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We’re soon to touch down in one of our absolute favorite literary states for the Texas Library Association Conference in Austin! If there’s anything better than talking books, hanging out with authors and librarians, and enjoying sunshine and Shiners, then we don’t want to know about it.

If you’ll be in the Lone Star State, too, please swing by our booth, #1341, for galleys, giveaways, and face time with the HarperCollins Children’s Books School & Library team. We can’t wait to chat and put books in your hands.

But if you’re reading this thinking, “sure, you guys are nice, but we’re here to meet the AUTHORS, silly!” check out our top-notch signing schedule, here:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15TH:
11:00am–12:00pm, Joy Preble, Aisle 7, Finding Paris
11:00am–12:00pm, Melissa Marr, Aisle 8, Made For You
12:00–1:00pm, Kiera Cass, Aisle 8, The Selection Series
1:00–2:00pm, Thanhha Lai, Aisle 8, Listen, Slowly
2:00–3:00pm, Dan Gutman, Aisle 8, Genius Files #5: License to Thrill
4:00–5:00pm, Lauren Oliver, Aisle 8, Vanishing Girls

THURSDAY, APRIL 16TH:
10:00–11:00am, Sherry Thomas, Aisle 3, The Elemental Trilogy
11:30am–12:30pm, Neal & Brendan Shusterman, Aisle 1, Challenger Deep
2:00–3:00pm, Gordon Korman, Aisle 1, Masterminds
2:00–3:00pm, Julie Murphy, Aisle 2, Dumplin’ galleys
3:00–4:00pm, Becky Albertalli, Aisle 1, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

You don’t want to miss our coupon in the aisle by aisle guide, either! It points you to our booth for a free copy of BONE GAP, by Laura Ruby (*while supplies last), and a chance to enter to win a piece of framed original art by Jef Czekaj, from his upcoming picture book, AUSTIN, LOST IN AMERICA.

We can’t wait to see y’all!

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!

Looking for a fantasy read that’s great for the classroom this fall? One stellar recommendation is The Copernicus Legacy: The Forbidden Stone by bestselling author Tony Abbott – now in paperback!

A perfect pick for kids who love Percy Jackson, Kingdom Keepers, or Seven Wonders series, The Copernicus Legacy is a Da Vinci Code-style story for young readers. The book follows four kids who stumble upon a powerful ancient secret of the famous astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus. Protected by notables throughout history, it now falls to our young heroes to become guardians of Copernicus’s secret, racing across the globe, cracking codes, and unraveling centuries-old mysteries in order to prevent it from falling into the hands of a vast and evil shadow network called the New Teutonic Order.

It’s the worldwide adventure and historical scope that makes the series both page turning and educational, earning it many great reviews including a starred review from Kirkus: “With engaging characters, a globe-trotting plot and dangerous villains, it is hard to find something not to like. Equal parts edge-of-your-seat suspense and heartfelt coming-of-age.”

There’s even a downloadable Common Core-aligned activities guide and star map poster so you can bring the adventure into the classroom.

Veteran children’s book author Tony Abbott is no stranger to epic adventure series having written over a hundred books including The Secrets of Droon. The Copernicus Legacy will include six full-length novels and six shorter novellas, each told from the perspective of one of the kids. The first novella, The Copernicus Archives #1: Wade and the Scorpion’s Claw, is available now and the next full-length novel, The Copernicus Legacy #2: The Serpent’s Curse, will be out on October 7.

To celebrate the launch of the next books in this exciting series, on Saturday, September 13th, Tony Abbott will be leading a scavenger hunt at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where four lucky winners of a national sweepstakes will work together to find hidden clues amongst the exhibits, crack codes, and earn prizes. You and all readers across the country will have another chance to win a trip to New York for the second Relic Hunt starting October 7 at www.thecopernicuslegacy.com!

After the Relic Hunt, Tony Abbott will be signing copies of The Forbidden Stone at 2:30pm at the Barnes & Noble on 82^nd and Broadway in Manhattan.  The Barnes & Noble event is open to the public, and we invite you to join us there for a pizza party! It’s no mystery—the whole family will be in for good food and fun!

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!

The lovely Lisa Ann Scott, author of the enchanting debut novel SCHOOL OF CHARM, stopped by recently to answer our “opening the book” questions. In case you missed it, here’s a little intro and sneak peek of the book from earlier this year. And now, without further ado . . . Lisa Ann Scott!

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?
I am reading fellow Class of 2K14 member Rebecca Behrens’ adorable middle-grade novel, When Audrey Met Alice. Can I claim the entire Little House series as my favorite book growing up? [WE SAY "YES!"]

What is your secret talent?
While I tend to kill most indoor plants, I have beautiful outdoor gardens and a koi pond. People tell me I should design gardens for a living. But then I wouldn’t have time to write!

Fill in the blank: My two kids always make me laugh.

My current obsessions are . . .
Whatever series I’ve found on Netflix, HBO GO etc. that I will binge watch. (Game of Thrones and Dexter are recent addictions.)

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?
Never give up. (See story below.)

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book . . .
. . . looks for real life magic in their world, and remembers all the wonderful things about themselves that make them unique and special.

