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The stage design transports you to a village in Bangladesh.

Ma and I quietly took our seats. Can you spot us?

Afterwards, we greeted the actors in the lobby.

My Ma with Naima's Ma (Ariel Irula) and Baba (Pankaj Jha)

Aren't they adorable?

Even seeing the tickets was thrilling.

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My novel for elementary-aged readers, RICKSHAW GIRL (chosen by the New York Public Library as one of the best books for children over the past 100 years), is pedaling to the stage in a wonderful musical adaptation! The Bay Area Children's Theatre will put on shows at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday from April 12 to May 22, first in San Ramon's Front Row Theater, next at the San Francisco's Children's Creativity Museum, and last but not least in Berkeley at The Osher Studio.

Here's the ticket purchase information: http://bactheatre.org/shows/RickshawGirl. If you want to say hello and get a signed book, I plan to be there at the opening shows in San Francisco (Saturday, April 16 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.) and the closing shows in Berkeley (Sunday, May 22 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.).

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Thanks, Girls Leadership, for selecting RICKSHAW GIRL as a Parent / Daughter Book Club Pick, and for inviting me in to your offices to be interviewed by the brilliant Daliya.

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The educator's 33-year effort to develop and enhance an academic program in children's literature at Ohio State University established her as a national authority on the subject. 

Huck's reputation grew with the 1961 publication of her textbook, "Children's Literature in the Classroom," now in its seventh edition, and with her 1976 creation of the quarterly review Wonderfully Exciting Books, covering classroom use of children's books. 

"Reading was part of my life, and I wanted children to have the same opportunity," Huck said in a 1981 appearance on television's "Good Morning America."

A native of Evanston, Ill., Huck studied at Wellesley College and earned her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University. After teaching briefly in Midwestern elementary schools, she completed her master's and doctorate at Ohio State University and joined its faculty in 1955. 

While she was teaching teachers how to boost children's reading, Huck earned Ohio State's Distinguished Teaching Award in 1972 and the Landau Award for Distinguished Service in teaching children's literature in 1979. 

Huck also served on the American Library Association committees for the Newbery and Caldecott medals, awarded to outstanding writers of children's literature. 

Huck retired from Ohio State in 1988. But she wasn't finished. 

Relocating to Redlands, she wrote five children's books herself: "Princess Furball," "Secret Places," "Toads and Diamonds," "The Black Bull of Norroway" and "A Creepy Countdown." 

Huck helped create an annual children's literature festival at the University of Redlands, similar to one she had developed at Ohio State. The Redlands festival was named for her in 2000. 

"We must keep reading aloud to children," she advised teachers at the 1998 festival. "If you're not reading aloud to them, you're not teaching reading. The story is what motivates children to want to read."

Now that's a children's literature champion.

The second reason I love her is because of this award established in her honor by the National Council of Teachers of English. The award recognizes "fiction that has the potential to transform children’s lives by inviting compassion, imagination, and wonder." What a glorious statement! And to my extreme delight, Tiger Boy has been selected as a 2016 NTCE Charlotte Huck Outstanding Fiction for Children Honor Book (in excellent company)!

I've changed my vocational statement thanks to Dr. Huck. From now on it is to "invite compassion, imagination, and wonder" through my fiction. Congratulations to all the winners!

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Last night I had a magical experience. I was invited to attend a workshopping of RICKSHAW GIRL, the stage version, by the Bay Area Children's Theater (BACT). Playwright Aditi Kapil was in town from Minnesota to work with director Vidhu Singh, and our evening started with dinner at Toast in Oakland.

From L to R: Me, Vidhu Singh, Water Bottle, BACT's Ben Hanna, and Aditi Kapil

After dinner, we headed to BACT headquarters in Montclair, Oakland, and the talented team of actors, director, producer, and playwright began to work through the script. When you create a story in your head and people it with characters who exist only in your imagination, it is otherworldly to see them come to life. As I listened in wonder, I found myself moved by the plight of a young Bangladeshi girl who wants so desperately to help her family. I had written the darn thing, but last night Naima's story was presented to me in a fresh and sweet form. It was the same; it was completely different. It was magic.

Aditi's amazing script adds song, dance, staging, character depth, pacing, and emotional resonance to the story.

The actors who play the main characters, Naima and Saleem, are as adorable in real life as they are in this picture.

