Listening to the masters

One of the lovely things about working with children's books is being able to hear and sometimes see the authors and illustrators who give us those books. To most librarians these days, Judy Blume is a master of the genre. She has entertained and informed several generations of girls now (and some boys) which is why it is so gratifying to be able to hear her talk about how she came to writing and why it means so much to her. Recently Judy Blume gave the Charlotte Zolotow lecture at the University of Wisconsin and you can watch the video to hear what she has to say http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/zolotow/Zolotow08_Link.mov Watching her and listening helps us understand why she means so much to the readers in our libraries. Despite the years of experience she has had in writing and the fame she has won, she retains the sense of wonder as each book comes to life for her. She is a living demonstration of why children's literature is so important for our culture.