JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The site is updated daily with information about every book, author, illustrator, and publisher in the children's / young adult book industry. Members include published authors and illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, booksellers, publishers and fans. Join now (it's free).
Login or Register for free to create your own customized page of blog posts from your favorite blogs. You can also add blogs by clicking the "Add to MyJacketFlap" links next to the blog name in each post.
Blog Posts by Tag
In the past 7 days
Blog Posts by Date
Click days in this calendar to see posts by day or month
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: little brown, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 26 - 50 of 68
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: little brown in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
By Candy Gourlay
Your intrepid Notes from the Slushpile reporter managed to get herself invited to speak at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content – which was a combination of children’s literary festival, book fair, and a SCBWI Conference. This is the first of hopefully several exhausted ... er ... exhaustive reports. With many thanks to the amazing organizers of an amazing Festival – and
30 Comments on Singapore Fling – What’s a couple of bestsellers between editors?, last added: 6/1/2012
My takeaway though is that the tough parameters of the children's book market means authors have to do their growing off-page before going to market.
Hi Candy, sounds like a great trip. I saw Sarah Odedina recently at a childrens book circle event and was also very impressed by her and am rather excited about Hot Keys submission policy! Just need the perfect book now....
5,000 is a best seller? Really? Really?<br /><br />I couldn't read The Book Thief. Have tried and failed several times. Have never got as far as page three. I feel utterly repelled by the concept and execution..err..on the basis of those pages. And have never got further than two words of Wimpy Kid on the basis of the font.
Great post, Candy. Hot Key Books is doing an event in June at the Prof Series. It would be great to listen to them in person.<br /><br />Also 5000 in 6 months - might sound small, guess it is a big number if you don't have the same number of libraries, bookshops and of course as you said book reviewers talking about the book. <br /><br />I miss Singapore. I haven't gone back since 2007. I
Fascinating. Almost as good as having been there! Thank you. (I was underwhelmed by 'The Book Thief' too. I rather like the Wimpy Kids I've read though...and love watching my children devour them, over and over and over again. Hey ho.)
Sam Hawksmoor said, on 5/31/2012 1:34:00 AM
Great feedback from Singapore. Yeah five thousand books in the UK sound right to me and that's with support from your publisher. It's a darn tough world out there. PS Always best to start 'The Book Thief' with the second chapter I find. Great that you got invited to this event Candy. One question. Did you get to see a Singapore bookshop and do they buy UK YA? Just curious.
Singapore is really amazingly multinational - there are several bookstores, largely English language books and YA is BIG. whether your book gets there depends on whether your publisher distributes to that market I guess. My book is imported into Asian English language markets by Random House. The bookseller at the Festival was Bookaburra and their stall was well stocked with both British and US
Thanks, Chitra - what subject did you write about? Oh! And they're taking a page from the British Isles - they were holding book launches through the day!
Hot Key really is an exciting new house in the market. But yes, be sure you get the book right. I know people say you can resubmit but I really think you only get one shot with each manuscript.
Very interesting that Alvina was turned off by the fact that Jeff Kinney posted it online. After Wimpy Kid's success, publishers might not be so quick to dismiss authors who do that.
Absolutely brilliant post, Candy. Have read it through three times to make sure I haven't missed any points. <br />Thanks for the info on <br />super-leads, especially the book mark hint<br />author-driven books that HAVE to be written<br />and even more confirmation that it really is so subjective.<br />But - what did they mean by embargoes in the HP plan?<br />And - where are you going next
Hi Candy, like you amazed that Sarah O found the book thief boring but very heartened by that. Yet another reminder that just because some people don't like your stuff, doesn't mean it's rubbish.<br />Thank you for this post, feel much better!
The lengths you'll go to for 'Notes', Candy - thankyou! Great, great post and like Maureen, i've reread to be sure of soaking up all the goodness. <br />I love Wimpy Kid and have not finished Book Thief.
Oh don't you remember - they had an embargo on the book so people who already had advance copies couldn't review, blog, write, talk about it until a certain date. And then I seem to remember a warehouse by mistake left some copies in a field or something like that!
I always tell kids at schools that it's okay not to like one book because reading is so personal you will most likely love something that someone else doesn't like. I probably say that to make myself feel better about it.
I would go to the ends of the earth for NOtes, Addy. Anyone holding a children's book conference in the Carribean, just say the word and I'll be there!
I think the <b>author led concept</b> is very important to anyone aspiring to break into publishing. Ask yourself: what book could you write that ONLY YOU would write?
