As of today we have officially moved off of SquareSpace and over to MacKidsBooks.com where we're going to continue to bring you geeky posts about books, a look inside our Flatiron fortress and content from our authors.
See you there!
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As of today we have officially moved off of SquareSpace and over to MacKidsBooks.com where we're going to continue to bring you geeky posts about books, a look inside our Flatiron fortress and content from our authors.
See you there!
Add a Comment
Swag
There's a saying going around the internet that “swag doesn’t pay the bills.” In Children’s Marketing, that is patently not true. Swag totally pays the bills—or, at least it helps sell books, which is what keeps the lights (and air conditioning) on in this funky-shaped building. [Note: Much of Macmillan is housed in New York City’s Flatiron Building, an angular architectural wonder that is on the National Register of Historic Places and has a perfect five-star rating on Yelp. Swag.]
Kids book swag is kind of like a party favor—if your book had a birthday bash or a wedding, it would thank you for coming and hand you a little gift on your way out that looked like one of the following:
Bookmarks: Classic swag! A bookmark doesn’t stray too far from the world of ink and paper. Almost anything can be a bookmark, including smaller books—but do this too much and you get a Matryoshka doll effect with a couple of broken bindings. Better to pick up the real deal!
Poster: When you’re not reading your book, it can still beautify your world. A children’s book poster usually consists of a spread from the book with a tagline that is funny, telling or inspiring. Since they are often displayed in libraries and bookstores, these posters may have messages which encourage you to read. Consider yourself warned.
Class Activities: Sometimes class activities are on the back of a poster; sometimes they’re on their own. You can check out book pages on the Macmillan website to see if there are bonus activities! Is this type of swag a little like the carrot sticks that one of your neighbors gives out on Halloween instead of candy? Maybe. Did that person know what was best for you? Definitely. Some of these activities were created by interns, specifically this intern, and they are FUN—and good for you.
Buttons, Tote Bags, Pencils: This genre of swag is my favorite, as it’s a killer combination of practical and expressive. Plus, sometimes tote bags contain… more swag. And books.
Alternative Swag: Here’s where things get really creative. Did you know that Shadow and Bone has its own nail polish? And that the upcoming Crewel has its own swanky purple wristband? 52 Reasons to Hate My Father had a giveaway that included heiress sunglasses like the one in the book. Step aside, Duane Reade, because Mackids has this covered. These novelty items are a ton of fun to come up with in marketing meetings—it’s an interesting challenge to design a small object that both conveys something about a whole book and is useful or cool on its own.
Now you might be asking yourself: Where can I get my hands on some swag? Easy! To get a party favor, go to a party. Check out author signings and book festivals. Buddy up with your local librarian. Consider working in publishing! The whole floor may or may not have sampled custom Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group cookies to make sure they were OK for ALA. (They were, but it’s always good to check.) Turn your swag on, and happy reading!
-Katherine
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Fierce Reads was launched in June with a spectacular tour! Four debut authors went on the road, with special author guests joining them along the way. The Fierce Reads tour took the authors across the country to meet new fans.
The four debut author and their books were:
And they were joined at various stops by Marissa Meyer, Jessica Brody, Lish McBride, Ann Aguirre, and Caragh O'Brien.
Couldn't make it to any of the events? Well you're in luck! Lots of bloggers went to the events and wrote up some recaps!
June 5: Mrs. Nelson's in La Verne, CA
June 6: Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego, CA
June 7: Books, Inc. in San Francisco, CA
June 8: Kepler's in Menlo Park, CA
June 9: Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA
June 12: Provo City Library in Provo, UT
June 13: Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, TX
June 14: Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL
June 15: Schuler's Books in Lansing, MI
June 16: Barnes and Noble in Pensacola, FL
June 17: Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY
There will be a new Fierce Read Tour in the Fall, so be sure to check out the Fierce Reads Facebook Fan Page to see which authors will be coming and where/when.
And stay fierce!
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What do record players, batteries, and movie cameras have in common?
All these devices were created by the man known as The Wizard of Menlo Park: Thomas Edison.
