Both Winter Institute first-timers and regulars know how frustrating it can be to make sure that you pick up all of the finished books and galleys you wanted to bring back for the staff, and make connections with the authors you want to meet. To help, PW has compiled a list of the children’s books and galleys being given away at this year’s conference, along with the buzz about why specific authors are coming to the Institute. We’ve organized the list alphabetically by author. An asterisk (*) next to the author or illustrator’s name means that she or he will be attending.
Let’s Get Lost
by Adi Alsaid*
Harlequin Teen
July 2014; $17.99 hardcover
First printing: 80,000
Why the buzz: Publicity manager Emer Flounders says that this book offers “a new perspective on the coming-of-age road trip with a creative twist. Readers will find the perfect mix of fresh and familiar. It’s a fresh twist on the classic coming-of-age road trip making it perfect for all ages.”
Publicity & marketing plans: Advertising; in-book advertising; author tour; blog tour and teaser campaign; consumer cover unveiling; behind-the-scenes creatives and giveaways; promotion across Alloy Entertainment’s network of sites and social media platforms; pre-pub buzz campaign.
Opening: “Hudson could hear the car’s engine from blocks away.”
Good Crooks series
by Mary Amato
First two books bound together: Good Crooks Book One: Missing Monkey! and Good Crooks Book Two: Dog Gone!
Egmont USA
Feb. 2014; $14.99 hardcover; $4.99 paperback
Middle grade; ages 7-9
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill
by Megan Frazer Blakemore
Bloomsbury Kids
May; $16.99 hardcover; $16.99
Middle grade; ages 8-12
The Here and Now
by Ann Brashares
Delacorte Press
April 2014; $18.99 hardcover
YA; ages 12 and up
Jane, the Fox and Me
by Fanny Britt; illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault
Groundwood Books
Available; $19.95 hardcover
Graphic novel, ages 10-14
5,000 in print
Sing Sweet Nightingale
by Erica Cameron
Spencer Hill Press; dist. by Midpoint
Mar. 2014; $9.95 paperback
YA
Graduation Day: The Testing, Book 3
by Joelle Charbonneau*
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
June 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA; ages 12 and up
First printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “It’s the final book in the The Testing trilogy, a house favorite and a series we’re all passionate about. The first title, The Testing, was a #1 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick, and recently made its debut on the New York Times bestseller list,” says executive director of publicity Karen Walsh.
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; blog tour; print and online advertising; promotional pens; educator guide; nine-copy floor display.
Opening: “A knock makes me jump.”
The Killing Woods
By Lucy Christopher*
Scholastic/Chicken House
Jan. 2014; $17.99 hardcover
Ages 14 and up
First printing: 100,000
Why the buzz: “Lucy Christopher’s The Killing Woods is a dangerous read – full of teen passion, peril and plain panic – set within a scary murder mystery which turns out to be more about who didn't do it! She challenges her readers to engage, to feel the heat of danger. Brilliant stuff,” says Chicken House publisher Barry Cunningham.
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; print and digital advertising; “Meet Lucy” writing contest
Opening: “Something was draped across Dad’s outstretched arms.”
The Girl from the Well
by Rin Chupeco
Sourcebooks Fire
August 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Young Adult
Breakfast Served Anytime
by Sarah Combs
Candlewick
April 2014; $16.99 hardcover
The Thirteenth Mystery
by Michael Dahl*
Capstone Young Readers
March 2014; $10.95 hardcover
Middle grade; ages 9-12
Why the buzz: Shannon Hoffmann, Capstone senior marketing manager, trade and consumer, sends this description: “This is the final book in Michael Dahl’s magical trilogy, Hocus Pocus Hotel. More magic tricks are uncovered and a 13th floor is discovered.”
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; advertising; social media and online contests.
Opening: “From his desk near the back of Ms. Gimli’s classroom, Charlie Hitchcock stared at the three impossible words. ABRACADABRA IS MISSING.”
Servants of the Storm
by Delilah S. Dawson
Simon Pulse
Aug. 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA; ages 14 and up
First printing: 25,000
Waterfire Saga: Book 1 of Deep Blue
by Jennifer Donnelly*
Disney Publishing Worldwide
May 2014; $17.99 hardcover
Why the buzz: This should be a big book and series. All that Disney will release before the conference is this description: When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet she finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil.
