Lerner Publishing Group

Subscribe to the New Lerner Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 21:08:00 +0000

We've moved! You can subscribe to our new blog by entering your email address in the "Subscribe to the Blog Via Email" field on the right-hand side of the page.

Coming soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 17:00:00 +0000

Are you wondering why the Lerner blog has gone silent? Do you feel lost without your weekly fix of behind-the-scenes peeks, author Q&As, editorial thoughts, and design notes?

Actual photo of us redesigning the blog

Fear not! We're currently working on transitioning the blog to a new platform, and our posts will resume soon. So...stay tuned.

In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

New Archaeology Book for Kids Uncovers How Children Once Lived [Interview]

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Hinz) — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 18:40:00 +0000

By Carol Hinz, Editorial Director of Millbrook Press

We recently released a new archaeology book for kids with Lois Miner Huey, author of Ick! Yuck! Eew! Our Gross American History, Forgotten Bones: Uncovering a Slave Cemetery, and Floodwaters and Flames: The 1913 Disaster in Dayton, Ohio. This title, Children of the Past, looks at what we know about the lives of kids at different times and places in history.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for this book? I’m curious what got you thinking specifically about the lives of kids long ago.

A: I'm an archaeologist, and I love finding evidence of children on sites I am digging. This inspired me to do more research about children in different time periods. I thought kids today would also be interested to learn about the lives of children in the past.

Interior page from Children of the Past showing archaeologists at work and artifacts

Q: The book covers a range of places and time periods from “cave kids” in Western Europe 20,000 years ago to Native Americans in North America 1,000 years ago to escaped slaves Fort Mose, Florida, 250 years ago. If you could travel back in time to just one of these time periods, which would you choose and why?

A: Tough question. I would love to go back to any of these to see what their lives were like. Historical Archaeology means using materials people in the past used and left behind to figure out what was going on then. It would be fun to see if our analysis of those artifacts is anywhere near on target.

Q: What was the most surprising thing you learned while researching this book?

A: I would have to say the information I found about how kids frequented the caves. Art historians have done most of the work studying these caves, with archaeologists following them. Many people think the caves were mostly used for religious ceremonies. But we now realize children played in these caves and in the back, they drew their own crude pictures. This is a whole new revelation to me.

Interior spread from Children of the Past

Q: Many American kids grow up today with multiple digital devices in their homes, access to on-demand TV and movies, and the world at their fingertips via the Internet. What do you think modern kids can learn from the lives of the children profiled in this book who grew up in very different circumstances?

A: I think kids are the same in all time periods. Kids today enjoy our kind of entertainments. Kids in the past enjoyed cave art, decorating pottery, making stone tools, and more. The main difference I found was that children in the past did activities as part of a family group. They contributed to the success of the family from a young age and must have felt much pride in their accomplishments. I tried to make this point in the book, and I hope kids today are struck by that.

Gardening Project for Kids: 5-Minute DIY Flowerpots

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 20:30:00 +0000

Here's a fun craft for kids: make a newspaper flowerpot in less than 5 minutes. The Nitty-Gritty Gardening Book author Kari Cornell put together this video tutorial to get kids gardening in no time:

If you're in Minneapolis on Saturday, you can create newspaper flowerpots with Kari at the Fulton Farmers Market from 10:00 am to noon.

Pick up The Nitty-Gritty Gardening Book at your local library for more gardening crafts for kids!

Why Eucabeth Odhiambo Wrote New Multicultural Kids Book AUMA’S LONG RUN [Watch]

noreply@blogger.com (Livy Traczyk) — Mon, 12 Jun 2017 16:30:00 +0000

Last month, Carolrhoda Books editor Amy Fitzgerald, wrote a teaser post about her upcoming trip to Book Expo America (BEA). If you haven't yet read it, her to-do list at the end is worth a spare moment of your time.

In addition to consuming an absurd amount of leafy greens prior to her departure, Amy also mentioned practicing her Editors' Buzz Panel speech about Auma's Long Run, a debut novel by Eucabeth Odhiambo.

For those of you who may not know, the Middle Grade Book Editors' Buzz Panel is a highly selective program highlighting five of the most highly anticipated middle grade books for 2017. Both the editor and the author are invited to speak about the process of writing and editing the book.

Both Amy and Eucabeth knocked it out of the park and I've got the iPhone footage to prove it.

Amy gets to the heart of what Auma's Long Run is all about:

"As Americans we're so used to stories that carry a 'follow your dreams' message. It's not that simple for Auma; it isn't that simple for many children in the US. Instead Auma’s path forward is to hang on to her dreams even when she has to put them on hold; to hang on to her dignity even when she has to make difficult compromises; to hang on to her faith in herself and in others even in the midst of this darkness nobody knows how to banish."

Eucabeth shares why she chose to write for a middle grade audience:

"Auma asks a lot about culture and questions, 'Why do I have to do that?' . . . and I had the same questions. It came naturally that I was going back into myself."

Auma's Long Run pubs September 1, but you can enter our Goodreads contest now for a chance to win an advance reader's copy. Digital review copies are also available for request on both NetGalley and Edelweiss.

And hey, if you read it and love it as much as we do, please consider nominating it for the Indie Next program and/or rating it on Goodreads. We'd love to know what you thought about it!

2 Dystopian Nonfiction Books YA Students Need this Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Domenica Di Piazza) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:30:00 +0000

By Domenica Di Piazza, Editorial Director of Twenty-First Century Books

I love when my fiction and nonfiction reading converge thematically, and it just happened again for me this week, when I finished Ben Winters's astonishing 2016 novel Underground Airlines.

