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 The Mysteries of
Pittsburgh
The ABA’s premier children’s bookselling event
is on track to be the largest yet as it heads to the
By Judith Rosen City of Bridges for Quidditch and education

T
photo by emma kantor
his year, Children’s
Institute is going to
Pittsburgh, and
American Booksellers
Association CEO Oren
Teicher is already pre-
dicting that the seventh annual kids’
conference will be “the best one yet.” He
points to “the spirited input and partici-
pation from many indie booksellers.”
The 2019 conference is also on track
to have higher attendance and more pro-
gramming than its predecessors, with 28
educational sessions. This could be the
year in which the institute reaches max-
imum attendance for the first time.
Though it remains to be seen whether
there will be growing pains, as there
often are for seven-year-olds, by the
beginning of June, 328 people had reg-
istered for the June 26–28 conference,
which will be held at the DoubleTree by
Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh–Green Tree—
up from slightly more than 275 people
in 2018. The conference can accommo-
date very few more attendees before it is At last year’s conference (from l.), Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, co-editors of We Rise, We
full. And the number of educational Resist, We Raise Our Voices, joined Phoebe Yeh, v-p and publisher of Crown Books for Young Readers,
and author Kwame Alexander in conversation about their anthology. Cheryl said her hope is that the
offerings is also up, with a 100% expan- book shows young readers that “you can lift your voice, you can change the world.”
sion over the past two years, according
to ABA senior strategy officer Dan Cullen. seller attendance. Author attendance is also high, with more
From the earliest days of Children’s Institute, ABA has exper- than 65 participating writers and illustrators at signings and on
imented with bringing booksellers to cities that are holding educational panels. Keynotes include talks by actor and activist
library shows or book conventions, including overlapping with Alyssa Milano, National Book Award– and Printz-winner
the American Library Association’s annual June meeting more Elizabeth Acevedo, and bookstore owner Ann Patchett, the
than once. This year, rather than colocate with the ALA, bestselling adult author and newly minted children’s author.
Children’s Institute will begin the day after ALA ends in Author Maggie Stiefvater, whose latest novel, Call Down
Washington, D.C. Clearly, the decision to move the venue 240 the Hawk (Scholastic Press), is due in the fall, will be a fea-
miles northwest of the nation’s capital has not affected book- tured guest judge at the welcome reception and opening night

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 3
 Children’s Institute 2019
© steve kagan
Francine Lucidon (l.) and Kayleigh Reichman of The Voracious Reader in
Larchmont, N.Y., dressed as characters from Coraline, at the CI 6 opening
reception.
Maggie Stiefvater signed copies of Call Down the
Hawk at BookExpo last month.
photo by judith rosen
Betsy Covert of the Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, N.H., dressed from
Julia’s House for Lost Creatures at the CI 6 opening reception.
costume party with backlist characters, which was introduced
last year to great success. Other Scholastic authors will be par-
ticipating in the press’s annual after-party on “The Power of
Story.” Glory Edim, founder of the Brooklyn-based book club
Well-Read Black Girl and editor of an anthology of the same
name published by Ballantine, will give a workshop on Friday.
ABA is partnering with Edim to bring book club meetings to
indie stores across the nation and amplify diverse voices and
support emerging writers of color. One programming track
4 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
photo by judith rosen
© steve kagan
Vashti Harrison, illustrator of Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, at this
year’s BookExpo.
throughout the three-day conference is focused specifically on
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Other conference highlights, Teicher says, include an Indies
Introduce breakfast, a rep picks lunch presentation, and the first
ABA Town Hall at a Children’s Institute. The opening day will
feature both a full-day and half-day bookstore tour; a full-day
Events University, led by booksellers experienced in bookstore
event management; and the first Quidditch match at any insti-
tute. The local team, the Steel City Quidditch Club, will assist
novice players, and brooms will be provided. 
In addition to the educational offerings, Teicher notes that
booksellers “will find more opportunities to share success
stories, insights, and their commitment for expanding a diverse
community of young readers.” He adds, “This year’s event is
nothing if not well-rounded.”
The institute will close on a local note with a screening of
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the acclaimed documentary about
Pittsburgh native son Fred Rogers. ■
 Life Stories

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at the 2019 Children’s Institute
author reception

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 Conversations
with Featured
Authors
Children’s Institute offers several opportunities for
booksellers to hear authors and illustrators speak about
their craft and what drew them to children’s literature

© heidi ross
Ann Patchett
Learning from picture books

Bestselling adult author Ann Patchett, co-owner of Parnassus

Books in Nashville, made her children’s debut this spring with
Lambslide (HarperCollins), a collaboration with Fancy Nancy
series illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser. The picture book tells
the story of a group of adorable, but self-centered, lambs who
undergo a civic awakening as they mobilize their farm friends
to vote for the titular slide.
“For many of us, children’s books are the foundation of book-
selling, the cornerstone, the rock on which this church is built,”
Patchett wrote in a 2016 travel piece on bookstores for the New
York Times. Her own bookstore also proved to be the foundation
of her picture book career: Patchett and Glasser met for the first
time when the illustrator dropped by to sign books before
heading to a school visit. She asked Patchett about writing a
book for her to illustrate. When Patchett demurred—“I don’t
do that; it’s not my thing”—Glasser insisted. She held an
impromptu picture book–writing workshop for Patchett using
the final Fancy Nancy book, Oodles of Kittens, as the teaching
text.
Once Patchett tried her hand at picture books, she says, she
couldn’t stop. “Everywhere I looked I saw a children’s book.”
And, when Democrat Conor Lamb unexpectedly won the 17th
Congressional District in Pennsylvania in March 2018, Patchett authors and children’s booksellers
got a new jolt of inspiration from a photo in the New York Times seem to be an especially supportive
of someone at a rally holding a poster that said “Lambslide.” and bighearted group of people,”
Glasser is also going to act as Patchett’s mentor on the book she says. “I’m betting if I mess up,
tour. “My plan is to watch her and follow her lead,” Patchett they won’t hold it against me.
says. “She is iconic in the children’s section, and the fact that I’ll Anytime an author gets to talk to
be doing events with her makes me feel very safe.” But at a room full of booksellers all
Children’s Institute, Patchett is ready to go solo. “Children’s together at one time, that author

6 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
 RT H S OU TH ’S F AL L T I T L ES
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Meet author and illustrator
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8 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
Children’s Institute 2019
is incredibly lucky. To meet so many children’s booksellers at
the start of my picture book career is a huge gift.”
And, yes, there are more picture books in Patchett’s future.
Though Lambslide is her first to be published, it’s the fourth or
fifth that Patchett has written since her initial tutoring session.
Glasser has served as one of Patchett’s first readers and is, at least
for now, her sole collaborator. “Robin is imprinted upon me as
the source of picture books,” Patchett says.
But Patchett’s many grown-up fans need not worry. Although
the author bio on the jacket flap of Lambslide cheekily notes that
Patchett “has written many award-winning books for grownups,
but frankly, it was boring,” she has a new novel due out in
September, The Dutch House (Harper).
The experience of writing picture books has brought a new
concision to her novel-writing, Patchett says. And it has wid-
ened her audience, too. “I like the idea of multigenerational
readers,” she says. “I can picture a mother reading Jenny Ofill’s
Dept. of Speculation with a child on her lap who’s reading Jenny
Ofill’s Sparky! I aspire to that.” —Libby Morse
Patchett will give the opening keynote on Thursday,
June 27, 7:45–8:45 a.m., in the Green Tree Ballroom.
Elizabeth Acevedo
Exploring identity through
motherhood and food
Following the success of her National Book Award– and Printz
Award–winning debut novel, The Poet X, which was written in
verse, Elizabeth Acevedo addresses teen motherhood and iden-
tity in her sophomore effort, With the Fire on High (HarperTeen,
out now). “In the children’s category, we have books where
[teens] are trying to decide whether to keep a child, but I really
wanted to look at a character who had already made that deci-
sion. I wanted to explore what happens next,” Acevedo says
about the inspiration for her new novel.
The book follows 17-year old Afro–Puerto Rican and African-
American Emoni Santiago as she balances motherhood, school,
an unsatisfying fast-food job, and her dreams of a career in the
culinary arts. Emoni is in her senior year of high school when
the story picks up, and she isn’t sure if she has the same kinds
of choices that her classmates have because she’s also a parent,”
Acevedo says. “I wanted to treat this subject matter with dignity
and tenderness. I wanted a young woman of color to triumph
and have hope. I wanted to turn the tropes about inner-city
women with kids on their head.”
Emoni’s mother died in childbirth, and Emoni’s relationship
with her father, who lives in Puerto Rico, is tenuous. “When
you grow up like that, there’s a longing for memory and for an
inheritance of stories about who you are,” Acevedo says. To
 Children’s Institute 2019

ADVENTURE AND ACTIVISM

© stephanie ifendu
FOR MIDDLE GRADERS!