How did you come to write this book?
Grab a snack and sit back for this answer. The seeds of this story came from a dream. I woke one morning with the image of a lovely older woman standing in a clearing in the forest. She was surrounded by a small group of girls and it was clear she was teaching them something, but she had a very knowing look on her face, like there was a secret they had yet to learn.  Now most people would have shrugged and thought, hey, weird dream. But when you’re a writer, something like that tugs at the imagination.  So I walked around with this story in my head for a while, trying to figure out who was there and why they were there.  I wrote this during my lunch breaks when I was working as a news anchor back in 2007.  In 2008, I started the query process, looking for an agent. But then I lost my job, and that grief on top of the inevitable rejection that comes with the query process was just too much to take. So I set the book aside and actually stopped writing for a while.  It wasn’t long before I was writing again (romance!) and in 2011, took another look at the manuscript. I thought, hey this is pretty good, and a writer friend urged me to send it out again. So I did.  To one agent. And then I remembered how much I hated the query process and stopped. But that one lovely agent, Jennifer Unter, loved the book and sold it a few months later.

———-

Thanks for visiting, Lisa!

THE ISLANDS OF CHALDEA, a new, stand-alone novel of magic and adventure, is the last book from the beloved Diana Wynne Jones. Almost finished upon her death in 2011, the manuscript was completed by Diana’s sister Ursula Jones, a popular author and actress.

Read on for some lovely thoughts from Ursula on growing up with such a talented storyteller for a sister and on the challenges of finishing her sister’s work . . .

Dear Readers,

When I first read this lovely, searching, last novel by my sister, Diana Wynne Jones, it stopped short where she became too ill to continue. It was a shock: it was like being woken from sleepwalking or nearly running off the edge of a cliff. It had elements of a much happier time in our childhood, too.

Diana wrote her first full-length novel when she was fourteen years old. It filled a series of exercise books, and she would read the newest section to us, her two younger sisters, in bed at night. When she suddenly stopped reading, we would wail, “Go on, go on. What happens next?” and she’d say, “Don’t you understand? I haven’t written any more yet.” And we would go to sleep, agog for the next section. It always duly turned up the next night, which is where the present day diverged so unhappily from our childhood past. This time, the next section couldn’t turn up. Her book had ended without an ending.

Diana Wynne Jones was such a masterly storyteller that it was impossible to imagine where she planned to take it. She left no notes: she never ever made any. Her books always came straight out of her extraordinary mind onto the page, and she never discussed her work while it was in progress. There was not so much as a hint of what she was up to, and it seemed The Islands of Chaldea was lost to its readers.

Then the family suggested that I might complete it. I was nervous. Diana was my big sister, and big sisters notoriously don’t like kid sisters messing with their stuff. Particularly when the big sister in question is very good at her stuff. Nevertheless, her family and friends had a meeting to pool their ideas on how the story might continue. We were all steeped in her work. We’d all known her well. Everyone was sure that, by the end of the afternoon, we would come up with something. We didn’t; she had us all stumped. Eventually, Diana’s son closed the session with, “Well, Ursula, you’ll just have to make it up.”

It took months. I scoured the text for those clues that Diana always dropped for her readers as to where the narrative was headed, and which I’d always unfailingly overlooked until I’d read the final page. I hadn’t changed. I found nothing.

Initially, I was working at the National Theatre in London, too (I’m an actress when I’m wearing my other hat), and the play I was in was full of eerie happenings and second sight. I would catch the bus home across the river after the show and dream weird and often frightening dreams as I tried to break into my sister’s thinking. I believe I got even closer to her at this point than I was during her lifetime. But although I hunted and pondered, nothing came to me. Then, just as I was beginning to feel like a sous chef, endlessly producing flat soufflés under the slightly disapproving gaze of the Chef, I found one of her clues. I found it near the beginning of her manuscript. And we were off!

When I started to write, it came easily. It was almost as if Diana were at my elbow, prompting, prodding, turning sentences around, working alongside—and then it was finished, and she was gone again. That was a terrible wrench. But her book was there—complete.

So far, no one who has come to The Islands of Chaldea freshly has spotted exactly where Diana Wynne Jones left off and I begin. Perhaps you will be able to, perhaps you won’t. It doesn’t really matter. It is intrinsically and utterly her book, and I hope you and all its readers love it as much as I do.

Sincerely,
Ursula Jones

Did you know that Patricia MacLachlan’s books are now available ebooks? Look at all of these beautiful ebooks!

To mark the occasion, Patricia stopped by to share some heartwarming thoughts about writing and reading and families. She also filmed a video interview for us, so don’t forget to check that out (below)!

From Patricia MacLachlan:

I have been a reader all my life, long before I became a writer. When I was little I read under a quilt at night, in a tree (!), and all the way home from the library, my mother’s hand on my neck, leading me safely across streets.  My grandchildren are readers too, and they are becoming writers with their own voices.

What does reading mean to me?  Books help me find out who I am and who I want to be.  Books give me courage.  Books make me smile.  And laugh.  And sometimes they make me cry.  But always books make me think about what all the children in the world have in common even though they may live far away from each other.

