Children''s Bookshelf
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July 23, 2009

In This Issue

In the News

  • Borders Expands Teen Section  
    Borders Group is rolling out a new teen section to take advantage of the relative strength of that category. “It’s a natural extension of what we’ve been doing,” said Kathryn Popoff, v-p of merchandising/trade books at Borders, about the creation of Borders Ink. The retailer has done well in attracting teens with its large assortment of graphic novels and manga titles and now Popoff wants the teen section to move beyond books.  more » » » 
  • CPSC Issues Policy Statement on CPSIA Tracking Labels
    The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued its long-awaited statement of policy on the tracking labels required for all manufacturers of children's products, under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. New chairman Inez Tenenbaum, as well as commissioners Thomas Moore and Nancy Nord, voted on Monday to approve the guidelines, which allow publishers to be flexible in how they comply with the provision. more » » » 
  • Justine Larbalestier’s Cover Girl
    Fifteen years ago, critics accused 'Time' of racism when it darkened O.J. Simpson’s mug shot. Fast forward to the latest cover-and-race controversy: bloggers are making similar charges against Bloomsbury, which put a white girl with long, straight tresses on the jacket of a novel about an African-American tomboy with short, “nappy” hair. Phrases like “that’s just wrong” are showing up in the escalating flap over Justine Larbalestier’s YA novel 'Liar.' more » » » 
  • Poptropica: Online Publisher for Kids
    At a time when many children's book publishers and authors are looking to connect with kids online to market their print books, two-year-old Poptropica is doing the reverse. It is engaging with children through a virtual world, where it publishes original stories and comics. As a result, it also generates interest in using that content in print books. more » » » 

Blogs

Book News

  • Revealed! The New ‘Wimpy Kid’
    Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, has just released the title and cover art for Jeff Kinney’s much anticipated new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book—Dog Days. The fourth book, which will have a one-day laydown, arrives on Monday, October 12 with a massive three-million-copy first printing. “I’m very excited about Dog Days, because it takes Greg out of the school setting for the first time." said Kinney in a statement. more » » » 
  • Moving On Up: Vladimir Tod
    As loyal fans (affectionately called Minions) of Heather Brewer’s series The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod (Dutton) well know, school sucks—literally for Vlad. That’s because he’s a vampire (well, technically a half-vampire). What Brewer’s Minions also know is that Vlad’s humorous, every-guy-centric take on blood-sucking legend is something fresh in the currently crowded vampire lit genre. Tenth Grade Bleeds, the third volume in the series, hit stores June 25. more » » » 
  • Teens to Be Privy to ‘The Secret’
    S&S’s Simon Pulse imprint has picked up world rights to a teen adaptation of Rhonda Byrne’s bestselling 2006 book, The Secret (S&S/Atria), slated for release on September 15. Like The Secret, The Secret of Teen Power will center on the “law of attraction,” but will focus on applying it to teenagers’ friendships, schoolwork, self-image and relationships. The book is being edited by Bethany Buck, v-p and publisher of Simon Pulse. more » » » 
  • Malls... Fashion... Books?
    It’s no secret that when temperatures rise, gaggles of teens head to the local mall, hoping for a little freedom, a little air-conditioning, and a lot of shopping. This summer, Disney Publishing will be there waiting for them with a few accessorizing ideas of its own. The company is rolling out a nationwide mall poster campaign in support of some its hottest summer titles. The posters will be placed in malls across the country, and Disney has specifically targeted malls with bookstores. more » » » 

In the Media

  • From CNN:
    In a suburban Milwaukee town, a fight over books depicting sex and homosexuality has riled up residents, cost some library board members their positions, and has prompted a call for a public book burning. more » » » 
  • From the Los Altos Town Crier:
    Dennis and Linda Ronberg have put their 25-year-old bookstore, Linden Tree Children’s Recordings & Books, up for sale, citing not economic forces, but their eagerness for a change. more » » » 
  • From the Guardian:
    An essay on the paper’s book blog states that teenaged authors should be encouraged, but not always published. more » » » 
  • From the Associated Press:
    The Harry Potter books started out as children’s books and ended up as YA books, which can cause problems for some younger readers who aren’t ready for the maturity in the later novels. more » » » 
  • From the New York Times:
    After Judge Sonia Sotomayor invoked the name of girl detective Nancy Drew during her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, the Times asked other prominent female figures about the fictional sleuth’s influence. more » » » 

Q&A

  • Q & A with Patricia Reilly Giff
    Q: How did you come to set this story in the world of horse racing?
    A: So many things inspired this novel. For years, my family and I lived in Elmont on Long Island, the town where Belmont Racetrack is located. I don’t mention the track by name in Wild Girl, because I wanted to leave myself a little wiggle room in terms of the details. When kids read books and find things that aren’t perfectly accurate, they point a finger and let me know! more » » » 