In all honesty, I almost put it down three times. I was already familiar with his Raymond Chandler-esque voice from The Last Policeman (fun, but gets old), and I struggled a little with the proselytizing about race in particular.

(IMO, the protagonist would be smarter about these things, even though I get that the noir hero wants to be duped or at least has a blind side.) However, I plugged away, practicing patience, and boy oh boy was I rewarded. The end is quite a surprise, and one you don't see coming.

I won't give it away, but let's just say that, as a novel about deep racial injustice set within a technologically advanced dystopian America, it is a perfect pairing for nonfiction works that tackle racial profiling and our very real fears of losing our humanity, both literally and figuratively.

If your YA students are interested in alternative-history fiction books--and especially if they're looking for something to read after finishing Winter's Underground Airlines--you'll want to hand them a copy of Alison Marie Behnke's Racial Profiling and Stephanie Sammartino McPherson's Artificial Intelligence. Both pub this fall with Twenty-First Century Books and both touch on similar themes.

After reading, here are some discussion questions you could ask your students:

1. Can they make the thematic connections between the fiction and the nonfiction titles?
2. Ask them about Winters's vision. Is he onto something or not?
3. Can they expand the reading list to include other fiction and nonfiction titles--and movies--about similar topics?
4. And is this future (or present) fearful or promising?

These are the questions I see us all struggling with in the twenty-first century. Fortunately, fiction and nonfiction books are here to help us.

Celebrate Pride Month with Award-Winning eBooks and Audio books

noreply@blogger.com (Amy McGuire) — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 18:41:00 +0000

Special thanks to digital intern Amy Richardson for the following post!

On June 28th 1969, protests carried out by the gay community against police raids in New York City started a nationwide conversation about LGBTQ rights. The Stonewall Riots made history by serving as a catalyst for future activism within the LGBTQ movement. As a result, June is now recognized as “Pride Month” -- a month dedicated to celebrating and spreading awareness for the LGBTQ community.

This June, you can participate in LGBTQ Pride Month by checking out some of Lerner’s eBooks which feature LGBTQ protagonists, informative facts about the progression of the LGBTQ movement, and both fiction and nonfiction narratives from the LGBTQ community.

Nonfiction titles from Twenty-First Century Books provide an informative and in-depth look at the real lives of those who identify as LGBTQ and are perfect for anyone looking to learn more and gain a better understanding about the LGBTQ community.

· In LGBTQ+ Athletes Claim the Field: Striving for Equality, Kirstin Cronn-Mills highlights athletic achievements of well-known members of the LGBTQ community and explores the struggles that LGBTQ athletes have faced during their sports-related careers.

· Kirstin Cronn-Mills tells the inspiring stories of seven transgender individuals in Transgender Lives: Complex Stories, Complex Voices. Readers will better understand the lives of transgender people in America, including the challenges they face before, during, and after their transitions.

· Prom: The Big Night Out by Jill S. Zimmerman Rutledge includes a detailed chapter discussing the evolution of high school proms, from strictly heterosexual events to eventually becoming inclusive to LGBTQ students.

Darby Creek’s high/low chapter books are engaging for even the most reluctant readers. Titles such as On Guard by Patrick Jones, Archenemy by Paul Hoblin (available as an Audisee eBook with audio), and The Alliance by Gabriel Goodman (available as an Audisee eBook with audio) feature strong and relatable LGBTQ protagonists and true-to-life storylines that young adult readers will love.

Finally, Lerner’s picture books provide an opportunity for younger readers to join in during Pride Month as well. The Flower Girl Wore Celery by Meryl G. Gordon centers on a little girl that is the flower girl for a wedding with two brides. My Family, Your Family by Lisa Bullard follows Makayla as she learns love is what makes a family, as she visits a diverse families including one with two dads and her neighbors, a lesbian couple. Both of these titles celebrate our differences in families and as individuals, as well as reveal our commonalities. They are a great way to introduce children to an understanding of the LGBTQ community.

Readers of all ages can utilize Lerner’s digital collection this June to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month.

Goodreads YA Novel Giveaway: Truthers by Geoffrey Girard

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 17:00:00 +0000

It's finally Friday, and we've got a giveaway to make your day even better! Here's how you can enter to win an ARC of Geoffrey Girard's YA novel Truthers:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Truthers

by Geoffrey Girard

Giveaway ends June 23, 2017.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Katie Wallace has never given much thought to 9/11. She was only a year old when terrorists struck American soil. But now her dad has landed in a mental institution after claiming to know what really happened. He insists the attacks were part of a government conspiracy. And he claims that Katie is living proof: the lone survivor of a massive cover-up. Hoping to free her dad, Katie sets out to investigate his bizarre claims. Soon she's drawn into the strange and secretive world of 9/11 conspiracy theorists known as the Truthers. What is fact and what is fiction? Katie no longer knows what to believe.

"With compelling characters and non-stop action, Truthers will leave you thinking."—Mindy McGinnis, Edgar-winning author of A Madness So Discreet and The Female of the Species

"Girard is a skilled storyteller, weaving history and conspiracy into a thriller that's bold, smart, and impossible to put down."—Natalie D. Richards, author of Six Months Later and One Was Lost

Good luck!

