Canadians were well represented at the 39th IBBY World Congress in Trieste, Italy. Among those presenting and reporting in for this newsletter were Patti McIntosh, Leigh Turina, Trish Osuch, Marcela Mangarelli, and Mayurika Chakravorty.
Actors of Change: Associations and Volunteers
Patti McIntosh, Chair, Reading with Newcomer Children
It was an honour to present alongside colleagues from Italy and Russia on the topic of “Actors of Change: Associations and Volunteers” and share IBBY Canada’s experiences in bringing books and immigrant and refugee children together, thanks to a strong group of volunteers, with IBBY Canada’s “Reading with Newcomer Children”program.
The passion for volunteerism in bringing books and children together was inspiring!
Thank you, fellow presenters Martina Evangelista and Federico Batini for giving me the “I read to other people” t-shirt (their program brings 1,000 read-aloud volunteers into communities in Italy.) I will wear with pride.
Special thanks to Jieun Lee, Reading with Newcomer Children virtual volunteer, who joined in the presentation via video. Jieun spoke to her experiences in reading—and shared some of the children’s Scaredy Squirrel inspired artwork. The squirrel art was a hit!
***
Diversity and Inclusion in Children’s Books and YA Novels: Difference is not a Subtraction
Leigh Turina, Lead Librarian for the IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities
Speaking from her research, the moderator for this roundtable, Marcella Terrusi, noted that disability is not a deficit. We do not talk about what is lacking. Our panel highlight was a talk from Argentinian writer/illustrator Gusti, who spoke movingly about being the father of a teen with Down syndrome. He suggested that people are like colours in a crayon box. We are all different—individual and unique, but with no judgement about those differences. Leigh talked about several outstanding books from the 2023 Selections on accessibility and disability representation. For me, the roundtable was a blur: two chances to speak, four big screens, and an audience of several hundred people!
***
CCBC Abroad: Sharing Accessible Books for Young Readers
Trish Osuch, Bibliovideo Channel Manager, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) was honoured to be invited to present our Accessible Books for Young Readers Project at IBBY World Congress 2024 in Trieste, Italy. I travelled to Italy along with my colleague Laura Brady and CCBC Executive Director, Stephanie Wells, to share our work. As a board member of IBBY Canada for the past five years, it was an extra special opportunity. I was absolutely thrilled to attend my first IBBY World Congress!
In our presentation, we shared what we’ve learned about the need for accessible Canadian books for young readers. We highlighted some of the videos and webinars we’ve created, our column and book reviews, and the Accessible Books Bank. We shared some new aspects of the project that are currently in development, and our wish that funding will be found to support these efforts.
Seeing the incredible work being done by Congress delegates from around the world supporting young readers encourages us to keep going. We hope to be able to continue to work toward achieving the goal of increasing the availability and discoverability of accessible books. Every child should be able to read great Canadian books in the format that works best for them.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada for this project.
***
From Academia to Practice: The Development of a Literacy Adventure Centre for Children, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
I am grateful for the opportunity to present at IBBY World Congress 2024 about the project I’ve been working on in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, since September 2021. The inspiration for this project came from my research on the FLIC Festival in Spain, which has an innovative approach to children’s literature, and the Art Basic for Children in Belgium, an organization that promotes art education for children. I was particularly interested in their methods and the impact they had on children’s literacy. My goal was to replicate these successful models in La Escuelita, an NGO in Puerto Vallarta that is a before-and-after school program to create educational opportunities for children of low-income families. The plan has transformed an existing space into a Literary Adventures Centre where art, literature, and childhood are integrated, offering rich and creative experiences.
***
Bridges Called Home: Radical Quests for Home and Identity in Contemporary South Asian-Canadian Children’s Literature Mayurika Chakravorty, Assistant Professor, Department of English and the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies (Childhood and Youth Studies), Carleton University
Drawing on the recent scholarship on migrancy, child agentism, and decolonial methodologies, my paper focused on children’s books by contemporary Canadian authors of South Asian origin and argued that migrant children, who are usually afforded merely the role of cultural translators in diasporic narratives, occupy a distinct position as confident agents of culture as they negotiate histories and geographies of power in the diaspora.
