Amy Pattee, Associate Professor and Co-coordinator of Dual Degree MS LIS/MA Children's Literature, will serve as Co-President of the Children’s Literature Association (ChLA) for the coming year.
Pattee has served on the ChLA Board and the Momentum Steering Committee for a year, and, with Children’s Literature faculty member Cathie Mercier, co-edited the Association’s Newsletter from 2017 – 2020. She and her Co-President, Kenneth Kidd from the University of Florida, were appointed to these positions by the ChLA Executive Committee.
“This is the foremost organization for people who teach and research in the area of Children's Literature,” says Interim SLIS Director Laura Saunders. “We are excited for Dr. Pattee to take on this important role.”
The Children’s Literature Association is a non-profit organization for professionals focused on the academic study of children’s literature, such as scholars, critics, professors, librarians, and teachers. The group focuses on all media created for children, including books, films, and other media. It supports two peer-reviewed scholarly journals, Children’s Literature and the Children’s Literature Association Quarterly, both published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Pattee has been involved in ChLA since 2009, publishing articles in their related scholarly journals and presenting her research at the annual conference. At Simmons, Pattee’s courses focus on library collections, materials, programs and services for children and young adults. Her research interests include popular series fiction, magazines for teenage girls, and the intersections of reading and culture.
“I'm honored and humbled to be asked to serve in this role, particularly beside such an accomplished scholar and active ChLA member,” says Pattee. “Together, and with the support of the ChLA Board and the association's past presidents, we will work to advance the organization's mission and promote its values of inclusivity, diversity, integrity, development of scholarship and community, and celebration of the creativity, research, and service that has and continues to shape the field.”