Number 22
September 2012
IIn preparation for M. T. Anderson’s visit on October 5, the
Arne Nixon Center is teaming up with Fresno State’s
Department of English and the San Joaquin Valley Writ-ing
Project to offer a writing symposium for teachers and
credential students focused on dystopian literature.
“Obsessions with Dystopia:
Writing the Future” will be
held Saturday, September 22,
at Fresno State. The Hunger
Games, The Giver, 1984, and
other new and classic novels
will be discussed. Topics for
consideration include gen-der,
environmentalism, and
colonialism in the genre.
The morning session will
feature a talk by science fiction author and Fresno State
faculty member Howard Hendrix entitled “Happy Talk
From Hell’s Mouth: Media Content and Dystopian Dis-content
in Recent and Classic Science Fiction.” Hendrix is
the author of six published novels including Spears of
God and The Labyrinth Key.
Attendees can choose one of three afternoon work-shops
aimed at different grade levels. These group sessions
will provide hands-on activities to encourage critical
thinking and to promote effective writing skills. The use
of library resources, including those located in the Arne
Nixon Center, will be addressed in the workshops.
“Obsessions with Dystopia” is the first of three sym-posia
to help educate teachers and credential students on
current topics in children’s and young adult literature and
to aid them in their efforts to improve student writing.
The other symposia are “Embracing Diversity: The Ques-tion
of Bullying” (January 26, 2013) and “New Perspectives
Through Illustration and Visual Literacy” (May 11, 2013).
All three symposia may be taken together for one unit
of college credit through Fresno State’s Continuing and
Global Education division or taken on an individual basis.
“Obsessions with Dystopia:
Writing the Future”
TThe public is invited to a talk by award-winning author
M. T. Anderson. Anderson will speak at the Arne Nixon
Center Advocates’ (ANCA) annual meeting on Friday,
October 5, at the Woodward Park Branch Library, 944
East Perrin Avenue, in northeast Fresno. A catered
reception for the author will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the
talk to follow at 7:00 p.m.
Anderson has written many books for young people,
including picture books for children, series books for
middle grade readers, and novels for teens and adults. His
science fiction satire, Feed, was a finalist for the National
Book Award and the winner of the L.A. Times Book Prize.
Set in a futuristic dystopian society where consumers
receive internet advertising and entertainment program-ming
wired directly into their brains, Feed provides a
thought-provoking look at a consumer society where
addled minds and inarticulate tongues are the norm.
Anderson also received accolades for his two-part
historical fiction series, “The Astonishing Life of Octavian
Nothing, Traitor to the Nation.” Volume one, The Pox
Party, won the National Book Award and The Boston
Globe–Horn Book Award. That volume and the second,
The Kingdom on the Waves, were Printz Honor Books.
ANCA supports the work of the Center, including its
many projects, events, and exhibits through its fund-raising
efforts. ANCA President, Denise Sciandra, will
preside over a brief business meeting before the talk. If you
would like to become an ANCA member, please complete
and mail in the form on page 7 of this newsletter or see an
electronic membership form at www.arnenixoncenter.org/
help/helpform.shtml.
Anderson’s books will be avail-able
for purchase and signing at
the meeting. Parking for the event
is free. There is no charge for
admission, but reservations are
required by calling 559.278.8116
or by addressing email to jcrow@
csufresno.edu by October 1.
M. T. Anderson to speak
THE
(See Dystopia, next page)
Tales & Tidbits
from ANCA
(Arne Nixon Center Advocates)
by Denise Sciandra, ANCA President
ow I would love to have my collection of Little Golden
Books from the 1950s. I fondly remember my sister and I
choosing a book during the weekly grocery shopping.
Favorites that are still etched in my memory are The
Shy Little Kitten; The Color Kittens (I loved the illus-trations);
Doctor Dan, the Bandage Man (that came with
a real Band Aid); The Five Little Firemen; The Little Red
Caboose; and The Seven Little Postmen.
Margaret Wise Brown, best known for Goodnight Moon
and Runaway Bunny, also wrote a number of Little
Golden Books including The Color Kittens, The Five
Firemen, and The Seven Little Postmen. The latter was
illustrated by Edith Thacher Hurd, an author and
illustrator in her own right, but probably best known as
the wife of Clement Hurd, illustrator of Goodnight Moon
and Runaway Bunny, and the mother of Thacher Hurd,
all three of whom have strong connections to Arne Nixon.