Celebrate June Holidays with Books

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 13:00:00 +0000

By Sara Hoffmann, School & Library Series Managing Editor

Happy June, everyone! There’s a lot to celebrate this month. In addition to marking the first full month of summer break for most kids, did you know June also brings many holidays and special days? And with summer stretching out before us, it’s a great time to celebrate those days with awesome books. Here’s what’s on tap for June, and what you can read to mark each day:

June 2: If you live north of the Panama Canal, it’s Yell Fudge at the Cobras in North America Day. This is the day to yell fudge at noon at the top of your lungs. It’s said to scare cobra snakes away. Plus, yelling fudge just sounds kind of fun. Or, if you’d rather not terrify everyone within a fifty-foot radius (in addition to scaring off snakes), you can just read about cobras and other venomous animals in this book:

June 7: It’s National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! Celebrate by reading this book (shameless plug—it’s by yours truly), which includes a recipe for homemade ice cream:

You can also learn how milk turns into ice cream here:

June 8: This is Best Friends’ Day! If you ask me, few things in life are more celebration-worthy than friendship. Read up on how to be good to your bestie here:

June 14: Today is Flag Day—and gosh, I really love seeing those stars and stripes everywhere. It’s so summery and festive. Read about why we celebrate in this book:

June 18: Time to celebrate those dads and guys who make a difference! It’s Father’s Day. Meet some great dads and other important family members as Makayla visits friends and gets to know their families here. Some families have lots of kids, and others have none. Some families are headed up by grandparents, and others have two dads or have parents who are divorced. Learn about them all while Makayla makes her rounds:

June 19: It’s Juneteenth, a time to celebrate the end of slavery. On June 19, 1865, a message arrived to slaves in Texas as they labored in the fields and homes of the white people who owned them: Slavery was abolished! They were finally free. The Civil War had ended in April, but it took two months for word to reach Texas. Every year, people throughout the United States set aside June 19 to remember and honor freedom for all people. Learn more in this book:

Also check out this selection.

June 21: It’s the first day of summer! Make some s’mores and give this title a read:

June 25: Today marks Eid al-Fitr, the last day of Ramadan, when the ninth month in the Muslim calendar ends. This breaks the Ramadan fast, a time period when Muslims don’t eat or drink until after sunset. On Eid, people eat big meals in celebration. They also have festivals, and some give gifts. Learn more about Eid—as well as Ramadan—here:

Have fun celebrating June with books—and let me know what special days you’re most looking forward to this summer! The comments section is wide open, and I’m all ears!

Meet a Lerner: Lam Lai, New Marketing Intern

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Wed, 31 May 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Meet marketing intern Lam Lai!

What brings you to Lerner?

I graduated from Macalester College last year, majoring in Creative Writing and Chinese. A professor told me about Lerner and encouraged me to go for it – and now I’m here! It turns out that another professor of mine from Macalester used to be an intern here back in the day, so we have that legacy going on.

I’m headed to New York in the fall for my MFA in Creative Writing. Afterward I want to work in academia, or a place like Lerner.

Describe a day in the life of a marketing intern.

After clocking in, I check my emails and respond to them. Then I become unsure whether or not I have really clocked in, so I go back to double check on that. Then the real work begins.

The tasks vary from day to day. Doing comp requests and mailing out books are extremely popular tasks. If it is catalog season, I will do a lot of proofreading and indexing as well. Making promo newsletters and writing copies for books are my favorite tasks, however. I love watching ads, and getting to “sell” the books in 35 words or less makes me feel alive.

When I have some spare time, I retrieve some of the books I have seen coming up in the catalogs and read them. Afterward I put them right back where they were.

What are you reading now?

I have been reading Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass from Lerner’s First Avenue Classics collection, and 13 Reasons Why, which Jill, our marketing director, gave me.

What's your best source for finding new book recommendations?

My friends will tell me when they are reading a great book. I keep an eye on literary events that happen in the Twin Cities as well, and take note of the books I see mentioned.

Name your top five books!

King Lear. Wuthering Heights. The Great Gatsby. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. To Kill a Mockingbird.

Name some of your icons. Who do you admire, living or dead, and why?

William Shakespeare and Albert Einstein. And whoever invented the lightbulbs.

What is your ideal vacation?

The Nintendo Store, New York City.

Thanks, Lam!

Interested in interning at Lerner? Check out our available internships here.

En Route to BookExpo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 May 2017 19:48:00 +0000

This morning I was talking to a colleague who said, "I'll be at BookExpo the rest of the week so we can follow up on this after I--" At which point I cut her off with a semi-squealy "Me too!"

Because indeed, friends, I will be attending BookExpo America (BEA) in New York City this week. If you're wondering, "Amy, how come you get to go to the largest annual trade book fair in the country?" the answer is this: I happened to have the privilege of editing Auma's Long Run, a powerful forthcoming middle-grade novel that will be featured on the show's Middle Grade Book Buzz editor and author panels. I'll be riding the coattails of this scrappy little-book-that-could all the way to the Javits Center.

This is the story of 13-year-old Auma, a hardworking student and gifted runner who can't outrun the devastation
of a new disease--AIDS--that's ravaging her small Kenyan village in the 1990s.

I have SO MANY things to say about Auma's Long Run. (But I'm saving them for the panel, which will be at 11:00 a.m. in room Room 1E 12/13/14. Eucabeth will be at the author panel on the Uptown Stage at 2:00 p.m. She'll also be signing free ARCs from 1:00-1:30 p.m. at table 6 in the author signing area.)