Edison is most famous for inventing the incandescent lightbulb, but at his landmark laboratories in Menlo Park & West Orange, New Jersey, he also developed many other staples of modern technology. Despite many failures, Edison persevered. And good for that, because it would be very difficult to go through a day without using one of his life-changing inventions. In this enlightening book, Gene Barretta enters the laboratories of one of America’s most important inventors.
Timeless Thomas by Gene Barretta is "a glowing tribute to the inventor who continues to influence modern life", according to a starred Kirkus and a "...useful tool to introduce history and inventions to reluctant readers or students…" according to School Library Journal
Are you ready to read something fierce?
After the success of our spring 2012 Fierce Reads tour (read about it here in Publisher's Weekly!), we're back this fall with six NEW Fierce Reads authors for the tour, which also features three familiar faces.
Featuring Ann Aguirre, Elizabeth Fama, Lish McBride and Marissa Meyer:
Featuring Gennifer Albin, Caragh O'Brien, Marie Rutkoski and Leigh Bardugo:
Learn more about the Fall 2012 Fierce Reads titles at MacTeenBooks.com, our sister blog and become a fan of Fierce Reads on Facebook for
Go to our Fierce Reads Facebook page to RSVP to the stop closest to your hometown!
We're back from ComicCon! It was our first time exhibiting at the San Diego Comic Con and we had such a warm reception for our books and our authors. Check out some photos below:
Our lovely booth!
Before ComicCon opened on preview night, we took a stroll along the water. That is the USS Midway.
Iron Man 3 bonanaza in the Marvel area.
We were handing out these Wrinkle in Time tote bags everyday stuffed with some fun swag.
A RinTinTin cosplayer came by the booth!
Eve and Adam galleys peeking out as we got ready for Michael Grant's signing.
Michael Grant didn't know what he should write when signing the galleys so a fan suggested "Don't mess with DNA" and it stuck!
Even Storm is a fan!
This guy scared the heck out of us as we were walking back to our hotel one night.
Struck author Jennifer Bosworth with a new and young fan.
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The Monster Who Lost His Mean, written by Tiffany Strelitz Haber and illustrated by Kirstie Edmunds
Everyone knows that the M in “monster” stands for MEAN. But what happens when a monster can’t be mean any more? Is he still a monster at all?
One young monster's attempts to live up to his name go hilariously awry as he discovers—with a little help from new friends—that it's not what you're called but who you are that counts.
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A round up of new books from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group out this week!
Picture Books
Chapter Books
Young Adult Books
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Trends in Children’s Literature (and some suggested variations)
Interning at MacKids has given me the opportunity to check out a lot of children’s books, and a few patterns have emerged. Here are some thoughts on what’s in! - Katherine Damm
Trend: Bears
Suggested Reading: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Bear Has A Story To Tell (September 2012); The Bear in the Book (October 2012)
What is it about bears that make them such lovable children’s book characters? Is it their adorably awkward gait, fuzzy exterior, or just that “bear” rhymes with a lot of words? Whatever it is, I am a fan of this theme. I want to live in a world where bears are not dangerous wild animals, but are instead cuddly creatures who like to hang out with their forest friends—friends that they definitely don’t want to eat.
Variations I’d like to see: huggable sharks, whimsical scorpions, mischievous man o’ wars.
Trend: Bedtime
Suggested Reading: Bedtime for Monsters (July 2012), Lucy Can’t Sleep (August 2012)
This totally makes sense. Bedtime is contagious, like yawns. If a child sees a well-behaved peer getting down with sleepytimes, they’re much more likely to go to bed without a fuss. But books aren’t just for bedtime. They’re for all day, every day! That’s why I propose…
Variation I’d like to see: Wake up, surprise story-time! (This is best done between the hours of 12am and 4am.)
Trend: Grandparents
Suggested Reading: Grandpa Green, Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake
There are some great picture books about children and grandparents. The kids are sweet, the grandparents are role-models, and nobody ever says anything that has become politically incorrect within the past twenty years just a little too loudly for comfort while you’re out and about.
Variation I’d like to see: A picture book about my grandmother specifically. We call her Mimi, and she is a witty southern lady who pointedly compliments my “lingerie” when I wear shirts without sleeves.
