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In the News |
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More News |
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WestSide Books Prepares for Its Debut |
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Come spring 2009, there will be a new player in the world of YA fiction: WestSide Books will publish its first list starting next February. At WestSide’s helm is publisher Evelyn Fazio, a 28-year industry veteran and author, whose resume includes previous positions with publishers (editorial director at Marshall Cavendish; v-p and publisher at M.E. Sharpe, as well as prior work at Random House and Prentice Hall), distributor Baker & Taylor, and as a literary agent. “That all comes in handy now,” says Fazio. “I know how to negotiate contracts having rewritten them everywhere else I’ve worked. I’ve come full circle.”
WestSide is based out of Lodi, N.J., sharing the premises with Marco Book Company, a prebinding company established in 1961, which purchases paperbacks from publishers and rebinds them into hardcover editions sold largely to school classrooms under the name Everbind. “Eighty percent of our sales are based on maybe 500 titles,” says Stewart Penn, president and owner of both Marco and WestSide, who notes that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird sells the most copies in classrooms nationwide. |
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News Briefs |
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Percy Jackson Pub Date Set |
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| Rick Riordan. |
The fifth Percy Jackson and the Olympians book by Rick Riordan will be published in a one-day laydown on May 5, 2009. The Last Olympian will be the final book in the series, though Riordan has said he will write additional books set at Camp Half-Blood, where some of the action in the current series takes place.
According to the publisher, the prophecy surrounding Percy's 16th birthday will be revealed in the new book. A first printing has not yet been announced. In other Percy news, Disney-Hyperion will publish a boxed set of the first three books in paperback on September 16. To date the series has four million copies in print in the U.S.
Storyopolis Relocates
Storyopolis, the children’s book and art gallery in Los Angeles that opened in 1998, has closed its Studio City store and is in the process of relocating to nearby Sherman Oaks. Owner Matthew Abramowitz explained that the building Storyopolis was in required too much maintenance, and he has sublet the space in order to move into a “beautiful building, with much more room and light to showcase our artists’ work.”
Storyopolis represents over 100 children’s book artists and illustrators. The new store will continue to sell picture books and the book baskets that it is known for. Storyopolis will re-open next week, and its first event will be with Fancy Nancy illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser, later this month. —Wendy Werris
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Book News |
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Tracking The 39 Clues |
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One million dollars in cash, or the first clue in a globe-trotting treasure hunt that may lead to untold power. Which would you choose? No, it’s not the pitch for a reality show. It’s the opening premise of The 39 Clues, a multi-platform action-adventure series that Scholastic is simultaneously launching this month in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Aimed at kids 8–12, The 39 Clues combines reading, online gaming and card collecting into a unique interactive experience. This synergistic new franchise spans numerous divisions of Scholastic, and consists of 10 books, a dedicated Web site where kids can play an online game and compete for cash prizes, 350 collectible game cards, as well as an audiobook. DreamWorks has already acquired feature film rights; Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can) has just signed on to write the screenplay, and Steven Spielberg may direct. |
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More Book News |
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In Brief |
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'Kliatt' to Close |
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After publishing reviews of YA literature for teachers and librarians since 1967, Kliatt will cease print publication with its November issue. The 42-year-old bimonthly magazine based in Wellesley, Mass., which took its name from founders Celeste Klein and Doris Hiatt, will migrate online. According to editor Claire Rosser, who is retiring, the magazine has worked out an arrangement with the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, which has run its reviews for many years. CLCD will fulfill Kliatt subscriptions and many of Kliatt's reviewers will review for CLCD. Kliatt's audiobook editor and audio reviewers are starting a new Web site, which will not have the Kliatt name. |
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Olympic Gold Medalist Serves as Role Model |
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In July, B*tween Productions, creator of the Beacon Street Girls books, began beta-testing a new Web site modeled on a junior high, which allows girls to decorate lockers, join after-school clubs and teams and make new friends. Now it has signed 18-year-old Nastia Liukin, who took home the women's all-around gold medal in gymnastics and four other medals in last month's Olympics, as a real-life role model and member of the Club BSG Gymnastics Team. Girls can leave messages on her locker and read exclusive interviews. Liukin says, "Through the gymnastics team on the site, I have the ability to reach even more girls than ever before!" She plans to use the site to connect
with fans and to talk about self-esteem and staying fit.
