News

Special lectures by editor from Clarion Books

Registration is now open for Portland State University’s Pacific Northwest Children’s Book Conference for writers and illustrators, which will be held on the campus of Reed College, July 9-13, 2007.

Now in its eighth year, the Children’s Book Conference presents an exciting week of lectures, panels, faculty-led workshops and critique sessions. Linda Zuckerman, director of the conference, has brought together another excellent group of instructors, authors and illustrators. Special guest Marcia Leonard, editor at Clarion Books, a New York publishing house, will be giving several insightful talks about the current publishing scene.

“The entire faculty is available throughout the day for conversations and the exchange of ideas,” said Zuckerman. “Last year many students commented that the chance to make these connections in an informal setting was one of the best things about the conference.”

Conference participants will explore topics such as plot, picture book structure and development, fiction techniques to enliven nonfiction, writing for the educational market, poetry, writing young adult fiction and dealing with writer’s block. Several concurrent sessions will be offered, including workshops for those relatively new to the field and others with more experience.

Illustrators will also have the opportunity to work on developing characterization, setting composition and to visually interpret a brief text provided by the conference writers. This year’s distinguished faculty includes Margaret Bechard, Susan Blackaby, Susan Fletcher, Marla Frazee, Kirby Larson (winner of a 2007 Newbery Honor), Ann Whitford Paul, Susan Goldman Rubin, Elsa Warnick, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Allen Burke and Linda Zuckerman.

Housing and meals will be available on Reed College campus to allow more opportunities for networking and ongoing discussion with faculty and fellow students. Tuition ranges $625-$1,225 for the week, depending upon residency and credit options. Individual manuscript and portfolio reviews are available for an additional fee and university credit is available through Portland State. Enrollment is limited to 60 spots.

For more information, to request a brochure, or to register contact Portland State University Extended Studies at 503-725-4832. For complete conference information please go to www.ceed.pdx.edu/children.

Children’s Book Conference Faculty
Marcia Leonard is an editor for Clarion Books in New York City. She began her publishing career at Cricket magazine and has worked as a consultant, project manager, packager, editor, publicist, and illustrator’s representative—all in the field of children’s literature. She is the author of 98 books for children.

Margaret Bechard is the author of eight middle-grade and young adult novels, including My Mom Married the Principal, If It Doesn't Kill You, Hanging On to Max and Spacer and Rat. Her books have been selected for such honors as School Library Journal's Best Book of the Year, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, the Junior Library Guild Selection and have been nominated for several state children’s choice awards. She is on the faculty of the Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children at Vermont College.

Susan Blackaby has worked in educational publishing for over 25 years. She has written dozens of leveled readers, and her first picture book, Rembrandt’s Hat, was published in 2002. Blackaby writes for the little kid in the back row who is about to put their head on the desk.

Susan Fletcher is the author of eight novels for young readers, including The Dragon Chronicles Series, Alphabet of Dreams and Shadow Spinner. Her first picture book, Dadblamed Union Army Cow, will be published this summer. Among the honors her books have received are: American Library Association Notable Books for Young Readers, American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon, School Library Journal Best Books, Finalist, Western Writers of America Spur Award and an Oregon Book Award. She was the recipient of the Willamette Writers’ Distinguished Writer Award in 2003. Susan has taught in the M.F.A. in Writing for Children program at Vermont College.

Marla Frazee is the author-illustrator of Roller Coaster, Santa Claus the World's Number One Toy Expert, Walk On! A Guide for Babies of All Ages and is the illustrator of many other award-winning picture books, including The Seven Silly Eaters, Hush Little Baby and Everywhere Babies. She teaches children's book illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif.

Kirby Larson went from history-phobe to history fanatic thanks to a snippet of a story about her great-grandmother who homesteaded in eastern Montana. That bit of family lore inspired her to write Hattie Big Sky, a young adult historical novel, which has been honored as a Junior Library Guild selection, a Borders Original Voices title, a Barnes & Noble Teen Discover title, as well as a School Library Journal Best Book and a Book Links Lasting Connections. This year it was cited as a Newbery Honor book. Her other titles include The Magic Kerchief, an award-winning picture book and several chapter books. She is on the faculty of the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA program.

Ann Whitford Paul writes picture books, early-readers and poetry. She has published 12 books, including the award-winning titles, Mañana, Iguana, Little Monkey Says Good Night and The Seasons Sewn: A Year in Patchwork. Her most recent book is Fiesta Fiasco. She teaches writing at UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.

Susan Goldman Rubin has published more than 40 books for young people, such as The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin Side by Side and Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and The Children of Terezin. Susan's most recent books include Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter, The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin and Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow. Susan has been an instructor for the UCLA Extension Writers' Program for 20 years.

Elizabeth Taylor and Barbara Allen Burke are the co-owners of Past Perfect, a lifestory writing business. Through their company, they privately published Half Past Perfect: Writing Simple, Personal Stories to “Re-Story” Your Life and its companion notebook, Story Starters. Elizabeth is also the author of three novels: Julie In-Between, Fat Moon Dance and Beach Kids in Oceans of Trouble.

Elsa Warnick exhibited her work in galleries for years before turning to illustration. Recently she illustrated the award-winning Song for the Whooping Crane by Eileen Spinelli. Elsa’s own book, Bedtime, was a Children’s Book-of- the-Month Club Main Selection. Her latest book is Hugs on the Wind by Marsha Diane Arnold and Vernise Elaine Pelzel. Elsa currently teaches children’s book illustration at Portland Community College.

Linda Zuckerman has been a children’s book editor for nearly 40 years and has held executive editorial positions at Viking, HarperCollins and Harcourt. She is the editor of three books that were awarded the Caldecott Medal and two that received Newbery Honor citations. Linda’s first book, I Will Hold You ‘Til You Sleep, published in 2006, was illustrated by Jon J. Muth; her novel for middle grade readers, A Taste for Rabbit, is scheduled for fall 2007. She has been the director of the Pacific Northwest Children’s Book Conference since its inception in 2000.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#07-062)

Source: Nancy Eichsteadt (503-725-5577)
PSU Graduate School of Education