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evoke nostalgia and memory for the THE GRAPHIC NOVEL YOU PLAY!
eater. “Emoni’s food doesn’t bring up
feelings for her, but that’s what she’s
Written by Cetrix and
looking for,” Acevedo says. “She’s trying
Illustrated by Yuio
to find history and create a mythology of who she is through
her cooking, but she can only evoke that sense of memory for A pick-your-panel graphic
everyone else. Her desire, her searching, goes into what she game novel where your
cooks. She wants to remember, wants to know, wants to use an every choice determines
ingredient as a way to look back and create a window into the whether or not you win.
past.”
Although she is best known for her poetry, Acevedo decided
to write With the Fire on High in prose. “Emoni’s story has a lot
more action [than The Poet X], the conflicts are different, and
ON SALE: AUGUST 6, 2019
there are a lot of characters,” she says. “I find it incredibly hard AGES 8–12 | ISBN: 978-1-68369-129-7 | PB | $9.99
to pull off that kind of cast and that kind of narrative arc through
verse because there’s a lot that you lose.” Verse, she says, can
work for settings but not for long descriptions. She also wanted
to have more dialogue in this novel because readers “need to
hear how Emoni speaks and code-switches.”
PICK UP ARCS OF THESE TITLES
Acevedo hopes that Emoni’s journey shows readers that it’s IN THE GALLEY ROOM!
possible to “figure things out on their own terms,” but she also
Learn more at QuirkBooks.com
expresses hope that readers will be encouraged to look at the
/quirkbooks
communities around them with grace and a righteous fury that
asks how these places can be made better. “My books do high-
light the gender roles, gentrification, and poverty of specific

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 9
 Children’s Institute 2019
areas,” Acevedo says. “I want readers to question what it means
that we have all this brilliance in parts of the country that goes
unnoticed. It happens that both of my characters are brilliant
and talented at the things they love to do, but I didn’t do that
to show them as exceptions. They are not exceptional in these ways;
they are one of many kids who have that spark. Let’s not forget
these young people. Let’s not deny them what they need: stories
that are full of love and are gentle and hopeful and funny.”
 —Sara Grochowski
Acevedo will give the afternoon keynote on Friday,
June 28, 3–3:45 p.m., in the Oakmont Ballroom.
Alyssa Milano
Instilling hope in hearts and minds
© dirkfranke
“All the seeds that are planted in your
child are what cultivate a truly empathic
and compassionate adult,” says actor and
activist Alyssa Milano, explaining why
she felt compelled to create a middle
grade series featuring Hope, a spunky
11-year-old who wants to change the
world. Cowritten with Debbie Rigaud
10 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
and illustrated by The Simpsons animator Eric S. Keyes, the series
launches with Alyssa Milano’s Hope #1: Project Middle School
(Scholastic, Oct.).
The mother of a seven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl,
Milano also cites the importance of having children who are
“very aware of what’s going on socially, culturally, and even
politically” as another impetus for the project. Like Milano’s
own children—and children everywhere—Hope is trying to
find her own voice and be heard.
Hope is indefatigable. She believes that it’s always a good day
to champion a cause, defend an underdog, and save the future.
And, most of all, she believes in dreaming big. That’s why she’s
enrolled in all of the advanced classes at her new middle school.
She’s smart and confident in her abilities. But, though Hope
seems strong on the outside, there’s another side of her, too: she’s
just a regular girl trying to survive middle school.
Part of Hope springs from what Milano calls her own “love
of civic responsibility,” which has manifested itself in myriad
ways throughout her life. She speaks at schools across the
country about the importance of voting and teaches children
who aren’t even close to voting age how to fill out a ballot.
Recently, she was recognized for popularizing the #MeToo
hashtag on Twitter, and since 2003 she has been a national
ambassador for UNICEF.
Milano says that traveling the world on behalf of children
makes her eager to eventually have an international audience for
the book. “There is a real awakening when young people realize
that there are other children throughout the world who have
very distinct issues that pertain to where they were born,” she
notes. Understanding world history and the specific struggles
of different groups helps children develop empathy. “The thing
I have taken away from my travels on behalf of children’s rights,”
she says, “is that what ties everyone together is innate hope.”
Although this is her first work for children, Milano has
written Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic for adults
and cowritten a graphic novel, Hacktivist #1. “I prefer to work
collaboratively, not only because of personal time constraints,
but also to be able to bounce ideas off of someone and get
different perspectives,” she says. “To have someone you trust
and who can help you figure out the nuance of a story is super
important.” She also appreciates having professional writers
help tackle the structural aspects of writing, since it’s something
that she doesn’t do every day.
What Milano has trained for since her early days as a child
actor is getting out in front of people, which she is excited to
do on behalf of the series. “I’m hoping to do a very big book
tour and meet as many people as possible: booksellers, teachers,
readers,” she says. “I want to read from the book and inspire
people to find hope within their hearts.”  —Liz Hartman
Milano will give the closing keynote on Friday, June
28, 5:15–6:15 p.m., in the Green Tree Ballroom.
 Bookselling
Resurgence
in the Burgh
Pittsburgh is home to a growing indie
By Shannon Maughan bookstore scene

P
courtesy of penguin bookshop
ittsburgh, a city known for its three rivers, has
been gaining recognition for its growing
number of independent bookstores. Though the
2008 recession spelled the end for many of the
area’s national and regional chain stores, several
bookselling newcomers have since opened and
a few longtime stores have bounced back, including the Penguin
Bookshop in suburban Sewickley, which is celebrating its 90th
year.
The resurgence is part of Pittsburgh’s decades-long renais-
sance, which has seen the city rise from the devastating loss of
steel production in the 1970s and ’80s to reinvent itself as a
vibrant hub for education, medicine, technology, and culture.
The literary scene has blossomed, as well, by building on a rich
history of writing programs at the University of Pittsburgh,
Carnegie Mellon University, and other schools. “It’s become
more and more a place that publishers and authors want to come
and visit,” says Lesley Rains, a pioneering force in Pittsburgh’s
bookselling revitalization and manager of City of Asylum
Bookstore on the city’s North Side.
The New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association has
taken note and has held several meetings for booksellers in the
region. “While the area lost a few valuable bookstores over the
last 20 years, there is a nice resurgence,” says NAIBA executive
director Eileen Dengler. “We want to build a community of Nathaniel, a junior at Quaker Valley High School, is a member of the
booksellers in Pittsburgh.” Penguin Bookshop staff.
shelves and the readings that we held multiple times a week,
The New Wave of Booksellers every week, became the heart of what we did,” Rains says.
Rains, who moved back to her hometown in 2010, is one of the A few years later, Rains was “exhausted” and ready to shift
booksellers spearheading this new wave. When she realized that gears. She found like-minded successors in Jill and Adlai
she could not reliably buy a book by Jane Austen in Pittsburgh, Yeomans. The couple met while working at Hachette in New
she decided to do something about it. “Surely,” she recalls York City in 2009 and relocated to Pittsburgh in 2012. They
thinking, “there’s a demand for not just a bookstore but a com- relaunched the EEBX space as White Whale Bookstore in
munity.” She began a pop-up used bookstore, named the East October 2016. Today, the store focuses more on new than used
End Book Exchange, but soon moved to a stall in the Pittsburgh titles. The increased children’s and YA offerings reflect Jill’s
Public Market (in the city’s Strip District). By 2012, she found passion and her experience as a children’s book author (the
a storefront for EEBX in the neighborhood of Bloomfield, Unnaturals series, writing as Devon Hughes) and editor. “We
Pittsburgh’s Little Italy. “The books that we carried on our go out of our way to create an environment of inclusivity,”