"What is scansion?" wondered the theatrical neophyte. In silence, of course.

Here's the first read-through of the rickshaw crash scene.

The RICKSHAW GIRL team: actors, director, author, and playwright.

Order your tickets now!

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The children's and young adult book publishing community is converging in San Francisco for the American Library Association's Annual Convention this weekend. The buzz is palpable; the parties already starting. Here's my schedule:

Wednesday, June 25:

Author Series: A GROWN-UP CONVERSATION ABOUT CHILDREN’S BOOKS, at the Battery Club in San Francisco. Here's the description of the event:

You may not know it, but a golden age of literature is now unfolding on our bookcases’ lowest shelves. For too long we have neglected a much loved, widely read, artistically significant literary form: the picture book. Join Mac Barnett, Carson Ellis, Jon Klassen, and Christian Robinson, four young voices in children’s literature, for a discussion about how picture books work, why they matter, and how we can ensure our children get the great art they deserve.

Thursday, June 26:

I'll be partying with my agent, Laura Rennert, and other writers and agents at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency ALA Get-Together from 6-8 p.m.

Saturday, June 27:

Daniel Handler and Jacqueline Woodson with We Need Diverse Books are hosting a celebration of
Scott Bonner, director of the Ferguson Public Library and winner of the 2015 Lemony Snicket Prize for Noble Librarians Faced With Adversity. This event will take place from 6-9 p.m.

Sunday, June 28:

From 9-10, a bunch of YA authors and librarians will be mingling at the YALSA Coffee Klatch. Here's the description:

Enjoy coffee and meet with YALSA's award winning authors! This informal coffee klatch will give you an opportunity to meet authors who have appeared on one of YALSA’s six annual selected lists or have received one of YALSA's five literary awards. Librarians will sit at a table and every 3 or 4 minutes, a new author will arrive at your table to talk about their upcoming books!

From 10:30 - 11:30, I'll be signing copies of TIGER BOY in Charlesbridge booth #3116. Please stop by and say hello.

At noon, I'll join Sage Publications and ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at the 2nd annual Banned Books Readout Booth, where I'm going to read a short passage from THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN by Sherman Alexie, and then speak from the heart about why that book matters to me.

Hope to see you there!

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What's all the Hubbub about? It's the first annual book festival solely for children in Boston this Saturday, June 20. I'll be appearing on a panel (moderated by WBUR's Meghna Chakrabarti) with Jeanne Birdsall and Tor Seidler in the Old South Sanctuary from 11:45-12:45 to talk about the theme of home in middle-grade fiction: "Welcome Home: Great Books for Middle-Grade Readers."

Then, from 3:45-4:45 in the Boston Public Library's Del Rey Room, I'm leading a workshop for upper elementary and teen writers on creating a sense of place in fiction: "A Whole New World: Weaving the Magic Carpet of Place."


Perhaps it's appropriate that my focus will be on "home" and "place," since Boston was both of that to me for almost thirteen years. Will I see you there? It's going to be a beautiful day in Copley Square.

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After I launched TIGER BOY in the San Francisco Bay Area, I headed to the coast I used to call home for the New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference, several author visits, and a book launch party at Newtonville Books. What a joy to see old friends and meet new ones. Travel along with me.

My NESCBWI workshop for fellow writers: "12 Questions to Help us See Race and Culture in our Stories"

Signing with author friends: From L to R, Me, Debi Mishiko Florence (Japan: A Kaleidoscope Kids Book), Mike Jung (Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities), Grace Lin (Starry River of the Sky), and Padma Venkatraman (A Time to Dance).

Delightful to see a bunch of brown faces at the conference (From L to R: Sona Charaipotra, Visi Tilak, Nandini Bajpai, me)

Book Launch Party at Newtonville Books!

Author (me), illustrator (Jamie Hogan), editor (Yo Scott), baby (belongs to Yo), tiger, book: what else do you need for a bookstore party?

"Buy this book, please."

Illustrator Jamie Hogan captivates the crowd with stories about research and technique.

Next came five school visits in three days, starting with writing workshops for fifth-graders at Willard School in Concord, Massachusetts.

Several of these fourth-graders at Zervas School in Newton started following me on Instagram after I visited. They are nine.

Haggerty School in Cambridge is full of mini-mes like this one.

New England seemed shell-shocked from the winter, as though bracing for a next snow. But the daffodils and crocuses were in bloom and the lilacs were budding. Happy Spring, Boston! I miss you!

