I will never forget Joyce Sidman’s 2010 book Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors. I paused in the middle of this delight  to refill my coffee cup. When I returned, a squirrel had robbed the suet feeder outside the window. When I read one of her poems within, “Tail Tale,” I felt that the creatures outside had read the work beforehand.

The Minnesotan’s books may be more than entertaining and enlightening. Her writing might predict the future!

1. Joyce, what’s the good news about children’s literature right now?

There are so many people who care passionately about children’s books—authors, illustrators, publishers, teachers, librarians. And deeply committed, creative people can work wonders! I have tremendous respect for the writers and artists that are pushing the limits of their genre. Plus, in the past five years, the kidlit blogging world and other forms of social networking have generated even more excitement about our field, and brought us closer together.

2. From your perspective, what can be done to make that “good” even better?

As we move into a more digital age, we need to maintain our high standards, and keep reaching for what is rich, and deep, and true. Literature may soon develop more bells and whistles, but that does not mean it should stir our soul any less. And we should keep sharing the best literature with our children in schools and libraries. I’d personally love to see every schoolteacher start the day with an oral reading of a poem!
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Joyce Sidman is the author of many award-winning children’s poetry books, including two Caldecott Honor books, Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems (also a Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award winner) and Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors (which won the Claudia Lewis Poetry Award). She teaches poetry writing to school children and participates in many national poetry events, including the annual “Poetry Blast” at the American Library Association meeting. Her recent book, Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors, has been critically acclaimed and is a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year. Joyce lives with her husband near a large woodland in Wayzata, Minnesota.

Loretta Ellsworth is honest. Whether admitting to watching lots of Bonanza TV episodes as a girl (a confession from lorettaellsworth.com) or writing authentic novels for young adults, she doesn’t hold back.

Loretta, what’s the good news about young people’s literature?

I think the good news about children’s literature is that children and teens still like to read.  Children’s literature is universal and appeals to all of us, adults and children both.  Great books continue to be published and fantastic new writers discovered.

From your perspective, what can be done to improve children’s literature?

To make that good news even better: As a young adult author and a former teacher I’d like to see publishers take more risks on those novels that speak to teens but aren’t as commercial. With the help of publishers and booksellers and librarians, those very important novels will find an audience, too. I’m thinking of beautifully-written books such as City of Cannibals by Ricki Thompson and The White Witch by Janet Graber. I’m afraid that wonderful books like these won’t be available in the future if publishers let the marketing department dictate their entire list.

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Loretta Ellsworth graduated from Hamline University with an MFA in writing for children. She is the author of three young adult novels: The Shrouding Woman, recently published in Japanese; In Search of Mockingbird, a Midwest Booksellers Choice Award, Honor Book, a Teen’s Top Ten finalist named to the New York Library’s List for the Teen Age, an ALA Notable, and a Charlotte Award nominee; and, In a Heartbeat, a Spring Midwest Connections Pick and an ALAN pick, now available in Korean. Her next YA novel, Unforgettable, will be published by Walker in fall 2011. She’s a former teacher and lives in Minnesota.

From his timeless treasure The Next Place to the new The Sea of Sleep, Warren Hanson’s books celebrate relationships.

It’s only natural that Hanson’s views on children’s literature focus on the relationships we have with young readers.

Warren, what’s the good news about young people’s literature?

One answer popped into my head immediately. Then I thought, “No, Warren, no, it can’t be that simple. You’ve got to find a more sophisticated answer than that!”

But for me, it is just this simple: What’s great about children’s literature, now and in the past and in the unfathomable future, is the kids. Those bright, funny, inquisitive, no-nonsense, all-nonsense, lovable kids. When I’m writing for kids, I get to be one again, and that’s great!

Yes, I treasure the traditional book form, like we all do. Yet I also welcome the new technologies. They will present the best of what we do in a new package. As long as the new formats don’t rob the kids of the experience of imagining, I look forward to seeing what new opportunities they bring.

Whatever the medium, for me there is no greater joy than to get right down on the kids’ level, look them in the eye, and ask, “What if…?” The answer to that question is always good news.

From your perspective, what can happen to improve children’s literature?

