September 2018

September 25, 2018
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Happy Book

Birthday

COUNTDOWN
2979 Days to the Moon

by
Suzanne Slade
and

NYT best-selling illustrator

Thomas Gonzalez

Peachtree Press


Launched in advance of next year’s 50th anniversary of the first moon walk …


A 2018 JLG Selection

During the 2,979 days following President John F. Kennedy's 1961 speech announcing that the US would try to land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade, eighteen astronauts climbed into spaceships; three of them died before even leaving the ground. Eight rockets soared into space. And four hundred thousand people― engineers, technicians, scientists, mathematicians,
and machinists―joined Project Apollo in hopes of making the dream a reality. 


Click image to view trailer 
~created by Sarah E. Southern

“Captivating free-verse narrative…vivid mixed-media illustrations that stun with photographic realism and varied perspectives…this well-researched title offers a stirring introduction to one of humankind’s most impressive undertakings.”
– PW, Starred Review

“Elegant and informative, this is sure to attract casual browsers and true space nerds alike.” – BOOKLIST, Starred Review

“A grand―if, so many years later, nostalgic―tale about a magnificent effort. A handsomely packaged look back at an epochal achievement.” – KIRKUS

#NeverForget 

Gonzalez is the illustrator of two "breathtaking"… "tales of compassion and generosity" centered on the events of 9/11. Earlier this month, he shared his thoughts:

" [On] 9/11…I wanted to reflect on two picture books I was proud to be involved with in creating the visuals. Both gives an account of the events on that day with different perspectives. Both are written with a balance suitable for young readers as well as adults. The 17th anniversary of 9/11 is approaching, and it is always a difficult topic to discuss with children. With the books I was involved with, it makes it easier to relate, both emotionally and with factual nuggets of information. I learned more about 9/11 than I wanted to, but it was necessary…"


SEVEN AND A HALF TONS OF STEEL 
Janet Nolan / Peachtree

"Gonzalez's breathtaking spreads dazzle… The emphasis is not on damage and destruction, but on America's power to recover."
—PW


14 COWS FOR AMERICA 
Carmen Agra Reedy / Peachtree 

“The words and the glowing mixed-media illustrations show empathy and connections across communities.”
 

CONGRATS!


LLAMA LLAMA
LOVES TO READ

by Anna Dewdney &
Reed Duncan

Illus. by J.T.Morrow
Viking


 

Fifteen Weeks 
as a 
NYT Best Seller

(as of 9.9.18) 

LLAMA LLAMA LOVES TO READ is included in Brightly's Storytime video series for kids. 


 
CONGRATS
 

Kwame Alexander's

2015 Newbery recipient

THE CROSSOVER 
HMH Books for Young Readers

is celebrating 

Thirty Weeks 
as a 
NYT Best Seller

 
9.23.18

 
The week of 9.23.18 
marks East/West's
203rd week on the 
NYT Bestseller List

E/W held one or more slots for 88 consecutive weeks!
 

Acquisitions and Licensing
Congratulations

Stacia Deutsch, NYT-bestselling author of Books #1-4 of the Spirit Diaries series, to Mary-Kate Gaudet at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers–which launched with SPIRIT RIDING FREE: LUCKY’S DIARY–in addition to a series guidebook, as tie-ins to the Netflix show Spirit Riding Free by DreamWorks Animation. 

Atica/Somos, the longstanding publisher of Don and Audrey Wood in Brazil, has licensed FULL MOON AT THE NAPPING HOUSE. 

"Concluding in a state of cozy restfulness, the Woods' story serves as a pleasing inversion of the previous book and works even better as a bedtime read."
—PW

"Softly rendered, luminous art illustrates and expands the lilting text, incorporating varying perspectives and eyecatching, whimsical details."
—Booklist 

D.J. Butler's second trilogy of adult fantasy novels, beginning with WITCHY QUEEN—


the continuing adventures about young witch Sarah Calhoun, who takes the throne of Cahokia to battle her uncle, the Penn Landowner and Emperor of the New World–
to Toni Weisskopf at Baen Books, the publisher of Butler's groundbreaking flintlock Americana fantasy series launched by WITCHY EYE. 