The Almost Fearless Hamilton Squidlegger
by Timothy Basil Ering*
Candlewick
April 2014
$16.99 hardcover
Picture Book
Why the buzz: “We are thrilled to have a new picture book authored and illustrated by Tim Ering – the first since 2008’s Necks Out for Adventure – on the heels of the 10th anniversary of The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone,” says Laura Rivas, associate director of marketing, publicity, and events.
Publicity & marketing plans: Advertising; author appearances at bookstores, festivals, and school and library conferences.
Opening: “During the hours when the sun shares its light, Hamilton is a daring do-er and a dream-come-truer. Why, he’s the rippingest, roaringest Squidlegger in the scrintalberry swamp!”
Northwood
by Brian Falkner
Capstone Young Readers
April 2014; $12.95 hardcover
Middle grade; ages 9-13
Buzz Kill
by Beth Fantaskey
May 2014; $17.99 hardcover
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
YA; ages 12 and up
First printing: 50,000
Mouseheart
by Lisa Fiedler
S&S/McElderry
May 2014; $15.99 hardcover
Middle grade (illustrated); ages 8-12
First printing: 100,000
The Glass Sentence: Book 1 in the Mapmaker’s Trilogy
by S.E. Grove
Viking
June 2014; $17.99 hardcover; ages 10 up
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
by Jenny Han
S&S Books for Young Readers
April 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA; ages 12 and up
First printing: 200,000
What I Came to Tell You
by Tommy Hays
Egmont USA
Available; $16.99 hardcover
Middle grade; ages 10 and up
Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders
by Geoff Herbach
Sourcebooks Fire
May 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Young Adult
Conversion
by Katherine Howe
Putnam
July 2014; $18.99 hardcover; YA
Odd, Weird, and Little
by Patrick Jennings*
Egmont USA
Available; $15.99 hardcover
Middle grade; ages 8-12
First printing: 20,000
Why the buzz: “Local author Patrick Jennings is a cornerstone of the Egmont USA list, well known for his chapter books, including the Guinea Dog series,” says Michelle Bayuk, associate sales and marketing director. “The new Odd, Weird, and Little (known around the office as OWL), which is a very funny look at human nature: Why do we see what we want to see? What is the nature of friendship? What is the best way to deal with a bully? And the kids are in on the secret – the kid is really an owl – from the very beginning.”
Opening: ”The new kid walks in.”
The Mark of the Dragonfly
by Jaleigh Johnson*
Delacorte
March 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Middle grade; ages 10 and up
First printing: 100,000
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; floor display; gold foil die-cut bookmarks; sample chapter in print and downloadable; print and online advertising; pre-pub dinners
Opening: “Micah brought the music box to her on the night of the meteor storm.”
Planning Perfect Parties
by Jen Jones
Capstone Young Readers
April 2014; $14.95 paperback
Ages 9 and up
Talon
by Julie Kagawa
Harlequin Teen
Oct. 2014; $17.99 hardcover
First printing: 200,000
YA
Going Over
by Beth Kephart
Chronicle Books
April 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA, ages 14 and up
The Winter Horses
by Philip Kerr
Knopf Books for Young Readers
March 2014; $16.99 hardcover
YA; ages 12 and up
The Art of Secrets
by James Klise*
Algonquin Young Readers
April 2014; $16.95 hardcover
YA; ages 12 and up
First printing: 20,000
Why the buzz: “We get excited when we see a manuscript with one fresh, original voice, but when this manuscript came in with a chorus of great voices and a unique presentation we were just smitten,” says editor and publisher Elise Howard.
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; prepub buzz campaign at BEA; print and online advertising; extended digital preview; downloadable reader’s guide
Opening: “Today at school, when the social worked asked what was ‘top of mind,’ I answered sleep.”
