In Brief: December 2

Today's YA Scene

There is no shortage of media coverage about boom times in the young adult market. Looking beyond the houses responsible for many of the bold-faced headliners, one finds an enthusiastic group of publishers, some newcomers to YA, whose authors are making impressive contributions and helping to satiate the reading appetites of Twilight- and Hunger Games-frenzied fans.

Ascend Publishes Dick Vitale's First Children's Book

Legendary ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, a grandfather of five and an advocate for early childhood development, has recently released the first in what will be a series of educational and inspirational books for children. Ascend Books published Vitale's Dickie V's ABCs and 1-2-3s: A Great Start for Young Superstars, a $14.95 picture book, on October 15. It is the inaugural title in the Dick Vitale Children's Literacy Initiative and is Vitale's first children’s book.

RosettaBooks to Publish Kindle Editions of Rainbow Magic Series

In a deal to bring the popular Rainbow Magic series to e-books, the series creator, HIT Entertainment, has struck an exclusive digital rights agreement with RosettaBooks to release Kindle editions of current and future titles in the line. Rainbow Magic, which was introduced by HIT in the U.K. in 2003, is published by Scholastic in the U.S. and, through this arrangement, Scholastic will remain the exclusive print publisher of the titles in the U.S.

Llama Llama Sales-O-Rama

From the moment he first had trouble falling asleep in Llama Llama Red Pajama (Viking, 2005), Anna Dewdney's Baby Llama character has become a relatable everykid, beloved by preschoolers, parents—and booksellers. Now he's galloping onto bestseller lists again in the new release Llama Llama Holiday Drama, which pubbed on October 19 with a first printing of 200,000.

Galley Talk: 'Divergent'

Jill Hendrix, owner of Fiction Addiction in Greenville, S.C., talks about a spring novel that she expects will be a hit with teens, Divergent by Veronica Roth.

In Brief: November 18

In brief this week: the opening of Sparkhouse Studio and author events with Darren Shan, Beth Revis, and David Wiesner.

Paver Moves to Puffin for New Series

Bestselling British children's author Michelle Paver has signed a world rights five-book deal with Penguin UK's Puffin imprint for a new series called Gods & Warriors. The first book in the Bronze Age-set tale is scheduled to come out in autumn 2012.

Little, Brown ARC Tactically Omits Bestselling Author’s Name… But Now We Know

At first blush, it seems like a counterintuitive marketing move. Last month, Little, Brown sent out 3,300 copies of the ARC of an early summer middle-grade novel, the cover of which made no mention of the book's title or the name of the author.

Licensing Hotline: November 2010

Random House is adding to its portfolio of boys' titles with a new line tied to Cartoon Network's Generator Rex. "It's a little bit monsters, a little bit superhero, a little bit sci-fi," says Dennis Shealy, editorial director, licensed and novelty properties, Random House/Golden Books Young Readers Group.

In Brief: November 11

In brief this week: Annie and Bean Day, and book events with Judy Blundell, Scott Westerfeld, and Lauren Brown.

What's Selling at The Magic Tree Bookshop

Iris Yipp, co-owner of The Magic Tree Bookshop in Oak Park, Ill., celebrates two customer-pleasing fall offerings: The Boss Baby and How Rocket Learned to Read.

PW's Best Children's Books 2010

We scoured the past year's books for children and teenagers and selected the very best. This year we have 40 Best Books (plus one for good measure), covering our favorite picture books, novels, and nonfiction. From babies who take over upon arrival and lizards learning about friendship and art in the desert, to twins who are not identical in every way and dystopian worlds that fall apart in almost every way conceivable, 2010 offered something for everyone.

Live... from Five Cities: It's the 'Beautiful Darkness' Authors on Tour

Fans from all over the world had a chance to interact with Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl during their recent two-week U.S. tour to promote Beautiful Darkness, the sequel to the debut installment of the Caster Chronicles, Beautiful Creatures.

What's Selling at Nicola’s Books

Linda Goodman, children's buyer at Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor, Mich., gives word of a fall historical novel she's enjoying selling.

Bloggers Emulate Susan Beth Pfeffer's 'Life As We Knew It'

An asteroid strikes the moon, triggering a sequence of natural disasters on earth in Susan Beth Pfeffer's Life As We Knew It, released by Harcourt in 2006. Life (as teenager Miranda and her family know it) comes to an abrupt halt, and they must make do with the food and resources they have on hand. That inaugural installment of The Last Survivors trilogy has motivated two Utah bloggers to mimic the survivalist lifestyle forced upon the books' characters, and to chronicle their experiments online.

Anthology to Compile Authors' Personal Stories About Bullying

Writers of books for children and teens share their experiences with bullying in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories, a forthcoming anthology edited by YA novelists Megan Kelley Hall (Sisters of Misery) and Carrie Jones (Need).

In Brief: November 4

In brief this week: Justin Bieber's memoir; a 20th anniversary for Diane's Books; a pair of spooky signings; and Book Fest @ Bank Street.

Searching for the Perfect Cover Treatment for New Lauren Oliver Trilogy

Due next February from HarperCollins, Delirium launches a trilogy by Lauren Oliver, whose bestselling debut novel, Before I Fall, was published last March. There's been quite a bit of pre-pub hubbub surrounding this dystopian novel—both in-house and on the Internet.

Amulet Reveals 'Wimpy Kid' Tour Details

Abrams Books for Young Readers' Amulet imprint has unveiled details about Jeff Kinney's upcoming tour in support of The Ugly Truth, the fifth book in his bestselling Wimpy Kid series, which goes on sale November 9 with a five million–copy first printing. The tour is bookended by a prepub charity event in Dallas, with Kinney appearing as one of five featured authors at the Barbara Bush Celebration of Reading on November 8, and at another charity event, United Through Reading's Storybook Ball in San Diego on November 14.