Children’s Writing Web Journal

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OK, I’ve finally bought into this whole Twitter thing and, I admit, it’s pretty cool. Come join me — I’ll post occasional links, news tidbits and thoughts about children’s writing. I’m not the obsessive sort, so it will be just a few each day.

My Twitter URL: http://twitter.com/jonbard

I’ll be tweeting you!

Just returned from The 2nd Annual Kidlit Bloggers’ Conference in Portland, OR and my head is swimming with great ideas and plenty of inspiration.  What a joy is was to spend a day with people who love children’s books so, and to meet some folks I’ve admired from afar.  People like Phillip Lee, the founder of Lee & Low Books and now a podcasting wizard, Alice Pope, the unstoppable force behind the essential 2009 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market , Mark Blevis, half of the team that brings the world the delightful Just One More Book podcasts,  the our old friend Anastasia Suen, one of the best and most prolific authors in all of children’s lit and… well, the list could go on and on.

I’ve barely begun to internalize all the juicy info, but a few things stand out:

* The future belongs to those who band together.  Group blogs and strategic alliances between writers, librarians, booksellers, educators, parents and publishers are the way to cut through the clutter and get the word out.

* Podcasting and video blogging will become as important as text-only blogs.  And soon.  And I intend to be all over it.

* The days of experts sitting on the mountaintop and proclaiming how things will be are over.  Everyone has a voice in what will come next.

I’ll have more to say as I settle back in.  For now, head over to http://kidlit08.blogspot.com/2008/09/posts-about-conference.html and see what other attendees are saying….

A remarkable — and free — event is coming June 6 for those in the New York area.  The New York Institute for the Humanities is holding an all-day symposium called Post Bang: Comics Ten Minutes After the Big Bang to explore the growing cultural significance of comics.  The entire day looks great but the highlight for children’s lit fans will be the COMICS AND KID’S LIT panel, set to feature Lisa von Drasek (Bank Street College), Leonard Marcus (Minders of Make Believe), Francoise Mouly (The New Yorker), Mo Willems (Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!), and Sara Varon (Sweaterweather).

Check out all the details at

http://nyih.as.nyu.edu/object/nyih.postbangcomics.html