Gossip Girl Returns—with a Vengeance

Gossip Girl heroines Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen become trendsetting serial killers in Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer, Cecily von Ziegesar's tongue-in-cheek reimagining of her 2002 novel that launched the bestselling series. Little, Brown's Poppy imprint will publish the new novel in October.

Atheneum to Publish William Joyce 'Guardians' Series

Starting in fall 2011, Simon & Schuster’s Atheneum imprint will publish the first two books in William Joyce's new series, The Guardians of Childhood, which will present the histories of such childhood icons as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny. The series will consist of 13 books—seven chapter books and six picture books.

Winter Institute: Big Books for Kids

Although education was the primary focus of last week’s Winter Institute, books and authors were uppermost in many book buyers’ minds. As if to emphasize the point that it is ultimately all about the books, Candlewick supplied a book bag to every one who registered. It featured one of the press’ most commercial YA series to date, L.A. Weatherly’s Angels trilogy, which it will publish starting with Angel Burn this spring.

Madeline Visits the White House

In John Bemelmans Marciano's Madeline at the White House, 12 little girls arrive—in two straight lines—at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just in time for the annual Easter Egg Roll. Along on the trip is Madeline's magician friend, appearing here as a fez-wearing rabbit, who escorts her and the president's delighted daughter on a fantastical nighttime tour of Washington. Published this week by Viking, the book evolved from several stories initially conceived by Ludwig Bemelmans, Madeline's creator and Marciano's grandfather, who died in 1962.

In Brief: January 27

In brief this week, lots of writers on the road: Tony and Lauren Dungy tour for their new book; three authors visit the American Embassy School in India; and AJ Stern stops by Politics and Prose.

New Eric Carle Book Due in October

Bestselling picture book author Eric Carle will publish his first new picture book in more than four years in October. The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse will be published simultaneously, by Penguin's Philomel imprint in the U.S., and by Puffin in the U.K. A 300,000-copy first printing is planned for the U.S.

A Force Returns: Amulet Announces Sequel to 'Origami Yoda'

Tom Angleberger's The Strange Case of Origami Yoda centers on a seemingly clueless sixth grader who communicates through his origami Yoda finger puppet. Amulet will publish a sequel, Darth Paper Strikes Back, due out next summer.

In Brief: January 20

In brief this week: Spike and Tonya Lewis Lee on the morning show circuit, and Workman gets ready for Papertoy Monster Day.

On Today's 'Oprah': Bindi Irwin

Bindi Sue Irwin, the 12-year-old wildlife conservationist who is behind a new children's book series, appears today with her mother and brother on the third installment of Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure. The show pays tribute to Bindi's father, the late Steve Irwin, whose conservation efforts the family has continued through their Australia Zoo in Queensland.

YA Authors Play 'Show and Tulle' for Book Promotion

Remember your high school prom? Chances are, whether you were prom court royalty, went with a friend, or didn’t go at all, the event can still stir up vivid memories. The big dance is at the center of the new YA novel Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris (Egmont, Feb.), about two girls who take on a series of disastrous odd jobs as part of a "betterment plan" to score the perfect date and the perfect attire. Fittingly, prom is also at the heart of Ferris's innovative promotion for her book, the Will Work for Prom Dress Promapalooza.

HMH Books Dispatches Send-a-Story Line

It’s always a thrill for kids to find letters addressed to them in the mailbox. And if that mail were a greeting card-sized picture book with a personalized message inside, wouldn’t that be even better? Anticipating an affirmative answer to that question, HMH Books is launching its Send-a-Story line of mailable paperback versions of backlist picture books.

Galley Talk: 'A Dog's Way Home'

Though she doesn't normally gravitate toward stories about animals, Melissa Posten, children's and YA buyer at Pudd'nHead Books in Webster Groves, Mo., was smitten by a forthcoming middle-grade novel written partially in the voice of a dog.

I am not really a dog person. Actually, I'm not really an animal person. And if I'm being absolutely truthful, animal books are not my favorite—except for maybe some fantasy, and Kate DiCamillo—so you can imagine how I might feel about a non-fantasy book with an animal as a main character.

Cronin, Bliss 'Diary' Series Heading to Stage and Screen

Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss's bestselling series of diary-style picture books—Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Fly, and Diary of a Spider—is jumping from the page to the small screen and the stage. HIT Entertainment has acquired rights to develop the series into an animated TV program.

Two Originally Self-Published Picture Books Hit Their Strides

Self-publishing ventures turned into very different publishing experiences than expected for two first-time authors. Jennifer Fosberry and Cheryl Kilodavis, each inspired by one of their own children to pen a picture book, followed divergent paths to get their books into print, yet their publishing stories had similar happy endings when mainstream houses picked up their books. Fosberry's My Name Is Not Isabella was released by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in September, and Aladdin published Kilodavis's My Princess Boy in late December. Here's a recap of the authors' respective publishing journeys.

Scholastic Digitizes True Books Titles for Web-Based E-Book and Video Program

Scholastic has digitized its classic True Books nonfiction series, debuting an online learning resource called TrueFlix earlier this month. The site has enhanced e-books, videos, articles, images, and related media, and is aimed at students in grades 3 to 5, focusing on science and social studies.

Vanderpool, Stead, Bacigalupi Win Newbery, Caldecott, Printz

Clare Vanderpool has won the 2011 Newbery Medal for Moon Over Manifest (Delacorte), edited by Michelle Poploff. Erin E. Stead has won the 2011 Randolph Caldecott Medal for A Sick Day for Amos McGee (Roaring Brook/Porter), written by Philip C. Stead, edited by Neal Porter. And Paolo Bacigalupi has won the 2011 Michael L. Printz Award for Ship Breaker (Little, Brown), edited by Jennifer Hunt. The awards were announced Monday morning at the American Library Association’s midwinter conference in San Diego.

Animation, Action, and Angst: Spring Kids' Movie Tie Ins

Summer blockbuster season is months away, but there's plenty to pique young moviegoers' interest this spring. The Eagle lands more than 50 years after the publication of the book it's based on, Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth; on the other end of the timing spectrum, I Am Number Four (one of two films starring Alex Pettyfer) isn't even out in paperback.