Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature

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The Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons University is an academic program that studies children's literature. Founded in 1977, it was the first U.S. program to offer a master’s degree in this field. It now offers an MA in Children's Literature, an MFA in Writing for Children, and two dual degrees (MA/MFA and MA/MS in Library Services to Children). It also runs an Institute for the field during alternate summers.

Notable guest speakers have included Louis Sachar, Maurice Sendak, Robert Cormier, Daniel Handler, and Lois Lowry. In 1986, a collection of speeches from the summer institute was published as Innocence and Experience: Essays and Conversations on Children's Literature, edited by Gregory Maguire and Barbara Harrison. The Lion and the Unicorn Poetry Award is presented at the institute. The program is directed by Cathryn Mercier, who reviews for The Horn Book Magazine and co-authored Presenting Avi (1997) with Susan Bloom. Previous directors include Susan Bloom, Gregory Maguire, and Barbara Harrison.