49th annual Kerlan Award, honoring Lisa Yee

Celebrated author Lisa Yee had an early love for reading, she told a room filled with children’s books lovers. She went on to recount her childhood evenings spent reading books by flashlight.

“Books rescued me,” Yee said. “They re-centered who I was.”

Yee was speaking Oct. 22 at the University of Minnesota’s Elmer L. Andersen Library, where she was honored as the 2024 recipient of the Kerlan Award. The award is given annually in recognition of singular attainments in the creation of children’s literature and in appreciation for the generous donation of unique resources to the Kerlan Collection. Since its inception in 1975, this award has been given to literary luminaries including Wanda Gág, Kate DiCamillo, Lois Lowry, Barbara Cooney, John Coy, Andrea Davis Pinkney, and Jon Scieszka.

Yee is an award-winning author of more than 20 books for children and young adults. During her presentation, she discussed her writing and publishing career, including her experience writing her groundbreaking book Millicent Min, Girl Genius, which features one of the first Asian American protagonists in contemporary children’s literature.

Her recent titles include Maizy Chen’s Last Chance, which is a Newbery Honor book, National Book Award Finalist, and winner of the Asian Pacific American Children’s Literature Award. Most recently, Yee collaborated with longtime friend and fellow children’s book author/illustrator Dan Santat on the New York Times Bestseller The Misfits, about a group of awkward undercover crime fighters.

Yee’s talk also recounted her feelings of awe upon visiting the Kerlan Collection and encountering materials like Beverly Cleary’s manuscripts. About donating her own materials to the collection, Yee said: “I wanted my works and my writing to feel at home.”

Lisa German, University Librarian and Dean of Libraries, kicked off the evening by recognizing Cathy and Glen Miranker, bibliophiles from San Francisco with a passion for children’s books and libraries.

“They are also philanthropists,” said German, “who earlier this year made a very generous donation to endow the curator position for the Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature — ensuring that the Kerlan will always be led by a librarian archivist with expertise in children’s literature, child development, and literacy.”

Lisa Von Drasek, Miranker Family Curatorial Chair of the Kerlan Collection, introduced Alex Genis, Kerlan Award Committee Chair, who presented the Kerlan Award to Lisa Yee before her talk began.

Upcoming events and exhibits

We invite you to join us for these upcoming events and exhibits at the Kerlan:

“Dear Readers and Riders: The Life of Marguerite Henry” with author Lettie Teague on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. 

Teague, wine columnist for The Wall Street Journal and author of three books, will discuss her recently published “Dear Readers and Riders,” a biography of beloved and best-selling children’s author Marguerite Henry. In doing research for her book, Teague relied heavily on Henry’s archival materials, which are held in the Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature.

Journey to Joy: Rise, Relevance, Representation in Children’s Picture Books exhibit opening on Nov. 14 at 5 p.m.

The four-floor exhibit “Journey to Joy: Rise, Relevance, Representation in Children’s Picture Books” illuminates the diversity of children’s picture books and was developed in curatorial consultation with award-winning children’s book author Andrea Davis Pinkney and Lisa Von Drasek. Join us on a journey that takes you from the iconic W.E.B. Du Bois’ Brownies’ Book to the Caldecott Award-winning Snowy Day to the work of Ezra Jack Keats Award recipients. For the first time, the Kerlan will exhibit contemporary Minnesota Native American illustrators Jonathan Thunder, Annette Lee, and Marlena Myles.

About the Kerlan Collection

The Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature stands at the forefront of children’s literature archives worldwide. An internationally recognized children’s literature library and archive, the Kerlan holds more than 100,000 children’s books, original manuscripts, correspondence, artworks, galleys, color proofs, and other material for more than 1,700 authors and illustrators. Open to the public, The Kerlan is a rich resource for researchers, educators, families, and all who love children’s literature.

The Kerlan Collection was established in the 1940s by University of Minnesota alumnus Dr. Irvin Kerlan (1912-1963), medical research chief at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He collected rare books as a hobby and soon turned to children’s books.