Booking Service - The Principals

   Children's Literature brings considerable expertise to teachers, media specialists and PTA personnel in selecting and handling the details of an author/illustrator event. A brief introduction to the individuals who will comprise this service is provided below.

Marilyn Courtot, President of the CLCD Company, is a librarian with an M.S. in Library Science from The Catholic University of America and a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland. Since 1993 Ms. Courtot has been the owner of Children’s Literature, a service that for a decade provided a print newsletter featuring the best in children’s literature. More recently, Ms. Courtot was instrumental in forming a sister organization, The Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database Company (CLCD) which has taken the reviews from Children’s Literature and augmented them with the reviews of 35 additional review media to provide an Internet-based acquisition, research, and reference service that offers more than 1,000,000 MARC records and 300,000 reviews of children’s materials, 400,000 entries for awards and 155,000 author/illustrator links—all full text searchable. Its subscribers include schools, libraries, colleges, publishers and booksellers. In addition, for the last ten years Ms. Courtot has worked with local schools, libraries and conferences to identify authors for speaking engagements and manages book sales at these events. She has also served on various children’s literature awards committees and is a member of numerous organizations among which are Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, The Children’s Book Guild of Washington DC, American Library Association, and the Association of Booksellers for Children.

Sheilah Egan became a school librarian in 1969, delighting in sharing her own love of reading with students in preK through 7th grade. Reading aloud was a continuing part of her life as she raised four children. As a volunteer with Scouting programs, Sunday schools, and at a variety of private and public schools in Northern Virginia she remained involved with children and books. Even though she has retired from A Likely Story Children’s Bookstore (where she was the manager and “Story Lady” for 21 years), she is still committed to exposing children to the joys of reading. She gives presentations for parents and children as well as speaking to teacher training classes and in-service programs for established teachers, all of which allow her to keep a finger on the pulse of children’s literature. Mrs. Egan is the Mid-Atlantic Sales Representative for The Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database. She also served as President and on the board of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. Her membership in The Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC is another way she stays connected to the authors and illustrators who create the books she loves so dearly.

Tanya Neider has worked with children most of her life. Not only is she one of nine children and has four of her own, she has over 50 nieces and nephews with whom she has enjoyed reading, teaching and exploring the world. She has home schooled her four children in various grades, volunteered as a den leader in the Cub Scout organization, and taught nursery and primary-aged children in Sunday school for many years. She has worked as a parent volunteer in the Montgomery County school system doing various jobs including teaching a science unit she designed for kindergarten, first and second grade. She also worked for the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission taking learning-disabled children on outdoor adventures. Tanya was the program membership supervisor for the Young Astronaut Council where she managed the membership accounts, worked with teachers and other Young Astronaut leaders as they prepared for events, contests, and implemented the program's curriculum. Mrs. Neider was Columnist Jack Anderson's personal assistant where she traveled with him, managed his engagement calendar, and collaborated with him on several projects. She assisted Mr. Anderson with one of his newsletters where she worked closely with the publishers Harcourt, Brace and Jovanavich. She has always loved to read, write and has been involved in a writer's workshop. Tanya also loves family history and has served as the president of her family's reunion committee where there are over 800 descendents. She has developed and written the family newsletter and an events brochure as well as designed and written the content for her extended family's website.

   We are committed to working with you to make your visiting author or illustrator events go smoothly. We also will endeavor to provide books for an autographing session should you decide to include one. Our goal is to make your event a memorable one.