Minnesota authors Mary Casanova and Bruce Lansky to keynote 14th annual Hubbs Children’s Literature Conference Feb. 25 at St. Thomas
Minnesota authors Mary Casanova and Bruce Lansky will keynote the 14th annual Hubbs Children’s Literature Conference on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the University of St. Thomas. The conference will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the university’s O’Shaughnessy Educational Center.
Casanova, a Duluth native who now lives in Ranier, Minn., is the author of 10 books for young readers. Among her works are the popular Moose Tracks (Hyperion Books For Children, 1995); The Hunter (Atheneum, 2000) and Curse of a Winter Moon (Hyperion, 2001), winners of 2001 Minnesota Book Awards for children’s and young adult literature, respectively; One Dog Canoe (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2003), finalist for a Minnesota Book Award and winner of the Monarch Award: Illinois' K-3 Children's Choice Award; and Jess (Pleasant Co. Publications, 2006), the newly published American Girl tale tied to the release of the company’s latest doll.
Lansky, a Minnetonka-based author, anthologist and editor of humorous poetry books, also created the popular GigglePoetry.com Web site. Lansky is author of If Pigs Could Fly ... And Other Deep Thoughts (Meadowbrook Press, 2000), Funny Little Poems for Funny Little People (Meadowbrook, 2002) and My Dog Ate My Homework (Meadowbrook Press, 2003). Among books he has edited: A Bad Case of the Giggles (1994), No More Homework! No More Tests! (1997), Happy Birthday to Me! (1998), Miles of Smiles (1998) and several “Kids Pick the Funniest Poems” books, Mary Had a Little Jam and Other Silly Rhymes (2004) and If Kids Ruled the School (2004). His Peter Peter Pizza Eater is forthcoming in March.
Among topics of the variety of sessions at the daylong conference: writing a young adult novel, poetry for children, new multicultural books, creative storytelling, using reader’s theater and more. The conference will interest anyone connected with children’s literature in education, librarians and authors, and those simply devoted to quality literature for children and adolescents.
Cost, including lunch and refreshments, is $55. Students may attend for $15. To register or for further information, call the university’s School of Education, (651) 962-4878, or visit the conference Web site. The registration deadline is Saturday, Feb. 11.
The annual conference, sponsored by the School of Education, is supported by an endowment from Margaret and the late Ronald Hubbs, who also provided funds for the St. Thomas libraries’ children’s literature collection. Ronald Hubbs was president of St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. from 1963 to 1973 and retired as chairman of the board in 1977. He then devoted his time to a variety of educational, civic, cultural and philanthropic organizations. He was a longtime champion of adult literature programs and also was instrumental in establishing a Chinese language program in the St. Paul school district.
