Many thanks to Jenna Gilles-Turner, who attended the Hubb's Children's Literature Conference this month and submitted this reflection on her experience.
I attended the 26th annual Hubb’s
Children’s Literature Conference at St. Thomas University in Minnesota on February 17. It was by far the most
meaningful literature conference I have been to. The keynote speakers were Matt de la Peña and Nancy Carlson.
Matt de la Peña eloquently spoke about his transition
from boyhood to manhood in a Mexican-American community just north of the
Mexican border. His YA novels study working class boys – the beauty and
blindspots of becoming a man. His speech was full of humor, life, and the power
of reading/books. Books, for him, became the secret place to feel after growing
up in a community of men who were told and shown not to show emotion. Matt also spoke of a writer’s journey. Writing is exploration and evolution. He
finished his key note speech by reading aloud his latest (and one of my
favorites from the past year) picture book, Love.
That in and of itself was worth the journey over to the Cities.
Nancy Carlson spoke mainly about her journey as an
artist into picture book writer. She also spoke about her journey as a wife of
somebody who suffered from and succumbed to an early onset brain degenerative
disease. Personally, her artistic style has never stood out for me and her
books tend to be somewhat didactic. They have their place and I appreciate them
in very specific circumstances. I gained a deeper understanding and joy
regarding her books after her speech. Carlson had slides of individual of books
and book pages, talking us through exactly why she drew what she did. I have recommended her books to families and educators in the
past and will continue to do so with more passion. Her desire to reach and help
children from all backgrounds is inspiring. The main messages from Carlson’s
keynote speech were: Everyone has stories
to tell even if they don’t think they do and Tough times are journeys – books, writing, and art are deeply
beneficial and also personal for both the creator and the user.
The first breakout session I attended was Education
for Social Change with Dr. Artika Tyner. If you’d like to see for
yourself her incredible passion, power, and knowledge, you can watch Dr.
Tyner’s Tedx Talk:
https://everydaypowerblog.com/2016/02/10/education-for-social-change/
. She discussed the inspiration and purpose surrounding her picture book,
Justice Makes a Difference. We
discussed cultural awareness, identity development, leaders as learners, leadership, and legacies. I came away from
her session with renewed inspiration, passion, authenticity, and validation. “A leader is a planter – a planter of ideas, seeds of change, and a
vision for justice,” – Dr. Tyner. We must utilize our social justice lenses in
our schools, libraries, and community centers to make sure everyone feels
welcome, valued, and heard in regards to identity and cultural differences.
The second break-out session was with Marian Hassan, where Hassan and attendees shared stories about the power of global
literacy. She showcased a few of her favorite global literacy-minded books for
preschool elementary aged youth, all of which I am proud to say I have used in
storytime, with my family, and/or we have in our collection. Global literacy is an understanding of how the world is organized and
interconnected and the possibilities and constraints facing its peoples. Global
literacy allows us to think critically about the world and the roles in it. It
helps you be more approachable and open to experiences, make connections, and
be in tuned to what has been and is going on in the world. A powerful
example she shared from her own life was when she worked for school districts
on kindergarten readiness. One of the items on their home visit checklist was
regarding use of utensils. Many families come from cultures where Western
utensils are not used. They may use chopsticks or eat with their hands. The
cultural blindness of our institutions can be stunning. Global literacy at an
early age can help mend these disconnects on individual and global levels.
Labels: children's literature, conferences, continuing education