Each August for the past four years, PJ Library has invited 20 emerging Jewish storybook authors to the rolling hills of rural Pennsylvania for PJ Library’s Picture Book Summer Camp (PBSC). Held at the beautiful Highlights Retreat Center, participants enjoy workshops with experts in the fields of children’s and Jewish children’s literature, learn to expand their craft, and enjoy quiet uninterrupted time to think and write.
The result? Better equipped future children’s book writers who can bring thoughtful, creative, valuable stories to Jewish families.
“PJ Library’s ability to offer 100 different titles to our subscribers each year across nine age groups depends on experienced authors providing us with a steady influx of stories,” says Chris Barash, PJ Library’s director of acquisitions. “At the same time, we realize that to continually offer subscribers new high-quality books, we need to encourage and nurture authors who will create Jewish stories in the future. Picture Book Summer Camp introduces writers to a vibrant community of their peers and, at the same time, exposes them to experts in the field of Jewish children’s literature. This combination can provide the impetus for writers to continue their creative Jewish writing journeys.”
From generation to generation
Picture Book Summer Camp receives over 100 applications for just 20 coveted slots — for good reason. The Highlights Foundation, which houses Picture Book Summer Camp, is widely recognized as an organization that offers exceptional support for authors in every aspect of their writing lives. This sets the stage for a meaningful, focused retreat; PJ Library brings experts in the field and offers insightful programming on a wide array of topics that authors are interested in exploring.
Alan Silberberg, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, and Lesléa Newman, each beloved Jewish children’s book authors who have had their work distributed by PJ Library, offer group workshops, individual meetings with authors, and keynote addresses in which they share their own background as well as writing and publishing experiences. Year after year, they generously return to Picture Book Summer Camp to impart their wisdom and encourage the next generation of Jewish storytellers.
“PJ Library’s goals for PBSC are to inspire and support authors who are in earlier stages of their picture-book writing careers and who have shown a desire and ability to create Jewish stories for children,” says Naomi Shulman, managing editor of PJ Publishing. “None of the participants has published more than one picture book, and some have yet to be published at all. For many, having a book in the PJ Library lineup is a major objective. Having established, well-known authors at Highlights to answer questions and provide encouragement goes further than even the participants may realize.”
An in-house project outdoors
PJ Library staff also take an active role in the camp. Barash, Shulman, and Tasha Flagg, chair of the PJ Library Book Selection Committee, offer breakout sessions with participants, facilitate small-group meetings, and offer an “Ask Us Anything” get-together to share information about PJ Library, its programs, and the inner workings of book selection, PJ Publishing, and acquisitions.
“The PJ Library staff who take part in PBSC see the week as a highlight of the year,” says Flagg. “The enthusiasm for and gratitude toward Harold Grinspoon and PJ Library from the summer camp participants are heartwarming. Perhaps most rewarding is to watch the growth that takes place during the week as authors exchange ideas, hear the background (including the professional struggles) of authors who have ‘made it,’ strengthen their manuscripts, and receive feedback on their work. And, of course, we’re thrilled when, down the road, we see submissions to PJ Library from PBSC participants.”
Writing is, for the most part, a solitary effort, and for some it can feel isolating. Picture Book Summer Camp, like many PJ Library-sponsored initiatives for authors, often provides the first opportunity for participants to experience a writing community and feel part of something bigger that is, at the same time, inherently Jewish.
“This past week was a particularly rich session,” says Barash. “We on the PJ Library staff witnessed writers form meaningful connections with each other, and we saw manuscripts evolve from the germ of an idea to a polished draft. It’s so exciting to watch writers grow and mature in front of one’s eyes. Picture Book Summer Camp lives in the confidence and joy that builds throughout the week.”