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Toni Buzzeo: Teacher, Librarian, Children's Writer - Page 3

© Sue Reichard

I know it's hard to believe, but I join my voice with those who claim to be glad they weren't published sooner. The Sea Chest was a fabulous book to begin my career. It won a Lupine Honor Award from the Maine Library Association and an Oppenheim Gold Award as well as being a Junior Library Guild Selection. Nothing I'd written before it equaled it, and so, of course, it deserved to be my first published book.

My advice is very simple and yet very difficult. Keep working and keep improving. If we are really serious about learning our craft, every day that we write, whether published or not, we get better, learn more, produce better work. Don't rush it. Believe that when your writing truly shines, you will find an editor who sees that and who wants to work with you. Meanwhile, remain dedicated to your craft AND to building editorial relationships.

5. SR: What area of children's literature do you feel is the most neglected?

TB: As a children's librarian and a children's book reviewer, I know the field of children's literature quite intimately. I am pleased to say that I don't think there are any broad areas of children's literature still neglected. For a time in the not-so-distant past, it was difficult to find really appealing biographies for the youngest readers, but even that has been remedied with the advent of gorgeously illustrated picture book biographies like Caldecott winning Snowflake Bentley, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian .

However, I do think there are cultures in the United States that aren't adequately represented in children's literature. Perhaps the greatest examples are books about contemporary Native children written by Native authors. Cynthia Leitich Smith , author of three children's books including the transitional short story collection, Indian Shoes, and the prolific Joseph Bruchac are working overtime to portray American Indians as visible members of the American cultural landscape. We need more books like theirs, and more books from them!

Librarians and teachers in the United States who are working to meet Social Studies content standards tell me that there aren't enough nonfiction books about Canada or fiction books with Canadian subjects to meet their needs. However, new titles such as Famous Dead Canadians by Joanne Stanbridge are helping to fill that need.

A growing area of children's publishing is "transitional novels," those shorter novels perfect for second and third graders who are graduating from easy readers but who aren't yet ready for a full-length novel with multiple subplots. Jennifer Jacobson's Winnie Dancing on Her Own and Truly Winnie are great examples, as are Megan McDonald's Judy Moody books. Teachers of kids who are transitional readers (whether second, third, fourth, or fifth graders) tell me we need more, more more! I have one begun myself, so I hope the demand continues to grow.

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