Relic Hunters
HarperCollins hosted the four winners of a nationwide sweepstakes to participate in a relic scavenger hunt inspired by Tony Abbott’s series, The Copernicus Legacy, on September 13 at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. The winners met with Abbott at the beginning of the hunt, which spanned the entire museum, and joined him afterwards for a pizza party at Barnes & Noble on the Upper West Side. From ll. Ro r.: Colin Duncan, Cincinnati, Ohio; Astrid Widjaja from Boyds, Md; Tony Abbott; Natalie Torbert from Woodbury, Minn.; and Talia Barnhart from Monroe, Conn.
A Tenacious Trio
Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Mass., hosted a launch party for The Iron Trial book one in the Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. The event was held at the Jones Library in Amherst and was sold out. Scott Fischer, who illustrated The Iron Trial, also made a guest appearance; Black, Clare, and Fischer are all residents of the Amherst area.
In Vogue
Author James Dashner (center) was joined by his editor, Krista Marino (l.) and agent Michael Bourret for NYC Teen Vogue’s screening of The Maze Runner, held at the SVA Theater on September 15. Cast and crew members also attended the event. The Maze Runner film opens to the public on September 19.
Feeling the (Book) Love in Boston
About 100 publishers and booksellers turned out for the latest gathering (and children’s book swap) of Children’s Books Boston, held last week at the Simmons College Paresky Center. Pictured here (l. to r.) are four of CBB’s cofounders: Jennifer Roberts, executive director of marketing, publicity, and events at Candlewick; Cathie Mercier, director for the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and professor of English at Simmons College; Yolanda Scott, editorial director of Charlesbridge; and Betsy Groban, senior v-p and publisher of HMH Books for Young Readers.
Author in the City
Author Julie Salamon thanked attendees at the September 11 launch party for her first children’s book, Cat in the City (Dial), illustrated by Jill Weber. The event, which was held at the Greenwich House Music School in New York City, drew more than 100 of the author and illustrator’s friends, family members, and colleagues to celebrate the book’s release.
Cookie On the Run!
The Maplewood Library in New Jersey hosted local author Hallie Durand (aka, Holly McGhee of Pippin Properties) and illustrator David Small, the team behind Catch That Cookie! (Dial) on September 13. Also attending the event was pre-school teacher Mrs. Gray, who inspired the story, and a real-life gingerbread man. Here, Small prepares to give a drawing lesson to the 100+ attendees. Kids also took part in cookie decorating and, naturally, a runaway cookie hunt.
Change for the Good
A launch event for Laurie Ann Thompson’s Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters, was held at the Seattle Creative Arts Center on September 14. The event was sponsored by Seattle’s Secret Garden Bookshop. Since the book features interviews with teenagers who are involved with community organizations, Thompson invited teens to speak, including Josie Gillett (seen here). She introduced the Youth Ultimate Project, which offers ultimate Frisbee sports camps to children in Cambodia.