Happily, many Little Golden Books have been
reproduced and I have introduced some to my grandson,
Sam, who is now three. His reaction to The Seven Little
Postmen has added a dimension to our relationship.
The Seven Little Postmen is a simple story about a
little boy who writes a letter to his grandmother. He seals
the letter with red sealing wax which makes the letter
easy to follow as it goes through the hands of the seven
postmen until it eventually reaches a lonely grandmother
who is very happy to receive that letter.
Following numerous readings of this story, 2½ year old
Sam said to his mother, “I want to write a letter to
Grandma.” Since I was still visiting, his mother put him
off by saying, “Let’s wait until Grandma goes home.” Two
days after I had gone, Sam insistently said to his mother,
“I want to write a letter to Grandma.” So, she got out the
materials, including a red crayon to make a mark of
sealing wax on the envelope.
Sam was so excited to tell me about the letter that he
couldn’t wait for it to be delivered. By phone, he said,
“Grandma, I sent you a letter! I put a stamp on it! I put the
letter in the envelope! I dropped the letter in the mailbox!”
He even printed his name with help from his mother.
That letter is prized by me. It hangs in the kitchen
where I see it and smile. Our correspondence continues.
We both now have red sealing wax with a “D” stamp for
me and an “S” for Sam.
Those Little Golden Books are gems. And what a dif-ference
The Seven Little Postmen made for Sam and me.
Student success showcase
he Day I Became Mexicanized, Grandparents, and
Sammie Wears a Skirt are three of the picture books
created by Fresno State undergraduate students in Assis-tant
Professor Laura Alamillo’s spring 2012 Children’s
Literature class. The class studied various genres in chil-dren’s
literature throughout the semester, including real
issues, fantasy, and informational books. Part of their final
assignment was to present a book that fit into a genre that
had been discussed in class. They were also to explore a
theme not generally addressed in children’s literature.
In collaboration with the Department of Literacy and
Early Education, the Center offered to showcase the
students’ work in both physical and virtual formats. The
original picture books can be viewed through September 7
in the Shirley Brinker Gallery exhibit cases just outside
the Center. Visit our website at www.arnenixoncenter.
org/exhibits/student_showcase.shtml to see the picture
books as digital flipbooks.
The Day I Became Mexicanized, by Paula Perez, tells
of a girl who discovers her family’s Latino heritage when
her father returns home. Speaking in Spanish, he shows
her how to cook traditional Mexican dishes. Using water-color
illustrations in Grandparents, Korena Mikel Tuel
addresses a child’s questions about her step-grandparents.
Her parents’ memorable answers reinforce the mutual love
of these special relationships. Kristen Livanis’ Sammie
Wears a Skirt is about a transgender child’s search for
acceptance and how, with her sister’s help, she becomes
empowered as she declares her true identity.
These are just a few of the books highlighted in the
exhibit. We hope you will drop in and take a look at more
of these creative assignments.
Dystopia, from page 1
H
T
Full series with credit: $50 (plus CGE $75 fee). Full series
without credit: $50. Single session: $20. Box lunch included.
Registration deadline is September 17. The first 40
registrants will receive a copy of Anderson’s novel Feed.
For more information and registration forms, please
visit http://sjvwp.org/open-programs/ or send email to
Kathee Godfrey at kgodfrey@csufresno.edu.
Postage Stamp
Illustrations in this issue were done by Jeanette Winter
for Ann Paul’s Eight Hands Round (story on page 7)
2
by Jennifer Crow
CORNER
CURATOR’S
orking in the Arne Nixon Center the past 11+
years has taught me a lot. I began working here in
April 2001, just two weeks before the Center’s grand
opening. Newbery winner Karen Cushman was
scheduled to speak and we were expecting a crowd
of more than 200 people. I was quite nervous. I had
never handled an event like this at the Fresno County Public Library where I
had worked the previous 12 years. My work there consisted of answering
reference questions, performing weekly storytimes, recommending books, and
performing the administrative duties that come with running a small branch.
Thanks to Angelica Carpenter’s amazing ability to plan and execute events
and my enthusiasm for my new job, the opening was a tremendous success.
