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In the News |
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A Letter from Ambassador Scieszka |
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Young People's Literature Ambassador
Jon Scieszka, looking ambassadorial. |
Dear Bookshelf Readers,
It has been a weirdly wild month. The whole combination of touring for Trucktown with Dave Gordon, Loren Long and Dave Shannon, and simultaneous Ambassador touring, has combined into a perfect storm of kid mania. I've been received by my people with small open arms.
Here, for instance, is a partial list of suggestions from Ambassador fans big and small of what I should receive as Ambassador:
cape
sash
laurel wreath/crown
bejewelled goblet
those little flags for my car
guards for my embassy
an Apache attack helicopter (my idea)
jetpack
Popemobile
jetpack-Popemobile
instant restaurant reservations anywhere, anytime
a fancy uniform
medals
epaulets
a Captain Crunch style admiral's hat (Dave Shannon's suggestion)
Secret Service Franking privileges (mine also)
lifetime diplomatic immunity, for anything (ditto)
a million dollars (surprisingly not mine, but very nice)
official seal diplomatic pouch rank above TSA officials
Ambassador underwear
championship wrestling style belt
require everyone to address me as "Your Excellency" or "Your Eminence"
A butt of Malmsey (traditional payment for England's Poet Laureate)
I'm thinking we should implement ALL of the ideas.
But the best, the absolute best tribute so far was my reception at the La Jolla Country Day School. The room was packed with 200 pre-K through first graders. As I entered, they presented me with a red satin Ambassador sash, and the fifth/sixth grade music class played an original composition, "Ambassador Fanfare," on kettle drums, trombone, trumpet, and xylophone.
I liked it so much that I went out and came in three more times. And Dave Shannon was with me, so I had them play it for him as Vice-Ambassador—
only half of it, and twice as fast.
It's been very cool to actually get the attention of the ever-fickle media to get across the message that we can and should let our kids read for pleasure. And that there are all kinds of good books out there that kids will want to read.
I have gotten an avalanche of requests. Some of them weird, but most of them heartfelt. The CBC is fielding more every day, looking for events important on a national scale.
I'm also working on a plan to promote the best of every publisher's list for Reluctant Readers, deputizing teachers, librarians, booksellers, parents, kids, and anybody who's found a book that works. Details to be released soon.
Oh, and Dave Shannon also taught a library full of 250 K and first graders the "traditional" way to say goodbye to the Ambassador: both arms straight up overhead, bowing/salaaming farewell. Priceless. Though my wife is not too crazy about doing it every time (or humming the Fanfare, now that I think of it).
Bum bum-bum Baaaahh!
Salaam,
Ambassador Jon
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More News |
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'Dawn' to Break August 2 |
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Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final novel in Stephenie Meyer's hugely successful Twilight saga, will be released at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 2. The book will be priced at $22.99; no print run has been set yet by its publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. To date, the three previous Twilight titles have more than 5.5 million copies in print worldwide. The cover art for Breaking Dawn will be revealed in the Eclipse Special Edition, which goes on sale May 31; that edition will also contain the new book's first chapter. Since the announcement, Breaking Dawn has risen to #7 on barnesandnoble.com and #17 on Amazon.
Prior to the release of Breaking Dawn, Meyer's first adult novel, The Host, will be released May 6 with an announced first printing of 500,000. Meyer will do a 10-city tour to promote The Host.
Little, Brown let Meyer's fans know through its Web site that the pub date would be announced at midnight last night, and organized online parties to count down until the midnight announcement. According to Melanie Chang at LB, hits jumped 62% after news of the impending announcement appeared on their site.
A few of the comments from online fans:
"OMG!!!!! AUGUST 2ND....2 DE AGOSTO!!!....I THINK IMMA HAVE A HEART ATTACK!!!" -MszMimi08
"I'M SO HAPPY IT COMES OUT B4 SCHOOL STARTS!" -Alice_108
"Now this is where the party's at.. lol.. everyone jumping for joy at knowing when its coming out? i sure am" -Edwards Forbidden Lover
"OMG August 2nd!!!!!! That is totally not that bad!!!!! I thought it would be like october!!!!" -edwardheartbella14
In further Meyer news, the movie version of Twilight, from Summit Entertainment, will be released on December 12, directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen; Lords of Dogtown) and starring Kristen Stewart (Into the Wild) and Robert Pattinson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).
