USF Sarasota-Manatee to host first Children’s Literature Symposium

 

SARASOTA, FL (February 19, 2007) – On Saturday, February 24, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee will be hosting its first Children’s Literature Symposium, entitled “Engaging a Generation of Readers:  Inside Stories from Authors.”

 

The event, to be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Selby Auditorium on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, will be a venue for teachers, librarians, parents and college students to discuss strategies for selecting and utilizing works of fiction that will stimulate the next generation of readers.  The campus is located on North Tamiami Trail (US 41) across from the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

 

“Children’s literature has a richness which helps children become literate, learn about the world and nurture imaginations,” said Nancy Allen, Associate Librarian.  “For this symposium, we have identified a children’s literature scholar and respected authors who write in the various genres of children’s literature to foster discussion on engaging a generation of readers.”

 

Panelists and topics for the event include:

 

• Keynote Speaker Cora P. Dunkley—Topic: When You Include Everybody, It's a Wonderful World.  Dr. Dunkley is an Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Science at USF, where she teaches storytelling, children’s, young adult and multicultural literature.

• Lois Duncan— Topic: Plotting Books that Grab and Hold the Attention of Young Readers.  Ms. Duncan is the author of 48 books, ranging from children’s picture books to adult novels, but is best known for her young adult suspense novels, which have received Young Readers Awards in 16 states and three foreign countries.

• Artist Frank Remkiewicz— Topic: Illustrating and Designing for Young Readers.  Mr. Remkiewicz has illustrated more than 60 children’s books and has drawn many characters in his career.  He is also the author of “There’s Only One Harris” and “The Last Time I Saw Harris.”

• Brenda Seabrooke— Topic: History, Horror and Humor:  Writing Books to Entice Students to a Life of Reading, Writing, and Thinking.  Ms. Seabrooke has written children’s books, often about places in which she has lived, in which her children Kevin and Kerria are characters.

• Linda McElhiney Shute— Topic: Connecting to Other Cultures:  Researching, Retelling, and Illustrating Folk Tales.  Ms. McElhiney Shute recently taught children’s book illustration at Ringling School of Art and Design.  She received her degree in art from Florida State University.

• Linda Trice— Topic: Inspiring Young Readers through Picture Books.  Dr. Trice taught writing and Black Studies at Trinity College in Connecticut, the graduate program of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and the City University of New York.  She was a Fellow at numerous writers colonies, is listed in Poets and Writers’ Dictionary of American Poets and Fiction Writers and is a full member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the National League of American Pen Women.

 

“We are excited about the opportunity to invite so many excellent speakers to our campus and hope to make this an annual event,” Allen said.

 

Attendance at the event may qualify teachers for “in service” points and a Certificate of Attendance will be issued.  Teachers will need to check with their schools or programs to determine eligibility.  The cost for the event is $50 for the public and $10 for students, and includes lunch from Einstein’s Bros. Bagels.

 

For more information about the Children’s Literature Symposium or to register for the event, please contact Anne Dobson at (941) 359-4268 or adobson@sar.usf.edu.

 

USF Sarasota-Manatee is an upper-level campus for those with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit. The regional campus offers the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown campus, including classes in south Sarasota County at Manatee Community College Venice.