I do mourn the fact that marketing has become such a huge factor in the publishing of children’s books. I think every marketing person should spend six months in an elementary school before being allowed to make decisions about which books get published. That would be a very positive thing for children’s literature. Even better—let the kids run the marketing departments! (Actually, I might not be kidding about that.)

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Warren Hanson is an artist, writer, speaker, and musician. His books are well-loved by children and adults alike. You may know A Cup of Christmas Tea, or the PEEF books, or The Next Place, or Kiki’s Hats, or Bugtown Boogie, or his most recent Sea of Sleep. Warren is the artist on several CDs for which he is both musician and songwriter, including the new Grace & Chocolate. He is in demand as a speaker for adult groups and elementary schools across the country. A native of Yankton, SD, Warren lived in Minnesota for many years, and currently makes his home in Houston, Texas.

David LaRochelle is more than mere author. He is interpreter.

His Minnesota’s Hidden Alphabet (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2010) would entertain and enlighten readers of all ages from the other 49 states, too.

In the realm of fiction, LaRochelle hasn’t forgotten his teacherly roots. He knows how to connect and communicate with every sentence.

David, what’s the good news about children’s literature right now?

Kids still love books. When I go out to give visiting author presentations in the classroom, students (of all ages, from kindergarten to college) still get excited about hearing a good story. Even the rowdiest classroom quiets down once I open up a book and begin reading. There is something inherent within us that loves, even craves, a story, and all the technological advancements in the world won’t be changing that.

From your perspective, what can be done to improve children’s literature?

Go to your local independent bookseller and buy your favorite young person a book.

If we want our neighborhood bookstores to be around for another five or ten years, we need to give them our support. For holidays and birthdays, I know that my grandnieces will be receiving more than their share of toys; any gadget I give them will be lost and forgotten in their present pile. But, if I give them a book, I’ll be giving them an expanded visual and literary vocabulary, a chance to use their imaginations, and the opportunity to bond with whoever reads it to them. Not to mention I’ll be encouraging a lifelong love of reading.That’s a mighty fine gift, in my opinion.
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David LaRochelle has been writing books for young people for over twenty-two years. He firmly believes that books, and especially picture books, are here to stay. His most recent picture book titles include 1 + 1 = 5 and Other Unlikely Additions (Sterling, 2010)  and Minnesota’s Hidden Alphabet (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2010). A former elementary teacher, he is a popular visiting author at schools around the Midwest.

I want to be author Gennifer Choldenko when I grow up.

Her published titles, talent, or awards? I’d settle for her perspective. On her joyous website, she confesses to a wacky misadventure when Penguin sent videographers to her home to create a book trailer for her upcoming novel, No Passengers Beyond This Point. She writes about having an unexpected reaction to moisturizer from two days earlier. You’ll find the same sincere glee in her books.

Gennifer, what’s the good news about young people’s literature?

I think this is the absolute most exciting time possible to be in our field.  There are two big reasons for this.

First, I credit JK Rowling who, because of her immense talent, made the world take notice of children’s literature like never before.

Second, the digital revolution is altering our industry right before our very eyes.  The delivery systems for stories are beginning to morph.  I don’t believe this means the death of the book as we all know and love it.  But I do think we will soon see the birth of a whole host of new forms of storytelling.  This could be phantasmagoric and it could be an utter travesty.

From your perspective, what can be done to improve children’s literature?

It’s so important that all of us who know children’s books use our talent, intelligence, and experience to steer the changes in ways that benefit our children.

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Gennifer Choldenko‘s first novel, Notes from a Liar and Her Dog, was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and a California Book Award winner. Her second novel, Al Capone Does My Shirts, was a Newbery Honor Book and a School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Al Capone Does My Shirts was short-listed for the Carnegie in the United Kingdom and has been on the New York Times, Booksense, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Her most recent picture book, Louder, Lili (illustrated by SD Schindler), was published in 2007. If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period, an ALA notable recording, just came out in paperback and her newest novel Al Capone Shines My Shoes—a sequel to the beloved Al Capone Does My Shirts—is a Kirkus, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Chicago Public Library Best of the Best for 2009. Her newest novel No Passengers Beyond This Point is due out in February 2011. Gennifer is hard at work on the last book in the Al Capone trilogy right now.