According to Audrey Mitnick, publicist at Sleeping Bear, Sarah Armstrong, director of the White House Visitors Office, contacted the company in August, saying that Mrs. Bush "was very much taken with A Is for America and wanted the artist's work to be part of this year's holiday program."

Throughout this month, Home & Garden Network is airing a primetime series featuring the White House holiday preparations and the artists who participated in the festivities. The 17 oil paintings that Carroll used to illustrate the holiday program will be included in the series, which began on December 6 and runs through Christmas Day.

Arthur and the Invisibles was adapted from the 2005 fantasy novel Arthur and the Minimoys (HarperCollins) by its author, Luc Besson. Besson is no stranger to the film world, having directed such movies as The Professional and The Fifth Element, and he is the writer and director for this animated flick, which will have a limited release on December 15 and a wide release on January 12. The story follows a 10-year-old boy who searches for hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, a group of tiny people
who live in harmony
with nature.

HarperEntertainment released a movie tie-in edition of Arthur and the Invisibles last month. In September HarperCollins published a sequel to Arthur and the Minimoys, called Arthur and the Forbidden City.

One of my favorite fall '07 books is a young adult novel called Hero by Perry Moore. I love Hero because it's such a fresh approach to the usual hero genre. The story is about Thom, a high school basketball star who is coming to terms with two secrets. One is that he is gay. The other is that he has the power to heal people—but he hasn't quite managed to come to terms with either secret yet.

In this alternate reality that Perry has created, heroes are a part of everyday society and the most famous heroes are part of The League. Among them are clever send-ups of iconic heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman, but also hilarious new ones like Scarlett, a feisty super heroine who talks a blue streak and Typhoid Larry, who makes everybody sick.

Thom is offered a chance to join The League, but he has to keep it as yet another secret from his father. Thom's father, who is a lovingly gruff character, had once been one of the greatest heroes of The League, but then was publicly disgraced in tragedy where many lives were lost. I'm not always drawn to superhero stories, but this one has such heart, you really come to care for these characters and root for them.

The last exciting piece is that Chip Kidd has agreed to design the jacket. I can't wait to give this book to everyone I know.