Wordstock Festival 2011: Full Schedule

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1:00pm

It's a Small World

What are the unique challenges in presenting another culture to children? Our panelists will discuss how they approach their unique subjects when writing for young readers.

Speakers

Carmen Bernier-Grand

Carmen T. Bernier-Grand is the author of nine books for children and young adults. CESAR: YES, WE CAN!, ¡SÍ, SE PUEDE! and DIEGO: BIGGER THAN LIFE have been Oregon Book Award finalists. Those biographies and FRIDA: ¡VIVA LA VIDA! LONG LIVE LIFE have received Pura Belpré Author Honor Awards. In 2008, the Oregon Library Association‘s Children‘s Division gave her the Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award for her significant contributions to the children of Oregon in...
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Lynn Connor

Lynn Connor’s THE STONES AND THE POET grew out of her childhood curiosity about Asia and the limited creative nonfiction available for children.

Dana Plautz

Dana Plautz Dana Plautz is co-creator & co-president of the award-winning children’s website MrsP.com. The website endeavors to expose young people to great books and stories through a celebrity storyteller and to spark their imaginations and creativity with online games and writing contests. She began her career working for producer Norman Lear, creating new markets for entertainment properties. She later worked as a worldwide marketing executive for Hanna-Barbera Studios. She also...
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Saturday October 8, 2011 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Knowledge Universe Children's Stage (Oregon Convention Center)

Knowledge Universe Children's Stage, Conversation

Tags coversation, Children's books, International

4:00pm

The Murky Ground of Middle Grade Books

What defines a “middle grade” book? Our panelists will discuss this murky genre, and explore what sets it apart from other literature.

Speakers

Jonathan Auxier

Jonathan Auxier earned an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University. Since graduation, he has worked across a variety of writing mediums, including plays, film, television, comics and fiction. His debut novel, PETER NIMBLE & HIS FANTASTIC EYES, was published this fall by Abrams Books and Penguin Canada. Auxier also created and runs TheScop.com, a website dedicated to exploring the connections between children‘s books old and new. He lives outside Los Angeles with his wife...
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Adam Jay Epstein

Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson have been writing for film and television together since they met in a parking lot out in Los Angeles. Their film and TV credits include NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE and extensive work with MTV. They are currently scripting an original superhero movie for Sam Raimi at Disney. Raimi will be the producer for THE FAMILIARS movie, optioned by Sony. In an exciting recent development, Doug Sweetland, the Academy Award–nominated director, has come to Sony from...
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Andrew Jacobson

Maile Meloy

Maile Meloy is a contributor to The New Yorker and an accomplished author of novels for adults. Meloy’s BOTH WAYS IS THE WAY I WANT IT was selected as one of The New York Times Book Review’s Ten Best Books of 2009. In a starred review, Booklist called Meloy’s A FAMILY DAUGHTER “riveting and engrossing.” THE APOTHECARY is Meloy’s children’s literature debut. Book site: www.theapothecarybook.com

Lisa Schroeder

Lisa Schroeder writes for both the middle grade and young adult set. Her middle grade titles include IT’S RAINING CUPCAKES and SPRINKLES AND SECRETS, both published with Aladdin. Her young adult titles include I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME; FAR FROM YOU; CHASING BROOKLYN and THE DAY BEFORE, all with Simon Pulse. Lisa lives with her family in Beaverton, Oregon. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisaschroederbooks

Saturday October 8, 2011 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Knowledge Universe Children's Stage (Oregon Convention Center)

Knowledge Universe Children's Stage, Conversation

Tags coversation, middle grade books

2:00pm

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

We talk to illustrators to explore the challenges of bringing a children's story to life.

Speakers

Marla Frazee

Marla Frazee was awarded a Caldecott Honor for ALL THE WORLD, written by Liz Garton Scanlon, and for A COUPLE OF BOYS HAVE THE BEST WEEK EVE, which she also wrote. She is the author-illustrator of ROLLER COASTER, WALK ON!, SANTA CLAUS THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE TOY EXPERT and THE BOSS BABY, as well as the illustrator of many other books including THE SEVEN SILLY EATERS, the New York Times best-selling Clementine series, and her newest picture book STARS, by Mary Lyn Ray. She lives in...
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Julie Paschkis

Julie Paschkis is a painter and an award winning illustrator of more than 15 books for children. These picture books include folk tales, poetry, and biography. She has also been exhibiting her paintings for 20 years. In those years she has experimented with different media and techniques all connected by a thread of underlying story and surface beauty. Paschkis recently illustrated the book PABLO NERUDA: POET OF THE PEOPLE by Monica Brown. For this book she learned Spanish in order to...
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Brie Spangler

Nancy Tillman

Nancy Tillman is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling picture books ON THE NIGHT YOU WERE BORN and WHEREVER YOU ARE MY LOVE WILL FIND YOU, as well as THE WONDER OF YOU, THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS, TUMFORD THE TERRIBLE, and THE CROWN ON YOUR HEAD. She also illustrated IT’S TIME TO SLEEP, MY LOVE, by Eric Metaxas. Her mission in creating her books is to convey to children everywhere that they are loved. Tillman lives in Portland.

Sunday October 9, 2011 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Knowledge Universe Children's Stage (Oregon Convention Center)

Knowledge Universe Children's Stage, Conversation

Tags Conversation, illustrating

5:00pm

Nitpicky Kids

Kids are picky about everything. Our panelists will discuss both the perks and the unique challenges of writing for children.

Speakers

Doreen Cronin

I was raised in a very busy house with two brothers and a younger sister. It was loud, it was slightly chaotic, and it was wonderful! I studied journalism in college, worked in educational publishing for a few years and then went off to law school. CLICK CLACK MOO: COWS THAT TYPE was published in my third year as an attorney. It was my last year as a attorney! I live in Brooklyn with my two daughters and Buster, our dog.

Steven Engelfried

Steven Engelfried is the Youth Services Librarian at the Wilsonville Public Library. He has been a librarian for 25 years and has just started his term as Chair of the 2013 Newbery Medal Committee. He blogs about storytelling with puppets and props at http://btbstorytimes.blogspot.com/.

Judy Sierra

Judy Sierra has been entertaining children since she herself was a child writing comic books, which she sold door-to-door, and putting on puppet shows for her neighbors. She has held many jobs, including children’s librarian, puppeteer on children’s television, and professor of folklore and children’s literature. Of her many books for children, five have been named American Library Association Notable Books, two have received the Aesop Prize from the American Folklore Society, and...
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