 

Happy Book Birthday

 

EAVESDROPPING ON ELEPHANTS
How Listening Helps Conservation 

by Sibert award-winning author

Patricia Newman

Millbrook/ Lerner 

The text abounds with accessible…explanations of sound, spectrograms, technological advances, and more. Charts, graphs, and colorful photographs supplement the text. Grim facts are balanced by hope and faith in the next generation. Fascinating for earnest conservationists.
—KIRKUS

“…this book does an excellent job of transporting readers and providing a clear, multifaceted picture of African forest elephants…'The more you listen to wildlife, the more your mind opens up to new ideas about why the world is a place worth saving.' VERDICT A great pick for middle school nonfiction collections.”
—SLJ


Click image to view the trailer.

"Besides providing an overview of the project, along with information about the region’s elephants and how they communicate, the text conveys a sense of urgency about the animals' survival in an era when poaching and forest destruction continue…
An inviting introduction to biologists at work." 
— BOOKLIST


Here's a cool post on the digital content Lerner added to the book via QR codes which lead to videos of the elephants.

Look for Newman at the 
Mrs. Dalloway's / Berkeley CA  ~ Educator Night 10/11

NSTA Area Conference, Reno, NV 10/13


And check out her guest post, 

From Injustices to Action

on TeachingBooks.net –also featured in SLJ's Curriculum Connections: 

 "I write for myself and for kids who want to fight injustice and don’t know where to begin."


Congratulations
to Editorial Director of Millbrook Press, Carol Hinz, a 

PW STAR WATCH HONOREE.

Happy Book Birthday


PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by NYT Best Selling Creator
James Dean 

Harper Collins

Who needs five golden rings, when you can have five onion rings? A groovy spin on a well-known Christmas carol, bringing Pete's cool-cat spirit to the season.

AND…

Happy Book Birthday


 

James Dean's

PETE THE CAT GOES CAMPING  

An  I CAN READ / Level 1 
Harper Collins 

Pete the Cat's camping adventure: hiking, fishing, and even a campfire story about a mysterious creature named Bigfoot. 


More SWEET news…


PETE THE CAT AND THE MISSING CUPCAKES made
PW's Best Children's
Picture Books list. 

Jame's Dean's PETE THE CAT: TRICK OR PETE is currently #2 on the PW list.
HAPPY BOOK RELEASE(S)

to 

Erin Dealey and 
Luciana Navarro Powell's 

GRANDMA'S FAVORITE 

Whether a grandma fixes cars, goes to the gym, loves loud, silly songs, or catching bugs, time with her grandkids is what she loves most of all.

and

GRANDPA'S FAVORITE 

Kane Miller 

No matter where, no matter what – grandpas around the world love making memories with their grandchildren.

KIRKUS says: “Diversity, love and affection depicted visually, and a small format easily shared between an adult and a child add up to good choices for Grandparent’s Day or the year round.” 


Click image to view trailer
produced by Luciana Illustration.

Celebrating grandparents and their grand-kids around the world.

Check out the 2-part interview with Luciana on the Kane Miller blog.
And the cool poster with Luciana's illustration!

 

Where's East/West?

A great time was had by all at our annual Agency soiree during the SCBWI LA conference.

"Keep creating–stories, illustrations, content that tell young readers: 'We like you just the way you are.'" 
Inspiration from Mr. Rogers

Above photo: Sarah Scheerger c.
Gayle Pitman r.


Patricia Newman and NEEMA'S REASON TO SMILE (Lightswitch Learning/ Illus. Mehrdokht Amini) were at the Brooklyn Book Festival and visited students in the Bronx. 


Erin Dealey celebrated Grandparents' Day at Fairytale Town in Sacramento CA. 

Jim Averbeck's TREVOR (Neal Porter Books/ Roaring Brook Press /Illus. Amy Hevron) officially took flight at the Folio book launch party in SF 9.9 
Check out his Interview with Lee Wind –excerpts below. 

