Meet Angela Leeper, the Director of Curriculum Material Center at the University of Richmond, a native Virginian who relocated to Richmond four years ago. Turns out, that's great news for our city's literary scene. Angela has served on YALSA's prestigious Printz Award and Morris Award Committees; reviews children's and YA lit for Booklist, Kirkus, and BookPage; and is currently collaborating with educators across the state to create the Virginia Readers' Choice for high school. Since moving here, she's not only been absorbing Richmond's history, but as a children’s and young adult literature specialist, she's reached out to local authors, too. This January, she'll combine both those interests in a course for educators who love kids books, local history – and walking. Children and YA in RVA, a reading and walking tour of children's literature in our city, will be offered at the University of Richmond from January 22 - April 30. Registration is open NOW, so hurry. (See below) It's not everyone who sees a clear path between kids books and a good pair of walking shoes, but exploring her new city sparked the idea. "After many afternoons walking in and around RVA, I imagined how exciting it would be to offer a class like this to educators," she says. After discovering that no class like it existed, she created Children and YA in RVA, a professional development course for teachers, librarians, and other educators interested in learning about Richmond’s literature and history – and bringing that information back to their classrooms. The course will include visits from local historians and authors,…
January 23, 2013
Going All Ninja
It's the start of a new year, so it's time for a writing exercise plan to shake off the winter flab. I’m pushing out of my comfort zone by experimenting with new forms and voice. I’ve been reading a lot of early readers, for example, studying their length and style. (If you're on GoodReads, you can catch up with what I'm reading.) My favorite so far has been Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke, a little gem of a series that has all the seeds of a great literary piece for kids who are seven and eight. Nice trick, right? It won’t be long before I start trying my hand there. I’m also venturing into adult writing for a few precious weeks – which feels like sacrilege for someone who adores writing for kids as much as I do. But it’s true. Starting this Monday night, I’ll be joining my friend Valley Haggard as a student in her Creative Non Fiction class at the Black Swan bookstore. This is a stretch for me. For starters, I have a really erratic memory. I can remember the exact pattern of the sofa in my mother's living room when I was eight, but I can't remember a name I've just learned. My husband claims that I've forgotten entire chapters of my life, like the Genesis in concert at Madison Square Garden, which I flatly deny attending, despite his very damning details about people, clothing, where we sat. But the bigger problem is about courage. Unlike Valley…