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 11
 Children’s Institute 2019
FOLLOW SCIENTIST
BIRUTE GALDIKAS Adlai says. “You’re also going to get a focus on smaller presses
on an epic journey searching for and independent publishers, which is one of the things that
the elusive orangutans of Borneo. sets us apart.”
Rains missed bookselling and took a job with City of Asylum
Bookstore, which opened in 2017. The store is located inside
the cultural center/event space known as Alphabet City, which
New from also houses a restaurant. The bookstore operates as an arm of the
Anita Silvey! grassroots nonprofit City of Asylum, which provides sanctuary
for writers who have been exiled from their home countries and
champions freedom of expression. Children’s buyer Jennifer
Kraar describes the store’s atmosphere as “inviting and festive.”
AVAILABLE Her mission is to spotlight diverse children’s books and social
978-1-4263-3356-9 HC $18.99 I 978-1-4263-3357-6 LB $28.90

NOW! justice works, as well as titles in translation.

Another relatively new store, the five-year-old Classic Lines
Bookstore in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, has rapidly made
a name for itself. It was one of five finalists for PW’s 2019
Bookstore of the Year. The store was nominated for supporting
neighbors who were affected by the shooting at the Tree of Life
Ages 8-12 • 96 pgs • 7-1/2” x 10”

synagogue last fall.

Award-winning author Anita Silvey examines the life
and legacy of famed primatologist Birute Galdikas.
Galdikas, who spent her life researching and
documenting the mysterious lives of orangutans—
one of our closest human relatives.
“Beautiful photographs, inviting format, notes,
and an index make this a great addition for any
animal collection.”— Booklist
Changing Things Up
Mystery Lovers Bookshop, in the borough of Oakmont, was
founded in 1990 by Mary Alice Gorman and Richard Goldman.
Its focus on the mystery/thriller genre led the store to win a
Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2010.
After a change in ownership in 2012, Mystery Lovers began
stocking more children’s, YA, and local interest titles. When
Tara Goldberg-DeLeo and Kristy Bodnar, both mothers of
young children, bought the store in August 2018, they further
expanded the children’s section to serve the community’s bur-
geoning families.
Not far from the site of a former Borders location, Barbara

Download of the Educator Guide at

www.nationalgeographic.com/books

AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD OR

THROUGH YOUR LIBRARY WHOLESALER.

© 2019 National Geographic Partners, LLC

12 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
 Children’s Institute 2019
The lyrical voice of Donna Jo Napoli
and the lavish artwork of Christina
Balit combine to bring
CLASSIC STORIES FROM
THE BIBLE TO LIFE
New from
Donna Jo
Napoli!

PRE-ORDER

978-1-4263-3538-9 HC $24.99 I 978-1-4263-3539-6 LB $34.90

NOW!
Riverstone Books hosted an event with Quelcy Kogel to launch
The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook.

Jeremiah opened Riverstone Books in October 2017, as part of

the new McCandless Crossing mixed-use development. The

Ages 8-12 • 208 pgs • 9-1/8” x 11-7/8”

2,300-sq.-ft. store has a cozy kids’ section with a carpeted
area for storytimes and a small pillow-filled reading nook, as
well as a Hogwarts-inspired mural. At 300 sq. ft., the Tiny
Bookstore, which caters to the same community, lives up to its
name. Located in the Pines Shops at Pines Plaza, a strip mall
in the North Hills, the store had its official grand opening in
January.
Pittsburgh has had a handful of children’s-only stores over the
years, including the renowned Pinocchio Bookstore, run by Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath, the ten plagues,
Marilyn Hollinshead from 1985 to 2002. And children’s and many more of the Bible’s most powerful stories
specialty stores are starting to return, with Adriene Rister’s are compellingly retold in this beautifully illustrated
opening of Spark Books in the tiny borough of Aspinwall last treasury. Readers will be fascinated by the ancient
October. The mother of two boys, Rister has been very careful people and events they encounter, surprised by some
about selecting the inventory for her small store, just under of the lesser known accounts revealed, and inspired
by the lessons these tales impart.
500 sq. ft. “My intention is to be really thoughtful and
deliberate about what’s here,” she says, noting that being Stories cover important ground beyond religion,
inclusive is part of her mission. “I want to make sure including culture, history, and geography.
that we’re seeing the people of our community and our
world in the books.”  ■

AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD OR

THROUGH YOUR LIBRARY WHOLESALER.
Mystery Lovers Bookshop has a new emphasis on kids’ books © 2019 National Geographic Partners, LLC
and programs, including storytime (l.) and crafts projects (above).

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 13
 Responding to

photo by alex green

Booksellers weigh in on the
postponement and cancellation
of titles by publishers after early
readers express concerns

By Claire Kirch

“T here are a lot of tough conversations going

on right now in children’s publishing,” says
Clarissa Hadge, manager of Boston’s Trident
Booksellers and Café. Earlier this year,
Amélie Wen Zhao requested that Delacorte
postpone the release of her YA fantasy debut,
Blood Heir, in response to criticisms of the book that were posted
on social media by early readers. The novel, which has been
revised and read by academics and sensitivity readers, according
to her publisher, will be released in November, five months after
its original street date.
Kosoko Jackson asked Sourcebooks Fire to cancel the release
of his historical YA romance A Place for Wolves, despite its having
received starred prepub reviews in trade publications.
Some booksellers PW queried describe the recent controver-
sies, which largely have to do with the way authors who are
not members of marginalized communities represent those
communities, as having a chilling effect. Sara Luce Look,
co-owner of Charis Books in Decatur, Ga., recalls similar
disputes in the 1980s, when, she says, “booksellers were shaming
each other about what was on shelves.” She points to books once
lauded as classics that contain offensive content and yet
remain on bookstore shelves, such as those in the Little House
on the Prairie series. “Don’t pull things immediately: let’s talk
about them,” she says, but, she adds, “editors should do better
vetting and authors should be prepared for criticism.”
Kris Kleindienst, who co-owns Left Bank Books in St. Louis,
agrees. “I don’t think this is the way to cultivate better children’s
books at all,” she says. “Let a book stand or fall on its own. Don’t
make that decision for the rest of us.” Kleindienst adds that the
fact that anyone with an internet connection can become a
reviewer muddies the water.
By contrast, some booksellers applaud the way Zhao and
Delacorte and Jackson and Sourcebooks responded to criticism.
“People raised concerns and these authors took them seriously,”
Clarissa Hadge of Trident Booksellers & Café in Boston.
says Cecilia Cackley, children’s buyer at East City Bookshop in
Washington, D.C. “As a bookseller, I don’t want customers to
be triggered by something that’s, for example, racist.”
That consideration is especially important when it comes to
children’s books, notes bookseller Nicole Brinkley of Oblong
Books & Music in Rhinebeck, N.Y. “This might be a [young
reader’s] first encounter with a marginalized people’s experi-
ence,” she says. “Even though it’s fictional, you really want it to
be a fair representation.”
As a woman of color, Stephanie Seales, head children’s buyer
at Bookshop Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, Calif., takes the way
marginalized people are represented personally. “Everybody
seems to have an opinion, but the first voices we should be
hearing are those of the marginalized communities being
misrepresented,” she says. “There’s a higher concern here than
the market.” She argues that postponing or canceling books
demonstrates to marginalized communities that publishers are
fulfilling their role as gatekeepers.
Though booksellers broadly disagree on how the industry
should respond to criticisms from early readers, particularly
those from outside of the industry, several booksellers PW
spoke with emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue.
“It isn’t about us: it’s about the kids,” Cackley says. “I think

14 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
Criticism
Children’s Institute 2019

Many booksellers, however, agree that publishers sometimes

rush books into print that should have gone through another
round of edits and that the industry lacks diversity.
BrocheAroe Fabian, founder and owner of River Dog Book
Co., an online bookstore that holds pop-up events in and around
Beaver Dam, Wis., has worked as a sensitivity reader. She says
that hiring sensitivity readers should be standard for publishers.
“Just because you have an aspect of diversity in your life doesn’t
mean that you understand all diversity,” she notes. “Do it for
every book, and publishers and editors can stand behind their
authors, and say, ‘We’ve done our due diligence; we’re going to
publish.’ ”
Fabian’s suggestion is one that Trident’s Hadge supports.
“If we had more people read through manuscripts and catch
these things early on so they could be corrected,” she says, “then
we would not miss out on what may be the next big thing in
kid lit.”  ■
Nicole Brinkley of Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
The “Talking Productively About Content Issues in
we can all agree that they are the most important people in this Children’s Literature” session will take place on
business in the end, and we want to give them the best books Thursday, June 27, 9–10 a.m., in the Monongahela Room.
possible.”

