Children's Literature + Library Services to Children
Children's Literature (MA) + Library and Information Science (MS):Library Services to Children is the first and only dual degree program in the country that prepares students and professionals in library youth and young adult services.
Enroll in both the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature and the Master of Science in Library and Information Science to meld theory and practice. Work with an advisor from each program to tailor your studies to meet your needs and interests.
Examine literary history and then evaluate a children’s literature collection. Consider far-ranging critical frameworks and assess the right young adult texts to bring to readers. Study the form of the picturebook as the first step in connecting books to child readers. Research contemporary nonfiction to build not only today’s common core but also to tomorrow’s scientists.
Immerse yourself in The Center for the Study of Children’s Literature. Join authors and illustrators at the summer institute, the Horn Book at Simmons Symposium, and the literary events hosted in Boston every year. From Children’s Books Boston to the Boston Book Festival, participate in today’s literary society as you create tomorrow’s readers.
Scholarships, Discounts, Fellowship and Teaching Assistantship Opportunities
All applicants are considered for a range of university scholarships, including endowed and departmental awards; new and returning students may apply for selective fellowships to help fund their degrees. Students who have completed at least eight credits are eligible to apply for teaching assistantships to gain experience in the classroom and help finance their degree. Additionally, Simmons is proud to offer teachers, librarians, affiliates of partner organizations, and Simmons alumnae/i reduced tuition and other benefits.
Our Faculty
Cathryn Mercier
Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children's Literature
Amy Pattee
Professor
Anita Silvey
Adjunct Faculty
Spotlight on Children's Literature Students and Alums
From Mock Printz to the Real Deal: Simmons Dual Degree Student Shares Her Awards Committee Experience
Elena McVicar ’11MA/MS shares her experience serving on the 2021 Printz Award Committee, and how her Simmons studies uniquely prepared her to work in the Children's Literature field.
Children’s Literature Alumna Receives Mentor Award at 2024 Carle Honors
On September 26, Elissa Gershowitz ’00MA, Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book, received a Mentor Award at the Carle Honors ceremony in New York City. Bestowed by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art these annual awards celebrate individuals and organizations who have elevated the art of children’s picture-book making.
Simmons Children’s Lit Alum on Judging the Horn Book Awards
Rodney Fierce ’12MA, a Humanities Teacher at Sonoma Academy, shares what led him to study children’s literature, his work at the Academy, and his recent experience on the Horn Book Awards Committee.
Children’s and English Literature Alumna Named Agent of the Month
Amy Thrall Flynn 95’MA, ’21MA, Senior Literary Agent of Aevitas Creative Management, has been named “Agent of the Month” (for October 2024) by Writing and Illustrating, a blog devoted to children’s literature authors and illustrators.
Children’s Literature Alum Celebrates Bookshop’s First Anniversary
Stacy Whitman '05MA celebrates the first anniversary of her brick and mortar bookstore, Curious Cat Bookshop in Winsted, CT, with an article in the CT Insider.
Children’s Literature Professor Helps Select Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winners
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards “recognize and reward excellence in literature for children and young adults.” As the School Library Journal reported, Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children’s Literature Cathryn Mercier chaired a group of judges who determined the 2024 awardees.
From Simmons to the Caldecott Medal: Adventures in Picturebooks with Rotem Moscovich ’06MA
Rotem Moscovich ’06MA, Editorial Director of Picturebooks at Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, shares how Simmons cultivated her love for children's literature, and her experience editing a Caldecott-winning picturebook.
Blowing the Horn for Children’s Literature: One Hundred Years of The Horn Book Magazine
In October of 1924, the first issue of The Horn Book magazine appeared. It began as a newsletter from the Bookshop for Boys and Girls, one of the first children’s book shops in the United States, established in 1916 by...