I was so surprised to hear that the world of Wimpy Kid was a game that was freely available online to millions of kids -- well before it was ever a book. Talk about the freemium model!<br /><br />Thanks for the round up Candy. We're all so proud of the great reviews Sarah is getting from the conference (and her spot on TV!). <br /><br />Tiny correction: Bonnier is a Swedish company, not
OMG indeed, Candy!!! Can't believe Twilight was perceived to be an award-winner-- the book that set back the women's movement by about 100 years!!! Congratulations, my friend. I love A Tall Story -- now there's an award-winner! LTM
As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.
A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.
Review:
Revived is so not what I was expecting, based on the vibes I got from the cover. I was expecting something creepy and scary, but this book isn’t. It’s the story of a girl who finally learns how to make emotional connections with her peers, how to trust others, but more importantly, it’s the story of a girl who finally realizes how precious life really is.
Daisy has a rather skewed view of death. She’s died five times, and been Revived every time. Starting with a tragic bus accident when she was a young girl, she has been part of a top secret government experiment most of her life. She’s an orphan, and she’s being raised by two agents working on the project. Her life is shrouded in secrecy, and because she has to keep so many things private, she has never really had a friend. When you are constantly forced to up and move, changing your identity, it’s hard to put down roots. In the past, Daisy never really minded. Once she meets Matt and Audrey, her idea of what’s important in life changes abruptly. Life is precious, especially if you only have one life to live.
I liked Daisy a lot. She’s smart and mature for her age, distant emotionally and not sure what to make of kids her age. Audrey and Matt completely change her life. She starts to feel comfortable in her new home, and she doesn’t want to have to move again. She wants to be like a normal kid. The problem with Daisy is that she’s not a normal kid. No matter how you slice it, she is different, and after she learns that her new best friend is terminally ill, she has a very rude awakening. After most people die, they are dead forever. Being part of the Revive project, Daisy never really grasped the concept that death is final. Her deaths never are, so she has developed a blasé attitude towards life and living. It’s not until she sees, first hand, how brutally painful death is that she begins to appreciate the lives she’s been given.
Parts of the book did disappoint me. I thought the background on the Revive project was minimal at best, but as the focus of this story is Daisy and her friendships, this was a minor quibble. There were too many convenient coincidences, but overall, I enjoyed getting to know Daisy. She is likeable, and I found her voice compelling. This was an engrossing read for me, and I polished it off in just two reading sessions. While the ending is satisfying, I would not be opposed to revisiting Daisy in the future, and that’s saying a lot, because I am normally
Erik Kuntz, Amy Rose Capetta and Nick Alter made this video of the Austin Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators 2012 Regional Conference, Something for Everybody. I get a kick out of how the thumbnail on YouTube shows me in the crowd, getting a hug from illustrator Marsha Riti. So of course I had to include it here. Erik, [...]
0 Comments on A party in February as of 5/10/2012 11:08:00 PM
Release Date: September 27th, 2011 Publisher: Little, Brown & Company Age Group: Young Adult Overall: 5 out of 5 Stars (Unputdownable!) Categories: Paranormal, Romance, Angels, Reincarnation, Magic Goodreads Page Read in March 2012
Summary:
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
My Opinion:
I started this book without having read any reviews, so I didn't know what to expect. Laini's world definitely blew me away. I was not expecting that!
The writing style of this book is so light and at the same time, intense; I couldn't put it down (but there were times when I had to). Taylor's descriptions made my imagination soar through the cities she wrote about, imagining scenes, towns, people, like a good book is supposed to do.
We start out not knowing who Karou is, or where she comes from; we only know that she has a lot of secrets, like her family and Brimstone, the closest thing to a father she has. With her blue hair, she's a rebel that seeks the truth about herself, but at the same time, does not want to disappoint mighty Brimstone.
Her human friend Zuzana, is an ordinary girl, your typical teenage friend. I'd love to see more of her, see how she progresses in the story. Karou keeps many secrets from her, but she's still loyal to her, and that says so much about her character. She's definitely an anchor for Karou, who's losing touch with everything that means something to her.
There are so many characters worthy of mentioning, but then this post would be very long. Karou's "monster" family is extremely caring, I started loving them just as much as Karou does.
The veil between our world and the Other Side (I read the book in Spanish; how do you call Brimstone's world?) is thinner than Karou
Add a Comment
by Patrick McDonnell
Little Brown 2011
A picture book biography that's more picture book than biography. And that's not a bad thing.