Children’s Institute!
See you atPittsburgh, PA • June 26-28

Introducing Sam Streed,

debut author-illustrator of Alfred’s Book of
Monsters, at the Author Reception

Meet us at the Publishers’ Pitch!

• www.charlesbridge.com
 Authors and Illus
to Meet at CI 7
Close to 70 authors and illustrators will be in Pittsburgh to meet
with booksellers at educational sessions, signings, and receptions

Compiled by Judith Rosen

Cece Bell Why the buzz: “The

© brett pruitt
Chick and Brain: Good Luck Girls has
Smell My Foot! everything I wished for
Candlewick, Sept.; in a novel as a teen: black
$12.99 hardcover; ages kick-ass female charac-
4–8 ters who create a bond as
Why the buzz: “What I thick as blood, and a fan-
love most about Cece tasy world grounded in
Bell’s latest is that not reality that tackles so
only is it such a ridicu- many timely themes,
lously funny, offbeat take like LGBTQIA, the
on the old Dick and Jane fight for freedom, and so
reading primers: it also much more.”—Saraciea
completely works as a Fennell, senior publicist,
beginning reader itself— Tor/Tor Teen/Starscape
kids will be laughing about smelly feet and manners while also Publicity & marketing plans: National author tour, including
truly learning to read!” prepub events; extensive print and online advertising; major
 —Sarah Ketchersid, senior executive editor prepublication buzz campaign; teen advisory board and YA
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances at con- book club promotions; preorder sweepstakes; #OutlawsByChoice
ferences and festivals; blogger outreach; school and library digital marketing campaign; promotional giveaways; extensive
advertising; author video; social media campaign. school and library marketing.

Elisha Cooper Julia Drake

River
Orchard, Oct.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 4–8
Why the buzz: “Elisha Cooper’s River is a breathtaking nautical
exploration down the Hudson River filled with adventure and
beauty. It is magical watching Elisha’s process creating River as
he starts writing, sketching, and researching the Hudson River
and finally adding the paintings to create a visual narrative
story.” — Ken Geist, v-p, publisher, picture books
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; posters
available; author video; social media promotion across
Scholastic’s social media platforms.
Charlotte Nicole Davis
The Good Luck Girls
Tor Teen/Doherty, Oct.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 12–up
First printing: 150,000
The Last True Poets of the Sea
Disney-Hyperion, Oct.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 12–up
First printing: 100,000
Why the buzz: “The motto of Lyric, Maine, the setting of this
astonishing debut, is ‘Their Love
Was Our Beginning.’ It refers to our
heroine Violet’s great-great-great-
grandparents, the town’s founders.
But I like to think that our love—
the love of every early reader here and
across the industry for this raw,
funny, kind novel about the strength
it takes to swim up from a wreck—
will be the beginning of a romance
for the ages.”
 —Laura Schreiber, senior editor

16 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
trators
Children’s Institute 2019

focus; there’s a bountiful sense of

imagination to the series that’s both
Publicity & marketing plans: Prepublication and Instagram dangerous and wonderful. We think
tour; blogger/vlogger campaign; online and print advertising; it is tremendously prescient.”
social media shareables; promotion on @LetsTalkYA; extensive  —Jim Salicrup, editor-in-chief
online media outreach. Publicity & marketing plans:
Author and illustrator tours; video
Hafsah Faizal book trailer for YouTube and
We Hunt the Flame

7
FSG, out now; $18.99 hardcover;

C i
ages 12–up

See y ou at
tt sbu rgh !
in Pi

9781454935704 | January 2020

Why the buzz: “When I read the first
sentences of We Hunt the Flame, I imme-
diately fell in love. The rest of the read
delivered a totally fresh, beautifully con-
structed fantasy world that I didn’t want
to pull myself out of, starring richly drawn
characters whose relationships are com-
plex and intoxicating. If Hafsah Faizal’s Meet author Alyssa Zaczek at the
debut can feel this gorgeous and effortless,
I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Author Reception on June 27.
 —Janine O’Malley, executive editor,
b a ga lley
!
e g r a
Be sur
FSG Books for Young Readers
Publicity & marketing plans: Fierce t o
Reads national author tour; major national
media campaign; incentivized preorder
campaign; major consumer advertising.

David Gallaher
9781454933298 | September 2019

9781454932116 | September 2019

9781454936244 | October 2019

The Only Living Girl #1:

The Island at the Edge of Infinity
Papercutz, May; $13.99 hardcover, $8.99
paper; ages 7–11
Announced first printing: 25,000
paper; 10,000 hardcover
Why the buzz: “The Only Living Girl is @sterlingkids | sterlingpublishing.com
an epic fantasy with a deeply personal

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 17
 Children’s Institute 2019

Papercutz/Bottled Lightning websites; educator guide for series;
giveaway and promotion on Goodreads; social media
campaign.
Illustrator Steve Ellis is not attending.
J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Shine!
Random House, Nov.; $16.99 hardcover; ages 8–12
First printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “I’m
excited about J.J. and
C h r i s G r a b e n s t e i n ’s
S h i n e ! b e c a u s e i t ’s
bursting with humor,
heart, astronomy, and big
questions like what it
really means to succeed
and what’s really impor-
tant: being the best or
being true to yourself?
It’s accessible and fun and
has so many great
First printing: 250,000
Why the buzz: “Sulwe is
a moving and whimsical
story that takes a com-
plex subject—col-
orism—and addresses it
directly and compas-
sionately. The illustra-
tions Vashti created for
this remarkable story
portray the range of
emotions our unforget-
table heroine Sulwe experiences as she discovers her own
beauty.” —Zareen Jaffery, executive editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Advertising; national publicity;
digital promotions.
Author Lupita Nyong’o is not attending.
Kimberly Jones
I’m Not Dying with You Tonight
Sourcebooks Fire, Oct.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 12–up
First printing: 75,000

© vvania stoyonova
themes—kindness, figuring out who you are and who you want Why the buzz: “When I
to be, and recognizing the different ways all kids shine, even first read the manuscript
those who aren’t the usual super stars.” for I’m Not Dying with You
 —Shana Corey, executive editor Tonight, I was fascinated by
Publicity & marketing plans: Five-city school-focused author the characters of Lena and
tour; advertising; social media campaign focusing on the What Campbell. They’re so dif-
Makes Your Child Shine sweepstakes; nine-copy floor display; ferent from each other, but
educators’ guide. the experience they go
through really widens and
Shannon Greenland deepens the reader’s appre-
Scouts ciation for these vulnerable
LB/Patterson, July; $16.99 hardcover; ages 9–12 but strong young women.
First printing: 60,000 The two authors expertly
Why the buzz: “When I first read used the device of alter-
Scouts, it immediately struck me as the nating voices as they told this powerful story.”
perfect Jimmy book: page-turning, —Steve Geck, editorial director, children’s books
heartfelt, and packed with thrills. The Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; advertising; teen
deep friendships and sense of unknown book club campaign; social influencer campaign; author video
adventure reminded me of cult classics series; Firereads newsletter and social media promotions.
like The Goonies and Stand by Me and Coauthor Gilly Segal is not attending.
also today’s Stranger Things. It’s a truly
wonderful read!”—Jenny Bak, edito- Erin Entrada Kelly
rial director Lalani of the Distant Sea
Publicity & marketing plans: Author Greenwillow, Sept.; $16.99 hardcover;
events in East Tennessee, where the book takes place; adver- ages 8–12
tising; library promotions; promotion on James Patterson’s Why the buzz: “Erin Entrada Kelly’s
social media. Lalani of the Distant Sea celebrates the
power of the quiet kid, and it bril-
Vashti Harrison, illustrator liantly juggles multiple characters
Sulwe and points of view, but, for the first
Simon & Schuster, Oct.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 4–8 time, we get to experience the big and

