In This Issue: Friday, January 19, 2007 Past Issues
Ostrowski to Head Bertelsmann
HC Turning Sour Review into Ad Copy
Minnesotans Lend Hands to Local Bookseller
Monday's Reviews Today, The Morning After, Authors on the Air
Children's Bookshelf
 
Ostrowski to Head Bertelsmann
Hartmut Ostrowski has been named successor to Gunter Thielen, taking over the position of chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann. Ostrowski, who will officially step into his new role in January 2008, is chairman of Arvato, Bertelsmann's printing and communications service provider division.

In a letter to Random House employees, Random chairman Peter Olson said Ostrowski "has tremendous appreciation for what we achieve, both as a core Bertelsmann profit center and as publishers, and will ensure great support for the further development of our business."

 
HC Turning Sour Review into Ad Copy
by Rachel Deahl
The phrase "written in a droning monotone" isn't one you'd expect to see in an ad for a book. But HarperCollins is hoping to turn sour words into singing ad copy by putting that blip from Washington Post reviewer Jonathan Yardley in a full-page ad for Vikram Chandra's Sacred Games. The ad, which ran in today's Washington Post, sets Yardley's scathing critique of Chandra's Indian mafia opus against a ringing endorsement from staffers at the Washington, D.C., indie, Politics & Prose, who say they "beg to differ" with the critic, and found the book "vastly entertaining."

The booksellers' sentiment, which was first expressed on Politics & Prose's Web site, struck a chord with HC's Jonathan Burnham and his co-workers. "We felt there were two very divergent points of view here, and that was noteworthy in itself," he said. That Chandra is en route to the nation's capital for a signing helped as well. (The ad closes with a tagline about Chandra appearing at Politics & Prose on Tuesday.) Burnham added that HC "also wanted to spread the word on behalf of the bookstore."

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Minnesotans Lend Hands to Local Bookseller
by Claire Kirch
The literary community in Minneapolis is rallying around one of their local booksellers, who has been battling leukemia. Gary Shulze, 57, the co-owner, with Pat Frovarp, of Once Upon a Crime mystery bookstore, was first hospitalized in November. He's been in and out of the hospital since and is now scheduled for a bone marrow transplant later this month. Area locals have been doing what they can to make sure Shulze's absence doesn't hurt his store.

Local authors, publishers and sales reps have been helping Frovarp, the store's sole employee, run the 1,200-square-foot location, doing everything from sweeping floors to maintaining Once Upon a Crime's Web site. "About 50 Minnesota authors have offered to help out in any way. We've had more offers of help than we could take," Frovarp said.

Shulze, despite his health difficulties, remains active in the store's operations; he continues to organize the store's annual Write of Spring group reading from his hospital bed. Whether he'll be in good enough health to attend the March 24 event—which will also celebrate the store's 20th anniversary—is another story. "I asked the doctor if I'll be there," Shulze said. "He looked at the calendar and said it's going to be close."

Children's Bookshelf
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Monday's Reviews Today
  A Top Notch Thriller and an English Critic
Sneak peeks at next week's reviews: In Laura Lippman's "outstanding stand-alone" thriller, What the Dead Know, the author proves she deserves a place among the genre's top scribes with this story about the reopening of a long-dormant case concerning the disappearance of two young sisters. And in British critic Clive James's Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts, the author uses "brilliantly aphoristic prose" in the 110 biographical essays that make up the collection.
read on

The Morning After
  He's No. 1!
What has James Patterson saying not just "yikes" but "double yikes"? And why is Michael Pietsch quoting Toni Tennille?
read on

PAMA Lunch
The Publishers Advertising and Marketing Association is having its first 2007 luncheon on January 22. The event, which begins at 12:30 (with check-in starting 15 minutes before), will take place at the Doubletree Metropolitan Hotel in Manhattan, Lexington Avenue at 51st Street. The keynote speaker is AAP president and CEO Pat Schroeder, whose address is entitled "Challenges in the Book Publishing Industry."

