By: Melissa Wiley,
on 11/4/2015
Popped onto Periscope today to discuss readalouds, including how I approach character voices. You can catch the replay at katch.me (or watch it below). I dust off my Scottish accent around minute 27. 
Picture quality seems a bit dodgy–sorry about that. It looked fine on my screen during the recording!
By: Robin,
on 1/27/2015
Happy 2015 to you! To start the year off right, we’d like to introduce our New Voices picks for Winter 2015. These debut novels entertained us, enriched us, intrigued us, and made us so excited to witness the beginnings of these authors’ sure-to-be-stellar writing careers.
Click on the links below to read the first chapter of each title, and make sure to keep an eye on these fantastic authors. We can’t wait to see what they do next!
BLACKBIRD FLY, by Erin Entrada Kelly, follows twelve-year-old Apple Yengko as she grapples with being different, with friends and backstabbers, and with following her dreams. Apple has always felt a little different from her classmates. She and her mother moved to America from the Philippines when she was little, and her mother still cooks Filipino foods, makes mistakes with her English, and chastises Apple for becoming “too American.” But it becomes unbearable in eighth grade, when the boys—the stupid, stupid boys—in Apple’s class put her name on the Dog Log, the list of the most unpopular girls in school. When Apple’s friends turn on her and everything about her life starts to seem weird and embarrassing, Apple turns to music. If she can just save enough to buy a guitar and learn to play, maybe she can change herself. It might be the music that saves her . . . or it might be her two new friends, who show how special she really is. Read the first chapter here!
THE KEEPERS: THE BOX AND THE DRAGONFLY, by Ted Sanders, is the first in a four-book middle-grade fantasy series about Horace F. Andrews, a quiet boy who discovers he possesses a power that can change worlds. When a sign leads Horace underground to the House of Answers, a hidden warehouse full of mysterious objects, he unfortunately finds only questions. What is this curious place? Who are the strange, secretive people who entrust him with a rare and immensely powerful gift? And what is he to do with it? From the enormous, sinister man shadowing him to the gradual mastery of his new-found abilities to his encounters with Chloe—a girl who has an astonishing talent of her own—Horace follows a path that puts the pair in the middle of a centuries-old conflict between two warring factions in which every decision they make could have disastrous consequences. Read the first chapter here!
NO PARKING AT THE END TIMES, by Bryan Bliss, is a thoughtful and moving story about losing everything—and about what you will do for the people you love. Abigail’s parents never should have made that first donation to that end-of-times preacher. Or the next, or the next. They shouldn’t have sold their house. Or packed Abigail and her twin brother, Aaron, into their old van to drive across the country to San Francisco, to be there for the “end of the world.” Because now they’re living in their van. And Aaron is full of anger, disappearing to who-knows-where every night. Their family is falling apart. All Abigail wants is to hold them together, to get them back to the place where things were right. But is that too big a task for one teenage girl? Read the first chapter here!
RED QUEEN, by Victoria Aveyard, is a sweeping fantasy about seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose latent magical powers draw her into the dangerous world of the elite ruling class. Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with Red blood serve the Silver elite, whose silver blood gifts them with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the King, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the King forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything to use her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal. Read the first chapter here!
LITTLE PEACH, by Peggy Kern, is the gritty and riveting story of a runaway who comes to New York City and is lured into prostitution by a manipulative pimp. When Michelle runs away from her drug-addicted mother, she has just enough money to make it to New York, where she hopes to move in with a friend. But once she arrives at the bustling Port Authority, she is confronted with the terrifying truth: She is alone and out of options. Then she meets Devon, a good-looking, well-dressed guy who emerges from the crowd armed with a kind smile, a place for her to stay, and eyes that seem to understand exactly how she feels. But Devon is not what he seems to be, and soon Michelle finds herself engulfed in the world of child prostitution. It is a world of impossible choices, where the line between love and abuse, captor and savior, is blurred beyond recognition. This hauntingly vivid story illustrates the human spirit’s indomitable search for home, and one girl’s struggle to survive. Read the first chapter here.
SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA, by Becky Albertalli, is an incredibly funny and poignant twenty-first-century coming-of-age, coming-out story—wrapped in a geek romance. Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: If he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing with, will be jeopardized. With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met. Read the first chapter here!
By: Robin,
on 7/29/2014
Looking for some recommendations for a middle grader who loves fantasy? Well, we’ve got just the list for you!
Here are some stellar picks for the kid looking for magical powers, mysterious forests, heros, and villains to take to the beach with him.
