Publishers

Children’s book publisher Candlewick Press announced the acquisition of a new graphic novel this week: Honor Girl, by Maggie Thrash. This will be Thrash’s first full-length work in print; she writes fiction and nonfiction for Rookie Magazine and is the creator of the webcomic Can’t Lose If You Don’t Play. Here’s the 411 on the [...]

A Spark Unseen by Sharon Cameron. Sequel to The Dark Unwinding. Scholastic. 2013. Review copy from publisher. The Plot: The 1850s. England. Katharine Tulman awakes to find someone trying to break into her room. She prevents the kidnapping of her Uncle Tully, but more threats to his safety and peace of mind come. What can [...]

Today we have two very different, almost opposite, biographies about acting, written by journalists: one a cautionary tale of talent wasted, the other an  inspirational story of talent emergent.  Sokolove’s Drama High tells the inspiring story of a high school drama teacher pushing his students toward success, while Edwards’s Last Night at the Viper Room [...]

Rocco Staino, SLJ’s contributing editor, offers an insider’s look of the filming of Scholastic’s spring 2014 preview video, which will reveal “38 Books in 38 Minutes” from more than a dozen authors on November 13. Staino also had a few moments to chat with Sharon Robinson, picture book author and daughter of legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, and her mother, Rachel.

Tandem: The Many Worlds Trilogy, Book I by Anna Jarzab. Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House. 2013. Reviewed from ARC. The Plot: Sasha Lawson is an ordinary teenager. She lives with her grandfather; is a good girl; has friends. Princess Juliana is rich and privileged, and facing an arranged marriage for the good of her [...]

The Kingdom of Little Wounds, Susann Cokal Candlewick Press, October 2013 Reviewed from ARC I wanted to like this. I mean, it’s huge, it’s about my favorite general period in history, it uses a fairy tale motif throughout, it’s got a stunning package, and people whose opinions I respect say this is an it book [...]

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James. Random House. 2011. Personal copy. Vacation reads — a non-teen book for your reading pleasure over the holiday weekend. The Plot: A murder mystery set several years after the events of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The murder takes place at the Darcy estate, and it’s up to [...]

You know that it is time for another Candlewick book preview when librarians and other industry insiders head for the hills of New York City’s Morningside Heights neighborhood, flocking to The Bank Street School for a glimpse at the hottest new titles. This year's spring preview had someone special in store planned as its guest speaker: one of our own, New York Public Library's Betsy Bird, SLJ blogger and author.

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. Book II of the Raven Cycle. Sequel to Book I – The Raven Boys. Scholastic. 2013. Reviewed from ARC. The Plot: In Book I, Blue Sargent became friends with the “Raven Boys” — Richard Campbell Gansey III, Ronan Lynch, Adam Parrish, and Noah Czarny. All had become involved in [...]