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Book News |
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Touring in Tandem: Tales from the Road |
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Hale (l). and Bray kept
audiences—and themselves—
laughing on their recent tour. |
When they headed to the West Coast and then to Ohio on the first legs of their joint author tour two weeks ago, Shannon Hale (Book of a Thousand Days) and Libba Bray (The Sweet Far Thing) didn't know what to expect. The two had met only briefly, over lunch arranged by their respective publicists, Judith Haut at Random House and Deb Shapiro at Bloomsbury, who together masterminded the twin tour. Soon after arriving in San Francisco, Hale and Bray discovered that their publicists' instincts had been spot-on: the writers share a zany sense of humor, a flair for the dramatic and an easy spontaneity. And now, a fast friendship
as well. All of which surfaced as they-and some booksellers who hosted them-offered a recap of their madcap days on the road.
The Name
Early on, Hale dubbed their venture "The Torso Tour," for the remarkably similar jacket photos on their new novels, both of which feature a woman's midsection. Shapiro, who accompanied the authors to the West Coast, recalls, "We were all tired and giddy when Shannon came up with the name in a fit of laughter and it stuck." Shortly afterwards, the authors stumbled upon a photo booth and proceeded to photograph their own midsections. "We discovered that there is a reason our publishers used models on the jacket photos and not us," Hale says. "No one else will ever see the photos we took of our own torsos."
The Shtick
A defining feature of the tour, by all reports, was the entirely unscripted nature of the authors' interactive presentations. Both have backgrounds in theater and Hale has done improv, so it stands to reason that booksellers refer to their school and store appearances as "performances." The two regularly shot questions at each other, ranging from "Why are you so foxy?" to "When did you know you wanted to become a writer?" Hale says she prefers to be spontaneous while addressing young readers and "once I met Libba I suspected that she'd be game for it, which was terrific. We weren't afraid of making utter fools of ourselves, so that helped. We mixed it up each time. Our goal was to keep each other laughing and that kept everything fresh."
"Sadly, there is no genius to it," quips Bray of their free-form routine. "We decided from the start to just wing it and if nothing else, we realized the
kids will be entertained to see us fall flat on our faces." Au contraire, their performances received rave reviews. Angela Kroner-Grafmiller, youth events coordinator at Kepler's Books and Magazines in Menlo Park, Calif., staged a gala evening event at the town library-complete with a black-and-white theme and a harpist in Regency dress-that drew a crowd of 140. She describes the authors' Q&A session as "highly entertaining. They are both great hams and have such a wonderful time together that they brought everyone along on the ride. And they spent a generous amount of time with each girl. They made it seem as though the kids
were the stars of the show." In fact, the post-show signing, which was scheduled to end at 8:30, did not wrap up till almost 10:45.
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Licensing Hotlline |
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Nancy Drew Goes Electronic |
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Licensing activity surrounding Simon & Schuster’s Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys properties has expanded in the last year or so, moving beyond nostalgic products for adults to more tween- and teen-targeted categories, especially electronics. Recent licensees include Global Wonder Entertainment for mobile content and games; Uclick for mobile versions of comics and graphic novels published by licensee Papercutz; Majesco for interactive handheld games; Dreamcatcher Interactive for video games; and Stonehenge Media for online movie mystery games.
“The electronics are going to be our ticket to get into [tweens’ and teens’] hearts and minds,” said Laura Becker, partner in Moxie & Co., which has served as the licensing agent for Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins since 2005. “Interactive and mobile have become just as strong or stronger than TV with this audience.”
HER Interactive, a long-time licensee that recently introduced its 19th Nancy Drew video game and first DVD game, has helped boost interest in the property among tweens and teens and the companies that market to them. Other factors include three new book series from Simon & Schuster—Nancy Drew: Girl Detective, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew and Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers—and the Nancy Drew movie released last year. “These have brought in a younger audience,” Becker said. “They’re really helping to pique interest.
