While pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English, Amber Weinstock ’24MA took a course in children’s literature.
“No one [in my program] was interested in children’s literature, critically,” she recalls. “For them, it was a fun class, nostalgic. For me, it’s a field that deserves critical attention. Scholars have demonstrated how children’s literature is central to understanding African American literature, and I think there are other fields that would also benefit from that work.”
Pursuing a Master’s Degree at Simmons
Weinstock chose the master of arts in children’s literature at Simmons for its rigorous disciplinary opportunities and critical perspectives that make it stand out among children’s literature programs.
“The professors at Simmons don’t regard children’s literature as auxiliary, but central to their work. There are so many new and exciting ways to study it, new approaches to take, there are vast possibilities for research and critical potential,” she says.
The interdisciplinary community she engaged with at Simmons was a strength of the program that fuels her work today.
“As a graduate student at Simmons, you’re in a community with aspiring librarians, teachers, editors, and writers. That interdisciplinary community is essential for anybody who wants to work in children’s literature,” she says. “It’s not just close reading, it’s community work. Simmons instills that ethos for students, offering a great balance of prioritizing children's literature as a critical literary discipline and as a meaningful public-facing industry."
A Strong Foundation from Simmons
Now in her current doctoral studies at the University of Connecticut, Weinstock is one of only a few students focused on children’s literature (some of whom also earned their degrees at Simmons). But she feels prepared to represent.
“Simmons gave me invaluable disciplinary knowledge of children’s literature,” she says. “I feel confident that if someone calls me the children’s literature expert in the room, I can own that role without any sense of imposter syndrome. I don’t think I would feel that way without having gone to Simmons.”
She cites the offerings at Simmons that aren’t often found at the graduate level, including “Verse Novels, Narrative Poetry” (CHL 424B), “Contemporary Realistic Fiction for Young Adults” (CHL 413), and “The Picturebook” (CHL 403).
“I feel like I have a particular insight into these genres,” she says.
Opportunities in the Field
Weinstock’s master’s degree from Simmons prepared her for many roles in the field of children’s literature. She’s currently serving on an award committee for the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature, an annual award granted to one picturebook and one novel that address human rights issues.
“This is my first time serving on the committee, but Simmons prepared me to offer my insights on picturebooks and bring a critical children’s literature perspective to the committee,” she says.
In particular, “The Picturebook” (CHL 403), taught by Assistant Teaching Professor Shelley Isaacson, offered a solid foundation. As part of this class, students convened a “Mock Caldecott Committee,” based on the annual Caldecott Medal for picturebooks.
“Through that collaborative exercise, I became familiar with Caldecott Award criteria and voting procedures. I left feeling confident and excited to perhaps one day sit on the actual committee,” says Weinstock. “Overall, the course expanded my critical understanding of the picturebook as a complex visual art and storytelling form.”
She is also a graduate research assistant for a focus group research project with faculty from UConn and the University of Glasgow (Scotland).
“We’re conducting interviews with teachers and librarians and providing them with accessible scholarship to [support them in] teaching books that have faced challenges in schools and libraries,” she says.
The goal of the project is to bridge the research on how to present these books to students with practical advice for teachers and librarians.
From Master’s to PhD
While Weinstock hasn’t begun her doctoral dissertation, she is currently focused on children’s literature, childhood studies, and stories from historically marginalized perspectives, as well as pursuing a certificate in American studies.
“I am interested in tracing children’s literature and depictions of childhood in American literature and Black American literature from the late nineteenth century to the present day. I am excited to share across disciplines,” Weinstock says.
She’s also eager for those in her cohort to take a more critical view of literature for children.
“I feel my voice is welcome when I share my work with other students,” says Weinstock. “They tell me that they learn a lot from my work. It’s nice to have the opportunity to share and have that dialogue, and I feel confident to have that dialogue after my studies at Simmons.”
To that end, students interested in children’s literature should follow their interests, as well as the changes they would like to see manifest in the field.
“Pursue anything that’s bothering you, what you want to see more of [represented in children’s literature]. Be that person who makes that thing seen and makes people care about it,” she says.
For Weinstock, the children’s literature community has been welcoming. “A lot of good social justice work is coming out of children’s literature. To feel a part of this community is really empowering.”