Under Angelica’s direction, I continued to learn how to put on events and ex-hibits
while maintaining the daily operations of the Center. We went on to offer
numerous presentations, conferences, and exhibitions, as well as to build the
collection through generous donations as our book budget continued to shrink.
While I have been engrossed in the Center since my first day of work, the
idea that took me the longest to grasp was, exactly what is the Arne Nixon
Center? It may sound like a strange question, but I had come from the public
library where I was used to checking out books and working directly with
children, parents, and teachers. So the thought that kept arising was, what does
it mean to be a special collection of children’s books on a college campus?
For the answer, I returned to Arne Nixon’s original wish. Arne envisioned a
world-class collection, a resource for scholarship, a place of inclusion. He had
faith that greater insight would help to bring about a more enlightened world
for all. He hoped that, with the right books in hand, teachers could help young
people hold on to their natural curiosity and wonder. He knew that children’s
literature could widen a child’s world of understanding and also wrap them in
a sense of belonging.
Over the years I also realized how important the Arne Nixon Center is as an
archive, a record that reflects our culture at any given time. We can observe
the people we have been, the attitudes we have held, the places we have
traveled, the clothes we have worn, and the foods we have eaten. We can hear
the voices of those who were included in the conversations and decisions of
the times and note the silence of those who were not. We can see the incul-cation
of cultural norms through literary devices and illustration. We can see
our virtues, our failings, our hypocrisies, our accomplishments. We can also
view our current aspirations, as well as distance we still have to travel.
Every day in the Center has brought a new learning experience. We will
continue to do that which we do well: we will bring big name authors like M. T.
Anderson to speak; and we will host educational and entertaining exhibits, like
next year’s “Little Golden Books” and “Pocketful of Posies.” There will also be
new turns along the way as we carry out our mission to better serve students,
faculty, and the community. The symposia for teachers and credential students
are one example of these efforts. We will be widening access to our materials
through digitization projects and working more closely with the Library’s
Special Collections and Teacher Resource Centers. We will promote the use of
our collection to faculty and students and will showcase students’ successes.
My hope is that you’ll join us as we continue to open ourselves to discovery.
The Arne Nixon Center for the
Study of Children’s Literature
Henry Madden Library
California State University, Fresno
5200 North Barton Ave. M/S ML34
Fresno CA 93740-8014
Open Monday–Friday, 1 p.m.–4 p.m.
or call for an appointment.
Phone: 559.278.8116
Website: www.arnenixoncenter.org
Jennifer Crow, Interim Curator
Email: jcrow@csufresno.edu
Angelica Carpenter, Curator Emerita
Jennifer Crow, Editor
Janet Bancroft, Designer
Peter McDonald
Michael Cart
Tawfic Farah
MAGIC MIRROR
MAGIC MIRROR
Published by
Staff
ANCA Board of Directors
ANC Governing Committee
Alma Flor Ada
Steven Mooser
Magic Mirror
Denise Sciandra, President
Phone 559.229.5085
Email: denises@comcast.net
Jessica Kaiser,
1st Vice President, Programs
Kristene Scholefield,
2nd Vice President, Membership
Audry Hanson,
Corresponding Secretary
Jennifer Crow,
Recording Secretary
Cynthia MacDonald, Treasurer
Cheryl Caldera
Dan Dunklee
Ruth Kallenberg
Jo Ellen Misakian
Judith Neal
Ellis Vance
ANC Advisory Committee
W
3
ollywood producer Jim Mahoney and his partner, David
Friendly, are joining with Fox 2000 to bring Walter R.
Brooks’s Mr. Ed stories to the big screen. The problem for
Mahoney was locating the Mr. Ed stories on which to base
the movie. He had obtained the proper permissions, but was
unable to locate 16 of the 25 stories.
Most people remember Mr. Ed from the popular televi-sion
program airing in the late 1950s and early ’60s that was
adapted from Brooks’s short stories. The show featured
architect Wilbur Post and his talking palomino, Mr. Ed.
Because the mischievous horse would talk only to Wilbur,
heaps of trouble ensued, causing many a hilarious mishap
with Wilbur’s wife, boss, and neighbors.