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Q&A |
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In the Winners' Circle |
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The Catholic Library Association has named Lois Ehlert the 51st recipient of its Regina Medal. Ehlert has created numerous books for children including, most recently, Oodles of Noodles and Wag a Tail (both Harcourt), which she wrote and illustrated with her trademark paper collage artwork. In 1990, Ehlert was given a Caldecott Honor for Color Zoo (HarperCollins). Ehlert will receive the medal on April 15, 2009 at a luncheon in her honor in Anaheim, Calif.
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Featured Reviews |
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 Last Night |
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 Hyewon Yum. FSG/Foster, $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-374-34358-3
In stunning linoleum block prints, debut artist Yum imagines a little girl who dreams of a night in the forest with her teddy bear. Pleasure and anxiety intertwine through the wordless spreads; the prints are like a diary in which Yum records everything the girl feels. Rough-cut figures are backlit with eerie pinks and yellows. Full-bleed spreads give the sense that there's nowhere to hide. Hunched in a corner, addressed by a mother represented only by her looming shadow, the girl is sent to bed for not finishing her dinner. As she sleeps, her teddy bear grows huge and awakens her. After a moment's doubt, she follows him into the woods, where, in a series of joyful double-page spreads, they cavort with two foxes, and the bear feasts on fish. Soon, though, the girl longs for home. An owl
startles her in the dark. Instead of cuddling up to her furry companion, she lies awake in the forest until morning finds her back in her bed and eager for a hug from her mother. Some picture books are written for children; this one gives a sense of what it's like to be one. Ages 3–6. (Oct.)
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Brooklyn Bridge |
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 Karen Hesse, illus. by Chris Sheban. Feiwel & Friends, $17.95 (240p) ISBN 978-0-312-37886-8
Inspired by facts surrounding the inventors of the teddy bear, Newbery Medalist Hesse (Out of the Dust) applies her gift for narrative voice to this memorable story set in 1903 Brooklyn. Fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom's parents, Jewish immigrants from Russia, are the envy of the neighborhood when their toy bears make them prosperous. The principal narrator, Joe, copes with the ironies of their fortune: "Now it's like I got some special kind of power. Only I'm not doing anything good with it." Resented by his former friends, Joe works in the bear business, gets crushes and longs to go to brand-new Coney Island. Interspersed throughout are brief profiles of street children who make their home under the Brooklyn Bridge, haunted by a ghost they refer to as the Radiant Boy. Deftly
paced story lines about Joe's extended family indirectly raise questions about different types of bridges: those from the old country to America, those that cross generations, those that link the unlikeliest individuals. Not until the final chapters does Hesse produce the connection between Joseph and the street children with their ghost, and then the novel explodes with dark drama before its eerie but moving resolution. Ages 10–14. (Sept.)
Reviews from the September 1 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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October 2008 |
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| 1 |
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, $17.99 ISBN 978-0-439-02348-1). 200,000 copies.
Too Many Toys by David Shannon (Scholastic/Blue Sky, $16.99 ISBN 978-0-439-49029-0). 150,000 copies.
Santa Paws by Rachael Hale (Little, Brown/LB Kids, $6.99 ISBN 978-0-316-11371-7). 125,000 copies.
Little Angel by Sandra Magsamen (Little, Brown/LB Kids, $7.99 ISBN 978-0-316-00393-3). 100,000 copies.
Goosebumps HorrorLand #5: Dr. Maniac vs. Robby Schwartz by R.L. Stine (Scholastic, paper $5.99 ISBN 978-0-439-91873-2). 100,000 copies.
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| 2 |
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Paper Model-Making Kit (Grosset & Dunlap, $19.99 ISBN 978-0-448-45004-9). 100,000 copies.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Sticker Storyteller (Grosset & Dunlap, $12.99 ISBN 978-0-448-45058-2). 100,000 copies.
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| 7 |
Paula Deen's My First Cookbook by Paula Deen with Martha Nesbit, illus. by Susan Mitchell (Simon & Schuster, $21.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-5033-2). 400,000 copies.
Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke (Scholastic/Chicken House, $24.99 ISBN 978-0-439-86628-6). 350,000 copies.
The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body by David Macaulay (Houghton/Lorraine, $35 ISBN 978-0-618-23378-6). 300,000 copies.
Gossip Girl, The Carlyles #2: You Just Can't Get Enough by Cecily von Ziegesar (Little, Brown/Poppy, paper $10.99 ISBN 978-0-316-02065-7). 250,000 copies.
The Runaway Dolls by Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin, illus. by Brian Selznick (Disney-Hyperion, $16.99 ISBN 978-0-7868-5584-1). 175,000 copies.
Yellow Square: A Pop-up Book for Children of All Ages by David A. Carter (S&S/Little Simon, $19.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-4093-7). 100,000 copies.
Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat by Nikki Giovanni, illus. by Alicia Vergel de Dios and Damian Ward (Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, $19.99 ISBN 978-1-4022-1048-8). 100,000 copies.
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| 14 |
Hannah Montana Backstage Pass by M.C. King (Disney Press, $19.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-1062-0). 750,000 copies.
Science Fair by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (Disney Editions, $18.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-1324-9). 250,000 copies.
Mary Engelbreit's Nursery Tales by Mary Engelbreit (HarperCollins, $19.99 ISBN 978-0-06-073168-7). 250,000 copies.
The Tale of Despereaux Movie Tie-in Junior Novelization by Jamie Michalak (Candlewick, paper $5.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-4076-7). 125,000 copies.
Little Einsteins: Learning Library (Disney Press, $6.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-1490-1). 100,000 copies.
Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face by Jack Prelutsky, illus. by Brandon Dorman (Greenwillow, $22.99 ISBN 978-0-06-157653-9). 100,000 copies.
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| 15 |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book by Jeff Kinney (Abrams/Amulet, $10.95 ISBN 978-08109-7977-2). 500,000 copies.
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| 21 |
Fancy Nancy: Let's Get Fancy Together! by Jane O'Connor, illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser (HarperCollins, $17.99 ISBN 978-0-06-157671-3). 250,000 copies.
Disney-Pixar Cars: World of Cars (Disney Press, $15.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-0873-3). 125,000 copies.
Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica: The Indigo King by James A. Owen (Simon & Schuster, $17.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-5107-0). 100,000 copies.
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| 28 |
Jon Scieszka's Trucktown: Melvin Might? by Jon Scieszka, illus. by David Gordon, Loren Long and David Shannon (Simon & Schuster, $16.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-4134-7). 350,000 copies.
Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz (Little, Brown, paper $16.99 ISBN 978-0-316-04313-7). 300,000 copies.
Influence by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen (Penguin/Razorbill, $35 ISBN 978-1-59514-210-8). 150,000 copies.
Spyology by Spencer Blake, ed. by Dugald Steer, illus. by various artists (Candlewick, $22.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-4048-4). 175,000 copies.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Mystery of the Messy Clubhouse by Thea Feldman (Disney Press, $10.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-1014-9). 125,000 copies.
The Tale of Despereaux: The Deluxe Movie Storybook (Candlewick, $18.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-4074-3). 100,000 copies.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Daisy's Pet Project by Susan Amerikaner (Disney Press, $4.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-1434-5). 125,000 copies.
Love and Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson (HarperTeen, $16.99 ISBN 978-0-06-073311-7). 100,000 copies.
Jay McGraw's Life Strategies for Dealing with Bullies by Jay McGraw, illus. by Steve Björkman (S&S/Aladdin, $17.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-7473-4). 100,000 copies.
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| 29 |
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Goofy Baby by Susan Amerikaner (Disney Press, $4.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-1432-1). 125,000 copies.
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| 30 |
Brava, Strega Nona! by Tomie dePaola, paper engineering by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart (Putnam, $29.99 ISBN 978-0-399-24453-7). 125,000 copies.
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Click here for PW's complete
2008 On-Sale Calendar
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Did You Know? |
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'Freaks and Geeks' Creator Pens a Kids' Book |
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This fall, Paul Feig is making his children’s book debut with Ignatius MacFarland: Frequenaut! (Little, Brown, Sept.). But when it comes to Hollywood, he has a resume (and an IMDB profile) a mile long. Perhaps best known for creating the cult favorite TV show Freaks and Geeks, which aired from 1999 to 2000, Feig has also directed episodes of Arrested Development, 30 Rock and Weeds. And he has just been nominated for an Emmy for directing an episode of The Office.