Authors on the Air
  The Joy of Text; The Race Beat; The Joy of Mess
Charles Stuart Platkin; Kristina Grish; Susan Westmoreland; Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff; Kevin Young; Calvin Trillin; Calvin Trillin; Giuliana DePandi; Robert Pagliarini; Jeffrey Rosen; Joel Fleishman.
read on

Picture of the Day
  Pinter's Publishing Party
At David Burke & Donatella restaurant in Manhattan last week author Jason Pinter celebrated the publication of his new novel, The Mark (Mira Books). Pictured here at the event (from l. to r.) are: Pinter; his editor, Linda McFall; and his agent, Joe Veltre of Artists Literary Group.
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January 18, 2007
 
In The News
Points of Sale
Obituary
Did You Miss?
Mark Your Calendar
From the Slush Pile
Book News
Featured Reviews
People
In the Media
In Next Week's PW
About Our Newsletter
 In Brief
Rights Report
In the Winners' Circle
Bestsellers
Contact Us
In the News

An Illustrated Imprint for DK
DK is expanding its reach into the preschool novelty market with a new imprint named Kids Play. Launching with 40 titles, Kids Play offers books with novelty features that reinforce early learning concepts through play. Lori Burke, director of preschool marketing at DK, says that while the company is known for its photographic approach to books, "these are different. They are illustrated and while this is a whole new look, we think the books will be complementary to our other titles."

Twelve titles will be released this month, with 12 more coming in spring as well as in fall. Burke says that the company is launching a large number of books at the outset because "we have good traction with accounts and we want to take advantage of this and go out with a healthy list."

Burke says it's "the new innovative formats" that differentiate Kids Play titles from other preschool books. "We marry traditional storytelling books with something new with a play factor," she says. "The books stress key social and educational skills but each book has a fun activity." The company has included such elements as fiber optic lights, pull tabs and music, "which give it that wow factor," Burke says.

A few of the debut titles include Farm Babies, a find-the-object book that contains plush animals; Wheels on the Bus Pop-Up Sound Book; and Anything for You, a Valentine's Day book with paper heart pullouts. A total of 45 more titles are scheduled for release in 2008. —Joy Bean
Book News

Chooseco Embarks on Its Own Adventure
Placing young readers smack-dab at the center of the action—and in control of the plot twists, the Choose Your Own Adventure series found an eager audience when Bantam launched the first of these paperbacks back in 1979. Between that year and 1998, that company released more than 180 books in the series, which reached an in-print tally of more than 250 million copies and were published in 38 languages. Now Chooseco, a publisher based in a Vermont farmhouse, is giving this generation's middle-graders the chance to choose their own adventures, as it reissues the series in updated editions.

Chooseco is a fitting home for the CYOA series, since its co-publisher, R.A. Montgomery, was the creator of the original series. He initially signed a six-book contract with Bantam and went on to write some 60 adventures. When the series went out of print in 2003, Montgomery (who owns the rights to 141 of the novels) decided to resurrect the series under Chooseco, which he founded in 2004 with his wife and co-publisher, Shannon Gilligan.

The first of the revised editions, which feature new covers with foil, embossing and new interior art, were released in spring 2006. And they seem to have struck a chord with today's readers: Chooseco reports that there are 900,000 copies in print of the 18 novels released to date.  read more

In Brief

A Gaggle of Publicists
A group of 25 children's book publicists took over the back room at Metro Café in New York City last Thursday night. The gathering came about as a result of several conversations at various events over the last year, "when we would run into each other at gatherings or with authors in tow and wish we had more time to chat," says Scholastic's Tracy van Straaten. Jennifer Levine at Hyperion spearheaded the event, which was deemed such a success that it will be held annually; the group hopes to extend invitations to colleagues in Boston, San Francisco and other cities. While no official business took place, there was, according to van Straaten, "lots and lots and lots of talking—by a roomful of people who are champion talkers!"

Click on the image above to see a larger version of the photo.
Obituary

 Joe Ann Daly
Joe Ann Daly, who edited children's books for many years, passed away on December 29, at the age of 82. Daly began her career at Prentice-Hall, where she became children's book editor. According to longtime colleague Mimi Kayden, she left the company after marrying William Daly, Prentice-Hall counsel, because of a policy against employing spouses at the same time. She then went to Dodd, Mead, where she served as editor-in-chief of children's books for more than 20 years. When Dodd, Mead's juvenile department was bought by G.P. Putnam's Sons in 1988, Daly started the Cobblehill Books imprint at E.P. Dutton, and retired in 1997 when Cobblehill was folded into Dutton on the merger of Penguin and Putnam. Some of the authors she worked with include George Sullivan, James Haskins, Paul O. Zelinsky, Peg Kehret and Tonya Bolden.

