Author
visits campus
By Yoshinori Okada
On-line Forty-Niner
Eve
Bunting, an award-winning children’s literature
author, made a come-back to University Library’s
Children’s Literature Collection at Cal
State Long Beach Wednesday, speaking to
more than 200 enthusiastic students, faculty,
staff and members of the community, including
children and educators.
Eve Bunting is not only a well-known and
respected author who writes books for young
children and young adults but also opened
the collection in 1996, according to Cathrine
Lewisida, director of outreach for the Children’s
Literature Collection.
“It’s a community outreach event and to
reach out to our students, faculty and staff,”
said Associate Dean of the Library Henry
Dubois.
Graduate student Kevin Prijatel said, “I’m
glad I’m here, I’ve got a great experience
here and I got some books myself.” He said
he probably will use some of her books in
his classroom.
Bunting began her presentation with how
she gained her story ideas and then talked
about her writings and books.
Among the books she spoke of were “Smokey
Nights,” a story about the Los Angeles riots
for which she was awarded the Caldecott
Medal, “How Many Days to America,” which
describes immigrant experiences, and her
newly published book titled “One Candle.”
She has written 231 books and received many
awards such as the Golden Kite Award from
the Society of Children’s Book Writers and
the Edger Award given by the Mystery Writers
of America.
“I’m interested in everything and I just
want to write about all the things I’m interested
in,” Bunting said. “I hope to make children
think about a lot of things in life that
I personally think are important. I don’t
want to teach so many things but I want
them to think.”
“I think it’s wonderful, her books, they
make really important issues accessible
to both children and older kids,” Karen
Lima of Long Beach said.
Audience members formed a long line that
lasted for nearly an hour in front of Bunting,
awaiting her autograph on their copies of
her books sold at the site.
“It was magic, it was absolutely magic,”
education professor and children’s literature
specialist Sylvia Maxson said. “It was wonderful
to have an author that writes in such a
diverse way to address so many social issues
that we are facing and our children are
facing. So just a wonderful opportunity
for the university as a whole to support
an educational program and to offer this
to the community of Long Beach.”
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