Writing helps me stay close to my family; Sarah, Plain and Tall is about my step great grandmother who I always thought was brave to travel from Maine to Kansas all on her own to meet her new family.  My own father’s farm is in Sarah, Plain and Tall, and his farm dogs and his horse, Jack.

Cassie Binegar is a lot about me when I was about ten years old and hid under the dining room table with the tablecloth hanging down, listening to stories people at the table told.  Seven Kisses in a Row was written after listening to my young daughter Emily and my husband talk one evening.  In fact all my children are in Seven Kisses in a Row, my oldest son John and his younger brother Jamie, who had a great dirt collection!

I played the cello in elementary school and so The Facts and Fictions of Minna Pratt is about a group of players in a string quartet.

I notice that many of my books are about old people and young people.  I like the aunts in Unclaimed Treasures (“unclaimed treasures” being my mother’s name for unmarried women)  Old Pepper is another character in the book, wise and kind.  My children had a wonderful relationship with my father and mother.  My father, who lived to be 102, had respect for children and thought that old people and young people were connected in many ways..  That has gone into many of my books.  The old and young are close in all of my stories.

My books often begin because of something a child of mine said, or a grandchild’s question.  In some ways writers are watchers and listeners.  Spies maybe!  One day my oldest son said to a school friend, “watch out what you say in this house.  You may appear in a book.”

My books are personal for me.

I truly hope they become personal for you, too.  And I am happy to know that children read my books in whatever form – in hard copy books or in ebooks as well.

Enjoy!

—–

Thanks so much, Patricia!

One of our absolute favorite new reads this season has to be Caroline Carlson’s THE VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES: MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT. It has girl power, adventure, and of course, a missing treasure.

There are three qualities a treasure map must possess: It must be suitably ancient, have an atmospheric title, and include a dotted line leading to an X.

When Hilary Westfield escapes from finishing school to pursue her dream of being a pirate, she finds herself in possession of such a map. But the map is missing an X, and everyone is almost certain that the magical treasure she’s hunting doesn’t even exist. Hilary soon becomes caught up in a madcap quest involving a rogue governess who insists on propriety, a talking gargoyle, a crew of misfit scallywags, and the most treacherous villain on the high seas.

If that doesn’t hook you, I don’t know what will.

We had to get to know the person behind such a piratical tale. So, today, Caroline stopped by to answer some of our hard-hitting questions!

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

I have so many favorite books that it’s hard to choose just one, but one of my all-time favorites is HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones. Right now, I’m reading THE STOCKHOLM OCTAVO by Karen Engelmann.

What is your secret talent?

Like Hilary, the heroine of MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT, I can tread water for a really long time.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

The movie CLUE. I’ve memorized all the jokes by now, but they never get any less funny.

My current obsessions are…

Cooking and baking—after spending all day writing at my computer, I love doing something concrete and hands-on in the kitchen. While I cook, I like to listen to two of my other obsessions: news podcasts and music by Girlyman and Antje Duvekot.

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

Try to learn a lot about all the things that interest you—not just writing. Read newspapers and nonfiction books. Do some exploring, check out your local museums and libraries, or take a class in a subject that fascinates you. If you stay curious about the world around you, you’re sure to stumble across lots of good ideas for stories.

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

…laughs out loud at least once!

How did you come to write this book?

MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT actually started its life as a submission for a workshop at Vermont College of Fine Arts, where I was working toward a degree in writing for children. I had to write 20 pages of an entirely new story, the deadline was tight, and I was running short on story ideas. I’d always loved pirates, though, and I’d dreamed of writing a book about a grand pirate treasure hunt. I was also rereading some of my favorite books by Jaclyn Moriarty at the time, and I wanted to experiment with Moriarty’s technique of telling a story through letters, postcards, newspaper clippings and other documents. When I tossed both of these ideas together, I ended up with 20 pages about a girl who receives a letter informing her that since only boys are allowed to be pirates, her application to the pirate league has been rejected.

I wasn’t expecting much to come of my experiment, but I ended up loving the results, and when my workshop-mates told me that they wanted to know what happened next to my pirate heroine and her gargoyle sidekick, I knew I’d hit on a story idea with potential. Those pages that I wrote for my workshop 3 years ago are still more or less the first 20 pages of MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT. And the story took on a life of its own from there—I wrote the first draft in 4 months flat, which was a whole lot faster than I’d ever written anything before! Plenty has changed since that first draft; in revisions with my editor, I strengthened the magic system of my fictional world, I turned a minor character into a major one, and I rewrote nearly the entire ending from scratch. But MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT is still the kind of book I loved to read when I was growing up: an adventure full of twists, humor, and magic. I had a wonderful time writing it, and I hope readers will enjoy it, too.

—–

Thanks, Caroline! You can find THE VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES: MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT in stores tomorrow!

No matter what you have planned for Friday, April 12, get ready to DROP EVERYTHING AND READ! April 12 is Beverly Cleary’s birthday and National D.E.A.R Day, and we’ve got just the thing to help you celebrate: classroom activities for the RAMONA books. They’re aligned to the Common Core State Standards, AND they contain fun suggestions and writing prompts to get your students’ creativity flowing.

