By Capitol Choices Member Emma M.
At the end of March, I attended the US Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)’s biannual meeting which was held at the Scholastic headquarters in New York. The theme was The World of Language, and attendees got to hear from authors, illustrators, editors, publishers, and educators from all over the US and the world.
On the afternoon before the main event, some of us got to go on a tour of the Scholastic archives, which was such a treat! We saw the building’s library that is stocked with award-winning books, original art, a dictionary from the 1940s (with an entry for computer: n. a person who computes), and a giveaway bin. Since I have no self control, I took an original book club copy of Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry. Archivist extraordinaire Deimosa Webber-Bey took us two floors underground to the stacks. As we felt the rumblings of the subway on the tracks on the other side of the walls, we saw the original copy of Clifford the Big Red Dog (1963), every issue of Weekly Reader, and so many other relics, including the original book order offerings.
My favorite session was getting to hear from Laurie Halse Anderson, who was in attendance as the recipient of the 2023 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She discussed her experience as a frequently banned author and how that contrasts with her books continuously being translated and reissued.
A most exciting part of this meeting was getting to see beloved friends that I usually only get to see twice each year at the two ALA meetings. This year I get to see them 3 times! And I got the chance to meet people that I previously have only interacted with via email.
Their next biannual meeting will be held in autumn 2025 in Salt Lake City, and information can be found at USBBY.org.
Capitol Choices 