March 18: In Brief

This week, Holly Black spreads the word on her new series, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal shortlist is revealed, Candlewick makes an e-book push, and BEA's YA Buzz Panel.

Q & A with Carrie Ryan

Carrie Ryan is the author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth (2009) and The Dead-Tossed Waves (Mar.), both from Delacorte. Ryan is currently crossing the country on tour to celebrate the publication of her new novel. PW caught up with her via phone on her Lansing, Mich., stop.

Dav Pilkey Trades Underpants for Time Travel

Do cavemen wear underpants? Readers may soon find out when Scholastic's Blue Sky Press imprint releases The Adventures of Ook and Gluk, Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future, a new graphic novel from Dav Pilkey—perhaps best known as the creator of the bestselling Captain Underpants series. Scholastic's Ellie Berger negotiated a four-book deal for world rights for the series with Amy Berkower of Writers House.

Million-Copy Print Run for Grisham's First Kids' Book

Dutton has revealed the cover art and first printing for John Grisham's first book for young readers, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, which will be published in May 25. Now the publisher has unveiled the cover for that book as well as its first printing: a massive one million copies. Aimed at readers ages eight to 12, the book centers on a 13-year-old amateur attorney who gets involved in a murder trial.

Besser to Head Putnam Books for Young Readers

Penguin Young Readers Group has announced that, effective April 12, Jennifer Besser will join the publisher as v-p and publisher of G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, a position previously held by Nancy Paulsen, who is launching an eponymous imprint with Penguin.

Movie Alert: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Marketing Staff Changes at Macmillan Kids

The Macmillan Children's Publishing group, which was streamlined in late 2008 as part of a larger company-wide restructuring, has a new hire and several promotions in its marketing department, moves that have been announced by Joy Dallanegra-Sanger, senior v-p, director of marketing. Liz Hartman has joined the company in the newly created position of executive director, publicity and institutional marketing. Hartman will oversee publicity and school and library marketing for all Macmillan Children's Publishing imprints.

Toronto Conference Studies Ways to Cultivate Environmental Imaginations

Can children's literature increase people's sense of connection and accountability to the natural world? And if so, how? In these days of anxiety about environmental degradation and climate change, these are timely questions, which were considered at length at the Children's Literature and the Environmental Imagination symposium held earlier this month at the University of Toronto's Trinity College.

Q & A with Ally Carter

In Ally Carter's Heist Society, a crew of teenage thieves—led by Kat, youngest in a clan of accomplished heistmasters—gets down to the sticky business of retrieving valuable paintings stolen from an Italian mobster. Kat has strong incentive for recovering the masterpieces: to clear the name of her father, prime suspect in the theft, and to return the paintings, plundered by the Nazis decades before, to their rightful place. Launching a series, this latest work by the author of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You and subsequent Gallagher Girls novels was published by Disney-Hyperion with a 200,000-copy printing. Carter talked to Bookshelf about why—and how—she dunnit.

Novel Revisions for Emma Dryden

In her 25 years in children's book publishing, Emma D. Dryden has overseen revisions of countless manuscripts. She is now focusing on revising herself as she embarks on a new chapter of her life. Last May, after nearly 19 years at Simon & Schuster, Dryden was laid off from her position as v-p and publisher of Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Margaret K. McElderry Books. She has just launched a multi-platform venture, drydenbks, through which she will provide editorial and creative services to children's book authors, illustrators, publishers, and agents; conduct workshops; and act as consultant to those seeking to break into or expand their presence in the children's publishing arena.

Ron Koertge: Around the World, Virtually

Ron Koertge has a few favorite pastimes—on a sunny California day you might find him at Santa Anita Park, racing form in hand, or at one of the Triple-A baseball stadiums within driving distance of his South Pasadena home. But one way Koertge, who turns 70 in April, does not spend time away from his writing is surfing the net. The author of 14 young adult novels, including the newly released Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs, does not have a Web site, nor does he plan on getting one. He does not Twitter. The Facebook fan page for his latest book was created by his publicists. "I just find all that stuff really distracting," he admits. "There's something vampiristic about it. It sucks the life out of me." Which is why his current project—a two-week blog tour—is, well, out of character.