Trend: Dystopian Fiction
Suggested Reading: Struck, Monument 14, Birthmarked, After the Snow, and more…
This tren
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This morning Little Tug author Stephen Savage went 'Tug Spotting' for footage for the upcoming book trailer for Little Tug (on sale October 2!).
Check out Stephen's pictures and captions from this morning's tug spotting boat ride!
July 12, 2012: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group Director of Marketing Elizabeth Fithian took us on a tug-spotting boat ride.
Our fearless captain was Elizabeth's dad, Dick Kohn (middle). Also on board was video director David Franklin...
... and me, Stephen Savage -- author and illustrator of LITTLE TUG (Roaring Brook Press, Neal Porter Books).
The sun rose at 5:36am.
Hey, that looks like a page from the book!
Well... sorta.
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn with Staten Island, was the model for the bridge in the book.
David shot video footage for the upcoming tug trailer.
At 8:30, the beautiful morning light was gone and Captain Kohn returned to shore!
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FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH is not only my tenth novel with Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, but my tenth book with my longtime editor Christy Ottaviano. I don’t know any writer beside myself who has done ten books solely with one house, let alone one editor.
That’s not to say Christy will offer to publish every idea I come up with – I have a picture book about a chameleon detective she’s politely declined several times – but for the most part, our tastes in interesting stories for kids has been spot on.
Back in the nineties, I wrote what would become my first book – TRU CONFESSIONS – in Jack Gantos’s ‘Writing Novels for Children’ class at Emerson College. Little did I know when I entered that MFA classroom that I was meeting not only a mentor and friend but also taking the first step toward my own vocation. When I finished writing TRU CONFESSIONS in Jack’s workshop and sent it to an agent, she immediately thought of an editor who might enjoy it: Christy Ottaviano at Henry Holt. Christy did, and thus began our fifteen-year collaboration.
Christy and I worked for several months on that book, after which she asked what else I’d been working on. I gave her the manuscript to an early chapter book MARTY FRYE, PRIVATE EYE and she wisely suggested an up-and-coming artist, Laurie Keller, to illustrate it. Christy and I spent a lot of time on the manuscript to MULTIPLE CHOICE, one of the first novels in the middle grade world to deal with OCD. But it was really my next book that would put our collaboration to the test.
When I handed in the first draft to THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LARRY, I didn’t tell Christy she was in the manuscript, along with Bono, Barbara Walters, and me. I also forgot to mention the photos, footnotes, and a story that walked the line between fiction and non-fiction. When someone in the production department said the footnotes had to go, Christy told him they were integral to the book and he’d have to find a way to make them work. I’ve played with format in all my books and Christy has always supported my out-of-the-box way of storytelling. I’d love to take the credit for the idea for two sequels, but neither Christy nor I had the foresight for that one. When I was getting five hundred emails a day from readers who insisted on finding out what happened next, Christy asked me to write two more Larry books. In between, I wrote FAULT LINE, which I dedicated to her for her many years of friendship and support. Christy has always been thrilled with the awards and accolades my books have received and no one was happier than I when she earned her own imprint at Henry Holt: Christy Ottaviano Books.
Christy loved the first chapters I gave her of MY LIFE AS A BOOK and thought it was great that I’d hired a cartoonist to do illustrations in the margins. I didn’t tell her till after she offered to publish it that the illustrator was my teenage son. Christy has been a great editor with Jake too, giving him excellent feedback on his drawings and putting him on the path to his own illustration career. Jake and I did MY LIFE AS A STUNTBOY with her, as well as two titles for 2013: MY LIFE AS A CARTOONIST and EINSTEIN THE CLASS HAMSTER.
But FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH – which
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That's right folks! We're headed to Comic Con this week for the first time this year! If you happen to be there, come by Booth #1220 to say hello and to check out these great signings and panels!
Oh, and be sure to check out our graphic novel imprint, First Seconds Books, who will also be exhibiting at SDCC and see their amazing schedule as well.