Canadians Presenting at 39th IBBY World Congress, Trieste, Italy
Canadians were well represented at the 39th IBBY World Congress in Trieste, Italy. Among those presenting and reporting in for this newsletter were Patti McIntosh, Leigh Turina, Trish Osuch, Marcela Mangarelli, and Mayurika Chakravorty.
Actors of Change: Associations and Volunteers
Patti McIntosh, Chair, Reading with Newcomer Children
It was an honour to present alongside colleagues from Italy and Russia on the topic of “Actors of Change: Associations and Volunteers” and share IBBY Canada’s experiences in bringing books and immigrant and refugee children together, thanks to a strong group of volunteers, with IBBY Canada’s “Reading with Newcomer Children” program.
The passion for volunteerism in bringing books and children together was inspiring!
Thank you, fellow presenters Martina Evangelista and Federico Batini for giving me the “I read to other people” t-shirt (their program brings 1,000 read-aloud volunteers into communities in Italy.) I will wear with pride.
Special thanks to Jieun Lee, Reading with Newcomer Children virtual volunteer, who joined in the presentation via video. Jieun spoke to her experiences in reading—and shared some of the children’s Scaredy Squirrel inspired artwork. The squirrel art was a hit!
***
Diversity and Inclusion in Children’s Books and YA Novels: Difference is not a Subtraction
Leigh Turina, Lead Librarian for the IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities
Speaking from her research, the moderator for this roundtable, Marcella Terrusi, noted that disability is not a deficit. We do not talk about what is lacking. Our panel highlight was a talk from Argentinian writer/illustrator Gusti, who spoke movingly about being the father of a teen with Down syndrome. He suggested that people are like colours in a crayon box. We are all different—individual and unique, but with no judgement about those differences. Leigh talked about several outstanding books from the 2023 Selections on accessibility and disability representation. For me, the roundtable was a blur: two chances to speak, four big screens, and an audience of several hundred people!
***
CCBC Abroad: Sharing Accessible Books for Young Readers
Trish Osuch, Bibliovideo Channel Manager, The Canadian Children’s Book Centre
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) was honoured to be invited to present our Accessible Books for Young Readers Project at IBBY World Congress 2024 in Trieste, Italy. I travelled to Italy along with my colleague Laura Brady and CCBC Executive Director, Stephanie Wells, to share our work. As a board member of IBBY Canada for the past five years, it was an extra special opportunity. I was absolutely thrilled to attend my first IBBY World Congress!
In our presentation, we shared what we’ve learned about the need for accessible Canadian books for young readers. We highlighted some of the videos and webinars we’ve created, our column and book reviews, and the Accessible Books Bank. We shared some new aspects of the project that are currently in development, and our wish that funding will be found to support these efforts.
Seeing the incredible work being done by Congress delegates from around the world supporting young readers encourages us to keep going. We hope to be able to continue to work toward achieving the goal of increasing the availability and discoverability of accessible books. Every child should be able to read great Canadian books in the format that works best for them.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada for this project.
***
From Academia to Practice: The Development of a Literacy Adventure Centre for Children, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Marcela Mangarelli, Regional Councillor Prairies, IBBY Canada
I am grateful for the opportunity to present at IBBY World Congress 2024 about the project I’ve been working on in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, since September 2021. The inspiration for this project came from my research on the FLIC Festival in Spain, which has an innovative approach to children’s literature, and the Art Basic for Children in Belgium, an organization that promotes art education for children. I was particularly interested in their methods and the impact they had on children’s literacy. My goal was to replicate these successful models in La Escuelita, an NGO in Puerto Vallarta that is a before-and-after school program to create educational opportunities for children of low-income families. The plan has transformed an existing space into a Literary Adventures Centre where art, literature, and childhood are integrated, offering rich and creative experiences.
***
Bridges Called Home: Radical Quests for Home and Identity in Contemporary South Asian-Canadian Children’s Literature
Mayurika Chakravorty, Assistant Professor, Department of English and the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies (Childhood and Youth Studies), Carleton University
Drawing on the recent scholarship on migrancy, child agentism, and decolonial methodologies, my paper focused on children’s books by contemporary Canadian authors of South Asian origin and argued that migrant children, who are usually afforded merely the role of cultural translators in diasporic narratives, occupy a distinct position as confident agents of culture as they negotiate histories and geographies of power in the diaspora.
Compiled by Lesley Clement
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