A Laureate for Kids (It’s OK to Laugh)

Every self-respecting kid in America has heard of Jon Scieszka, the funny author of "The Stinky Cheese Man," The Time Warp Trio series and "The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!" (told from the wolf's point of view). Their parents will know him, too, now that the Children's Book Council, along with the Library of Congress's Center for the Book, have made him the nation's first children's laureate—officially called the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. During his two-year term, Scieszka, 53, will try to get kids more excited about reading. He'll also build on the success of his six-year-old Guys Read initiative, designed to get boys to love literature, too. Before he became a kid-lit hit, Scieszka taught elementary school. He also tested his tales on his students—and on his daughter, Casey, now 23, and his son, Jake, now 21. Next month he introduces his new toddler series, Trucktown. He spoke with NEWSWEEK's Karen Springen about his life and his goals in his new post.

NEWSWEEK: Especially now that you're the children's laureate, we need to make sure everyone gets your last name right. You tell people that it's the Polish word for "path" and that it rhymes with Fresca. Does that usually do the trick?
Jon Scieszka: That's a good start, but people still butcher it.

As the first children's laureate, you're supposed to get kids excited about reading. Will you use humor?
Humor is essential. When I was teaching second grade, if they were going to get a laugh out of something, they'd read it. The Children's Book Council and the Library of Congress wanted to change our image of kids' books being staid and calm and sweet!

So they realized the appeal of humor?
We just have all kinds of great books out. It also came out of the books I've done with the Guys Read literacy initiative I started for boys—just to connect these kids who don't see themselves as readers with all the great stuff out there. I'm looking forward to promoting books across a broad range—action-adventure, graphic novels, online reading, which I think people are still a little leery about.

Who would you like to see be the next children's laureate after your two-year term ends?
I haven't even thought that far. I think somebody like Jack Gantos [best known for his books about Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD], who I love, who's just a crazy, funny guy, or Katherine Paterson [best known for "Bridge to Terabithia"]. She can make everybody cry. Joke around with Scieszka and cry with Patterson.

Will you visit a lot of schools and libraries?
The two big events will be children's books week in May and the national book fair in Washington, D.C., in the fall. That will be the big hoopla, where I'll get my cape and scepter and crown.