It was a busy BEA for children's booksellers, with a full complement of sessions and panels; on the convention floor, a multitude of titles vied for their attention. Caron Chapman, executive director of the Association of Booksellers for Children, found the mood upbeat and focused. "The booksellers who were there are bound and determined to make the most of their time," she said. "Everyone came prepared with ideas and ready to talk 100 miles per hour and share what they've learned over the year. People are anxious to communicate with each other, and their determination to make it work is as fierce as ever."
Two separate literacy initiatives were described during the two days of ABC programming. The first, Guys Read, is a program conceived by author Jon Scieszka, focusing on connecting boys ages 10—14 with books (see News, June 11, and Children's Books, May 7). "I think this is one of the most important programs to be developed in a long time," said Lori Benton, associate publisher and director of marketing at Holt Books for Young Readers. "Booksellers and librarians have individually been trying to reach this audience for years—now everyone's efforts can come under one umbrella."
The ABA is sponsoring the second initiative, called Prescription for Reading, in connection with Simon & Schuster, BookSense and Koen Book Distributors. Tom Bodett, host of the Loose Leaf Book Companyradio show, is the national spokesperson for the literacy program, which utilizes pediatricians to spread the good word about books. Bodett discussed the growing success of the Loose Leafshow, now broadcast on more than 200 stations, with 250,000-plus listeners each week. He specifically mentioned Chauni Haslet from All for Kids in Seattle, and Mary Gay Shipley, owner of That Bookstore in Blythesville, Blythesville, Ark., as being instrumental in the show's growing success. Shipley said that her involvement grew out of last year's conference: "I came home from last year's BEA when the [Loose Leaf] program was introduced to us, called the people at KASU, our public radio station, and asked how much it would cost [to broadcast Loose Leaf]," she said. That Bookstore immediately began sponsorship of the program on KASU and spread the word through public awareness campaigns.
Other News from the ABC
At the annual meeting, ABC members' regional reports focused on author appearances and collaborating with general stores. Both Northern California's Dennis Ronberg (Linden Tree Children's Records and Books) and Betty Takeuchi (San Marino Toys & Books) from Southern California described author/illustrator directories to aid in organizing appearances. Susan Kent (Treehouse Readers), representing the Mid-South, and Lisa Dugan (Koen Book Distributors), speaking for New England, discussed their organizations' expanding membership due to the inclusion of general stores. Dugan also asked ABC members to consider how they can shape the Book Sense 76 list, a theme echoed by Carl Lennertz in a panel later that day, in which he implored ABC members to report their bestsellers and help to create a list that more accurately depicts the range of bestselling children's titles.
Chapman announced that ABC will no longer be publishing its Building Blocks catalogue. Instead, "We're redesigning materials to be a quicker handout," she said. Specifically, she mentioned utilizing the "Hey Girls" books, a program developed for "tween" girls ages 8—12, Guys Read titles, the Choices Awards and others, to create booklists that members can hand out to customers in the store.
ABC members gathered at the Chicago Cultural Center Thursday night for the Evening with Children's Booksellers, hosted by Harcourt. Attendees once again engaged in friendly bidding wars over donated artwork and raised a record $23,000 for the organization (see sidebar). Celebrating the 10th anniversary of her On the Day You Were Born, Debra Frasier gave the keynote speech and introduced her daughter (whose 13th birthday it was), the inspiration for the book.
Booksellers woke up to the ABC-CBC Joint Committee's Children's Book and Author Breakfast on Friday morning, with Sharon Creech, Jules Feiffer and Jack Prelutsky. Creech read from her two fall books, A Fine, Fine School, illus. by Harry Bliss, and Love That Dog (both HarperCollins/ Cotler). Jules Feiffer talked about the origins of his new book, I'm Not Bobby! (Hyperion/di Capua), dating back 63 years to his infatuation with comic strips and his desire to be a cartoonist. Jack Prelutsky closed with a rousing round of poems and riddles in song, with his own guitar accompaniment, to introduce his Awful Ogre's Awful Day(Greenwillow). "Puns are like children," Prelutsky admitted, "You can be proud and ashamed of them at the same time."
