More Than Just Green Eggs and Ham

From board books to young-adult vampire novels, from Dr. Seuss to J. K. Rowling, children's books account for over 20 percent of trade book titles published in the U.S, according to the latest tally by Publisher's Weekly. Keeping all those farm animals talking and young detectives solving mysteries takes an army of authors and illustrators typing and drawing into the night. This weekend, more than 100 of them will convene in Nashville to discuss the often serious business of creating often silly stories.

With over 22,000 members, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is the largest writers' group on earth, even excluding the illustrators, says SCBWI regional advisor Tracy Barrett, a Vanderbilt professor of Italian and a local author of children's books. When the fall conference of the SCBWI Midsouth Region (i.e., Tennessee and Kentucky) opens at Scarritt-Bennett Center on Sept. 20, a group of veteran writers, illustrators and publishers will host seminars designed to help both established and hopeful authors and artists. With titles like "The Basics for Beginning Writers" and "Art Department Confidential" these sessions will provide guidance for breaking into—and succeeding in—the world of children's literature. Would-be Sandra Boyntons and Barbara Parkses can find out if they have the right stuff by getting their first pages or pictures critiqued by professionals.

Although the main focus of the SCBWI may be on business, the conference organizers haven't forgotten the reason they do what they do. The keynote address by Bruce Coville, author of 90 books for children and young adults (including the popular My Teacher Is an Alien series) is titled "Saving the World, One Story at a Time: Why What We Do Matters." In a world teeming with text messaging and iPods, the reading nooks of bedrooms and classrooms will continue to be filled by men and women who refuse to stop writing and painting and printing, and the magical words, "Once upon a time," will keep bringing joy to children's faces.

Additional information and a registration form can be found at scbwi-midsouth.org.