VIVA, Frank. A Long Way Away: A Two-Way Story. illus. by author. 40p. Little, Brown. Apr. 2013. Tr ISBN 978-0-316-22196-2.
PreS-Gr 2–This innovative picture book is designed to be read vertically from the top down as well as from the bottom up. Starting one way, the story follows an octopuslike alien as he swooshes down from space. A yellow wiggly line traces his journey past assorted sights like spaceships and a parachuting man, down into the depths of the ocean where he falls asleep. Read from the other direction, the story starts on the seabed and follows the creature up into space and into the waiting arms of his family. The spare, poetic text works perfectly in both directions.  As in Viva’s Along a Long Road (Little, Brown, 2011), the illustrations were created as a continuous 26-foot-long piece of art using Adobe Illustrator. The striking graphic design features a limited palette of yellow, black, blue, red and white. This ingenious book invites many repeat readings.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

In this second of our upcoming book “preview peeks,” School Library Journal  highlights which upcoming especially got our attention.

Those looking for books to share with young children, especially those expecting a sibling, may want to check out You Were the First by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin.

Another great family book coming up in the fall is Marc Brown’s Playtime Rhymes: A Treasury for Families to Learn and Play Together, in which he combines all his finger rhymes into a single volume. It is a great refresher on the accompanying hand motions to such childhood favorite read-aloud poems and songs as “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Two Little Monkeys,” and “Whoops Johnny.”

In The Tortoise & the Hare, Jerry Pinkney’s sparse word use allows the reader to focus on his well-attired characters in his beautifully illustrated take on this familiar fable.

The fashion-conscious animal trend continues in Peter Brown’s Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. Brown has the feline shed his top hat and suit and let loose; notably, the tiger goes “au naturel” in the center spread of the book!

Looking for a mash up of Zoombieland, Food Inc. and The Jungle for kids? Zombie Baseball Beatdown, the new middle school novel by National Book Award finalist Paolo Bacigalupi, may fit the bill. It tackles, among other fascinating topics, food safety, immigration, and a zombie baseball coach. What more could a kid want?

Mordecai Gerstein’s original artwork for The First Drawing at Little, Brown’s preview.

Seven Wild Sisters is an enchanting book that started its life in 2002 when Subterranean Press published it, but this modern fairy tale by Charles De Lint, with color illustrations by Charles Vess, should see a revival when it gets re-released by Little, Brown in February 2014.

Bryan Collier’s original artwork for Knock, Knock on display at the preview.

Boys and girls who are into the prehistoric or like to draw will find The First Drawing by Mordecai Gerstein, a tale about the origin of cave painting, to be visually informative and fun.

Bryan Collier continues to use verse for the foundation of his art in the upcoming Knock Knock, in which the Daniel Beaty poem supplies the words and sets the stage for this book about a boy who grows up with an absent father.

When you go to a party and fall asleep in the bathtub, something bad is bound to happen. Vampire and reality-television loving teens will definitely want to check out Holly Black’s  new stand-alone novel The Coldest Girl in Coldtown this September. The hot topic of reality TV also plays a big role in A.S. King’s Reality Boy, in which Gerald Faust, a former child reality TV star, must face his inner turmoil.

Unbreakable, the first in the “Legion” series by Kami Garcia, is an urban fantasy set in Washington, D.C., that calls to mind elements of Dan Brown’s “Illuminati” series. A movie in already in the works.

YA authors Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando will collaborate on the upcoming Roomies, which is set to debut in January, 2014.

Frank Viva addresses the crowd.

In the meantime, readers can enjoy Rags & Bones: New Twists on a Timeless Tales, an anthology that contains new twists on old tales from popular authors Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe, Carries Ryan, and Rick Yancey. Edited by Marissa Marr and Tim Pratt, this offering drops in October.

The highlights of any book preview, of course, are the author visits, both announced and unannounced. Little Brown Books for Young Readers has been known in particular to include a surprise guest at its book previews, and the publisher did not disappoint this time around. Author Frank Viva appeared to present his new book, A Long Way Away, and sign autographs for the crowd of enthusiastic librarians and reviewers. In his innovative book, which debuted this month, Viva created 35 feet of continuous art that can be read both front-to-back and back-to-front.

