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In November we attended the YALSA symposium in Nashville, and despite bringing back sickness, it was a great success! Julie Ann Peters and Svetlana Chmakova came with us and had great responses to their panels. Visit the YALA blog for video and podcasts.
We also had NCTE just last week in San Antonio and brought several authors to the show. Sara Zarr, Sean Beaudoin, Ann Dee, Greg Leitich Smith and Gail Giles. Each had wonderful panels on their latest YA titles. I hope you visited us and took home some of our great new Spring 2009 galleys! It was their debut.
And now with our November conferences behind us we get ready for the holidays and begin to think about ALA Midwinter in Denver...
Have you seen us on Facebook?! Become a fan of Little, Brown School and be the first to see featured author videos and be updated on our events.
In other news, are you interested in booking an author to come visit your school? Let us know! Many of our authors are available to come talk to your students about their books. Visit our website and download our Author Appearance kit. You can even search by region so you can find someone close to home.
Get a free poster for your favorite title!
Very occasionally we get to make posters for special events. Once the event is over the poster needs a new home. Email us at littlebrownschool@hbgusa.com. We have limited quantities for each title so please, in the subject line, include the name of the poster.
We have:
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! by Bob Spitz
Zombie Loan Vol. 1 by Peach-Pit
Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell
The Name of This Book is a Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Chowder by Peter Brown
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Furry Friends by Rachel Hale
Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith
Gossip Girl: It Had to Be You by Cecily von Ziegesar
In the spirit of the holidays and the end of this lovely year the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers School & Library Marketing Department would like to share our favorite books with you. So, here they are: |
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Victoria's Pick!
There's Nothing to Do Mars by Chris Gall
My favorite book this year was There's
Nothing to Do on Mars, written &
illustrated by Chris Gall. I'm a huge fan of
Chris's work; Dear Fish was one of my
favorites last year |
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and Mars is even better. I love the sense of landscape in the images paired with a very classic tale of a boy trying to find something, anything to do with himself. I moved several times as a child and I remember my first week in a new home wondering what I would do: all my familiar pastimes were gone, I thought. Of course, it was really a matter of getting used to new places and people, of just settling in. By the next week, there would be almost too much to do as I tried all my favorite games and sports in a new yard, park or playground. The modern retro art is cool and I love how Chris slips in sly visual jokes into the art. There are even references to his earlier books. The endpapers are great too. To me, this is a book that rewards multiple readings and just plain "lookings." To see how Chris has used his medium to convey a sense of scale, or depth. A very simple story of a boy and his dog in a strange new world. What could be better?
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Zoe's Pick!
Diary of a Chav by Grace Dent
My favorite book of this year is Diary of a Chav
by Grace Dent, the first book in a new series that was
imported from the UK. I absolutely love this book and think
it is hilarious! When I was a teenager I was completely
obsessed with British subculture and so this book would be
number one on my list then, too. It tells the story of
Shiraz Bailey Wood who comes from a working class |
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family and who is a part of the hip-hop culture in
Britain therefore she is a "chav." All people see when they look at her is her hoop earrings and hoodie. The problem is Shiraz is hilarious and smart and she wants other people to see her for more than just a street rat. She also has the drive to do something more with her life. I can remember being a teenager and no one taking me very seriously and how great it was when you finally did meet an adult who believed in you and inspired you. The book is just great and even though the lingo is new to most readers I still think the story and the characters make it fantastic.
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This month we have something a little different for you. Our senior editor, Alvina Ling, has written about her process for pairing authors with illustrators. It's a process that most of us who love books are interested in learning about. And Alvina is definitely someone who knows how to accomplish great pairings. One of her recent titles is Wabi Sabi, a picture book, written by Mark Reibstein
and illustrated by Caldecott medalist, Ed Young.
Visit her blog at
http://bluerosegirls.blogspot.com/ |
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Alvina in her own words...
If you've ever wondered how illustrators are chosen for certain book projects, I'm here to shed some light on the subject. Basically, finding the right illustrator for a book is a bit like being a casting agent trying to find the perfect actor for a movie role. At Little, Brown, the decision for choosing an artist for a picture book is generally initiated by the editor, or in other words, the editor is the casting agent. The designer is generally the "casting agent" in the search for the perfect artist for a novel cover or interior illustrations for a chapter. In both cases, the editor and designer will work together to make the decision. Generally, the editor and designer will come up with a list of possibilities individually, and then meet to compare lists, and will together come up with a master list which will then be approved by the publisher.
