Submissions from ChLA members for the Carol Gay Award are now being accepted for outstanding papers on children's literature by undergraduate students.
Nominations should be submitted by a faculty member on behalf of the undergraduate student author. A cover letter must accompany the submission and provide an endorsement of the paper and explain the faculty member's familiarity with the student's work. Please include both the member's and the student's email and street addresses on the cover letter only. Submissions will be forwarded from the ChLA office to the members of the Carol Gay Award Committee and read blind (without the accompanying cover letter). Papers must be original and show evidence of scholarly research and include a bibliography with more than the primary works included. They should conform to MLA style and should be no fewer than 8 pages and no more than 15 pages including notes and works cited. Senior theses are not eligible.
Award winners will receive a $200 prize, a certificate, and a complimentary year's membership to the Association. With the author's permission, the award winning essay may also be posted on the ChLA website. The recipient is also offered the opportunity to present the winning essay during a session at the annual ChLA conference and to receive his/her award during the awards banquet. If the winner attends the conference, a complimentary banquet ticket is also awarded, and conference registration is waived.
Only two submissions per ChLA faculty member will be accepted. The deadline is February 1, 2013 for a paper written during 2012.
For further information, contact the ChLA Administrator at the e-mail address noted above or by phone at (630) 571-4520.
Carol Gay Award Recipients
2012
Winner: Joanna Persson for “Take it to the Porch: Meeting The Other in To Kill a Mockingbird." (Sponsored by Amy Sonheim, Ouachita Baptist University)
2011
Winner: Melissa Filbeck for "The Big Tease: Richardson's Pamela and Meyer's Twilight as Abstinence Porn." (Sponsored by Jackie Stallcup, University of California—Northridge).
Honor Essay: Beth Feagan for "Repression and Return: The Uncanny in Bloor's Books." (Sponsored by Chris McGee, Longwood University)
2010
Winner: Melissa Filbeck for “It’s a Love/Hate Relationship: Representations of Mothers in the Harry Potter Series” (Sponsored by Ranita Chatterjee, University of California – Northridge)
Honor Essay: Cara Walter for “These Things I Know for Certain: How List-Making Functions as a Turning Point in Young Adult Literature” (Sponsored by Kara Keeling, Christopher Newport University)
2009
Erica Wnek for “The Transformation of the School Story: from Allegory to Individuality” (Sponsored by Michael Joseph, Rutgers University Libraries)
2008
Winner: Paige Carlson for “Harry Panoptic: The Boy Who Saw” (Sponsored by Lori Campbell, University of Pittsburgh)
Honor Essay: Lesley Lindstedt for “The Importance of Being Coraline” (Sponsored by Michelle Martin, Clemson University)
2007
Carolyn Blythe Giles for “Perpetuating Inequality through Special Education in Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key” (Sponsored by Marah Gubar, University of Pittsburgh)
2006
Katherine M. Adams for “’The Man of the Island’: Benn Gunn as the Native in Treasure Island” (Sponsored by Beverly Lyon Clark, Wheaton College)
2005
Sara Regehr Neufeld for “Children’s Literature as Colonization: A ‘Much Lesser’ of Two Evils” (Sponsored by Perry Nodelman, University of Winnipeg)
2004
Winner: Danielle Monsonis for “Revenge vs. Approval: Conflicting Desires in The Cat in the Hat and Where the Wild Things Are” (Sponsored by Lisa Rowe Fraustino, Eastern Connecticut State University)
Honorable Mention: Tameika Rease for “Inside the Mind of a Refugee Child” (Sponsored by Meena Khorana, Morgan State University)
2003
Winner: Erin Delaney for “Masculine and Feminine Resistance in A Handful of Stars, The Year of Impossible Goodbyes, and Forgotten Fire” (Sponsored by Jackie Stallcup, California State University, Northridge)
Honorable Mention: Joey Weber for “Lost in the Screentext: Cinematic Narratives, Styles, and Presentation in Holes and Weetzie Bat” (Sponsored by June Cummins, San Diego State University)
2002
Bonnie Margay Burke for “Big Pitchers Have Little Ears: Challenging Adult Participation in the Silencing of Children” (Sponsored by Mary Galbraith, San Diego State University)
2001
Catherine Keyser for “Resurrecting the Witch: Rehabilitating the Maternal in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” (Sponsored by Marah Gubar, Princeton University - now at University of Pittsburgh)
2000
Patricia McCauley for “Nineteenth-Century Readings of Little Women” (Sponsored by Troy Boone, University of Pittsburgh)
1999
Kristy Quinn for “Her Wicked, Wicked Ways: Dismantling the Grimm World of Gender in The Magic Circle”
1998
Lucy Norton for “Seeing Is Believing: Magic Realism and Visual Narrative in Margaret Mahy’s The Changeover” (Sponsored by Claudia Nelson, Southwest Texas State University – now at Texas A&M University)
Note: 1998 is the inception year for the Carol Gay Award being given to an outstanding undergraduate paper. Previously the award was an essay contest for high school students.
But Mary Poppins‘s eyes were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you could not look at Mary Poppins and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her—something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting. (P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins, 1934) "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what‘s the fist thing you say to yourself?" "What‘s for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what‘s going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It‘s the same thing," he said. (A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, 1926) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, he top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. (Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting, 1975) My cousin comes to visit and you know he‘s from the South ‘Cause every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth I like the way he whistles and I like the way he walks But honey, let me tell you that I LOVE the way he talks (Eloise Greenfield, from "Honey, I Love," Honey, I love and other love poems, 1978) They tell you to do your thing but they don‘t mean it. They don‘t want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It‘s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don‘t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say. (Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War, 1974) There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. (Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows 1908) "My darling child!... Where in the world did you come from?" "From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I‘m so glad to be at home again!" (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900) It was a dark and stormy night. (Madeleine L‘Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, 1962) When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, when Jamie saw Van throw his baby sister Nin, then they moved. (Carolyn Coman, What Jamie Saw, 1995) Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It‘s one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they‘re the four hugest words in the world when they‘re put together. You can do it. (Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007) When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles and the bottle‘s on a poodle and the poodle‘s eating noodles... (Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks 1965) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you‘d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn‘t hold with such nonsense. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone, 1997) She knew they were all afraid. But love and disease are both like electricity, Weetzie thought. They are always there—you can‘t see or smell or hear, touch, or taste them, but you know they are there like a current in the air. We can choose, Weetzie thought, we can choose to plug into the love current instead. (Francesca Lia Block, Weetzie Bat 1989) "Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything‘s got a moral, if only you can find it." (Lewis Carroll, Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland 1865) "Yes, it‘s very wicked to lie," said Pippi even more sadly. "But I forget it now and then. And how can you expect a little child whose mother is an angel and whose father is king of a cannibal island and who herself has sailed on the ocean all her life—how can you expect her to tell the truth always?" (Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, 1950) TWINKLE, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are ! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. (Ann and Jane Taylor, from "The Star," Rhymes from the Nursery, 1806) "Where‘s papa going with that ax?" (E. B. White, Charlotte‘s Web 1952) "You‘ve started quite a career for yourself, Nancy. I wonder if you‘ll have any more adventures?" Nancy gave a tired sigh. "Oh, I think I‘ve had enough to last me for the rest of my life!" But in heart heart, she knew she had not. The love for mystery would always be with her. (Carolyn Keene, The Bungalow Mystery 1930) HOW doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower! (Isaac Watts, from "Against Idleness and Mischief, Divine Songs for Children, 1715)Take some time daily to speak a little to your children one by one about their miserable condition by nature…. They are not too little to die… not too little to go to hell. — James Janeway, A Token for Children (1671-2) But Mary Poppins‘s eyes were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you could not look at Mary Poppins and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her—something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting. (P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins, 1934) "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what‘s the fist thing you say to yourself?" "What‘s for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what‘s going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It‘s the same thing," he said. (A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, 1926) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, he top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. (Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting, 1975) My cousin comes to visit and you know he‘s from the South ‘Cause every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth I like the way he whistles and I like the way he walks But honey, let me tell you that I LOVE the way he talks (Eloise Greenfield, from "Honey, I Love," Honey, I love and other love poems, 1978) They tell you to do your thing but they don‘t mean it. They don‘t want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It‘s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don‘t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say. (Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War, 1974) There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. (Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows 1908) "My darling child!... Where in the world did you come from?" "From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I‘m so glad to be at home again!" (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900) It was a dark and stormy night. (Madeleine L‘Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, 1962) When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, when Jamie saw Van throw his baby sister Nin, then they moved. (Carolyn Coman, What Jamie Saw, 1995) Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It‘s one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they‘re the four hugest words in the world when they‘re put together. You can do it. (Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007) When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles and the bottle‘s on a poodle and the poodle‘s eating noodles... (Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks 1965) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you‘d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn‘t hold with such nonsense. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone, 1997) She knew they were all afraid. But love and disease are both like electricity, Weetzie thought. They are always there—you can‘t see or smell or hear, touch, or taste them, but you know they are there like a current in the air. We can choose, Weetzie thought, we can choose to plug into the love current instead. (Francesca Lia Block, Weetzie Bat 1989) "Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything‘s got a moral, if only you can find it." (Lewis Carroll, Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland 1865) "Yes, it‘s very wicked to lie," said Pippi even more sadly. "But I forget it now and then. And how can you expect a little child whose mother is an angel and whose father is king of a cannibal island and who herself has sailed on the ocean all her life—how can you expect her to tell the truth always?" (Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, 1950) TWINKLE, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are ! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. (Ann and Jane Taylor, from "The Star," Rhymes from the Nursery, 1806) "Where‘s papa going with that ax?" (E. B. White, Charlotte‘s Web 1952) "You‘ve started quite a career for yourself, Nancy. I wonder if you‘ll have any more adventures?" Nancy gave a tired sigh. "Oh, I think I‘ve had enough to last me for the rest of my life!" But in heart heart, she knew she had not. The love for mystery would always be with her. (Carolyn Keene, The Bungalow Mystery 1930) HOW doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower! (Isaac Watts, from "Against Idleness and Mischief, Divine Songs for Children, 1715)Take some time daily to speak a little to your children one by one about their miserable condition by nature…. They are not too little to die… not too little to go to hell. — James Janeway, A Token for Children (1671-2) But Mary Poppins‘s eyes were fixed upon him, and Michael suddenly discovered that you could not look at Mary Poppins and disobey her. There was something strange and extraordinary about her—something that was frightening and at the same time most exciting. (P. L. Travers, Mary Poppins, 1934) "When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what‘s the fist thing you say to yourself?" "What‘s for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what‘s going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It‘s the same thing," he said. (A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh, 1926) The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, he top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. (Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting, 1975) My cousin comes to visit and you know he‘s from the South ‘Cause every word he says just kind of slides out of his mouth I like the way he whistles and I like the way he walks But honey, let me tell you that I LOVE the way he talks (Eloise Greenfield, from "Honey, I Love," Honey, I love and other love poems, 1978) They tell you to do your thing but they don‘t mean it. They don‘t want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It‘s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don‘t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say. (Robert Cormier, The Chocolate War, 1974) There is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. (Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows 1908) "My darling child!... Where in the world did you come from?" "From the Land of Oz," said Dorothy gravely. "And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I‘m so glad to be at home again!" (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900) It was a dark and stormy night. (Madeleine L‘Engle, A Wrinkle in Time, 1962) When Jamie saw him throw the baby, saw Van throw the little baby, saw Van throw his little sister Nin, when Jamie saw Van throw his baby sister Nin, then they moved. (Carolyn Coman, What Jamie Saw, 1995) Do you understand how amazing it is to hear that from an adult? Do you know how amazing it is to hear that from anybody? It‘s one of the simplest sentences in the world, just four words, but they‘re the four hugest words in the world when they‘re put together. You can do it. (Sherman Alexie, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, 2007) When beetles fight these battles in a bottle with their paddles and the bottle‘s on a poodle and the poodle‘s eating noodles... (Dr. Seuss, Fox in Socks 1965) Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you‘d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn‘t hold with such nonsense. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone, 1997) She knew they were all afraid. But love and disease are both like electricity, Weetzie thought. They are always there—you can‘t see or smell or hear, touch, or taste them, but you know they are there like a current in the air. We can choose, Weetzie thought, we can choose to plug into the love current instead. (Francesca Lia Block, Weetzie Bat 1989) "Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything‘s got a moral, if only you can find it." (Lewis Carroll, Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland 1865) "Yes, it‘s very wicked to lie," said Pippi even more sadly. "But I forget it now and then. And how can you expect a little child whose mother is an angel and whose father is king of a cannibal island and who herself has sailed on the ocean all her life—how can you expect her to tell the truth always?" (Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, 1950) TWINKLE, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are ! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. (Ann and Jane Taylor, from "The Star," Rhymes from the Nursery, 1806) "Where‘s papa going with that ax?" (E. B. White, Charlotte‘s Web 1952) "You‘ve started quite a career for yourself, Nancy. I wonder if you‘ll have any more adventures?" Nancy gave a tired sigh. "Oh, I think I‘ve had enough to last me for the rest of my life!" But in heart heart, she knew she had not. The love for mystery would always be with her. (Carolyn Keene, The Bungalow Mystery 1930) HOW doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day From every opening flower! (Isaac Watts, from "Against Idleness and Mischief, Divine Songs for Children, 1715)Take some time daily to speak a little to your children one by one about their miserable condition by nature…. They are not too little to die… not too little to go to hell. — James Janeway, A Token for Children (1671-2)