THE THICKETY, by J. A. White, is the start of a new fantasy series set in a world where magic is forbidden but exists in the dark woods called the Thickety. This book would be a great recommendation for fans of the Septimus Heap series, and here’s a book talk prepared by librarian, author, and Common Core workshop presenter Kathleen Odean:
How would you like to have the power to summon amazing creatures to do your will? When Kara finds a book in the Thickety, a dangerous forest, it awakens her magical powers. Local villagers view magic as evil but for Kara, it’s a connection to her mother, who was executed as a witch. The spells thrill Kara until the magic starts to change her in frightening ways. Is Kara in control of the magic—or is it in control of her? If she doesn’t figure it out soon, she could lose everyone and everything she loves.
There’s even a Common Core-aligned discussion guide with activities written by the author, J. A. White—an elementary school teacher! (You may not want to send this to the beach, though. Maybe save it for September.)
THE CASTLE BEHIND THORNS, by Schneider Award winner Merrie Haskell, is a magical adventure set in an enchanted castle that will appeal to fans of Gail Carson Levine, Karen Cushman, and Shannon Hale.
When Sand wakes up alone in a long-abandoned castle, he has no idea how he got there. Everything in the castle—from dishes to candles to apples—is torn in half or slashed to bits. Nothing lives here and nothing grows, except the vicious, thorny bramble that prevents Sand from leaving. To survive, Sand does what he knows best—he fires up the castle’s forge to mend what he needs to live. But the things he fixes work somehow better than they ought to. Is there magic in the mending, granted by the saints who once guarded this place? With gorgeous language and breathtaking magic, THE CASTLE BEHIND THORNS tells of the power of memory and story, forgiveness and strength, and the true gifts of craft and imagination.
Thinking ahead to the new school year, Common Core applications include: Comparing and contrasting texts in different forms or genres; determining the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; and analyzing the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
THE DYERVILLE TALES, by M. P. Kozlowsky, tells the story of a young orphan who searches for his family and the meaning in his grandfather’s book of lost fairy tales.
Vince Elgin is an orphan, having lost his mother and father in a fire when he was young. With only a senile grandfather he barely knows to call family, Vince was interned in a group home, dreaming that his father, whose body was never found, might one day return for him. When a letter arrives telling Vince his grandfather has passed away, he is convinced that if his father is still alive, he’ll find him at the funeral. He strikes out for the small town of Dyerville carrying only one thing with him: his grandfather’s journal. The journal tells a fantastical story of witches and giants and magic, one that can’t be true. But as Vince reads on, he finds that his very real adventure may have more in common with his grandfather’s than he ever could have known.
If you’d like to bring this one into your classroom next year, Common Core applications include: Determining the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyzing the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone; describing how a particular story’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes; and describing how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
THE HERO’S GUIDE TO BEING AN OUTLAW, by Christopher Healy, is the hilarious and action-packed conclusion to the acclaimed hit series that began with THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM.
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You think you know those guys pretty well by now, don’t you? Well, think again. Posters plastered across the thirteen kingdoms are saying that Briar Rose has been murdered—and the four Princes Charming are the prime suspects. Now they’re on the run in a desperate attempt to clear their names. Along the way, however, they discover that Briar’s murder is just one part of a nefarious plot to take control of all thirteen kingdoms—a plot that will lead to the doorstep of an eerily familiar fortress for a final showdown with an eerily familiar enemy.
And Common Core applications for this one include: Explaining how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text; comparing and contrasting texts in different forms or genres; and analyzing how differences in the points of view of the characters and the reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
Happy reading!
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By: Shelf-employed,
on 4/2/2014
I'm still working my way through all the books I picked up at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. Lulu's Mysterious Mission is the third installment in this illustrated, chapter book series. I don't know why I never got around to reading the first two, but I'm making it up with a booktalk and a book trailer. Enjoy!
Viorst, Judith. 2014. Lulu's Mysterious Mission. New York: Atheneum.
(Advance Reader Copy supplied by publisher - artwork not final)
Eeny meeny miney mo,
That babysitter’s got to go.
Sooner, not later,
Fast, not slow.
That babysitter's got to go.
By: shelf-employed,
on 3/11/2013
Marino, Nan. 2013. Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace. New York: Roaring Brook.
(Advance Review Copy provide by NetGalley)
Due on shelves April 16, 2013
Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace 
(a booktalk)
Cecilia has no rhythm, and not too many friends; but she has something special - a story. A story of a song that connects her to New Jersey's wild Pine Barrens as firmly as the roots of its Pygmy Pines and Atlantic Cedars. Everyone in Wares Grove knows the story of the song played by the forest on the night of Cecilia's birth. Only the story of the Pineland's most famous inhabitant, the Jersey Devil, is known more widely.
