Previews, previews! Lovely little previews!
And we find ourselves back at the Yale Club, across the street from Grand Central Station, and a whopping 10 minutes away, on foot, from my library. There are advantages to living on a tiny island, I tell ya.
As per usual, Little Brown pulled out all the stops for the average children’s and YA librarian, in order to showcase their upcoming season. There were white tablecloths and sandwiches consisting of brie and ham and apples. The strange result of these previews is that I now seem to be under the mistaken understanding that Little Brown’s offices are located at the Yale Club. They aren’t. That would make no sense. But that’s how my mind looks at things. When I am 95 and senile I will insist that this was the case. Be warned.
A single day after my return from overseas I was able to feast my eyes on the feet of Victoria Stapleton (the Director of School and Library Marketing), bedecked in red sparkly shoes. I would have taken a picture but my camera got busted in Bologna. I was also slightly jet lagged, but was so grateful for the free water on the table (Europe, I love you, but you have to learn the wonders of ample FREE water) that it didn’t even matter. Megan Tingley, fearless leader/publisher, began the festivities with a memory that involved a child’s story called “The Day I Wanted to Punch Daddy In the Face”. Sounds like a companion piece to The Day Leo Said “I Hate You”, does it not?
But enough of that. You didn’t come here for the name dropping. You can for the books that are so ludicrously far away in terms of publication (some of these are January/February/March 2012 releases) that you just can’t resist giving them a peek. To that end, the following:
Liza Baker
At these previews, each editor moves from table to table of librarians, hawking their wares. In the case of the fabulous Ms. Baker (I tried to come up with a “Baker Street Irregulars” pun but it just wasn’t coming to me) the list could start with no one else but Nancy Tafuri. Tafuri’s often a preschool storytime staple for me, all thanks to her Spots, Feathers and Curly Tails. There’s a consistency to her work that a librarian can appreciate. She’s also apparently the newest Little Brown “get”. With a Caldecott Honor to her name (Have You Seen My Duckling?) the newest addition is All Kinds of Kisses. It’s pretty cute. Each animals gets kisses from parent to child with the animal sound accompanying. You know what that means? We’re in readaloud territory here, people. There’s also a little bug or critter on each page that is identified on the copyright page for parents who have inquisitive children.
Next up, a treat for all you Grace Lin fans out there. If you loved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat then you’ll probably be pleased as punch to hear that there’s a third
I don't usually enjoy surprises....unless it's the surprise of loving a book I never really thought I would enjoy! Fact of Life #31, written by Denise Vega definitely had the teen romance vibe going on it's book flap description, but romance is so low on the totem pole of content, it may even be labeled as "subtle." Imagine that!
Kat's mom is the infamous home-birth midwife that goes only by the name of Abra. Abra, no-last name, best midwife in the state. Kat certainly admires her mother, but she doesn't understand why this woman who allows strangers to confide in her, can't make her own daughter feel comfortable enough to share any aspect of her personal life.
Her forever-crush on super-popular Manny Cruz is one part of her social life she would life to share with her mom...like how Manny might even really like her. HER. Kat. Not necessarily a nobody, but definitely considered the weird girl, due to her yoga-in-the-hall sessions. Certainly not Manny Cruz material.
And then, what about her desires to really connect with the women that come into her mom's clinic? Why does her mom have to screw those up too? Kat knows she's a klutz and she knows her self-esteem could use a slight boost, but these women actually LIKE her. Why doesn't her mom see that? Why does she just want her to be the office girl and nothing else?
Poor Kat has a lot of different issues showing up at once, all jumbling in her head and confusing her more than ever. Does Manny like her or doesn't she? Can she be confident in the midwifery field or can't she? Will the most popular girl at school ever notice she's alive or won't she. Will her mom ever be her friend or won't she. As Kat learns the Facts of Life, you will laugh hysterically and often cringe at the pain the poor girl faces. She gets herself into some interesting situations, but seems to find a creative and funny way out of each.
I really enjoyed this title and almost wish the publisher would re-work the jacket flap description...it really turned me off at first, but once I hit page 2, I was hooked. Denise Vega has a talent for channeling a teen girl in her most vulnerable state, but still infuses strength and heart into the character. Loved it.
If you're interested in learning more about Fact of Life #31 or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.
I just did a big update of my website --terriclarkbooks.com. I hope you'll check it out. And if you're local, my BFF Lynda Sandoval and I will be doing signings of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do in the next two weeks. Please stop by and see us!
