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It's almost hard to imagine winter at the moment, in high summer, but so it goes with publishing—it's amazing that any of us remember what season is being published at the moment, so much do we work in the months and years ahead! But close your eyes and imagine the fall chill creeping in, imagine the first snowfall of the year, imagine a group of teens working on the glittery Winter Festival in their small town, while navigating blossoming romance, changing friendships, and the class's mean girls. This is Heather Hepler's newest novel, FROSTED KISSES, which Scholastic will publish in 2016. It's set in the fictional town of Hog's Hollow and features the characters from one of her previous novels, THE CUPCAKE QUEEN. Although all of Heather's novels to this point have been published at Dutton or Dial, Scholastic has done so well with THE CUPCAKE QUEEN in the Clubs and Fairs that they approached her about doing a book together, and that book turned out to be a sequel to THE CUPCAKE QUEEN. I really love the young-love longing in this book; the main character and the boy she likes keep almost-but-not-quite kissing--interrupted over and over again by pets, friends, parents, mishaps, and their own self-doubt. :::happy sigh::: Jody Corbett at Scholastic brokered the deal for world rights. Congratulations, Heather! It's so happy to have a new Heather Hepler on its way to readers! --Erin |
One of my favorite things about working with authors is getting to know their voice and writing style, and learning the types of stories they enjoy telling. For some authors, this follows a recognizable pattern—for others, every new manuscript is a joyful discovery. It might not be a surprise to learn that Curtis Manley, picture book author extraordinaire, falls into the latter camp. He is the author of the forthcoming picture books SHAWN LOVED SHARKS (Roaring Brook), and THE SUMMER NICK TAUGHT HIS CATS TO READ (Paula Wiseman Books). Today, however, I'm here to tell you about a picture book that is entirely new and different. THE CRANE GIRL is the gentle, gorgeously written retelling of an ancient Japanese folk tale about a boy who finds a wounded bird in his yard. The choices he makes that night will shape his life and the lives of those around him. The story is told in a mix of prose and haiku, and is a wonder. It's a stunning tale that will make a stunning picture book—and I'm thrilled to announce that it has been acquired by the smart and savvy Jessica Echeverria, at Lee and Low! Hooray for Curtis—and keep a lookout for this incredible book, everybody! ~ Joan |
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Congratulations to Carol Brendler and NOT VERY SCARY for its first starred review! Publisher's Weekly calls it "a delightful Halloween romp that's part counting book, part tongue twister." They love how the book is "comically ghoulish" and more "cute than bloodcurdling." We feel the same. Thanks, PW! |
Sometimes things in this business are really hard. They're full of obstacles and complications, difficult decisions and frustrating turns. Sometimes, they're so simple and easy that every step is a pleasure. The latter was the case with Calista Brill and TUGBOAT BILL (which happens to rhyme). Calista, who is a senior editor at First Second, the graphic novel imprint at Macmillan, reached out to me in the spring, seeking an agent. It just so happened that she did so during a week when I was visiting New York for meetings. It just so happened that I would be in the Flatiron, where her office is, the next day, and it just so happened that I had an unexpected opening in my schedule, and she was free during that time. So we got together, and we hit it off, and before I headed home to Arizona, we'd shaken hands via email and decided to be a team. Calista had an adorable picture book about a tugboat named Bill and his best friend Mabel (a barge), who ply the waters of the Hudson, and what happens when a kitten falls into those freezing waters. She had shared it with a former colleague, Nancy Inteli, at Harper; they had worked together previously at Disney. It just so happened that I had lunch scheduled with Nancy that very week that I was in New York, on my last day, and Nancy expressed her enthusiasm for the picture book. Needless to say, the deal wrapped up quickly after that. But we waited to share the news until there was an illustrator on board, too, and so I am very pleased to share the word that the superfantabulous Tad Carpenter, whose most recent books are ZOOM! ZOOM! and NINJA, NINJA, NEVER STOP!, is officially official as the illustrator of TUGBOAT BILL, which is scheduled to release in summer 2016--the same time as the first of six books in Calista's recently announced LITTLE WING series, also at Harper, releases. She's about to get a whole lot busier! Congratulations, Calista! —Erin |
Few communities are as passionate and generous as those in the children's book industry. That's why today we're celebrating the accomplishments of our wonderful clients and the organizations that work hard to get books out there connecting with readers! Here are a few new recognitions received by EMLA clients this year:
THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS For Kelly Bennett: VAMPIRE BABY For Phil Bildner: THE SOCCER FENCE For Penny Blubaugh: SERENDIPITY MARKET For J. Anderson Coats: THE WICKED AND THE JUST For Melanie Crowder: PARCHED For Lynda Mullaly Hunt: For Robin LaFevers: DARK TRIUMPH For Tara Lazar: For Natalie Lorenzi FLYING THE DRAGON 2015 Massachusetts Children's Book Award Master List
For Susan Meyer: BLACK RADISHES For Pat Zietlow Miller: Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor Book 2014 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year 2014-2015 William Allen White Award Master List
THE RUNAWAY KING For A. J. Paquette: PARADOX For Mary Lyn Ray: DEER DANCER 2014 Summer Kids' Indie Next List STARS For Jean Reidy: TIME OUT FOR MONSTERS For Laura Resau and Maria Virginia Farinango: For Joanne Rocklin: ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET 2015 Massachusetts Children's Book Award Master List For Liz Garton Scanlon: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUNNY For Deborah Underwood: New York Times Bestseller List for May 2014 For Audrey Vernick: |
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Anna Staniszewski has had a busy month and it's not slowing down any time soon! Check out the cover of the third installment of her Dirt Diary series, THE GOSSIP FILE. It fits perfectly with the first two books. Look for it January 6th, 2015. Congratulations, Anna! |
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Pull out the pastries and raise them in honor of Tara Dairman's ALL FOUR STARS! Happy book birthday, Tara! Make sure you stop by her ten-day-long blog tour celebrating the debut if you can. It's super sweet! As always, may this book find its way to readers everywhere! |
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Today is a wonderful day for cover reveals! Lynda Mullaly Hunt's next book, FISH IN A TREE, is stunning! In fact, check out all the good things Nerdy Girl Book Club had to say about the cover here. Look for this one in February 2015 from Nancy Paulsen Books. Congratulations, Lynda! We love the colors! |
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Here's the new cover for Trent Reedy's upcoming second book in the DIVIDED WE FALL series, BURNING NATION. Look for it January 2015. If you haven't read the first book, go check it out! You won't regret it. Congratulations, Trent, the cover looks amazing! |
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GO TO SLEEP, LITTLE FARM by Mary Lyn Ray gets its first starred review! Publisher's Weekly praises the "repeated, pleasingly surreal lines of verse" which "convey the sense of drifting into slumber." They compare it to Margaret Wise Brown's GOODNIGHT, MOON for its lullaby quality and say "it's a keeper." We agree! Congratulations, Mary Lyn! |
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A happy release day to Anna Staniszewski's THE PRANK LIST! This book is the hilarious sequel to THE DIRT DIARY and is available today in paperback or digital copy. For added fun, check out the link to Anna's guest post on Cynthia Kennedy Henzel's blog about Anna's inspiration behind THE PRANK LIST. As always, we wish good things for this book and especially for it to find its way into the hands of readers everywhere! Congratulations, Anna! |