Iggy, the eponymous hero of Feig’s novel, is an awkward boy who, much like the stars of Freaks and Geeks, has seen his share of bullying (his nickname at school: Piggy MacFartland). The 12-year-old builds a rocket in an attempt to escape earthly persecution, but following an explosive accident, he finds himself in an alternate world, populated by a variety of strange creatures—as well as a few other humans.
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Movie Alert |
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Get ready to rock: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, a Sony film based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Knopf, 2006), arrives in theaters October 3. The film follows two teenagers who meet at a rock show in New York City, before embarking on a nightlong adventure/first date/search for a secret concert. Peter Sollett (Raising Victor Vargas) directs the film, which stars Michael Cera (Superbad; Juno) and Kat Dennings (The House Bunny) in the title roles. Among the features on the film's Web site, is a tool that lets fans mix their own "infinite playlists," using streaming music, clips and pictures from the film and upload the
finished product to social networking profiles.
Knopf's trade paperback tie-in edition of Cohn and Levithan's novel went on sale last week with a 100,000 copy printing and includes an eight-page color photo insert with images from the movie, as well as a map of Manhattan that highlights places the teens visit during their long night on the town. The authors themselves make a brief cameo in the film (which was filmed in NYC), as a couple sitting behind a bantering Nick and Norah at Veselka, an iconic Ukrainian diner in Manhattan's East Village. Eagle-eyed viewers might also catch a glimpse of Knopf's Nancy Hinkel and author Eliot Schrefer, a friend of Levithan.
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People |
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Francesco Sedita has been named v-p and publisher of Grosset & Dunlap and Price Stern Sloan, where he will be responsible for business and publishing strategy and oversee editorial direction for both lists. He will begin the new position September 29, reporting to Don Weisberg, president of Penguin Young Readers Group. Most recently, Sedita was executive creative director at Scholastic, where he has been for the past seven years, and had previously worked at Knopf. |
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Sandvik Innovations has hired Donna Moschetti as global account manager; she previously worked for Euro Baby and Ralph Lauren. Ann Szamboti, Sandvik's director of sales, will move into the newly created role of director, new business development.
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In the Media |
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From MTV.com: Hot on the heels of her concert tour for Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer has signed on to direct a music video for "The Resolution," an upcoming single from the band Jack's Mannequin. Meyer wrote the treatment for the video, which features "a grand total of zero vampires."
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From the Times of London:
Waterstone's asked Philip Pullman to choose his 40 favorite books; here he discusses his list and reveals the reasoning behind his selection:
Click here to see Pullman's picks:
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From the Guardian:
Kate Wilson, group managing director of Scholastic U.K., admitted that there were "regrettable errors" in the way U.K. publishers introduced the idea of age-ranging on books, which has set off considerable controversy among authors there.
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From the Boston Globe:
The heirs of author-illustrator Tasha Tudor have put their court fight on hold as they try to resolve their differences over the disbursement of her estate.
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Did You Miss? |
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From the pages of PW |
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A new generation of interactive children's books featuring pen-like devices that trigger voiceovers, sound effects, music and activities are now hitting store shelves.
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Mark Your Calendar |
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This fall, the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City will host an exhibition entitled "Drawing Babar: Early Drafts and Watercolors." The show, which runs September 19–January 4, will include some of the earliest drawings and watercolors of the pachyderm and his family by both Jean de Brunhoff and his son, Laurent. Additional information is available on the Morgan Library's Web site.
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New in ShelfTalker |
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Alison reads – and
loves – the new novel Masterpiece by Elise Broach, discovers that the illustrations from her 1943 edition of Jane Eyre has many fellow admirers, and muses on whether author photos help or can even hurt sales. Read more here.
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Attention! |
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Calling all booksellers and librarians! Want to contribute to Children's Bookshelf? We'd love to hear about galleys you're loving, or books that you're selling or circ'ing especially well. Just click here—we want to hear from you!
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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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