Happy Book Birthday
 

The Kissing Hand
25th Anniversary
Family Edition

by 
Audrey Penn 

Illustrated by
Ruth E. Harper
Nancy M. Leak

Tanglewood Books 


 "With over six million copies sold, countless children have come to know Chester Raccoon ..Now in its 25th year of printing, THE KISSING HAND
continues to provide reassurance that love remains through any physical separation, giving comfort to readers in difficult circumstances and life events."
–CBC

THE KISSING HAND
is a
NYT
Best Seller


Happy Birthday
to Ruth, too!

And check out the adorable Merrymakers plush:


THE KISSING HAND
25TH ANNIVERSARY
FAMILY EDITION is featured in
"Hot Off the Press"

–along with Jeanne Walker Harvey's BOATS ON THE BAY
(McFerrin/ Cameron Kids).  

 
 

Happy Book Birthday
 

THE LIBRARY MACHINE

Book #3 of THE EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS OF CLOCKWORK CHARLIE

by
Dave Butler

Knopf 
The final installment in the 
rip-roaring, 
middle-grade action
/adventure trilogy that's part
steampunk, part fantasy,
and all parts fun!

The series began with The Kidnap Plot, where Charlie Pondicherry's father is kidnapped by trolls and Charlie has to organize the rescue party.

“Reminiscent of both Pinocchio and The Great Mouse Detective, this novel is tailor-made for young readers who love adventure narratives and steampunk fiction.”
–KIRKUS

“VERDICT
A page-turning adventure.”
–SLJ  

In The Giant’s Seat, book #2, Charlie finds himself in the service of a very tough company of dwarves, who view him only as a machine—until a heroic act makes them his closest allies. 

Happy Book Birthday(s)
to Henry Herz's


 

ALICE'S MAGIC GARDEN

Illus. by Natalie Hoopes
Familius 

An imaginative prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
“It is my hope,” Herz says, “that readers … will feel a connection to Carroll’s tale.”

and..

GOOD EGG AND BAD APPLE

Illus. by Luke Graber
Schiffer 

Because of two bullies, Bad Apple and Second Banana, the foods in the refrigerator are not getting along. The vegetables are steamed, and Good Egg must avoid getting scrambled and save his friends' bacon. 
(Yes–all puns intended…)

Herz will be speaking at the SoCal Writers and Illustrators Day CSUF October 6th.

Congrats to the Featured Artists in 2018 Original Art Society of Illustrators Show 

including original art from …
 

Mehrdokht Amini
A Moon for
Moe and Mo

written by Jane Breskin Zalben
 

Chris Gorman  
One of a Kind 

Grady McFerrin 
Boats on the Bay

written by
Jeanne Walker-Harvey 

Dow Phumiruk 
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved
Apollo 13

written by Helaine Becker

Love these pics of Dow's launch party:

Listen to Dow on 
the History Author Show podcast.


*** Jeanne Walker Harvey featured Dow on her blog: True Tales & a Cherry On Top. 

WE LOVE IT WHEN EAST/WEST COLLEAGUES SUPPORT EACH OTHER! 

Harvey featured
Gayle Pitman's
SEWING THE RAINBOW
in her August 12th post. 

As did MaginationPress 
–along with this fabulous gif seen in ShelfAwareness:


 

September —Falling into Books! 

Writing a Picture Book? Focus on your character's emotional story
– Advice from Jim Averbeck
Excerpted from SCBWI's The Blog:

Lee: One thing I found very moving was that Trevor has the power to open his cage all along, and when he decides to leave his cage he just pecks and the gate pops open. Reading that, as a Gay man, it felt like a powerful coming out metaphor. Was it?

Jim: That’s very insightful, Lee…

I set out to write a story about a lonely canary who makes overtures of friendship to a lemon he believes is another bird. I connected it to the child’s world by thinking of Trevor as that socially isolated child on the playground who takes a chance at making a friend. When I went to connect to my adult emotions to fuel the story, I realized the most analogous and recent experience I had to this little bird’s was when I was in the Peace Corps in Cameroon and knew it was time I "came out". I was thousands of miles from my home and my support network, among people I hadn’t known for long, in an environment that was foreign to me. I was desperate to find someone to talk to about what I was feeling. Fortunately, I found many new friends with willing ears and open hearts. So as I developed the story of Trevor, I realized that my experience of coming out was metaphorically showing up in the story. 