Some of the first things we'll take into account are the needs and the budget of the project. If we have a first-time picture book author that we're looking to pair with an illustrator, sometimes we'll want and have the budget for a more established, well-known illustrator to balance—an "A-lister" if you will. But if the author is already well known, then we may be able to use a newcomer, or an up-and-coming illustrator. We also need to take into account the illustrator's schedule—if a book is particularly timely, we may not be able to wait for a big-name illustrator who is most likely booked out years in advance.
When considering illustrators for a certain project, we'll consider what tone and art style lend itself to the text—do we need a realistic style? Something humorous? Do we need a very accessible, commercial style, or do we want something a little more edgy? Is it a weighty subject matter, or something light and fun? Do we need very expressive characters, or beautiful landscapes? Like casting, picturing an illustrator style is like trying to envision a certain actor in a role. For example, no doubt Will Smith's name comes up as a possibility for most action movies, just as Kate Winslet's name probably comes up for Jane Austen movies. There are certain illustrators who will come to mind for certain types of projects, such as Bryan Collier for a picture book biography, or Ed Young for a folk tale. Sometimes the matches seem fairly obvious, like Adam Sandler in a comedy, but sometimes a choice can be a bit of a stretch, like Adam Sandler in a serious drama, or Charlize Theron in Monster. But sometimes these unorthodox choices can work.
Most illustrators are known for a certain style, but many are versatile and may be eager to stretch their artistic muscles and try something new. It's exciting to choose illustrators for a style or genre they're not well-known for—for example, using an editorial illustrator for a picture book, or a picture book illustrator for a novel cover or interior illustrations. For example, illustrator Michael Emberley was happy to illustrate a new cover for the classic Mr. Popper's Penguins.
We love working with illustrators we've published before and know are great to work with. We don't need to deal with prima donnas! (Although admittedly, in some cases, their talent will make it worthwhile.) Overall, there are many factors that go into choosing the perfect illustrator for a project. And just as it is with movies, when the perfect match is made, the end result is magic.
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If you live in New York, the International School of Brooklyn's French and Spanish Children's Book Fair is December 6th from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. There will be over 1500 illustrated children's books, games and activities. For more information click here.
In Houston this month is The Latino Book and Family Festival. It is the weekend of 12/13-12/14 so if you are in the area you should check this out. Visit here for more info.
The Live Oak Public Library system is starting their Winter Reading Program in December. Win prizes and encourage reading. Visit here for more info.
If you have a community event that you would like Little, Brown School to announce in our newsletter please email littlebrownschool@hbgusa.com with the info.
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Wabi Sabi written by Mark Reibstein and illustrated by Ed Young has been named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year! It has also been named a Booklist Editor's Choice. Congratulations Mark and Ed! |
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The Day Leo Said I Hate You by Robie H., Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley has been named a PW Best Book of the Year! Congratulations! |
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Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass has been added to the Young Adult Master List for the 2009-2010 Land of Enchantment Book Award, New Mexico's annual Children's Choice award. Congratulations Wendy! |
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This month we will be giving away our favorite books! Please choose either THERE'S NOTHING TO DO ON MARS or DIARY OF A CHAV and the first 25 people that respond to littlebrownschool@hbgusa.com with one of those titles in the subject line will receive a finished copy. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS (no PO Box) in the email.
No purchase or payment of money is necessary to enter or win To enter this sweepstakes, you should send an email to FREE THERE'S NOTHING TO DO ON MARS or DIARY OF A CHAV offer. Limit of one entry per person. Sweepstakes is open for TWO DAYS ONLY and begins December 1, 2008, 11:00 am (ET) and ends on December 3, 2008, 11:00 am (ET). There will be 25 prizes awarded. No returns or substitutions. Each prize has an approximate retail value of $16.99. Winners will be notified by email on or before December 5, 2008, and may be asked to sign and return a short affidavit to confirm eligibility and agreement to abide by these official rules. The odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received. Available to all United States residents over the age of 18 who are librarians and/or educators. Sponsor, and its affiliates and their employees and families, are not eligible to enter. Applicable taxes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Sponsor reserves the right at any time to cancel or modify this sweepstakes in whole or in part in the event of technical or other difficulties. By participating in this sweepstakes, entrant agrees to be bound by these official rules. Prize will be awarded to alternate winner if prize notification cannot be made or is otherwise undeliverable. Sweepstakes sponsored by Hachette Book Group USA, Inc., 237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017, Attention: Victoria Stapleton, Room 15-164.
There’s the bell!! We’ll be back next month!
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