Hurricane Sandy benefit:

Literacy Campaign

Books for kids in need: Scholastic, The UPS Store, and Marine Toys for Tots are launching a holiday literacy drive that’s part of Scholastic’s literacy campaign, Read Every Day, Lead a Better Life. The aim of the campaign is to “help all children experience the love of reading and owning a book,” including those who lost books due to Hurricane Sandy that devastated the East Coast. There are a number of ways that families can help.

When you download Storia, Scholastic’s teacher-recommended children’s ereading app, you will receive five free ebooks. For every additional ebook you purchase on Storia through December 31, Scholastic will donate a children’s book to a child in need through Toys for Tots Literacy Program (they’ve committed to donating a minimum of 50,000 books).

You can also donate to the Toys for Tots Literacy Program by purchasing a donation card or donating online at The UPS Store Facebook page. Furthermore, the UPS Store that raises the most money during the holidays will get 500 books for families in their community.

Awards

Life changer: The chances are that you know a K–12 school district educator or employee who exemplifies excellence, positive influence, and leadership. Well, it’s time to nominate them for the Life Changer of the Year Award sponsored by National Life Group (National Life Insurance Co.). School employees and administrators can nominate full-time educators, teachers, principals, or any member of the school’s staff.

Winners will be selected on the basis of their ability to make a difference in the lives of students and their ability to positively add to the development of the school’s atmospheres. They must also be a leader in their activities at the school and/or district level, have a proven record of excellence at the professional level, and be committed to producing a nurturing atmosphere. Be sure to check out the official rules and complete the nomination form. Nominations can be made through January 25.

The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 with a matching award going to their school. The first runner-up will receive $3,500 with an equal amount awarded to their school. The second runner-up and their school will each get $2,500. There will also be seven LifeChanger awards—the employee and the school will each receive $1,500.

And the Winner Is…

Service to the community: Five libraries and five museums were presented with the 2012 National Medal for Museum and Library Service by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) at a ceremony at the White House on November 14. The Medal winners are selected from nominations of institutions nationwide that “demonstrate innovative approaches to public service, exceeding the expected levels of community outreach” and make a difference for individuals, families, and the communities. Anyone can nominate a library or museum for the National Medal, including the institutions employees, board members, community members, and elected officials.

This year’s honorees include Bootheel Youth Museum, Malden, MO; Contra Costa County Library, Pleasant Hill, CA; Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC; Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago, IL; Long Island Children’s Museum, Garden City, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, N. Miami, FL; Naturita Community Library, CO; Pacific Science Center, Seattle, WA; Park View High School Library Media Center, Sterling, VA; and Shaler North Hills Library, Glenshaw, PA. Make sure to check out just how these institutions have reached out to the communities they serve. “By pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and embracing new ideas and approaches, these award winners have challenged the conventional notions of what a library or museum can and should be,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.

Industry News

Infobase Learning has acquired Learn 360, an interactive media-on-demand service from AIM Education. The Learn360 platform is a subscription service used by more than 25,00 schools that offers digital video titles, video clips, speeches, images, songs, research articles, and more from over 60 educational producers. Infobase provides digital reference content to schools and libraries under brands such as Facts On File, The World Almanac, Chelsea House, and Films Media Group. “This acquisition greatly expands our existing reach within the elementary, middle, and high school markets,” noted Mark McDonnell, president and CEO of Infobase Learning. “Learn360’s extensive multimedia assets and virtual classroom platform complement Infobase’s award-winning digital reference products.”

On the move: Maria Modugno joined Random House as editorial director, picture books for the Random House and Golden Books for Young Readers Group on November 26. Modugo’s career includes numerous positions at Little, Brown Children’s Books where she published such classics as I Love You Like Crazy Cakes (2000 by Rose Lewis and Jane Dyers and oversaw Marc Brown’s “Arthur” series. She also was editorial director of children’s books at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. She is leaving her position as vice president/editorial director at HarperCollins Children’s Books where she acquired and edited books such as Victoria Kann’s Pinkalicious (2006) and Rob Scotton’s Splat the Cat (2008).