When I discussed the emotional underpinning of the story with the book's editor, Neal Porter, I think he was genuinely moved by it and saw the connection immediately. I think the resulting editorial direction made a book that is deeper and more poignant for it. We wondered if the underlying experience that fueled the story should be brought more to the forefront. It was an interesting question because, in the end, the gay experience is both unique and universal. We opted to focus on the universal emotions – loneliness, friendship, trust – but I gave a nod to the unique experience in the wording of the dedication.


Jim Averbeck's TWO PROBLEMS FOR SOPHIA is featured in
10 (or11) Books That Help Promote Diversity and Kindness.

 

This piece from Antoinette Portis' NOW / Neal Porter Books / Roaring Brook 
is featured at the Carle Honors auction, Sept. 27th.  

As for Portis' latest title…

  

"For some delicious mischief, there’s Antoinette Portis’s Best Frints at Skrool, her follow-up to Best Frints in the Whole Universe. What a treat to have the chance to return to the alien world of planet Boborp, where “childrinx go to skrool, just like here on planet Earth.” As with her 2016 release, Portis playfully devises a Boborp vocabulary, and she leaves ample room, and provides helpful context, for students to discover the word meanings themselves. At its heart, this is a story about friendship (and even standing up to the lunchroom bullies), and it includes a wonderful, raucous 'spewd fight.'"
 

Portis' BEST FRINTS AT SKROOL was also featured in

"What am I doing at KIRKUS this week…"

as well as…
"Ready, Set, it's time for school" / Bookpage:
“There’s no better way to usher in a new school year than this laugh-out-loud tale
of life in an intergalactic classroom.”

 

 

(Boborpian smile emoji)

SLJ  ~ BEST FRINTS AT SKROOL
We all have a best frint—one that we go to skrool with, read bloox with, and even share healthy spewds with. But what about sharing that best frint?…Bold, colorful illustrations accompany the equally bold narrative. VERDICT An excellent and engaging read-aloud with a smart, timely message. A perfect selection for the beginning of school that will be requested all year long.
–Amanda C. Buschmann, ­Carroll Elementary School, Houston


Cover reveal and early praise for Sarah Scheerger's debut MG novel,
OPERATION FROG EFFECT, coming from Penguin/Random House in February:  
"An authentic, heartfelt novel that bounds from voice to voice and page to page. Scheerger's debut rewards readers with a rich cast of complex characters who realize that to promote change in the world, they first have to change how they see each other." 
— John David Anderson, author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day (Walden Pond Press)


Ingram held a giveaway to celebrate the NYT Best Seller, THE KISSING HAND's 25th anniversary.
Cheers to author Audrey Penn and Ruth E. Harper. 


Dow Phumiruk's art from Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines (Jeanne Walker-Harvey) is on display at the Library of Congress Youth Readers Center!


James Dean's \ PETE THE CAT–Rocking My School Shoes is among Imagine Forest's 12 Hilarious Back to School Picture Books to Excite Your Kids.

  
Pete the Cat: FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS hit the PW Best Seller list (9.16.18)

Pete the Cat: 5 MINUTE PETE THE CAT STORIES was on the PW list in August:


James Dean's Pete the Cat: TRICK OR PETE is also a USA Today Best seller.



Counting on Katherine (Becker/ Henry Holt) Illus. by Dow Phumiruk is featured in #AMightyGirl's
"Picture Books About Mighty Girls Who Love Math" – and
"Hidden Figures" Mathematician Katherine Johnson at 100: A Life Told in Children's Books

Also from #AMightyGirl:


DUST OF EDEN by Mariko Nagai / Albert Whitman, which releases in paperback Oct. 1st, is featured in 'Dangerous Americans': Mighty Girl Books About The Internment of Japanese Americans



Celebrating a Love of Reading: 35 Mighty Girl Stories about Books, Libraries, and Literacy features Jennifer Fosberry's Isabella–Star of the Story / Sourcebooks. 

  

Honoring Educators

20 Books About Mighty Girls & Their Teachers includes
RUBY LEE AND ME by Shannon Hitchcock.  

Hitchcock's ONE TRUE WAY is featured in 

20 LGBTQ Books For Kids From Preschooler To High School:

"This is one of the sweetest and most honest books about young queer love I have ever read. Hitchcock perfectly paints the infatuation of a first crush with the frustration of having to hide because the crush is between two girls. The backdrop of the book is a 1970s southern town soaked in religion. But 7th graders Sam and Allie challenge politics, disapproval, and fear by clinging to their feelings for each other."


