Spring 2004

Contents

• 2004 Kerlan Award - Lois Lowry
• From the Curator
• Coming Events
• From the Kerlan Friends President
• Gifts
• Minnesota Book Awards Event
• Betsey Bowen Award Ceremony
• New Pirate Collection
• Recent Acquisitions
• Recent Visitors
• 2004 Naomi C. Chase Lecture - Avi
• Andrine Pollen Talk

2004 Kerlan Award - Lois Lowry

On Saturday morning, April 10, author Lois Lowry will be honored as the recipient of the 2004 Kerlan Award. The award is presented annually “in recognition of singular attainments in the creation of children’s literature and in appreciation for generous donation of unique resources to the Kerlan Collection for the study of children’s literature.” Her 1990 novel Number the Stars and 1993 novel The Giver both won Newbery Medals. Lowry’s next novel Messenger will be released in April, 2004. Her most recent novel, The Silent Boy, showcases her award-winning storytelling.

The Kerlan Collection holds production materials for fifteen of Lowry’s titles including both her Newbery Medal books, The Silent Boy, several of the well known Anastasia series, and correspondence, notes, and clippings.

The ceremony will begin with a breakfast buffet starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Elmer L. Andersen Library, Room 120, 222 21st Avenue South, Minneapolis on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank Campus. The award presentations start at 10:30 a.m. A selection of Lowry manuscript pages will be on display. The Red Balloon Bookshop will sell books before and after the breakfast buffet and Lois will autograph her books after the award ceremony.

The Event is co-sponsored by the Kerlan Friends and Houghton Mifflin.

To attend please use the reservation form on page seven of this newsletter. For further information, please call (612) 624-4576

From the Curator

Newbery and Caldecott Award Projects in
the Kerlan Collection

Irvin Kerlan MD, the founder in 1949 of the collection named for him, collected Newbery and Caldecott Award books in first printing, and compiled a bibliography of them published by the University of Minnesota Press the same year. If he didn't meet the author in person, he mailed the book to the author with a request for an inscription.
He asked not only for inscriptions in the books, but for original materials. He continued this project until his death in 1963. By then, he'd acquired also five Newbery Award winning manuscripts, Carol Ryrie Brink's Caddie Woodlawn, Natalie Savage Carlson's The Family Under the Bridge, Meindert de Jong's Wheel on the School, Marguerite Henry's King of the Wind, and Jean Lee Latham's Carry On, Mr. Bowditch.

The Caldecott Award was equally important to Dr. Kerlan, and he asked for studies, dummies and even the final art. Edgar and Ingri Parin d'Aulaire, James Daugherty, Marguerite De Angeli, Roger Duvoisin, Marie Hall Ets, Elmer and Berta Hader, Robert Lawson, Katherine Milhous, Nicolas Mordvinoff, Leo Politi, Feodor Rojankovsky, Maurice Sendak, Nicolas Sidjakov, Marc Simont, Louis Slobodkin, Peter Spier, Lynd Ward, and Leonard Weisgard were among Caldecott Award artists who gave some drawings to Dr. Kerlan and his collection by 1963.

Acquisition has continued with the Award books and accompanying materials. To date, manuscripts for at least twenty Newbery Award books reside in the Kerlan Collection. Christopher Paul Curtis' Bud, Not Buddy arrived in conjunction with his afternoon program Talking Volumes with Minnesota Public Radio. Even before Minnesotan Kate Di Camillo's The Tale of Despereaux was named the 2004 Newbery Award book, the author already placed the manuscript drafts, correspondence and notes in the Kerlan Collection.

Original manuscript material for Kate DiCamillo’s 2004 Newbery Medal Book The Tale of Despereaux.

Caldecott Award and Honor Books are represented by studies, dummies and occasionally the final art. Another Minnesotan, Stephen Gammell, gave two Caldecott Award winning drawings for Song and Dance Man. David Small presented preliminary work for Honor title The Gardener.

Author Sarah Stewart and Illustrator David Small. Photo from Kerlan Collection.

