Session Descriptions

2012 CHILDREN'S LITERATURE CONFERENCE SESSIONS

Session 1: (8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.)

Presented By: Eric Rohmann

Session Title: “The Language of Pictures”

Session Content: Join Caldecott medalist Eric Rohmann in a fast-paced PowerPoint presentation detailing the ways children not only see, but use pictures as language. Come and discover how the combination of pictures and words create a book that taps directly into the young reader’s imagination.

Audience: All Attendees

Session 2: (9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.)

Presented By: Dr. Fred Bortz

Session Title: “A Career in Nonfiction: From Catastrophe to Meltdown (with an Alien Encounter Along the Way)”

Session Content: In the immediate aftermath of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and triple nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, scientist/author Dr. Fred Bortz realized that he was uniquely positioned to write a book for young readers about that disaster and how it would affect their lives. In this session, “Dr. Fred” will present both the book and the story of how he and his publisher fast-tracked it so that it rolled off the presses barely nine months after the event.

Audience: Educators, Librarians, and Writers

Presented By: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh & Delaware County Library System Youth Services

Session Title: “Advocacy: Promoting and Supporting Library Services for Children in Today’s World of Technology”

Session Content: Youth Services Coordinators Georgene DeFilippo (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh) and Margie Stern (Delaware County Library System) present this session about library advocacy. In today’s competitive environment, where technology has become so commonplace, where do school and public libraries belong? How can we keep our libraries’ goals and missions meaningful and provide our patrons with the services they need to meet new technologies? With the world changing around us how do we communicate to our public, our patrons, our students and parents that the library still has a dynamic role in the ever growing world of technology? Participants will learn about the importance of library advocacy in today’s competitive information environment, how to develop and present a one-minute elevator speech, and identify community partners that have a similar focus.

Audience: Educators, Librarians, and Supporters of School and Public Libraries

Presented By: Mike Colligan

Session Title: “Hidden Lessons and Appreciation of Dr. Seuss”

Session Content: Mike Colligan, Sto-Rox Elementary School Librarian, presents a journey through the imprint that Dr. Seuss and his literary works have left on our society. Many educators, parents, and readers of Dr. Seuss love his books because he uses “funny” words and has a talent for rhyming. But how many Dr. Seuss books have you REALLY read? This session will focus on an appreciation for Dr. Seuss’s impact on children’s literature, as well as the hidden meanings behind some of his literary works. Come and discover a part of the world of Dr. Seuss that few readers truly understand.

Audience: Educators and Librarians

Presented By: Carrie Kennedy

Session Title: “Marvelous Myths and Their Meaning”

Session Content: Local educator Carrie Zuberbuhler Kennedy, M.Ed., author of Panorama: An Introduction to Classical Mythology, will offer a dynamic, visual presentation on the interdisciplinary subject of mythology and show how easily the subject can be incorporated into meaningful curriculum. While classical myths go back thousands of years to ancient Greece, references to the pantheon and other mythological characters are still relevant in modern times. From the names of the planets and months, to common vocabulary words, allusions in literature, art, scientific terms, and well-known logos – mythology remains at the core of western cultural literacy. And the best part about it is that educators, librarians, and parents can teach important material through mythology because the rich subject holds children’s attention and engages their imagination. For more information about Carrie, visit http://www.clewpublishing.com

Audience: Librarians, Writers, and Educators, especially those working with students in grades 3-12.

Presented By: Dr. Sandra Reidmiller

Session Title: “Using Puppets in Grades K-12 to Increase Student Achievement”

Session Content: Dr. Sandra Reidmiller, former school librarian and current Assistant Professor of Education at St. Vincent College, presents this session about the use of puppets in the K-12 classroom. Some of the newest research on how students learn indicates that incorporating puppetry into the content area classroom can promote student achievement, increase motivation and attendance, and engage students to learn in any content area or grade level.

Audience: Educators and Librarians

Session 3: (11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.)