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It's been a busy week in the Bay Area launching my new book, TIGER BOY. Tomorrow I head to Boston for festivities on the other coast. Here's a taste of what's been going on this week in California — school visits, booksellers' conferences, and a happy launch party.

Linden Tree Books in Los Altos created this lovely display.

I visited Chabot Elementary School in Oakland. Not a bad place to sign books.

At Malcolm X. Elementary School in Berkeley, we learned about Bengali culture and Bengal tigers.

Kids never make me nervous.

This was the first time I got to talk about both books!

The actual book launch party was at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore in Berkeley. Thanks, Mrs. Ds, and thanks to all the friends who joined me.

Parties are fun! Plus I got to read lovely notes from the fourth-graders at Malcolm X.

"Dear Ms. Perkins. Hi Ms. Perkins. I want to see you again Ms. Perkis. I love you Ms. Perkins"

Next stop: Pasadena, for the American Booksellers Association Children's Institute, where I signed and met many enthusiastic booksellers committed to connecting multicultural books and children. I also took a brief detour to wander around the Huntington Library and Gardens (photos below.)

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I'm heading to the National Council of Teachers of English's annual convention in Washington D.C., and am also teaching a writing workshop at Ballou High School for An Open Book Foundation.

At the NCTE Convention, I'm speaking on a panel in the main ballroom at 8 a.m. during the General Session on "Reshaping the Landscape of Story: Creating Space for Missing and Marginalized Voices" (see below), and then signing TIGER BOY from 12:30-1:30 at Anderson's Bookshop's booth (#153) and from 1:30-2:30 at Charlesbridge Publishing's booth (#226). Stop by and say hello if you'll be there.

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Earlier in the summer, I was privileged to serve on the faculty of the Asian Festival of Children's Content, which seeks to "provide the world’s children with quality Asian content for education and entertainment." AFCC 2014 focused on India, lasted for six days, and drew 938 delegates from 27 countries. I spoke on several panels but also managed to enjoy the sights, tastes, smells, and sounds of Singapore, the third wealthiest country in the world.

My first panel was titled Young Adult Books as Windows and Mirrors. Here's the description: "Do books serve as a window to a different life or a mirror for your own? Mitali Perkins and Sampurna Chattarji examine why it’s important that young adult audiences have books that not only provide insight to the lives of others but also serve as mirrors of their own lives and cultures."

Next came The Vast Spread of the Sea: Asian Diaspora Writers and the Works, featuring author Gabrielle Wang, Illustrator Il Sung Na, and myself. "In this panel, we ask Asian authors who have worked in the UK, Australia, and the USA to speak on their experiences as creators of Asian descent. What issues, if any, remain universal to the Asian diaspora experience? What challenges have these creators faced and how did they overcome them to get published? Find out!"

Third and last, I spoke on Writing About Different Cultures with Gabrielle Wang. "As our global society embraces multiculturalism more and more, the question of how to tell effective stories that speak to multicultural communities become ever more important. How should writers, illustrators, and other story creators responsibly address writing about different cultures? Join in the discussion in this panel."

Fun to meet online friends in person, like Daphne Lee, Scholastic Asia editor...

... and Sayoni Basu, editor with India's Duckbill Books.

Editors Cheryl Robson (left) of the U.K. and Sayoni Basu (right) of India talked about acquisitions. Stacy Whitman of Tu Books (center) ably represented North American editors and publishers.

My turn to present: "Young Adult Books as Windows and Mirrors."

AFCC staff and volunteers were excellent at spoiling us. Many of our "Makan and Mingle" events took place on the top floor of the Singapore National Library, and featured a glorious 360 degree view.

The Children's Room at the Singapore National Library.

Bookseller Denise Tan of Closetful of Books organized my author visit to the ISS International School of Singapore.

Spoke with 9th graders from many Asian countries about stories between cultures.

I always feel at home in a roomful of global nomads and Third Culture kids.

A sweet-faced Indonesian student asked for a picture. Who could say no to that smile? Not me.

My extracurricular activities included a visit to the National Orchid Garden.  At every turn, you catch your breath and squelch a desire to burst into applause, because what will the other tourists think? Oh, well. Go ahead. They've all become flower and fountain paparazzi.