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In Brief |
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Roker Chooses Molly Moon |
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On The Today Show last Friday, Al Roker chose Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng (HarperCollins) as the eighth pick in his Al's Book Club. Molly Moon is the first of four books about a girl who escapes from a British orphanage with the help of a hypnotism book. Byng, who lives in London, will appear on the show on Friday, March 14. |
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Friends in High Places |
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Alvina Ling (l.) and
Grace Lin, at the
Great Wall of China. |
Grace Lin and Alvina Ling have been friends since attending elementary school together in upstate New York. Lin grew up to write and illustrate picture books, and Ling went into publishing; she is currently a senior editor at Little, Brown. When Lin wrote her first chapter book, The Year of the Dog, she sent it to Ling, who bought it along with its sequel, The Year of the Rat (which pubbed last month). The two books are based on Lin's own childhood, and Ling is featured as the character Melody. Recently the friends took a two-week vacation to China, visiting Beijing and Shanghai; here they are at the Great Wall. |
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Nelson's 'Ship' Sets Sail |
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In honor of Black History Month, Disney Publishing hosted an event on February 1 at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan for Kadir Nelson's history of the Negro Leagues, We Are the Ship (Hyperion/Jump at the Sun). Some 50 middle school students, pictured here with the author (c.), attended the event. |
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Going Once, Going Twice... |
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It's not too late to take part in an online "book basket" auction hosted by the not-for-profit National Children's Book and Literary Alliance (NCBLA). Scholastic Audiobooks donated 10 new audiobooks for the auction, which runs through February 10, including Gregory Maguire's What-the-Dickens! and The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. In addition, members of the NCBLA board donated autographed audiobooks by M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt and many others. Further details and a complete list of books and audiobooks in the auction package (which has a retail value of more than $1,000) is available at both the auction site and at the NCBLA Web site. |
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ASPCA Book Club Chooses Its First 'Tails' |
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The club's mascot
wears a top hat
in honor of ASPCA
founder Henry Bergh. |
The ASPCA is launching Henry's Book Club, an online program that aims to connect children ages five and older with books, particularly those dealing with animals and the environment, and to educate them about animal welfare. Each month, the club will feature two books and provide suggested discussion questions; discussion groups will be available for readers over the age of 13. "It is our hope that through Henry's Book Club, we will spread awareness of ASPCA award-winning books through online community outreach, while simultaneously teaching children the benefits of the human/animal bond," said ASPCA president
and CEO Ed Sayres in a statement. The club's current selections are Buddy Unchained by Daisy Bix, illustrated by Joe
Hyatt (Gryphon Press, 2006) and A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin (Scholastic, 2005). Additional information is available at the ASPCA Web site.
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Featured Reviews |
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 Dog and Bear: Two's Company |
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 Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Roaring Brook/Porter, $12.95 ISBN 978-1-59643-273-4
As in her first Dog and Bear book, Seeger (First the Egg) offers three beguiling tales fueled by give-and-take dialogues between a dachshund and a multicolored teddy bear. This time out, though, Dog and Bear's personalities seem a little further apart, with Bear emerging as a quasi-parental sort. In the opener, Dog announces, "I am running away," and Bear knows better than to fight. Bear helps Dog pack, says goodbye and adds, "I suppose you won't be staying for ice cream"-effectively changing Dog's plans without a word of protest. Next, Dog bakes and accidentally eats a birthday cake for Bear, who is nonetheless pleased ("What a beautiful candle!"). In the final story, Bear nurses an under-the-weather Dog. By the time Dog feels better, Bear needs a rest. Seeger employs casual
gouaches in terracotta, ochre and olive green on a white ground, leaving imperfections visible. Her rough-hewn ink outlines and unpolished brush-work have homespun warmth, reminiscent of the paint-it-yourself glaze on a favorite mug. If Seeger keeps these coming (and readers will hope she does), Dog and Bear are likely to join the rarefied ranks of Frog and Toad, and George and Martha. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)
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Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper |
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 Michael Reisman. Dutton, $15.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-525-47922-2
Reisman's fast-paced, cinematic first novel, already optioned by Universal Studios, transcends its Spiderwickian premise to move in a different direction: it makes scientific concepts interesting and accessible. Like Newton's apple, a secret book-which contains so much power that it could become "the most dangerous thing in existence"-falls from above and hits the Everyboy protagonist, 11-year-old Simon Bloom from New Jersey, smack on the head. Titled the Teacher's Edition of Physics, it teachers Simon how to turn himself into an 11-year-old superhero. As he tells his friends, the super-cool Alysha and tiny, cowardly Owen, "This Book tells me how science really works.... It only looks like magic if you don't understand." Using one of the book's formulas, he takes away Alysha's
body's kinetic friction, and she slips and slides over dry forest leaves. The kids' personalities evolve as the book progresses, although the villains (they try to capture the book) are flat, stock characters. The narrator is British-"all the best Narrators are from Great Britain"-and members of an Order of Physics receive silly names, such as Ralfagon Wintrofline and Mermon Veenie. These mannerisms, by now familiar in novels for this target group, function almost as a kind of shorthand: kids who like ironic narration will like this title, too. Ages 9-up. (Feb.)
