From: Vicki Cobb <vicki.cobb2>
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2007 08:31:46 -0400

When Andy Warhol coined the phrase "fifteen minutes of fame" he wasn't thinking about celebrities for whom fifteen minutes is a mere drop in the bucket. Most celebrities pay thousands of dollars to publicists to make sure that their moments in the sun are enough to guarantee a year-round tan. One librarian told me that many celebrity books have such a short shelf life that she feels they are a waste for her limited budget.

    For me, there is a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that I have created something of lasting value--Science Experiments You Can Eat has never been out of print since 1972 and it warmed my heart when Pat Ryan mentioned my books as "worn and shabby." No matter who the author, once a book is out there it takes on a life of its own. Celebrity-hood doesn't necessarily produce a classic. No one today is talking about that helicopter character created by the Duchess of York.

    In my view, the unsung heroes are librarians, the nexus between children and books, arbiters of what works with children, who recognize excellence in children's literature and are underutilized by the schools and public in giving children more to think about than the celebrities of the moment.

Vicki Cobb
Received on Mon 11 Jun 2007 07:31:46 AM CDT