Perk of solo travel: paying closer attention to the symmetry, detail, and elegance at the National Museum of Singapore. A volunteer docent presented an enthralling 2.5 hours of history, full of unforgettable stories from the nation as well as from his own life. "Confucian families sadly didn't honor girl children as much as boys. During the time of hardship after the war, for example, girls were given to Malay families for adoption. One particular Chinese family had three daughters and two sons. They fought hard and somehow managed to keep the family intact, but the girls were not educated while the sons went to school. How do I know?" He hesitated to check his emotion. "Because I was one of those boys."

How do you know you're in Little India on a Sunday afternoon? By the monsoon rains, spicy vegetable biryani and sweet lassi, painted windows, and hundreds of Indians, strolling, shopping, and people-watching, just like you.

Need a break from the equatorial sun? Nothing better than a good book, a cup of Darjeeling, and biscuits in the Writer's Bar, where Ernest Hemingway and W. Somerset Maugham enjoyed different kinds of beverages.

Last but not least, don't skip a moonlit riverboat ride. Glorious! Right, Junko (Yokota) and Marjorie (Coughlan)?

AFCC 2015 will be held from May 29 – June 7 in Singapore, and the country of focus is China. My recommendation? Don't miss it!

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I had a marvelous ten days visiting schools in the Boston area and in Brooklyn, as well as teaching a few workshops at the annual New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference and the Muse and the Marketplace 2014 conference sponsored by Grub Street.

In case you missed my whirlwind trip via social media, I've gathered a few photo highlights. As you can see below, it took a bundle of librarians to make this trip happen. I returned from my journey even more impressed by these talented cheerleaders of kids and reading. They are truly an American treasure.

I started and ended the trip by presenting with authors David Yoo and Francisco Stork, who both contributed to OPEN MIC. David (pictured above) met with middle schoolers at the Fenn School in Concord, Massachusetts. Meanwhile, Francisco shared with high schoolers and I spoke to upper elementary students.

These days, school librarians must be book experts, tech geniuses, and marketers extraordinaire, like Susan Fisher of the Fenn School.

Chatting with students after my talks is always a joy, especially when school librarians have prepared the kids well for my visit. Students at the Fenn School gathered to chat about the differences between books and movies as story venues and to ask questions about BAMBOO PEOPLE.

Next I headed to Nashoba Brooks Academy to meet with school librarian / diversity champion Sam Kane, who coordinated my presentation to second graders about RICKSHAW GIRL. I had a bit of time so I stopped by the Old Manse in Concord, where Thoreau planted this garden at the Old Manse as a wedding present for the Hawthornes. It's doing fine.

My creative spirit stirred on a raw spring day as I walked the grounds where famous writers used to dwell. But there's little time for writing during an author visit maelstrom. The day after my sessions at the Fenn School and Nashoba Brooks Academy, I visited Zervas and Underwood schools in Newton, Massachusetts, where I was hosted by parents serving on Creative Arts and Sciences committees.

Next stop, Springfield Massachusetts for the New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference, where I taught workshops on dialogue and virtual book launches. I enjoyed this reflection of the Campanile from my  hotel room.

Seeing writing buddies galore (Lisa Papademetriou and Ammi-Joan Paquette are pictured above) is one of the best reasons to go to this marvelous conference.

Tara Sullivan shows off the forthcoming paperback issue of GOLDEN BOY, her award-winning novel about Habo, a Tanzanian boy with albinism.

Trend spotted: cute agents with bangs. (Kaylee Davis on the left and Lauren Macleod on the right.)

After a quick session on crafting place in fiction at the Muse and the Marketplace conference in Boston, I headed to Brooklyn for an assembly at Packer Collegiate School, where Lois Lowry studied as a girl.

The grounds and building reeked of tradition, and the auditorium looked like an old chapel. The students were receptive and engaged, thanks mostly to school librarian Kristyn Dorfman, who welcomed and hosted me.

Next I taught kids at P.S. 230 in Brooklyn how to draw alpanas. Since many of them are Bangladeshi, they're naturals, and the art was amazing. Thanks for this visit goes to Susan Brill, a superb teacher who cares deeply about reading global books in her multicultural classroom.

I knew RICKSHAW GIRL was a "mirror" book for the kids of P.S. 230 when I saw this poster on the gate.

That afternoon I strolled across the Brooklyn Bridge and back.

