Below is a list of the most recent books by writers attending the author reception, the Scholastic Meet & Treat party, and/or the opening reception with members of #WeNeedDiverseBooks, cosponsored by PW.
Her Idea
Rilla Alexander
Flying Eye Books, out now; $19.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances, including Portland’s SketchXchange festival; YouTube cartoons; free worksheet and lesson plans.
It’s time for little Sozi to experience the elation, struggle, and triumph of making an idea happen. Ages 3–7.
The Six
Mark Alpert
Sourcebooks Fire, July; $16.99, hardcover
Adam, crippled by multiple sclerosis, has taken to playing the hero in virtual reality games. When an artificial intelligence program goes rogue and threatens the world, Adam is given the chance to play the hero for real. Ages 12–17.
Never Always Sometimes
Adi Alsaid
Harlequin Teen, Aug.; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour; print and online advertising
At the beginning of high school, best friends Dave and Julia created a list of clichéd activities they swore they’d never do. Now that graduation looms, they set out to check off all the items on their “never” list—with unexpected consequences. Ages 14 and up.
Finding Forever: A Deadline Diaries Exclusive
Ken Baker
Running Press/ RPKids, Sept.; $9.95, paperback
Publicity plans: author appearances, including ALA
This new mystery series by E! News correspondent Baker features Brooklyn Brant, a teenage celebrity blogger. Brooklyn is called on to locate missing starlet Taylor Prince. Ages 13 and up.
The Notorious Pagan Jones
Nina Berry
Harlequin Teen, May; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour with Adi Alsaid; print and online advertising
In this historical thriller, disgraced Hollywood starlet Pagan Jones is sent to film a movie in Cold War Berlin after killing her family in a drunken car crash. Can she take on a divided city, a scheming guardian, and the criticism of a world that once adored her? Ages 16 and up.
Walk on Earth a Stranger
Rae Carson
Greenwillow, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: five-city author tour, including an appearance at BookCon; blog tour; Good Reads and Epic Reads promotions
During the California Gold Rush, a girl has the ability to sense gold, in a story of magic, romance, adventure, and self-discovery. Ages 13 and up.
Changers Two: Oryon
T Cooper
Akashic/Black Sheep, out now; $11.95, paperback
Publicity plans: author appearances; social media campaign
The second volume of a four-book series in which an ancient race of humans lives out each year of high school as completely different people. Cowritten with Allison Clock-Cooper. Ages 12 and up.
Saint Anything
Sarah Dessen
Viking, May; $19.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour, including Rochester Teen Book Festival and BookCon, with Gayle Forman and Jenny Han; blog tour; advertising
Shy Sydney’s world is upended when her brother lands in prison. Mac Chatham helps her discover her identity and feel seen for the first time. Ages 12 and up.
Jasper and Willie: Wildfire (Range Riders Series)
Bryn Fleming
WestWinds Press/Graphic Arts Books, Sept.; $9.99, paperback
Publicity plans: advertising, including PNBA holiday catalogue; bookmarks; posters; Skype with schools
A girl is lost and wildfires rage across the land—can young cowboy Jasper and his blind dog, Willie, rescue her in time? Ages 8–12.
The Doldrums
Nicholas Gannon
Greenwillow, Sept.; $17.99. hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; dedicated website; advertising; BEA Buzz book
A full-color, illustrated middle-grade debut novel about three friends who yearn for adventure. Ages 8–12.
George
Alex Gino
Scholastic Press, Aug.; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances, including ALA; online advertising; BEA Buzz book
When people look at George, they think they see a boy—but George knows she’s a girl. After being told she can’t play Charlotte in the school’s production of Charlotte’s Web, George comes up with a plan to let everyone know who she is, once and for all. Ages 9–12.
None of the Above
I.W. Gregorio
HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, out now; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: blogger outreach; author blog tour; book club guide; social media campaign
High school senior Kristin Lattimer visits the doctor and learns she is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy “parts.” Ages 14 and up.
The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School
Illus. by Dan Hanna
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, out now; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author and illustrator tour; solo and costume events during Children’s Book Week
The Pout-Pout Fish conquers new school jitters on his first day of kindergarten. Written by Deborah Diesen, who will not attend. Ages 3–6
A Thousand Nights
E.K. Johnston
Disney-Hyperion, Oct.; $18.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: IndieBound white box mailing; blogger/vlogger pre-pub buzz campaign; online advertising; feature at regional trade shows
A YA retelling of the Arabian Nights, featuring a strong teenage heroine based on Scheherazade. Ages 14–18.
Wild Ideas: Let Nature Inspire Your Thinking
Elin Kelsey
Owlkids, out now; $18.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: website with podcasts on the science behind ideas in the book, author and illustrator q&as, and teacher’s guide
A look at the varied and creative ways animals solve problems; illus. by Soyeon Kim, who will not attend. Ages 4 and up.