THURSDAY, July 12:
12:00-1:00 PM In-Booth Signing: Michael Grant, EVE AND ADAM
3:00-4:00 PM Gennifer Albin (Crewel) on the “Hungry for Dystopia” Panel
Room: 25ABC
Hungry for Dystopia— With the skyrocketing popularity of The Hunger Games, dystopian literature has been creating major waves in the media. What attracts these authors to explore the concept of a totalitarian future that possibly awaits us all? Anna North (America Pacifica) leads the discussion with panelists Neal Shusterman (Unwind trilogy), Lissa Price (Starters), Paolo Bacigalupi (The Drowned Cities), Michael Grant (BZRK), Daniel H. Wilson (Amped), Gennifer Albin (Crewel), and Marie Lu (Legend trilogy). Room 25ABC
4:30-5:30 PM Post-Panel Signing: Gennifer Albin, CREWEL
Location: Autographing Area, Table AA09
FRIDAY, July 13:
10:00-11:00 AM In-Booth Signing: Jennifer Bosworth, STRUCK
11:30-12:30 PM Marissa Meyer (Cinder) on the “Remixed Fairy Tales and Superhero Lore” Panel Room 5AB
Remixed Fairy Tales and Superhero Lore— Between this year's Mirror Mask and Snow White and the Huntsman and forthcoming retellings of Beauty and the B
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Hello, all! My name is Katherine and I’m the Marketing intern at Mackids for the summer. A bit about me: I’m entering my senior year at college. I like writing and singing and comedy, and I major in the wonderfully dense discipline of Comparative Literature. Sometimes when I talk about what I study, I see people’s eyes glaze over and I know all they’re hearing is, “Blah, blah, blah.” Other times, I meet someone who is excited to discuss literary theory with me in an intelligent manner. Unfortunately, when that happens, my eyes tend to glaze over and all I hear is “Blah, blah, blah.” Theory is funny like that.
So enough about that…. Let’s talk about books!
I was delighted the other day to read the super-talented Lane Smith’s It’s A Book, which shows a conversation between a bibliophile monkey and a techie jackass. The monkey explains again and again that what he’s reading is a book while the jackass bombards him with questions: does it have Wi-Fi? Can it text? Tweet?
Sadly, I found myself identifying with the jackass. As a Comp Lit student, you’d think I’d spend more time with books than I do — but I often use websites and printouts, photocopies and sometimes even audiobooks (set to 3x speed so I feel like I’m being serenaded by chipmunks).
When you do use a book in college, you get the least expensive version you can find. (If you’re lucky, you pick up a used copy from a slacker. Those are always in perfect condition.) Then you spend the money you saved on pizza and deodorant. The truth is, schoolbooks are often a means to an end. You get the information in whatever form is cheapest and easiest, because you cover it up in your own highlights and annotations anyway. (My annotations are usually along the lines of “?????”)
So one of the things I’ve loved most about this internship is getting back to real, honest-to-goodness books. And if there’s one type of book that is lovely and cannot be photocopied or texted or tweeted or annotated, it’s a children’s book. Here’s a secret I learned this summer that they don’t teach you in school: books without pictures are overrated. Here, I’m surrounded by children’s books with gorgeous artwork. There are some for an older crowd over at the graphic novel imprint, First Second, too. They’re the kind of books that make you want to read and keep and display them, and then find a kid so you can show them what’s up. If you ever forget why you love books, see if you can get your hands on a really beautiful one. (Don’t get me wrong, though—books without pictures are also great. And we have those, too!)
So that’s something of me and what I’m interested in! (You know, the objectified book as it fits into modern materialist theory and the complications which Derrida brings up regarding blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…) See you next week!
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By Stuey Lewis
Okay, so now you’re out of school for over a week, and even though you don’t have to put up with the Queen of Obnoxious every day for the rest of the summer, which believe me is a very good thing, you’re going to have to do something with your time, so here’s a list of a few suggestions, from me.
Dream Big: Read is a summer reading program where participating libraries across the country use a common theme to promote reading during the summer. To learn more about the program visit http://www.cslpreads.org/ and visit your local library to Dream Big!
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Hello, internet! My name is Caitlin — the newest addition to the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group — and I’m coming to you live from the tenth floor of the Flatiron Building, overlooking a crazy line at Shake Shack. You’ll be hearing a lot from me moving forward so I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself* and tell you a little bit about why I’m so excited to be talking books with you.