Look out for the new Ramona Quimby Journal, jam-packed with writing and drawing prompts, quizzes, puzzles, and stickers galore!

Also, keep an eye out for the newly-updated Ramona books with fantastic new cover art and black-and-white interior illustrations!

Visit www.dropeverythingandread.com for more activities, videos, ideas for your D.E.A.R. Day celebration, and much more.

Happy D.E.A.R. Day to you!

Today I have the privilege of introducing you to Jeff Baron, author of I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN, the charming and hilarious middle grade novel about an ambitious kid with an admirably clever but potentially disastrous plan to make it in Hollywood.  Jeff’s own work for the theater has been has been published and performed all over the world, but Sean Rosen’s story is his very first novel. Want to know more about Jeff?  So did we! Read on…

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

I loved the Hardy Boys books. I read them all and then I read my cousins’ Nancy Drew books.  I liked starting a book already knowing the characters and then getting to know them better and better. With every book I love, I don’t want it to end.  With a series, it doesn’t end for a long time.

I know I’m late to the party, but I’m finally reading the Harry Potter books.  My friend Melinda, who’s 12, told me I should read them in order, and then when I finish each book, I should watch the movie, so that’s what I’m doing.  The only problem is Melinda always asks me what part I’m up to, then she wants to tell me what happens two books from now.  She should wear a sign around her neck that says SPOILER ALERT.

What is your secret talent?

I love to write music, even though I don’t know how to play any musical instruments.  I’ve always written words to songs, even songs that got published and recorded, but I always worked with composers.  My secret desire was always to write the music myself.  Sean Rosen has the same desire, but he’s braver than I am.  He also never studied music, but he puts the songs he writes on his website (www.SeanRosen.com) for the whole world to hear.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

Dogs always make me laugh.  They’re always their goofy selves, and never try to act any cooler or smarter than they are.  I wish humans were more like that.

My current obsessions are…

Figuring out how things work, especially computer programs, electricity and plumbing.  I rely on those things all the time, and I love being able to fix things myself.

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

Read everything you write out loud, whether it’s a short story, a history paper or an e-mail.  It’s the closest you can get to being inside your reader’s head when they read what you’ve written.  I always do it, and I always catch something that didn’t quite make sense, and I always make changes that make it sound better.

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…

I hope a person who reads my book will see from Sean Rosen’s experience that it’s good to dream big and go after what you want.  There are always bumps along the way, sometimes big painful bumps, but getting past them makes you stronger and more likely to succeed.

Tell us more about how I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN was born.

I was sitting on the beach, and I had an idea.  What if a kid with a big entertainment idea and no connections whatsoever, tried to sell his idea to Hollywood.  How would he break through?  Having done that myself (though not as a kid), I know what a closed world Hollywood can be.  I thought this story might make an interesting movie.

The next day I was back at the beach, and now I thought, “Could this be a book?”  I had never written a novel, and it was a little bit scary to even think about.  But as a writer (I was already a screenwriter and a playwright), you learn that the things that scare you usually make the best stories.  So I spent a little time thinking about who this kid was, and then I just started writing.

Sean Rosen begins the book by saying, “I have an incredible idea.” At that point, I didn’t know what Sean’s idea was, but just writing those words on paper (I write by hand) got me started, and Sean just took over.  I heard his voice in my head, and fortunately, he never stopped talking.  I just wrote it down.

I loved spending time with Sean and his family and friends, and when I finished and showed it to my cousins who are Sean’s age, they felt that way, too.  Then I read chapters of the book to seventh grade classes, and when they liked it, that gave me the courage to try to get it published.

Thanks Jeff!  And if you missed yesterday’s post, be sure to check out Jeff’s editor’s take on the delightful, wholly original I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN.

Kicking off our Winter 2013 New Voices series is the middle grade debut novel I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN, by Jeff Baron.

Sean Rosen has a really good idea. So good, in fact, that he’s not going to tell you exactly what it is. What he is going to do is pitch it to a major entertainment company. But first he’s going to take his grandmother’s advice and go on a “trial run.” That trial run has some surprising results in this hilarious story about a middle school kid who, with the help of his manager Dan Welch (not his real name), sells a movie idea to a major Hollywood studio.

This a totally funny, fast-paced, and original novel that we think will appeal to fans of Jack Gantos and Carl Hiaasen. But enough from me– I’ll let Jeff’s editor Virginia Duncan, VP and Publisher of Greenwillow Books, tell you a little more…

“Sean Rosen is my hero!”—Lincoln Peirce

“I Represent Sean Rosen is the best book I’ve read in a while. Equal parts Hollywood satire, Louis Sachar‒style deadpan fable, and old-fashioned tale of American gumption, it introduces us to a character who is surprising . . . and quietly heroic. . . . I happily represent Sean Rosen.”—Ned Vizzini

The manuscript began: “I have an incredible idea. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what it is.” Well, that was enough for me. I was hooked. And when Sean Rosen named his fictitious manager Dan Welch after rummaging around his kitchen for a snack (yogurt? grape juice?), I was sold. Sean Rosen’s “fries-texting” (spelling out a dinner table message using french fries) his mom? Icing on the cake.

