Gene Luen Yang's "Glare Of Disdain"

From the New York Times, our National Ambassador for Young People's Literature published this comic: Glare of Disdain, a self-searching exploration of the power of story...

The first few frames of Glare of Disdain

Check out the whole comic here. I hope it inspires you, too.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Kate DiCamillo has been named the next National Ambassador To Young People's Literature!

Kate DiCamillo signs a book for a young fan during the ceremony where she became the National Ambassador To Young People's Literature / Photo by Shealah Craighead, as on the Library of Congress blog

“I want to remind people of the great and profound joy that can be found in stories, and that stories can connect us to each other, and that reading together changes everybody involved.” — Kate DiCamillo, from her interview on PBS' Newshour

Kate DiCamillo has been named the Library of Congress' next National Ambassador to Young People's Literature, succeeding Walter Dean Myers, who was appointed in 2012. DiCamillo will spend the next two years traveling (including required appearances at the National Book Festival and Children's Book Week.)

Kate is the author of "Because of Winn-Dixie," the recent "Flora and Ulysses," and Newbery Award-winning "Tale of Despereaux."

Our congratulations to Kate, to whom we'll give the final words of this post:

"I feel so fortunate to have ended up where I have ended up, as somebody who gets to tell stories for a living. But I didn't start writing until I was almost 30 years old. And I didn't get published until I was 36 or 37. So -- but it was something that I always knew that I wanted to do. And I finally sat down and started trying to do it. So, hey, let's hear it for all the late bloomers and for dreams coming true, right?"

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

ps- you can read some great quotes from Kate's swearing-in ceremony at the Library of Congress here.

Walter Dean Myers is the latest National Ambassador For Young People's Literature!

"I think that what we need to do is say reading is going to really affect your life"

-Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers  is the new national ambassador for young people’s literature!

The New York Times says:

"the choice of Mr. Myers represents a departure from his predecessors* and is likely to be seen as a bold statement. His books chronicle the lives of many urban teenagers, especially young, poor African-Americans. While his body of work includes poetry, nonfiction and the occasional cheerful picture book for children, its standout books offer themes aimed at young-adult readers: stories of teenagers in violent gangs, soldiers headed to Iraq and juvenile offenders imprisoned for their crimes. While many young-adult authors shy away from such risky subject material, Mr. Myers has used his books to confront the darkness and despair that fill so many children’s lives."

* Previous National Ambassadors for Young People's Literature have been Katherine Paterson and Jon Scieszka

Walter (with 90 books published so far!) has won the Coretta Scott King Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, and has been a National Book Award finalist. 

And I love his grasp of how vitally important books can be for kids and teens:

He will receive a medal at the Library of Congress next Tuesday. One of the first things he expects to say is that reading is not a Victorian pastime.
“People still try to sell books that way — as ‘books can take you to foreign lands,’ ” he said. “We’ve given children this idea that reading and books are a nice option, if you want that kind of thing. I hope we can get over that idea.”

Congratulations, Walter!

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee