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Elizabeth Van Doren

Elizabeth Van Doren has been a publisher and editor of children's books for more than twenty years. She has published a wide variety of award- winning books in all genres, from picture books to middle grade novels to young adult fiction. She has worked with many well-known and highly- lauded writers including Jane Yolen, Mary Ann Hoberman, Andrea and Brian Pinkney, Alison McGhee, Sarah Weeks, and Leo and Diane Dillon and has nurtured the careers of successful new writers, most notable among them Deborah Wiles, whose second novel, Each Little Bird that Sings, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Other books Van Doren has edited have been named Book Sense Children's Pick, ALA Notable Book, Child Magazine Best Book of the Year, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, New York Times Top Ten Books of the Year, among many other awards and honors. In addition to acquiring, editing, and publishing books, Van Doren has also spoken frequently at writers' conferences and has led writing workshops. The most important thing she looks for in a manuscript is whether the book is emotionally resonant for children. As a former high school teacher and a parent, she is very attuned to children's interests and what sparks their imagination.

Courses Taught

fall 2012

fall 2011

ENGL 121.301 Writing for Children  

spring 2011

ENGL 121.301 Writing for Children  

spring 2010

ENGL 121.301 Writing for Children  

fall 2009

spring 2009

ENGL 121.301 Writing for Children  

spring 2008

ENGL 121.301 Writing for Children