Meanwhile this is my to-do list:

Frantically eat large portions of salad that I foolishly made over the weekend and that will not survive until my return this Saturday.
Practice speech for Editors' Buzz Panel (11 a.m. on Friday).
Print boarding pass because I am 200 years old and having my boarding pass on my phone stresses me out.
Get excited to finally meet author Eucabeth Odhiambo in person!
Review lists of galleys and catalogs I'm supposed to grab for colleagues.
Wonder why I put so many carrots in this salad. Dutifully consume them as fuel for the approaching adventure!

Elements of Excellent Science Books

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Hinz) — Fri, 26 May 2017 18:18:00 +0000

By Carol Hinz, Editorial Director of Millbrook Press

I want to talk a little about what makes an excellent science book. I could probably say even more on the subject, but I'd like to at least put some ideas out there.

A key point of reference is Melissa Stewart's December 2015 blog post about Diversity in Thinking. In it, Melissa looks at data from some key awards and delves into what kinds of nonfiction books are more likely to win awards. In short, books that focus on life stories (biography, autobiography, and memoir) and history win far more awards than do books on science topics.

Why?

I would like to propose that one reason is that excellence in a science book might look a bit different than excellence in other types of books. Today I thought I'd share a list of key elements* I look for when I'm acquiring and editing books on science topics.

STRUCTURE
Again, I'm compelled to mention Melissa Stewart--she has written a lot on her blog (and elsewhere) about the variety of nonfiction text types. I enjoy working on books with different kinds of structures, and I always want to see a structure that works well with the topic of the book. A look at how a scientist made a new discovery, such as in the book Sea Otter Heroes, may be best served by a chronological narrative so that readers can follow along as the story unfolds. Meanwhile, a book that explores what types of teeth mammals have, such as in the book Tooth by Tooth, could be most engaging when presented with a Q&A format.

CLARITY
Scientific ideas can be complex. Young readers (and even adult readers) need to clearly understand the scientific concepts related to the topic at hand. When a concept--whether introducing what atoms are or explaining how an ecosystem works--is explained well, a reader may hardly notice it. The reader simply takes in the information and continues. But this is anything but simple; it takes tremendous skill to present a complex topic clearly! Science writing may be a bit pared down when compared to the writing in novels, which may involve more description. But I would argue that this style perfectly serves the subject matter and is in no way inherently "lesser" writing.

SIGNIFICANCE
As I read submissions, I often ask myself "why does this matter?" Readers (or writers) well versed in science may know why a topic is significant or how it relates to other concepts or discoveries to help us build a body of knowledge about how the world works, but I also want to be sure readers who aren't well versed in science know why a topic matters. I remember talking with Sandra Markle while she was working on the book The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats about why the deaths of bats from white-nose syndrome is significant and what it would mean for our world if there were fewer bats.

SCIENTIFIC THINKING
What should a reader get out of a book on a scientific topic? Of course I want the reader to come away with an understanding of the topic. But I also hope the reader will absorb a sense of how science works or how scientists think. In the book The Search for Olinguito, readers learn facts about what an olinguito is and where it lives, but they can also get a sense of the importance of publishing one's findings. (There's a fascinating moment when the scientist working on establishing that the olinguito is a distinct species submits a paper for publication . . . and it's rejected.)

SOURCES
All information is not equal. Are the author's sources newspaper and magazine articles or do they also include scientific papers and interviews with relevant scientists? In working on Rebecca L. Johnson's When Lunch Fights Back, I was delighted that Rebecca was able to connect with scientists studying each animal profiled in the book and give readers a sense of what scientists are currently trying to learn about the animals--as well as what they already know.

I'd welcome comments, feedback, and questions. How do you approach science books? What do you look for? What do you think makes a book excellent?

*I would call this list the 5 S's were it not for the fact that one of them starts with C. Whoops!

Summer scares

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Kuehl) — Wed, 24 May 2017 17:16:00 +0000

Are you starting to plan your summer camping trips? You probably have your tent, your sleeping bags, your cooler, your water bottles...but wait!

What about the campfire? Yes, yes, you have your wood and your matches and your marshmallows. That's all well and good. But do you have your scary stories? You know, your dragons, your witches, your zombies? Oh, you haven't packed those yet? Well, here, let me help you.

Available in library bound or ebook. But watch out! Who knows what's really making that noise in the woods?!

Demystifying the Press Check Process with Chris Barton's New Book: Dazzle Ships

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle Carnito) — Tue, 23 May 2017 15:12:00 +0000

By Danielle Carnito, Trade Art Director and Designer

Sometimes, we in the design department actually LEAVE the design department for a few hours.

I know it's hard to believe, but we don't always sit behind a computer clicking buttons for eight hours a day. Some aspects of book making require interacting with other people outside of our building. Case in point: the press check."WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?" you might ask. Thanks for asking.

To explain:

The books we work so hard on in digital form while in development also make it into physical printed form, so they can join the other wonderful physical books in your homes and your bookshelves. For certain books—those that have special printing treatments, exceptionally large print runs, or have art and images that will be difficult or extremely important to match color, someone either in design or in print production will head to the printer when the book is on press for quality assurance to make sure it's printing as expected.

What do we expect? That the color will match the high-end color proofs we've approved in house and send along with the digital files to the printer. A shot of printer proofs for our upcoming Millbrook picture book Dazzle Ships by Chris Barton and Victo Ngai:

Yes, the printer proofs look like a wonderful jumble of mixed up pages, 8 pages per side of large sheet of paper for the press. Once printed and folded properly, the book will all make sense. But that's a whole separate printing signatures & forms blog post for you.

We print in most books in 4-color process, so there are four plates and rollers laying down the four color components of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black, that once together make a full color book. Color levels are adjusted when on press by adding or lessening any of these four color components in various areas of the images. For this particular job we added more yellow in places to warm up the art.