I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN is a bit different, and it is perhaps not your usual middle-grade fare. But it is an adventure nevertheless. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. What was this kid going to do next? What was going to happen next?  How was Sean going to convince a major Hollywood studio to buy his movie? Does Sean even have a movie to sell? Would Sean take the deal? How was Sean going to survive middle school? How would Sean dodge Collectibles Dan Welch (a real guy who, unfortunately, shares Sean’s imaginary manager’s exact name). And what was up with his friend Brianna?

Jeff Baron is a great new voice, and he’s thought a lot about voice. It is the voice of this novel that made it irresistible to me. I love the piece Jeff posted on the Greenwillow blog recently about voice. You can read it here.

One of Sean Rosen’s claims to fame in the book is that he produces podcasts—it’s his hobby. What fun that you can actually hear Sean’s voice and listen to his podcasts at www.seanrosen.com. You will want a donut! (And I hope you’ll want to read I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN.)

-Virginia Duncan

Thanks Virginia! And stay tuned for tomorrow, when we’ll hear from Jeff himself.

The Day of Love is almost upon us! There are so many wonderful classics for this holiday (a personal favorite has always been, and always will be I LIKE YOU, by Sandol Stoddard Warburg) and I think the best way to celebrate is with books and chocolate*!  These are a few brand new picks for your Valentine’s Day reading:

AN AWESOME BOOK OF LOVE!, by Dallas Clayton
There are so many different kinds of love – the way you love your husband or wife, the way you love your child, the way you love your parents – and Dallas Clayton knows just how to describe them all.

FANCY NANCY, NANCY CLANCY: SECRET ADMIRER, by Jane O’Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
The second in the Fancy Nancy chapter book series. Love is in the air, and Nancy Clancy is sure to make the most of it!

NOBODY BUT US, by Kristin Halbrook
BONNIE & CLYDE meets BLUE VALENTINE in this addictive, heart-wrenching story about two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

THE TROUBLE WITH FLIRTING, by Clare LaZebnik
A hilarious and romantic twist on the Jane Austen classic, Mansfield Park.

*True chocolate-lover tip: all that Valentine’s Day chocolate goes on deep discount starting February 15th–enjoy!

The news is now far and wide, but we want to officially say– yahoo!  This past weekend in Seattle at the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, six of our titles were honored by awards committees and we are beyond bowled over with excitement and pride.  Congratulations to all– to the authors, editors, fans, and champions of these books.  Every Midwinter we are so grateful to be reminded that the community we book-people live and work within is vibrant, supportive, and very, very much alive and kicking. We are all in it together.

• Newbery Medal Winner: THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, by Katherine Applegate. (see our previous post about IVAN here, and our discussion guide here)
• Caldecott Honor: EXTRA YARN, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen.
• Printz Honor: DODGER, by Terry Pratchett (see a special note from Terry about Dodger here)
• Schneider Family Book Award: A DOG CALLED HOMELESS, by Sarah Lean
• Geisel Honor: PETE THE CAT AND HIS FOUR GROOVY BUTTONS, created and illustrated by James Dean, story by Eric Litwin
• Morris Award Finalist: THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, by emily m. danforth

All of our award-winning books living together in harmony.

Newbery Committee member Susannah Richards placing IVAN’s shiny sticker!

EXTRA YARN co-editor (VP and co-publisher of Balzer + Bray) Alessandra Balzer doing the honors!

Printz Committee friends giving DODGER their love.

Schneider committee and A DOG CALLED HOMELESS editor Sarah Shumway celebrating.

And Amelia Bedeila (did you celebrate AMELIA BEDELIA DAY?) wanted in on the fun, too!

Congratulations to all authors and illustrators honored with 2013 awards, and the biggest and humblest of thank you’s to the awards committees for their hard work, dedication, and the countless hours they spent this past year reading and discussing books.  Now we wish we could fast-forward to June and our official ALA celebrations!

Our NYC-area librarian pals were kind enough to join us last week for an early morning of ferocious book talking, coffee consuming, and oohing and aahing over our upcoming Winter (and early Summer) 2013 titles.  It was an oddly hot and humid day to chat about Winter (10 weeks until Christmas…it’s really coming!), but we managed to get into the spirit and of course, had an absolutely lovely time.

A few snapshots:

Balzer + Bray VP and Co-Publisher, Alessandra Balzer, holding ELVIS AND THE UNDERDOGS, by Jenny Lee, and THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! by Mo Willems.

Editorial Director Tara Weikum with CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS by Miriam Forster, and Executive Editor Erica Sussman with THE MENAGERIE by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, and MIND GAMES by Kiersten White.

Greenwillow editor Martha Mihalick with the stunning and creepy cover for ARCLIGHT, by Josin L. McQuein.

