Your House is on Fire, Your Children All Gone by Stefan Kiesbye. Penguin Books. 2012. Personal copy. Vacation reads, a series of adult books reviewed before holidays for your vacation reading. The Plot: Christian has returned home, returned from the United States to Germany, to a place that is no longer the dark, small town [...]
10 to Note: Spring Preview 2013
By on February 12, 2013
It’s time to once again to look at the season before us and say “that looks good”. What follows are books coming out in March, April, and May that appear to have promise. Picture Book Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird; illustrated by Brandon Dorman April 23 | Greenwillow | Grades K-2 Ever heard of [...]
Weekly Reviews: Nonfiction for Browsing
By on January 30, 2013
Teen behavior in libraries includes a lot of browsing. I have two different display spaces in my small high school library. Fortunately, one of them is right in front of my desk, so I often get the chance to watch students check out the latest books (surreptitiously, lest I scare them away!). Some will just [...]
Review: My Life Next Door
By on January 18, 2013
My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick, Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin. 2012. Copy provided for review. The Plot: Samantha Reed’s mother explained to her about the family next door: “There’s one in every neighborhood. The family that never mows their lawn. The toys scattered everywhere.” The message to Sam is clear: stay away from [...]
Review: Paper Valentine
By on January 8, 2013
Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff. Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin. 2013. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: It’s summer. It’s hot. A mosquito virus is going around. And the body of a teenage girl has been found in Muncy Nature Park. It’s the summer before eleventh grade for Hannah Wagner. The summer after the [...]
Ebooks 2013: New leasing models, cheaper devices, more content
By on January 4, 2013
“School libraries, I believe, will be the coming focal point for ebook licensing,” write Chris Harris. “We have strong relationships with our K–12 publishing partners, but now we must reach out to the trade houses. As the print market weakens, the time is right for schools to present a new business proposal.”
Teen Lit Publishing Experts Reveal Recipes for Bestsellers
By on November 28, 2012 1 Comment
At the Women’s National Book Association NYC chapter’s event, “The Making of a Young Adult Bestseller,” writers, editors, publishers, and agents came together to discuss the key components of a hit YA novel.
Round Up (Austen Style!)
By on November 24, 2012
Alright, y’all, I’m having a rough blog post, OK? Because I have here two books that I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed reading for myself. But when I switch to my magical Printz-o-vision, neither Keeping the Castle nor For Darkness Shows the Stars stands up to a more critical analysis. Pity me, the poor [...]
Fusenews: Post-Sandy Edition
By on November 7, 2012
Penguin, Random House Merger Is On
By on October 29, 2012
Just days after word broke that a Penguin/Random House merger was a possibly, it’s nearly a done deal. The companies announced they’re creating a joint venture, pending regulatory approval.
The Facility
By on October 10, 2012
Simon Lelic’s latest thriller presents readers with a near future Britain in which the government has gained too much power in the name of national security.
(I reviewed Lelic’s first book, A Thousand Cuts, back in 2010. Quite a powerful novel about bullying.)
Read an extract from The Facility here.
LELIC, Simon. The Facility. 341p. Penguin. 2012. Tr [...]
NW
By on October 1, 2012
”I wanted to write a black existentialist novel, told in separate parts, that replicated some feelings I have had about being alive.” (from an interview on The Root)
Zadie Smith is best known for her debut, White Teeth; NW is set in the same London neighborhood. NW refers to the area’s postal code, where its main characters [...]
Penguin to Launch Kathy Dawson Imprint Targeting Middle School, YA Readers
By on September 21, 2012 2 Comments
Keep an eye out for a new imprint that aims to deliver novels and series with hard-hitting issues that reflect the real lives of middle schoolers and young adults. Kathy Dawson, who was vice president and editorial director at Dial Books for Young Readers, is launching her own imprint, which will center around “emotionally-driven” books from various genres that focus on the human condition.