But two unexpected things occur as Cecilia's 12th birthday approaches. Cecilia's mother begins to doubt the song, and a young boy, a boy who has perhaps lost a song of his own, has arrived in the middle of the night under suspicious circumstances - and he's hiding out at Piney Pete's Pancake Palace.
A song, a secret, and the legendary tale of the Jersey Devil are entwined in this imaginative story of discovery set on the fringes of New Jersey's Pine Barrens, a natural wonder.
Find out who's Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace.
By: Molly,
on 9/20/2012
We’ve teamed up with our brilliant Online Gurus here at HarperCollins Children’s Books to bring you something new on The Pageturn: monthly videos highlighting that month’s “picks,” featuring picture books, chapter books, middle grade and YA.
They’ll be brief booktalks of titles that we feel are perfect for your use in libraries and schools, both brand new and old favorites, directly from our hearts to yours. We don’t think we’ll be ever be YouTube stars (just wait for the blooper reel!), but our goal was to replicate as much as possible that great experience we have at conferences with you all, talking face to face, sharing what we love.
So here we go! Thoughts? Suggestions? We want to hear!
Molly’s September picks:
Picture Books:
EVERYTHING GOES: IN THE AIR, by Brian Biggs
GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS, by Mo Willems
Chapter Books:
FANCY NANCY: NANCY CLANCY, SUPER SLEUTH, by Jane O’Connor, Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
Middle Grade:
THE PECULIAR, by Stefan Bachman
THE GREAT UNEXPECTED, by Sharon Creech
Teen:
THE CROWN OF EMBERS, by Rae Carson
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By: shelf-employed,
on 6/27/2012
Rose, Caroline Starr. 2012. May B. New York: Random House. I play a game inside my head,
counting plum trees that dot a creek bed,
rabbits that scatter at the sound of wagon wheels,
clouds that skirt the sky.
For hours, that is all,
and grass,
always grass,
in different shades and textures
like the braids in a rag rug.
Miss Sanders told us that lines never end,
and numbers go on foresver.
Here,
in short-grass country,
I understand infinity.
"Don't worry about supper," he says. "I could be gone some time.""Some time" will be longer than May could ever have dreamed. It will take all of her courage, strength and perseverance to survive.
I am afraid
in the dark
all alone
I am afraid
By: Molly,
on 6/12/2012
I’m not sure I know anyone as knowledgeable about children’s books as my colleague, National Accounts Manager Heather Doss. She’s our human encyclopedia at meetings, a whiz in the booth at conferences, and an all-around terrific lady. And today you are the lucky recipient of her genius! Heather pulled together a round up of Classics, Redone:
“I’ll admit it: I’m a fan of the twisted classic genre. Whether it’s a retelling of a fairytale, myth or novel from the past, I love when authors take something you think you know and turn it on its head to give it a new perspective. While I think there will always be a place in curriculum for those classics we all read in high school and college, a remake can bring a fresh audience to them, and help to create a new fan base. Lucky for me, our Harper lists are chock full of titles that have a classic background:
Bethany Griffin has reimagined Edgar Allan Poe’s gothic horror story “The Masque of the Red Death,” creating a breathtakingly real city that’s coming apart at the seams, a riveting romantic triangle, and a heroine faced with heartbreaking choices. Hauntingly dark & romantic at the same time!
TIGER LILY combines the rich mythology of Peter Pan and the lush setting of Neverland to create a truly unique teen romance; told from the point of view of Tinkerbell & focusing on the Indian Princess whose backstory is vague in the original story.
FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS is a breathtaking romance about the choice between protecting your heart and opening yourself to the one person who could break it; inspired by Jane Austen’s PERSUASION.
In this retelling of the classic tale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” the eldest princess must fight to save her family—and her heart—from an ancient dark magic within the palace walls; a romantic fantasy with a darker edge.
By: Molly,
on 5/30/2012
Today we have the pleasure of introducing you to Tim Carvell, debut author of the uproariously funy middle-grade novel PLANET TAD. You can read a FREE, NICE AND HEARTY EXCERPT HERE. Yesterday we gave you a few words from Tim’s editor, Rosemary, and today we hear from the man himself…
(I mean… how great is this? If that mottled blue/gray background doesn’t pull you right back to middle school, I don’t know what will!)
Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?
When I was 9 or 10, I loved “A Cricket in Times Square”, but I think I loved its sequel, “Tucker’s Countryside”, even more, because I’d much rather read a book whose hero is a talking mouse with a cricket sidekick than a book whose hero is a talking cricket with a mouse sidekick.