18 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
 Children’s Institute 2019

joyful imagination of this gifted author. The fantasy is set in Mirza sisters, much like the March sisters, face many challenges
an archipelago inspired by the Philippines, and the story was as they come of age, but the way they rally together is inspiring.
informed by Erin’s Filipino heritage. I hope readers, espe- Their story will live in the heart of any reader who picks up
cially those quiet kids, will be enthralled and inspired.” — this poignant novel.”
Virginia Duncan, v-p, publisher  —Zareen Jaffery, executive editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Eight-city author tour; Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; advertising; dig-
major online advertising; extensive social media campaign; ital promotions.
influencer mailing; educator guide.
Monica Kulling
Hena Khan Aunt Pearl
More to the Story Groundwood, Aug.; $18.95
Simon & Schuster, Sept.; hardcover; ages 4–7
$17.99 hardcover; First printing: 10,000
ages 8–12 Why the buzz: “In Aunt
First printing: 75,000 Pearl, beautifully written by
Why the buzz: “More to Monica Kulling, a homeless
the Story is inspired by woman comes to live with
one of my, and author her family, and interestingly
Hena Khan’s, favorite it is the youngest child who
books, Little Women. In seems to understand her
Hena’s skillful hands, aunt the best. This is a very
this reimagining centers thought-provoking story,
on a family of Pakistani- and we’re excited about the
American sisters. The kinds of conversations it

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Children’s Institute 2019

might spark in homes and classrooms. Irene Luxbacher has illus- in the world, connecting to readers.”
trated the story in her rich collage style with great sensitivity.”  —Annie Berger, senior editor
— Nan Froman, editorial director Publicity & marketing plans: East Coast author events and
Publicity & marketing plans: Print and online marketing festivals; advertising; paid social campaign; YA social
campaign to launch in the fall; book will be highlighted at influencer campaign; subscription box outreach; Firereads
conferences. newsletter; social media promotions.
Illustrator Irene Luxbacher is not attending.
Lindsay Lackey
Ryan La Sala All the Impossible Things
Reverie Roaring Brook, Sept.; $16.99 hardcover; ages 8–12
Sourcebooks Fire, Jan. 2020; $17.99 hardcover; ages 12–up Why the buzz: “This
First printing: 75,000 book is pure magic, and I
Why the buzz: “This book is such can’t wait for the world to
an exciting one. It’s a thrilling and read it and fall in love with
mysterious debut that explores what it the way I have.”
happens when the worlds we hide —Jennifer Besser, senior
inside us become our reality, and v-p and publishing
how far we’re willing to go to con- director, Roaring Brook,
front them. It’s poignant, has com- FSG, and First Second
pelling characters, epic world- Publicity & marketing
building, and explores the strengths plans: National author
and weaknesses within ourselves. tour; early buzz cam-
Ryan La Sala also has a wonderful paign; Indies Introduce
voice that I’m so pleased will be out selection.

Celebrating
Courage Compassion
Meet the
Creators at Ci7

Jerry Pinkney
A Place to Land

Sydney Smith
Small in the City
Discover
More Neal Porter Books / Holiday House
HolidayHouse.com/SEL

© 2019 by Jerry Pinkney

 Children’s Institute 2019

Rajani LaRocca

© jordan patterson
with a great read, DK Life
Midsummer’s Mayhem Stories has them covered. We’re
Yellow Jacket, June; $16.99 hardcover; ages 8–12 excited to take readers, parents,
Why the buzz: “Midsummer’s Mayhem has all the ingredients I and educators on this journey
could possibly want in a book: magic, mystery, baking, friend- with us.”
ship, wacky families, Shakespeare, and, most of all, a heroine  —Sarah Larter, publishing
you can root for to overcome all the odds. And the art created director
for this book is gorgeous and does so much in bringing the story Publicity & marketing plans:
to life!” —Charlie Ilgunas, associate editor Author appearances; major
Publicity & marketing plans: Bookstore and school events; prepub trade and educator buzz
advertising; social media campaign; #BookBirthday postings; campaign; advertising; social
ABA white box mailing; Big Mouth mailing; featured title at media campaign; e-newsletter
school and library conventions; dedicated teacher and librarian feature.
e-newsletter features.
Kwame Mbalia
Wil Mara Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
DK Life Stories: Albert Einstein Disney/Riordan, Oct.; $16.99 hardcover; ages 8–12
DK, out now; $16.99 hardcover, $5.99 paper; ages 8–12 First printing: 75,000
Announced first printing: 35,000 Why the buzz: “We’re tremendously excited about bringing
Why the buzz: “DK has worked with teachers, parents, librar- Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky to middle grade readers.
ians, literacy experts, booksellers, and kids in creating the new They will fall in love with Tristan, who easily could be friends
DK Life Stories series, so we can deliver everything they need with Percy Jackson. We were delighted to see old American
in a modern biography. Whether kids are looking for book folktale characters like Brer Fox, John Henry, and Gum Baby
report and history project resources, or they just want to curl up featured in such a fresh, modern, page-turning adventure. And

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 21

Don’t Let the Beasties
Escape This Book!
BY Julie Berry ILLUSTT RA
ILLUS RATED
TED BBYY
BEWARE!
Strange and magical things
can happen when you peek inside
a Book of Beasts!
Brilliantly illustrated and full of
surprises, Don’t Let the Beasties
Escape This Book! brings unicorns,
dragons, griffons, and the medieval
imagination to life.
ISBN 978-1-947440-04-3
$17.99
Getty Publications
www.getty.edu/publications
22 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
W 2019-06 Beasties.indd 1
Children’s Institute 2019
we’re grateful to Kwame Mbalia for introducing new genera-
tions to the rich stories of West Africa and the African
Diaspora.” —Stephanie Lurie, editorial director
Publicity & marketing plans: Seven-city author tour with
school visits; buzz mailings; online advertising campaign;
blogger/vlogger campaign; nine-copy floor display; online
teachers guide; promotion on Read Riordan.
Brittney Morris
Slay
Simon Pulse, Sept.; $18.99 hardcover;
ages 12–up
Why the buzz: “Slay is a home run
of a book. It thoughtfully interro-
gates issues at the center of national
attention—gaming culture, women
in STEM, prejudice, and racism—
while also delivering an inventive,
action-packed, entertaining story.
Brittney has crafted a world that is
equal parts techy, cool, and inspiring,
and I am so excited for readers, par-
ticularly young black readers, to see pieces of themselves in our
heroine, Kiera, and understand their own power to change the
world.” —Jennifer Ung, senior editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour, including book
April Lee festivals; book trailer; prepub buzz campaign; advertising; dedi-
cated website; social media promotion; education and library
marketing campaign.
Maika and Maritza Moulite
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine
Inkyard, Sept.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 12–up
Announced first printing: 100,000
Why the buzz: “From the moment I read the opening pages of
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine, I had to have the book on my list. This
sparkling debut features an irrepressible, effervescent voice
created by two sisters who share their heroine’s heritage and
positively portray a part of the world that is so often stereo-
typed negatively. Told through emails, journal entries, texts,
letters, and more, the book is a cel-
ebration of storytelling and imagi-
nation that leaped off the pages
right into my heart.”
 —Natashya Wilson, editorial
director
Publicity & marketing plans: Six-
city author tour; prepub buzz cam-
paign; prepub author appearances;
online and social media advertising;
author video; school and library
© 2019 J. Paul Getty Trust conference appearances and
promotions.
6/7/19 8:19 AM
 Children’s Institute 2019
Learn
DiScOvEr create
Ibtihaj Muhammad
The Proudest Blue
Little, Brown, Sept.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 4–8
First printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “Olympic medalist and activist Ibtihaj
Muhammad’s picture book debut is every bit as warm and inspi-
rational as Ibtihaj herself. Together with cowriter S.K. Ali and
illustrator Hatem Aly, this dream team delivers a stunning story
with a powerful message. Every page evokes oohs and ahhs as
the book celebrates the power of family, the beauty of hijab and
faith, and the importance of being proud of who you are and
where you come from.”—Lisa Yoskowitz, editorial director 9781641240260

