Publications about books for children and young adults
Vampires have had their day in the sun. Zombies are resting in peace. The new it-girls in supernatural romance seems to be bionic women. [Possible spoilers appear below; and, okay, to be fair, they're not all robots, but I do sense a trend. And just for fun, Freaks & Geeks fans, click here.] Cinder (Feiwel, [...]
First there was The Queen of Kentucky (by Alecia Whitaker, Little/Poppy, January). Look what popped up yesterday at our offices: The Princesses of Iowa (by M. Molly Backes, Candlewick, May). Could this be a new trend? Regal YA? I hope the royals aren’t limited to the Midwest though—I, for one, wouldn’t mind The [...]
Here at the Horn Book we’ve gotten used to publishers sending us off-the-wall books. But this week even we were taken aback when we lifted the flap of a box and found this volume sitting on top of the stack: As Bertha [...]
Intern Ariel gave Juliet Marillier’s forthcoming Shadowfell (Knopf, September) and A. C. Gaughen’s just-published Scarlet (Walker, February) a makeover. Now they’re fashion-forward for summer 2012.
I can’t believe that I’m already sorting through mounds of July and August galleys for the Spring 2013 Guide issue. I’m also floored that heart-shaped glasses are apparently this summer’s hottest trend. Don’t believe it either? These two nearly identical summer ARC covers might convince you: Personally, I’m still a cat-eye kind of [...]
Jack the Ripper has been creeping into children’s literature recently: Gordon Korman included him in his 2011 Titanic trilogy (Scholastic). (Incorporating a Ripper mystery aboard the famed ship now marking the 100th anniversary of its sinking? That should sell a few books.) Last September saw the release of the first book in Maureen Johnson’s exciting [...]
While editing my reviews for the upcoming Fall 2011 Horn Book Guide, Elissa spotted these: From the last Guide: Apparently, the heroine of a paranormal YA romance must be an extra-pale, blue-eyed brunette with her hair in her (partial) face—at least, if I’m going to review it.
>I just saw two three four new YA novels indulging employing annoying pervasive strike-throughs to indicate a narrator’s dithering second thoughts or transparently self-buffing lies strategic rearrangements of the truth. I think this might be 2012′s dead girl OCD selectively mute protagonist of choice. It’s kind of like when everyone gets the same toy for [...]
The July issue of Notes from the Horn Book is out, featuring “Five Questions for . . .” Sophie Blackall, a recent BGHB Honor honoree who seems to be everywhere these days and doing some great work. Also: new picture-book bios (talk about something that’s everywhere), middle-grade fiction, and a roundup of the kind of [...]
>for the fact that her fellow Newbery Medalists Lois Lowry, Cynthia Voigt, and Richard Peck all have new middle-grade novels about talking mice. P.S. Now I’m remembering Susan Dove Lempke’s story about this snooty mom coming in after Kate’s Newbery was announced, and requesting “The Tale of Day-Pehrr-Rehhrrr.” (I know my phonetic fake French is [...]