Kudos to all who painted piggy banks for the BINC. Foundation 
BANK ON BOOKSELLERS auction this month, including… 
Don  and Audrey Wood           Gianna Marino

Dow Phumiruk: 


11 of the Best Audible Books For Early Readers calls The Llama Llama Audiobook Collection — Perfect for the younger crowd. The cadence is wonderful too. Oh, llama, llama…


Prime Party featured a Pajama Party with all the Llama Llama trimmings!  

From

“I have a kid with a mohawk,” continues Gorman. “I’m writing a story about being an outsider, being ‘the other,’ essentially about him, and was trying to figure out how to relate to this kid that I’m making the hero of my story.”

Upcoming Belly dates:

Sept. 28: Philadelphia @ Union Transfer

Sept. 29: Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club

Oct. 4: Madison, Wis. @ Majestic Theatre

Oct. 5: Minneapolis @ Fine Line Music Cafe

Oct. 6: Chicago @ Vic Theatre


Full article here.



Check out the Brightly interview with Chris Gorman.


Also–

New and Noteworthy: 
"The drummer for the Grammy-nominated band Belly writes and illustrates a picture book about a young boy whose fauxhawk and leather jacket make him stand out from his peers — until he finds a group of similar misfits who make him feel less alone."

BRIGHTLY'S 14 Books to Help Kids Get Ready for the New School Year:

PragmaticMom's Top 10 Diversity Starting School Picture Books features 


Kindergarten Diary by Antoinette Portis: 

"Annalina shares via her diary her experiences as she transitions into her first month of Kindergarten. She’s list most preschoolers; she likes preschool and is not sure about Kindergarten. I especially like the charming illustrations which include children of all races."

The "WRITE" way!

     

(Above left) Naomi Kinsman's tenth annual Society of Young Inklings' book, an anthology of stories and poetry by 3rd-9th grade youth writers, celebrates the culmination of the Inklings Book Contest, which served 242 international applicants. Every applicant received individual feedback about their story or poem, and in preparation for publication, the 18 winners received individualized editorial mentorships with pros such as East West's own fabulous Ernesto Cisneros!  

Anyone interested in being a volunteer mentor for next year’s Inklings Book program, contact Naomi directly: naomi@younginklings.org

(Above right) Andrea Alban is a contributor to Joan Gelfand's YOU CAN BE A WINNING WRITER:
The 4 C’s Approach of Successful Authors – Craft, Commitment, Community, and Confidence  
Mango Press

  

"Overheard"  at @EastWestLit on Twitter:

​​
​​

From Librarian Leaps: "A couple of weeks ago I read a book that also takes place in Southern California, Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Scheerger.  I'm sorry to say that you will have to wait until February to read it but it will be well worth it. Mark your calendar now for a trip to your favorite indie book store and extra time to read.  Then take out your plan book because this is one you are going to want to share with your students.  Did you love Because of Mr. Terupt?  What about Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary School?   It's almost like Operation Frog Effect completes the trilogy (with Mrs. Bixby's Last Dayas an add on). Diverse fifth graders each sharing their own point of view. There's even a poet and screenwriter.  A classroom teacher we love who pushes the envelope. Kids standing up for what they believe in. But don't think that this has been done before.  Buyea gives his fifth graders one voice.  Shovan's book in verse has another and Scheerger's a third.  Like three kids from the same family.  Similar features but very different.  "The world feels too dark for my candle to make much of a difference." Yet, these ten year old superheroes, with Kermit by their side, figure out how to get their voices heard. With the simple power of the pen, inspired by Harold's purple crayon, you will be rooting for them all till the end. This book is "frogtastic", "frogerful" and "frog-alicious." One good thing about having to wait till February? Gives you enough time to collect journals for all your students.

*CONGRATULATIONS ONE AND ALL*

We are thrilled and thankful to represent such amazing talent.


Artwork by Danielle Arbour
 
 
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