Judy Blundell: What I Saw and How I Lied (Scholastic)

Judy Blundell. Photo: Paul Llewellyn.

Under several names (most often Jude Watson), Judy Blundell has written scores of books, several of which have charted on the New York Times bestseller list. But the great majority of them are media tie-ins—Jude Watson writes those Star Wars novelizations that kids gobble up like candy.

So when the cover proofs for her latest original novel came with her actual name on it, she thought it was a mistake. “Judy has built a huge fan base as Jude Watson, but it’s a science fiction and thriller fan base and those books are not coming from a very personal place,” says David Levithan, executive editorial director of Scholastic. “This one was, and if there was ever a book to separate Judy Blundell from Jude Watson, this was the one to do it. I did, however, really think that she and I had talked about it.”

Blundell laughs. “It’s our 48th book together. We talk without speaking.”   

In a memo to BAF sales reps, BAF president Dave Krishock said centralizing the sales and communication functions “will allow your regional managers to continue working with you on developing your business with more consistent communications, timelier outreach and ongoing support.” BAF’s sales reps are independent contractors who sell BAF’s lines, which range from books to gifts, although under the restructuring BAF will be returning more of its focus to books. To improve the efficiency of its buying, Harold Clarke, president and publisher of RD Community Books, Music and Trade Publishing, will take over much of the sourcing and purchasing for BAF.  

Nicole Geiger, founder of Tricycle Press, bought the book at the Bologna Book Fair in 2001 and published the American edition the next year. Geiger said she was “devastated” when she found out that King & King is now being cited by backers of Proposition 8 as an example of the type of books that will be used to negatively influence the lifestyle of children. “I immediately sent a personal donation to the ‘No on 8’ campaign in the hope that people will delve a little deeper into this civil rights issue than a TV or radio commercial,” she said. Sales of the book, which has sold 18,000 copies since it was published, have been above average during October. “I’m terribly proud of King & King,” Geiger said, “and saddened by any association with this innocent children’s book by politically motivated attacks on the civil rights of fellow Americans.”  

The Tales of Beedle the Bard will definitely be one of the biggest books for the holiday season, says Heather Doss, children’s merchandise manager at Bookazine, who is pleased that it’s also helping sell even more copies of Harry Potter. “I had a nice, chunky spike of sales for Deathly Hallows when the announcement about the book came out,” she says. Doss’s counterpart at Partners West in Renton, Wash., is equally upbeat about the sales potential for Rowling’s latest. Though trade buyer Steve Holetz says “it is still early in the game,” he points out that “already we’re accumulating some pretty significant pre-orders.”   

Jodi Lynn Anderson. Photo: Andrew Laughlin.

Visits to several orchards in Georgia, where Anderson was living when she wrote Peaches, inspired the novel’s setting, adding that a deeper connection to her mother’s family farm in West Virginia played a role, as well. “It’s a special place, with a soul,” she says. “I know if I ever need to get my feet on solid ground I can go there and just feel connected to something beautiful and grounded, and be reminded of where I came from. That kind of spirit really drove my feelings about the book’s peach orchard, and what kind of meaning it could have.”  

Originally written in Swedish, the stories of the Moominfamily and their friends have been translated into 34 languages and adapted for television, film, opera and radio. Puffin first published Finn Family Moomintroll in 1961 and it and the seven subsequent titles have been part of the Puffin list ever since. “We are already so proud at Puffin to be home to Tove Jansson’s original Moomin stories, and to now have the opportunity to create a new picture book series,” said Jacqui Butler, senior editor, Puffin Characters. “Our aim is to capture the essence of Tove’s work, and we are very excited to be introducing the magical world of Moomins to a younger generation of readers.”

Puffin will launch the new Moomin titles in 2010, the year that the Moomins celebrate their 65th anniversary; it will also be Puffin’s 70th anniversary.