A little girl named Jane is given a stuffed chimpanzee which she names Jubilee. She treasure Jubilee and takes him with her wherever her boundless curiosity leads. Together they climb trees and observe chickens and take a full interest in all the natural
The lovely Alvina Ling is editorial director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. She edits everything from picture books to YA, along with some nonfiction, and is no doubt the person who discovered many of your favorite titles.
Did you love YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND by Peter Brown, and SHARK VS. Train by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld? Her books. Same for the transcendent WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON by Grace Lin, the powerful NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL by Justina Chen, and the utterly dazzling DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor.
She loves genre fiction of all kinds: open to fantasy, mystery and romance. But she requires a certain literary quality to the work. "Literary fiction is my love."
She talked with us about narrative fiction, focusing on three big elements: the narrative voice, the structure, and the plot, and starting with a great quote from W. Somerset Maugham: "There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
Narrative voice is intertwined with character, Alvina says. One of the things a writer needs to decide: Who is my narrator going to be? A character? An omniscient observer? A main character? A sideline character? Multiple perspectives? A third-person limited? (Her list was quite thorough.)
"There are a lot of decisions you have to make," she says, and sometimes, the choices can be unexpected. For example: PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ by A.S. King was written from the point of view of a pagoda, Alvina said.
Sometimes, "When you're reading a first-person point of view character, you generally know the character isn't going to die. Unless the book is titled 'BEFORE I DIE.'"
She read from a number of books, showing how a choice like POV can be used to add suspense, relate-ability and other things to our stories--it was a fascinating exercise.
Structure, meanwhile, can sometimes be influenced by voice. It can be influenced by the characters you use and the perspectives your story is told from. It can also be arranged around a series of letters, objects, illustrations, or artifacts (like a Twitter feed).
She asked her authors what they started with when it came to structure. One author started with the last sentence. She also likes the structure of THE BOOK THIEF, which reveals one character would later die. This, for her, increased the tension and obscured the possibility of other deaths, which really worked for her.
Plot: Here, the most important thing is to have a conflict. Only one conflict is not enough--unless you're writing a very simple picture book.
"Don't be afraid to put your characters in peril. You need to fear for those characters and not know if they're going to be OK," Alvina says.
She comes up with a pithy sentence that explains what the book is about. It can sometimes be hard to summarize books this way. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE are two successful books that defy such brief summarization, but in general, it's useful to have that elevator pitch.
0 Comments on Alvina Ling: Narrative Fiction as of 1/1/1900
We HEART Laini so much! And wow to her latest novel! Between multiple starred reviews and a movie sale, Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a must to find. You must read it before it hits the big screen. Laini is as fresh are ever. All the divas are talking about this one. Congrats, Laini!
And here's a heads up sneak peek for February, 2012. Watch for The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin. Kirkus calls the work, "A smashing debut." I was intrigued and held in wonder and suspense from the first page. Be prepared for a journey into the wilderness and into self. Congratulations, Erin! Enjoy the moment!
Veteran soldier Kevin Powers has inked a deal with Little, Brown and Company for his Iraq war novel The Yellow Birds.
Powers, who has served in the Iraq war, is currently working towards an MFA as a Michener Fellow in Poetry at the University of Texas at Austin. Powers’ manuscript was acquired by publisher Michael Pietsch.
Pietsch had this statement in the release: “Ever since reading Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time I have been gripped by novelists’ accounts of the experience of war. And as soon as I began reading The Yellow Birds I knew I was in the presence of a masterful rendering of the particular horrors of this particular war. From the first word of this novel to the last, Kevin Powers’s portrayal of young soldiers trying to stay alive—and of the effect of the war on their families at home—is profound, unsettling, and sadly beautiful.”
The days of the week meant nothing to him. Except Sunday. Because on Sundays he listened to pipe organs and pianos.
How resilient is the human spirit? How powerful is love? I'll Be There is a wonderfully bittersweet novel that answers those two questions. Readers meet Sam and Riddle Border, the two sons of a horrible, horrible man. Riddle has been sick most of his life--and needlessly so since medicine could greatly improve his life--what joy he has he gains from drawing extremely detailed mechanical pictures. His older brother, Sam, doesn't believe in God but takes comfort in church music whenever, wherever he can. They move a lot. His father is more than a little anti-government, anti-society (and that's just the start of it.)
One Sunday, Sam slips into the back row of a Unitarian church. There is a singer, Emily Bell, who is trying her best--and not really hiding her nerves--to sing "I'll Be There." She's decided to focus on one person, one face on the back row. And guess who that would be?!
