In Brief: February 14

Last Thursday, author Laurie Boyle Crompton celebrated the release of her first book, Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains) (Sourcebooks Fire, Feb.), at the Barnes & Noble in Carle Place, N.Y. The book stars a comics-loving girl who gets in over her head when her dream crush finally notices her. In keeping with the book’s comic-book themes, fans came dressed for the occasion in capes and other superhero attire. Here, Crompton (center) is joined by two heroes-in-training. PW’s review said, “The novel forces readers to reconsider the way they treat their peers, especially girls, over their sexual behavior, real or imagined.”

Debut author Erica Lorraine Scheidt recently had two bookstore events for her YA novel, Uses for Boys (St. Martin’s Griffin, Jan.), both in cities dear to her heart. The first took place in the author’s current home in the Bay Area, where she launched the novel at Green Apple Books in San Francisco (seen here). Subsequently, Scheidt traveled to her childhood home of Portland, Ore., where she signed copies of the book for a packed house at Powell’s at Cedar Hills Crossings. Uses for Boys received a starred review from PW, which said, “Scheidt’s novel packs a punch; this fast-moving book can be devoured in one sitting, but reveals even more upon rereading.”

In Brittany Geragotelis’s debut YA novel, What the Spell (S&S, Jan.), 16-year-old Brooklyn uses her newfound magical powers to give herself a gorgeous new body and look, so it makes sense that the launch party for the book would feature makeovers as well. The party took place at Books of Wonder in New York City on Friday, February 1. Prizes and refreshments were also on hand, and the author (seen here getting her own “magical makeover”) signed copies of the books purchased at the event.

Nonprofit group Bridge to Books recently partnered with seven authors and Once Upon a Time Bookstore in Montrose, Calif., for a middle-grade mystery event dubbed “Get a Clue!” More than 100 children gathered at a local school to meet Kevin Emerson (The Fellowship for Alien Detection), Kristen Kittscher (The Wig in the Window), Leslie Margolis (Vanishing Acts), Gordon McAlpine (The Tell-Tale Start), Kathleen O’Dell (The Aviary), Shawn Thomas Odyssey (The Wizard of Dark Street), and Ellis Weiner (The Templeton Twins Have an Idea). The writers gave kids clues to help them solve a mystery, while also talking about their books. Here, Odyssey discusses characters from his Oona Crate series.

The Children’s Literature Network, a national coalition of children’s book enthusiasts headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., held its annual Books for Breakfast event for kindergarten through sixth-grade librarians and educators, as well as other book lovers, this past Saturday. The sold-out event featured 23 children’s book authors and illustrators, who signed copies of their books for those in attendance. While breakfast was provided for participants, even Frog and Toad got a bite to eat, as seen in this photo taken by Katherine Warde of Addendum Books in St. Paul.