Our editors have truly outdone themselves with this season’s crop of  really terrific “This Meets That” book descriptions… :

• “Tim Burton Meets the Natural History Museum” — STARDINES SWIM HIGH ACROSS THE SKY, by Jack Prelutsky, illustrations by Carin Berger
• “The Artist meets the Pigeon” — THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! by Mo Willems
• “Little Women with wings” — THE FAIRY BELL SISTERS series, by Margaret McNamara
• “Frog and Toad meets Law & Order” — PLATYPUS POLICE SQUAD: THE FROG WHO CROAKED, by Jarrett Krosoczka
• “Stephen King meets Veronica Roth meets The Passage” –ARCLIGHT, by Josin L. McQuein
• “X-Men meets The Godfather (with heart)” –TRANSPARENT, by Natalie Whipple
• “The Devil Wears Prada meets Disneyworld” –HOW ZOE MADE HER DREAMS (MOSTLY) COME TRUE, by Sarah Strohmeyer

Lo and behold, a new Preview blog post feature!  These are books that, when mentioned, garnered an across-the-room-audible “awwwww!” from the audience:

• AMELIA BEDELIA– 2013 is the 50th Anniversary of our favorite mixed-up but wholeheartedly well-meaning friend Amelia!  We’re reissuing the original picture book in a bit larger trim size with truly fantastic additional back matter.
• TIPTOE JOE, by Ginger Fogelsong Gibson, illustrations by Laura Rankin — I won’t spoil the payoff of this adorable picture book, but let me just say, you’ll lay your hand over your heart when you get to the end.
• GIANT DANCE PARTY– written by THE Betsy Bird! Illustrations by Brandon Dorman.
• RAMONA– We’re repackaging the entire beloved Ramona series in 2013, and let me tell you, the art is adorable.  The consensus in the room (and from Beverly Cleary herself, of course) was that this is true Ramona- goofy, a bit scruffy, and every bit lovable.

And that, my friends, is the inside scoop!

Lauren Oliver’s second book for middle grade readers, THE SPINDLERS, is for sale in bookstores all over the country today, and we’re going to just go ahead and brag that it has already received FOUR starred reviews!

Download our FREE Discussion Guide for THE SPINDLERS here!

If you love a sweeping, classic, spooky, funny, and plucky adventure (and who doesn’t?!), then this one is for you. Check out what the experts had to say:

“Oliver’s magical, mesmerizing quest affirms the saving power of story, friendship, and love.” -Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

“This imaginative fantasy emphasizes individual initiative and the power of hope and friendship. Below is a fully realized alternate world with echoes of both classic literature and mythology.” -School Library Journal, starred review

 ”Richly detailed, at times poetic, ultimately moving; a book to be puzzled over, enjoyed and, ideally, read aloud.” -Kirkus, starred review

 ”Oliver’s fluid, poetic prose elevates this tale above the genre, often imparting weight to the simplest sentences. Similar in its action and pacing to Collins’ Gregor the Overlander but with the emotional resonance of Ursu’s Breadcrumbs, this is sure to win over middle-grade readers.” -BCCB, starred review

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

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.

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.

Based on a MAD Magazine blog of the same name, PLANET TAD is a seriously funny look inside the mind of twelve-year-old Tad, nerd extraordinaire.  Capturing one full year in the life of Tad, this laugh-out-loud illustrated (by Doug Holgate) novel—written in a captivating blog format—will capture the hearts of everyone who reads it.  One day at a time.

And not only is Tim Carvell the author of this laugh-out-loud funny middle grade novel, he’s also the head writer for the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.  Yes, that’s right. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Which leads to the fact that this book has been blurbed by two pretty exciting fellas:

• “This book will make you laugh. If you’re not into that sort of thing, consider yourself warned.” –Stephen Colbert
• “Hilarious to anyone who ever went through, is currently in, might go to, or flunked out of middle school.” –Jon Stewart

And if those glowing endorsements are not enough to make you ask CAN I PLEASE GET MY HANDS ON THIS EXCITING BOOK?! (the answer is yes, it’s on sale now!), consider these words from Tim’s editor, Rosemary Brosnan:

I have a confession to make: For years I have raced to the mailbox to filch my son’s copy of MAD Magazine before he has a chance to read it. I’ve been reading MAD since I was twelve, and it’s an addiction I can’t give up. One of my favorite features has been the blog PLANET TAD by Tim Carvell, which has appeared in the magazine since 2006. Fresh and funny, its perfectly on-target voice and humor capture the life of a nerdy middle-school boy—his awkwardness with girls, the travails of living with a clever little sister, his funny takes on popular culture.  The author, Tim Carvell, is the head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and has won five Emmy Awards writing for the show. It seemed natural for me to call Tim and ask him to write a PLANET TAD book. Perhaps then I could stop stealing my son’s copies of Mad.

When I met Tim, I found him to be extremely likable…and I thought perhaps he had been a little bit like Tad when he was a kid. How else would he have come up with this blog? Happily, Tim agreed to write a PLANET TAD book; he wrote about two-thirds new material, and we took the other third from the published MAD pieces.  PLANET TAD is a hilarious look at a year in the life of twelve-year-old Tad, revealed in his own blog. It’s a year-in-the-life you’ll never forget, in which Tad takes a summer job wearing a hot dog costume, has an unwilling turn onstage in his little sister’s school play, learns a painful lesson about sunburn, attends an embarrassing Halloween party, and is ignored by every girl in his school.