Stopped to watch handball on one of the playgrounds and was tempted to get in line for a game.

Next stop was Brooklyn Friends School, where I led writing workshops for 8th graders and presented a session for the 5th grade.

Middle School Librarian Angie Ungaro took excellent care of me at Brooklyn Friends. Again, note the superb signage.

Back in the Boston area, I visited Derby Academy in Hingham, established in 1784. Tuition used to be an armful of firewood. I think it might be a bit steeper now. Librarian Barbara Zinkovich arranged my visit impeccably.

I've gotten good at multitasking during presentations. Here I'm teaching one kid to bargain for bananas in an imaginary Bangladeshi marketplace while I wrap a saree around a second volunteer.

After full-day gigs at the two middle schools in Reading, Massachusetts, where school librarians Christine Steinhauser and Robyn Ferrazzani took care of me, public school librarians celebrated OPEN MIC with Thai food. (From L to R: Young Adult Librarian Susan Beauregard, author Francisco Stork, Adult Services Librarian Andrea Fiorillo, author David Yoo, and Young Adult Librarian Renee Smith.)

Reading Librarian Andrea Fiorillo, David Yoo, Francisco Stork, and a lovely bookseller from Andover Bookstore after our Big Read panel on growing up between cultures.

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After 10 days on the road, I'm home again. I presented 26 times in 11 schools and 2 conferences in Boston and Brooklyn, where I got to chat with three brilliant New York independent school librarians (Angie Ungaro, Sarah Murphy, and Kerry Roeder). They create a podcast for librarians called the "Watchers Podcast," and featured an interview with me on Episode 7. They even provide a list of resources for every episode. We recorded in my hotel room in Brooklyn, clustering around the microphone, and it was one of the highlights of my trip.

Angie Ungaro, Middle School librarian at Brooklyn Friends School, is on the right.

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I thoroughly enjoyed my week of events in the Midwest. I presented the 8th annual lecture on Multicultural Children's Literature at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, hosted by the Murphy Library. Next I headed for Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I attended the Festival of Faith and Writing to sit on a couple of panels as well as offer a solo talk entitled "It's Just Fiction: Ten Tips on Reading and Writing about Race, Culture, and Power."

In both communities, everyone was so ... nice. I know that can be a bland adjective, but believe me, after living in or near big cities my whole life, I delighted in the courtesies extended to me in these smaller college towns. If it wasn't for the W-word, I'd consider making my home in one of North America's so-called "flyover states." But I dumped my shovels in Boston before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, and I never want to see them again. Besides, I can always visit, right?

Three Great Days in Wisconsin

Welcome bouquet in my hotel room? Nice start!

4th and 5th graders getting settled before my presentation.

Received this book of stories and poems prepared by the students. Great teachers are the key to successful author visits.

Time for my lectures at the Murphy Library. Good signage, right?

Fielding good questions is more than half the fun.

On my lunch break, I drove up to Grandad Bluff Park to enjoy the view.

The University of Wisconsin—La Crosse from the Bluff.

Patrick Anderson of the LaCrosse Tribune attended and reported about the event.

It takes a village to plan an author visit. Here's the the team of librarians and School of Education leaders at The Waterfront Restaurant (highly recommended for dinner). Thank you, friends!

The route to the airport in St. Paul took me through this town.  Remember who lived here?

Yep, it's the Little House in the Big Woods.

Lake Pepin.

Three Great Days in Wisconsin 

Confession: I love conference swag. This gift bag was waiting in my room at Calvin College's Prince Conference Center, site of the Festival of Faith and Writing.

The Festival kicked off with a talk by Gene Luen Yang, "Is Art Selfish?" Other keynote speakers included James McBride, Miroslav Volf, and Anne Lamott.

Children's and YA authors abounded (From L to R: Swati Avasthi, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Deborah Heiligman.)

Loved spending time with this brilliant author and listening to her talk about faith and science in her award-winning book, CHARLES AND EMMA. "The Darwins' relationship is a microcosm of how people can talk about different views with deep love," she said.

Newbery honoree Gary Schmidt, who is on the faculty at Calvin, moderated a panel on writing young adult fiction (from L to R: Gary Schmidt, Swati Avasthi, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and me.)

Panel discussion, "Power of the Word: Writing Towards Justice." (From L to R: Moderator Sarina Moore, Uwem Akpan, Ashley Lucas, and me.)