As for what I’m reading now, I just finished “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street”, by Michael Davis, which is pretty great — not just because it’s got weird tidbits like the fact that Oscar the Grouch was originally orange, but also because, for some reason, it’s got a whole chapter that’s just behind-the-scenes stories about Captain Kangaroo’s love-hate relationship with his writers.
What is your secret talent?
I can wiggle my ears. (It’s not so much a “secret talent” as “a talent I have that I’ve been asked not to do in public”.)
Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.
A talking animal. I don’t know why, but it does.
My current obsessions are…
Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time with Finn & Jake”, because it’s got such a simple premise, but it keeps finding new directions to go, and new sorts of jokes to tell. Jenny Slate’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” shorts, which are very, very funny but come from a place of pure sweetness. And Jon Klassen’s “I Want My Hat Back”, because the drawings are hilarious, and it manages to tell a perfectly-paced joke in book form.
Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?
Just keep writing — the more you write, and the more feedback you get, the sooner you’ll get better at it, and the quicker you’ll develop your own voice. Also, don’t write a book about an orphan who goes to a British wizarding academy. It’s been done.
Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…
Actually, that’s about 90% of what I’d hope for right there — that a person would read my book. But if I could ask for more beyond that, it’d be that a person reading my book would laugh.
Tell us more about how PLANET TAD was born.
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By: Molly,
on 5/18/2012
This Wednesday, we plied our local librarian friends with coffee and treats to meet us very very very early in the morning to hear about our Fall 2012 titles, straight from the mouths of our truly masterful editors. Our attendees live-tweeted under the hashtag #harperfallpreview and it was really exciting for us to see those enthusiastic tweets roll in. Thanks, guys!
Everyone with their listening caps on.
Now, for some great This Meets That’s:
Can you believe that in a little more than a month, we’ll be at the ALA Annual meeting in Anaheim, California? Because we sure can’t (cue folders flying, frantic packing). But if you’ll be there too, please make sure to stop by, say hello, and grab galleys of the titles above. Booth #2558– see you there!
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By: Molly,
on 4/27/2012
Even though it feels like we JUST got back from TLA (and more on that terrific show later), we’re heading to Molly’s hometown Chicago tomorrow to exhibit at the International Reading Association next week. Will you be there, too? If so, come by booth #2240 for our wonderful author signings (listed below) galleys, teaching guides, posters, bookmarks, booktalking, and friend-making.
MONDAY, APRIL 30TH:
1:00–2:00PM, Henry Cole
TUESDAY, MAY 1ST:
*9:30–12:00PM, I CAN READ GOES DIGITAL– swing by our booth Tuesday morning to take a photo with your favorite I Can Read costumed characters, see demos of I Can Read books on the iPad and Nook, and enter a sweepstakes to win your own ereader or tablet loaded with an I Can Read library!*
12:30–1:00PM, Jan Spivey Gilchrist
1:00–2:00PM, Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Peter Reynolds
2:00–2:30PM, Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campos
2:30–3:30PM, Patricia McCormick
3:30–4:00PM, Stuart Murphy
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2ND:
9:30–10:30AM, Laura Numeroff (do you like donuts? If so, make a point to come to this one!)
11:00–11:30AM, Jody Feldman
11:30AM–12:30PM, Rita Williams-Garcia
See you there!
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By: Molly,
on 2/7/2012
I set up a lot of school visits in the course of the year, but few warm my heart as much as the annual Adopt-a-School visit. The Adopt-a-School Initiative is a collaboration between the American Association of Publishers, the Children’s Book Council, the NYC Department of Education, school librarians, and publishing houses. The program sends well-known children’s and young adult authors into New York area schools. We at HarperCollins Children’s Books take great pleasure in connecting our authors with these deserving schools. Authors generously donate their time and energy, and we support the visit by sending classroom sets of books to the participating schools. This past December the wonderful Audrey Vernick enthusiastically agreed to follow in the footsteps of past participants such as Walter Dean Myers, Robert Lipsyte, and Maryrose Wood. Audrey’s picture books include SHE LOVED BASEBALL: THE EFFA MANLEY STORY, IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?, and TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS. We asked Audrey for a first-hand account of this very special school visit… and homecoming.
-Tony Hirt (Our Author Visit Coordinator Extraordinaire- tony.hirt(at)gmail(dot)com)
When I was asked by HarperCollins if I’d be interested in participating in the CBC/AAP’s adopt-a-school week, during which authors visit public schools throughout New York City, I asked, almost as an afterthought, if it might be possible to visit the elementary school I attended—P.S. 184 Queens. I was pretty sure this wasn’t the kind of thing one could ask, but something pushed me to try anyway.