Printing presses are long machines with many components. This is one section of the press—one of those four plates & rollers—the yellow plate. Which may be obvious. You can see parts of two more presses in the background.

Once the paper has made it through all four color rollers, the entire image has been formed and the press sheet rolls out, done. It takes a few (or many) sheets for any color adjustments to make it through the entire press, so it's not unheard of to go through a couple hundred sheets of paper to get the colors all where we want them. Much of this prep is done BEFORE the printer calls in the clients (us), so we're there to do the final look and adjustments.

And when the pressman on the job is experienced and great at his job (in this case it was Dan, hence 'pressman' rather than 'pressperson') there are very few adjustments to go once we arrive. Here, cover press sheets are rolling out of the press. The operator will grab the top sheet and bring it over to the light booth to compare to the previous round of color adjustments and our high-end color proofs:

That reflected purple screen you see almost cut off the top left corner is the screen for the computer that runs the press—there are many many color bars and buttons that correspond to parts of the press & press sheet, all of which mystify me but the people running the press know them like the backs of their hands.

Making a color adjustment for one page will affect all the other areas of the book in that particular column of the press sheet, so changing one page to be more yellow could up the yellow on another page that really doesn't need it. As with most things, 4-color printing is a balancing act to get the right result.

Pressman Dan knew exactly how to adjust for this cover and jacket—I'd say something like "this is looking to blue, can you warm it up more" and before I was done he'd be agreeing and already adding the yellow in the right places with all the mystifying buttons. This photo shows the difference between adjustments. Which you can sort of see in the the picture... but trust me, we moved the color on the flaps to be a better match.

Once the color is right, we sign off on the approved sheet, and let the rest of the job run using the same levels. Press checks when they go well can take only ten minutes. Press checks when they go badly can end up with pulling the entire job off press to fix a problem, then rescheduling for another time—that did not happen with this book. This particular excursion to the printer went very smoothly.

And we went back the next day to see the interior pages on press and worked on matching the color of the back cover printed the day before to the color of the endsheets, as the same piece of art was used in both places.

Also once signed off, we get a few press sheets and take them back to the office to take pictures, like this, to tease readers with more bits of the incredible art in this book. Just wait 'till you see the entire thing!

I'll be seeing the finished book soon, once it's back from the bindery. With the final quality assurance step at the printer, I know it'll look remarkable! You can see the entire book soon too—Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion is on sale September 1.

Preorder it now from IndieBound or Amazon, or look for it at your favorite indie bookstore this fall.

Solving the Middle-Grade Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Greg) — Tue, 16 May 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Greg Hunter, Associate Editorial Director

A couple of weeks ago, C.M. Surrisi, author of this spring’s hilarious, suspenseful middle-grade whodunit Vampires on the Run: A Quinnie Boyd Mystery, asked me what I thought made the middle-grade mystery novel unique. I probably responded with more verbiage than needed, but here’s a crack at the answer:

Much of what we think of as the mystery genre is scaffolding. And that’s no bad thing—where would we be without scaffolding? On the ground, many of us, after falling from some high place because there weren’t enough foot planks or supportive rails in our area.

In the case of a mystery, I’m talking about what readers want and expect from a mystery, the things that make a story recognizable as part of a larger tradition. The setup, the emergence of suspects, the red herring, the dramatic final reveal. Part of the pleasure in reading these stories is proceeding along a track we recognize.

Then, of course, there’s the other part. The characters, the color, and the details of a crime that make a story feel novel, new, even generous—and that speak to a particular audience. Roses and tomatoes both grow along a trellis, but only one says romance. And scaffolding matters, but it doesn’t determine what you grow.

The middle-grade mystery distinguishes itself here, in the other part. While a hard-boiled detective might be set in his or her whiskey-soaked ways after years of disillusion, the lead character in a middle-grade mystery comes to us in a transitional state—old enough to bristle at being dismissed as a kid, but not old enough to even drive, much less open an agency or be haunted by unsolved cases from years gone by. The mystery can be, among other things, a glimpse of (or an early entrée into) adulthood. And a middle-grade mystery puts meaningful limitations on its crime-solver. The Continental Op tends to go where he wants. Hercule Poirot even gets invited most of the time. But although the middle-grade sleuth may not like it, he or she often still has a curfew.

The careful writer of middle-grade mysteries observes these limitations and recognizes them for what they are: opportunities. Additional ways for a character to show his or her resourcefulness, and for a story to lend readers insight into a particular stage of life. In a way, the age of the middle-grade mystery’s characters and audience makes for scaffolding within scaffolding, a narrower-than-usual set of parameters for the storyteller, but again, that’s no bad thing. It all depends on how you want your garden to grow.

Any other thoughts on what makes middle-grade mysteries stand out? Share them with us in the comments! And be sure to check out Vampires on the Run for an example of the MG mystery at its finest.

Forensic Pairing: Fiction and Nonfiction

noreply@blogger.com (Domenica Di Piazza) — Mon, 15 May 2017 11:30:00 +0000

I love police procedurals, especially when you need a lot of adjectives to nail them. For example, Ben Winters's The Last Policeman (the first in a trilogy) has been described so many ways: murder mystery; dystopian fiction; apocalyptic novel; detective story. It's all of the above, plus a darn good read,

What does this have to do with nonfiction? Well, Elizabeth A. Murray, PhD, has written a couple of excellent forensic titles for TFCB--Death: Corpses, Cadavers, and Other Grave Matters and Forensic Identification: Putting a Name and Face on Death. Her YA books for TFCB showcase how forensic professionals do their work. How do professionals define and identify death? How do they work with corpses? How do they know when and how a person died? And how do they figure out the identity of a dead person if it is not immediately obvious?