Searching high and low for the missing Mr. Ed tales,
Mahoney luckily came across Michael Cart, the Center’s most
prolific donor, founder of the Friends of Freddy (the Pig)
fan club, and Brooks’s biographer. Cart came to the rescue,
reporting to Mahoney that he had donated all 25 stories to
the Arne Nixon Center. Mahoney was thrilled to at last find
his “grail” and the Center was excited to help.
After locating the unprocessed articles and manuscripts
and faxing all of them to Mahoney, we asked the producer
if the Arne Nixon Center would be listed in the movie cred-its.
Mahoney replied that although they are a long way from
a completed film, he will certainly lobby for the Center’s
name to be included.
So, be on the lookout for the Center’s acknowledgement
when Wilbur and his talking horse, Mr. Ed, come to a
theater near you.
H
T he Arne Nixon Center thanks Sid Fleischman’s family for
their thoughtful gift of items from his papers and personal
belongings. Daughters Anne (Fleischman) Miller and Jane
Fleischman offered the donation after hearing their father
had donated not only books and his “Big Read” speech on
Mark Twain when he visited in 2009, but had also given his
friend, Arne Nixon, inscribed copies of his books.
Sid Fleischman was a prolific children’s author, Holly-wood
screenplay writer, and an accomplished magician. He
won many awards for his work, including the prestigious
Newbery Award for his novel The Whipping Boy in 1987.
Two years later, his son, Paul Fleischman, also won a New-bery
award for his book, Joyful Noise: Poems for Two
Voices, making them the only father and son to have both
won the honor. Sid passed away in 2010 at age 90.
ANCA President Denise Sciandra traveled to southern
California to meet the family and to pick up the donation.
She was impressed by the kindness of Fleischman’s daugh-ters
and the variety of items in the collection. Reflecting the
many types of projects Fleischman worked on, the donation
consists of children’s stories, manuscripts, stage plays, screen
scripts, adult novels that were turned into movies, and more.
One readily sees that he was always writing, as evidenced by
the number of notebooks filled with lists of words and
ideas—ideas for plots, for names, for scenes, for lines, etc.
The collection holds music scores, reviews, letters to editors,
galleys, and first and foreign editions of his children’s books,
as well as a number of award medals, including a California
Young Reader Medal. A special treasure is two portrait draw-ings
of Fleischman by his friend, Don Freeman, the famous
Corduroy author and illustrator.
The Fleischmans are pleased that their father’s materials
will be preserved and available for research and the Center
is grateful to receive them.
An interview with Sid Fleischman can be found at
www.arnenixoncenter.org/connections/podcasts.shtml.
A horse is a horse,
of course, of course!
A magician’s legacy
“Boy, you’re going through with it now,”
said Ed, and he let out a regular
horse laugh. Haw haw!”
5
n 1974 my husband, Richard, and I moved to Canada for
two years while he took a post-graduate job at the University
of Guelph in Ontario. He was very busy there, working all
day and finishing his dissertation nights and weekends.
This was my first and only time as a stay-at-home
mother. In America I had taught French and worked as a
bibliographic searcher in an academic library. In Canada,
because of my visa, I could not work. Our daughter, Carey,
was a charming four-year-old. I babysat a lot, not for money,
but so that she and I would have company—kids for her and
other young mothers for me. I also read my way through the
Guelph Public Library where I discovered many British
authors, including the mystery writer Nicholas Blake.
Nicholas Blake was the pseudonym of Cecil Day-Lewis,
the Poet Laureate of England. I liked his mysteries better
than his poetry, but they left me wondering. In the early
books, his hero, detective Nigel Strangeways, was married to
an explorer. Later he seemed to be married to a sculptor with
a different name. I must have missed one, I decided, and,
after checking titles, I asked at the reference desk for an
interlibrary loan form.
“What’s it for?” asked the librarian.
“I want to request a book.”
“Are you writing a paper?”
“No, I just want to read it.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but we don’t interlibrary loan
books for people who just want to read them.”
Intimidated but determined, I asked a friend to keep
Carey while I drove to Kitchener, a larger town 30 miles
west. There I found the book I wanted and a more liberal
policy on leisure reading. And I made a wonderful discovery
on that first afternoon. An author was scheduled to speak:
Rumer Godden.
I stayed, even though I had never heard of her. It was
my first author talk, by a famous and elderly British writer.
