PW Daily
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| Treeline to Test System in the Chains |
by Judith Rosen
Five years after its start as an inventory control system for indies like the Book Stall in Winnetka, Ill., and a year and a half after it entered a strategic partnership with the ABA, Above the Treeline is about to sink its roots into other potentially fertile soil: national bookstore chains. In a letter that went out to ABA Treeline users earlier this week, founder John Rubin notified booksellers that "we have begun working in various capacities with some of the large, national bookstore chains and, in one case, are about to expand on a small test that was begun a few months ago." Given Treeline's Michigan headquarters and the letter's reference to a "category manager," the chain that is rolling out Treeline in more of its stores is likely Borders. No one from
Borders was available at press time to comment.
Rubin noted that Treeline's data for the independent channel will be kept separate from the chains, just as it is from that of the CBA, which was an early Treeline adopter. In today's competitive market, Rubin said, "We risk being marginalized in the industry if we don't work with other channels." He also indicated that a stronger Treeline will be able to continue to support programs such as Treeline University, which was introduced in February to help walk users through the various aspects of the system, and the Treeline Center at BEA.
Approximately 350 independent booksellers now use the Treeline inventory system, which enables booksellers to compare how they are doing on individual titles and sections with other retailers. Booksellers can view detailed bibliographic information on titles and real-time sales and on-hand information from other retailers, wholesalers and publishers.
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| Audible Has Improved First Quarter |
Revenue at Audible rose 28% in the first quarter ended March 31, to $25.3 million, and the company’s net loss was reduced to $1.2 million, from $3 million. An increase in the number Audible Listener members—from 279,000 in last year’s first quarter to 415,000 in the most recent period—helped drive the improvement. Audible added 71,874 new members in the first quarter.
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| Search the entire PW Book Review archive by by title, author,
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| Literary Ventures Fund Inks Deals |
by Calvin Reid
The Literary Ventures Fund, a nonprofit that uses a venture-capital investment model to support literary publishing, has hired a marketing director and announced strategic partnerships with a speakers bureau and a public relations firm.
The new marketing director is Kate Travers, a cofounder of the Web marketing firm LiveWriters.com, who has also worked in senior positions at HarperCollins and Houghton Mifflin. The LVF has also entered into an agreement with the Boston lecture agency American Program Bureau to organize a series of educational panels that will use book industry experts to examine the issues around literary publishing and books in contemporary American culture.
In addition, the LVF will team up with Shreve Williams Public Relations, a public-relations firm founded by former book industry publicity directors Elizabeth Shreve and Suzanne Williams. Shreve is a former publicity director for Henry Holt and Williams held the same position at Pantheon Books. Shreve Williams will handle publicity for LVF books as well as publicity and communications services for LVF operations.
Jim Bildner, founder and president of LVF, said the hiring of Travers and the new partnerships, "will help insure quality and continued growth as we explore ways to substantially affect the publishing landscape and get great books into the hands of readers."
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ADVERTISEMENT |
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Senior Management
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Confidential
See ad
Large Chicago-based publishing company seeks an experienced senior-level manager to handle multiple aspects of a complex food business publishing division.
read on
14 jobs were posted in the last seven days!
See all available jobs.
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Carter's Second Whodunit and India Analyzed
In Stephen L. Carter's sophomore whodunit, the Yale Law prof offers up a "compelling, literate page-turner" that masterfully blends its mystery with "complex discussions of politics and race in contemporary America." And in Ramachandra Guha's "startlingly ambitious political, cultural and social survey" of one of the globe's rising powers, India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy, the author gives a "magisterial history" of the country perfectly timed to the 60th anniversary of its independence.
read on |
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Veggie Love; Facial Fix; Derby Day
Patricia Wells; Dr. Fredric Brandt; Donda West; Gustavo Arellano; Carlo Bonini; Sari Nusseibeh; T.D. Thornton; Steve Kleinedler; Marvin Olasky; Bob Deans; Jabari Asim; Lee Iacocca; Bernard Goldberg.