Working in publishing is literally being surrounded by stories. Having only landed at Macmillan recently, I am AMAZED by the number of great stories floating around and the impressive population of fellow book nerds in my department. In fact, there are so many great stories and campaigns coming down the pipeline that I’m SO excited about and can’t wait to get all of you excited about also!
Specifically, two super incredibly fantastic awesome books that I’m personally very excited about coming out this fall are Crewel by Gennifer Albin and Promised by Caragh O’Brien.
Crewel, the first in the Crewel World trilogy (Get it? Cruel World? Crewel World? Love it!) by Gennifer Albin, is a smart dystopian with a smart protagonist. This book is part of our fall 2012 Fierce Reads campaign and on sale October 16!
Promised is the final book in the Birthmarked Trilogy by Caragh O’Brien. I’ve been a fan of these books since the reading Birthmarked in 2010. In this dystopian trilogy, the world is divided by those who live inside the wall, and those who live outside. The protagonist, a teenage midwife, must go inside the wall to try and save the lives of her parents. I’ve loved all three books and as a finale, Promised doesn’t disappoint.
For more information on these and many other Fierce Reads this fall, stop by the Fierce Reads Facebook Page.
What books are you looking forward to this fall?
-Caitlin
*One of the many complications of being included in the latter part of Generation Y (which could also be called the special snowflake generation, those kids who think vampires sparkle, etc.) is that I cannot say or even think ‘allow me to introduce myself’ without Eminem’s “Will the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?” getting caught in my head forever (you’re welcome!).
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Step 1. Get used to the idea of writing at said full-time job under the guise of doing something else — e.g., sending an important “work-related” email. Look really busy and important while performing this task, and you’re well on your way toward becoming a lot more selfish…ly productive!
Step 2. Develop a solid foundation of hatred for your boss. This was super easy for me to seal the deal at the time I was writing The Edumacation of Jay Baker, but others with non-psycho supervisors who don’t write down everything they’ve done wrong on a dry-erase board may struggle. I encourage you to push through the nice things your boss has done for you, though, and find the big ball of hate at the pit of your stomach – you know it’s in there, and it’s the only way you can write on your boss’s watch (100% guilt-free!). Be sure to leave at 5:00 on the dot, too. My old boss always appreciated how punctual I was about powering off my computer at 4:59. Really strengthened the noose of our mutually not-beneficial relationship.
Step 3. Give up on the idea of being good at your day job because 1) no one cares and 2) it’s not your lifelong dream career, anyway. Oops, it is? In that case, why are you reading this blog, dawg?
Step 4. Whatever (and whomever) you do, don’t have children. This is one advice dropping that pretty much applies to everything. Why? Because children make everything worse, not better, silly. Yours probably aren’t even going to like you. Golden Retrievers are much more suitable to a writer’s lifestyle; plus, let’s be honest, they’re a lot more fun to talk to (not to mention the tops of their heads are softer). If you already have children, I’m sorry, I can’t help you. Next!
Step 5. Get one of those “work from home” jobs where everyone pretends you’re actually working when you’re most definitely watching TV all day. You know that annoying friend who’s always talking about how he/she can “work from home” whenever they want to? Swallow your pride and hand that $*%#-head your resume. Do it!
Step 6. I’m pretty sure you’re legally entitled to a two-hour lunch break. Boy, are you hungry. Every day, from 11-1:15-ish. Oh, and don’t forget to make all your fake doctor’s appointments!
Step 7. Cut out all social media unless you’re doing “characters who make bad decisions and have poor time management skills” research. You may actually possess those characteristics yourself, believe it or not, which would make researching them unnecessary.
--Jay Clark
Be sure to check out Jay Clark's newly revamped website to read more awesome and hilarious posts about books and life and everything in-between!
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ALA 2012 has come and gone! We had an amazing time in Anaheim. Below, are some photo highlights.
Our First Second Books display of shiny graphic novels!
Our massive display of middle-grade and teen books!
And here's our massive display of picture books!
Our Wrinkle in Time display.
Our Fierce Reads display!
Author Janet Tashjian signing copies of her new YA book, For What It's Worth.
Author Julie Halpern talking about and signing galleys of Have a Nice Day, the sequel to Get Well Soon.
Fancy MacKids cookies!
Janet Tashjian and our Newbery winner Jack Gantos.