Reviews from the Feb. 4 issue of Publishers Weekly.
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see all of this week's reviews
including our web exclusive Annex *
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On-Sale Calendar |
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March 2008 |
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| 1 |
Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls by Meg Cabot (Scholastic Press, $15.99 ISBN 978-0-545-03947-5). 150,000 copies.
The Jellybeans and the Big Dance by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans, illus. by Lynn Munsinger (Abrams, $15.95 ISBN 978-0-8109-9352-5). 100,000 copies. |
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The Big Field by Mike Lupica (Philomel, $17.99 ISBN 978-0-399-24625-8). 200,000 copies.
The Backyardigans: Opposites Race by Irene Kilpatrick, illus. by Susan Hall (Simon Spotlight, $5.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-4774-5). 150,000 copies.
The Backyardigans: Away We Go! by Irene Kilpatrick, illus. by Carlo Lo Raso (Simon Spotlight, $8.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-4956-5). 100,000 copies.
Barnstormers #3: Game 3 by Phil Bildner, illus. by Loren Long (S&S, $10.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-1865-3). 100,000 copies. |
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| 11 |
MySpace/OurPlanet by the MySpace Community with Jeca Taudte (HarperTeen/Bowen Press, $12.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-156204-4). 200,000 copies. |
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| 13 |
Return to Fairyopolis: The Search for the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker (Penguin/Warne, $19.99 ISBN 978-0-7232-5996-1). 300,000 copies. |
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| 18 |
Don't Bump the Glump! by Shel Silverstein (HarperCollins, $17.99 reissue ISBN 978-0-06-149338-6). 400,000 copies.
Ranger's Apprentice: Book Four, The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan (Philomel, $16.99 ISBN 978-0-399-24457-5). 150,000 copies.
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| 25 |
Magic Tree House # 39: Dark Day in the Deep Sea by Mary Pope Osborne, illus. by Sal Murdocca (Random, $11.99 ISBN 978-0-375-83731-9). 500,000 copies.
Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions, $16.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-0640-1). 100,000 copies.
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| 31 |
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry (Houghton/Lorraine, $16 ISBN 978-0-61897974-5). 100,000 copies. |
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Click here for PW's
2008 On-Sale Calendar
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New in ShelfTalker |
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This week Alison posted a number of handselling success stories, from retailers around the country. She also reported on a wildly successful store appearance by Jeff Kinney, and a stock-signing visit from Linda Buckley-Archer. Oh, and check out her assortment of things kids used to believe, such as our favorite: "I used to believe my Dad when he told me that if the ice-cream van was playing a tune, it meant that it was empty. When I asked about why people were queueing up, he would reply, 'Well, they're going to be very disappointed.' " Read about it here.
