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S&S Unveils Two Digital Initiatives
]Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers has announced two new digital reading ventures: the online serial novel Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson, and the release of the first iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch app in the U-Ventures series.
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Kids' Books at Comic-Con: A PW Photo-Essay
As PW reported, movies -- from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to projects starring superheroes -- got major attention at Comic-Con, held this past weekend in San Diego. Many children's publishers, authors, and artists were also at the show, promoting everything from paranormal novels to books about classic superheroes and Snoopy.
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Scholastic Close to Testing E-book Distribution Platform
Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Club and E-Commerce divisions, spent last week's conference call on year-end results providing a few details on Scholastic's plans to develop a proprietary e-reading platform that will sell children's e-books from Scholastic and other publishers. Newman said they expect to begin the pilot test for the program by the end of the calendar year. The service will feature proprietary e-reading software that initially will be able to be downloaded to PCs, followed by Macintosh and "ultimately every device," Newman said. The program will begin with 2,000 "carefully curated" titles and Scholastic will experiment with various prices, Newman said.
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to Distribute Zest Books
Zest Books, a San Francisco publisher of books for teens, has moved its distribution to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The new distribution arrangement will be effective in January 2011.
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The Digital Revolution in Children's Publishing
In March, Anna Quindlen wrote in Newsweek, "Well, what is a book, really? Is it its body, or its soul?" Publishers of all stripes are struggling with that definition, including children's publishers.
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Why? Publishers Answer Booksellers' Questions
Booksellers and publishers may be in the same business, but they don't always understand life on the other side of the fence. Here publishers address frequent bookseller queries about everything from book club paperbacks to a perceived dearth of middle-grade fare and age-appropriateness.
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Fall 2010 Children's Announcements
Several big series are coming to an end this fall (Ellen Hopkins, Catherine Jinks, Terry Pratchett, and Mo Willems), but the season is also bursting with new books from Blue Balliett, Peter Brown, Doreen Cronin, Tony DiTerlizzi, Jennifer Donnelly, Richard Peck, David Wiesner, and many more...
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Brown Named President of Klutz
Scholastic has hired Matt Brown, co-founder and "play czar" at strategic innovation company big BOING LLC, to head up its Klutz division. Brown joins Scholastic as president of Klutz and a senior v-p at Scholastic Inc., a new role occasioned by the recent retirement of Klutz co-founder John Cassidy, and the departure earlier this summer of Debra Lande, who joined Klutz as publisher last year.
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In Brief: July 15
Jon Scieszka promotes his new series, Spaceheadz; Carolyn Meyer "dons" a gown for her Young Royals signing, and the worm from Diary of a Worm participates in a July 4th parade in California.
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People: July 15
Reka Simonsen will join Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group as executive editor, Casey McIntyre has been promoted to publicist at Penguin Young Readers Group, and Connie Hsu and Kate Sullivan have been promoted to associate editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
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Lotz Named Managing Director of Walker Group
Karen Lotz, president and publisher of Candlewick Press, has been named joint group managing director for parent company Walker Group and will become sole managing director in July 2011.
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Medallion to Publish YA Titles by YA Writers
Medallion Press is venturing into unfamiliar territory, in announcing the launch of its new Ya-Ya line of fiction and nonfiction for young adult readers ages 13-18. Not only is the Ya-Ya line intended for teen readers, but the titles in the imprint will actually be written by teen authors.
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Licensing Hotline: July 2010
News from the recent Licensing International show in Las Vegas, including new Star Wars books, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet deals, Dr. Seuss news, and more tidbits.
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New Film on Children's Book Authors and Illustrators
Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar stories, or more specifically Adam Gopnik’s interpretation of them as part of the common language of childhood in the New Yorker in September 2008, serve as both title and inspiration for an upcoming film on children’s literature, Library of the Early Mind, directed and produced by Edward J. Delaney and co-produced by Steven Withrow.
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New Children's Bookstore in Maine
Michael Curtis, owner of Union River Book and Toy Co. in Ellsworth, Maine, is the latest property owner to turn to bookselling to fill an empty storefront. However, unlike others in real estate, Curtis already had years of experience selling books: his parents owned Sherman’s Books in Bar Harbor, which turns 125 next summer.
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Jacobs Named Editorial Director at HC Children's Books
HarperCollins's Children's Books has announced several promotions, including that of Farrin Jacobs to the position of editorial director. As the head of the teen series team in the division's fiction group, Jacobs oversaw the publication of the L.A. Candy, Vampire Diaries, and The Luxe series, among others; she also acquired and edited the Pretty Little Liars series and acquired the 2009 Printz winner Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.
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Wohl Departing Macmillan
Effective June 30, Lauren L. Wohl will step down from her position as associate publisher for Roaring Brook Press, Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers, and First Second Books. However, Wohl won’t be leaving the publisher entirely: she will immediately begin consulting for Macmillan Children’s Book Group's institutional marketing division as well as for ReadKiddoRead, an organization founded by author James Patterson to help adults find good books for children and teens, and for other projects as they arise.
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Value Channel Not for the Faint of Heart
The last year has brought good news and bad news for children's book publishers targeting the value end of the business. On the one hand, sales in the value channel—composed of dollar stores, regional discounters, and other off-price chains—are growing as price-conscious consumers look for bargains.
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Are Children's Publishers Destroying Rainforests?
Do children's publishers deserve to wear green hats—or black ones? In a recent report, the Rainforest Action Network said most of the top 10 children's publishers have released at least one picture book containing paper fiber linked to the destruction of Indonesian rainforests. For their part, children's book publishers say they are making great strides to be green.
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Listen Up for Candlewick on Brilliance Audio
Candlewick on Brilliance Audio is the name of the new imprint announced today by Candlewick Press and Brilliance Audio. The companies have joined forces in an innovative agreement that enables Brilliance Audio to publish and distribute audiobook editions of select Candlewick Press titles.
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