Christina Makes the Bookish Rounds is a feature that will let you know about recent MG/YA/NA book related news. I'll post about articles from the publishing industry, cover reveals, discussions from fellow bloggers, the latest tv/movie news, and giveaways that you're hosting. If you would like to follow along with cover reveals during the week, see my Pinterest. (If you're interested in how I make these posts, here's your guide.)
Publishing:
Rights Report 0, 1, 2
- The Black Hole of Broken Things - Scott Reintgen (debut sci fi YA trilogy; In the novel, a Detroit teen accepts an interstellar space contract only to realize the promised millions must be won in a brutal competition where winners face the ultimate choice – take the money and become pawns in the corporation's sinister plans or find a way to fight that won't compromise their humanity. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Crown).
- The Romantics - Leah Rowan (a YA romantic comedy told from the perspective of Love as a character, about a teenage boy who is hapless in love until Love steps in to help him, only to find that her meddling yields unexpected results. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Abrams/Amulet).
- Borderlines - Mitali Perkins (YA; The book links 15 stories about a Bengali family in Queens. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
- The Valiant - Lesley Livingston (The book tells the story of 17-year-old Fallon's journey from fierce Celtic princess to female gladiator and the darling of the Roman Empire. Publication is set for spring 2017; Razorbill).
- The Memory of Things - Gae Polisner (a YA novel about two teenagers finding friendship, comfort, and first love as their fractured city tries to put itself back together in the days following 9/11. It is slated for publication in fall 2016; St. Martin's).
- The Loser's Club - Andrew Clements (The Loser's Club tells of a resourceful boy figuring out how to survive sixth grade and bullying by using what he's learned from books to become the hero of his own story. Publication of the first book is planned for fall 2017; Random House).
- The Castle in the Mist - Amy Ephron (The middle-grade novel follows siblings Tessa and Max, who discover a magical key that gives them access to the ancient castle, and gives the indecisive Tessa a chance to have a single wish granted. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Philomel).
- A Small Zombie Problem - K.G. Campbell (Debut MG series which he will also illustrate. The story follows the adventures of a boy who accidentally unearths a family curse – and raises a lot of zombies in the process. Publication will begin in summer 2017; Knopf).
- We Are (So Not) the Trevors - Jake Burt (MG debut; The book is about a 13-year-old pickpocket in the foster-care system who longs for her own family. When a clan called the Trevors offers to take her in, it seems like she's gotten exactly what she wanted – until she learns that the family is being pursued by a killer and is about to enter the witness-protection program. The book is set for spring 2017; Feiwel and Friends).
- The Art of the Swap - Jen Malone (l.) and Kristine Carlson Asselin (When two teen girls living in the same Newport, R.I., mansion, but in different centuries, accidentally switch places, they must solve a 100-year-old art heist in order to return to their proper time periods. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; S&S/Aladdin).
- Untitled - Jan Greenberg (l.) and Sandra Jordan (Middle-grade biography of Cindy Sherman, widely celebrated as one of the world's most significant contemporary artists. It will be illustrated with the artist's work. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Roaring Brook's Neal Porter Books).
- Bad Guy - Hannah Barnaby, illustrated by Mike Yamada (about a boy who relishes playing the villain and his kid sister, who must endure his antics. Publication is planned for summer 2017; Simon & Schuster).
- Sci-Fi Junior High - John Martin (l.) and Scott Seegert (In the illustrated novel, Kelvin Klosmo, a 12-year-old boy whose parents' jobs take the family to an intergalactic space station on the far side of the galaxy, must learn to deal with alien teachers and classmates of all types – and an evil plushy bunny who wants to rule the universe. The book is scheduled for February 2017; the new Jimmy Patterson imprint).
- The Dragon in the Leaves - Emily Arsenault (debut YA novel about a teenage girl who reads tea leaves for fun until a classmate asks her to do a reading about his missing friend, drawing her into a world of dark secrets and possibly murder. Publication is slated for June 2017; Soho Teen).