And then, thanks to the persistence of AAP’s Becca Worthington, and the cooperation of school principal Dora Pantelis and media specialist Adriana Tibbetts at P.S. 184, it all came together. On December 13, 2011, I returned to my elementary school.
I graduated from P.S. 184 in 1976, a time when all the fire hydrants in our town were painted red, white and blue in celebration of the bicentennial. In the decades since, my elementary school memories have not dulled. (Don’t ask me about junior high school, high school or college. But you can ask me to name the kids in size order in my first-grade class and I’ll get nearly every one.)
I walked in that building and knew its geography. The smell in the cafeteria was unnamable but profoundly familiar. The faces on the kids were different, the computers in the classrooms looked ridiculously out of place—especially with a lot of the same old furniture—but more than anything, it felt like something very close to home.
I met with kids in kindergarten, first and second grade. I read to the kindergarteners and talked with the first- and second-graders about where I find my story ideas and where they might find their own. I encouraged them to listen to the stories around them and to be curious. They listened, they laughed, they agreed that I looked like I was “from history” when I showed them my own first-grade picture. (I didn’t tell them that I borrowed that term from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, but in the interest of giving credit, that is the whole truth.)
The kids asked smart questions, as kids always do. As I drove home later, I finally accepted the fact that I can no longer be someone wh
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By: Molly,
on 10/21/2011
Last week, we hosted a preview of our Winter and Summer 2012 lists for our terrific tri-state librarian friends, trading bagels and coffee for their undivided attention so very early in the morning. Our wonderful and very cheerful editors presented their upcoming books, and lucky for me, that meant I could eavesdrop at each table and hear booktalks of our Fall 2012 titles straight from the source—I’ve always loved those little info gems from editors that make me itch to pick up a book and get lost. And I got them! A few to share with you all:
Beautiful smiles from the Greenwillow group—VP and Publisher Virginia Duncan and editor Martha Mihalick show off Kevin Henkes’ upcoming PENNY AND HER SONG (On-sale 2.28.11) and PENNY AND HER DOLL (On-sale 8.21.12) starring Penny, the newest in town!
Assistant Editor Annie Stone gives us a peek at Jane O’Connor’s FANCY NANCY: NANCY CLANCY, SUPER SLEUTH. Fancy Nancy is growing up– here she is in her first chapter book!
Editor Molly O’Neill gives the Vanna White treatment to Kathryn Littlewood’s BLISS , the first in a mouth-watering middle grade trilogy full of culinary capers and family adventure.
In a little less than a month, we’ll be at NCTE in Chicago– can you believe it? If you’ll be there too, come by our booth, #513, to grab these galleys and more!
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By: Laura,
on 9/29/2011
Banned Books Week goes on and today’s booktalk is GEOGRAPHY CLUB by Brent Hartinger. It was successfully banned for its homosexual content in Brent’s own hometown in 2005 – read Brent’s great post about it – and has continued to appear on the most challenged lists. In Brent’s blog post, he quotes a local parent who defended GEOGRAPHY CLUB at the time: “This is the most bogus thing I’ve heard of [...] It is about gay students. However, the most important part of the book is that it’s about bullying, outcasts, about tolerance [...] This is a really good book for any student to read.”
Generously contributing a booktalk today is the eloquent, often provocative, teacher, librarian, and blogger Jonathan Hunt (you can also visit him over at School Library Journal‘s blog Heavy Medal):
When is a Geography Club not a Geography Club? When it’s the front for a Gay-Straight Alliance, of course! Russel Middlebrook believes himself to be the only gay student at his high school, but when he makes an online connection with a job from his school, he begins to realize there may be others, too. Ultimately, seven students will come together to form the Geography Club, offering support to each other through thick and thin. Readers will fall in love with Russell – regardless of sexual orientation – because his voice just rings so true: funny, angsty, yet wise. There’s been an explosion of gay and lesbian young adult fiction in recent years, but this gem remains one of the very best.
Thanks so much, Jonathan! For more information, you can see this interview with Brent, check out Brent’s website (in particular, his information for LGBTQ kids is a wonderful resource), and follow Brent on Twitter.
By: Laura,
on 9/28/2011
A regular on the top banned and challenged books list, ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING by the fabulous Louise Rennison has a cult following (um, include me in that cult!). The book has been challenged for a multitude of reasons: age inappropriateness, profanity, and sexual content. It has also made the Top 100 list, which we can’t help but consider a distinction!