Featured Reviews

 The Flying Bed
Nancy Willard, illus. by John Thompson. Scholastic/Blue Sky, $16.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-590-25610-0
Willard's (A Visit to William Blake's Inn) enchanting fairy tale takes place in Thompson's (Christmas in the Big House) gloriously rendered Florence. Guido lacks the skill to be a great baker like his father: "Guido's icings were lumpy and his fresh bread tasted stale." The man and his wife, Maria, were so poor, "he rarely allowed himself the luxury of a newspaper." In desperation, Guido sells their furniture—even the couple's bed. Maria announces she will move back to her father's home unless her husband buys a new one. Guido finds a beautiful hand-carved bed with a dark past. Thompson's depiction of the bed's intricate carvings make it look nearly alive. The shop owner tells the baker, "This bed chooses its owner, and it has chosen you." That night, just as the couple is about to fall asleep, the bed "bucked once, twice, and sprang out the window into the sky." Breathtaking aerial views of Florence act as backdrop as the bed flies up to the "kitchens in the sky." There the "master baker" hands Guido a small bag of yeast: "Use it when you bake your bread. Never again will you and your wife go hungry." Yet he also cautions Guido, "Never tell a soul about this gift, or it will be as worthless as a cracked cup," setting the scene for another twist of fate. Willard's timeless fable will appeal to all ages, enhanced by Thompson's scenes of a magical city. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart
Ian Beck. HarperCollins/
Greenwillow, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-115210-8
British picture-book author/artist Beck appropriately opens his first novel with "Once upon a time." Not only does he weave into his book the plots of many well-known fairy tales, he also assumes a narrative voice and creates an atmosphere that fits squarely in the genre. Tom Trueheart is a timid boy, living in the shadow of his six brothers—all named Jack: "It was... these same six fabled, heroic Jacks who had carried out all of the toughest, scariest, and most romantic and exciting adventures so far to have happened in the Land of Stories." The "Story Bureau" gives each of the same-named lads a "beginning" and sends them off to complete the tales through their adventures. When the brothers fail to return home, the Bureau sends Tom a letter on the morning of his 12th birthday, summoning him to find his siblings. Through the third-person narrative that follows the various brothers (and a hint from Cinderella), readers learn that the Jacks have been kidnapped by Julius Ormestone, the writer whose task it is to create the Bureau's story openings and who is tired of the adventurers getting all the credit. Beck's casting of the Truehearts in the starring roles lends a fresh, often humorous air to Snow White and the seven dwarfs, the frog-prince and Rapunzel; the episodes culminate in a final showdown at the giant's palace atop a beanstalk. Beck's story is a quick read that at once pays homage to its chosen milieu and also serves as a worthy addition to it. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)

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In the Winners' Circle
The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages (Viking) has been named the winner of the 2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. The award is given to a children's or young adult book published in English by a U.S. publisher that is set in the Americas. The award comes with a $5,000 cash prize.


The winners of the 2007 Sydney Taylor Book Awards have been announced by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Stephen Krensky and Greg Harlin, author and illustrator of Hanukkah at Valley Forge, won the gold medal in the Younger Readers category. Brenda Ferber, author of Julia's Kitchen, won the gold medal in the Older Readers category and b>Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, won the gold medal in the Teen Book category. The awards are given to new books that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically protraying the Jewish experience. To see a listing of the honor books, click here.


British author Philip Pullman has been given the Freedom of Oxford award, bestowed by the city of Oxford, where he resides. The award, which is honorary, is rarely given, and Pullman joins just five other modern-day recipients. He will receive the award at a ceremony later this month.