Publicity and marketing plans: Author appearances; adver- 9781641240253 HC The intricate and densely layered
9781641240437 PB
tising; prepub buzz campaign; school and library conference illustrations are perfect for readers of
promotions; author video; exclusive digital content; social any age and ability, and make learning
visual and collaborative.
media outreach.
– The Children's Book Review
Illustrator Hatem Aly and contributor S.K. Ali are not attending.
Packed with facts and illustrations
Frank Murphy on the latest finds and theories for
A Boy Like You dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages.
Sleeping Bear, July; $16.99 hard- – Prehistoric Times Magazine
cover; ages 4–7
Why the buzz: “I love that A Boy
9781641240314 PB, July 2019
Like You opens the door to conver- 9781641240451 HC, August 2019

sations about masculinity and

emotion—about being a strong Genius.
ally for others and being true to – Romper
yourself. As Uncle Ben said, Macri and Zanotti make it clear
‘With great power comes great that shutting people out only
responsibility.’ And this book teaches boys how to wield that weakens a kingdom, and they do it
with laughter, not argument.
power to strengthen themselves and the rest of their community.
– Publishers Weekly
As the expectant mother of a boy, I feel so strongly about this
project.” —Sarah Rockett, editor 9781641240383

Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour.

Innosanto Nagara
M Is for Movement
Triangle Square, Nov.; $19.95 hardcover; ages 8–12
First printing: 30,000
Why the buzz: “The best books ask something of the reader.
M Is for Movement asks that we really imagine what it would be
like if the people took back our political power, using the
example of the author’s own life growing up in Indonesia, where
in 1998 the people finally rose up and forced the corrupt presi- 9781641240444 9781641240321
August 2019 August 2019
dent, Suharto, to resign.”—Dan Simon, publisher, Seven
Stories
Distributed by...
Publicity & marketing plans: Eight-city author tour,
including school events; advertising; social media campaign,
including promotion to #AIsForActivist; library marketing.

Oge Mora (800) 457-9112

Sales@FoxChapelPublishing.com
Saturday www.FoxChapelB2B.com
Little, Brown, Oct.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 4–8

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 23
 NEW Indigenous
Dual Language
Editions
GAAWIN
GINDAASWIN NDAAWSII
(I AM NOT A NUMBER)
The multiple award-winner, now
in Nishnaabemwin Nbisiing
(Ojibwe) and English.
Read It In Advance at
ABC Children’s Institute
ALSO COMING THIS FALL
Small Press. Important Books.
Find us on Edelweiss
Children’s Institute 2019
© abigail best
First printing: 50,000
Why the buzz: “I thought I couldn’t have been
more smitten with Oge Mora’s Caldecott
Honor–winning debut, Thank You, Omu!, until
she delivered her second masterpiece, Saturday,
a heartfelt story about what happens when life
doesn’t go according to plan. There’s so much I
adore here: its swoonworthy palette, its message
about cherishing time together, its resonance
with overworked moms trying to do it all... and
its unequivocal confirmation that Oge Mora is
a major new talent!” —Andrea Spooner, v-p,
editorial director
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; advertising; prepub buzz cam-
paign; school and library conference promotions; author video; exclusive digital con-
tent; social media outreach.
Joowon Oh
Our Favorite Day
Candlewick, Sept.; $16.99 hardcover; ages 3–7
Why the buzz: “I’m excited about Our Favorite Day because it’s the debut picture book
from #OwnVoices author and illustrator Joowon Oh. The simple text tells a sweet and
timeless story about a special relationship between a grandfather and granddaughter,
focusing on some favorite things they have in common—like dumplings and making
crafts together. The cut-paper artwork perfectly captures the small moments between
them and the project they undertake.” —Kate Fletcher, executive editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; targeted publicity; blogger out-
reach; art from the book will be used in social media campaigns and online giveaways.
Jerry Pinkney, illustrator
A Place to Land
Holiday House/Porter, Aug.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 7–10
First printing: 100,000
Why the buzz: “The combination of a gorgeously written account of the little-known
story of the writing of the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and the great Jerry Pinkney’s mas-
terly artwork make this a book I’m immensely proud of.” —Neal Porter, v-p and
publisher
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances at conferences, trade shows, and
festivals; national press campaign with special pitch.
Author Barry Wittenstein is not attending.
Rory Power
Wilder Girls
Delacorte, July; $18.99 hardcover; ages 12–up
First printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “We are thrilled to be publishing Rory Power’s Wilder Girls. Rory’s
talent is off the charts. Her gift for language is evident from the first page of this
feminist Lord of the Flies, but it’s her skill at storytelling that will hook you until the
end. Somehow Rory marries the literary with the commercial in a way I’ve never seen.
Wilder Girls is an extraordinary novel.”  —Krista Marino, senior executive editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; nine-copy floor display; escape
room event for local influencers; advertising; promotion at consumer events and fes-
tivals; animated assets.
 Children’s Institute 2019 Read Them In
Advance At
Sharon Robinson
Child of the Dream
ABC Children’s
Scholastic Press, Sept.; $16.99 hardcover; ages 8–12
Why the buzz: “As an author, Sharon Robinson has shared many intimate and
Institute
inspirational stories about her father, baseball icon and American hero Jackie
Robinson. But, with her new memoir, Sharon opens up about her own incredible
life. Set in 1963, Sharon turns 13 against the backdrop of one of the most important
years of the civil rights movement. This is the story of how one girl finds her voice in
the fight for justice and equality.” —Matt Ringler, senior editor, Scholastic Press
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; educator advertising; bookmark
giveaways; social media assets; cross-promotion with Jackie Robinson Foundation
and Major League Baseball; digital chapter sampler and audio clip available on
Scholastic’s social media networks and websites for parents, educators, and
librarians.

Laura Ruby
© stephen metro

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind

Them All
HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, Oct.; $17.99
hardcover; ages 12–up
Why the buzz: “Printz Award winner Bone
Gap could be the pinnacle of any great
author’s career; for Laura Ruby, it was a
launchpad. In Thirteen Doorways, Wolves
Behind Them All, Laura gives us a story about
the past, present, and future of America: a
genre-bending WWII-era tale of two girls—
one living, one dead—and their will to sur-
vive devastating injustice and loss. It is an unforgettable work of brilliance and heart,
GAAWIN NIIN
like nothing I’ve ever read before.” —Jordan Brown, executive editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; lead promotion at national school and
DOO-GINDAASWISII
library conferences; HarperStacks sweepstakes/influencer campaign and behind-the- (I AM NOT A NUMBER)
book feature; educator guide; author video; promotion on Epic Reads social New Dual Language Edition
community. The multiple award-winning
true story. Nishnaabemwin
Sergio Ruzzier, illustrator (Ojibwe), Nbisiing dialect and
Roar Like a Dandelion by Ruth Krauss English edition. Ages 9-13
HarperCollins, Oct.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 4–8
Why the buzz: “I completely fell in love with this JUST LUCKY
never-before-published picture book by the [late] There’s nothing lucky about
legendary Ruth Krauss. In Roar Like a Dandelion, as your family falling apart.
with all Ruth’s books, she creates an immediate and Ages 13+
authentic connection with the reader. Her language
and voice excite children, and Sergio Ruzzier’s illus- THE BRAVE
trations with their irresistible wit play off her words PRINCESS AND ME
with perfection. This pair has created a book that is Hidden from the Nazis by
magically unique and playful. It’s an absolute treat.” a princess. Ages 9-12
 —Nancy Inteli, v-p, editorial director,
HarperCollins Children’s Books
Publicity & marketing plans: Illustrator appear-
ances; social media advertising campaign; indie bookstore outreach; custom video
content with Ruzzier; extensive social media promotion across HarperKids and
HarperStacks platforms.
Small Press. Important Books.
Find us on Edelweiss
 R AT Children’s Institute 2019
E
OV