In the crowded meeting room, she seemed to be speaking
directly to me. She told of driving through the countryside
and of parking her car by a graveyard. When she got out to
stretch her legs, she discovered that this was a cemetery for
contemplative nuns.
I had never heard of contemplative nuns.
She walked among the headstones in that quiet place,
and wondered what had brought those women to that life.
Her question resulted in a novel, In this House of Brede,
and it made a Rumer Godden fan out of me. She wrote
children’s books, too, I learned; these I shared with Carey.
These experiences eventually led me to a new career as
a librarian. Decades later, I still love to hear authors talk
about their work.
Now, thanks to Jennifer Crow, the young adult author
M. T. Anderson will speak at the ANCA annual meeting. I
love his novels, especially The Pox Party, volume one of
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. After reading it,
I wrote him a fan letter and he answered, on a Nancy Drew
postcard. He is a terrific speaker, too. I have heard him
twice before, at meetings of the American Library Associa-tion,
and I can’t wait to hear him again on October 5.
See you there!
I
Partido del Jardín Secreto
T he tenth annual Secret Garden Party enjoyed perfect
weather and an international flair in April as ANCA
honored Cuban-born author Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel
Campoy, a native of Spain. These authors and generous
donors to the Center have published hundreds of books,
writing alone and together, in Spanish and in English. At
the party, they read a poem they composed for the occa-sion;
it appears on the next page.
The party was held in the Spanish style garden of Kitty
and James Burden in Fresno’s Old Fig Garden neighbo-hood.
Caterer Teresa Hurtado received rave reviews for
tapas, sangria, and sweet Hispanic treats. Master gardeners
were on hand to answer questions about the landscape
plantings and to discuss sustainable gardening techniques.
Funds raised will support Phase II of the Leo Politi Garden, adding art by
Fresno’s most famous children’s illustrator to the existing hardscape and
landscaping that completed Phase I, funded by ANCA. The garden, which
opened in 2009, is on the east side of the Madden Library.
“Book Chat”
Angelica Carpenter, Curator Emerita
A larger PARAíSO
6
At the Secret Garden Party in April, authors F. Isabel
Campoy and Alma Flor Ada (pictured at right) were
honored. They have donated more than 2,200 children’s
books from their personal collections, and have pledged
their papers. They read the following poem, written to the
beloved books they have given the Center.
nce upon a time there was a magic place called PARAíSO.
There, the most unimaginable was possible; reality was cre-ated
with threats of imagination and the shadows of words.
In PARAíSO, everything was seen with eyes of accep-tance,
and everybody had an equal voice and place. It was
there that characters from all over the world met. They
arrived in mail bundles with foreign stamps and inside suit-cases,
brought mainly from Europe and Latin America. But
some others came from farther places as Turkey, Russia, or
Micronesia. And in consequence, in PARAíSO even though
the majority spoke Spanish, all languages were understood.
It was the custom of the inhabitants of PARAíSO to
organize by the genres imagination had created, always
respecting the alphabetic order of last names. And although
the closeness of the AAs and the distance of the WWs propi-tiated
some friendships more than others, through time, in
the heart of research, many books met.
Wide-opened on desks, kitchen counters, and ping-pong
tables, our hands and their pages met again and again, year
after year. We knew exactly how high to raise a hand to
reach the softness of their back, slowly opening their covers
for yet another encounter between two well-known lovers.
They never failed to deliver a pleasure beyond words.
And they kept coming. Each one chosen among many
in the bookstores of Mexico City and Buenos Aires, where
librarians and booksellers spoke of the wonders of their
hearts and the sparkle of their character. They were found
in book fairs from Guadalajara to Madrid and some came
distinguished with the signature of their authors.
Although the custom was to sleep standing, held up by
the bodies of friends, shelves begun to be crowded, shoul-ders
squeezed until some resembled Giacometti sculptures,
the one eyed faces of Picasso, or the half chicken of a weath-er
vane. We knew then that it was time to make a decision.
For the last three years we have been preparing for this
day, for this farewell, unwanted by us and yet the happiest
promise for their future.
Being who we are, we carefully prepared ourselves for
the ritual for our goodbyes in the Secret Garden.
