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Viz Media to Publish Original Kids' Graphic Novels
Over the past year, U.S. manga publisher Viz media has begun branching out in a new direction, releasing original graphic novels created just for them.
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In Brief: May 3
This week, a young chef/author receives a surprise visit from Rachael Ray; teens get a sneak peek at Julie Kagawa's new YA series; and author events with Laurisa White Reyes, Mariah Fredericks, and Allegra Kent and Emily Arnold McCully.
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Children’s Galleys to Grab: BEA 2012
Lots to pick up at publishers’ booths this year: favorite authors like Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, and Libba Bray are exploring new genres; some popular series are drawing to a close; and stars of other media (incuding Hunger Games director Gary Ross) are trying their hands at fiction.
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'Brothers at Bat' Author Appears at Baseball Hall of Fame
Audrey Vernick scored a hit when she appeared at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on April 12. As part of the hall's Sibling Day festivities, the author of Brothers at Bat: The True Story of An Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team spoke to a standing-room-only crowd of baseball lovers. Vernick's book spotlights 12 Acerra brothers from Long Branch, N.J., who formed their own semi-professional baseball team in the 1930s.
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Random House Celebrates Junie B. Jones's 20th Anniversary
In 1992, Barbara Park introduced young readers to a headstrong, unpredictable kindergartner in Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. Twenty years and 29 books later, there are a total of 52 million Junie B. Jones books in print, and the series has been translated into 12 languages.
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Author Teams with Kickstarter, McNally Jackson for New Title
Children’s author Kate Milford set up a Kickstarter page to raise money to self-publish a novella with McNally Jackson to coincide with the release of her second book from Clarion.
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In Brief: April 19
This week, Newbery and Caldecott winners gather at Books of Wonder; Reading Is Fundamental launches a new literacy awareness campaign; a stage production of The Lonely Phone Booth, and author events with R.J. Palacio, Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, and Cynthia Levinson.
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London Book Fair 2012: Stalled Guillermo del Toro Middle Grade Series Re-emerges
A middle grade series by Guillermo del Toro, which was initially shopped a few years ago before being shelved, is back on track.
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London Book Fair 2012: Foundry Splits One Story into Two Books, Two Deals
In a bit of creative deal-making, agents Peter McGuigan and Stephen Barbara, at Foundry Literary + Media, closed two deals—for an adult novel and a YA novel—for a debut thriller that was initially submitted as a standalone novel.
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HMH Adds Tie-Ins to Hobbit List
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, longtime U.S. publisher of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has secured the U.S. rights to release tie-in books for the films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.
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Galley Talk: 'Summer of the Gypsy Moths'
Susan Capaldi, children's book consultant at Between the Covers in Harbor Springs, Mich., shares her enthusiasm for Sara Pennypacker's Summer of the Gypsy Moths, a May release from Balzer + Bray.
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In Brief: March 29
This week, Carl Hiaasen celebrates the release of Chomp; Ruta Sepetys receives two honors for Between Shades of Grey; the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program turns 10; and book events with Kevin Henkes, Michael Grant, and Steve Cotler.
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Alloy and HarperCollins Collaborate on Book Deal
The Collaborative, Alloy Entertainment's recently launched business arm, has acquired its first book project. The new venture is teaming up with HarperCollins imprint Balzer + Bray to publish How to Love, a YA novel by debut author Katie Cotugno.
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Pottermore Shop Opens
As of Tuesday, March 27, all seven Harry Potter novels are now available in electronic form via the Pottermore shop, the exclusive retailer for Harry Potter e-books and digital audio books.