Ci7
IS C
D
John Schoffstall

THE RANGER
SECOND BOOK IN THE CROW STORIES TRILOGY
Nancy Vo
 “Visually arresting.”
— Kirkus, starred review
© sam interrante
Half-Witch
Big Mouth, Oct.; $14.95 paper; ages 12–up
First printing: 10,000
Why the buzz: “With the right luck, Half-Witch
could become a modern classic. It’s a debut that
snuck onto NPR’s Best of the Year list and
delighted the New York Times; it was a staff favorite
at indies across the nation, including Elliott Bay
and Pegasus Books. It’s a novel of two girls in a
world that is changing as fast as they are, and we’re
thrilled to be publishing the paperback.”
 —Gavin J. Grant, publisher, Small Beer
Publicity & marketing plans: Advertising; social
media campaign; outreach to YA websites and
bloggers; Crawford Award finalist, Junior Library Guild selection, and Locus recom-
mended reading.
Steve Sheinkin
Born to Fly
Roaring Brook, Sept.; $19.99 hardcover; ages 10–14
Announced first printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “With fearless women pilots, the thrill of the early days of aviation,
and a nail-biting race across the skies, Born to Fly combines the very best in storytelling:
inspiring heroes, characters bursting with life, and suspense and danger. Best of all,
this reads like page-turning fiction, but it’s all 100% true.”
—Connie Hsu, executive editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Festival appearances; national media campaign; exten-
sive outreach to teachers and librarians.

Sydney Smith
Small in the City
Holiday House/Porter, Sept.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 4–8
First printing: 45,000
Why the buzz: “This exquisite picture book is an
intensely moving meditation on childhood, loss, love,
and redemption—all in 40 pages. We look forward to
reintroducing Sydney to American booksellers at CI 7
and with a three-city prepub tour. His stunning art-
work will appeal to art lovers everywhere.”
—Michelle Montague, director, trade marketing
AUNT PEARL Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances at
Monica Kulling major conferences, trade shows, and festivals; special
Irene Luxbacher galley mailing to reviewers and influencers.

Maggie Stiefvater
“A poignant look at Call Down the Hawk
a homeless woman Scholastic Press, Nov.; $19.99 hardcover; ages 12–up
First printing: 100,000
and her family — a Why the buzz: “Maggie Stiefvater is at the top of her game with Call Down the Hawk,
constellation too which marks the start of the Dreamer trilogy. The Lynch brothers from the Raven
rarely seen.” Cycle are back—and they’re joined by a new cast of characters that are as mysterious,
idiosyncratic, and compelling as any of Maggie’s other creations. It’s no small feat to
— Kirkus Reviews
 Children’s Institute 2019
New Books
coming
Fall 2019
from
satisfy devout fans and inspire new ones at the same time, but Maggie pulls it off here
to a degree that leaves me awestruck.”

blue manatee press

 —David Levithan, v-p, publisher, and editorial director, Scholastic
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; extensive prepub buzz campaign;
advertising; dedicated Tumblr site; social media assets; digital chapter sampler and
audio clip; social media campaign via the I Read YA community; feature on Scholastic’s
social media networks and websites for parents, educators, and librarians.

Sam Streed
Alfred’s Book of Monsters
Charlesbridge, Aug; $15.99 hardcover; ages 3–7
Announced first printing: 40,000
Why the buzz: “Sam presented the book as his final
project for a class at Rhode Island School of Design,
where I was giving feedback to the students, and
when I saw his modern twist on the Victorian set-
ting and heard the droll, clever story, I was hooked.
We made an offer as soon as I got back to the office.” By Erin Barker
 —Yolanda Scott, associate publisher/editorial ISBN: 978-1-936669-77-6
Hardcover * $17.99
director
Publicity & marketing plans: New England
appearances; extensive social media campaign;
online activity guide.

Rosiee Thor See You at

Tarnished Are the Stars
Scholastic Press, Oct.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 14–up Children’s
Why the buzz: “Tarnished Are the Stars is a captivating adventure about unlikely allies
who must work together to save their world. What’s so special—in addition to being
Institute!
top-tier sci-fi/fantasy—is how it puts queerness at the forefront: not only are all three
main characters queer, but we see Nathaniel begin to feel more comfortable in his skin
when he comes to identify as ace—and the words asexual and aromantic appear on the
page.” —Orlando Dos Reis, editor, Scholastic Press
Publicity & marketing plans: Social media promotion via Scholastic’s teen commu-
nity, I Read YA, and across Scholastic’s social media platforms.

Tim Tingle
Doc and the Detectives
Scholastic/Levine, Oct.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 8–12
Why the buzz: “I love reading the author’s note first before diving into a story. Tim
Tingle explains that this story is a modern version of his younger self, a Choctaw
Indian crime stopper, staying up late reading the Hardy Boys. The opening chapter By Dr. John Hutton
grabs you immediately, with Timmy sneaking out at midnight to investigate a Illus. by Christina Brown
ISBN: 978-1-936669-76-9
strange noise outside. He soon teams up with Dr. Moore to solve the mystery. Board Book * $7.99
Master storyteller Tim Tingle unravels twists and turns with humor and lots of
heart, including the special care of introducing the challenges of Doc’s devel-
oping dementia. I loved Timmy’s beautiful Native American family and learning
about Choctaw culture.”
 —Lizette Serrano, executive director, educational marketing
Publicity & marketing plans: Educator advertising; featured at educator and librarian
conferences; social media assets; digital chapter sampler and audio clip available;
feature on Scholastic’s social media networks and websites for parents, educators, and
librarians.

A Proud
Participant in Ci7!
Debuting a
Must-Have New Title
A BOY
LIKE YOU
coming July 2019
978-1-53411-046-5 | $16.99
Author Frank Murphy will be
signing advance copies at Ci7!
“A Boy Like You has an empowering
and positive message which can have an
impact whether you are 8 years, 16 years
old or an adult -- it can be kept on a
shelf and read over and over again.”
— Kathy Morrison, Owner
Newtown Bookshop, Newtown, PA
sleepingbearpress.com
866-918-3956
Children’s Institute 2019
Duncan Tonatiuh
Soldier for Equality
Abrams, Sept.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 6–8
Announced first printing: 25,000
Why the buzz: “In Soldier for Equality, Duncan once again
returns to his passion of sharing with children the lives
and exceptional work of both Mexicans and Mexican
Americans. In this time of unrest in the U.S. about immi-
grants and border walls, it is important to recognize the
contributions that so many immigrants have made to this
country. Duncan’s work offers a light for children to follow
as they learn what makes America great.”
 —Howard Reeves, editor-at-large
Publicity & marketing plans: National author tour; advertising; social media cam-
paign; school and library conference promotions.
Chris Van Dusen
If I Built a School
Dial, Aug.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 5–8
First printing: 100,000
Why the buzz: “Chris Van Dusen’s previous titles in this series have become modern
classics—go-to favorites that are equally appreciated by kids and the adults who read
them aloud over and over again. And so it’s super exciting to be launching a third after
nine years of waiting. Chris’s art has more radiance, cheer, and creative surprise than
ever, and the school subject matter is perfect for inspiring kid inventors. It is an exhila-
rating book.” —Lauri Hornik, president and publisher
Publicity & marketing plans: National author tour; storytime kit; advertising; online
and social media promotion; featured at school and library conferences.
Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Wilma Rudolph (Little People, Big Dreams series)
Quarto/Lincoln, out now; $14.99 hardcover; ages 4–6
Why the buzz: “Isabel Sánchez Vegara, the author of the Little People, Big Dreams
series, is attending all the way from Spain this year, having just hit the milestone of
1.5 million copies sold across 25 titles in the series, with 14 more titles releasing in
2019. The series features picture book biographies of heroes from history as children
with a new spinoff board book series and gift formats. Wilma Rudolph is the latest book
in the series.” —Hannah Moushabeck, marketing manager, children’s books and
toys, Quarto
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; blogger/Instagrammer tour;
online promotion and social media outreach.
Illustrator Amelia Flower is not attending.
Nancy Vo
The Ranger
Groundwood, Aug.; $17.95 hardcover; ages 4–8
First printing: 10,000
Why the buzz: “The Ranger, the second book in the
Crow Stories trilogy, is as intriguing as The Outlaw
and features a young girl as the protagonist. Nancy
Vo’s art is absolutely stunning: her subtle use of color
(as well as period newspapers and fabric patterns),
interesting perspectives, and sensitive portrayal of
 Advertisement
Children’s Institute 2019