Saturday, June 21st 2008
7:00 PM
As part of Booked, our new series of interactive events for young readers, three local authors will discuss and sign their new books for teens. Denise Vega will present her book Fact of Life #31 ($16.99 Random House), and Lynda Sandoval and Terri Clark will discuss their new book Breaking Up is Hard to Do ($8.99 Houghton Mifflin). This will not be your ordinary panel discussion. It will be three of our favorite YA authors with their guards down, taking questions, reading, offering playlists and more! Tattered Cover, East Colfax
Saturday, June 28th 2008
1:00 PM
How can anyone survive the pain of the end of a first love? This frank, humorous and heart warming book is just the prescription. Young adult authors Terri Clark and Lynda Sandoval will read and discuss their book, Breaking Up is Hard to Do at the new Park Meadows Borders in Lone Tree.
Two very different author events coming up in June at the Tattered Cover. They each sound intriguing but I admit I'm drawn to 6 Sick Hipsters. Here are the book store announcements.
GIRLS RULE! DENISE VEGA, LYNDA SANDOVAL, TERRI CLARK
Time: Saturday, June 21, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Location: Tattered Cover Colfax Avenue, Denver
As part of Booked, a new series of interactive events for young readers, three local authors will discuss and sign their new books for teens. Denise Vega will present her book Fact of Life #31 (Random House), and Lynda Sandoval and Terri Clark will discuss their new book Breaking Up is Hard to Do (Houghton Mifflin). This will not be your ordinary panel discussion. It will be three of our favorite authors with their guards down, taking questions, reading, offering a playlist for one of the books, and more!
Request a signed copy: [email protected]
RAYO CASABLANCA - 6 SICK HIPSTERS
Time: Friday, June 27, 2008 7:30 p.m.
Location: Tattered Cover Historic LoDo
Denver author Rayo Casablanca is a film and music critic who has contributed short fiction and pop culture criticism to McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Geek Monthly, Splendid and Juked among others. In the late '90s Rayo self-published Sinema Brut, a critically acclaimed 'zine devoted to European Trash Cinema. Casablanca will read from and sign his debut novel 6 Sick Hipsters (Kensington), a hilarious, frenetic, adrenalin-charged murder mystery, that does for modern day Williamsburg, Brooklyn, what Bret Easton Ellis's Less than Zero did for '80s L.A. - but with a knowing grin and a far cooler soundtrack.Request a signed copy: [email protected]
PRIMERA PÁGINAThe
Latino Writers Collective of Kansas City announced the publication of
Primera Página: Poetry from the Latino Heartland, described as the first of its kind to feature Latino writers of the Midwest.
Francisco Aragón, director of the University of Notre Dame’s Letras Latinas and Institute for Latino Studies, writes, “
Primera Página is more than a book, more than an anthology. It’s a community—one borne of community-building in the best sense of the term.” Poet
Virgil Suarez writes, “This first anthology ... by the Latino Writers Collective, is a breath of fresh air. The voices here have verve and power.” This anthology includes poems by such established poets as
Gloria Vando, editor of
Helicon Nine Editions and winner of the Latino Literary Hal of Fame for her poetry collection
Shadows & Supposes (Arte Publíco Press). Also included are former Taco Shop Poets member
Tomás Riley of California, who was featured at the collective’s reading series in Kansas City last year, and
Andrés Rodríguez, author of
Night Song (Tía Chucha Press). Newer voices include
Chato Villalobos, a Kansas City, Mo., police officer;
Marcelo Xavier Trillo, a former gang leader and past intern to poet
Jimmy Santiago Baca;
Gabriela N. Lemmons, who has work forthcoming in
Just Like a Girl: A Manifesta (Girlchild Press), and
Angela Cervantes, a recent runner-up in The Missouri Review’s Audio Competition. Other contributors include
José Faus, editor of the
Kansas City Hispanic News, and
Linda Rodriguez, author of the forthcoming
I Don’t Know How to Cook Mexican (Adams Media).
The Latino Writers Collective, based in the Kansas City metropolitan area, organizes and coordinates projects for the larger community, especially to showcase national and local Latino writers and provide role models and instruction to Latino youth. The collective sponsors an annual reading series in Kansas City and plans release of a performance CD later this year.
Primera Página is $16.95 in trade paperback, 173 pp. For more information or to request a media review copy, contact
Ben Furnish at (816) 824-6814 or
[email protected]. This book is available to bookstores and libraries through Baker & Taylor.