Read Between the Lines
Jo Knowles
Candlewick, out now; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; online advertising; discussion guide
A novel of interlocking stories follows nine teens and one teacher through a not quite ordinary day. Ages 14 and up.
The Little Snowplow
Lora Koehler
Candlewick, Oct.; $15.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author and illustrator appearances; activity kit
Big trucks may brag and roar, but small and steadfast wins the day in this story about a little snowplow; illus. by Jake Parker, who will not attend. Ages 3–7.
I Wish You More
Illus. by Tom Lichtenheld
Chronicle, out now; $14.99, hardcover
Examples of good wishes, from “more stories than stars” to “more can than knot.” Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, who will not attend. Ages–8.
Voyagers: Project Alpha
D.J. MacHale
Random House, Sept.; $12.99, hardcover
This multiplatform middle-grade adventure series is part sci-fi, part eco-mystery. Without a renewable source of clean energy, Earth will be toast in less than a year, and only a spaceship piloted by children can collect the essential elements needed to fuel the planet. Ages 8–12.
Firefly Hollow
Alison McGhee
S&S/Atheneum, Aug.; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; online reading group guide; Kids.simonandschuster.com feature; SimonKids social media outreach
Can four creatures from four very different nations help one another find their ways in a world that feels too big? Ages 8–12.
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl: Book One
Paige McKenzie
Weinstein Books, out now; $16, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour; national media appearances, including the Today show; blog features
Shortly after her 16th birthday, Sunshine Griffith and her mother move to Ridgemont, Wash., and Sunshine’s world darkens with an eeriness she cannot place. When she investigates, Sunshine learns that everything she knew about her past is wrong, in this debut from the YouTube sensation. Ages 12 and up.
Dumplin’
Julie Murphy
HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: four-city author; HarperTeen/Epic Reads promotions and social media outreach; print and online advertising
Unlikely heroine Willowdean Dixon decides to take on her small town’s beauty pageant, complete with starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, and Dolly Parton songs. Ages 13 and up.
Counting on Community
Innosanto Nagara
Triangle Square, Sept.; $8.99, board book
Publicity plans: author appearances in the Bay Area; featured at BEA and ALA; dedicated website
Counting up from one stuffed piñata to 10 hefty hens—and always counting on each other—children are encouraged to recognize the value of their community, the joys inherent in healthy eco-friendly activities, and the ability they possess to make change. Ages 3–7.
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Fins of Fury
Mo O’Hara
Feiwel and Friends, out now; $12.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour (her first-ever in the U.S.), culminating at Children’s Institute
In the third book in the series, Frankie the Zombie Goldfish finds adventure and mystery on a camping trip. Ages 7–10.
King
Ellen Oh
HarperTeen, out now; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: promotion on publisher and author’s website
Girl warrior, demon slayer, Tiger spirit of the Yellow Eyes—Kira is ready for her last quest in this finale to the Prophecy trilogy. Ages 13 and up.
Beautiful Hands
Kathryn Otoshi
Blue Dot Press/KO Kids Books, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour; book trailer; dedicated website
A call-to-action concept book with handprint illustrations meant to inspire artists to add to the good and fulfill their dreams. Ages 3 and up.
Tiger Boy
Mitali Perkins
Charlesbridge, out now; $14.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; advertising
When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel’s village in the Sunderban Islands, Neel and his sister resolve to find her and bring her back to the reserve before poachers kill her or before the cub’s anxious mother comes looking for her. Ages 7–10.
I Am Princess X
Cherie Priest
Scholastic/Levine, May; $18.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; advertising; dedicated website; social media campaign through This Is Teen
When May begins seeing around town the old comic strip she and her best friend Libby—who died years ago in a car accident—created together, she goes looking for answers. Ages 12 and up.
If You’re Lucky
Yvonne Prinz
Algonquin Young Readers, Oct.; $17.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; pre-pub buzz campaign; reader’s guide, author essay and q&a, and playlist on Algonquinyoungreaders.com
This thriller captures a teen’s descent into madness as she searches for her brother’s killer. Ages 14 and up.
Woof
Spencer Quinn
Scholastic Press, Apr.; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; online advertising; dedicated website
Told entirely from Bowser’s point of view, the dog detective and his 11-year-old friend Birdie are out to crack the case of the stolen prized stuffed marlin from Grammy’s bait and tackle shop.
Denton Little’s Deathdate
Lance Rubin
Knopf, out now; $10.99, hardcover
Set in a world just like our own, except that everyone knows the date of his or her death. Denton’s will be on the day of his senior prom. Ages 12 and up.