Sam feels that Emily (though of course he doesn't know her name just yet) is singing this song just for him. And what they share in those few minutes changes everything...
Sam is strange--to be sure--especially to Emily's family and friends. He won't talk about his Dad. He doesn't have a phone. He won't give anyone his address. He won't talk about his past...at all. He doesn't go to school. He doesn't say much of anything about himself...but there is something about him that Emily loves and treasures.
This novel is bittersweet, it goes to some dark places before the end. But it was worth every intense moment...
I have a copy of this I plan on reading soon, so I'm so glad to see you enjoyed reading it! Next time I'm in the mood for an emotional read I'll be picking it up.
Laptops that Dell has launched have its own characteristic featuring. And Compaq is the name that keeps the laptop shoppers amazed with its outstanding featuring products and models. Models with all the latest facilities and features are what Intex always keeps marinating. A look inside www.rightshopping.in/g/itb.asp?C=Dell%20Laptop&b=Dell&cid=3 will give full idea of the Dell offers.
Mobiles that Micromax has launched have its own characteristic featuring. And Micromax is the name that keeps the mobile freaks amazed with its outstanding featuring products and models. Models with all the latest facilities and features are what Micromax always keeps marinating. A look inside www.rightshopping.in/g/itb.asp?C=Micromax-Mobile-Phones&b=Micromax&cid=1 will give full idea of the Micromax offers.
Mobiles that Micromax has launched have its own characteristic featuring. And Micromax is the name that keeps the mobile freaks amazed with its outstanding featuring products and models. Models with all the latest facilities and features are what Micromax always keeps marinating. A look inside www.rightshopping.in/g/itb.asp?C=Micromax-Mobile-Phones&b=Micromax&cid=1 will give full idea of the Micromax offers.
Amazon has begun its UK festive promotion today (31st October), opening a Christmas store and revealing Steve Jobs’s biography is one of customers’ most wished-for items.
It's that time of year again... Happy Banned Books Week!
The publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is holding a Virtual Read-Out at www.bannedbooksweek.org People of all ages are encouraged to create a video of themselves reading from their favorite banned or challenged book and upload it to a special YouTube Channel for Banned Books Week. Authors and other celebrities are submitting videos as well. You'll recognize many folks whose works have been recognized and recommended by readergirlz, including Laini Taylor, Sarah Dessen, Lauren Myracle, Jay Asher, and Judy Blume.
We hope you'll submit your video! If you do, please leave a comment with a link to your video.
What are your favorite banned or challenged books? Let us know in the comments below!
Lisa Campbell, Graeme Neill and Charlotte Williams
Publication Date:
Wed, 31/08/2011 - 18:15
Publishers and trade figures have broadly reacted positively towards the scrapping of Waterstone’s 3-for-2 promotion.
As The Bookseller revealed earlier today [31st August], the offer is expected to be scrapped in September and replaced by discount off individual books. It marks the end of arguably the most recognisable book offer, which has been part of Waterstone's for more than a decade.
Peter Guralnick‘s 1994 biography, Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, will be adapted into a biopic. ScreenwriterJohn Fusco will write the script.
According to Deadline, this project has been in the works for over a decade. Here’s more from the article: “Steve Bing is producing the film now for Fox 2000. The book covers the formative years of Presley up to his enlistment in the Army.”
In addition to biographies, Guralnick has published short story collections, novels, and music criticism. The Last Train to Memphis (1994) is the first book in a two-volume biography set; it was followed byCareless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley (1999).
If you throw an I Spy, a Where’s Waldo, and a fiction picture book into your children’s lit blend-o-matic and hit puree, what you get is Look! A Book! – pure entertainment in printed form. I can’t wait to start circulating this.
A boy and a girl pick up a book – the same book the reader is holding in their hands:
HERE’S a CRAZY
SEEK & FIND
With images of every kind!
So many objects,
big and small.
Let’s see if you
Can find them
ALL….
From here on out, the spreads alternate between rhyming text set against bold colors and incredible seek and find illustrations. The conclusion of the book lists many more objects to go back and locate, ensuring hours of happy hunting.
Staake’s bright, abstract style has never been more detailed, with wildly creative results. Robots serving orange juice, dolphins wearing football helmets, clowns in shopping carts, seals operating machinery – the wackiness is seemingly endless. Kids will be pleased.
More than just an I Spy read-alike, the amount of care and consideration that went into Look! A Book! is impressive. Circular die cuts reveal objects that become part of the text. Staake smartly names only one object for the reader to locate on each seek and find spread, a decision that keeps the proceedings moving along during the first reading.
