the purpose of the conference, saying, “to expose all to these well-known children’s and young adult authors and their work.  We also hope they will present ideas about teaching reading and language arts across the curriculum using children’s and young adult literature.”

    On Thursday morning, Robert Lipsyte will kick off the conference with his keynote address. Accumulating numerous awards, Lipsyte is recognized because his works “help adolescents see their role and their importance in relationships, society, and the world.”  Lipsyte’s novels for young adults have gained praise for their inattention to fancifulness as well as for the incomparability of his authorship. Lipsyte’s characters are not necessarily victorious at the end of the novel; rather they are more likely to go through a transformation due to effort and personal growth.

    Between each keynote address, there will be a break-out session.  Snyder describes these break-out sessions as “an opportunity for educators and educators-to-be to hear their peers and professionals present ideas about how they incorporate literature in their teaching.”

    Freelance commercial writer, Peter Bowerman, will also be lecturing Thursday. Having published over 250 articles and editorials, Bowerman has wisdom to dispense in commercial freelancing business start-up and self-publishing. Bowerman is known for his how-to book released in 2006, “The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living.”  The book has been useful in guiding writers towards commercial success.

    Following Bowerman, Jack Gantos will delight the attendees with his nationally recognized creative writing and literature.  Gantos does not limit his writing, with works from picture books and middle-grade fiction to novels for young adults and adults.  Gantos inspires many with one simple belief, “write about what you know about.” Conference coordinators are enthused to disclose that Gantos will additionally attend an evening event at 7:00 p.m., open to the general public for ages nine through adult.

    Debbi Chocolate, whose books have been featured on Reading Rainbow Television and Sesame Street, plans to speak Friday afternoon.  Chocolate, being the only female author in attendance, imparts a unique cultural perspective regarding literature.  Chocolate tells that her purpose for writing is consistently the same expressing, “I write to share my vision of life’s hope, its beauty and its promise.” She believes that reading is what makes a writer.   

    Robert D. San Souci will be the final author to speak on Friday afternoon.  San Souci is recognized for making more hidden or almost-forgotten stories accessible to young children.  Honoring diversity, San Souci’s books celebrate people and places all around the world to encourage readers to detect similarities between themselves and others outside of their world. 

    For registration‚ visit www.kennesaw.edu/education/eece/childlit . The deadline to register is March 21.