read on |
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'Lemonade' in Boston
Children's author Jacqueline Davies got a headstart on summer last week at a launch event for her new middle-grade novel, The Lemonade War (Houghton Mifflin). Davies is pictured here, at the Wellesley Booksmith in Wellesley, Mass., with some fans enjoying a nice, cold beverage.
see more pictures
submit your photos and be the picture of the day! |
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Children's Bookshelf
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In the News |
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New Post for Ditlow at Random House |
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Tim Ditlow, longtime publisher of children's audiobook company Listening Library (an imprint of Random House Audio since 1999), is stepping down from that position. Effective immediately, Ditlow will take on duties as v-p and publisher at large for Random House Audio. His new role will largely focus on special initiatives and marketing to libraries on behalf of the Books on Tape, Listening Library and Random House Audio imprints. Ditlow will continue to report to Madeline McIntosh, senior v-p and publisher of Random House Audio and Large Print Publishing Group.
Ditlow's parents, Anthony and Helen Ditlow, founded Listening Library in 1955 and the younger Ditlow has been involved in many capacities with the family business throughout his career. Listening Library is home to numerous classics, Newbery Award winners and bestsellers, notably, the U.S. audio editions of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale, which is the bestselling audiobook series ever.
Also effective immediately, Amy Metsch will assume the newly created position of editorial director, Random House Audio Publishing Group, which includes overseeing editorial acquisitions for all of the group's imprints, including Random House Audio and Large Print, Listening Library and Books on Tape. Metsch had been editorial director for Random House Adult Audio and Large Print and for Books on Tape. She will report to McIntosh as well.
Rebecca Bullene continues as Listening Library editor, now reporting to Metsch. —Shannon Maughan
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More News |
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Celebrating Books in Los Angeles |
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The L.A. Times Festival of Books took place last weekend, and a large number of children's authors and illustrators attended. We've compiled a selection of photos for your enjoyment. read more
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Book News |
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A Persistent Son Helps Create Imprint |
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Smith & Kraus Publishers, long known for its line of theater books, is expanding its reach this fall with a middle-grade fiction imprint called Smith & Sons. While Smith & Kraus has never published a fiction title before, Marisa Kraus, owner and publisher of the company along with her husband Eric, says it was her son who made her do it. "Our son Peter is incredibly persistent and we started the imprint so he wouldn't bug us anymore," she says.
What Peter was bugging his parents about is a book called Middleworld, the first book in The Jaguar Stones trilogy by John and Pamela Voelkel. Peter got his hands on a manuscript of the book after the Voelkels moved to New Hampshire near Kraus and her husband. "They had just sold their advertising agency in Britain and wanted to live in New England," says Kraus. "They knew we were publishers, so they asked us if we would read the story they wrote."
Kraus brought the Middleworld manuscript home and left it on a coffee table. "Peter, who was 14 at the time, picked it up. He stayed up half the night to read it." Because Peter is particular about what he reads, Kraus paid special attention when he declared the book the next Harry Potter. "I thought those were cursed words," Kraus says, "because I know lightning doesn't strike twice, but his recommendation made us start talking to the authors."
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In Brief |
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NECBA's Spring Meeting |
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At last week's New England Children's Booksellers Advisory Council meeting in Boston, author M.T. Anderson made a surprise appearance and spoke about the inspiration for his National Book Award-winning novel,
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing.
A Massachusetts native, Anderson said that when he was growing up, "we did feel the landscape as the landscape of the Revolution." As for what he's working on now, he said he is "cleansing his palate" by writing several middle-grade books before finishing volume two of Octavian Nothing.
