April marks the return of Sebastian Junger, David Maraniss and Gay Talese to stores' front tables, as well as chick lit divas Plum Sykes and Jennifer Crusie. But the drought of literary fiction by major authors continues.
April 1
*John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith (Hyperion, $16.99). 250,000 first printing.
*Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems (Hyperion, $12.99). 150,000 first printing.
*The Warrior Heir by Cinda W. Chima (Hyperion, $16.99). 100,000 first printing.
*Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book Two: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Hyperion, $17.95). 100,000 first printing.
April 4
*Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark (S&S, $25.95). 1,000,000 first printing.
Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis (Clarkson Potter, $32.50). 400,000 first printing.
Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson (Morrow, $24.95). 250,000 first printing.
Shiver by Lisa Jackson (Kensington, $19.95). 220,000 first printing.
The Messiah of Morris Avenue by Tony Hendra (Henry Holt, $24). 150,000 first printing.
Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. (St. Martin's, $24.95). 150,000 first printing.
Hey, Good Looking by Fern Michaels (Pocket, $25). 130,000 first printing.
We Are All Welcome Here by Elizabeth Berg (Random, $22.95). 125,000 first printing.
The Jesus Dynasty: A New Historical Investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity by James D. Tabor (S&S, $27). 110,000 first printing.
Savannah Breezeby Mary Kay Andrews (HarperCollins, $24.95). 100,000 first printing.
*Warriors: The New Prophecy #4: Starlight by Erin Hunter (HarperCollins, $15.99). 100,000 first printing.
Who Moved My Blackberry? by Lucy Kellaway (Hyperion, $21.95). 100,000 first printing.
Challenger Park by Stephen Harrigan (Knopf, $24.95). 100,000 first printing.
How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Lifeby Kaavya Viswanathan (Little, Brown, $21.95). 100,000 first printing.
The Only Game in Town: Baseball Stars of the 1930s and 1940s Talk About the Game They Love by Fay Vincent (S&S, $26). 100,000 first printing.
*High Lonesome: Stories 1966—2006by Joyce Carol Oates (Ecco, $34.95). 30,000 first printing.
April 5
Bon Appetit: My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme (Knopf, $24.95). 150,000 first printing.
*The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything by Brian D. McLaren (W Publishing, $19.99).
April 6
*Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Viking, $17.99). 100,000 first printing.
Parenting Young Athletes, The Ripken Way: Ensuring the Best Experience for Your Kids in Any Sport by Cal Ripken Jr. with Rick Wolff (Gotham, $25).
April 7
Saving the World by Julia Alvarez (Algonquin, $24.95). 50,000 first printing.
April 10Seeing by José Saramago (Harcourt, $25). 75,000 first printing.
April 11
Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life by Tyler Perry (Riverhead, $23.95). 200,000 first printing.
*Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Sharks and Other Sea Monsters by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart (Candlewick, $27.99). 300,000 first printing.
*Grandpa's Little One by Billy Crystal, illus. by Guy Porfirio (HarperCollins, $16.99). 250,000 first printing.
Dark Harbor by Stuart Woods (Putnam, $25.95). 250,000 first printing.
*Heat by Mike Lupica (Philomel, $16.99). 200,000 first printing.
Suite Française by Irene Nemirovsky (Knopf, $25). 75,000 first printing.
The Joys of Much Too Much: Go for the Big Life—The Great Career, The Perfect Guy, and Everything Else You've Ever Wanted by Bonnie Fuller (Fireside, $24). 60,000 first printing.
Chasing Destiny by Eric Jerome Dickey (Dutton, $24.95).
April 13
Kingdom Come by Tim Green (Warner, $24.95). 100,000 first printing.
April 17
*Seeker by William Nicholson (Harcourt, $17). 100,000 first printing.
Let Every Nation Know: John F. Kennedy in His Own Words by Robert Dallek and Terry Golway (Sourcebooks/ MediaFusion, $29.95). 100,000 first printing.
To Hell with All That: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife by Caitlin Flanagan (Little, Brown, $25.95). 75,000 first printing.
April 18
Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals: Great Dinners from the Pantry and Your Market's Express Lane by Rachael Ray (Clarkson Potter, $18.95). 600,000 first printing.
The Debutante Divorcée by Plum Sykes (Miramax, $23.95). 250,000 first printing.
*A Death in Belmont by Sebastian Junger (Norton, $23.95). 250,000 first printing.
Blue Shoes and Happiness: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon, $21.95). 250,000 first printing.
Make Him Look Good by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez (St. Martin's, $22.95). 150,000 first printing.
*Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger (Shaye Areheart, $24). 100,000 first printing.
April 19
Politics Lost: How American Democracy Was Trivialized by People Who Think You're Stupidby Joe Klein (Doubleday, $23.95). 100,000 first printing.
April 20
Man in the Shadows: Inside the Middle East Crisis with the Man Who Led the Mossadby Efraim Halevy (St. Martin's, $25). 125,000 first printing.
*Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz (Philomel, $17.99). 100,000 first printing.
*Terias the Oracle by G.P. Taylor (Putnam, $17.99). 100,000 first printing.
April 25
*The Prophet of Yonwood: The Third Book of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (Random, $15.95). 350,000 first printing.
Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss (S&S, $26). 250,000 first printing.
*Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge (HarperCollins, $16.99). 200,000 first printing.
It's OK If You're Clueless: And 23 More Tips for the College Bound by Terry McMillan (Viking, $12.95). 200,000 first printing.
The Right Words at the Right Time—Volume 2: Your Turn! by Marlo Thomas and New Friends (Atria, $25). 175,000 first printing.
A Writer's Life by Gay Talese (Knopf, $26). 150,000 first printing.
Vanished by Karen Robards (Putnam, $24.95). 150,000 first printing.
*Startled by His Furry Shorts by Louise Rennison (HarperTempest, $16.99). 125,000 first printing.
*Russell and the Lost Treasure by Rob Scotton (HarperCollins, $15.99). 100,000 first printing.
*Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams (HC/ Geringer, $15.99). 100,000 first printing.
Promise Me by Harlan Coben (Dutton, $26.95).
April 29
Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber (Mira, $23.95). 250,000 first printing.
* Children's/Young Adult titles
* Received a starred review in PW
For a complete listing of major titles going on sale between now and August 2006, visit www.publishersweekly.com.