Bestsellers
Picture Book Bestsellers
January 2007

  1. Pirateology. Edited by Dugald A. Steer.Candlewick, $19.99ISBN 978-0-7636-
    3143-7
  2. Owen & Mzee. Isabella and Craig Hatkoff, photos by Peter Greste.Scholastic Press, $16.99ISBN 978-0-439-82973-1
  3. Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology. Edited by Dugald A. Steer.Candlewick, $18.99ISBN 978-0-7636-2329-6
  4. Fancy Nancy. Jane O'Connor, illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser.HarperCollins, $15.99ISBN 978-0-06-19457-5
  5. Flotsam. David Weisner.Clarion, $17ISBN 978-0-618-19457-5

  • see full list
    see more bestseller lists

    		•
    Points of Sale

    Tips from children's booksellers

    Bringing in Customers in Jan. and Feb.

    What do Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief, Jan Brett's Hedgie Blasts Off and Lisi Harrison's Dial
    L for Loser     have in common? They are among the top 25 children's bestsellers for 2006 at Wellesley Booksmith in Wellesley, Mass.—and the leading customer draws for 2007. "One of our post-holiday tricks," says book buyer Lorna Ruby, "is letting customers know our top 25 bestsellers. At the end of December we run a report and have it ready in January. Customers ask for it."

    In the past, the store printed up bookmarks with a mix of the top 25 children's bestsellers on one side and the top 25 adult titles on the other. "This year," Ruby says, "we decided to expand on the list and we couldn't fit it on a bookmark."

    Rights Report
    Kay Thompson's classic Eloise picture books will be made into a live-action feature film titled Eloise in Paris, to be directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls). The story follows the exuberant six-year-old as she heads to Paris
    for Fashion Week with
    one of Europe's top designers and chases after a stolen dress. The script has been written by Janet Brownell and Erin Joslyn, and shooting will take place this year in Paris, New York and London. The movie is scheduled for spring 2008 release by Handmade Films.
    People
    Sue Tarsky has been appointed publisher of Igloo Books in England. Igloo is a promotional publisher of adult and children's books. Previously Tarsky was publishing director of children's books and audio at BBC Worldwide, and before that was founder, managing director and publisher of ABC in London. As of next Monday, she can be reached at sue@igloo-books.com.


    Elizabeth Law, v-p and associate publisher of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, will be leaving the company at the end of March. Law told Bookshelf, "I've worked with amazingly talented artists and authors, and some wonderfully creative and smart colleagues. I'm very proud of the books we've done together, and I'm excited about taking on new challenges in the future." Publisher Rubin Pfeffer will assume day-to-day responsibility for the imprint until a successor is named.
    Also at S&S, Susan Burke has been promoted to editor at Atheneum Books for Young Readers, and Amy Chin has been hired as marketing assistant for the advertising, promotions and marketing team.


    Lauren Wohl has been promoted to associate publisher of Roaring Brook Press. She has been marketing director since Roaring Brook was acquired by Holtzbrinck in 2004. Deirdre Langeland will be joining Roaring Brook Press on March 6 as senior editor. She will acquire and develop titles for a new nonfiction program that Roaring Brook will launch in 2008. Langeland was previously with Kingfisher Books.


    FSG Books for Young Readers has hired Jennifer Doerr as publicity manager. She was previously senior publicist at Broadway Books.


    Susan Kochan has been promoted to associate editorial director for Putnam Books for Young Readers, from assistant editorial director.
    Did You Miss?
    From PW Daily: Beginning in April, Harcourt Children's Books will distribute Full Cast Audio's line of children's audiobooks.
    In the Media
    From The Oregonian: A profile of YA author Blake Nelson.
    Mark Your Calendar
    The New School in New York City is hosting a series of forums on writing for children. The second one, called Getting Published, will be held on Tuesday, February 20 from 6:30–7:30 p.m. It features Melanie Cecka, publishing director at Bloomsbury and Walker; Barry Goldblatt from the Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency; and Adrienne Waintraub, marketing director at Random House Children's Books. Tickets cost $5; for more information, call 212-229-5488.

    In Next Week's PW
    Next week we'll have our annual Cuffies Awards—where bookseller vote on their favorite (and not-so-favorite) books of the year. Be sure to check it out!

    Contact Us
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    love to hear from you with any comments and suggestions—drop us a note here.

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