“You have blessed us with laughter and wisdom, with
promises, with enchantment. Your blood runs through our
veins, yours were our nights, filled with the wonder and
laughter, passion and tears of great imagination. Through
you, we have created memories to share with readers. The
rhythm of your voices inspired us. The color of your
sorrows, the smell
of your dreams
tied our hands
to your pages,
took us out to
dance, and to
dare, and to be
innocent read-ers
surrendered
to your magic,
again and again,
reading upon reading.
You showed us the way to where
America is America in Patagonia, and Alaska is white, brown,
black and all the colors of dignity. Blessed be Literature!
Now, it is come the day for you to share your life with
new readers. You will be happy in the new home we have
chosen for you. We considered many and chose a perfect
one. At the Arne Nixon Center you will be well-kept,
catalogued with care, embraced by many, and cherished by
all. We have been assured that you will remain together in
a larger and most wonderful PARAíSO.
Be well our friends. We promise to visit you, often.
O
Please plan to join us!
September 22, 2012
“Obsessions with Dystopia: Writing the Future,”
symposium for teachers and credential students.
Fresno State, Education Building, Room 140
October 5, 2012
ANCA Annual Meeting
with M. T. Anderson, 6 p.m.
Woodward Park Library
March 18–May 27, 2013
Exhibitions “Golden Legacy: 65 Years
of Golden Books” and “Pocketful of Posies:
The Worlds of Salley Mavor”
Grandmother’s Fan
SIGN ME UP!
I/We would like to join the Arne Nixon Center
Advocates and enclose a donation. (Donations
are tax deductible as allowable by law.)
Make check payable to Fresno State Foundation.
Mail to: Jennifer Crow
The Arne Nixon Center
Henry Madden Library
California State University, Fresno
5200 North Barton Ave. M/S ML34
Fresno CA 93740-8014
Phone: 559.278.8116
FAX: 559.278.6952
Email: jcrow@csufresno.edu
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(Please circle one) Ms. Mr. Mrs. Mr. & Mrs.
New membership Renewal
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7
Author donations
hirin Yim Bridges, Head Goose at Goosebottom Books, a
fledgling new press founded by the author “to fascinate girls
with intriguing true stories about real women, peppered with
lots of interesting facts,” generously donated drafts, manu-scripts,
color proofs, press check proofs, and edits from her
series The Thinking Girl’s Treasury of Real Princesses and The
Thinking Girls Treasury of Dastardly Dames.
Goosebottom’s goal to ignite a love for history and reading,
coupled with Bridges’ inspiration to turn her niece’s “fasci-nation
with fairy tale princesses toward exposure to more
valuable role models,” inspired the series. Titles include
Hatshepsut of Egypt, Sorghaghtani of Mongolia, and Saca-jawea
of the Shoshone. The Thinking Girls Treasury of
Dastardly Dames successfully followed with titles such as Cleo-patra:
Serpent of the Nile, Mary Tudor: “Bloody Mary,” and
Njinga: The Warrior Queen.
Bridges now nests in California. Enjoy Goosebottom’s blog
and website at http://goosebottombooks.com/site/index.php.
We welcome our newest donor, Ann Whitford Paul, chil-dren’s
book author and poet, whose papers have just arrived.
Drafts, manuscripts, publisher correspondence, and letters from
author friends are included in the donation.
Alphabet ideas, patchwork quilts, history, past customs, and
events that inspire design are elements of Paul’s second work,
Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork Alphabet. HarperCollins
recognized it as an outstanding social studies book and The
Kirkus Review describes it as “a novel way to introduce
patchwork’s economic, social, and artistic role while relating it
to history.” Her donation includes the quilt she created for the
book (seen below), as well as a second that was a gift to the
author from “twenty-nine elementary school students and the
Gomez Family.”
Discover more about Paul at www.annwhitfordpaul.net,
where you can also sign up to receive copies of her newsletter.
S
I prefer to receive my newsletter via email.
1Feed, by M. T. Anderson
Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork
Alphabet, by Ann Whitford Paul
2
3The Wild Book, by Margarita Engle
4The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman
Answers to quiz
“Wild About Books” Writing & Illustration Contest
winners announced
his summer the Center joined local television station
Channel 47, A Book Barn in Clovis, All Signs Printing, and
Petunia’s Place Bookstore to present a writing and illustra-tion
contest for young people. The contest, “Wild About
Books,” encouraged students from third to twelfth grades to
express themselves creatively through writing and illustra-tion.