Last but not least, the Festival was full of young talents, including my friend Briana Meade, who writes about young motherhood and faith.

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Next week (April 10-14, 2014), I'm delighted to be participating in the Festival of Faith and Writing, "the biennial writing festival at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, celebrating matters of faith."

I'll be presenting a solo talk called "It's Just Fiction: Reading and Writing about Race, Culture, and Power," and am participating in a panel discussion on YA fiction with Swathi Avasti and Pam Muñoz Ryan. I'm also sitting on a panel focusing on writing and social justice with Uwem Akpan, a writer of fiction and Jesuit priest serving in Nigeria, and playwright Ashley Lucas. The framing question will be something like this: "To what extent can—or should—art serve to shine a light on injustice?"

Other Kid/YA book folks will be presenting at the Festival, including Gene Luen Yang (keynoting), Ron Koertge, Michele Wood, and Deborah Heiligman. Literary luminaries who write for adults, including Anne Lamott, James McBride, Miroslav Wolf, will also be there. Follow the Festival on twitter with this hashtag: #ffwgr, and here's the schedule of events and full list of speakers.

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On Tuesday, April 8, I'm honored to offer the keynote at this year's conference on multicultural literature at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Come and join us if you're nearby.

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On Monday, I was honored to be part of a group invited by KQED Forum to speak on the radio about the Cooperative Children's Book Center's (CCBC) 2013 findings on diversity in children's literature. I joined host Mina Kim, Nina Lindsay, children's librarian at Oakland Public Library, and illustrator LeUyen Pham in the studio. K.T. Horning of the CCBC provided a pre-recorded introduction, and Christopher Myers, whose recent New York Times article, "The Apartheid of Children's Literature," precipitated the public interest, joined us live from Brooklyn.

Let me offer some thoughts on live radio. First, it moves fast—the hour barreled by. Second, a good host must be excellent at multi-tasking; it was fascinating to watch Mina's brain and body move in marvelous synchronicity as she steered the conversation. Three, you can't edit your words.

I said things with which I generally agree but left wishing I could have tweaked a sentence or two. For example, I wish I could clarify that I encourage authors to hold back from writing main characters from historically marginalized communities if we didn't grow up in those communities. And that I invite us to hold back only to ask tough, self-reflective questions about the reasons to write that story—as all powerful storytellers must when writing about less powerful children—but that I see no hard and fast rule about who can write for whom.

Afterwards, to celebrate that it was all done, LeUyen and I partied with Big Bird, and I schmoozed with the aristocrats of Downton Abbey.

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Excited to be a part of this program tomorrow morning on public radio in the Bay Area. Tune in via the web if you're not local—East Coast time 1 o'clock in the afternoon.

People of Color Underrepresented in Children's Books

Mon, Mar 24, 2014 -- 10:00 AM

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Once again, my Jan Term course at Saint Mary's College of California called "Race, Culture, and Power in Children's Stories" is underway. Here's the first part of my syllabus:

Why are children’s stories so powerful? Who has the right to tell stories about marginalized communities? This course will explore the question of authenticity in storytelling and unmask explicit and implicit messages about race, power, and culture communicated through books for young readers. A secondary course goal is to help students improve their analytical writing.

• Part One: The Subversive Power of Children’s Stories
• Part Two: Race in Children’s Stories
• Part Three: Culture in Children’s Stories
• Part Four: Power in Children’s Books

Alison Lurie, author of Don’t Tell The Grown-ups: The Subversive Power of Children’s Literature makes this argument about how children’s books can affect the common good:

The great subversive works of children's literature suggest that there are other views of human life besides those of the shopping mall and the corporation. They mock current assumptions and express the imaginative, unconventional, noncommercial view of the world in its simplest and purest form. They appeal to the imaginative, questioning, rebellious child within all of us, renew our instinctive energy, and act as a force for change. This is why such literature is worthy of our attention and will endure long after more conventional tales have been forgotten. 

On the flip side, children’s literature has also been a key part of state propaganda used by totalitarian and oppressive governments to impose certain social and moral codes on child readers. As Bruno Bettelheim argued in The Uses of Enchantment, stories told to children powerfully shape their moral world. Children with a well-developed sense of justice and compassionate hearts widened by stories can significantly serve the common good. Storytelling is a powerful act, especially when it involves young hearts and minds. From Uncle Tom's Cabin to Harry Potter, books can either repudiate or encourage stereotypes and injustice.