The Kerlan Collection staff extended the project with these award books and materials in several ways. Honor books, formerly "Runners-Up," and their related manuscripts and art are now included in the collection development scope. Among these are Kate di Camillo's Because of Winn Dixie, Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted, Patricia Reilly Giff's Lily's Crossing, Eloise McGraw's Moorchild and Ruth White's Belle Prater's Boy. Translations and variant editions, too, become part of the collection, in addition to the first printing that won the award.

Newbery and Caldecott Award and Honor books remain a focus of the Kerlan Collection, a project begun by the founder more than fifty-five years ago and continued past this anniversary year into the future.

--Karen Nelson Hoyle, Curator

Coming Events

Friday and Saturday, April 2-3 Festival of Children’s Literature presented by the Loft Literary Center at Suite 200, Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis. Two days of lively, information filled sessions. Friday features in-depth workshops from William Durbin, Anne Ylvisaker and Lisa Bullard. Saturday includes both full-group and breakout sessions, many focused on the ins and outs of the publishing world. Visit www.loft.org or call 612-215-2575 for more information.

Saturday, April 10 2004 Kerlan Award Breakfast. See page 1 and page 7 of this newsletter for more information.

Friday and Saturday, April 23-24 Children's Literature Network and Minnesota SCBWI are co-sponsoring a conference for authors and illustrators, Growing Your Career in Children's Books, featuring keynote speakers Marion Dane Bauer, author, and Simon Boughton, publisher, Roaring Brook Press. Thirty-three speakers such as Karen Nelson Hoyle, John Coy, and Jane Kurtz will talk about marketing, school visits, editorial considerations, preserving documents, contracts, and more.
Cost: $185 for members, $265 for non-members. Rolling Green Country Club, 400 Evergreen Road, Medina, MN. For more info: www.clnetwork.org. Send registration to CLN, PO Box 46163, Plymouth MN 55446-0163. Questions: 763-416-5385

Sunday, April 25 Minnesota Book Awards Announcements. See page 5 for more information.

Festival of Nations, Friday - Sunday, April 30, May 1-2
St. Paul River Centre
Theme: Travel the World Without a Passport
Minnesota’s largest multi-ethnic celebration.
General Public Hours:
Friday, April 30, 4-11 pm.
Saturday, May 1, 10 am - 10 pm.
Sunday, May 2, 11 am - 7 pm.
For more information visit www.festivalofnations.com

2004 Minnesota Book Award Readings. Friends of the Library and the University of Minnesota Bookstore (East Bank Coffman Union) will host some author finalists for the 2004 Minnesota Book Award for readings and autographs during an evening in May. The categories this year are Children's Literature, Novel and Short Story and Poetry. For up-to-date information, please visit http://special.lib.umn.edu/clrc/comingevents.html

Sunday, May 16 16th Annual Minnesota Book Awards. The 16th Annual Minnesota Book Awards and Awards Festival are scheduled for Sunday, April 25, 2004, noon to 6:00 p.m. at Landmark Center in downtown St. Paul. Visit http://www.minnesotahumanities.org/Book/2004.htm for more information.

Tuesday, June 22 2004 Naomi C. Chase Lecture. Avi, 2003 Newbery Medal winner for Crispin: The Cross of Lead, speaks at 120 Andersen Library. Check the Summer newsletter for time.

Wednesday, August 4 Gerald Mc Dermott Lecture. Join the award winning illustrator for a public lecture in Andersen Library 120.

From the Kerlan Friends President

Think Tulips!

Despite the sometime terrible winters (it's well below zero as I write this) I still think we are lucky to be here -- and one of the principal reasons is the wonderful book community that surrounds us. We have some of the best booksellers and publishers in the nation, a large group of talented and prolific authors and illustrators who labor to give us new treasures each year, committed teachers and librarians who bring the best literature to children each day, colleges and universities that value children's literature, and, of course, the Kerlan.