Scapegoat Press, P.O. Box 410962, Kansas City, Missouri 64141
WHEN PIGS FLY, MEN HAVE BABIES, AND PEACE AND JUSTICE RULE THE WORLD
One night only! Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 7:30pm in the Ricketson Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex downtown. Tickets are $22 general, $18 students/seniors/NPAC participants, with a special $16 comadre group rate. Call El Centro Su Teatro at (303) 296-0219 to purchase your tickets today! Seating for this performance IS ASSIGNED. The first buyers get the best seats! Celebrate summertime with this hilarious barrio fairytale. Call now!
ARTICLE ON ILAN STAVANS The
Stanford Daily carried a piece about
Ilan Stavans, prolific writer, professor, editor, etc., who recently visited the Stanford campus. The article reported that Stavans's lecture touched on a variety of subjects including the "cultural phenomenon" of Spanglish; why he thinks it's important to translate
Don Quixote into Spanglish; and how Mexican immigrants in the U.S. are in some ways the Jews of today, arguing that “no other groups would accept such [verbal abuse]” like the abuse immigrants receive. The article is worth a look.
Later.
Several hundred people wrote to let me know about Terry Pratchett being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers.
Yes, it's very upsetting and no, it's not a good thing. Also, and most importantly, as Terry points out, twice now, he's not dead yet (although you mightn't know it from the reaction on the web), and he has a few more books in him besides.
It's not time for wakes, or for mourning, or for "Terry Pratchett -- An Appreciation and Remembrance" or any of that stuff, not now and probably not for a long time. He's still here, he's still writing. He's not done yet.
Right.
And if you're still upset, well, it's a good time to remind people that there are charitable organisations that can be supported, and things that can be bought the profits of which go to completely different charities (Good Omens scents for example).
...
The sore throat thing seems to have subsided to the point where I finally have a more or less functioning head back. (A good thing, as I can start writing again, rather more successfully.) On the down side I think someone crept in during the night and filled up my lungs with thick glue. (A bad thing.)
Sometimes making stuff up feels a lot like Coyote* running across the empty space between one rocky pinnacle and the next, and as long as you keep moving you're fine. When you stop and look down, it's suddenly all too apparent that there's absolutely nothing underneath and that you're keeping in the air by a peculiar effort of will.
And then a good day comes, and you start running through the air once again, and, if you're smart, you resolutely don't look down.
...
It's nice to see the Stardust film turning up on end of the year Best Of lists.
It's out in the US on DVD in a few days, and has been quietly doing really well around the world for the last several months (it's now made nearly as much in the UK as it did in the US, which I guess says something about the difference in marketing in each country).
...
I've had a few people ask how they should support the striking writers. I'm glad I can now point them somewhere which offers suggestions -- http://www.fans4writers.com/participate.shtml.
And Jason and Maui's engagement has made Boing Boing.
* Wile E, or the American Indian one who created the world.
Previews, previews! Lovely little previews!
At these previews, each editor moves from table to table of librarians, hawking their wares. In the case of the fabulous Ms. Baker (I tried to come up with a “Baker Street Irregulars” pun but it just wasn’t coming to me) the list could start with no one else but Nancy Tafuri. Tafuri’s often a preschool storytime staple for me, all thanks to her Spots, Feathers and Curly Tails. There’s a consistency to her work that a librarian can appreciate. She’s also apparently the newest Little Brown “get”. With a Caldecott Honor to her name (Have You Seen My Duckling?) the newest addition is All Kinds of Kisses. It’s pretty cute. Each animals gets kisses from parent to child with the animal sound accompanying. You know what that means? We’re in readaloud territory here, people. There’s also a little bug or critter on each page that is identified on the copyright page for parents who have inquisitive children.
Thanks, Betsy!
Ooo! Many of these look toothsome! (By the way, Happy Birthday!!!)
The Bunheads cover makes me swoon!
Thank you again for tormenting us with info about books we can’t get our hands on for months!
Although it’s lovely that we have a chance to receive a galley from Little Brown. “FuseNumberEight is Great” is certainly true!
Also, laughed out loud when you dropped “Boo-urns” — I use that all the time!
Oh yeah. “Boo-urns” is a standard in my vocabulary now. I don’t go anywhere without it.
It’s always a good day when I see a new Little Brown & Co preview post, because I know that, through the generosity of Ms. Stapleton, I may receive several ARCs of upcoming books. Thanks, Betsy, for these previews, and thanks to Victoria for the ARCs.
I really appreciate the update all the previews of upcoming book releases, it’s a nice chance to review and to know which books to really look forward too.
Thanks Little Brown & Co!