In Brief

  • Out of the Water and Onto the Airwaves
    This past Tuesday, Michael Phelps appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, where he discussed swimming as well as his new picture book, How to Train with a T. Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals, illustrated by Ward Jenkins (S&S, June). After O’Brien and Phelps discussed the swimmer’s recent record-breaking 100-meter butterfly and compared their respective wingspans, the conversation turned to Phelps’s book, which quantifies some of the enormous distances and other numbers involved in Phelps’s training. Regarding the 10,000 calories Phelps consumes daily while training, O’Brien said, “You’re a very young man. Later on in life, when you’re not in the water... I have a brother that consumes 10,000 calories a day and watches television—it’s a different story. So what I’m saying is enjoy this period of your life.” Photo: Paul Drinkwater. more » » » 
  • That’s One Dead-On Cake
    Last Thursday, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers celebrated Tonya Hurley’s ghostgirl: homecoming, the second book featuring undead heroine Charlotte Usher, at the Jefferson Market branch of the New York Public Library. The highlight of the event: a custom six-foot ghostgirl cake from the bakers at Charm City Cakes (the stars of the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes). The cake itself took 56 hours to create and is tentatively slated to be featured on the season finale of Ace of Cakes in October. Here, Hurley (r.) is joined by (l. to r.) Charm City’s Geof, Duff and Mary Alice. more » » » 

Featured Reviews

  • Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales
    Lucy Cousins. Candlewick, $18.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-7636-4474-1
    Anyone expecting the gentleness of the Maisy books in Cousins's retellings of eight fairy tales is in for a whopper of a surprise—although the cheeky title does provide a tip-off. Who knew Cousins could depict a wolf decapitation (“Little Red Riding Hood”) or stewing (“The Three Little Pigs”) with such relish? Or that she'd find a creepiness factor in the Henny Penny story worthy of Flannery O'Connor? more » » » 
  • Fire
    Kristin Cashore. Dial, $17.99 (480p) ISBN 978-0-8037-3461-6
    This prequel to Graceling, Cashore's smashing debut, may initially frustrate readers wanting more about Katsa and Po. Fire takes place long before Katsa's birth in an adjacent kingdom called the Dells and shares only one character. But its themes—embracing your talents and moving out of your parents' shadow—are similar, as is the absorbing quality of Cashore's prose. The Dells do not have gracelings; they have beautiful creatures called monsters that are like normal animals except for their exquisite coloration. more » » » 






People

Jill Santopolo will join Penguin Young Readers Group as executive editor of Philomel Books, effective August 17. Most recently, she was senior editor with the Balzer & Bray imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books, and had held the same position with Laura Geringer Books. Authors she has worked with include Peter Abrahams, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, Delia Ephron, and Melissa Sweet. She is also the author of the Alec Flint Mystery Series (Scholastic).

Fiona Simpson has joined Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing as editorial director of Aladdin. She was previously an executive editor at Scholastic in the trade paperback and licensing group, and has been working with Fourth Story Media on the web component to the forthcoming HarperTeen title The Amanda Project. Before coming to Scholastic, she worked at Random House Books for Young Readers.

Lara Starr has joined Chronicle Books as children's marketing manager. She previously worked in marketing and publicity at Riverdeep/The Learning Company, Cedco Publishing, Conari Press, HarperCollins San Francisco, and Mrs. Grossman's Paper Company.

Katherine Jacobs has been promoted to associate editor at Roaring Brook Press; she joined the company in 2007 and was most recently assistant editor. Authors she works with include Jacqueline Wilson, Kate Thompson, Betty Hicks and Don Brown; she is the editor of Anita Silvey's forthcoming Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book.

Rights Report

Julie Scheina at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has bought English professor April Lindner's debut YA novel Jane, for the Poppy imprint. The story is a contemporary retelling of Jane Eyre, in which a Sarah Lawrence dropout-turned-nanny falls in love with her employer, an iconic rock star on the brink of a comeback. Publication is set for fall 2010. Amy Williams of McCormick & Williams Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.

Mark Your Calendar

"Harry Potter: The Exhibition," which has been a sold-out smash in Chicago (read our take on it here), will move to Boston's Museum of Science beginning October 25. According to Kidscreen Daily, the 10,000-square-foot exhibition will be updated to include artifacts and costumes from the final Harry Potter films. The show will run through February 21, 2010, and will move to other venues in the U.S. and internationally. Tickets are available online or by calling 617-723-2500.

Attention!

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PW Children's Bookshelf
Editor: Diane Roback
Associate Editor: John Sellers

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