I think this is the kind of book kids are going to pass around to one another. I would have hidden it inside Johnny Tremain myself. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Cory, a seventh grader, says:

“You will laugh your head off, and if you don’t you probably didn’t read or if you did you didn’t understand it.”

Happy reading!

Return tomorrow when we Open The Book with Tim Carvell, and post a free excerpt of PLANET TAD.  In the meantime, take a peek at the video trailer here!

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:

• “Dan Brown for 10 year olds” — THE SECRET PROPHECY, by Herbie Brennan.
• “Scott Westerfeld meets Lauren Oliver” — THE LOST GIRL, by Sangu Mandanna.
• “The Goonies meets The Walking Dead” — GRAVEDIGGERS: MOUNTAIN OF BONES, by Christopher Krovatin.
• “My So-Called Life meets Twilight” — DRAIN YOU, by M. Beth Bloom. (full disclosure… this one killed me!)

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!

Meet Christopher Healy, author of the uproariously funny THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM (read an excerpt here!). In case you missed yesterday’s post about the book, be sure to check it out for some words from Christopher’s editor, Jordan Brown, along with a downloadable activity for the book. And now, let’s Open the Book with Christopher himself…

Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?

It depends on what age of childhood . . . Back when my mom was reading books to me, my favorite to hear was Winnie-the-Pooh. For first reading on my own—and drooling over the illustrations—it was probably The Rainbow Goblins by Ul de Rico. Once I was into meatier stuff, I think it would be Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game. (By the way, I think my answer on this question changes every time someone asks it.)

Right now, I’m in the middle of Book III of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place (The Unseen Guest) by Maryrose Wood. Those books are just delightful. So much fun.

What is your secret talent?

I like to write and record songs as gifts for my family. I’m a terrible singer, though, so I make sure they’re never heard outside the house.

Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.

Tina Fey.

My current obsessions are . . .

The Walking Dead, dark-chocolate-and-sea-salt-covered almonds, and that Gotye song, “Somebody I Used to Know” (that xylophone riff plays through my head like a constant soundtrack now; I’m actually getting to the point where I wish it would stop).

Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?

Revise. If you think you’re done, go back and read it again. You will find something you can improve.

Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book . . .

Finishes it.

How did you come to write this book?

I’d wanted to write about Prince Charming for a long time. In all those classic fairy tales, you learn so little about the princes. Those characters were ripe for the plucking. I have a son and a daughter, and I felt that boys and girls could both use some fleshed-out Prince Charmings in their fairy tales. Boys are supposed to want to be the prince and the girls are supposed to want to marry him—but he’s always incredibly boring. So I sat down with a lot of old fairy tales, culled together whatever Prince Charming “facts” I could extract from them, and pieced together fully-realized personalities for four of the most famous princes. Once I’d created these princes, I just sort of let them run free and watched what developed. The plot went into places I’d never expected when I started.

Thanks so much, Christopher!

Now that May is here, it’s officially summer, right? Well, it’s at least right around the corner, and you know what that means . . . a new round of New Voices!

We’re excited to start off the summer leg of our program with a spotlight on debut author Christopher Healy. His book THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM went on sale this week, and we’re confident that you’ll think it’s hilarious. (We certainly do!)

Get ready to throw out everything you know about fairy tales. For instance, do you know who Prince Liam is? Chances are you don’t, but you should. He saved Sleeping Beauty’s life! Somehow, through the years and the retellings and the adaptations, his part of the story has been almost entirely glossed over. Christopher Healy is fixing that.

Read an excerpt of this story-behind-the-story fairy tale here, and meet Prince Liam, along with Prince Frederick, Prince Duncan, and Prince Gustav (can you guess which princesses these three saved?).

And, for a hint of the story behind the story behind the story, here are some thoughts from the book’s editor, Jordan Brown:

I’ll be honest: Chris Healy’s THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM isn’t the first retelling/reimagining of classic fairy tales that we’ve read—and odds are you’re probably thinking the same. In fact, when Chris’ agent first called me about the book, and told me how funny and original and fresh and inventive it was, there was still a part of me thinking it sounds great, but . . . another fractured fairy tale?

And then I started reading.

From the first sentence on the first page, Chris Healy’s hilariously funny, completely original, totally fresh, endlessly inventive debut novel is anything but typical. Here, “Prince Charming” is not one prince, but four—the princes who rescued Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty—and they’re none too happy about having been glossed over in the bards’ songs and stories. You see, this is a world where the difference between being famous and being infamous depends on how easily the bards can find things to rhyme with your name, where tales of evil curses and magic teardrops and glass slippers make their way through the countryside like so many viral videos, where the real story begins after happily-ever-after. And it’s in this world where these four princes and their four princesses need to overcome their various neuroses and shortcomings and learn how to be real, honest-to-goodness heroes.

Chris told me that his inspiration came from reading classic fairy tales with his kids and finding out that the most interesting bits of the tales aren’t even included. “Prince Charming” is completely anonymous, all the princesses look and sound the same. He wanted to find out who these people really were. And in doing so, he has created one of the funniest, most heartfelt books any of us had read in a long time. Not to mention spurring a debate that’s still going on here at Harper: who is your favorite prince? (I’m on Team Gustav.) I guarantee you’ll have your own by the end of the book.

