Lots of Love for ‘Hate’

Author and TV writer Caprice Crane (r.) celebrated the release of her first YA novel, Confessions of a Hater (Feiwel and Friends), at Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles. The book is about an unpopular teen who decides to remake her image using her cooler older sister’s journal for guidance. Several celebrities were in attendance, among them Crane’s mother, Tina Louise (aka Ginger from Gilligan’s Island). Here, Glee actress Ashley Fink (l.) shows Crane how excited she is about the new book.

‘Two Boys’ and an Author

Books of Wonder in New York City hosted a launch event for David Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing (Knopf). Joining Levithan (l.) were Matty Daley (center) and Bobby Canciello (r.), who inspired the premise of the novel with their 2010 Guinness World Record for the longest continuous kiss (32 hours, 30 minutes, 47 seconds), which was intended to protest LGBT inequality. Close to 75 additional guests attended the event, including Levithan’s parents and Bobby Levithan, his uncle, who discussed the struggle for LGBT acceptance during his generation. David Levithan spoke about his motivations for writing the book, read passages, and answered questions from the audience before signing copies. Guests received cards featuring quotes from the novel, along with “All-Natural Levithan Lip Balm” branded with the book’s title.

A Scorching Combination

Coauthors and best friends Siobhan Vivian (l.) and Jenny Han (r.) celebrated the release of the second book in their Burn For Burn trilogy, Fire with Fire (S&S) at McNally Jackson in NYC. The authors spoke to the audience of friends, family members, and teenage fans about writing and touring together. To emphasize the pair’s partnership, the bookstore created a challenge for the authors, with Newlywed Game-style questions to test how well the two really know each other. Questions included “Who would play Siobhan in a movie?” and “What was Jenny’s favorite children’s book growing up?” Here, Vivian correctly answers a question about Han.

Marilyn, Mona, and More

The Red Balloon in St. Paul, Minn., feted David LaRochelle and his newest picture book, Arlo’s ARTrageous Adventure (Sterling), a lift-the-flap book about a boy who visits a museum where the artwork comes to life. In keeping with the book’s artistic theme, the party invited guests to pose inside cutouts of famous paintings. Shown here, Red Balloon owner Holly Weinkauf steps into Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych and LaRochelle does his best impression of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

What a Sight!

Sometimes the seeds of inspiration are right before your eyes. In the case of author-illustrator Eric Barclay, it was his daughter Paige’s experience with needing glasses at four years old that provided the initial spark for his book I Can See Just Fine (Abrams/Appleseed). The book is about a girl, also named Paige, who adamantly denies that she needs glasses. The real Paige – now age nine and proudly sporting her specs – posed with the book she inspired while visiting a Barnes & Noble in Arlington, Tex.

Flying High

Teddy Steinkellner celebrated the launch of his debut novel, Trash Can Days: A Middle School Saga (Hyperion), at an event held at Once Upon a Bookstore in Montrose, Calif. Steinkellner grew up with screenwriter parents Bill and Cheri Steinkellner, whose credits include Cheers and Family Ties. Following in their footsteps, Teddy wrote Trash Can Days through a creative arts grant when he was a college sophomore. Here, Steinkellner kicks up his heels for his upcoming author appearances, which will include stops throughout the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas, as well as a return to his alma mater for a reading at the Stanford University Bookstore.