For those charting a course through the Javits floor today and tomorrow, here’s a sampling of new books on display, in-booth author signings, and giveaways at the booths of children’s publishers.
Penguin Young Readers has a flurry of author autographings scheduled at booth 3119. This afternoon, 2–3 p.m., C. Alexander London will sign The Wild Ones, the launch title of a middle-grade animal fantasy series centering on an orphaned raccoon on a search to uncover an ancient secret. The series is written in the vein of the Redwall saga by the late Brian Jacques, one of the author’s favorite writers, who years ago encouraged London to follow his literary aspirations. Friday’s author signings include Marie Lu, The Rose Society (9:30–10:30 a.m.), Oliver Jeffers, The Day the Crayons Came Home (10:30–11:30 a.m.), Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski, Nightfall (1–2 p.m.), Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopolous, Ordinary People Change the World: I Am Jackie Robinson (1–2 p.m.), Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri, Robo-Sauce (3–4 p.m.), Lisa Tyre, Last in a Long Line of Rebels (3:30–4:30 p.m.), and Moira Fowley-Doyle, The Accident Season (4–5 p.m.).
Booksellers stopping by the booth can pick up copies of ARCs at the following times today: The Accident Season, 9 a.m.; Last in a Long Line of Rebels, 10 a.m.; Nightfall, 11 a.m.; and The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown, 3 p.m. Tomorrow’s galley giveaways are Richelle Mead’s Soundless, 9 a.m.; Appleblossom the Possum, by Holly Goldberg Sloan, 10 a.m.; The Last Kids on Earth, by Max Brallier and Doug Holgate, 11 a.m.; The Rose Society, 2 p.m.; and Juniors, by Kaui Hart Hemmings, 2 p.m. The publisher is also giving out The Day the Crayons Came Home tote bags.
At booth 738, Running Press staffers are talking up Inherit the Stars, the launch of a YA trilogy by debut author Tessa Ellwood. Set in outer space, the saga involves romance, family, dynasties, and political machinations. The publisher is giving away galleys of the book, as well as trading cards featuring a QR code that enables readers to view additional content about the novel’s characters and world. Galleys of two other YA titles are also up for grabs: Ken Baker’s Finding Forever: A Deadline Diaries Exclusive, the first in a series starring a teenage Hollywood celebrity blogger, and One of Us, by Jeannie Waudby, a debut novel about a teen who narrowly survives a bomb attack and then agrees to go undercover to infiltrate the young radicals held responsible.
Chronicle Books has a quartet of book signings scheduled at booth 2720. Today, 2–3 p.m., Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld will autograph copies of their picture book collaborations, Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and Steam Train, Dream Train. Tomorrow, 10–11 a.m., Mac Barnett sign copies of his picture book, Telephone, illustrated by Jen Corace, and posters for Leo: A Ghost Story, a tale of an unexpected friendship between a girl and a ghost, with pictures by Christian Robinson. Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrator Tom Lichtenheld will be at the booth tomorrow, 11 a.m.–noon, signing copies of three of their picture books: I Wish You More, Wumbers, and Duck! Rabbit! These collaborators will be followed by another creative duo, Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall, who will autograph copies of titles in their Ivy + Bean series, 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Also available at the booth are posters for Leo and I Wish You More, and galleys of Chess Queen Enigma, the third book in Colleen Gleason’s Stoker & Holmes series; A History of Glitter and Blood, by Hannah Moskowitz, a middle-grade novel about a fairy clan forced to venture into the gnome underworld; and House Arrest, K.A. Holt’s YA novel about a teen on probation who must take drastic measures to help his struggling family.
Abrams hosts a handful of authors at booth 2827 on Friday. The lineup includes Mac Barnett and Jory John, who will autograph copies of The Terrible Two, illustrated by Kevin Cornell, 9–10 a.m.; Jesse Andrews, who’ll be on hand 10–11 a.m. to sign copies of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, as well as movie posters for the June Fox Searchlight film based on the novel; Tom Angleberger, autographing copies of his new picture book, McToad Mows Tiny Island, with pictures by John Hendrix, 1:30–2:30 p.m.; and Jon Scieszka, signing copies of Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger, illustrated by Brian Biggs, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt welcomes Michael Buckley to booth 2541 tomorrow, 11 a.m.–noon, when he’ll sign copies of Undertow, his debut YA novel, a trilogy launch that opens with a race of ocean-dwelling warriors emerging from the sea onto Coney Island. The publisher is also promoting novels by three additional authors attending BEA: Estelle Laure’s This Raging Light, a debut YA about a teen caring for her younger sister; Milo Speck: Accidental Agent, Linda Urban’s first foray into fantasy; and Sarah Durst’s The Girl Who Could Not Dream, which marks this YA fantasy novelist’s middle-grade debut.