- Fever Dreams - Maurene Goo (a YA novel about a girl who decides to take control of her lackluster love life by following the “love rules” found in Korean dramas – staging her own perfect romance. Publication is planned for 2017; Farrar, Straus, & Giroux).
- Teddycats - Mike Storey (a middle-grade debut that was inspired by the 2013 discovery of an elusive mammal species that lives high up in the cloud forests of South America. This jungle adventure novel follows Bill Betancourt, a wily young Teddycat who becomes an unlikely hero after accidentally exposing his previously hidden species to the most dangerous predator of all: humans. The first title is set to publish in July 2016; Razorbill).
- The Duke of Bannerman Prep - Katie Nelson (debut; a YA retelling of The Great Gatsby in which a teen is recruited to an elite prep school to bring their debate team a victory at Nationals, and is drawn into a glittering world of parties and after-curfew bonfires, only to discover that the thrill-seeking playboy who has taken him under his wing is more conman than caviar. Publication is tentatively scheduled for spring 2017; Sky Pony Press).
- Kiss/Kill - Amy Rose Capetta (the story of Zara, a teen who wins her dream role in a Broadway show and the love of the young female lighting designer – only to find herself surrounded by mysterious deaths that are hastily blamed on the theater's curse even though everyone on stage has a motive or two. Publication is set for fall 2017; Candlewick).
- Ultimatum - K.M. Walton (two teen brothers, whose father's health is deteriorating rapidly, must come face to face with their demons – and each other – and set aside their differences if they are going to survive an uncertain future. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Sourcebooks Fire).
- The Wood - Chelsea Bobulski (YA debut; Winter is the guardian of the woods behind her house, rescuing travelers from madness and death. When a mysterious boy shows up, knowing more than he should, it's up to the two of them to learn the truth about her father's disappearance and to stop a killer from striking again. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Feiwel and Friends)
- A Flag for Harvey - Rob Sanders (the story of Harvey Milk and the creation of the gay pride flag. Steven Salernowill illustrate; publication is scheduled for spring 2018. Random House).
- Karma Khullar's Mustache - Kristi Wientge (contemp MG debut; It tells the story of a biracial Indian-American girl who must navigate big changes in her friendships and family life as she starts sixth grade, all while trying to rid herself of an unexpected problem: 17 hairs that have sprouted on her upper lip. Publication is planned for summer 2017; Simon and Schuster).
- Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe - Jo Hackl (debut which combines a quirky southern ghost town, survival in the woods, and an art history mystery. Publication is set for fall 2017; Random House).
- The Gravedigger's Son - Patrick Moody (MG debut in which an 11-year-old boy must reluctantly embrace his ability to speak to the dead after awakening the inhabitants of the graveyard his ancestors have spent centuries tending. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Sky Pony Press).
- Untitled YA - Adi Alsaid (the story of Carlos, a wealthy Mexican teen who is struggling to come to terms with his older brother's death – and unbeknownst to his family, is hearing and seeing messages from that brother. Convinced by his brother's spirit to risk everything to pursue his dreams, Carlos runs away from his sheltered life in Mexico City and apprentices himself to a famous American chef, finding love and a sense of purpose along the way. Publication is slated for 2017; Harlequin Teen).
- Of Blood and Shadow - Kerri Maniscalco (The debut gothic thriller, inspired by the Ripper murders, is about a Victorian-era lord's daughter who defies society expectations by secretly apprenticing as a forensics examiner, and soon finds herself embroiled in the investigation of a serial killer who is stalking London's East End. The book is scheduled for fall 2016; Jimmy Patterson Books).
- Keep Me in Mind - Jaime Reed (Contemp YA about a girl who doesn't remember and the boy who can't forget her. Publication is planned for April 2016; Scholastic).
- Bad Romance - Heather Demetrios (about a 16-year-old girl who tries to reclaim her life from bad relationships with three men: her father, an alcoholic ex-Marine; her stepfather, who would rather she didn't exist; and her dangerously abusive boyfriend. A publication date has not yet been set; Henry Holt).