The verdict on this book is short and sweet. Get it. For your children’s collection, your kids, your neighbor’s kids – basically anyone that is or even vaguely resembles a youngster. It will receive a warm welcome everywhere.
by Peter Brown
Little, Brown & Co. 2010
A bear finds a boy and brings him home, only to discover the truth in the book's title.
In the storytelling industry (publishing, theatre, film) there is an undue amount of emphasis placed in promoting the idea of the "high concept" story. The high concept is easily grasped in under 25 words (under 10 if you're really good) that is open to quite a
1 Comments on Children Make Terrible Pets, last added: 1/31/2011
Concur. It's what we call a "Great Library Find" at our house. A book that's worth checking out and enjoying; but one that doesn't have the umph that calls for repeat reads.
There are biographies that are picture books, and there are picture book biographies. The difference, you ask? The former is a fairly detailed bio with illustrations added – usually resulting in a book most appropriate for older audiences. The latter is picture book through and through – minimal text, basic vocab, simple story. With Me…Jane, Patrick McDonnell (Wag!, South) has created picture book biography – it keeps the focus narrow, with successful results.
On the first page we are introduced to a young Jane Goodall and her stuffed toy chimp Jubilee. An inseparable pair, Jubilee accompanies Jane as she liberally indulges her curiosity in the natural world, including a memorable discovery of where eggs come from:
… [S]he and Jubilee snuck into Grandma Nutt’s chicken coop…hid beneath some straw, stayed very still…and observed the miracle.
Jane recorded her findings and, with the help of the Tarzan books she read, dreamed of a life studying animals on Africa. The powerful final image, a photograph showing Goodall reaching out to a baby chimpanzee, the real-life incarnation of her childhood toy, will linger with readers and let them know that Goodall achieved her dream. Beautiful.
The choice to cover only Jane Goodall’s childhood and not her exploits in Africa could be a sticking point for some. But if viewed simply as a chronicle of Goodall’s early steps to becoming an anthropologist, this focus on childhood fits, and will work for a K-2nd grade audience. Backmatter includes more detailed information about Goodall’s work studying primates as well as a note from Goodall herself.
The lovely watercolor illustrations hit all the earth tones you would expect, with a peacefulness that matches Goodall’s famously placid demeanor. Images are also pulled from other sources and presented in rubber stamp-like single-color. For instance, on the page that describes Jane’s longing to visit Africa, an image of ship, a map, and waves adorn the blank space, adding richness.
A woman who made important anthropological discoveries began as a girl who loves the outdoors. Me…Jane isn’t a blow-by-blow of Goodall’s entire career, but a laudable introduction and jumping-off point for young readers.
Jane. April Lindner. 2010. Little Brown. 373 pages.
The chairs in the lobby of Discriminating Nannies, Inc., were less comfortable than they looked. I sat stiffly in the one nearest the exit, where, feeling like an impostor in my gray herringbone suit from Goodwill, I could watch the competition come and go.
As flawed as Jane is, I still found it giddy-making. April Lindner's novel, Jane, is a retelling of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Jane's "Mr. Rochester" is rock star, Nico Rathburn. This "bad boy" rocker has been on the right track for a few years now. He even has custody of his daughter, Maddy, which is why he needs a nanny. But not just any one will do. Jane Moore is chosen because she's clueless and classy. She's not one to read entertainment magazines, tabloids, and the like. She's more into art and classical music than most of her peers. She's good; she's honorable; she's boring. Or that is how she sees herself at least. But there is something about her that Nico can't quite resist.
I liked this one. I really, really liked it. The premise was great. I loved the decision to make Mr. Rochester a rock star struggling with his past and wanting a better future; a man who wants to redefine himself. The scenes between the two--which Linder did take some liberties with, by the way, worked for the most part. I found some of them to be giddy-making even. There were so many things that worked with this one. Was it perfect? No. Does it have to be? No!
What didn't quite work for me was the fashion of the novel. I get that Jane is plain. That she isn't really "of" the modern world. But I had a hard time believing her wardrobe all the same. (And even how she tried to style Maddy and Nico in a few scenes.)
I felt the exact same way. This book was so fun to read, even though Jane feels like she's a Victorian time traveler and her wardrobe--don't even get me started. It was still good, though! :)
I have been teetering on getting this book for the longest time! I just looked it up again in the bookstore today and it's funny how after that I would see your review. Nice review by the way. Thank you for this one :D
by Herb Valen
illustrated by Susan Perl
Little, Brown and Company 1968
A boy discovers he can literally jump into paintings and interact with the people there, but his ability all mysteriously vanishes just as he's about to enter school...