Annie and the fox. I also love the simplicity, depth, and elegance of the text.”
 —Nan Froman, editorial director
Publicity & marketing plans: Print and online marketing campaign to launch in the
fall; highlighted at conferences.

Renée Watson
Some Places More Than Others

Hildegard
Bloomsbury, Sept.; $16.99 hardcover; ages 8–12
Announced first printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “This book is about exploring the places
and collecting the stories that make us who we are, while of Bingen:
also a love letter to Harlem. And who better to write
Scientist,
Composer,
about discovering Harlem than Renée Watson, who is
bringing new life to the brownstone that belonged to

Healer, &
Langston Hughes? The experience of the neighborhood
and sense of family and culture are inspiring; readers will
delight in discovering along with Amara in Renée’s
skillful hands.” —Sarah Shumway, executive editor Saint
Publicity & marketing plans: Eight- to 10-city Demi.
national tour with school visits, festivals, and bookseller Wisdom Tales, $17.95 (40p)
ISBN 978-1-937786-77-9
events.

M.L. Webb � � � � � � � �
The GayBCs
Quirk, Oct.; $14.99 hardcover; ages 4–8
First printing: 35,000 D emi tells the luminous
story of St. Hildegard of Bingen
Why the buzz: “We’re thrilled to be pub- who, as a child, “saw lights, and
lishing M.L. Webb’s debut picture book this inside those lights were pictures
fall. The GayBCs is a joyful alphabet book of of Heaven” and could tell the
LGBTQ+ vocabulary, offering kids an inclusive, future. Cloistered due to terrible
accessible space to celebrate identities of all headaches, Hildegard becomes a
nun at 18, and her visions persist
kinds. Lively poems are paired with bright until she hears the voice of God
illustrations of four friends who play, sashay, and beseeching her to “let your inside
dream together, making The GayBCs a perfect lights shine out.” In response, she
way to introduce concepts, provide a resource writes about the world she sees in
for questioning kids, or simply serve as a fun her mind’s eye as well as works
about natural history, medicine,
readaloud.” —Alex Arnold, senior editor and cookery. Her gifts to the
Publicity & marketing plans: Partnership world, including an invented
with LGBTQ organizations, community orga- alphabet and language, are also
nizations, and nonprofits, including bookstores and libraries hosting Drag Queen Story creative in nature: “So great was
Times; online media campaign with advertising. Hildegard’s secret land of lights,
so energetic, so brilliant, and
so full of ideas, that Hildegard
Brendan Wenzel was able to compose seventy-
A Stone Sat Still seven symphonic songs and an
Chronicle, Aug.; $17.99 hardcover; ages 2–5 operatic morality play.” Demi
First printing: 100,000 illustrates this passionate tribute
in her characteristic art style,
Why the buzz: “Brendan’s continued growth and creativity as an author-illustrator are blending spare, open space; inky
thrilling to witness. This book is so ambitious—he explores huge ideas here, everything figurinelike forms; and ornate
from the passage of time and mindfulness to the importance of place and appreciating celestial accents. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)
the environment and the animals who live in it—and he absolutely delivers on every-
thing. Just like They All Saw a Cat and Hello Hello, A Stone Sat Still will make you see —Publishers Weekly
May 2, 2019
the world in a way you may not have done before. It’s a masterpiece.”
 —Ginee Seo, children’s publishing director
wisdomtalespress.com

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 29
 Children’s Institute 2019

Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; print and formative power of drag, and the story is so uplifting, life-
online advertising; author video; special art print; social media affirming, and just pure fun to read! This book makes my heart
campaign; promotion at school and library conferences and so happy, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.”
regional trade shows.  —Rachael Stein, editor
Publicity & marketing plans: Author events; print and online
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver publicity campaign; bookseller mailing; discussion guide.
Alien Superstar
Amulet, Oct.; $14.99 hardcover; ages 8–12 Sylvia Zéleny
Announced first printing: 100,000 copies The Everything I Have Lost
Cinco Puntos, Sept.; $15.95 hardcover, $11.95 paper;

courtesy of the author

ages 12–up
Why the buzz: “We want
to give readers all across
the country a feel for our
part of the world, the U.S.-
Mexico border. Sylvia
Zéleny is going to really
bring this region into
focus. She has all the energy
and imagination of border
writers, and The Everything
I Have Lost reveals, diary
Why the buzz: “We’re so excited to welcome Henry Winkler entry by diary entry, what
and Lin Oliver to the Abrams list. Buddy Burger is an alien who it’s like to be a teenager
looks strange but has a very relatable heart. He crash-lands in trying to navigate the dark
Hollywood and gets cast in a sitcom as a wacky alien—with mysteries of her family holding together in Juarez, Mexico.”
hilarious results. With Henry and Lin’s Hollywood expertise,  —Lee Byrd, editor and copublisher
they’re the perfect authors for this fish-out-of-water story.” Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances at Feria
 —Maggie Lehrman, executive editor Internacional del Libro, Bogotá; co-op available; galley mailing.
Publicity & marketing plans: Authors tour; major print and
digital advertising campaigns; strong retail promotion across Katie Zhao
all channels. The Dragon Warrior
Bloomsbury, Oct.; $16.99 hardcover; ages 8–11
David Yoon Announced first printing: 50,000
Frankly in Love Why the buzz: “This enchanting middle grade effortlessly
Putnam, Sept.; $18.99 hardcover; ages 12–up combines all the best elements of fantasy with a strong layer
First printing: 300,000 of heart. Katie Zhao pulls you into a breathless adventure
Why the buzz: “I’m excited about Frankly in Love because while across U.S. Chinatowns, filled with scheming gods and fierce
it’s a book that is rooted in a specific place, time, and situation, creatures from Chinese mythology (most notably: dragons!).
it is also utterly relatable. The novel will make you laugh and Amid the high-octane action,
cry, and I hope it’s also a primer for more in-depth conversations our relatable kick-butt protag-
about race, class, and identity.”—Jennifer Klonsky, president onist, Faryn Liu, truly grounds
and publisher, Putnam and Razorbill the story. She’s both funny and
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; prepub buzz cam- determined, and flawed and
paign; advertising; promotion at consumer festivals and cons; vulnerable, and readers will
extensive online promotion, social media, and blogger outreach; love rooting for her and her
major promotion at national school and library conferences. friends.”
 —Hali Baumstein, associate
Alyssa Zaczek editor
Martin McLean, Middle School Queen Publicity & marketing plans:
Sterling Children’s Books, Jan. 2020; $16.95 hardcover; ages 8–12 Three- to five-city national tour
Why the buzz: “I like to think of Martin McLean, Middle School with emphasis on school visits;
Queen as glitter that won’t get everywhere—it’s about the trans- festival appearances. ■

30 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ J U N E 1 7 , 2 0 1 9
TUNDRA BOOKS