Highlights of the Fall
This year—aside from one notable exception—a number of titles appeared to be sharing the spotlight at the larger publishers, rather than publishers having one or two standouts, as in years past. That one exception, of course, was Olivia, the porcine heroine who debuted at BEA last year in Ian Falconer's Olivia, and who returns this fall in a followup, Olivia Saves the Circus(Atheneum/ Schwartz), with a print run of 250,000. "Last year we sold over 160 copies of Olivia before December, and it continues to sell," said Kathleen Caldwell of Readers Books in Sonoma, Calif. "We're overly excited about the new book!"
A signed poster for Olivia Saves the Circus in a reusable poster tube was perhaps the most sought-after children's giveaway. "We had no idea that giving away Olivia poster tubes would be an Olympic sport!" remarked S&S marketing manager Michelle Montague. "Everyone was thrilled with the tubes, and this was a promotion worth every penny."
Falconer was on hand at BEA to accept the BookSense Book of the Year Award in the picture book category for Olivia; Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie (Candlewick) picked up the award for children's fiction.
S&S also highlighted Marsupial Sue, the second picture book by John Lithgow, this one illustrated by Jack E. Davis, with a first printing of 75,000. S&S plans to print 1.25 million copies of its Bob the Builder tie-in books; Bob the Builder will have his own billboard in New York's Times Square from September through December.
A debut novel by Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Delacorte), with a first printing of 50,000, attracted a good deal of buzz at the Random House Children's Books booth. "Booksellers were coming up to ask for the galley, and other publishing people, too," said Judith Haut, executive director of publicity. "Someone from another house came over and said, 'A bookseller sent me over for that pants book.' "
Janet Schulman's compilation of read-aloud stories, You Read to Me, I'll Read to You(Knopf), will have a 150,000-copy first printing. Booksellers were also excited to see Flipped (Knopf), a non-Sammy Keyes title from Wendelin Van Draanen, an author who is gaining a following.
Witch Child by Celia Rees at the Candlewick booth was the other debut novel garnering attention. Booksellers were also excited about Candlewick's Table Manners, a picture book collaboration between Chris Raschka and Vladimir Radunsky—an antic look at etiquette.
Leading the list for HarperCollins was My World, a picture-book follow-up to Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, illus. by Clement Hurd and recolored by his son, Thacher Hurd. The book, originally published in 1949 but unavailable since the 1960s, will have a first printing of 350,000; marketing plans will include a tour by Brown scholar Leonard S. Marcus.
Also at Harper, Sharon Creech ignited booksellers' enthusiasm for her novel Love That Dog (HC/Cotler), at Friday morning's breakfast. Creech will tour for the book, and based on bookseller reaction, the publisher has upped the first printing to at least 100,000 copies. "The response to Love That Dog was much greater than we even expected," said Andrea Pappenheimer, senior v-p, director of sales. "Sharon's talk at the breakfast had a great impact, and is giving the book a burst of energy." Creech's picture book A Fine, Fine School, illus. by Harry Bliss (HC/ Cotler), also due this fall, will have a first printing of 75,000.
Sleepy Time Olie by William Joyce (HC/Geringer), another Rolie Polie Olie story featuring the characters on the Disney Channel TV show, will have a 125,000-copy first printing. Patricia MacLachlan's third installment in the Sarah, Plain and Tall saga, Caleb's Story (HC/Cotler), will have a 75,000-copy first printing, supported by a 10-city author tour. Gloria Whelan's next novel, following her National Book Award—winning Homeless Bird, will be called Angel on the Square, with an initial print run of 50,000 copies. And this fall, Harper will launch the Don't Know Much About series for children by Kenneth C. Davis, based on the author's bestselling adult series of the same name. Each of the four initial titles will have first printings of 50,000 copies, and the author will tour.