Anderson joined booksellers for a visit to the Boston Public Library's rare book room, where he did much of his research for Octavian Nothing. In addition to bringing out and showing several rare children's books, Earle Havens of the BPL wheeled out "our Harry Potter book," an oversized 14th-century manuscript made from animal hide with "real" hardcover binding—solid wood on both the front and back. —Judith Rosen
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| At the meeting, l. to r.; back row: Steve Fischer (NEIBA exec. dir.), Elizabeth Bluemle (Flying Pig Bookstore), M.T. Anderson (author); middle row: Patricia Cryan (Mike's Comics), Kari Patch (Harvard Book Store), Karlene Rearick (Alphabet Garden), Carol Chittenden (Eight Cousins Children's Books); front row: Carol Stoltz (Porter Square Books), Alison Morris (Wellesley Booksmith and PW blogger), Lori Kauffman (Brookline Booksmith). |
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Teacher and Student Reunited |
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Loree Griffin Burns celebrated the launch of her debut children's book, Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion (Houghton, Mar.) last month at her local Barnes & Noble in Worcester, Mass. More than 100 people attended, but the most important guest was James Micarelli, Burns's ninth-grade biology teacher, to whom the book is dedicated. Burns originally contacted Micarelli to tell him that the book would be dedicated to him and then sent him a finished copy. She also sent him an invitation to the launch party but never heard back, so it was a true surprise for her to see him at the event.
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Q&A |
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Obituaries |
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Margaret Clark |
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Margaret Clark, who was editorial director of The Bodley Head Children's Books in the U.K. from 1972 until her retirement in 1988, died on April 25 from a brain tumor. She was 81.
Clark's first job was as a secretary to Allen Lane at Penguin Press, before moving into children's publishing in 1961, when she took a short-term contract at Bodley Head. In the 1970s and 1980s she was at the forefront of publishing groundbreaking young adult fiction, championing such authors as Lynne Reid Banks and Aidan Chambers, whose Dance on My Grave (1982) was one of the first titles from a major children's publisher to deal openly with a gay relationship. Clark was associated with many other well-known authors and illustrators of the time, including Shirley Hughes, K.M. Peyton and Pat Hutchins.
"Her great gift was the inspiration and encouragement that she gave unstintingly to both her authors and her staff," said Rona Selby, who worked with Clark at Bodley Head and is now editorial director of Andersen Press. "Her great qualities were her powerful intellect and her terrific sense of humor." Clark continued writing, reporting and editing
up until her death. —Julia Eccleshare
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Dorothy Markinko |
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Children's book agent Dorothy Markinko died on April 24, at the age of 80. She established the children's department at McIntosh & Otis, and worked for the agency from 1963 until her retirement in 2001. The authors she represented included Ed Young, Scott O'Dell, Daniel Pinkwater and Virginia Hamilton, among others.
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In the Winners' Circle |
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The winners of the 2007 Lucile Micheels Pannell Award have been announced. Books & Books in Coral Gables, Fla., won in the general bookstore category, and Wonderland Books in Rockford, Ill. won in the children's bookstore category.
The awards, sponsored by the Women's National Book Association, go to bookstores that display creativity, responsiveness to community needs, passion, and understanding of young readers. The winners will be presented with a check for $1,000 and a framed piece of original artwork at ABA's Annual Celebration of Bookselling on May 31.
For the first time, the awards are being underwritten by Penguin Young Readers Group.
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 The 2006 L.A. Times Book Prize winners were announced April 28. Debut author Coe Booth won in the Young Adult Fiction category for Tyrell (Scholastic/PUSH). (To see a photo of Coe Booth at last weekend's L.A. Times Festival of Books, click here.) |
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The 2007 Edgar Awards were announced on April 26. The winners: in the juvenile category, Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements (S&S), and in the Young Adult category, Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready (Dutton).
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 The winners of the 2007 Ezra Jack Keats Book Award are Kristen Balouch for her illustrations in Mystery Bottle (Hyperion) and Kelly Cunnane for her writing in For You Are a Kenyan Child, illustrated by Ana Juan (Atheneum). The award recognizes authors and illustrators new to the field of children's books; this year's prizes will be given on May 10 in the Donnell Library Center in New York City.
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The Jane Addams Children's Book Awards were announced on April 27. The winner in the Books for Younger Children category is A Place Where Sunflowers Grow by Amy-Lee Tai, illustrated by Felicia Hoshino (Children's Book Press). In the Books for Older Children category, Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum) is the winner. The awards, given annually to books that effectively address themes or topics that promote peace, justice, world community, and/or equality of the sexes and all races, will be presented on October 19 in New York City.