Written in the Stars
Aisha Saeed
Penguin/Paulsen, out now; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plan: author appearances, including BookCon; upcoming pieces in Seventeen, Glitter, and Justine; launch event at Little Shop of Stories
A young Pakistani-American woman is forced into an arranged marriage to a man who isn’t the boyfriend she loves back home; from one of the creators of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement. Ages 14 and up.
Redbird: Colors, Colors, Everywhere!
Barney Saltzberg
Workman, out now; $5.95, board book
Publicity plans: 16-city author tour; coloring and activity kits; blog campaign; counter displays
A little red bird teaches kids about colors, friendship, shapes, and sizes. Ages up to 4.
Blackthorn Key
Kevin Sands
Aladdin, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour, including BEA and BookCon panels; feature on Teach.simonandschuster.net; promotion via S&S’s Education Library at facebook.com/SSEdLib and Twitter @SSEdLib
Following a series of murders, an apothecary’s apprentice must solve puzzles and decipher codes in pursuit of a secret that could destroy the world in this debut novel. Ages 8–12.
Rad American Women A–Z
Kate Schatz
City Lights/Sister Spirit, out now; $14.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: social media campaign
A book for children—and their parents, teachers, and cool grown-up friends—documenting America’s heroines, both famous and unsung. Ages 8–16.
Are You Still There?
Sarah Lynn Scheerger
AW Teen, Sept.; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; advertising; social media campaign; pre-pub buzz campaign.
AP student Gabriella stands on a toilet while her school is on lockdown. The bomb is defused, but the would-be bomber is still at large. And everyone at Central High School is a suspect. Ages 13 and up.
Spelled
Betsy Schow
Sourcebooks Fire, June; $9.99, paperback
Princess Dorthea of Emerald has unleashed magical havoc with a single, selfish wish, and must save the land of Story from a witch spell bent on destruction in this fairy tale mash-up. Ages 12–17.
Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger
Jon Scieszka
Abrams/Amulet, out now; $13.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: author tour; advertising; teacher promotion and guide; floor display
Science fact meets science fiction with experiments, adventure, and robots in book two of the series. Ages 8–12.
Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret
Bob Shea
Disney-Hyperion, May; $9.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; IndieBound white box mailing; floor display; event kit; tote bags; online advertising through Macaroni Kids network
While Ballet Cat and Sparkles the Pony are trying to decide what to play, they each share an important message. Ages 6–8.
Ice Cream Summer
Peter Sís
Scholastic Press, May; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; advertising; social media outreach to teachers and parents
A tongue-in-cheek vision of summer that dishes up the whole scoop on everyone’s favorite frozen treat. Ages 4–8.
Appleblossom the Possum
Holly Goldberg Sloan
Dial, Aug.; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plan: author tour with school visits; blog tour
Appleblossom the independent possum loves to explore and venture out on her own, but when she finds herself stuck in a human’s house, she has to rely on her family’s help to escape. Illus. by Gary Rosen. Ages 8–12.
Because You’ll Never Meet Me
Leah Thomas
Bloomsbury, June; $17.99, hardcover
Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet because Ollie has a life-threatening allergy to electricity and Moritz’s heart requires a pacemaker. Ages 12 and up.
Bird
Beatriz Martin Vidal
Simply Read, May; $16.95, hardcover
This wordless picture book takes readers right up to the moment of a child’s flight. Ages 6–10.
What This Story Needs Is a Pig in a Wig
Emma J. Virján
HarperCollins, May; $9.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; animated trailer; social media under #PigInaWigBooks; downloadable activities
Pig goes on an exciting boat ride and discovers that life is a lot more fun with more friends. Ages 4–8.
Avis Dolphin
Frieda Wishinsky
Groundwood, out now; $16.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; activity materials; release coincides with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Lusitania.
A novel of adventure and suspense, inspired by the story of actual passengers on the ill-fated Lusitania. Ages 9–12.
The Kidney Hypothetical
Lisa Yee
Scholastic/Levine, out now; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: author appearances; social media promotion through This Is Teen
Higgs Boson Bing has seven days left before his perfect high school career is completed. But this shining picture is painted over cracks, and it’s about to come apart. Ages 12 and up.
Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon
Delacorte, Sept.; $18.99, hardcover
A debut novel tells the story of a girl who is literally allergic to the outside world and has never left her house. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s known.
Stormy Night
Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury, out now; $14.99, hardcover
Bear is frightened when thunder shakes his house and rain pounds the windows. Comforting his Mama, Papa, and Floppy helps make the storm seem not so scary. Ages 3–6.
Wabanaki Blues
Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel
Poisoned Pencil, June; $10.95, paperback
Publicity plans: author appearances
In this first installment of a trilogy, Mona Lisa LaPierre, the girl who never smiles, is sent to stay with her reclusive grandfather. Her determination to solve an 18-year-old murder becomes a quest for identity, love, and meaning. Ages 13 and up.
