New Ambassador for Children’s Books Unveiled
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 5/31/2007 12:03:00 PM
The United States is about to have its own children’s book laureate. The Library of Congress (LOC), through its Center for the Book, and the Children’s Book Council (CBC) have created the post of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, a two-year appointment that will be awarded to an author or illustrator of children’s or young adult books to promote “literacy, education, and related issues,” says Robin Adelson, CBC’s executive director.
Although the position is open to non-U.S. citizens, “its’ reasonably likely” that the first ambassador will be an American “because there’s such tremendous talent here,” says Adelson, adding that the ambassador should live in this country in order to carry out the mandatory speaking and travel engagements. The name of the first ambassador will be announced in January 2008 by James Billington, the librarian of Congress, and the position will come with a yet-to-be-disclosed stipend. Modeled after the U.K.’s children’s laureate, America’s national ambassador will choose a platform that emphasizes reading and education. Jacqueline Wilson, Britain’s current children’s laureate, for example, has used her tenure to promote the importance of reading aloud to kids, Adelson says. CBC and the Center for the Book are in the process of putting together a selection committee comprised of librarians, teachers, authors, and booksellers to help select an ambassador. Adelson and John Cole, director of the Center for the Book, will oversee the committee. The new position will be announced at New York City’s Book Expo America this Saturday.
