Simon& Schuster Books for Young Readers has just announced a new middle-grade seriesby Tony DiTerlizzi. The Search for WondLa,about a 12-year-old girl—raised underground by a robot—and her search for otherhumans. The first volume in the series will be published on September 21 with a300,000-copy first printing. The book will feature two-color artwork throughoutand will incorporate "augmented reality" in several places, a first for thepublisher. S&S plans to promote the book with a $350,000 marketingcampaign.
DiTerlizzihas published several books with S&S, including the Spiderwick Chronicles(with Holly Black), Kenny & theDragon, and the Adventure of Meno series (with his wife, Angela). "I'mthrilled to mark a decade of making books with Simon & Schuster with thelaunch of my newest novel," said DiTerlizzi in a statement. "When I firstconceived of The Spiderwick Chronicles, I imagined a story from the past comingforward to the present. In The Search forWondLa I am bringing a story back in time from the future. My vision is tocreate a 21st century fairy tale."