Lexapros and Cons author Aaron Karo and Year of the Beasts author Cecil Castellucci.
"This list resulted from conversations I’ve been having with my teenage friends, former students, girls I know from where I volunteer as a visiting writer, Skypes with classes and teen book groups, library visits, nieces and nephews, my kids and their friends, and teens who contact me about Birthmarked. I love hearing about what people are reading, and I’m interested in the difference between what I find teens are reading and what people think they’re reading or think they should be reading. What people used to read when they were teens is fascinating, too, though that would be a separate list. I’m certain the list isn’t complete or perfect, but it continues the conversation.
The teens who named their favorite books for this list include athletes, honors students, non-readers, incarcerated girls, a prom queen, loners, computer game players, gay and straight teens, teens from the coasts and in between, teens of many races, artists, and writers. Their choices made the list (alphabetically) regardless if the books were award-winners, banned, popular, controversial, new, or classic. The sole criteria: these books are favorites." --Caragh O'Brien
1. Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak
2. M.T. Anderson, Feed
3. Anonymous, Go Ask Alice
4. Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, The Future of Us
5. Isaac Asimov, The Foundation
6. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
7. Emilie Autumn, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls
8. Paolo Bacigalupi, Ship Breaker
9. Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
10. Misty Bernall, She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall
11. Meredith Blevins, Hummingbird Wizard
12. Anthony Bourke and John Rendall, A Lion Called Christian
13. Libba Bray, Beauty Queens
14. Max Brooks, World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
15. Cupcake Brown, A Piece of Cake: A Memoir
16. Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code
17. Meg Cabot, Jinx
18. Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game
19. Kristin Cashore, Graceling
20. P.C. Cast, Destined (House of Night)
21. Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
22. Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None
23. Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl
24. Billy Collins, The Trouble with Poetry
25. Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
26. Caroline B. Cooney, The Face on the Milk Carton
27. Chris Crutcher, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
28. Leah Cypess, Mistwood
29. Sarah Dessen, Keeping the Moon
30. Lauren DeStefano, Wither
31. M. C. Escher, Icons
32. Nancy Farmer, House of the Scorpion
33. Gayle Forman, If I Stay
34. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
35. William Golding, Lord of the Flies
36. William Goldman, The Princess Bride
37. Lori Gottlieb, Stick Figure
38. John Green, The Fault in our Stars
39. John Grisham, Bleachers
40. Teri Hall, The Line
41. Frank Herbert, Dune
42. Georgette Heyer, Devil’s Cub
43. Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
44. Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers
45. Ellen Hopkins, Impulse
46. Emily Horner, A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend
47. Anthony Horowitz, Stormbreaker (Alex Rider)
48. Khaled Hosseini, Kit
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So I’ve been telling people for years that the original idea for CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING came one day in September 2009, on the train home from work, when I wrote a quick draft of a picture book idea called THE BOY WHO HATED READING. (You can read the entire draft here.)
But that turns out to be incorrect.
Yesterday I was looking for an old letter on my computer when I came a Microsoft Word file, dated June 2007. This is the file in its entirety:
**
THE NON-READER’S MANUAL
A Book For People Who Don’t Like Books
THE NON-READER’S MANUAL is a humor book geared toward kids 10-16. It will have excuses, tips, suggestions, all with a sympathetic eye toward those who don’t like to read… but ultimately, it will convey the joy and pleasure of reading.
It will have illustrations, graphics, and as few words as possible.
**
And that’s as far as I got. I guess I got distracted. That happens a lot.
I have to tell you, seeing that file shocked the hell out of me. I have no memory of writing it. And it was a full two and a half years before I had the idea to write THE BOY WHO HATED READING.
But the interesting thing is, it was at the exact time that my kids – Charlie, Joe and Jack – would have been in middle school, like Charlie Joe Jackson. They were smack in the middle of hating reading, and this must have been my first thought about a book for non-readers. It was probably just a 5-minute moment, that my brain somehow tucked away and brought back out of of storage two years later.
I’m very grateful to my brain for having such a good filing system.
-Tommy Greenwald
Check out this great trailer for the upcoming Bear Has a Story to Tell by Phil Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead, the team behind the A Sick Day for Amos McGee, winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal!
