Frame of
Reference

Jane Goldstein

The September issue is perhaps the most fun to put together. Because it is totally a general issue I can use some of the things that fall out of cyberspace to my email address. I can also include some of my own favorite topics. This issue has it all. It is so eclectic I can't imagine that you won't find at least one article of interest!

Smooth transitions speak highly of the people involved. Elizabeth Pandolfo Briggs worked closely with Caroline Jones and the author of the submission to Alice's Academy for this issue. Graham Stott sent a proposal quite a while back and Elizabeth began working with him so that he could be take advantage of trips from his work place in Saudi Arabia to maximize research access in libraries in other countries. Caroline worked with Graham to refine points suggested by her readers. His article focuses on particularly Le Guin's Earthsea quartet. Caroline previously edited The Mentor, the column for new writers of critical theory. She brings wonderful sources and a thoughtful approach to helping writers. Caroline will ably continue the standards of excellence set by Elizabeth.

Michelle Abate succeeds Caroline as editor of The Mentor. Her first suggestion has been acted on and the column is now called Emerging Scholars and New Voices. I enjoyed watching the depth of thought Vikki VanSickle added with each revision under Michelle's capable guidance. Vikki provides good background on the growing genre of the verse novel and makes some interesting conclusions of her own. Her article is "Subcategories Within the Emerging Genre of the Verse Novel."

Illustration is one of those areas many of us feel a bit inadequate to discuss. Genevieve Valleau's strong art background shines in "Degas and Seurat and Magritte! Oh My! Classical Art in Picturebooks" as she explains how training in art history impacts some favorite illustrators and their own work. Many thanks to Kathryn Shoemaker for finding this writer and her article.

Jane Addams was a woman I respected as a child growing up in Illinois. Hearing about her efforts and riding by the Chicago slums she worked in made such an impression on me. Susan Griffith serves on the committee which picks the Jane Addams Children's Book Award yearly. She discusses the choices for 2006 and shares some background on the work of a great woman in Illuminating Texts.

Things do show up in email that are just too good to ignore but don't fit in the usual places. When this happens several times in a short span of time, I feel compelled to act. Last winter August and Clare Imholtz sent an article on their reactions to a VERY condensed version of Alice in Wonderland being given to children by a fast-food chain as part of a literacy and family values campaign. "The Chick-fil-A Alice" discusses the amazing things done in fewer than twenty pages. Within a few weeks another intriguing paper appeared. Katie Sciurba sent me her opinions of The O'Reilly Factor for Kids: A Survival Guide for America's Families by TV personality Bill O'Reilly. Katie noted her paper was certainly not a scholarly MLA piece and probably would not fit anywhere. To me it was a perfect companion to a fast-food Alice! Coincidentally, at about that time, a friend introduced me to her cousin, Stevanne Auerbach, or Dr. Toy as she is known by parents, educators and toy merchants around the world. Stevanne is as amazing as her cousin promised me and shares her insights on toys and the importance of play in libraries and classrooms with decreasing budgets. These three articles appear in the new column Children and Their Culture.

Take a look at the announcements and paper calls which appear in Caucus Race and The Monitor. The April 2007 issue focuses on literature for and about indigenous people: Native Americans, First Nations, Aborigines, Ainu, etc. That deadline for submission is November 1, 2006. Other submissions are always of interest to us. Your thoughts are a fun part of my job!

The Looking Glass is in transition and considering new options for editor and publisher. Please send any ideas or suggestions to me.

Editorially yours,

Jane Goldstein

Volume 10, Issue 3 The Looking Glass 2 September, 2006

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