Please come visit us again tomorrow, when we’ll

As an author, marketing has become a large portion of my day-to-day routine. That used to mean blogging, online interviews, social media networking, with a few road trips to the brick and mortar stores nearby. With my latest release, The Wishing Ring, I’ve had to do a little regrouping. Rethink the traditional marketing realm and get creative. Still working on that part. Gives me a headache at least once a week. (Or once a day, depending on the day).

One would think marketing is marketing. Get your name out there, brand yourself, grab those followers…That’s all well and good, but with a tween novella, like The Wishing Ring, the audience begins to alter the landscape a bit. Here, let me show you. Up until now, I’ve written young adult (Driven) or contributed the young adult pieces to contemporary stories (A Summer in Oakville, co-written with Lisa Lickel). Blog interviews and social networks are key avenues to marketing both of those. With teens avidly participating on social sites and adults perusing the blogosphere such tactics makes sense.

However, The Wishing Ring is a tween novella. In other words it’s storyline is geared for readers ages 8 – 14. Facebook limits its users to those 13 and older. Makes hitting my readership tough. I could go for their parents, but unless it’s Christmas or their lovelies’ birthdays, parents are generally not as eager to thumb through tween fiction titles or reviews. (I know I don’t…speaking as the mother of tweens:). Twitter is just now capturing the teen market (according to USAToday.com). Until that audience ratchets down from the 12 – 16 to the 8 – 14, I’m still sunk.

So where do tweens hear about their favorite reads? Here’s what I’ve discovered (oh, and the results are in no special order)…

• Word of mouth–always the best advertisement. If one tween (make that one popular tween and you’ve got it m
  2 Comments on Where Did all the Tweens Go?, last added: 2/15/2012
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  Marva Dasef said, on 2/15/2012 1:59:00 PM
  

  I see them wandering the streets after school lets out for the day. Stand at the front of the school and hand out bookmarks? Of course, you might get arrested, but the writer’s life is a hard one.

  I’d market my fantasies as YA, but the kids aren’t having palpitations over each other, not swearing, not having sex, and don’t have access to cell phones. Okay, one SatPhone in the cupboard in the Witches’ Council Room.

  Kids must have twitter accounts otherwise, how do they do all that cyber bullying? Try to find tweets with lots of OMGs and LOLs and you might home in on the demographic.

  I’ll be interested in hearing answers from tween writers who know something about it.

  shellie said, on 2/15/2012 2:39:00 PM
  

  LOL, Marva. Yeah, I’m thinking I’ll hold off on the arresting part:). Although that would be a great way to reach the kids. Wonder if the schools would be willing to send bookmarks home in their weekly folders, hmm….

  You know, when I researched the twitter thing, everything I found said teens had twitter accounts, but weren’t using them. Until recently. It is slowly gaining speed with them. (Something about it being taken over by the older generations:D). Guess we’ll be watching. It’s big with the 20-somethings, tho:)

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In case you haven’t heard us talking about this book yet, we’ll say it again here: WE LOVE IVAN.

Ivan is an easy-going gorilla who lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, and he spends his days drawing, watching his TV, and being stared at by shoppers. When Ruby, a baby elephant, moves in, Ivan summons the protective instincts of his inner mighty silverback and makes a promise that Ruby will have a different kind of life than the one he has known.  

Katherine Applegate tells the story (which, by the way, is based on a true one) in Ivan’s own voice, with narration full of gentle gorilla observations and subtle, sharp insights. His voice and his story are poignant and profound and deeply moving, and we could go on for a very long time about what a fantstic read this is. But we’d rather you find out for yourself!

Others are loving Ivan, too:

“Extraordinary.” ~ Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

“The characters will capture readers’ hearts and never let go. A must-have.” ~ School Library Journal (starred review)

“Compelling. . . . Poignant. . . . Utterly believable.” ~ Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

We are so excited about this book, and we’re thrilled to share Ivan’s story far and wide. You can get a peek at the book by using our Browse Inside feature, and don’t miss the discussion guide for conversation starters and activities for your students.

And here’s some exciting news! We’re giving away three copies of THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, each of which will be accompanied by an adorable gorilla stuffed animal*.  Post a note to us in the comments telling us your favorite animal character in all of children’s literature, and we’ll enter you to win a copy of the book and a stuffed Ivan.  You have until Wednesday, February 15th at 11:59 p.m. EST to enter, and we’ll announce the winners at the end of next week.  Open to U.S. and Canada only.

*

Right now, we’re gearing up to start our New Voices program, and we wanted to give you a little preview.

New Voices will feature eight fantastic novels by debut authors that we think you’re going to love. We’ll be introducing these great new talents here on the pageturn, starting in December and continuing throughout the winter, so be sure to check in regularly for author interviews, letters from the editors, sneak peek chapter excerpts, and more!

Here are the stellar debuts we have in store for you:

Stay tuned! And, if you’re attending NCTE, stop by booth #513 to pick up galleys of these titles (and many, many more)!