Today’s booktalk is by the uber-fabbity-fab Sarah Bean Thompson, librarian and blogger (GreenBeanTeenQueen). She’s also on the 2013 Printz committee! She’s a fan of Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson stories and contributed a booktalk that you can use all year long in your programming:
Join Georgia Nicolson and The Ace Gang for a fabbity fab adventure through the craziness of high school. Georgia is madly in love with the sex god, Robbie. Too bad Robbie has a girlfriend who happens to be the annoying wet Lindsey. Georgia knows that she could get Robbie to fall in love with her if only she had the chance. And if high school and love triangles weren’t bad enough, Georgia has to deal with her fat cat Angus who is always causing problems and her embarrassing three-year-old sister who is not as cute as everyone thinks. Georgia’s adventures are always full of laughs as her entries into her diary recount her attempts to survive school, boys, and big noses. Growing up is never easy, but at least Georgia Nicolson manages to make it fun.
Thanks, Sarah, for joining us! For additional info to support your programming and curriculum, check out the Georgia Nicolson reading guide. I’m also a bit of an evangelist for the Georgia Nicolson website so check that out for a glossary, the complete snogging scale, and quizzes.
Last but not least, I’ll leave you with the trailer for the the ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL-FRONTAL SNOGGING trailer:
By: Laura,
on 9/27/2011
Like BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA yesterday, Maurice Sendak’s IN THE NIGHT KITCHEN makes the list for one of the top 100 most frequently banned books of the decade, 1990-2000. It was also made the Top 10 most challenged book of 2004. It’ll be no surprise to those of you familiar with the book that the sticking point is the illustrations of naked Mickey, the young protagonist of the story.
By: Laura,
on 9/26/2011
In addition to appearing on the list regularly, Katherine Paterson’s BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA was a Top 10 Banned Book in 2003. It is also ranked in the Top 10 Banned Books of the decade, 1990-2010. It has been challenged and banned for using the lord’s name in vain, secular humanism, occultism, offensive language, and death as a major theme.
So let’s booktalk it! We asked Jen Bigheart – blogger at I Read Banned Books, librarian, and founding member of Literary Lonestars – to contribute a booktalk for BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA; feel free to use it in your own classrooms and libraries to support the Freedom to Read year-round:
Living in a small, rural town in the late 1970s with his parents and four sisters is far from exciting for fifth-grader Jess Aarons. When tomboy Leslie Burke moves into the house down the hill, the two strike up an unlikely friendship that doesn’t go unnoticed by Jess’ family and classmates. The two sneak deep into the woods as King and Queen of Terabithia, conquering hostile savages and getting lost in their imaginative play. When an unexpected tragedy strikes, Jess realizes that Leslie was more than just a friend and play partner. She was his ticket to freedom from his mundane home life and gave him a gift beyond measure: courage.
Thanks so much, Jen!
For further assistance in teaching BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA, download the discussion guide. Scholastic also has put together Literature Circle questions.
By: Laura,
on 9/26/2011
It’s well-known in book-ish circles that it’s Banned Books Week. This week is a wonderful celebration of the freedom to read and to raise awareness against censorship. But one thing that comes up each year – by myself, included – is that Banned Books Week needs to happen every day of the year. As book people who are passionate about the right to read whatever one chooses, we must remain vigilant in supporting that right.
With that in mind, this week we’ll be featuring booktalks of banned books by well-known librarians, school media specialists, and bloggers. That way, you can support the freedom to read year-round. (Not to mention that, should you be working on your programs, these booktalks can set you on your way!)
So stay tuned and visit here all week for the booktalks. Before I post the first one, I thought I’d share what others are doing around the interwebs to celebrate this week:
By: Laura,
on 8/22/2011
Dan Gutman! When he first sent this photo, it sent us into gales of laughter:
Want in on the fun and laughs? Sign up for the My Weird Classroom Club for lesson plans, discussion questions, and more!
By: Laura,
on 8/18/2011
You’ve been bounced around from foster home to foster home, and it’s becoming clear that no one cares where you end up next. You’ve fallen between the cracks. So imagine your luck when you discover that you’ve been accepted to an exclusive private boarding school where you might have a chance to make something of yourself. Only…once you get to the school, you find out that there’s no leaving it. There are no grown-ups…only classes taught by fellow students who have received the lessons from mysterious adults on the outside. The students have formed their hierarchies so that you’re in or you’re out, and you’re constantly watching your back. Nothing is quite what it seems. What do you do? Fall in line? Try to escape? Only…those who try to escape aren’t heard from again…
By: Laura,
on 8/17/2011
As book lovers, we all have something in common: there’s too much to read and too little time. When I’m having a hard time deciding, I’ll often as my colleague Heather Doss. She’s one of our National Account Managers and one of the most well-read and knowledgeable children’s/young adult folks I know. So when I asked Heather which teen books she was excited about for the upcoming fall season, here’s what she told me:
SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs
ISBN 9780062001818
On-sale 9.6.11
“I’m a sucker for anything that is a retelling or twist of classic myths so was drawn to this book from the initial description. With three main characters each having their own personalities, this is perfect for teens that have grown up reading Percy Jackson while watching reruns of Buffy.”