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Galley Talk |
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Heather Doss, children's book buyer at Bookazine, talks about a favorite spring 2008 title. |
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Looks (Viking, May) is a captivating commentary on high school society, where social standing can change in an instant. Told from the points of view of two teenage girls, it is the emotional story of obese Meghan and anorexic Aimee's determined friendship and retribution against a common enemy. Author Madeleine George uses her background as a playwright to incorporate expressive metaphors that bring the scenes to life. From the description of Meghan's solitude ("It's like dying and coming back to life, being a fat girl who loses her only friend") to Aimee's response to betrayal (she "feels herself pressed into its angle, suddenly deaf, all the breath squeezed out of her-stunned"), it reads like a professional performance set upon any Broadway stage. An insightful debut about how we
view others in response to how we ourselves are treated. I would highly recommend Looks for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak and Ellen Hopkins's Impulse.
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Rights Report |
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Brenda Bowen of
The Bowen Press at HarperCollins has bought Freaky Monday by Mary Rodgers and Heather Hach, a sequel to the 1972 novel Freaky Friday; this time a teacher and a student switch bodies. Hach was the screenwriter for the 2003 movie adaptation of Freaky Friday that starred Lindsay Lohan. Kris Dahl at ICM represented Rodgers; Richard Abate at Endeavor represented Hach. |
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Stephanie Lane of Delacorte preempted North American rights to Libby Schmais's first novel for teens, The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein, the diary of a quirky Brooklynite who dreams of living in Paris as an existentialist. Schmais is the author of the adult novels The Perfect Elizabeth and The Essential Charlotte. The two-book deal was made by Stephen Barbara of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
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People |
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has made two new appointments. Mary Wilcox has been named v-p and editorial director, franchise publishing, to include
all imprints within the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group. She was director of franchise publishing at Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. Julia Richardson has been named editorial director of paperback publishing, also for all imprints within the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group. She was paperback director at Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. |
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Simon & Schuster has announced two new hires. Laurent Linn has been named art director for Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; he was previously associate art director at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Annette Pollert has been named editorial assistant for Simon Pulse; she was previously an executive assistant with Viking/Plume. |
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Denise Cronin, art director for Viking Children's Books, has been named a vice-president.
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In the Winners' Circle |
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Pamela M. Tuck has won the eighth annual New Voices Award from Lee & Low Books. Tuck's story, A Fly in a Bowl of Milk, is about a 13-year-old African-American boy who helps his father's civil rights group, and is based on the author's father's experiences in 1960s North Carolina. Along with having her story published, Tuck will receive a $1,000 prize. The publisher also announced an Honor winner, Katie Yamasaki, for her manuscript, Edwin's Lucky Thirteen. Yamasaki will receive a $500 prize and work with an editor to develop her story.
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In the Media |
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From the New York Times: In his most recent column, science-fiction reviewer Dave Itzkoff took a swipe at those who write for a younger audience, saying, "I sometimes wonder how any self-respecting author of speculative fiction can find fulfillment in writing novels for young readers."
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From the Globe and Mail: Valentines featuring Happy Bunny caused a stir in Canada.
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From the Toronto Star:
A profile of author Meg Rosoff.
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From the New York Times: A talk with author Patricia Reilly Giff.
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From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: A Q&A with Pittsburgh author Jonah Winter.
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Did You Miss? |
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From the pages of PW |
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Where the Wild Things Are is being made into a movie, and also a novel, thanks to Wild Things screenwriter Dave Eggers.
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This week Lemony Snicket reviewed Lois Lowry's new novel, The Willoughbys.
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Mark Your Calendar |
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The New School in New York City is hosting a series of forums on writing for children. The second will take place on Tuesday, February 19 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and will feature a panel of publishing professionals on the topic of getting published. The panelists are Edite Kroll of the Edite Kroll Literary Agency; Jeanne McDermott, director of marketing at FSG Books for Young Readers; and Susan Van Metre, editorial director at Abrams/Amulet. Tickets cost $5 and can be ordered from the New School box office by calling 212-229-5488. For more information about the series, call 212-229-5611. |
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The artwork of author/illustrator Peter Sís is currently on display at the Mary Ryan Gallery in New York City, through March 8. The show, entitled "Freedom of Expression: The Art of Peter Sís," includes illustrations, animated films, storyboards, original drawings and more from Sís's 30-year career, including some from his most recent book, The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (FSG/Foster, 2007). Further details about the exhibition, as well as the gallery's location, are available at the gallery's Web site.
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