Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself.
These wise words of George Bernard Shaw capture the essence of Spotlight on Books, (http://spotlightonbooks.weebly.com) the popular “conference for adults focused on youth literature.” For the past several years Spotlight, sponsored by the Northern Lights Library Network, has drawn teachers, parents, libraries and bibliophiles of every stripe from throughout the region to springtime celebration of reading and young readers. This year’s Spotlight is April 8-9 at Chase on the Lake in Walker, Minnesota.
A feature of the 2016 conference is a timely focus on books and resources related to American Indian literature for young readers. The roster of speakers is powerful:
- Candace Fleming (http://www.candacefleming.com) is the author of more than twenty books for children and young adults, many of which are recognized with prestigious national awards
- Carrie Ehlert Newman (https://books.google.com/books/about/War_on_the_Prairie.html?id=M_KxuAAACAAJ) is author of War on the Prairie, a novel set during the 1862 US-Dakota War.
- Eric Rohlman (http://www.ericrohmann.com) is a Caldecott Award winning author and illustrator of popular titles including My Friend Rabbit and Time Flies.
- Anton Treur (http://antontreuer.com ), professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, is author of fourteen books and editor of Oshkaaabewis Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language.
Sponsoring organization, Northern Lights Library Network (NLLN) is the geographically largest of Minnesota’s seven library cooperative systems. The system serves over 300 school, public, academic and special libraries in the 23 counties of Northwest and West Central Minnesota. Member libraries include public, school, private and public academic, and special libraries. NLLN offices are located in Moorhead.
