This week: an author has a brainstorming session with his characters; an author-illustrator team gets serious about book signing; a memoirist is honored; a young author has a day in the spotlight; a debut novelist gets some PR from family; and a writer has a lot to celebrate.
I Called You Here Today…
Tad Hills called a meeting with two of his characters, Duck and Goose, at the Penguin Random House headquarters in Manhattan on February 2. Despite the confidential nature of the meeting, rumor has it the three were discussing their next project.
Making It Personal
Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen, who collaborated on the middle-grade novel Pax (Harper/Balzer + Bray), celebrated its release at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston on February 2. The store’s owner, Valerie Koehler, moderated a discussion between the author and illustrator, who also signed and personalized books for their fans.
A Moment in the Sun
Michael Gruenbaum (l.), author of Somewhere There Is a Sun (S&S/Aladdin), met with Massachusetts State senator Cynthia Creem after addressing the Massachusetts State Assembly on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27. Gruenbaum’s memoir details the two and a half years he spent the Terezin concentration camp when he was a child.
Call of the Wild
Fifteen-year-old author Jake Marcionette was a guest on the Today Show on January 29 to discuss the third book in his Just Jake series, Just Jake: Camp Wild Survival (Grosset & Dunlap). The show’s hosts Jenna Bush Hager (l.) and Hoda Kotb joined Marcionette in dressing for wilderness camping.
Number One Fans
Jake Gerhardt’s daughters Frida (age six) and Ada (age four) helped celebrate the release of their father’s debut middle grade novel, Me & Miranda Mullaly (Viking) at Children’s Book World in Los Angeles on January 30.
A Lucky Launch
It was a big night for author Jenny Goebel, who celebrated the release of two books at Tattered Cover in Denver on January 27. Goebel’s Fortune Falls and Mission Hurricane (The 39 Clues: Doublecross, Book 3) both released from Scholastic in January. A large crowd came out to congratulate Goebel, including her son, eight-year-old Lucas, who happily watched over the refreshment table, which featured a mishmash of treats themed after the two books, including “lucky” green juice for Fortune Falls and cookies from the Netherlands for Mission Hurricane.