Defy
by Sara Larson*
Scholastic Press
Jan. 2014; $17.99 hardcover
Ages 12 and up
Why the buzz: “Defy is a thrilling roller coaster of a read. Sara has created a magical and lush jungle world in which her heroine, Alexa, a soldier in disguise, fends off enemies, falls in love, and weaves her way through a deadly maze of war, politics, and loss. Every time I read it, I fall in love all over again,” says Lisa Sandell, executive editor at Scholastic Press.
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; online and social media advertising
Opening: “The crackle and hiss of the flames devouring our house couldn’t block out the screaming and wailing of those who were still alive.”
Old Manhattan Has Some Farms
by Susan Lendroth; illustrated by Kate Endle*
Charlesbridge
Aug. 2014; $16.95 hardcover
Picture book; ages 3-7
First printing: 10,000
Why the buzz: For director of marketing Donna Spurlock, the description says it all: Set to the rhythm and structure of the song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” this fun story book extols the virtues of urban gardening – a green trend sweeping cities and towns all across the country. It includes a free download of a performance by popular children’s performer Caspar Babypants.
Publicity & marketing plans: Regional author and illustrator appearances; poster
Opening: “Old Manhattan had some farms. E-I-E-I-Grow!”
Have You Seen My Dragon?
written and illustrated by Steve Light
Candlewick
April 2014; $16.99 hardcover
A Snicker of Magic
by Natalie Lloyd*
Scholastic Press
Feb. 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Ages 8-12
Why the buzz: “There’s a passage in A Snicker of Magic that encapsulates our feelings about Natalie Lloyd’s exquisite debut,” says Mallory Kass, editor at Scholastic Press. “ ‘The way he said her name made my heart cramp. I can very often tell how much a person loves another person by the way they say their name. I think that’s one of the best feelings in the world, when you know your name is safe in another person’s mouth. When you know they’ll never shout it out like a cuss word, but say it or whisper it like a once-upon-a-time.’ This book has utterly enchanted us, and we couldn’t be more excited to see it cast its spell over readers.”
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; “word collecting” activity booklet and magnet sheet
Opening: “They say all the magic is gone up out of this place,” said Mama.
We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart*
Delacorte Press
May 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA; ages 12 and up
First printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “When enthusiasm comes this hard, this fast, this naturally – and nearly one year out from publication – you know you have something truly rare,” says Kim Lauber, director of marketing, Random House Children's Books. “E. Lockhart’s story of Cadence Sinclair, her family, and her friends – her band of liars – is intensely clever, emotionally charged, and appeals to the innate curiosity we all have about excessive wealth and what truths lie behind the façade. Beware: We Were Liars will wreck you fully, but it’s so smart and so well written you will be compelled to turn back to page one to experience it all again.”
Publicity & marketing plans: Extensive ARC distribution; pre-pub author buzz tour; floor display; chapter sampler giveaway; author appearances; advertising
Opening: “Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.”
Half a Chance
by Cynthia Lord
Scholastic Press
Feb. 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Ages 8-12
Tease
by Amanda Maciel*
HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray
May 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA; ages 14 and up
First printing: 150,000
Why the buzz: “Books on bullying usually focus on the POV of the bullied – this takes on the POV of the purported bully. Tease offers smart, insightful, nuanced views on the issue of high school bullying in our society. Amanda attended Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., which was where Phoebe Prince, after being bullied by classmates, killed herself. Amanda’s ongoing connections to the people of that town inspired her to think about who might be behind the faces of the kids who faced criminal charges of bullying and were accused of driving Phoebe to suicide,” says executive director of publicity, integrated marketing, Sandee Roston.
Publicity & marketing plans: Print and online advertising; five-city Story Crush Group Author Tour with Kiera Cass (The One) and Kevin Emerson (Exile), followed by three-city author tour with Cammie McGovern (Say What You Will); New Voices debut promotion; book club guide; Epic Reads promotion
Opening: “Did you ever have a physical confrontation with Miss Putnam?”