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The 2007 California Young Readers Medal winners were announced on May 1. The awards, nominated for and voted on by California children, are given to favorite titles published within the last five years. The winner in the Primary category is My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza (Putnam, 2003). The winner in the Intermediate category is Christopher Mouse: The Tale of a Small Traveler by William Wise, illustrated by Patrick Benson (Bloomsbury, 2004). The winner in the Middle School/Junior High category is Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (Putnam, 2004). The winner in the Young Adult category is Shattering Glass by Gail Giles (Simon Pulse, 2002). And the winner in the Picture Book for Older Readers is The Cats in Krasinski
Square by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Wendy Watson (Scholastic, 2004).
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Featured Reviews |
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The Incredible Book Eating Boy |
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 Oliver Jeffers. Philomel, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-24749-1
This story, inventively painted in mixed media on discarded bindings, book covers and tattered, yellowed pages of paper, may earn Jeffers (Lost and Found) a reputation as an incredible book-recycling artist. Jeffers introduces a boy named Henry who gobbles books, though "red ones were his favorite." The information contained in each devoured tome directly enters Henry's brain, so "the more he ate, the smarter he got" (not unlike Susan Meddaugh's alphabet-soup-eating dog, Martha). Henry finds all content tasty—"he wasn't fussy" —and his knowledge exponentially increases until his excessive appetite starts giving him indigestion. After he gets sick, Henry tries reading books for a change: "Henry discovered that he loved to read. And
he thought that if he read enough he might still become the smartest person on Earth. It would just take a bit longer." Jeffers has created a book about books from books, in a collage style less abstract than Sara Fanelli's. A whimsical die-cut in the shape of a toothy bite, taken from the lower rear corner of the final pages, further asserts the point that some habits die hard. Jeffers adeptly uses hyperbole throughout the tale so that the underlying message never feels preachy or didactic. Additionally, his beautiful handling of his found materials ought to wow young artists who take a close look—though not so close as to leave tooth marks of their own. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)
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Just Grace |
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 Charise Mericle Harper. Houghton, $15 (144p) ISBN 978-0-618-64642-5
The energetic eight-year-old narrator of Harper's (The Invisible Mistakecase) sprightly story is eager to share the injustices of her life. She did not get to be the magician's helper at her very own birthday party and she had to play a stationary tree rather than a dancing corncob in the Thanksgiving play. Worst of all, since there are three other girls named Grace in her class, her teacher has dubbed her Just Grace when she really just wants to be called Grace. When she vents her name dilemma to the sympathetic French flight attendant who rents the basement apartment in Grace's house, the woman counters with another tale of woe. She tells Grace that their next-door neighbor broke her leg when she fell off a ladder, almost squashing her beloved cat Crinkles, who is now
terrified of her owner and her orange cast. Grace springs into action with a plan meant to cheer up the despondent neighbor: she will send her postcards featuring photos of Crinkles and messages written in the feline's voice. Yet when the postcards arrive at the same time the cat goes missing, they are mistaken for ransom notes and the classmate Grace least likes is accused of catnapping Crinkles. In a predictable but satisfying denouement, the two resourceful youngsters bury their differences, sort out the misunderstanding and manage to find the missing pet. Grace's spirited annotated drawings and her inimitable narrative's arrangement into brief vignettes makes this a good choice for kids just beginning to tackle chapter books. Ages 6-10. (Apr.)
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see all of this week's reviews
including our web exclusive Annex *
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Moving On Up |
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Rangers Thunder
from Down Under |
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Just when it looks like the market couldn't possibly welcome another fantasy series, the Ranger's Apprentice books by Australian author John Flanagan have come along and are making their mark in the genre. Readers and booksellers alike have embraced the chronicles of 15-year-old Will, who becomes apprentice to the mysterious and magical Rangers "with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways," in a mythical land, in yes, an epic battle of good and evil. Will's literal cloak-and-dagger adventures —fast-paced action involving knife throwing, archery and sophisticated surveillance methods—have captured the imagination of many readers.