Channel 47’s Zara Arboleda and Jenny Toste publi-cized
the message by hosting local authors on their early
morning show, several of whom had begun their writing
careers inspired by such contests. Doug Hansen, Bonnie
Hearn Hill, Michael Elsohn Ross, Dorina Lazo Gilmore, and
Joan Schoettler were some of the children’s authors who
appeared every Thursday morning throughout May and
June. Fresno State President Welty also lent his support by
taping a public service announcement with Arboleda that
aired until the contest’s entry deadline on July 1.
The contest had four categories: fiction, non-fiction,
poetry, and illustration, with all submissions required to
contain a reference to books. Cash prizes will be awarded to
the winning entrants at a celebration to be held in early
December. In addition to the prizes, Linden Publishing has
generously offered to publish an anthology of the winning
pieces that will be given to each winner. Additional anthol-ogies
will be for sale, with the proceeds going towards next
year’s contest prizes.
Listed here are the “Wild About Books” contest winners
in all divisions and categories. Grand prize winners will be
announced on the contest website at www.cvyoungwriters
prize.com.
Division A: Grades 3–5
Fiction
1st Prize: “Stegy Goes to the Fresno State Library,”
by Sammy Iliff
Honorable Mention: “‘Secret’ Reading in my Dollhouse,”
by Katie Boyles
Honorable Mention: “Duke, the Very Special Dog,”
by Elyse Brewer
Non-Fiction
1st Prize: “Why I Love the Baseball
Card Adventure Series,”
by Quaid Copher
Poetry
1st Prize: “Caught,”
by Zeke Fuller
Division B: Grades 6–8
Fiction
1st Prize: “Codexia,” by Maya Vannini
Honorable Mention: “The Wolves Before Time,”
by Tessa Nelson
Honorable Mention: “Ella’s Adventures in Wonderland,”
by Ragon Nichols
Non-Fiction
1st Prize: “That’s What Best Friends Are For,”
by Gwyneth Phagnasay Le
Honorable Mention: “Revolutionary National Holiday,”
by Simon Cao
Poetry
1st Prize: “Wild About Books,” by J. J. Sutton
Honorable Mention: “In Time,” by Bret Moran
Honorable Mention: “The Hidden Beast,” by Serena Tang
Illustration
1st Prize: Fireworks at Dusk, by Tyra Holly
Honorable Mention: Smaug, by Ezekiel J. Benavides
Honorable Mention: The Wolves Before Time,
by Tessa Nelson
Division C: Grades 9–12
Fiction
1st Prize: “Charlie’s Portal,” by Valerie Campos
Honorable Mention: “The Hypocritical Antics of Mr.
Smothers,” by Graeme Merrow
Honorable Mention: “The Book Jumper,”
by Jessica Rinehart
Non-Fiction
1st Prize: “My Journey to the River Sea,”
by Madelyn Knutson
Honorable Mention: “Manifesting Destiny,”
by Natasha Velaquez
Honorable Mention: “Swift’s Proposal,” by William Tang
Poetry
1st Prize: “Book Lover, An Acrostic Poem,”
by Claire Copher
Honorable Mention: “The Reality,” by Andrew W. Hollender
Honorable Mention: “My Strange Dreams,” by William Tang
Illustration
1st Prize: Hungry Dog, by Treshon Holly
T Illustration
1st Prize: The Floating Castles, by Malcolm Church
Honorable Mention: The Sea Monster of the Ocean of
Flying Fishes, by Hazel Koh
Honorable Mention: Adventure Time, by Kaden Johnson
The Arne Nixon Center for
the Study of Children’s Literature
Henry Madden Library
California State University, Fresno
5200 North Barton Avenue M/S ML34
Fresno CA 93740-8014
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Fresno, California
Permit No. 262
Can you identify the books that begin with these lines?
(Answers on page 7)
Q4
The young prince was known here and there
(and just about everywhere else) as Prince Brat.
Not even black cats would cross his path.
Q3 Word-blindness. The doctor hisses it like a curse. Word-blindness,
he repeats—some children can see everything except words.
Q1
We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.
Two hundred years ago most towns had a blacksmith.
An anvil always sat on a flat stump in his shop.
Q2
Kite’s Tail
