Jennifer Graff, an associate professor in the College of Education’s language and literacy education department, will serve a three-year term on the committee that selects top nonfiction books for children. Established in 1989, the Orbis Pictus Award recognizes and promotes excellence in nonfiction writing for children and names a winner, up to five “honor” books and eight “recommended” books every year.
Along with selecting annual winners for the Orbis Pictus Award, Graff and fellow committee members will organize nonfiction-focused sessions at the annual convention of the National Council of Teachers of English and also work to promote the use of nonfiction children’s books in classrooms.
The annual award is named in commemoration of the 1657 book Orbis Pictus, which is considered to be the first nonfiction book printed for children.