Death of Eric Bowling

Eric Bowling, a grad student at SDSU, died on December 26, 2009. Intelligent and sharp, he was keen on Harry Potter and offered the first panel ever on Rowlings at Comic Con in 2008. Our condolences to his family and friends.

New website Irish Society for Study of Child Lit

This message comes from the ISSCL committee to wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year.

We attach a newsletter (thank you Valerie) with updates on the Society's activities and news of forthcoming events, and we also invite you to take a moment to look at our new website at http://www.isscl.com/. We'll be adding more and more information and links over the next few weeks, so do check in with us from time to time, and let Amanda know (apiesse@tcd.ie) if there's anything you'd like us to put up on the site. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Conor and Siobhan at mrandmrsstevens.ie for their wonderful design and facilitation skills in getting this together for us.

One new venture we promised for the new year was a joint venture with children's film and the IFI. The IFI is having its first children's screening on January 31st at 12.30; the film will be Disney's The Princess and the Frog. The IFI have agreed to give ISSCL ten free tickets and to give us a space on the Mezzanine afterwards so we can have a brief presentation on the film followed by an informal discussion. If you'd like one of the free tickets, please contact Jane Carroll (carroljs@tcd.ie).

See you in the New Year!
With our very best wishes,
The ISSCL committee.
http://www.isscl.com/

From Harvard, among our favorite blogs ...

Maria Tatar's blog ("Breezes From Wonderland: A Forum for Folklore, Children's Literature, & Storytelling") is one of the most interesting we know:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tatar/

Knoepflmacher as Children's Author

Noted critic in the field of children's literature, Uli Knoepflmacher has published his first children's book:
http://centraljersey.com/articles/2009/12/17/time_off/entertainment_news/doc4b296637d1883495141555.txt

Best of 2009, part 5 (NYT)

Best children's books of 2009, according to the NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/notable-childrens-gift-guide/list.html

Best illustrated books:
http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/20091108_best-illustrated_gg/list.html

Best Books 2009, part 4 (LAT)

Jon Scieszka in the Los Angeles Times:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-state-of-the-art13-2009dec13,0,5156728.story

5th semi-annual Children's Book Review Marathon

from Alida Allison:

Lots of laughs, lots of fun, lots of food, and lots of reviews of contemporary children's books! Current and former Children's Literature MA students congregate to explore the latest of hundreds of books we receive for review, to read especially enjoyable sections aloud, or pass around spectacular illustrations. The Natl Center for the Study of Children's Literature posts some 200 reviews a year, then donates the books to SDSU's library, to local schools, or to Children's Hospital. Participants included: Emily Moore, Marie Soriano, Sean Prinz; Halima and Chris Bell, Marianne Paluso, NaToya Faughnder, and Kira Hall.

To see the last round of books reviewed by the National Book Review Service go to:

http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~childlit/reviews/2009SpringReviews.htm

Princeton: Course on children’s literature draws 450

If SCORE enrollment is any indication, ENG 335: Children’s Literature is where the students will be. With an enrollment of 450 students, the course, to be taught by English professor William Gleason, is currently the largest planned for spring 2010. In addition to such classic children’s stories as Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” the lecture’s sample reading list includes J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” and Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.”

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/12/11/24728/

Best Books 2009, part 3 (PC)

Best books of 2009, according to Parents' Choice:
http://www.parents-choice.org/award.cfm?thePage=books&p_code=p_boo

Best Books 2009, part 2 (SLJ)

Best Books 2009, according to the School Library Journal:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6708210.html

Best Books of 2009 (PW)

The best children's books of 2009, according to Publishers' Weekly:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6704596.html

Visiting Filipina Professor Christine Bellen

Alida Allison and Christine Bellen met with College of Arts and Letters Dean Paul Wong to discuss an exchange program for faculty and students (between SDSU and Christine's Ateneo University in Manila); Dean Wong pointed out that SDSU offers language classes and courses on Filipino history. Both universities' administrations are very supportive of an exchange program, and Ateneo hopes to establish a Children's Literature Center on its campus as well. Alida will be going to Manila next Fall to continue these discussions.

A.S. Byatt's "The Children's Book"

What they're talking about: A.S. Byatt's "The Children's Book"

http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Book-S-Byatt/dp/0307272095/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260104369&sr=8-1

Your comments welcome. See comments.

Excerpts from 7 "Alice in Wonderland" films

In a Wall Street Journal article you will find seven video excerpts from film versions of "Alice in Wonderland" from 1903 to the 2010 Tim Burton offering with Johnny Depp.

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/12/05/go-ask-alice-again-in-an-ever-changing-world-wonderland-never-ceases-essay/