Events: Fall Gala and Spring Workshop
Newsletter: The Sampler
Awards: Book Awards, Dorothy C. McKenzie Award, Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry
Join Us: Membership Applicaton and dues
Speakers' List
Wet Print:  A List of Recently Published Books by Southern California Authors and Illustrators
Members' Page
Other Organizations concerned with Children's Literature
Web Sites of Interest
Contact Us
 
           

The Children's Literature Council of Southern California is a non-profit organization that promotes greater interest in literature for children and young people and encourages excellence in the production and selection of books in that field. The work of the Council is accomplished through the cooperative effort of its members who include school and public librarians, teachers, authors, illustrators, publishers, booksellers, parents, and others interested in children's and young adult literature. This diversity means that members share a wealth of expertise.

The organization was founded in 1961 by Dorothy C. McKenzie and others dedicated to the celebration of literature for children and teens in the Southern California area. A 21-member Board of Directors with 7 Officers coordinates and plans the activities for the organization.

The Council educates its members through many events and activities. The Spring Workshop provides practical information to those who work directly with young people and literature. Through publicity the Council supports the activities of Other Organizations involved with literature for children and young adults.

The Council also recognizes the works of Southern California authors and illustrators in categories that reflect the most outstanding books published the previous year. These Awards are presented at the annual Fall Gala which features a reception honoring Southern California authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults as well as a distinguished speaker.

The Sampler, a newsletter published by the Council, keeps readers updated on events, trends and issues in children's and young adult literature. The Sampler also features "Wet Print", a list of recently published books by Southern California authors and illustrators. The Council also publishes a membership directory each year for its members.

 

Board of Directors - Officers 2007-2008
President
Cathy Ryne, Public Librarian
Cathy is an Associate Librarian at the Sierra Madre Public Library.
   
Immediate Past President
Melinda Steep, Public Librarian
Melinda
is the Acting Director of the Yorba Linda Public Library. She is also Chair of the 2009 Beatty Committee for the California Library Association.
   
1st Vice President (Fall Gala and Awards Program)
Cindy Corderman, Public Librarian
Cindy is a Children's Librarian for Orange County Public Library.
   
Shana Johnson 2nd Vice President ("The Sampler" - Newsletter)
Shana Johnson , Public Librarian
Shana is a Children's Librarian at the Santa Monica Public Library. She currently serves on the Council's Awards Committee and is the editor of the Council's newsletter, The Sampler.
   
3rd Vice President (Spring Workshop)
Pamela M. Greene, School Librarian
Pamela is the School Librarian at The Hollywood Schoolhouse. She is also a Web Designer and is currently the Webmaster for the CLCSC Website and the California Young Reader Medal Website. She is the Chair of the 2007-2008 Spring Workshop.
   
Secretary
Kay Driscoll, Public Librarian
Kay is a former Children's Librarian at the Oxnard Public Library.
   
Treasurer
Maxine Lucas, School Librarian
Maxine is a School Librarian at Harvard-Westlake Middle School in Los Angeles. She is also a member of the Executive Board of the Catholic Library Association.

 

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Board of Directors
Ilene Abramson, Librarian
Ilene is Director of Children's Services for the Los Angeles Public Library. She writes numerous articles for various publications and is a monthly columnist for the Los Angeles Times. She serves on the board of the Friends of Children and Literature (FOCAL).
   
Sue Alexander, Author, (Emeritus)
Sue is a prolific author of children's books and brings to us many connections to the world of children's book publishing through long years of involvement with SCBWI, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
   


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Christine Allen, School Librarian (Emeritus)
Christine is District Librarian for grades K-12 in Riverside, California.

Kathy Buchsbaum, Children's Librarian
Kathy is a Young Readers Librarian for the Palos Verdes Library District. With a BFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and a MLIS from San Jose State University, Kathy enjoys combining performance with Library Science.

 


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Serenna Day, Retired Librarian (Historian) (Emeritus)
Serena retired from the Los Angeles Public Library and serves as Past President of FOCAL.
   


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Susan Dubin, School Librarian
Susan, an educator for more than 30 years, works with institutions who want to provide library experiences for their students but who do not have a full-time librarian through her library consulting business, Off-the-Shelf. In 1998, Susan was the first librarian honored with a Milken Family Foundation Jewish Educator Award.
   
Kristine O'Connell George
Kristine is an author and a poet. A frequent speaker at schools and conferences, she is passionate about children's literature!
   


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Carolyn Johnson, Retired Librarian (Emeritus)
Carolyn is a former Fullerton City Librarian, and is a long-term board member.
   
Betsy Kahn Betsy Kahn, School Librarian
Betsy is the Librarian at Wilson IB Middle School in Pasadena. She currently serves on the Council's Awards Committee, where she loves reading all kinds of children's and YA literature and discovering the best of the best. She is a musician and plays bass guitar with the Wilson Show Choir, as well as in two other bands of her own. Two of her missions in life are to disabuse people of their stereotypes about librarians, and to be a champion of the love of books and reading!
   
Judith Kantor, School Librarian
Judith is the Librarian at the Seeds University Elementary School at UCLA. She is currently an editor for the Council's newsletter, The Sampler, and a member of the Judy Lopez Memorial Award Committee.
   
Roger Kelly, Public Librarian
Roger has served on the board since 1996 and is currently the contact person for our Book Discussion Groups. He is the manager of the Children's Wing at the Pasadena Central Library.
   
Penny Markey, Public Librarian (Emeritus)
Penny is the Coordinator of Youth Services for the County of Los Angeles Public Library.
   


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Barbara Metzenbaum, Children's Librarian
Barbara is the Children's Librarian at the Studio City Branch Library of the Los Angeles Public Library. She was Past President of FOCAL and currently serves on its board as Webmaster.
   
Lynne Mook, Book Distributor
Lynne is a Vice President and owner of Mook and Blanchard Library Books. She has been a Board member for 21 years and currently serves on the Spring Workshop, Fall Gala and Archives Committees.
   
Helen Overstreet, School Librarian
Helen is the school librarian at the Frostig Center in Pasadena.
   
Laurie Reese, Public Librarian
Laurie is the Hollywood Regional Children's Librarian III for Los Angeles Public Library. She works at the Felipe de Neve Branch Library.
   

Jody Stefansson, School Librarian (Membership)
Jody Stefansson is the upper school librarian and learning specialist at
Polytechnic School in Pasadena. She currently chairs the Membership
Committee.

 

   
Shawn Thrasher, Public Librarian
Shawn is the Youth Services Senior Librarian at the Monrovia Public Library. He currently serves as an editor of the Council's newsletter, The Sampler. He is also Chair of both the Council's Awards and "Wet Print" Committees.
   


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Lisa Yee, Author
Thurber House Children's Writer-in-Residence and Sid Fleischman Humor Award winner Lisa Yee has four novels in print and "plenty more on the way." On NPR, uber librarian Nancy Pearl named Lisa's book, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, as having one of the best opening lines in children's literature: "I have been accused of being anal retentive, an over-achiever and a compulsive perfectionist, like those are bad things."
   
Board of Directors at the 2006 Fall Gala
Back Row: Kristine O'Connell George, Pamela Greene, Melinda Steep, Helen Overstreet, Laurie Reese. 
Middle Row:  Sylvia Anderle, Cindy Corderman, Judith Kantor, Maxine Lucas, Ilene Abramsom, Lynne Mook. 
Front Row: Susan Erickson, Shawn Thrasher, Roger Kelly.


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