- Queen of the Sea - Dylan Meconis (debut; a hybrid graphic novel/historical fantasy inspired by the early life of Queen Elizabeth I, about a girl raised in a convent on a small island, whose happy life is shattered when she discovers the convent is actually a political prison... and she herself one of its most dangerous prisoners. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Abrams).
- Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo - Ben Costa and James Parks (graphic novel series about a walking, talking, singing skeleton bard who embarks on an epic quest with his gelatin sidekick to discover his origins in a world of ogres, gnomes, haunted woods, and a kick-butt knight who is not all she seems. Publication will start in summer 2017; Knopf).
- For the Love of Double Dutch - Doreen Spicer-Dannelly (debut MG tells the story of a girl who must salvage her double-dutch dreams after her parents' rocky relationship takes her away from Brooklyn – and her beloved team – to spend the summer with her cousin in North Carolina. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Random House).
- Lifeboat 12 - Susan Hood (MG debut; The story, based on true events, follows six boys who survived a major naval disaster in September 1940. Publication is planned for fall 2017; Simon & Schuster).
- The Sun Race - Wesley King (a middle-grade novel told in three voices about a school field trip to the Carlsbad Caverns that goes horribly wrong. Publication is set for fall 2017; S&S /Paula Wiseman).
- The Mortification of Fovea Munson - Mary Winn Heider (debut MG; a 13-year-old girl is forced to spend her summer vacation working at her parents' cadaver lab, where friendships form under the most unlikely circumstances. Publication is scheduled for summer 2018; Disney-Hyperion).
- The Glittering Court - Richelle Mead (a romantic fantasy series set in a mix of Elizabethan and frontier worlds, which follows three girls as they embark on a journey in search of empowerment and love. Publication is planned for April 2016; Razorbill).
- Hour of the Bees - Lindsay Eagar (debut; part of a previous two-book contract, is slated to publish in March 2016. Candlewick has bought these two additional titles to make Eagar a staple of Candlewick lists through 2019. The books for this latest deal are untitled and will publish in 2018 and 2019; Candlewick).
- Untitled - Peadar Ó Guilín (The as-yet-untitled books tell the story of a girl, ravaged by a childhood disease, who fights to defend herself against an evil that targets the children of Ireland. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Scholastic).
- Spurt - Chris Miles (debut about Jack Sprigley, an eighth grader and former reality TV star who decides to fake puberty to avoid embarrassment. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Simon & Schuster).
- Words in Deep Blue - Cath Crowley (about two teens who find their way back to each other while working in an old bookstore full of secrets and crushes, love letters and memories, grief and hope. Publication is set for spring 2017; Knopf).
- Thornhill - Pam Smy (a dark yet ultimately uplifting novel that explores themes of bullying, identity, and friendship. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Roaring Brook).
- Far from Over - April Lindner (a digital original novella and spinoff of her novel Love, Lucy, about restless traveler Jesse Palladino as he leaves behind his summer romance in Rome and must decide where his heart lies. Publication is slated for May 2016; Poppy/NOVL).
- Blobby Blobson - Evan Kuhlman, illustrated by Merrill Rainey (first in an illustrated middle grade series. It features the adventures of a blob boy from the sewer who tries to fit in at a suburban middle school. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Razorbill).
- In Darkling Wood - Emma Carroll (In the story, a girl named Alice is shipped off to her estranged grandmother's house when her brother receives the chance for a heart transplant, and finds herself entangled in a battle to save the magical woods next to her grandmother's home. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Delacorte).
- Nana in the Country - Lauren Castillo (This was part of a previously unreported deal that encompassed Caldecott Honor book Nana in the City. Nana in the Countryfinds Nana visiting her grandson, who sets out to share with her all the lovely things the country has to offer. Publication has not yet been set; Clarion)
From Publisher’s Lunch:
- Ross Welford's TIME TRAVELLING WITH A HAMSTER, when young a boy is given a letter from his dead dad, it leads him to something extraordinary: a time machine; but his dad has a mission for him too: go back in time and prevent the accident that eventually killed him, to Schwartz & Wade.
