Little, Brown Gears Up for New Patterson Novel By Sally Lodge - 11/19/2009
Initial marketing efforts launching James Patterson's Witch & Wizard were shrouded by a veil of secrecy. At this year's BEA, Little Brown kept ARCs under wraps and under lock and key - literally. Now the publisher is keeping anything but mum about the novel, which debuts December 14 with a 700,000-copy first printing. The current promotional campaign entails a number of initiatives intended to spark young adults' interest in the novel - and to build on the buzz that began last spring...
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Fact and Fiction About H1N1 By Claire Kirch - 11/19/2009
It's in the headlines everywhere, as schools across the country have recorded heavy student absences this fall, with children laid low with flu symptoms. H1N1. To help parents and educators answer questions and assuage children's fears about this virulent virus, Stone Arch Books, an imprint of Capstone Publishers, is currently offering free downloads of its January 2010 release, Finn Reeder, Flu Fighter, a middle-grade novel...
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Moving On Up: Friends from the Front Lines By Shannon Maughan - 11/19/2009
The children’s book world has seen powerful stories of hope and resilience during wartime before. Nubs now joins their ranks, as one of the most inspiring tales to emerge from the war in Iraq. The picture book photo-essay describes how an abandoned, abused Iraqi dog trekked more than 70 miles through rugged, wintry terrain to find the U.S. Marine who had shown him kindness. The resulting friendship is the kind of happy ending that would, er, make a great book....
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Mathew Price Goes Multilingual By Judith Rosen - 11/19/2009
Dallas, Tex.-based Mathew Price, a children’s book publisher of pop-up and lift-the-flap books, is making a commitment to multiculturalism that goes beyond the color of a character's skin (or fur), by publishing its books in multiple languages. According to marketing consultant Janey Tannenbaum, almost every book on the fall MP list is available in both English and Spanish-language editions, using exactly the same heavy paper, covers and mechanics it has used in the past...
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Red Balloon Celebrates 25th Year By Claire Kirch - 11/19/2009
The Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minn. celebrated its 25th anniversary last weekend with a birthday bash that included author signings, story times, and other fun activities that children of all ages enjoyed. And we're sure the adults accompanying their children also celebrated the 20% discount on everything in the store, because store co-manager Justine Stahlmann reported that the store did two to three times the amount of business as it usually does on weekends.
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Hoose Wins NBA in Young People's Literature By Diane Roback - 11/19/2009
The National Book Award for Young People's Literature was given Wednesday night to Phillip Hoose, for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (FSG/Kroupa), a true-life account of the 15-year-old African-American girl who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in March 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks. Hoose walked to the podium with Colvin, and in accepting his medal, called the honor "unreal." He began by thanking his "brilliant" editor, Melanie Kroupa...
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Five Authors (and a Surprise Guest) at the NBA Teen Press Conference By John A. Sellers - 11/19/2009
During his introductory speech at the 12th annual National Book Foundation's Teen Press Conference, held this past Tuesday, host Jon Scieszka noted that the "crazy collection of writers and illustrators" that make up this year's National Book Award finalists in the Young People's Literature category offered "absolutely something for everyone"; be it social activism, history, or "lots of kissing."
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