Inside Out: The Public and Private Lives of Children

May 1, 2008 | Scholastic Auditorium | NYC

Presented by the PEN Children’s/Young Adult Book Authors Committee, with special thanks to Scholastic

With Sharon G. Flake, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Jutta Richter, and Peter Sis; moderated by Elizabeth Levy

“What did you do today?”
“Nothing.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Dunno.”
“What are you feeling?”
“Huh?”

What are children hiding when they answer questions this way? What is going on behind their one-word answers? Writers for children and young adults explore the emotional and often turbulent lives of children in their stories. These stories are sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic, but each of the distinguished writers on this international panel realizes that children often understand a lot more than they are willing to express. How do writers convey the difference between a child’s private and public persona? The authors draw on their imaginations and memories of life in the Czech Republic, Germany, the American West, and this country’s inner cities and suburbs to explore the experiences and fantasy lives of children.

PHOTO GALLERY: Flickr photostream

 LISTEN
• Entire event (1:14:54)