Learn more about Bear Has a Story to Tell...
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In May, Leslie Kilbourn’s 8th grade Language Arts class received a big surprise in the mail — two dozen copies of the paperback version of The Water Seeker (pictured above).
These Deer Park Junior High School students had a direct impact on the design of the paperback’s cover! Author Kimberly Willis Holt had visited the classroom several months earlier, where the students confessed their love for The Water Seeker and discussed the upcoming publication of the paperback version — pointing out that something important to the story was missing from the cover mockup Holt shared. Can you guess what it was?
Kilbourn and class were so excited to receive the books that she wrote a thank you note to the author, with the picture above.
THANK YOU, Ms. Kilbourn! Teachers getting students excited about reading AND talking about what they read makes our day.
Learn more about The Water Seeker!
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Hi everyone! Since Summer is well underway, which is my favorite time of year, it seemed like a good time to check in! Here’s a short list to help you make the most of this wonderful, fantastic, perfect, homework-free season.
1. Never use the words “summer” and “school” in the same sentence.
2. Don’t wear socks between June 1 and September 30.
3. Ice cream melts fast, so eat it quickly, then have some more.
4. If a girl asks you if she looks fat in a bathing suit, never say “yes.”
5. French fries go with everything.
6. Swimming counts as a shower.
7. When your mom tells you you’re getting too much sun, go inside and play video games.
8. Sand belongs on the beach, not in your bed.
9. Stay away from movies that involve a lot of screaming.
10. Never use the words “summer” and “reading list” in the same sentence.
--Charlie Joe Jackson
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We're headed to Anaheim, CA and MacKids will be in Booths 2534-2535 with free galleys and 29 author signings!
Booth Signings at 2534-2535:
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Friday, June 22 |
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Mignon Fogarty |
5:30 - 6:30 pm |
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Janet Tashjian |
6:00 - 6:30 pm |
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Matthew Cordell |
6:30 - 7:00 pm |
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Julie Halpern |
6:30 - 7:00 pm |
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Saturday, June 23 |
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Steve Sheinkin |
10:00 - 11:00 am |
YALSA Excellence in |
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Andrew Smith |
10:00 - 11:00 am |
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David McPhail |
11:00 - 11:30 am |
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Mark Siegel |
11:00 - 11:30 am |
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David Small and |
1:00 - 2:00 pm |
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Monika Schroder |
1:30 - 2:00 pm |
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Jack Gantos |
2:00 - 3:00 pm |
Newbery Medal! |
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Erin Stead and |
3:00 - 4:00 pm |
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Marissa Meyer |
3:30 - 4:30 pm |
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Sunday, June 24 |
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Denise Fleming |
9:00 - 9:30 am |
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Lane Smith |
9:30 - 10:30 am |
Caldecott Honor! |
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Shane W. Evans |
10:30 - 11:30 am |
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Macmillan Children's Publishing Group will be at BEA 2012! Come by Booth #3358. Check out our schedule below: Tuesday, June 5 Wednesday, June 6
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo goes on sale June 5, 2012 and is also another one of our Fierce Reads titles. Be sure to visit all the stops on the blog tour, and see Leigh and the rest of the Fierce Reads authors on tour in June! This blog tour is an international event, with bloggers from the US, Canada, and the UK! Monday 6/4 http://bookalicio.us/ Tuesday 6/5 http://www.fantasticbookreview.com/ Wednesday 6/6 UK Blog Tour Stop: http://www.wondrousreads.com Thursday 6/7 http://www.mochalattereads.blogspot.com/ Friday 6/8 http://paperbackdolls.com/ Saturday 6/9 UK Blog Tour Stop: http://www.overflowinglibrary.com Sunday 6/10 http://scifichick.com/ Monday 6/11 UK Blog Tour Stop: http://realmoffiction.blogspot.co.uk Tuesday 6/12 http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com/ Wednesday 6/13 UK Blog Tour Stop: http://www.gollancz.co.uk Thursday 6/14 http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/ Friday 6/15 UK Blog Tour Stop: http://www.bookchickcity.com Saturday 6/16 http://www.karinsbooknook.com/ Sunday 6/17 http://www.idsoratherbereading.com/ Monday 6/18 &nb
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