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| Wendy Cooling | |
Wendy Cooling, the founder of Bookstart, a BookTrust project she "launched 28 years ago which today gives books to over two million children in the U.K. every year," died June 23, the Bookseller reported. A secondary school teacher, she wrote children's series for Puffin in addition to the All the Wild Wonders poetry collection. In 2006, she received the Eleanor Farjeon Award, and in 2009 was made MBE for Services to Children's Literature.
"There are few more beloved people in the world of children's books than Wendy, and her passing will be mourned by authors, illustrators, publishers, librarians, teachers and all those colleagues who worked with her on the ground-breaking projects that marked a long and uniquely impactful career," BookTrust noted, adding that she "never ceased to keep breaking down the barriers preventing any child from any background accessing the widest possible range of reading."
BookTrust CEO Diana Gerald observed that she "was, quite simply, a powerhouse who transformed the lives of millions of children."
Tributes to Cooling poured in from the book world, including Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust ("Her belief that every child deserved a rich life of reading and books was utterly compelling."), Hilary Murray Hill, CEO, Hachette Children's Group ("Her contribution to children's reading is utterly unique and unlikely ever to be replicated.") and Booksellers Association managing director Meryl Halls ("A whole generation of readers--and their parents--have Wendy to thank for bringing books into their families.").
Among the authors paying tribute were Michael Morpurgo ("Her knowledge was overwhelming, her warmth infectious. A life so well lived."), Malorie Blackman ("Wendy was passionate about putting books in the hands of all our children. Meeting her made me feel I could have a place and a space as an author in the world of children's books.") and Cressida Cowell ("Wendy was a passionate champion for children's books, and the transformative magic of reading. Her legacy will be far-reaching.").