Presto Chango: A Book of Animal Magic
by Edouard Manceau
Twirl Books; dist. by Chronicle
March 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Picture book, ages 3 and up
Space Taxi: Archie Takes Flight
by Wendy Mass and Michael Brawer
Little, Brown BFYR
April 2014; $12.99 hardcover
Middle grade
The Falconer: Book 1
by Elizabeth May
Chronicle Books
May 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA, ages 14 and up
Blood Diaries: Tales of a 6th-Grade Vampire
by Marissa Moss*
Creston Books
May 2014; $13 hardcover
Middle-grade; ages 8-12
First printing: 5,000
Why the buzz: Author Moss, founder and editor-in-chief of Creston, notes, “We’re so excited about this title, because it’s [our] first one.” It’s written in her familiar diary format and brings humor to both vampire lore and middle school. According to the description, middle school is tough enough for normal humans, but when you’re a vampire, it’s even more challenging.”
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances, including signings at IRA, TLA, and summer ALA; blog tour
Opening: “My name is Edgar and I’m a vampire. Kidding! I just have very sharp teeth. No, that’s not true. Well, it is true, I do have sharp teeth. But that’s because I AM a vampire.”
Five Kingdoms: Sky Raiders
by Brandon Mull*
S&S/Aladdin
March 2014; $16.99 hardcover
First printing: 250,000
Middle grade; ages 8-12
Why the buzz: “We’re excited to be releasing this adventurous new fantasy series from our #1 New York Times bestselling author, Brandon Mull,” says Teresa Ronquillo in marketing.
Publicity & marketing plans: Pre-pub buzz campaign; major ARC distribution; author tour, including signing at ALA annual meeting
Opening: “Weaving down the hall, Cole avoided a ninja, a witch, a pirate, and a zombie bride.”
Hi, Koo! A Year of Seasons
by Jon J Muth*
Scholastic Press
Feb. 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Ages 4-8
Why the buzz: “Hi, Koo! inspires us with surprising and delightful pages full of warmth and joy. Jon Muth’s glowing watercolors and gentle haiku distill life's little pleasures into refreshing moments that are like a breath of Spring,” writes executive editor and David Saylor creative director Dianne Hess.
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; advertising; counter display; posters and in-store activity kit
Opening sentence: “Autumn, are you dreaming of new clothes?”
#scandal
by Sarah Ockler
Simon Pulse
June 2014; $17.99 hardcover
First printing: 30,000
YA; ages 14 and up
Timmy Failure: Now Look What You’ve Done
written and illustrated by Stephan Pastis
Candlewick
February 2014; $14.99 hardcover
Steering Towards Normal
by Rebecca Petruck*
Abrams
May 2014; $16.95 hardcover
Middle grade
Why the buzz: “We’re so excited about this debut, which we think will be a hit with boy readers. It’s also awesome to have a middle-grade novel centered around 4-H, which has 6.5 million members in the United States,” writes publicity and marketing associate Morgan Dubin. An Indies Introduce New Voices selection for spring 2014.
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances.
Opening: “Diggy Lawson stood in the barn and promised himself again that he would not name this new calf.”
Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of Katrina
by Rodman Philbrick
Scholastic/Blue Sky
Feb. 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Ages 10-14
The Summer of Letting Go
by Gae Polisner
Algonquin Young Readers
March, $16.95
YA; ages 12 and up
Here Comes Destructosaurus!
by Aaron Reynolds; illustrated by Jeremy Tankard
Chronicle Books
April 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Picture book, ages 2-4
I’ll Never Let You Go
by Marianne Richmond*
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
March 2014
$16.99 hardcover
Picture book
Why the buzz: “Marianne Richmond has the rare gift of creating emotional, thoughtful stories that people of all ages will appreciate forever, and with I’ll Never Let You Go she’s at her best. Marianne’s children’s books have the ability to speak straight to a parent’s heart while entrancing young readers,” says senior publicity manager Heather Moore.
Publicity & marketing plans: Advertising; Web promotion; author appearances.
Opening: “Edward and Blankie met on the first day of Edward.”
Swim That Rock
by John Rocco and Jay Primiano
Candlewick
April 2014; $16.99 hardcover
The Winner’s Curse
by Marie Rutkoski*
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
March 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA
First printing: 75,000
Why the buzz: “We are very excited to be the publisher of the Winner’s Curse. It’s got an awesome heroine, a heart-pounding romance, and a beautifully drawn world. And it always makes us excited when every single person in-house is swept away by a book the way our team has been by this one,” says Allison Verost, director of publicity for Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.
