Remembering Susan stan

Susan M. Stan of Minneapolis, renowned expert in international and multicultural children's literature, died of stomach cancer Wednesday, March 21, 2018. In her last days, she was surrounded by family and friends at NC Little Hospice, Edina. Stan, 72, retired to Minneapolis in 2014 after sixteen years as Professor of English at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. She was past president of the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). In 2011, Stan received a Fulbright Scholarship to do research at the International Library for Children's Literature In Munich, Germany. Stan served on selection committees for the prestigious Han Christian Andersen, Caldecott, and Batchelder children's literature awards, chairing the latter committee in 2012.

Susan was born in Chicago and raised in Casper, WY. A graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, Stan received her master's degree in English from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and her PhD from the University of Minnesota. In 1969, she moved to New York City for five years and worked in children's literature book manufacturing and publishing. She then moved to Minneapolis to work for Lerner Publishing Group for ten years, deepening her interest in children's literature. For eleven years Susan was an editor and publisher of The Five Owls, a Twin Cities-based journal about children's books. Throughout her working life and retirement, Susan was active in many book groups, in bicycling (including a recent cycling trip in France), cross-country skiing, golfing, world travel, church choirs, the arts, patio gardening, and volunteer work, especially at her church, Central Lutheran Church of Minneapolis. Long-time friend, artist/illustrator L.K. Hanson of Minneapolis said: "For me, she was that kind of friend that you always hoped you'd find and then you do: Smart, funny, bossy, always willing to try something new."

Susan was predeceased by her parents, Charlie and Bernice Stan of Casper, WY. She is survived by cousins Orrin Lee (Joann) Slind of Cochrane, Alberta, Richard L. (Mary) Slind of Woodbury, and Karen L. "Sue" (Leighton) Johnson of Stillwater; foster son, Duoc (Amy) Tran of Brooklyn Park, and grandchildren Lee, John, Katelyn, and Jayden Tran; foster son, Tim Ha, of Minneapolis; many beloved second and third cousins; plus myriad friends in Minneapolis, across the country and around the world.

​Funeral services will be held 11 am, April 14, Central Lutheran Church, 333 South 12th St. Minneapolis. Memorial donations may be sent to the Dr. Susan Stan Clarke International Children's Literature Research Endowment, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859.