30th Annual Children's Literature Conference Shenandoah University

Author Name: Jeff Ridgeway
Library System: Washington County Free Library

Top 3 things learned: 
I met and talked with 4 Newbery Medal Winners (Kwame
Alexander, Patricia MacLachlan, Karen Cushman, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor) , 1
Pura Belpre' winner (Meg Medina), 2 Newbery Honor winner (Steve Sheinkin,
Tanya Lee Stone), this year's Margaret Edwards award winner (Sharon Draper),
several Caldecott Honorees (Aaron Reynolds, Peter Brown, Mac Barnett, Raul
Colon) and other published children's authors. I learned from them about
their backgrounds, their passion for children's literature, how they found
what to write about, how a book goes from being an idea into being a tangible
thing, how the artists produced their picture books, and why we should make
read aloud sessions and readers' advisory skills primary facets of children's
library services. I also learned several teaching strategies that enable
kids to express how they feel and interpret children's stories. I attended a
session entitled "Best Bets for the Classroom" that gave me lists of books to
consider for collection development. I also attended a session facilitated
by the Handley Public Library to see what that library was offering children
this summer in their Summer Reading Club.

How to implement: 
Implementing what I learned involves using the books
written and illustrated by the authors/illustrators who were featured at the
conference and attempting to transfer their enthusiasm and knowledge about
their topics into my story times and in working with parents. I will also be
checking our shelf lists to see which of the authors' books we have that are
available for checkout. I am thinking about how I can create a read aloud
session for older children that will resonate with them beyond the actual
story reading time. I am planning on writing a paper to be submitted for a
grade and would like to use the research for a library program.

Additional learning: 
A conference of this type goes far beyond tangible
benefits--the authors presentations were wonderful in that they were able to
convey a sense of themselves to the audience to the extent that we could see
why they became authors/illustrators and why they became so fascinated with
the things that they wrote/ illustrated. I was also able to network with
other professionals who love books and reading as much as I do. It gave me a
sense that there is a community of readers who appreciate children's books
and who want to do what they can to communicate that excitement to their
students/ public.