March 2004 celebrates the fifty-fifth anniversary of Dr. Irvin Kerlan's donation of his private collection of 6,000 children's books, original art and manuscripts to the University of Minnesota. Dr. Kerlan continued to collect until his death in 1963 when his collection held nearly 8,500 titles.

Today, in February 2004, the collection contains more than 100,000 books, 10,000 titles represented by manuscripts and/or art and more than one million individual pieces of art. What a reason to celebrate! We have access to one of the premier collections of children's literature in the world.

The Kerlan Friends are also celebrating an anniversary this year-- thirty-five and going strong. Their goals, among others, include fundraising, working with the University and the curator to bring the best children's authors to the area, publicity, making the collection more available to the public, and sponsoring the annual Kerlan Award event. The 2004 award, under the leadership of Karen Bihrle, will be given to Lois Lowry, two-time Newbery winner, on April 10, 2004.

Some 2003-04 activities:
· Two new portfolios containing high quality facsimiles of original art and manuscripts are currently under development for loan to schools. Education co-chairs, Dianne Monson and Sheila Fitzgerald, are leading the effort
· A Service Learning Elderhostel was held at the Kerlan in July 2003 with Friends Ruth Berman, Norma Gaffron, Susan Gangl and Adele Greenlee, presenting mini sessions in conjunction with Curator Karen Hoyle and Kerlan staff. Elderhostelers worked with Kerlan staff on projects while learning about collecting and conservation.
· Several 2003 summer and fall author appearances were supported by the Friends.
· Norma Gaffron, publicity chair, led the drive to produce two new Kerlan notecards. Made available in December 2003, the cards reprints an illustration by Barbara Cooney for How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem and by E. B. Lewis for Faraway Home. All cards are available for purchase at the University Bookstore or at Kerlan events.
· The Kerlan Friends are beginning to establish a mailing list dedicated to promoting children's literature events in the region.

Thanks to all of you who have helped the Kerlan this year, by volunteering your talent and time or for your financial support. The Kerlan needs all of us to remain a vital and vibrant National Treasure.

--Nancy Hof

Gifts

Kerlan Friends Renewals, New Members and Gifts from January 1 - February 6, 2004. Thanks to everyone who renewed their membership or gave a donation.

Nina Battistini; Lewis Beccone; David Byer; Lois M Haynes; Karen Nelson Hoyle; Christa Kamenetsky; George Kreutzer; Mary Lanford; David LaRochelle; Ruth McMartin; Edythe Miller; Adelaide Schwabacher; J.R. Sorenson; Donna Swindal; Margaret Virum; Vienna Volante

CLRC Gifts and Endowments. Thanks to the following people or organizations who made donations to the CLRC
Axel Bundgaard & Ann Wagner Bundgaard
Red Balloon Bookshop

Planned Giving
Mary Topp, recently retired Director of Special Reading in the St. Peter School District, designated the Kerlan Collection as one of the recipients of her Planned Giving to the University. She has been a Kerlan Friend and received newsletters since the early 1990s.

Dorothy Lind Woolery Children’s Book Endowment
The Kerlan Collection has received an endowment of $30,000 from the Elizabeth Ann Woolery Estate. Mrs. Woolery, who lived in California, dedicated the gift in memory of her mother, Dorothy. Kerlan Friends Pat Connors and Bette Peltola were lifelong friends of the family. Bette Peltola has added her own gift to the endowment.

Minnesota Book Awards Event

CLRC and the Kerlan Friends will participate in the literary afternoon preceding the Minnesota Book Awards announcements on Sunday, April 25. The 2004 Minnesota Book Awards will feature, for the first time, a festival of award-winning Minnesota books and writers.

Kerlan Collection donor and local children’s book author John Coy and Illustrator Carolyn Fisher are scheduled to participate.

The Book Awards and Festival will take place on Sunday, April 25, at Landmark Center in St. Paul. Beginning at noon, the Festival will feature readings, seminars, author discussions, and book programs sponsored by Minnesota book and author organizations.

At 5:00 p.m., the Minnesota Book Awards ceremony will take place in the cortile of Landmark Center.

