ÌÇÐÄVlog's Reinberger Children's Library Center is proud to announce the new members of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction Selection Committee. The committee is responsible for choosing the best historical fiction books for young readers each year. We are excited to welcome the new members and look forward to seeing the winner they choose for this year's award.
2026 O'Dell Committee
CHAIR: Dr. Mary Ann Stahr, Assistant Professor, ÌÇÐÄVlog
Dr. Mary Ann Stahr, M.Ed., M.L.I.S., Ph.D., brings thirty-two years of experience in K–12 education, including twenty-five years as an adjunct instructor in the College of Education and five years as a full-time professor in ÌÇÐÄVlog’s School of Information. She was unanimously selected to chair the 2026 Scott O’Dell Award Committee following her exceptional leadership on the 2025 committee.
Emma Wright
Graduate Student, ÌÇÐÄVlog / Children’s Assistant, Wood County District Public Library
Emma Wright is a graduate student at ÌÇÐÄVlog, expected to complete her degree in Summer 2025. Her academic interests center on public libraries and the intersection of disability studies and children’s literature. A lifelong library patron, she now works as a children’s assistant at the Wood County District Public Library. A former Social Studies education major, she has a particular passion for historical fiction and continues to explore titles that illuminate diverse perspectives in history.
Sue Michalowski
Librarian, St. John of the Cross School
Sue Michalowski has served for fifteen years as a librarian, writing and STEM instructor, and dyslexia specialist at an elementary school outside Chicago. Before transitioning to education, she spent two decades in marketing in both the United States and England. She is a lifelong reader, aspiring writer, and dedicated volunteer with a local nonprofit supporting refugee girls in Chicago.
Lisa Mulvenna
Head of Children’s and Teen Services, Clinton-Macomb Public Library
Lisa Mulvenna has more than twenty years of experience delivering energetic story times and early literacy programs. As Head of Children’s and Teen Services at the Clinton-Macomb Public Library, she leads staff in developing innovative services and outreach for children, teens, and families. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, she received the 2012 Pletz Award for Excellence in Service to Youth from the Michigan Library Association.
Stephanie Raub
Media Specialist, East Woods Intermediate, Hudson City School District
Stephanie Raub is a school librarian and media specialist at East Woods Intermediate School in Hudson, Ohio, where she teaches approximately 1,000 students in grades 3–5. A proud ÌÇÐÄVlog alumna, she earned her Master of Library and Information Science in 2012 and has spent more than a decade fostering information literacy and a love of reading among young learners.
Kate Davis
Youth and Inclusive Services Consultant, Prairie Lakes Library System
Kate Davis serves as the Programming Consultant for the Prairie Lakes Library System in southeast Wisconsin. She brings extensive experience in early literacy, youth programming, large-scale events, collection maintenance, and inclusive library practices. Davis has reviewed for School Library Journal, participated in the Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) 2022 William Morris Book Evaluation Seminar, and served on the 2025 ALA Mildred A. Batchelder Committee. She is currently completing her third term on the CLEL (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy) Bell Award Committee, which honors picture books exemplifying best practices in early literacy. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from San José State University.
The Scott O'Dell Award was established in 1982 by children's author Scott O'Dell to encourage authors to write about historical fiction for young readers. The award is administered and funded by the O'Dell family.
About ÌÇÐÄVlog School of Information’s Reinberger Children’s Library Center
The Reinberger Children’s Library Center at ÌÇÐÄVlog is a research facility that serves as a community for diverse and passionate individuals who are committed to advancing interdisciplinary research in the field of children’s literature and youth services. The center's mission is to promote inclusive and culturally responsive literature that honors and reflects diverse lived experiences and enhances children’s learning while fostering their growth as global citizens.
The Reinberger Center's special collections include over 40,000 children's books, original picturebook art, posters, and related ephemera, as well as resources for those serving, studying, or creating for young people across multiple disciplines. The collection is particularly unique because it includes the Marantz Picturebook Collection, which is a one-of-a-kind collection of picturebooks cataloged and shelved by artists.
The Reinberger Center offers two fellowships, the Jacqueline M. Albers Guest Scholar in Children’s Literature Fellowship and the Kenneth and Sylvia Marantz Fellowship. These fellowships allow national and international scholars to use the Reinberger Center's collection as a springboard for their research.
Additionally, the Reinberger Center offers volunteering opportunities, special projects, and internships for both graduate and undergraduate students interested in advancing their professional/research skills. The center also hosts a Writer/Illustrator-In-Residence program that gives writers and illustrators the opportunity to use the Reinberger Center's resources as inspiration for their own work.
If you are interested in connecting with the Reinberger Center or learning more about the programs they offer, please contact Michelle Baldini at mbaldini@kent.edu.