What's Wrong with Timmy? by Maria Shriver, illus. by Sandra Speidel, with a first printing of 500,000 copies and a one-day laydown on October 16, was the big book for Little, Brown. Shriver will not tour, but has confirmed appearances on Oprah and the Today Show. Toot & Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas by Holly Hobbie, with a 125,000-copy first printing, also had booksellers excited, especially about the sparkly touches added to the book's jacket. A second book this fall with the title You Read to Me, I'll Read to You, this one a picture book by Mary Ann Hoberman, illus. by Michael Emberley (LB/Tingley), was also a highlight; it will have a first printing of 50,000 copies. With a movie in the works, this fall's Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare, the second in a trilogy by Darren Shan, gets a first printing of 150,000 and a major publicity push from Little, Brown.
Graeme Base's The Water Hole (Abrams) is a story inspired by his experience on an African safari; die-cut pages emphasize a diminishing water hole that affects the animals and environs. The book will have a 100,000-copy first printing and a $100,000 marketing budget, which includes a 20-city tour.
Booksellers were excited about a few standouts at the Holt booth. The Little Wing Giver by Jacques Taravant, illus. by Peter Sís, with a first printing of 75,000, will get a counter pack and pins for consumer giveaway, and Sís will do some touring this fall. The publisher will celebrate Halloween with Pumpkin Eye by Denise Fleming, with a 50,000 first printing. Fleming will also tour this fall; a poster, in-store activity kit and bags of candy corn will be produced to help booksellers create an event. Holt is also highlighting a fall novel: The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian.
Houghton is celebrating 60 years of Curious George with The Complete Adventures of Curious George 60th Anniversary Edition by Margret and H.A. Rey, with a 75,000-copy first printing. The publisher plans a $500,000 marketing campaign for the book, including floor displays with a moving, solar-powered header; a birthday-party kit for stores (demonstrated with a toast to George at the booth); new costumes, posters and bookmarks; a traveling exhibit of Rey artwork; and a consumer contest. Other Houghton books for which authors will tour this fall include Race of the Birkenbeiners by Lise Lunge-Larsen, illus. by Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian; Nursery Crimes by Arthur Geisert (HM/Lorraine); and Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez. The children's and adult divisions will cross-promote a revised edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, which features new jacket art by Peter Sís. Booksellers also gathered in the booth to watch a trailer for the movie The Lord of the Rings, starring Elijah Wood, due out this December.
Hyperion, marking its 10th anniversary, has much to celebrate this fall. Little Tree by e.e. cummings, illustrated by Chris Raschka, with a 50,000-first printing, will be the theme of this year's Saks Fifth Avenue Christmas windows in New York City. Christopher Myers is working in watercolors for his picture book about friendship, Fly! (Jump at the Sun), with a first printing of 35,000. In addition to having a new Yoko title (with a 100,000-copy first printing), Rosemary Wells has teamed up with Susan Jeffers for a new McDuff book, McDuff Goes to School. Paul Zindel will be kicking off a new series, called P.C. Hawk, with a 150,000-copy first printing, and, under the Jump at the Sun imprint, bestselling adult writer E. Lynn Harris will be publishing his first book for children, called Diaries of a Light-Skinned Colored Boy. Booksellers were also charmed by Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer, who was in attendance at the show.
Brian Selznick presented his new book, The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley (Scholastic Press), at a Thursday panel and a Saturday breakfast, with enthusiasm and slides; the book will have a 60,000-copy first printing. "I found Selznick's research fascinating," commented Mary Lou Harris-Manske, owner of Book Look in Stevens Point, Wisc. "It's much more fun to handsell a book when you have the behind-the-scenes story." Two Scholastic novels, also with first printings of 60,000, got booksellers' attention: Arthur: The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Levine), based on Arthurian legend; and Spellfall by Katherine Roberts, published by Scholastic's new imprint Chicken House. Ann M. Martin also has a new novel, Belle Teal, with a 40,000-copy first printing. Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse's fall novel, Witness, is about the KKK in 1920s Vermont; it has a first printing of 60,000.