Murray is a forensic anthropologist who also teaches college biology in Ohio. When I read police procedurals, I generally keep in mind what I've learned from Murray's books. It doesn't help me solve the fictional crime, but it does deepen my appreciation of the tale.

Think about pairing detective novels with forensic YA nonfiction to challenge readers in your school and to expand their appreciation for how fiction and nonfiction work together to tell stories about the human experience. They'll love it!

Environmentalist Isatou Ceesay Larger-Than-Life at the Climate March

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Fri, 12 May 2017 17:30:00 +0000

It's every publisher's dream to see a three-foot bust of the subject of one of their books paraded down the National Mall among thousands of people.

And last month, that's exactly what happened.

A sign featuring Isatou Ceesay, the notable environmentalist featured in the 2015 picture book One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia, was brought to the People's Climate March in Washington, DC.

The sign was made by Ingrid Crepeau, a puppeteer who has made "Big Head" signs of notable people (including Mae Jemison, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Neil deGrasse Tyson) for other protest marches. So for the Climate March, Ingrid decided to create signs of people who have championed sustainability, including Isatou.

Isatou has been working to recycle plastic bags and reduce waste in The Gambia for more than 20 years. In 1997, she founded the Recycling Centre of N'Jau with four other women, and from that the Women's Initiative Gambia (WIG) was formed. WIG helps women not only learn to recycle and reuse but also teaches financial planning.

Ingrid Crepeau's partner in the project, Michele Valeri, found Isatou while looking for women environmentalists to feature online.

"I was so excited by her WIG collective and a few of the interviews with her on YouTube that I knew we needed her to be at the March," Michele said.

One Plastic Bag author Miranda Paul was excited to see that Ingrid created a "Big Head" sign for Isatou.

"To see Isatou Ceesay's likeness alongside recognized environmental heroes and activists was a hopeful sign for me—a sign that in our global world, our diverse heroes will have their legacies carried on," Miranda said.

Want to learn more about how Isatou became an advocate for recycling and a leader in her community? Check out One Plastic Bag, written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon.

You can also watch Isatou discuss her work with WIG in this 9-minute documentary video.

Login to Lerner Digital… with Your Public Library Card

noreply@blogger.com (Amy McGuire) — Tue, 09 May 2017 15:25:00 +0000

Special thanks to Jeff Mitchell for the following post!

Library cards are often the beloved relics of the wallet. A sturdy library card from your public library will usually stick around longer than your driver’s license (requires renewal), credit cards (expiration dates), and certainly your cash (obviously). Maybe some of you proud Luddites out there still carry prints of school pictures, and maybe there’s one or two random business cards of mysterious origin, but even so, your library card might be the wisest and most traveled companion you have on you right this minute.

Happiness is having your own library card!

-Sally Brown, Peanuts

They’re great, they’re useful, they’re a rite of passage, and they’ve adapted just fine to the digital age, thank you.

In fact, when public libraries use Lerner Digital, patrons can use their library cards to easily access Lerner Digital titles at ebooks.lernerbooks.com. How? If your library is a Lerner Digital customer, simply locate your library in the Public Library Card Login dropdown and enter your library card barcode number.

That’s all that’s needed to enjoy Lerner Digital’s expanding catalog of eBooks, Interactive Books, and Audisee® eBooks with Audio (even during Summer vacation)!

If you are a librarian, consider the outstanding collection of titles and products available from Lerner Digital and the easy access we can offer. If you’re a patron, ask if your library has ebooks.lernerbooks.com for you to use.

And if you’re curious about our titles either way, please register for our FREE 30-Day Trial…

Happy reading!

A Shout-out to Strong Young Women

noreply@blogger.com (Alix Reid) — Fri, 05 May 2017 13:00:00 +0000

By Alix Reid, Editorial Director of Carolrhoda Lab™

Recently I listened to a Fresh Air podcast in which Terry Gross interviewed Peggy Orenstein about her new book Girls and Sex. In one of the segments, Peggy quoted a teenager who said that girls were considered either "prudes" or "sluts." This spring I had the great pleasure of publishing four very different books written by women which all featured strong female characters. All four books show girls who transcend these either/or labels and debunk other conventional and limiting stereotypes of femininity. Each book spoke to me individually when I acquired it and each also speaks to the others, and I feel like we're all in conversation with each other about what it means to be strong and female.

Here are the books:

Pointe, Claw by Amber J. Keyser: Jessie is killing her body to become what the world thinks a professional ballerina should look like. Her best friend Dawn is having fugue states, is obsessed with a caged bear, and is close to being institutionalized by her mother, even though she is sure she is evolving into some kind of wild creature which defies definition. Together the two friends break all the boundaries of what it means to be feminine, and embrace the wildness in themselves.

Splinter by Sasha Dawn: Sami's mother disappeared when she was six. Everyone thinks her father had something to do with it, but Sami's sure he's innocent. But now, ten years later, new evidence comes to light. The police want Sami to face up to the facts but Sami won't listen. She's determined to figure out what really happened to her mother...no matter what that truth might be.

Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy: Twenty-five girls show up at a summer camp that promises to be everything a perfect camp should be. But from the first, things start to go disastrously wrong and the girls find they're trapped in a story of someone else's own devising. They have to set aside their many differences and band together to figure out what's going on, and save themselves before it's too late. In so doing, they discover truths about themselves they didn't know, and learn the strength to be found in the bonds of friendship.