DEADLY COOL by Gemma Halliday
ISBN 9780062003317
On-sale 10.11.11
“A murder mystery with a snarky Heathers feel so funny I literally spit a French fry at a pigeon while reading…genius!
VARIANT by Robinson Wells
ISBN 9780062026088
On-sale 10.4.11
“As a voracious reader, I feel like I’ve read it all & can usually figure out the plot before page 100 (not that that will stop me from reading). This boarding school thriller had a plot twist that I did NOT see coming & still has me puzzled to this day as to ‘what it all means’.”
THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson
ISBN 9780062026484
On-sale 9.20.11
“A fantasy for those who think they don’t like that genre, a setting that is lush & exotic, a romance that develops naturally & not instantaneously, a female protagonist who starts off unsure of herself & finds her inner warrior: this one has all the elements of my favorite books combined into one fantastic read!”
FROST by Marianna Baer
ISBN 9780061799495
On-sale 9.13.11
“Call it the ‘attack of boarding school thrillers’ but this one had a very different feel from VARIANT: deliciously psychologically creepy while leaving you wondering by the end who or what was behind it all.”
THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin
ISBN 9781442421769
On-sale 9.27.11
“I’d had this debut from Simon & Schuster on my GoodReads list for over a year & dived into it the second I got my greedy little hands on the ARC: a psychological mystery wrapped in a steamy romance & a hint of paranormal activity.”
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By: Laura,
on 8/8/2011
We hope you have all had a chance to read KICK, the outstanding YA novel co-written by debut teen author Ross Workman and New York Times bestselling author Walter Dean Myers.
When Ross Workman, then 13, emailed his favorite author, he hardly knew that he would have the opportunity to write a story collaboratively with him, in alternating chapters. What’s so wonderful about the story of these two authors is that it has broadened the conversation about the writing process, not to mention that it’s inspiring for teens considering writing to their favorite author.
Below, Ross Workman poses 5 questions about their writing process to Walter Dean Myers:
1. We did a lot of thinking about the story before we even started writing. You had all these techniques you’d developed to help you figure out your characters and plot—using photographs of the characters to help you think of them as real people and keep them consistent, doing character timelines, and creating a detailed outline. How did you come up with these? Did you ever try to write without them? How did that turn out?
Ross, I started writing without the outlines and without time-lines, etc. My understanding of literature was that the writers were all geniuses and the words just flowed from their pens or typewriters. I kept getting stuck in the middle of a manuscript. Developing the prewriting techniques help me to understand if I really have a book in mind or just the germ of an idea. Now, having said that, I still occasionally jump into a book too quickly. When I do, there’s usually a price to pay in starting over or replotting.
2. At times, I got discouraged, especially when I was worried that my writing wouldn’t be good enough. Did you ever get discouraged when you were writing or revising KICK? Did you ever get discouraged while working on another project? What do you do when you get stuck?
I enjoyed working on the book so much that I didn’t get discouraged. In fact, I’m rarely discouraged. If I do get stuck, I simply revisit my outline to see what I’ve overlooked.
3. Was it easier to edit my chapters or your chapters?
It was easier to edit your chapters because I can’t always see what mine are missing. My wife reads my chapters and reminded me to put in descriptions. Then you would point out my inconsistencies and, finally, our editor Phoebe made suggestions. I get the core feelings right most of the time but I often fall down when it comes to details.
4. You introduced me to the poem “The Second Coming” by W.B. Yeats. What made you think of that poem and its relevance to KICK?
As I understood the character you created, he seemed always eager to do the right thing. He wanted to help his friend, Christy, when she was troubled. He was very sympathetic and concerned with Dolores, who worked for McNamara. He was even hoping that Mr. McNamara wouldn’t get into too much trouble. I liked Kevin’s character and his willingness to get involved. In “The Second Coming” Yeats describes the end of the world, made easy by the lack of conviction of good people:
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity
I believe that the end of the world as we know it ca
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By: Laura,
on 8/4/2011
Our popular feature is back! Blank-Meets-Blank was actually started first by Betsy Bird at Fuse #8 – she ranks the best “Blank-Meets-Blank” when she attends publishers’ librarian previews. This is an awesome way to booktalk to kids and teens in your library or classroom!