Publicity & marketing plans: Fierce Reads national author tour along with festival/trade show appearances; pre-pub buzz campaign, including specially designed ARC box mailings and book trailer (revealed by USA Today); advertising
Opening: “She shouldn’t have been tempted.”
The Voyage
by Veronica Salinas; illustrated by Camilla Engman
Groundwood Books/House of Anansi
Available; $16.95 hardcover
Picture book, ages 4-7
Heartbeat
by Elizabeth Scott*
Harlequin Teen
Jan. 2014; $16.99 hardcover
First printing: 150,000
Why the buzz: “Elizabeth Scott’s award-winning dark fiction is what drew us to her and she delivers with Heartbeat, a YA love story in time for Valentine’s Day,” says publicity manager Emer Flounders.
Publicity & marketing plans: Advertising; in-book advertising; author appearances; blog tour and teaser campaign.
Opening: “I sat down with my mother. My smile is shaky as I tell her about my day.”
E-I-E-I-O!
by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Matthew Myers
Candlewick
February 2014; $16.99 hardcover
Heavenly Nostrils
by Dana Simpson*
AMP! Comics for Kids
Sept. 2014; $9.99 paperback original
Middle grade
Why the buzz: “AMP is delighted to introduce this remarkable duo, Phoebe and her best friend, unicorn Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, to young readers. This beautifully drawn strip follows the unlikely friendship between a somewhat awkward girl and the unicorn who gradually shows her just how special she really is,” says publicity director Kathy Hilliard.
Publicity & marketing plans: Author appearances; downloadable teacher’s guide, learning activities, and printable posters
Opening: “OW!”
“ …whoa. You’re … a UNICORN, right?”
“Mmhmm. And you, clearly, are a genius.”
“I know, right? FOUR SKIPS!”
Grasshopper Jungle
by Andrew Smith*
Dutton
Feb. 2014; $18.99 hardcover
YA
Why the buzz: “Grasshopper Jungle has been an in-house favorite at Penguin since it was launched by Dutton publisher Julie Strauss-Gabel. This utterly original novel will intrigue, shock, and disturb you, and we think it has the potential to be one of [the] year’s most talked-about books. Anyone who’s read it will tell you it defies categorization. It’s Vonnegut meets District 9 meets Lost, with a healthy dose of Starship Troopers thrown in,” says Penguin Young Readers Group executive director of publicity Shanta Newlin.
Publicity & marketing plans: Early manuscript mailing; postcards at fall book festivals; and galley giveaways to consumers; blog tour with “Unstoppable Corn” t-shirt giveaways; author appearances.
Opening: “I read somewhere that human beings are genetically predisposed to record history.”
The Geography of You and Me
by Jennifer E. Smith
Little, Brown/Poppy
April 2014; $18 hardcover
YA
Lies We Tell Ourselves
by Robin Talley
Harlequin Teen
Sept. 2014; $17.99 hardcover
First printing: 60,000
YA
The One Safe Place
by Tania Unsworth
Algonquin Young Readers
April 2014; $15.95 hardcover
Middle grade; ages 10 and up
Under the Freedom Tree
by Susan VanHecke; illustrated by London Ladd
Charlesbridge
Available; $16.95 hardcover
Picture book; ages 6-9
First printing: 10,000
The Scar Boys
by Len Vlahos*
Egmont USA
Jan. 2014; $17.99 hardcover
YA; ages 14 and up
First printing: 50,000
Why the buzz: “We were excited about The Scar Boys from the start for its straightforward yet moving portrayal of the healing power of music. But the overwhelming support from the indie bookstore community – including the #1 spot on the Winter Kids’ Indie Next List and a 20-plus city tour – really sent this book over the top for us,” says Michelle Bayuk, associates sales and marketing director.
Publicity & marketing plans: 20-plus city author tour; 10-day blog tour; discussion guide
Opening: “Please write an essay of 250 words on the topic of your choice.”