From last week:
- Feathers Like Rain - Sharlee Glenn (MG novel; The book is a coming-of-age tale set on the Uintah-Ouray Indian Reservation. Publication is set for 2017; Charlesbridge).
- The rest weren’t on Goodreads, so I’m leaving them now.
Awards: Publisher’s Weekly announced its list of the best books from 2015. The winners for the Woodcraft Circle Awardswere announced. We Need Diverse Books announced the recipients of the Walter Grant. The YALSA Top Ten was announced. The Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees were announced. Jacqueline Wilson is being presented with the JM Barrie Lifetime achievement award. The NYT released its list of the best illustrated children’s books of 2015. The Guardian children’s fiction prize shortlist was announced.
Authors/Interviews: Persuasion - Martina Boone, Upside-Down Magic - Lauren Myracle, Emily Jenkins, Sarah Mlynowski,Save Me Kurt Cobain - Jenny Manzer, Liars and Losers Like Us - Ami Allen-Vath, Anne & Henry - Dawn Ius, Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here - Anna Breslaw, Life Before - Michelle Bacon, Underneath Everything - Marcy Beller Paul, Consider - Kristy Acevedo, Ruby Reinvented - Ronni Arno, Unforgiven - Lauren Kate, Traffick - Ellen Hopkins, Need - Joelle Charbonneau, A Madness So Discreet - Mindy McGinnis, Jeff Kinney, Anna Bond
Book Trailers: How to Be Brave - E. Katherine Kottaras, Bleeding Earth - Kate Hart, Manners & Mutiny - Gail Carriger, The Awakening of Sunshine Girl - Paige McKenzie
Excerpts: The Forbidden Wish - Jessica Khoury, Outrun the Moon - Stacey Lee, Their Fractured Light - Megan Spooner & Amie Kaufman, The Square Root of Summer - Harriet Reuter Hapgood, Don’t Get Caught - Kurt Dinan, Truthwitch - Susan Dennard, My Kind of Crazy - Robin Reul
Eric Smith’s INKED is getting a sequel, RISE OF THE UNPRINTED. (“...introduces a class of characters that get brought up in book one, but aren’t really explored. The Unprinted, the citizens without the magic, moving tattoos that define one’s place in society, who have opted to live off-the-grid and away from the mandatory practice of magical Ink…”)
Alexandra Bracken has sold four more books to Disney. “She’ll start a new middle-grade series, pen a stand-alone YA novel and write a fourth to-be-determined book. The new series is called The Last 13 Nights of Prosperity Redding. The story follows a 13-year-old New England boy who must rid himself of the demon sharing his body and break the family curse.”
Michelle Hodkin has sold the spin-off series of Mara Dyer called The Noah Shaw Confessions. (“The series will be told from the point of view of character Noah Shaw, and will explain “what happens after the happily ever after,” according to the publisher. Noah’s father is murdered in the first book of The Shaw Confessions, and while Noah inherits both knowledge and wealth beyond his wildest dreams, he also has a chance to find others like himself. As Noah and Mara begin their search for others, it becomes clear that they have vastly different goals — and Noah must choose between the girl he loves and world peace.”)
Super cool stop-motion animation on Hogwarts, all built from the pages of a Harry Potter book.
If you’re interested in reading The Girl on the Train, the publisher recently hosted a tumblr Q&A with the author.
Benjamin from the booktube channel Benjamin Of Tomes has created a book publishing imprint, oftomes.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a sequel. No more epilogue - things may not be as happy and idealistic as they were left.More details here. Are you one of the people who wishes JKR would leave Harry Potter alone, or will you be seeing the play (if you can)?
President Obama on reading: “fiction helps us to find truth in a complex world.” And kids talk about the impact of reading.
Diversity in publishing is not where it should be. A storify with the perspective of several authors from September but still highly relevant. Related-ish article: what should editors be doing?
Scholastic and We Need Diverse Books are teaming up to create a poster with over seventy-five diverse recommendations for younger readers. I’d love to see more publishers do something similar.