Today, we’re sharing the best Blank-Meets-Blanks for our upcoming Fall 2011 titles:
EVERYTHING GOES: ON LAND by Brian Biggs
On-sale 9.13.11
LIESL & PO by Lauren Oliver
On-sale 10.4.11
MO WREN, LOST AND FOUND by Tricia Springstubb
On-sale 8.23.11
VARIANT by Robison Wells
On-sale 10.4.11
By: Laura,
on 8/2/2011
Lest you think from our Back to School post that we’re completely over summer, we thought we’d highlight a few books that will get you through the rest of the dog days. There are still several more weeks left until it cools down, and these great reads will help you hang on to the summer days:
I’M A SHARK by Bob Shea
Even sharks can be afraid… (watch the adorable video)
DUDE: FUN WITH DUDE AND BETTY by Lisa Pliscou, illustrated by Tom Dunne
Dick and Jane…surfer style!
JUNONIA by Kevin Henkes
10-year-old Alice Rice grows up during her family’s annual summer vacation in Florida.
JEREMY BENDER VS. THE CUPCAKE CADETS by Eric Luper
Check out this hilarious video of Eric Luper interviewing Eric Luper.
WITHERING TIGHTS by Louise Rennison
A summer performing arts camp? Boys, snogging, and bad acting guaranteed! Recommend to your fans of “Glee” or Georgia Nicholson.
FINS ARE FOREVER by Tera Lynn Childs
Mermaids are the next vampires…or werewolves…or angels…! This sequel to
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By: Laura,
on 7/6/2011
“My brother teaches an undergraduate writing course at a university in New York, and he recently shared with me a thesis statement from one of his students’ papers: “Words are very important in A Passage to India.” It was, perhaps fittingly, a poor choice of words on the student’s part—it’s a novel, after all—but I think I see the point about word choice that the student was trying to make. Words, after all, are not simply bricks in the path upon which an author is leading a reader, identical and interchangeable and valuable more for their sequence than for their individual qualities. They are much more than that. They have shades and contours. They catch light in different ways. They are meant to illuminate a pathway that already exists, and when enough of the right ones are strung together in a great novel, they are just as tangible as the things they represent.
One of the reasons I love working with Anne Ursu, and especially on her latest middle grade novel Breadcrumbs, which releases this September, is because she knows how important words are. Anne is one of the most talented wordsmiths I know – her ability to turn a phrase is boundless, fluctuating so smoothly between humorous and heartfelt that the two almost seem to form one quantum state (“It was not the greatest insult ever, but one thing Hazel had learned at her new school was when it comes to insults it’s the thought that counts”). But Anne takes things much further than that in Breadcrumbs. It’s a contemporary fairy tale set in present-day Minneapolis which draws its structure and inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story “The Snow Queen.” In Anne’s book, a young girl named Hazel and a young boy named Jack are best friends, and they’re both dealing with hardship, but it’s their friendship that holds them together. They spend their days talking about Joe Mauer’s batting average and Batman’s utility belt and the Chronicles of Narnia, but what they’re saying with all of it is “I know you, and I am here.” They’re just saying it with different words, and it’s the words that make the difference.
If you’re familiar with “The Snow Queen”, you know what happens next. Jack’s heart is frozen by a broken piece of an evil mirror, and he decides to leave everything in his life behind – including his friendship with Hazel. Jack is still there, he is still speaking English, but the language they had created is gone. Now, baseball and comic books and talking lions are just baseball and comic books and talking lions. As in the original story, Jack eventually leaves, taking off into an enchanted forest with a woman made of ice. Hazel, of course, follows him, and under normal circumstances, this would be fine. She has read Alice In Wonderland, The Hobbit, A Wrinkle In Time. If she has to kill a sinister queen, slay giant spiders, or tesser, she’ll be good to go. But how do you save someone you can’t talk to anymore? How do you convince someone to come back home when no one there speaks the same language? How do you connect when words have lost their meaning?
Part of the brilliance of Breadcrumbs is that it is so deeply concerned with the shades and contours and light-catching that make words much more than interchangeable bricks. Hazel navigates the fantasy world in the book the same way the reader will – with the stories she’s brought in with her. It’s finding the right words that will save Jack or lose him forever at the end, but Hazel thankfully has enough words and stories to light the pathway to him. And we hope that readers will find a similar path lit for
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