Presented By: Candace Fleming

Session Title: “Bring ‘Em Back Alive: Writing Biography for Children”

Session Content: What does it take to write a biography kids will love? In this fun and fascinating PowerPoint presentation, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Candace Fleming shares her research and writing process as she tries to “bring ‘em back alive.” Participants will not only learn about the special editing and design considerations that go into creating her signature “scrapbook biographies,” but they get a view of what she calls her “adventures in research,” uncovering forgotten historic documents in a New York attic, attending a memorial service for a former First Lady, and learning to walk a tightrope.

Audience: All Attendees

Session 4: (1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m.)

Presented By: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh BLAST School Outreach

Session Title: “Amping Up Your School-Age Programs”

Session Content: Bonny Yeager and Amy Tooley, BLAST School Outreach Specialists with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, present their most successful and dynamic read-aloud programs for school-age children. “Are we going to do something fun today?” If you work with school-age kids, you’ve probably heard this more than once. After grabbing some ideas from the BLAST (Bringing Libraries and Schools Together) School Outreach staff, you will be able to confidently answer this question with an emphatic, “YES!” BLAST is in its 9th year of bringing dynamic, multicultural read-aloud programs into the Pittsburgh Public School K-5th grade classrooms. In this workshop, you will get a look at the K-5 Thematic and Third Grade Read Aloud programs that were most successful in exciting and engaging our readers. These ready-to-use ideas are sure to “amp up” the reading fun for you and your kids.

Audience: Librarians and Educators, especially those working with school-age children

Presented By: Jeff Kuntz

Session Title: “Integrating Music Across the Curriculum”

Session Content: This workshop presented by Jeff Kuntz, 5th grade teacher at the Punxsutawney Area Middle School, will examine the research behind using music across the curriculum, look at the commercially produced materials that are available, look at using mainstream music in the classroom, and show the power of helping students become songwriters. The workshop will target PA Standards in all subjects, especially LA 1.4 and 1.5. Ideas garnered in this workshop will help teachers prepare for state testing in a new and unusual way. An extensive teacher resource packet will be provided.

Audience: Educators, Grades K-12

Presented By: Dr. Sara Lindey

Session Title: “Children’s Literature and Cultural Conceptions of the Child from 1600 to 1900”

Session Content: Childhood is not an eternal state of being but a cultural category of personhood shaped by social mores and historical experience. In this session Dr. Sara Lindey, Assistant Professor of English at St Vincent College, will provide brief overviews of contemporary scholarship regarding four distinct visions of English and American childhood and their corresponding literatures from 1600 to 1900. She will also provide examples of children’s literature from each of these areas to concretize the cultural values discussed.

Audience: Librarians, Educators, Scholars and Historians

Presented By: Lindsay Schaffer

Session Title: “Book Shelves for All Ages”

Session Content: Lindsay Schaffer, Ringgold Middle School Librarian, offers lists of great books for readers of all types and ages. From classics to graphic novels, come and check out what could be your students’ new favorite book. Also we will look at a few resources that you can use in your classrooms to help build your collection.

Audience: Librarians and Educators

Presented By: WPA SCBWI (Pat Easton and Marcy Canterna)

Session Title: “Introducing the SCBWI Class of 2011-2012”

Session Content: Most children think that authors only live in New York or California. Pennsylvania has a wealth of talented authors and illustrators, and we want to share their newest books with you. We will discuss each recently published book, and we will talk about the story, the author, and the illustrator. Then, we will share some suggestions of ways to include the stories in your classroom, at a variety of grade levels and in many curricular areas.

Audience: Librarians, Educators, Writers

Session 5: (2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.)

Presented By: Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann

Session Title: “Together and Apart: the Collaborative Process of Creating a Picture Book”

Session Content: Join author-illustrator team Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann in a sneak peek, behind-the-scenes look at their first project together, the picture book Oh, No! It’s rare for an author and illustrator to communicate with each other. So how do two experienced artists, who have worked on many projects individually, figure out how to tackle a project together? Especially when they’re learning to live and work in partnership? They bring differing opinions, talents, and tastes to the project – how does this affect the finished book? Sit back and enjoy the PowerPoint-illustrated process as Candace and Eric lead you through their journey of discovery with energy, humor, and candor.

Audience: All Attendees