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Crocodile Pie Really to Shut Down This Time
A year almost to the day after dentist Kim Zizic bought Crocodile Pie, a children’s bookstore in Libertyville, Ill., hoping to save it from closing, she’s giving up. Crocodie Pie is slated to close its doors August 14. Crocodile Pie was founded in 1989 by Kim White, who sold it to Zizic on August 1, 2008. The store stocks about 20,000 titles for children, from birth through teen, in a 400-square-foot space.
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Barnes & Noble Adopts Lexile Framework for Reading
Starting this fall, Barnes & Noble will offer customers the ability to search for books by Lexile measure, both in stores and online at bn.com. Lexile is a widely used reading measure, helping young readers develop literacy skills by selecting materials that match their reading level and interests.
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Children's Book Reviews: 7/27/2009
This week, reviews of new picture books from David Elliott and Timothy Basil Ering, Jerry Pinkney, and Judi and Ron Barrett; novels from Frank Portman, Faye and Aliza Kellerman, and Albert Borris; and a reference round-up.
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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.'
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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.
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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.
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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.
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In Brief: July 23
This week, Michael Phelps pushes his picture book on the Tonight Show, and a specially made cake heralds the publication of a new ghostgirl book.
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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! -
Vladimir Tod: Tall, Dark, and Fangsome
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.
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Children's Book Reviews: 7/20/2009
This week's children's book reviews include Lucy Cousins's dazzling take on some classic fairy tales and the first and only picture book from the late Eden Ross Lipson, as well as new novels from Gary Paulsen, Kristin Cashore, Berkeley Breathed, Jane Smiley and Ellen Hopkins.
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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.
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Fall 2009 Children's Announcements
There may be no new J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer title this fall, but the season is by no means lacking in major books. From the return of celebrated characters (in Return to the Hundred Acre Wood and Strega Nona’s Harvest), to adaptations of adult bestsellers, to new books from Suzanne Collins, Kate DiCamillo, Neil Gaiman, Jeff Kinney and Ann M. Martin, readers of all ages and interests will have plenty of options at their fingertips. See our comprehensive fall listing.
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ALA in Chicago: The Joint Was Jumping
With a record-breaking attendance of nearly 29,000, scores of competing parties and breakfasts, plenty of big-name author signings, and an array of programs, it was easy for librarians and publishers at the ALA Annual Conference to forget—if only for a few delicious moments—that yes, we are in the midst of a serious recession. True, many of the librarians paid their own way, there was more pizza than prosciutto at the receptions, and the number of exhibitors was off by more than 1,000.
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'Potter'-phernalia: The Latest on the Boy Wizard
Enthusiastic Harry Potter fans turned out in droves at midnight Wednesday for the premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. We've got a round-up of all the latest Potter news, including record-setting box office numbers, a fantasy tie-in promotion from Random House, and a trailer that’s being shown at Half-Blood Prince screenings that’s attracting attention in its own right.
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Picture This: Our ALA Photo Essay
With a record number of attendees turning out for the ALA’s annual conference last weekend, there were plenty of photo-ops with children’s book authors. Read on to peruse our ALA photo essay, in which we’ve rounded up some of the highlights of the author appearances, featuring Ashley Bryan, Florence Parry Heide (who celebrated her birthday at the show), Neil Gaiman, Lauren Myracle, Kadir Nelson, Sharon Robinson, Brian Selznick, Lane Smith, Melissa Sweet and many others.
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HarperCollins and Jim Henson Partner on Sid the Science Kid Series
HarperCollins Children’s Books and the Jim Henson Company are launching a publishing program for Sid the Science Kid, based on the Emmy-nominated animated TV series that began airing on PBS Kids last fall. The books will feature full-color stills from the series and will launch in December 2009, with three titles targeting preschoolers ages three to six.
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Q & A with Elizabeth Bluemle
Formerly editorial director of a small press, creative director of a book packager and a school librarian, and currently a bookseller, author and blogger, Elizabeth Bluemle knows publishing from the inside out. Bookshelf managed to catch her at a rare quiet moment, to ask her about juggling her various book-related pursuits and about her third picture book.
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Galley Talk: ‘When You Reach Me’
Stephanie Anderson, manager of WORD in Brooklyn, N.Y., talks about a favorite summer galley, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.
When You Reach Me is a novel about Miranda, a middle-school girl from New York, whose favorite book is A Wrinkle in Time. She starts receiving notes, left outside her apartment, that creep her out. She has no idea who is writing them. In the meantime, the story is also about her relationship with her best friend. -
In the Media: July 16
A roundup of articles about children's books in the media this week.
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