Publishers

Even though it was hot and muggy on May 22 in New York City, it was crisp and autumnal inside the HarperCollins Children’s Books fall 2013 preview event, where librarians and reviewers were treated to a delicious spread of breakfast and books that were laid out in tempting piles of frosting, nuts, and glittery covers. From brightly colored picture books to edgy YA, there was something for every age, type, and stripe of reader. Here are some of the highlights.

Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan. Random House Children’s Books. 2013. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. The Plot: A short story collection from Margo Lanagan. Which means two things: each story is incredibly unique; each is amazingly good. The Good: Here’s the problem: each Margo Lanagan short story is so unique that it’s impossible to easily sum [...]

Sticky Dot Comics Free Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Recommended for ages 8 and up. At the end of February, Viz announced that it was launching a free all-ages app aimed at kids and families. The promise was to create an app where parents would feel comfortable allowing their children download and [...]

While the rest of us are busy booking our summer getaways, publishers are focusing on their fall lists. On the afternoon of May 16, a large group of librarians and book reviewers gathered in New York City for Macmillan Children’s fall 2013 preview event, where they were treated to insider info on the new kid’s titles from the editors who worked on the books. Here are some of the highlights.

Celebrate spring with My Garden, a starred DVD production from Weston Woods based on the book by Kevin Henkes.

A Mutiny in Time, the first audiobook in James Dashner’s “Infinity Ring” series, is a great kickoff for what is sure to be a rollicking adventure series for elementary grade students. Be sure to check out the review.

The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones. Viking. 2013. Reviewed from ARC from publisher. Vacation reads (aka, when I talk about books for grownups and post them before holidays.) It’s About: The designated heir of England dies in a shipwreck; England is plunged into civil war as descendants of [...]

Children’s book author and former teacher Kate Messner has always had a passion for sharing books with kids, so when she recommended Hena Khan’s Golden Domes and Silver Lanternsto her Twitter followers for its portrayal of Islam, she did not expect the backlash she received. A few days after the original message, someone who does not follow her on Twitter replied with the below, continuing an intense multiday exchange with her about what he believes to be “the real Islam.”

Penny Warner's The Code Busters 2: The Haunted Lighthouse won the 2012 Agatha Award. Capstone is adding 60 more Presidential titles to the K–3 PebbleGo Biographies module in August 2013. ABDO’s will publish library editions of IDW’s "Jurassic Park" and "Star Trek" graphic novels this fall.