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
by Leslye Walton*
Candlewick
March 2014; $17.99 hardcover; simultaneous e-book and audio
First printing: 100,000
Young Adult
Why the buzz: “There has been an incredible amount of in-house excitement for [this book] from the moment the manuscript circulated. It is hard to believe that this is Leslye Walton’s debut novel. She can be best described as a wondrous new talent and discovery. It is pretty thrilling to be part of the launch of what we predict will be a very big literary career,” says Laura Rivas, associate director of marketing, publicity, and events.
Publicity & marketing plans: This is Candlewick lead fiction title for the spring with a planned global English-language laydown. Advertising, author appearances, a book trailer; and extensive ARC distribution. An ABA New Voices pick for spring 2014.
Opening: “To many, I was myth incarnate, the embodiment of a most superb legend, a fairy tale. Some considered me a monster, a mutation. To my great misfortune, I was once mistaken for an angel. To my mother, I was everything. To my father, nothing at all. To my grandmother, I was a daily reminder of loves long lost. But I knew the truth – deep down, I always did. I was just a girl.”
Cozy Classics: Emma
by Jack Wang and Holman Wang*
Simply Read; dist. by Ingram
Available; $9.95 board book
Why the buzz: “Cozy Classics is the popular board book series that presents well-loved stories to children through 12 child-friendly words and 12 needle-felted illustrations,” explains publicist Kallie George.
Opening: “Lady, Man, Goodbye, Hello.”
The Young World
by Chris Weitz*
Little, Brown
July 2014; $19 hardcover
YA
First printing: 250,000
Why the buzz: As publicity director Jennifer Corcoran notes, this is the first novel from the director of Twilight: New Moon, The Golden Compass, and other films. The story takes place, she says, “after a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population, [and] the young survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. Jefferson, the reluctant leader of the Washington Square tribe, and Donna, the girl he’s secretly in love with, have carved out a precarious existence among the chaos. But when another tribe member discovers a clue that may hold the cure to the Sickness, five teens set out on a life-altering road trip to save humankind.”
Publicity & marketing plans: Author tour; print and online advertising; consumer sweepstakes; blogger outreach; extended free preview at e-tailers; exclusive digital extras; floor display
Opening: “It’s another gorgeous spring day after the fall of civilization.”
Ava and Pip
by Carol Weston*
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
March 2014
$15.99 hardcover
Middle grade, ages 10 and up
Why the buzz: “In her fresh, diary-style middle-grade novel Carol Weston reminds us that there’s a little bit of ‘word-nerd’ in us all. Filled with clever palindromes and homonyms, the diary of Ava, a young aspiring writer, helps readers view the whole wide world of words in a brand-new way. This touching story of sibling rivalry, unexpected friendship, and the power of words is Carol Weston’s best novel yet,” says senior publicity manager Heather Moore.
Publicity & marketing plans: Advertising; Web promotion; author appearances; reading group and educator guides.
Opening: “Dear new diary, you won’t believe what I just found out.”
Noggin
by John Corey Whaley*
S&S/Atheneum
April 2014; $17.99 hardcover
First printing: 50,000
YA; ages 14 and up
Why the buzz: “Noggin is Whaley’s first book since his Printz and Morris Award-winning Where Things Come Back. This is a touching, hilarious, and wholly original coming-of-age story,” says Teresa Ronquillo in marketing.
Publicity & marketing plans: Pre-pub buzz campaign; major ARC distribution; author tour.
Opening: “Listen – I was alive once and then I wasn’t.”
The Thickety: A Path Begins
by J.A. White*
HarperCollins/Tegen
May; $16.99 hardcover
Middle grade; ages 8-12
First printing: 100,000
Why the buzz: “Forbidden magic, a lost grimoire, a battle between a good witch and a bad witch – what more could you ask for?,” says Sandee Roston, executive director of publicity, integrated marketing. “Kara is a headstrong and determined girl, who fights for what she believes in and to protect her family. Her heroism takes a larger scope when forbidden magic starts threatening the entire village – and Kara has to deal with the guilt that she herself may have caused some of the dangers. [This] is the start of a thrilling and spellbinding tale.”
Publicity & marketing plans: “Creatures from the Thickety” promo buttons; six-city tour; Summer ’14 Class Acts middle-grade group promotion; featured title in New Voices promotion; Common Core-aligned teacher activities
Opening: “Kara lay in bed thinking of names.”
