Children's author usually join SCBWI (The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). I think they end up big tenting the YA authors in there with them. But most of the major US awards are given by ALSC and YALSA (not Boston Globe-Horn Book or Phoenix, but most of the others), and those committees have a huge effect on the field. Being involved in them would be a wonderful thing.

If they'd even welcome my involvement. My scholarship in childlit is as an independent scholar, and I don't work with children right now (though I'm reviewing). But we must cultivate connections, no?