By Anthony Stoeckert, Packet Media Group
It’s no surprise that a new literary journal is being published in Princeton, but somewhat unexpected is a publication devoted to the writings of children. That’s exactly what the revamped Picture Book Press, published by Cotsen Children’s Library, is. And based on the content in the Fall 2012 issue, there’s lots of young writing talent in the area.
The first issue includes a first-person account of a girl who, tired of her teachers’ droning, plans an escape from school, but is quickly foiled; a speech by a 13-year-old graduate telling his classmates that they are pandas, and poetry about human nature, favorite things and the wonders of purple.
”It’s jaw-dropping,” says Dana Sheridan, the education and outreach coordinator at Cotsen. “I’m amazed at the subjects and their depth and the quirkiness. Even among five poems a child might send me, they can be vastly different. It makes me more excited than I expected to be part of the process.”
In its previous incarnation, Picture Book Press offered information about programs at Cotsen Children’s Library, which is located on the Princeton University campus. That was no longer needed after Cotsen streamlined its programming. Ms. Sheridan then decided to change its format.
The result is a four-page (with the hope of it growing to eight), full-color journal that, in addition to the work by children, includes original artwork by two Princeton University students, information about Cotsen’s collections, and information about Cotsen activities.
One of the longer pieces in the issue is “My Secret Escape,” by Cathy Wu, a 13-year-old from Plainsboro. Cathy lived in China for the first nine years of her life, and her story is a true tale, based on a day she left school and spent a half-hour at a park before a woman in the neighborhood saw her. The young girl ran from the woman and found what she thought was a safe spot, only to hear her mother clearing her throat behind her.
”I lived nine years in China and I have a lot of memories there, and when I look back at those memories, I think some of them are really worth telling,” Cathy says when asked why she wrote the story.
She wrote “My Secret Escape” for a language arts class, and decided to submit it to Picture Book Press because she liked it.
”I was really excited because I’ve only been in this country for four years and I couldn’t even speak English back then, and now I’m getting this story published,” she says.
One of the most impressive aspects of the story is Cathy’s use of language and her vocabulary; they’d be impressive for any child (and more than a few adults) but it’s particularly striking in a 13-year-old who couldn’t speak English four years ago.
She uses words such as “furtively,” “interminable” and “lamented.” Describing her escape from school, she writes, “Soundless as a thief in the middle of the night, I gradually turned the door handle and tiptoed into the vacant hallway.”
Another longer piece is “Eighth-Grade Graduation Speech to the Grover Middle School Jaguars,” written by Charles de Agustin, who is now a ninth grader at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South.
He says the speech came about after the students in his grade were split into four teams, and one person from each team was selected to give a speech for the eighth-grade salute. Charles was selected and wrote a speech in which he compares eighth graders to giant pandas, being obese with knowledge and hungry for more, learning from mistakes and holding onto memories.
”I actually wrote the speech out of boredom,” Charles says. “I was done with my homework one night and just started typing, and for whatever reason, this topic of baby seals and giant pandas came to mind. I had the mindset that if I was going to write a speech for my salute, it wasn’t going to be like all of the others. I wanted the 800-plus people listening to me to be interested, laughing, and somewhat confused. And I think I achieved that.”
The work of young writers like Cathy and Charles has Ms. Sheridan enjoying her role of editor.
”It’s nice to be on this side of publications because you get to see so much and you get to be part of the process,” she says. “I didn’t realize, honestly, how exciting this was going to be for me, because all of a sudden there are kids out there connecting with me and having a dialogue with me. That’s really cool, I didn’t expect that.”
There is a downside, though, and that’s not being able to publish everything that’s submitted. “If someone is clearly putting out an effort, I don’t want them to be discouraged,” Ms. Sheridan says. “I do like the reality of the process, though, that you might not get in. That’s what you do as a writer and you just keep trying.”
She also encourages young writers to keep writing, even if their works don’t get published, and mentions a quote from Sylvia Plath: “I like my rejection slips, it means that I try.”
The true joy for the editor comes from reading the words of area students.
”It reminds me that intellectualism starts somewhere and the craft of writing starts somewhere,” she says. “The ability and enjoyment of words, using words, starts somewhere and this is a place for some of these seeds to grow.”
“Picture Book Press” is seeking submissions from writers ages 5 to 17. The editors prefer submissions to be typed and not exceed 1,200 words. All forms of writing — stories, essays, poems, book reports, etc. are welcome. For more information, go to www.princeton.edu/cotsen/gallery-programs/special-programs/
To be added to the mailing list to receive Picture Book Press in the mail, email [email protected]. Copies also are available at Cotsen Children’s Library on the campus of Princeton University.

