Marilyn Nelson--Winner of Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature

Excited to report that Marilyn Nelson, a poet and children's book author, has just won the Neustadt Prize for Children's Literature. this is a HUGE award, akin to the Nobel Prize in literature. It is international in scope, and acknowledges authors who have generated a significant body of work. Not only is Marilyn a wonderful poet (she was our featured guest poet for Outreach in 2016), but she is a wonderful children's book author, which is what this award is for! When I teach A WREATH FOR EMMETT TILL in my graduate children's writing class, the students are crying and so am I, even though I have read it dozens of times before. This book is a royal crown of sonnets, and was ground-breaking when it first came out; it challenged the way in which YA stories could be told. What a story teller! What a mensch! What a talented and amazing artist! So proud of Marilyn Nelson!