Valentine Davies's Miracle on 34th Street, in a facsimile edition of its original 1947 edition, with a 75,000-copy printing, got top billing at the Harcourt booth, along with another Christmas title, the Auntie Claus Gift Set, which packages together the book by Elise Primavera, a CD narrated by Ellen Burstyn and a tree ornament. Three picture books will all have 50,000-copy first printings: Gerald McDermott's Jabutí the Tortoise, an addition to his trickster tales series, this one from the Amazon; Mansa Musa by Khephra Burns, illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon, the tale of an African king; and Joyce Dunbar and Debi Gliori's Tell Me What It's Like to Be Big. Gliori will be touring this fall.
In honor of its 15th anniversary, Pleasant Company will be offering leather-bound volumes that collect all six stories for each of the seven characters in the American Girls Collection. The next three installments of the Kit character, whose story is set during the Depression, will be out this fall. Tie-in books to the Barbie Nutcracker film, scheduled for release on Thanksgiving Day, were displayed in the booth. Publisher Judy Woodburn noted that Pleasant Co. was receiving "an incredible response from booksellers" for a book directed to parents, What I Wish You Knew, consisting of letters from girls to the editors of American Girl magazine.
Visitors to the Chronicle booth were entertained by the talents of Addi Somekh, who was fashioning balloons into hats to demonstrate the activities in his new book, The Inflatable Crown Balloon Hat Kit. The book will have a first printing of 50,000 copies, and Somekh will tour six cities this fall. Chronicle also highlighted Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Sylvia Long, a follow-up to Hush Little Baby; Twinkle, will have a first printing of 60,000 copies.
Barefoot Books was displaying new wares, including the Barefoot Party Collection (gift wrap, party invitations and thank-you notes) and Barefoot Artists' Cards, all tied into the publisher's books. Barefoot plans to open a retail outlet in Cambridge, Mass., next month. Candlewick, too, showed prototypes for an October launch of two gift lines, one based on Rosemary Wells's Mother Goose books edited by Iona Opie, and another featuring Anita Jeram and Sam McBratney's Guess How Much I Love You; each includes a photo frame, stationery and more.
While Millbrook showed additions to its standby Snappy Series, with more than a million copies in print, the house was also enthusiastic about its new Roaring Book Press imprint, scheduled to launch in spring 2002. North-South highlighted the fall launch of Night Sky Books, its new novelty and media tie-in line; the focus of the first list is on Rainbow Fish—inspired titles.
This fall, Farrar, Straus & Giroux will mark the debut list of Melanie Kroupa Books (relocated from DK Ink), and is emphasizing one title in particular: We Were There, Too! Young People in History by Phillip Hoose. The book will have its own Web site and teacher's guide, and Hoose will give a related presentation at the Smithsonian in October.
Looking Ahead
Next year's BEA in New York City may pose some problems for children's booksellers. "The timing will definitely be a drawback," said ABC's Chapman. "For ABC members, early May is a busy time, because it's the end of school budget buying, so there are a lot of special orders going in." Expense is also an issue, she pointed out. Last year, in honor of the organization's 15th anniversary, the ABC scheduled two days of programming, which was continued this year. But the cost of hotels, cabs, food, etc., in the Big Apple may mean returning to a single day of programs. Chapman mentioned that children's booksellers rely on ABC programming "because it's exactly what they want. But with the constraints of being in Manhattan, we're looking at starting events on Thursday [instead of Wednesday]."
But if the past is any indication, the booksellers who do turn out in New York will be as eager as ever to communicate ideas and support each other's efforts.