Edward has grown big and strong, and can hop around on a single leg all the time without getting tired. he spends his cold winter days in his
0 Comments on The Boy Who Could Enter Paintings as of 1/1/1900
After scouring the children’s lit landscape, what follows are the 10 titles set to release in December, January, and February that most caught my eye as a K-6 school librarian. It’s a subjective list, to be sure, and not a collection of surefire winners – just some promising prospects. Here we go…
Middle Grade Fiction
No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko
Feb. 8, 2011 | Dial
The Newbery-honor winning author of Al Capone Does My Shirts offers up a departure that I’m looking forward to. A fantasy about three siblings and their journey to Colorado to visit their uncle. Good author, interesting premise – consider my curiosity piqued.
What’s Bugging Bailey Blecker? by Gail Donovan
Feb. 17, 2011 | Dutton
Do we share a similar sense of humor? Let’s find out. I think this story about a 5th grader growing out her hair to donate while dealing with a classroom outbreak of head lice sounds like a comedy gem in the making. What do you think? From the author of In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog.
Nonfiction Picture Books
Tillie the Terrible Swede: How One Woman, a Sewing Needle, and a Bicycle Changed History by Sue Stauffacher, illustrated by Sarah McMenemy
Jan. 25, 2011 | Random House
While biographies of well known historical figures are eye-catching, it is often the lesser-known stories that have the biggest impact. The author behind the wonderfully odd Doughnuthead takes on pioneering female cyclist Tillie Anderson. I’m looking forward to the results.
A Nation’s Hope: the Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Jan. 20, 2011 | Dial
Speaking of well-known figures, Joe Louis is one of America’s most famous boxers. Last I checked, however, there wasn’t a solid Louis bio for younger readers. With Kadir Nelson handing illustration duties, this one might fit the bill.
Picture Books
Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage
A wordless story about a zookeeper’s attempts to capture an escaped walrus, illustrated with about as much charm as you can fit between two covers.
Feb. 1, 2011 | Scholastic Press
Except If by Jim Averbeck
Jan. 25, 2011 | Atheneum
First came the egg, then the chicken. Except if it becomes a dino. Jim Averbeck (In a Blue Room) brings us a story full of possibilities.
0 Comments on 10 to Note: Winter Preview 2010-11 as of 1/1/1900
They say I was born with a caul, a skin netting covering my face like a glove. My mother died birthing me. I would've died, too, if Mama Ya-Ya hadn't sliced the bloody membrane from my face. I let out a wail when she parted the caul, letting in first air, first light.
Ninth Ward is a story of hope, love, endurance, and survival. Just a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Lanesha, our young heroine, turns twelve. While she is beloved by her grandmother--Mama Ya-Ya--Lanesha does not have many friends her own age. They've heard there is something different about her. That she can see the dead. Lanesha tries to make the best of it. Not that it is easy. But she tries. For they do speak the truth. Lanesha can see ghosts--her mother's ghost remains behind.
Ninth Ward is an emotional coming-of-age novel about family and friendship, about life and death, love and loss. It's a strong novel--one I won't be forgetting. It's a novel that I would definitely recommend!
Today we bring you another installment of Youth Media Movers and Shakers. We've culled through industry publications looking for the recent executive placements we think you should know about. If you have executive news that you want us to... Read the rest of this post
The lastest TEAM BLOGger to post a Summer Conference faculty interview is TEAM captain Alice Pope who interviewed Jennifer Hunt of Little, Brown. Below is a bit from the post.
The time draws near for the 2010 SCBWI Annual Summer Conference and today I offer yet another TEAM BLOG pre-conference faculty interview. I've talked with the amazing Editorial Director of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Jennifer Hunt.
Jen oversees the acquisition and development of all MG and YA fiction for the Little, Brown. She edits an impressive list of award-winner, bestselling and über-popular authors including Sherman Alexie, Sara Zarr, Cornelia Funke, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Pseudonymous Bosch, Cressida Cowell, Walter Mosley, Paolo Bacigalupi, and Jewell Parker Rhodes. (She also the proud editor of SCBWI’s very own Aaron Hartzler!)
Jen is offering two breakout sessions--PEAK TO PEAK: HOW TO BUILD A CAREER AFTER YOUR FIRST BOOK and AN INSIDE LOOK AT LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS--and participating in a panel--A VIEW FROM THE TOP: 4 PUBLISHERS DISCUSS OUR INDUSTRY.