Foodies will want to wander over to the Workman/Storey Publishing booth (1039-1139) today at 2 p.m., when Deanna F. Cook will be demonstrating one of the recipes from her Cooking Class: 57 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Make (and Eat!), a Storey Publishing title. The author will also sign copies of the cookbook, aimed at readers ages 8–12, which includes step-by-step color photos for each recipe.
Akashic Books welcomes a pair of authors to booth 647A tomorrow, 11 a.m., when Adam Mansbach and Eric Morse will simultaneously sign ARCs of their respective new books. Mansbach, renowned for his faux- children’s picture books, Go the F**k to Sleep and You Have to F*****G Eat, will autograph his child-safe October release, Seriously, You Have to Eat, illustrated by Owen Brozman. And Morse will sign What Is Punk? a pop culture primer for the very young, with 3-D clay illustrations by Anny Yi. The book will be published in October under the publisher’s Black Sheep imprint.
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers hosts husband and wife collaborators Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann at booth 2620 today, 2–3 p.m. They will sign copies of their latest joint project, Bulldozer’s Big Day, written by Fleming and illustrated by Rohmann, which centers on a little bulldozer who thinks his fellow construction-site machines have forgotten his birthday.
The publisher has the following galleys available at the booth: The Blackthorn Key, by Kevin Sands; Zeroes, by Scott Westerfeld, Carol Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti; The Nest, by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Jon Klassen; and Erin Bow’s The Scorpion Rules. Additional giveaways include an excerpt sampler of Cassandra Clare’s Lady Midnight, lanyards and tote bags promoting Clare’s Shadowhunters, Dork Diaries–themed pens, Peanuts Read bags and buttons, and Galactic Hot Dogs hats.
At booth 475, Skyhorse Publishing has an author autographing scheduled for this morning, 11 a.m. Beth Vrabel will be on hand to sign ARCs of her October novel, A Blind Guide to Stinkville, a story about the strength of community and friendship among smalltown neighbors who are contending with a host of problems.
At booth 20382039, HarperCollins Children’s Books is announcing the launch of a new publishing program, Explore the World with Margaret Wise Brown. The line kicks off in fall 2016 with two newly reillustrated stories by Brown, The Dead Bird, featuring art by Christian Robinson, and Christmas in the Barn, with pictures by Anna Dewdney; and Brown’s never-before-published North, South, East, West, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli. Posters celebrating the program are available throughout the show.
Visitors to the booth this afternoon, 2–3 p.m., can meet Soman Chainani, on hand to sign posters promoting his middle-grade series, School for Good and Evil, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. And tomorrow, 11 a.m.–noon, Kevin Henkes will sign a promotional item for his upcoming picture book, Waiting.
The folks from Quirk Publishing are hosting an author this afternoon at booth 3250. David Stabler will sign ARCs of Kid Athletes, illustrated by Doogie Horner, the second book in the middle-grade Kid Legends series. The publisher is giving away chaplets of Library of Souls, the third installment of Ransom Riggs’s Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, due in September. The following month, Quirk will publish a boxed set of the three novels in the series. Also available at the booth are posters promoting Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye, the launch of a series created and illustrated by Will Stachle and written by Tania del Rio, which introduces a cursed Victorian orphan who works as a bellhop in his family’s hotel. Posters are also being given away for Home Alone: The Classic Illustrated Storybook, in which illustrator Kim Smith reimagines this film as a classic Christmas fable.
Algonquin Young Readers welcomes two authors to booth 1039–1139 tomorrow. At noon, Adam Shaughnessy will sign his debut book, The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB, a middle-grade adventure. At 1 p.m., Winifred Conkling will be at the booth autographing Radioactive! How Irene Curie & Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World. Galley giveaways are today, 10 a.m., If You’re Lucky, by Yvonne Prinz; and tomorrow, Beastly Bones, by William Ritter, and Anton and Cecil: Cats on Track, by Valerie and Lisa Martin, 10 a.m.
At the IBPA Cooperative Booth (3046) , debut author Lowell H. Press will sign his novel, The Kingdom of the Sun and Moon, tomorrow, 2–2:30 p.m. Released by Parkers Mill Publishing, this action-adventure story about a society of mice living at Schönbrunn Palace in 1820 Vienna won the 2015 Gold Benjamin Franklin Award for Teen Fiction.