Lee & Low and Simmons College have created a diversity scholarship to help solve the “pipeline” problem of getting more people of color into the publishing industry.
Several authors discuss romance in YA Lit, with diverse themes. And for intersex awareness day, Gregorio some great tweets into a Storify.
Latino authors weighed in on reaching readers for a NYPL panel. (I liked getting to read about what they related to & also how that ended up influencing their own writing-- like Silvera’s comment on women being the heroes of his life & novels).
I really liked what I’d read of the Reading While White posts I’ve seen so: on creating safe spaces & what they mean (safety vs. comfort); on “be kind” and other BS; and a guest post from Brendan Kiely on his presentations with co-author Jason Reynolds (“But I’d never thought that the book might do danger to the very people I claimed to be working with in the Black Lives Matters movement. I had to take a breath. I’m so glad I did, because if I’d just answered straight from the gut, I’d have said something dumb, no matter how factually correct, and I would have done exactly what he was warning me about.”)
Has “Diversity” Lost Its Meaning?
At SCIBA, diverse books were the focal point. (The education sessions included a financial session on the economics of publishing, a panel on how to sell high-end gift books, a panel on diversity in YA books, and a session on Independent Bookstore Day.)
James Dawson has come out as transgender.
Here’s a summary of the EW fest for YA books & five things the writer learned from the panel.
I wish I was going to YALLFEST. 60 YA authors. All so soon.
J.K. Rowling is writing a new children’s book! No plans yet but AAAAHHH
The Hunger Games theme park keeps expanding.
A panel to discuss the latest trends in YA from the editors -- what do you think? (But the new trend is a style of books that Julie Strauss-Gabel is championing now, and always has been, is contemporary realistic fiction. “There are also a lot of readers interested in a new genre that could be called ‘heightened contemporary,’” she said... “Also, sci-fi is gaining ground again.”)
Another panel - Think That I saw It - this time discussing a variety of topics, from middle-grade, YA, and picture book authors and illustrators.
Another panel discussing the hell that is Middle School (When kids are reading past middle grade, which is typically considered for ages 8-12, and aren’t quiet emotionally ready for the heavier themes of YA suggested for 14-18 year olds, where do readers, booksellers, and librarians turn?).
Youtube authors are all over the NYT Bestsellers list.
Twilight Reimagined is still selling really well (24k copies/week).
Amazon opened its first brick and mortars bookstore.
Teen Book Festivals are a win-win for all. Check out the photos from the Texas Book Festival.
A brief summary of author and industry events this last week and the one before.
I am so interested in this book - it maps famous literary locations (and the maps look so gorgeous!).
Cover Reveals:
(slight redesign from last bookish rounds)
*note: this says cover not final
You can vote for the cover for Night Flower by Kate Elliott.
Discussion & Other Blogger Posts:
One of the best costumes… sexy Gandalf. Oh la la.
As is usual when I’ve not done one of these posts for a long time, there are a ton of recommendation posts. You can read books with haunted houses, adventure books, YA books with multiple narrators, books for Gilmore Girls fans, diverse horror reads,amazing YA books by Latino authors, book recommendations from YA Highway, YA books to keep you warm in the chilly weather, for fans of the Scream Queens, books that prove you should be afraid of the dark, 9 fantasies to make your fall more magical, 7 books that will help you win your book club. And if you’re looking for NaNoWriMo inspiration, these books might help. These books started as NaNo projects. Of course, you can always reread Harry Potter for inspiration.
On one end: the 15 most anticipated November YA books. On the other: November’s top picks for young readers.
You can also use an emoticon chart to determine which horror book is up your alley.
Do you recognize these YA novels from the 2000s?
How many of these YA books have you read across the states?
17 Beautiful Rooms for the Book-loving Soul. CAN I LIVE THERE???
Have you read any of these popular November books?
6 Ghostly YA book quotes & 18 stories you should not read in the dark.
Can you read a book to death?
How often do you read over people’s shoulders?