‘Wonderland' Opens Big, New Alice Titles Hit Shelves

March 5 marked the highly anticipated release of Walt Disney Pictures' Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton. The film, which features a combination of live action and computer animation with 3D effects, pulled in just over $116 million on its opening weekend, becoming the biggest 2010 premiere so far, and making it the highest grossing March film debut ever. Featuring a star-studded cast, including Johnny Depp as the eccentric Mad Hatter, the film integrates elements of the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass (1871), along with some new twists. And the release of the film has generated renewed interest from the book world. From movie tie-ins to newly illustrated editions, we've rounded up recent and forthcoming children's adaptations that transport readers down the rabbit hole.

In Brief: March 11

This week, the SLJ Battle of the Kids' Books begins anew, Cheerios announces the third winner of its New Author Contest, 'Tunnels' authors tour the U.S., and Sharon Flake meets with students in Harlem.

Movie Alert: ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid'

With 30 million copies in print and near-permanent residence on bestseller lists, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has established itself as a bona fide publishing phenomenon over the last three years. And now its wimpy star, Greg Heffley, is making his move into another medium: film. On March 19, Fox 2000 will release Diary of a Wimpy Kid, based on the first book in Jeff Kinney's series, which Abrams' Amulet Books imprint published in 2007. And on March 16, three days before the film's release, Abrams will publish The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, Jeff Kinney's account of the moviemaking process.

Dutton Children's Pre-Empts YA Debut for Six Figures

In a deal for six figures, Dutton Children's Books bought a debut YA novel by a young editor at another Penguin imprint.

On to Bologna!

As children's publishers from the world over convene in Italy later this month (March 23—26), a number of issues hang in the balance. How will the economy shape this year's fair? Is the age of the big YA fantasy trilogy finally over? Will picture books make a resurgence? What of the co-edition market? The digital revolution? We asked a sampling of Bologna veterans for their take on what to expect at this year's fair, and what they're looking for.

S&S to Launch New DiTerlizzi Series

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers has just announced a new middle-grade series by Tony DiTerlizzi. The Search for WondLa, about a 12-year-old girl-—raised underground by a robot-—and her search for other humans. The first volume in the series will be published on September 21 with a 300,000-copy first printing. The book will feature two-color artwork throughout and will incorporate "augmented reality" in several places, a first for the publisher. S&S plans to promote the book with a $350,000 marketing campaign.

HarperTeen Promotion Aims to Combat Winter Blahs

The folks at HarperCollins Children's Books found a way to help teen readers take the chill out of a snowy February with its 28 Days of Winter Escapes Web site, an online promotion with multiple interactive components. These included a calendar spotlighting a different young adult novel each day, links to Twitter and to YA blogs featuring Q&As with authors, games, a widget, a browse-inside-the books option, and a sweepstakes offering a chance to win a signed copy of a book and one of five iPod Touch prizes.

Candlewick Launches Marketing Program for Indies

Candlewick Press in Somerville, Mass., affirmed its commitment to independent bookstores with the launch of a new marketing program aimed specifically at frontline indie booksellers, CHIRP. In a bit of double entendre, "CHIRP," short for Candlewick's Handselling Indie Recognition Program, also refers to a short, lively, high-pitched sound, the kind someone makes when they're excited about a book.

New Children's Bookstore to Open Near Salt Lake City

As far back as junior high school, 28-year-old Michelle Witte knew she wanted to have her own bookstore. But she put the idea on hold while she attended college, where she majored in journalism. Then after five years as an associate editor at Gibbs Smith, Witte decided early last month that the time was right to start a children's bookstore. She's already got a name picked out, Fire Petal Books, and a location, a 1,400 sq. ft. space in Centerville, Utah, just outside Salt Lake City.