Sisters Red. Jackson Pearce. 2010. June 2010. Little, Brown. 328 pages.
He's following me.
Scarlett and Rosie are sisters with more than a few secrets. Sisters with a (relatively) unique mission in life. To fight, fight, fight. To rid the world--well, maybe not the whole world, but their community at least--of Fenris (werewolves). You might say their introduction to this real world--the world of monsters--was quite brutal, both girls witnessed the death of their grandmother--Oma March--and this attack left Scarlett scarred inside and out. Joining them in their mission is a young guy (one that Rosie finds oh-so-dreamy), Silas. He comes from a long line of woodsmen.
But though these three fight together as a team--and are quite close in many ways--some things are changing, for better or worse. Silas and Rosie, well, they are changing. And Scarlett may have to deal with that.
I liked having both Rosie and Scarlett as narrators. When I was reading Rosie's chapters, I felt connected with her. I loved her. I could completely sympathize with her. See things from her perspective, see her side of things. Her need for her life to be more than just fighting, to be more than just battling evil. Her love for Silas. When I was reading Scarlett's chapters, I felt connected with her. I could see things from her side. Her passion--her obsession--to do anything and everything to protect people from the Fenris threat. The world may not know it's in danger--but for Scarlett, it's all too real. She can't forget for a moment, for a day, that she has a responsibility to protect others. She's a driven young woman, strong and powerful in many ways. And I have to respect that. Scarlett's choices are her own. Rosie's choices are her own. These two sisters love each other deeply, need each other deeply. But they want (and need) different things from life.
I thought Sisters Red was well-written. I would definitely recommend this one.
What do you think of the cover? I really liked this one. Though I must admit (a bit sheepishly) that it took me a few days to see the wolf on the cover!
Teaser: Alex, a high school junior, wakes up to find herself naked in the bed of a stranger. Turns out, she got drunk the night before and ... well. She's not sure what happened next. She doesn't remember. He says they had sex, twice. He says she wanted it.
Alex's friends say if you cannot remember having sex ... something is wrong. There wasn't consent. It's rape.
Alex doesn't know what to do; who to turn to. Then she finds out about The Mockingbirds. A self appointed group of students who try to ensure justice is done. Can they help her?
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Dewey the Library Cat: A True Story. Vicki Myron and Bret Witter. 2010. May 2010. Little Brown. 214 pages.
You find all kinds of things in a library book return box--garbage, snowballs, soda cans. Stick a hole in a wall and you're asking for trouble. I should know.
If you like cats, if you like libraries, if you like libraries that love cats, or cats that love libraries, then you should consider picking this one up. This is a children's edition of the adult book, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World. (I haven't read the original, so I'm not sure how it has been adapted.)
What should you expect from this one? Cute cat stories set in a public library. I loved reading about Dewey. I loved reading about how the community loved Dewey. How Dewey interacted with people--young and old. How excited he was to be a part of it all. His habits. His likes and dislikes. I liked how the book tried to capture this cat's personality. I liked the little snippets from Dewey's point of view.
But. This one doesn't come without tears. I rarely cry with books. (I cry at plenty of other things.) But with Dewey, I couldn't help myself. Oh how I cried. And cried. And cried.
I read the full version last year-I am a cat lover and I was very touched by this book-I posted on it last year-really enjoyed your post on this version of the book
I really want to read this book now! It was the name of the cat that caught my attention- Dewey. It just brought up memories of the read-a-thon, what a perfect name for a library cat!
I just checked this out from the library, looking forward to reading it! (I've visited lots of bookstores with cats, but never a library that had one. I wish my library had a resident kitty!)
.jpeg?picon=2287)
.jpg?picon=590)
Veteran soldier Kevin Powers has inked a deal with Little, Brown and Company for his Iraq war novel The Yellow Birds.
.jpg?picon=107)
by 
I find it extremely amusing that both have overseen two of the biggest series in YA, yet they overlooked two other extremely popular books.
I was really shocked to hear Sarah say she thought The Book Thief was boring ... but it only goes to show that reading is a personal thing.
Brilliant brilliant post - can't tell you how much this cheered me up x
My takeaway though is that the tough parameters of the children's book market means authors have to do their growing off-page before going to market.
Interesting post. Off to write a best seller now. Easy!
Interesting post really enjoyed reading this. Thanks
Hi Candy, sounds like a great trip. I saw Sarah Odedina recently at a childrens book circle event and was also very impressed by her and am rather excited about Hot Keys submission policy! Just need the perfect book now....