27 excuses to use when you want to stay home & read. I use #1 a lot.
YA authors who also rock middle grade. This list will only be increasing as the years pass...
An open letter to those who give kids banned books: rarely, too rarely, do we talk about the good things that come when you share dangerous books with teens.
Movies & TV Shows:
Dolphin Films has optioned The Jenna Fox Chronicles by Mary Pearson.
I missed this and technically it’s not YA, but I’m sure there are a lot of crossover fans -- did you see the Magicians trailer from NYCC?
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda was acquired by Fox 2000.
Check out your first look from Fantastic Beasts… and did you know the equivalent of Muggle in the States is No Maj?
The BBC will be adapting His Dark Materials into a TV show.
Selena Gomez and Jay Asher are working on a 13 Reasons Why show to be picked up by Netflix.
They released the second tv spot for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II.
Halston Sage, Logan Miller, and Kian Lawley have been cast for the Before I Fall adaptation.
Dreamworks has optioned John Connolly’s MG trilogy (including the Gates) for a possible movie franchise.
Jerry Bruckheimer & Paramount optioned the rights to YA novel, The Cruelty by S. Bergstrom (self-published).
Johnny Depp is in talks to join the Neil Gaiman adaptation, Fortunately, The Milk.
Giveaways:
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken, US, ends 11/14/15.
Adventures in Children's Publishing giveaways: New Releases 11/2/15! Win TWO great new YA novels that release this week, plus read interviews and a round-up of all this week's new YA novels. Giveaway ends 11/8/15; Win one of SEVEN packs of FIVE popular or recent YA titles, plus swag to help reward readers, for underfunded classrooms, schools, or libraries. Know a school or library who needs books? Nominate them! This month's donations from Martina Boone, Maggie Stiefvater,Danielle Paige, Laurie Halse Anderson and Maria Dahvana Headley. Ends 11/1/15; Win signed, personalised copies of COMPULSION and PERSUASION, plus signed copies of Laini Taylor's DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE.
Giveaways listed at Saturday Situation by Lori of Pure Imagination and Candace of Candace's Book Blog.
Don't forget to enter YABC's giveaways for the month.
Sci-fi and Fantasy Friday {SF/F Reviews and Giveaways}.
You have until January 1st to complete your Storyboard Sprites board and win a book up to $15.
If you have a giveaway, you should let me know.
Other:
New Releases:
October 25th - 31st: These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly, The House by Christina Lauren, What We Left Behind by Robin Talley, Persuasion (Heirs of Watson Island #2) by Martina Boone, The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch by Daniel Kraus, Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul, Gabriel (Styclar Saga #2) by Nikki Kelly, Diamonds are Forever (Secret Diamond Sisters #2) by Michelle Madow, The Winter Place by Alexander Yates, Placebo Junkies by J. C. Carleson, Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep, Unspoken (Shadow Falls After Dark #3) by C.C. Hunter, Fathomless (Redemption's Heir #2) by Anne Pillsworth, Frosted Kisses (Cupcake Queen #2) by Heather Hepler
November 1st - 7th: Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young, Traffic (Tricks #2) by Ellen Hopkins, Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by Claudia Gray, NEED by Joelle Charbonneau, The Conjurer's Riffle (Inventor's Secret #2) by Andrea Cremer,Manners and Mutiny (Finishing School #4) by Gail Carriger, All In (The Naturals #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins, The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett, Hollow Girl (Twinmaker #3) by Sean Williams,The Sister Pact by Stacie Ramey, Girl with the Wrong Name by Barnabas Miller, The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens, The Revolution of Ivy (Book of Ivy #2) by Amy Engel, Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn, Captive by A. J. Grainger,How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras, Fearless (Arena #3) by Marianne Curley.
Recent Recommended Reads: I will be filming a booktube video tonight about the three audiobooks I have recently read!
Which articles did you like best? Did I miss any news? Did you host a cover reveal or discussion that I should have posted about? A giveaway? Leave the links, and I'll either edit this post or post about 'em next week.