The World of Children’s Literature Has Just Lost Another Great One, Peter D. Sieruta

The Internet is many things, one of the best being the way we can get to know people virtually, people who may be far from us physically, but close to us in terms of interests and ideas.  I’ve gotten to know many wonderful people this way, one of them the incomparable Peter D. Sieruta who passed away yesterday far too soon. I remember first coming across Peter via some witty articles* in the Horn Book Magazine, perhaps his 2005 piece, “10 Things that Piss Me Off!” in which he nailed many still-festering problems we see today in children’s book publishing (say supersized books). And so I was delighted when he started his own blog with the simple title, “Collecting Children’s Books,” a title that only touched upon the range, wit, and intelligence that was within. I learned to wait eagerly for Peter’s Sunday Brunches, his April 1 posts, and his many others that addressed topics at a level, degree, and length no one else could do. Having seen the depth of his knowledge and  passion for children’s and YA literature I eagerly awaited his book with Betsy and Jules. Now I do more than ever (and am incomparably saddened at their loss as well as the loss Peter’s friends and family is experiencing) as it will be a way for even more to appreciate and admire this remarkable man. As one small way to memorialize Peter through his own work here are a few links to some of my favorite blog posts of his. Perhaps other faithful readers of Peter’s blog would like to contribute their own favorites here in the comments or elsewhere. His voice will live on.

• Because I Grew Up Reading Children’s Books…
• Sunday Brunch with Watercolors, Rachel Field, Tickletown, Halloween, and Teen-Aged Girls Trying to Keep Their Heads Above Water
• Halloween Costume Contest
• You Know It’s a Good Book When…
• Got MILK?
• A Disturbing Article from Today’s Newspaper
• Graveyard Book to Be Stripped of Newbery?
• Sunday Brunch with CliffNotes
• January 29th Brunch from a Louse
• A Cockroach Ate my Book Report

* ETA Sherry in a comment below pointed us to this delightful 1998 HB piece of Peter’s, “Dear Clueless: The Rejection Letters of Edna Albertson.”