M. Jerry Weiss Center

ACCESS THE M. JERRY WEISS CENTER BOOK REVIEWS

New Jersey City University dedicated the M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature in honor of Dr. M. Jerry Weiss, Distinguished Service Professor of Communications, Emeritus at NJCU. Dr. Weiss is a nationally recognized expert in the field of children's and adolescent literature and a pioneer in the field of Whole Language. The Center was dedicated and officially opened on October 5, 2006.

The M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature houses recently published books from a number of publishers. Members of the NJCU community, as well as local teachers and community members, are encouraged to visit the Center and are invited to browse and review the latest children's and young adult books. We also lend these latest titles to any member of the University community (including alumni) as well as educators/librarians and donors.

The administrative office of the Center, housing the majority of our collection, is located in room 103 of NJCU's Grossnickle Hall. The collection also includes books in the juvenile materials of NJCU's library which, once reviewed, move from the administrative office to the 3rd floor of the Guarini Library. Books which are part of the collection are designated with a book plate indicating that the materials have been donated as part of the collection. There is also a large collection of autograph copies donated to Jerry and the University by the authors in the special materials collection of the Guarini Library. Review the variety of materials available.

Mission

The M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children's and Young adult Literature, the Northeast's premier review center, offers a unique literature collection that encourages the exploration of children's and young adult literature and illustrations.

The M. Jerry Weiss Center strives to:

promote the use of quality, authentic literature in the home and classroom;
introduce pre-service teachers to the importance of literature in the curriculum;
serve as a resource for teachers, media specialists, students, and parents seeking innovative ways to encourage children and young adults to explore quality literature; and
create partnerships with and disseminate information to NJCU's community at-large, including school districts and parents.

Previous Guest Lecturers

The M. Jerry Weiss Center Lecture Series has hosted luminaries and laureates with expertise in children's and young adult literature. Some prominent guest lecturers:

T. A. Barron
Mohieddine El labbad
Gregory Galloway
Mel Glenn
Laura Godwin
Walter Dean Myers
Sergio Troncoso
Christopher Myers
Yvonne Thorton
Carlos Hernadez
Leonard S. Marcus
Richie Narvaez
Betsy Lewin
Neela Vaswani
Daniel Nayeri
Lisa K. Winkler
Mike Wimmer
Eric Velasquez
Ted Lewin
Thomas Chatterton Williams
James Ransome
Peter Maloney
William Low
Mark Teague
Todd Strasser
Jacqueline Woodson
Felicia Zekauskas
Leonard S. Marcus
Alex Simmons
Laura Vaccaro Seeger
C. Alexander London

CONTACT US
Grossnickle Hall, Room 103
201-200-3548
weisscenter@njcu.edu

Ms. Lynn Zisa, Interim, Co-Director
Dr. Lace Cassidy, Interim, Co-Director
Ms. Jeanine Joyce, Administrative Assistant

HOURS
Monday-Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Evening hours available by request
Closed on major holidays*

*Please note that if the M. Jerry Weiss Center is closed, books which are part of the collection may be found in the Juvenile Collection on the 3rd Floor of the Guarini Library.

Connect with us and find great book reviews, recommendations, and upcoming events.