What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold: When Nina is fourteen, her mother tells her that there is no such thing as unconditional love. This warps Nina's understanding of what girls are good for, and at seventeen, she's willing to do anything emotionally and sexually to keep her boyfriend. He leaves her anyway, and it takes all of Nina's will and determination, including facing up to some ugly truths about herself, to realize how wrong her mother's advice was, and that what girls are made of is more than the sum of their sexual parts and abilities.

Be Ad Aware

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 May 2017 13:00:00 +0000

It’s tough to go against the grain of consumer culture. Our society glorifies a seemingly endless cycle of spending and acquiring more and more—a cycle that can leave us feeling stressed and like we never have enough, all while emptying out our pocketbooks. Resisting the message of “buy, buy, buy” is hard enough for adults, let alone for children. The pressure is beyond intense. Some estimates say that children between the ages of two and eleven see more than twenty-five thousand ads a year on TV—and that’s in addition to the ads they take in online, in video games, and in print. What’s more, according to Common Sense Media, children under the age of seven have a hard time distinguishing between advertising and entertainment.

This is why it’s so important to educate children early about what an ad is, where ads appear, and what kinds of messages they contain. This valuable series from the trusted First Step Nonfiction brand does just that. Its carefully leveled text is perfect for introducing K–2 readers to ads:

And because advertising pressure doesn't stop as we get older—in fact, if anything, it gets even more intense—here are some resources for educating older readers (and perhaps even we adult readers!) about media, different kinds of ads, and the techniques that they employ:

Poem in Your Pocket Day

noreply@blogger.com (Carol Hinz) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 15:24:00 +0000

Do you have a poem in your pocket today? I'll confess that the day snuck up on me. Fortunately, I have a number of poetry books close at hand.

I reached for Dear Wandering Wildebeest by Irene Latham, and after flipping through it, I settled on the final poem:

And if you prefer to listen to your poetry, you can hear to Irene read the poem here.

Want more? Check out some of our other wonderful poetry collections!

The Alligator's Smile: And Other Poems by Jane Yolen, with photos by Jason Stemple
The "Can Be" books: A Leaf Can Be . . ., Water Can Be . . ., and A Rock Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas, illus. Violeta Dabija
Feeding the Flying Fanellis: And Other Poems from a Circus Chef by Kate Hosford, illus. Cosei Kawa
The Poetry Adventures series by Brian P. Cleary
A Spectacular Selection of Sea Critters by Betsy Franco, illus. Michael Wertz
When the Sun Shines on Antarctica: And Other Poems about the Frozen Continent by Irene Latham, illus. Anna Wadham

Independent Bookstore Day 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 14:00:00 +0000

This Saturday, April 29, is Independent Bookstore Day! More than 450 bookstores in the United States will be joining the fun—click here to find your nearest participating bookstore.

Here in the Twin Cities, 18 bookstores will be celebrating Independent Bookstore Day with treats, readings, prizes, and more. And, anyone who visits all participating bookstores will be entered to win a grand prize. Find more details here. (Not able to get from Excelsior to Hudson and everywhere in between? Hit 5 of the participating stores and receive a limited edition Twin Cities indie bookstore map.)

We asked several of our local authors to talk about some of their favorite stores in Minnesota—here's what they have to say:

"Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul is by far my favorite indie kids' bookstore. I bought books for my own kids at Red Balloon when they were small, celebrated my author-friends' readings over the years, and hey, had a great time doing my own reading of Sachiko in January. An international peace site AND a bookshop, Red Balloon knows that children can discover peace in books. Thumbs up, Red Balloon!"

—Caren Stelson, author of Minnesota Book Award finalist Sachiko

"The Red Balloon has an amazing selection of picture books, and it does so much to bring authors and readers together!"

—Laura Purdie Salas, author of If You Were the Moon

"My favorite bookstore is Red Balloon Bookshop because the wonderful owner Holly Weinkauf and her terrific team support local authors, provide a great selection of children's books, and can help you find new favorites."

—Trisha Speed Shaskan, author of the upcoming Q & Ray series

"I love so many independent bookstores in the twin cities area: Excelsior Bay Books and Wild Rumpus have always been great and both organize fun themed trolley rides for kids, Magers and Quinn host great events like one of my favorite artists Daniel Clowes, Addendum is run by the two nicest people and it is the little bookstore that could, and the Red Balloon for their over-the-top and outgoing support of local authors and illustrators."

—Stephen Shaskan, illustrator of the upcoming Q & Ray series (launching this fall!)

"My friends and neighbors Jamie and Angela Schwesnedl run Moon Palace Books—a spot in South Minneapolis that somehow manages to homey, professional, community-oriented, and erudite at the same time. I love that place; although I can never get outta there with just one book."

—Shannon Gibney, author of Minnesota Book Award winner See No Color

"There are so many great indie bookstores, but my favorite is Addendum. Why? Its audience (YA folks), as well as its owners, Katherine and Marcus, two really incredible YA advocates."

—Kirstin Cronn-Mills, author of Minnesota Book Award finalist LGBTQ+ Athletes Claim the Field

"They say the best things come in small packages and it holds true for children's bookstores, especially for Addendum Books. Although Addendum is a tiny shop, owners Marcus and Katherine support kids, literacy, their community and local authors with the biggest hearts imaginable."