Staffers at the Quarto Publishing Group USA booth (2851) are announcing the launch of its new imprint, Wide Eyed Editions, a visually driven nonfiction imprint focusing on natural history, art, and geography. On display at the booth are titles from the imprint’s launch list, including The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A. with 50 Fact-Filled Maps! by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated Sol Linero; Atlas of Adventures, by Rachel Williams, illustrated by Lucy Letherland, offering a visual tour of the world; and The Wonder Garden, an exploration of five different habitats, written by Jenny Broom and illustrated by Kristjana S. Williams.
Wide Eyed Editions’ publisher Rachel Williams looks forward to introducing booksellers to the new imprint, noting, “Our hope is that our books draw people into physical bookstores: they are big, beautiful, and beg to be opened up. We believe that every title should offer hours of learning and discovery to young readers and the adults sharing the book with them.” Visitors to the booth can also peruse new children’s offerings from other Quarto imprints, including Frances Lincoln Books and Walter Foster Jr., as well as its QEB Publishing division.
Weinstein Books, exhibiting at the Perseus Books Group booth (738), is highlighting a new debut YA novel, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl, by Paige McKenzie, who is attending BEA. This launch of a trilogy about a teen who can communicate with the ghosts haunting her house expands the plot line of the author’s YouTube series of the same name, in which she plays the title character.
At booth 2050–2051, Time Inc. Books is promoting its new partnership with Animal Planet to produce nonfiction children’s books. Giveaways include blads for the debut project, Animals: A Visual Encyclopedia, and Animal Planet–branded merchandise. Visitors can enter raffles for themed swag baskets containing merchandise from various Time Inc. brands. And tomorrow, 9:30–10 a.m., the publisher will give out copies of Discovery’s Bugopedia: The Complete Guide to Everything Insect (Plus Other Creepy-Crawlies).
Boyds Mills Press is spotlighting a new picture book at booth 2957. Written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and illustrated by Fred Koehler, One Day, the End: Short, Very Short, Shorter-Than-Ever Stories compiles two-sentence tales accompanied by artwork that shares multiple visual story lines. The publisher has poster educator guides available for the book, as well as doodle-pad giveaways.
At booth 1727, Lerner Publishing Group is celebrating the fifth anniversary of YA imprint Carolrhoda Lab, as well as its newly acquired list of titles previously published by Egmont USA, which will be folded into Lerner’s various imprints. The publisher will host an author signing of ARCs of The Anatomy of Curiosity tomorrow, 9–10 a.m. The book collects three novellas, one each by authors Maggie Stiefvater, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff. Other featured titles whose authors are attending the show are Last Night at the Circle Cinema, by Emily Franklin; Feeding the Flying Fanellis: And Other Poems from a Circus Chef, by Kate Hosford; and One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia, by Miranda Paul.
A picture book and a YA novel are the spotlighted titles at Turner Publishing’s booth (1268). Leopold, by Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer with Pierre A. Lehu, illustrated by Suanne Beaky, introduces a lonely turtle who learns to face his fears. Dr. Ruth will be at the booth tomorrow, 11 a.m., to sign bookplates and stickers promoting the picture book, and copies of Leopold are among the goodies in prize packs being raffled each day. The publisher’s featured fall YA, Plunder, by Pat Croce and Adam Slutsky, follows a descendent of Sir Francis Drake as the teen visits exotic lands, trying to determine his rightful place in the world.
Sourcebooks welcomes Marieke Nijkamp to booth 3039 tomorrow, 2 p.m., when she’ll sign ARCs of her debut YA novel, This Is Where It Ends. Told from the perspective of four teens, the book is set in a high school held hostage by a boy with a gun. Also featured by the publisher is Max the Brave, by Ed Vere, a picture book starring a kitten who likes to chase mice—but isn’t sure what a mouse looks like. Galleys and tote bags promoting the title are available at the booth.
And Carolyn Ahern, the author of Graphic Arts Books’ lead 2015 children’s title, will appear at booth 1169B today, 12:30 p.m., to sign copies of Tino the Tortoise: Adventures in the Grand Canyon, illustrated by Eric Brooks. Launching WestWinds Press’s adventure series set in national parks, this story reveals how Tino, a desert tortoise, and Rudi, a jumping jerboa, help a Kaibab squirrel in the Grand Canyon. A portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated to the Grand Canyon Natural History Association. At her signing, Ahern will also be giving away Tino-themed zipper pulls/key chains.