Students will explore and debate five questions:

(1) BOOK COVERS: Should young adult and middle grade novels depict faces on covers?

(2) BOOK AWARDS: Should ethnic book awards be based on the race/ethnicity of the author/illustrator?

(3) BANNING: Should certain children’s books be banned in homes and classrooms because of racism or cultural stereotyping?

(4) BOWDLERIZATION: Should we “bowdlerize” children’s classics that—seen with today’s eyes—are racist, or let them stand and be read as is?

(5) AUTHENTICITY: Should a story be told only by a cultural “insider” to guarantee authenticity?

This year I'm privileged to introduce my 23 students via Skype to Gene Yuen Yang, award-winning author of BOXERS AND SAINTS, Stacy L. Whitman, editor at TU Books, and Yolanda Leroy, editorial director of Charlesbridge, via Skype.  Since the theme of Jan Term 2014 is "metamorphoses," students will be comparing the "hero's journeys" in two novels for middle grade or young adult readers, and analyze themes of race, culture, and power in each story.

Students debated the question of book covers yesterday, and here are the presentations for your consideration.

THE CASE FOR NO FACES ON COVERS:
THE CASE FOR FACES ON COVERS:

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The packers are boxing up our 12.5 years in the Boston area. Tomorrow's moving day, so it's a good time to post my list of Top Ten "Little" Things To Miss in Boston. Note: friends, neighbors, schools, libraries, indies, sports, publishers, history, architecture, and church are Big Things, and so are not listed. Ready? All additions welcome.

#10: Lilacs in the Spring: I hear some grow in California, but there's something dizzying about lilacs in New England because you've been longing for color and fragrance for months. Below is a variety that bloomed in our garden.

#9 Apple Picking: Apples, too, grow in California, but as my fabulous next-door neighbor says, "Nothing tastes like a New England Macintosh or Macoun. Irreplaceable!" Not to mention the five-senses experience of brilliant foliage in the background and the energizing tang of autumn air.


#8 Our House at Christmas.


#7 Washing Dishes in October.


#6 Sweet Caroline in the 8th Inning.


#5 Indie Ice Cream.

#4 The Accent: Versatility with four-letter words is a "hallmahk," (see below) s(short o)rry.


#3 Insider Town Names: This accompanies #4, but deserves a separate category, don't you think?



#2 Walkability: It's a cozy city, plus from our house I can walk to the Newton Free Library, Whole Foods Market Newtonville, and Newton Presbyterian Church, among other destinations, and bike along the Charles to Harvard University for Saturday morning coffee.

#1 Logan Airport: Close to home thanks to the Big Dig, requiring neither trains nor shuttles to get you to the JetBlue Airways gates at Terminal C, a Dunkin' at departures and one at arrivals, Menino's classic Bostonian voice welcoming all visitors, but best of all, my portal back to my home away from home.

Thank you, Boston. Here we come, San Francisco Bay Area!

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Maybe you've noticed that I haven't been as active on the Fire Escape or on social media lately. Here's why: after 12+ years in beautiful Boston, my husband was offered a new job and we're moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area this summer. We'll be living in the East Bay, close to my parents and near Saint Mary's College of California, where our sons attend and where I've taught a course on children's books for the past two January terms.

It's been a sweet season: we raised our sons here from second grade until the college launch. Our church is my home away from home. As for my writing vocation, the children's literature community here in Boston is nonpareil. I will miss the schools, colleges, and libraries I visit every year. Charlesbridge and Candlewick, two of my publishers, are here. My work has been enriched by New England organizations like the New England Booksellers Association, the Foundation of Children's Books, Primary Source, the New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Grub Street, MSLA, MLA, Boston Author's Club, Associates of the Boston Public Library, and others. My books have launched at excellent independent bookstores like Newtonville Books, Porter Square Books, and Wellesley Bookstore, and supported by stellar libraries, including my very own Newton Free Library. Last but not least, my writing buddies have made this vocation ten times as fun and significantly less lonely. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am sad to lose you all.

For those in the Boston area, my friend Karen Day is hosting a farewell party for me in Newton on May 11 from 3-5. If you're interested in stopping by, drop me an email RSVP and we'll send you the address: mitaliperk-at-yahoo-dot-com. Peace be with you, New England. San Francisco Bay Area, here I come.

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