Please visit http://www.minnesotahumanities.org/Book/festival.htm for more information.

Betsy Bowen Award Ceremony

Betsy Bowen, Kerlan donor, is the recipient of the 2004 A.P. Anderson Award in recognition of her many remarkable contributions to the artistic and cultural life of Minnesota. In becoming the 2004 recipient, Bowen joins a stellar group of past honorees: Robert Bly, poet, translator, and editor; Joe Dowling, Artistic Director of the Guthrie Theatre; Patricia Hampl, memoirist; Libby Larsen, composer; and Siah Armajani, sculptor and public artist.

The award is presented annually by the Anderson Center to recognize the lifetime achievements of artists in Minnesota whose works have added greatly to the unique wealth of arts of the state. It is named in honor of Dr. Alexander P. Anderson who gained wide renown for his invention of the process for “puffing” cereal grains. The award ceremony is scheduled for the evening of Friday, April 23, 2004 at the Anderson Center in Red Wing. Please call 651-388-2009 for more information.

New Pirate Collection

Lionel Johnson gave 450 more books--his Pirate Collection--as an adjunct to the Illustrated Treasure Island Collection that came in 2000. Exhibit artifacts, such as two non-firing replica guns, a pirate flag and a saber, accompany the gift. Shipping staff member Ryan Hanson introduced his infant daughter Alainn to Mr. Johnson.

Illustrated Treasure Island and Pirate Collection donor Lionel Johnson with library staff member Ryan Hanson and daughter Alainn.

Recent Acquisitions

These materials have been donated by the authors and/or illustrators and their families or third parties. Titles of new acquisitions are not listed if already reported in The Kerlan Collection: Manuscripts and Illustrations (1985) or in previous newsletters. Key: MS-manuscripts, IL-illustrations, TMS-translator’s manuscripts; published titles are indicated by italics.

Atkinson, Margaret Fleming: MS & IL It’s Fun to Help at Home. Gift of The Honorable Elmer L. Andersen.

Domanska, Janina: IL What Happens Next? Gift of Susan Hirschman.

Galdone, Paul: IL Battle of the Kegs; Far Frontier; Goloff; Hans in Luck; Keep Calm, If You Can; Little Boy and the Birthdays; Miss Osborne the Mop; Norma Lee, I Don’t Knock on Doors; Obedient Jack; Rendezvous in Singapore; That’s Right Edie; What’s the Prize, Lincoln?; Woody’s Big Trouble

Grimes, Nikki: MS What is Goodbye?

Harrison, Elizabeth: Adaptation The Stone-Cutter: A Japanese Legend. Gift of The Honorable E.L. Andersen.

Hurwitz, Johanna: MS Elisa Michaels, Bigger and Better

Kehret, Peg: MS Escaping the Giant Wave

Lowry, Lois: MS The Silent Boy

Walter Dean Myers. Photo from Collection

Myers, Walter Dean: MS Dream Bearer; Handbook for Boys

Sorenson, Margo: MS Funny Man Gets Rolling

Wronker, Lili Cassell: IL Cover art for Wee Wisdom Magazine

Recent Visitors

Nick Clark from the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art selected art for upcoming exhibits.

Nick Clark. Photo from Collection

Lee Galda’s Special Collections in Children’s Literature class is meeting at the CLRC this semester.

St. Catherine’s Library Science student Elizabeth Langley researched Special Collections

Graduate student Peter Shea studied Arnold Lobel, the Dover School and Philosophical children’s fiction.

Crispin the Cross of Lead by Avi, Hyperion, 2002

2004 Naomi C. Chase Lecture

Avi, 2003 Newbery Medal winner, speaks at 120 Andersen Library on Tuesday, June 22, 2004. The Naomi C. Chase Lecture in Children’s Literature is supported by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota and the Children’s Literature Research Collections, with the gracious assistance of the Kerlan Friends. The lecture is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a tea and book signing. Books will be available on site, courtesy of The Red Balloon Bookstore. The Summer 2004 issue of the Kerlan Newsletter will contain a full schedule of events.