"Children's Digital Literature and Culture"
Children's Literature Association Sponsored Session

2006 MLA Convention
Philadelphia, December 27-30, 2006, USA

This panel will explore intersections of children's literature and culture in digital media, including video games, websites, online diaries and blogs, software (like learning games, Flash games, Living Books), online libraries, and similar digital texts. In doing so, the panel will investigate how these media impact children's literature and culture, including digital media that complements traditional children's literature such as websites by authors and video game tie-ins. Examples include Jane Yolen's single author blog and Neil Gaiman's blog which he updates daily and where readers of all ages can post comments, as well as same-story versions of children's texts that are adapted for multiple media such as The Polar Express and Lemony Snicket, which have texts, movies, websites, and video games.

The panel will also examine how different media (blogs, webpages, video games, digital libraries, iPods, GPS, etc) impact and alter children's literature and culture. By investigating these media we will see how children's culture has become a multi-media and multi-disciplinary field of inquiry into childhood and literature.

Possible media topics could include:
1. Video games for children
2. Digital libraries
3. Blogs
4. Plug N Play gaming systems
5. ESRP Game Rating System
6. Educational gaming systems (Leapfrog)
7. Misc digital media (iPod, GPS)

Or, submissions can focus on a particular aspect within a specific media
that relates to children or youth. These could include:
1. digital media and gender
2. digital media and race
3. digital media and children as consumers
4. digital media and the environment
5. digital media and policy/politics
6. digital media and history

DEADLINE: By March 1, 2006, submit 1-2 page abstracts or 8-page papers via email to cmartin@english.ufl.edu

Or through mail:
Cathlena Martin
University of Florida
Department of English
4008 Turlington Hall
PO Box 117310
Gainesville, FL 32611
USA

cmartin@english.ufl.edu