5,000 is a best seller? Really? Really?<br /><br />I couldn't read The Book Thief. Have tried and failed several times. Have never got as far as page three. I feel utterly repelled by the concept and execution..err..on the basis of those pages. And have never got further than two words of Wimpy Kid on the basis of the font.
Great post, Candy. Hot Key Books is doing an event in June at the Prof Series. It would be great to listen to them in person.<br /><br />Also 5000 in 6 months - might sound small, guess it is a big number if you don't have the same number of libraries, bookshops and of course as you said book reviewers talking about the book. <br /><br />I miss Singapore. I haven't gone back since 2007. I
Fascinating. Almost as good as having been there! Thank you. (I was underwhelmed by 'The Book Thief' too. I rather like the Wimpy Kids I've read though...and love watching my children devour them, over and over and over again. Hey ho.)
Great feedback from Singapore. Yeah five thousand books in the UK sound right to me and that's with support from your publisher. It's a darn tough world out there. PS Always best to start 'The Book Thief' with the second chapter I find. Great that you got invited to this event Candy. One question. Did you get to see a Singapore bookshop and do they buy UK YA? Just curious.
Singapore is really amazingly multinational - there are several bookstores, largely English language books and YA is BIG. whether your book gets there depends on whether your publisher distributes to that market I guess. My book is imported into Asian English language markets by Random House. The bookseller at the Festival was Bookaburra and their stall was well stocked with both British and US
I loved the Book Thief - give it a chance. Such an unusual book. I liked the unexpected writing.
Thanks, Chitra - what subject did you write about? Oh! And they're taking a page from the British Isles - they were holding book launches through the day!
Heh heh - maybe I should ring Oprah and ask her if I can be on her show.
Hot Key really is an exciting new house in the market. But yes, be sure you get the book right. I know people say you can resubmit but I really think you only get one shot with each manuscript.
Very interesting that Alvina was turned off by the fact that Jeff Kinney posted it online. After Wimpy Kid's success, publishers might not be so quick to dismiss authors who do that.
Absolutely brilliant post, Candy. Have read it through three times to make sure I haven't missed any points. <br />Thanks for the info on <br />super-leads, especially the book mark hint<br />author-driven books that HAVE to be written<br />and even more confirmation that it really is so subjective.<br />But - what did they mean by embargoes in the HP plan?<br />And - where are you going next
Hi Candy, like you amazed that Sarah O found the book thief boring but very heartened by that. Yet another reminder that just because some people don't like your stuff, doesn't mean it's rubbish.<br />Thank you for this post, feel much better!
The lengths you'll go to for 'Notes', Candy - thankyou! Great, great post and like Maureen, i've reread to be sure of soaking up all the goodness. <br />I love Wimpy Kid and have not finished Book Thief.
I meant - what did you TALK about at the festival (I had such a great time hanging out with Filipinos at the AFCC that my brain recalibrated)
Oh don't you remember - they had an embargo on the book so people who already had advance copies couldn't review, blog, write, talk about it until a certain date. And then I seem to remember a warehouse by mistake left some copies in a field or something like that!
I always tell kids at schools that it's okay not to like one book because reading is so personal you will most likely love something that someone else doesn't like. I probably say that to make myself feel better about it.
I would go to the ends of the earth for NOtes, Addy. Anyone holding a children's book conference in the Carribean, just say the word and I'll be there!
I think the <b>author led concept</b> is very important to anyone aspiring to break into publishing. Ask yourself: what book could you write that ONLY YOU would write?
I was so surprised to hear that the world of Wimpy Kid was a game that was freely available online to millions of kids -- well before it was ever a book. Talk about the freemium model!<br /><br />Thanks for the round up Candy. We're all so proud of the great reviews Sarah is getting from the conference (and her spot on TV!). <br /><br />Tiny correction: Bonnier is a Swedish company, not
Ooops, sorry Sara - I KNEW that!!! Can I plead that I was writing this at high altitude somewhere over Kazakhstan?
... and then the pilot of the plane will post a comment saying, we never flew over Kazakhstan!
Just found a Singaporean TV interview with Sarah Odedina talking in detail about bestsellers. Excellent stuff so I added it to my blog post. Go look.
OMG indeed, Candy!!! Can't believe Twilight was perceived to be an award-winner-- the book that set back the women's movement by about 100 years!!! Congratulations, my friend. I love A Tall Story -- now there's an award-winner! LTM