Charlotte Zolotow, Great Children's Author and Editor, Dies at 98

Charlotte Zolotow, the author of seminal children's books like William's Doll, I Know a Lady, and The Angry Book has died. Her books profoundly influenced my parenting and my teaching. Ms. Zolotow was also the editor of many of the top children's authors including Paul Zindel, Paul Fleischman, Robert Lipsyte and Francesca Lia Block. The New York Times obituary today described her books as "cleareyed explorations of the interior landscape of childhood." 

For a time her book William's Doll, was my son's favorite and we read it night after night. The book resonated for him and for me as a reminder that we do not always need to fill the roles that society has prescribed for us. A book she edited, An Overpraised Season, a collection of great short stories aimed at adolescents, was a key text when I was teaching adolescent literature.

In tribute and celebration of this wonderful writer lets make sure her books stay alive. If you are a parent, read a Charlotte Zolotow book aloud to your children. If you are a teacher read one of her books to your class this week. This action would be a good reminder that the most uncommon core function of reading is emotional connection and human understanding.

There's a Giant in My Classroom is Published!

I am pleased to announce that my new book of poetry, There's a Giant in My Classroom and other poems from around school, has just been published by Infinity Press. The book is a collection of sometimes funny, sometimes silly, sometimes serious and often disgusting poems aimed at children ages 6 to 12 and the adults who know them. The poems were inspired by the real children I got to know while teaching in schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In the book readers will meet the bouncy Becky, who loves to hop down hallways, brainiac Marty, who always has the answer, and the kid who has the messiest desk in the history of messy desks. Anyone who has ever eaten in a school cafeteria will be able to relate to the poem, "On Friday We Get Pizza." The book is available from amazon.com and from buybooksontheweb.com. If you visit my previous post on "The Test" you can sample one of the poems from the book. I hope you enjoy.

Celebrate Maurice Sendak

As I am sure you have heard by now, the great children's author, Maurice Sendak died yesterday. Sendak's greatest legacy is that he did not underestimate children. He trusted his readers to understand his highly imaginative often dark works - and of course they did. I had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Sendak thirty years ago at a conference at Rider University. Even then he was quirky. He refused to give a speech, but agreed only to be interviewed by a staff member from the University. He was, as he always was, intelligent, irascible, passionate and unforgettable.

I suggest two ways to celebrate Sendak's life: 1) read one of his books to a child and 2) view this absolutely wonderful interview with Stephen Colbert by following this link.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/05/maurice-sendak-notable-quotes-from-his-stephen-colbert-interview.html