Flanagan, a former advertising executive and successful television writer in his native Oz, initially penned Will's exploits as a series of short stories to entice his own son to find reading enjoyable. The creative ploy worked; those early efforts were eventually turned into Ranger's Apprentice Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan, published by Random House Australia in late 2004. Penguin Young Readers Group's Philomel imprint released the first book in the U.S. in June 2005. Book Two: The Burning Bridge followed in June 2006. The third installment, The Icebound Land, comes out next month and Philomel is advancing 50,000 copies. At the same time, Puffin will bring out a paperback edition of The Burning Bridge. To date, combined U.S. sales of the
first two titles have topped 200,000 copies.
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People |
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Carol Roeder has been named director of publishing for Lucas Licensing. Previously
she was v-p, consumer products for VIZ Media, and prior to that she worked for Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. |
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Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
has announced two promotions. Matt Pantoliano has been promoted to associate marketing manager of trade; he was previously marketing associate. Nicole Guippone has been promoted to publishing associate from assistant managing editor.
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Rights Report |
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Turtle Pond Publications, an entertainment and media company, and the Berlin Zoo in Germany have signed an agreement for publishing rights to Knut, the baby polar bear who was rejected by his mother at birth and is being raised by zookeeper Thomas Dorflein. Turtle Pond is owned by Craig Hatkoff, co-author of the Owen and Mzee books; like his previous books, Scholastic will publish Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World in fall 2007. Hatkoff will co-write the book with his daughters Juliana and Isabella, in cooperation with the Berlin Zoo.
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Did You Miss? |
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From the pages of PW |
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Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series returns this month with the third volume, The Titan's Curse, and anticipation is growing. |
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Last week, Al Roker of the Today Show started Al's Book Club for children in conjunction with Scholastic; Roker's first pick is Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. |
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When you're at BEA, check out these Galleys to Grab.
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On-Sale Calendar |
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July 2007 |
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| 1 |
High School Musical: East High Yearbook (Disney Press, $10.99). 250,000 copies.
How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague (Scholastic/Blue Sky, $16.99). 100,000 copies.
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| 3 |
Football Genius by Tim Green (HarperCollins, $16.99). 100,00 copies.
The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, Book Two: The Thief Queen's Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon (Tor/Starscape, $17.95). 100,000 copies.
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| 10 |
Mythology by Dugald A. Steer (Candlewick, $19.99). 500,000 copies.
Telling Time with Diego by Lara Bergen, illus. by Alex Maher (Simon Spotlight, $7.99). 100,000 copies.
Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by Chris Van Dusen (Candlewick, $12.99). 100,000 copies.
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| 16 |
Curious George Bigger and Smaller (Houghton, $6.99). 150,000 copies. |
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| 17 |
Wizardology: A Guide to Wizards of the World by Master Merlin, illus. by Anne Yvonne Gilbert, John Howe, Tomislav Tomic and Helen Ward (Candlewick, $14.99). 150,000 copies. |
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| 21 |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J.K. Rowling (Scholastic/Levine, $34.99). 12 million copies. |
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| 24 |
Warriors by James Harpur (Atheneum, $21.99). 250,000 copies. |
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Click here for PW's complete
2006-2007 On-Sale Calendar
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Attention Publishers! |
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A reminder that all listings for our fall announcements issue are due next Thursday, May 10. If you haven't submitted them yet, please send them in ASAP.
Feature: Fall Children's Announcement Issue
Issue: July 16, 2007
Deadline: May 10 for listings, May 31 for artwork
Needed: Publishers are asked to submit information on children's book titles to be published between July and December 2007. For submission guidelines, email Joy Bean at joybean@
reedbusiness.com.
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New On ShelfTalker |
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This week Alison blogs about her "bookish" trip to NYC, an overheard conversation in her bookstore, and two inspirational author visits. Stop by ShelfTalker often, and please leave your comments!
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Contact Us |
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Dear Bookshelf Readers,
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Hope you enjoyed this week's issue. We'd
love to hear from you with any comments and suggestions—drop us a note here.
—The Editors
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