—Jane O'Reilly, author of The Secret of Goldenrod

"My favorite indie bookstore nearby is Lake Country Booksellers in downtown White Bear Lake. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always ready to pass along another fantastic recommendation."

—Tracy Nelson Maurer, author of Noah Webster's Fighting Words

"My absolute favorite bookstore is the Bookstore At Fitger's in Duluth. The location is unique, charming, and literally just a few steps away from one of the best viewing spots on Lake Superior. It has a great selection and an amazing children's section, with not just books, but a huge collection of games and toys. They have Muppets. And candy. Lots and lots of candy. The staff is really cool, and they treat their local authors really well. You can get lost in this store for hours."

—Chris Monroe, author of Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Maniac Muffins

Q&A with Translator Sanda Watt

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Picture book author Kate Hosford recently had the opportunity to talk with Sanda Watt, the Romanian translator of Kate’s first four books. Here are Sanda’s answers to some of Kate’s questions.

Feeding the Flying Fanellis

Kate Hosford: Welcome to the Lerner blog, Sanda! Can you tell us how you became a translator?

Sanda Watt: My favorite story as a child was a Romanian version of Thumbelina where a tiny boy, small as a cornflower seed, would sneak into people's ears and hear their thoughts. I was overly fascinated with this particular detail and my poor sister had to tell me this story over and over again elaborating on this particular part where Seed-Boy would eavesdrop on people's ruminations.

Sanda Watt

I guess translation was the closest I could get to that: take people's thoughts expressed into words and break them into bits of meaning and intention.

So here I am, some 20 years later, delighted with my work shared between conference interpreting and the more quiet and solitary translation of books.

Kate: I was delighted when I found out that my first four books had been translated into Romanian. Can you tell the story of how that happened?

Kate Hosford

Sanda: I'm friends with Bianca Sava, psychologist and founder of the Association Atelierul de Zâmbete (which translates as The Smiles Studio) organizing workshops for parents and running projects for children in foster care.

Every year in their Christmas fund-raising campaign, Association Atelierul de Zâmbete relied on the small publisher Lizuka Educativ for book donations. But last year they had a different idea and a new project to support the association on a longer term: the Association would edit books of their choice, Lizuka Educativ would publish them and they would share part of the sales. I was so happy they chose Kate Hosford's splendid titles from Lerner Books and felt privileged to have had the opportunity to translate them.

Infinity and Me jacket

Kate: Two of my books that you translated are in rhyme and one is a book of poems. What were some of the particular challenges with those projects?

Sanda: Children love rhymes, and they have a very strong sense of rhythm and they're the first to spot a half rhyme or a broken rhythm. I knew I was up for some unsparing criticism. Sometimes I would just read one draft page to my daughter. When she gave me the big eyed smile I was relieved to know that I managed to convey the original playful cadence and humorous tone.

Big Birthday

The most challenging part was not complicating things, keeping the verses simple and transferring the sense in quite plain and accessible vocabulary. Sometimes I'd fix the most flowing rhythm and rhyme and then sit and wonder whether "lunar" or "celestial" are appropriate in children books.

Regardless of my choice, children simply loved the books. In one preschool, pages came off Big Birthday and then a teacher arranged them in the wrong order when he tried to glue them back together. But children already knew the book by heart and kept correcting their teacher when reading it to them while enjoying the laugh at the new sequence of events: "Nooooo, they first 'shot into space with gravity pulling on everyone's face' and then`boogied in a cloud of moondust'!"

Kate: My latest book is How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea. Which aspect of the book appealed to you most?

Sanda: I loved the repetitive style with the leitmotif dialogue. But what I love most is the little chat the queen has over the cup of tea with all her new friends. You see, in Romania, we're very big into cozy coffee shops and tea houses and when you want to discuss something, catch up with an old friend, or simply get to know someone better, you invite them to have a cup of tea or coffee together. We even have an expression which would translate as “sitting over a cup of words.” I think it is so precious that in our fast-forward lives we can sit down, relax, and open ourselves to others while sipping a cup of something warm.

Kate: The Queen goes around the world learning how to make tea in a variety of cultures. Can you tell us a bit about the role of tea and tea-making in Romanian culture?

Sanda: As Romania is just across the Black Sea from Turkey, centuries ago we borrowed their coffee drinking habit, which you also mention in the Author's Note at the end. So we're big coffee drinkers, while tea is mostly functional. Apart from children who may be served tea at breakfast, most people drink herbal teas (chamomile, peppermint, linden) or fruit tea (rose hip, berries) and mostly when they have a cold or other discomfort. Black or green tea have been rising in popularity only recently, but I'm still into herbal teas, and I love it when I visit my granny and can simply pluck some leaves from the garden and brew them for a wonderful refreshing drink.

A bonus recipe spread from How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea—click here to download.

Thanks, Kate and Sanda!

Dazzle Ships Cover Reveal + Poster Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 15:00:00 +0000

Last week, Betsy Bird revealed the cover of Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion on her blog, A Fuse #8 Production.

She also shared alternate cover illustrations, as well as a bit about the history of dazzle camouflage and pictures of ships painted with the eye-popping designs.

Dazzle Ships will be available on September 1, 2017. If you can't wait to start reading, you can request the title on NetGalley.

Or, pick up a free copy and meet Chris Barton at the TLA Annual Conference this week in San Antonio, Texas! Chris will be signing on Thursday morning from 10:15 to 11:00 in the aisle 4 of the author autograph area.

And finally, we're also giving away a poster of the cover to 10 lucky winners—click here to enter for the chance to win one. Good luck!

Meet a Lerner: Andy Cummings

noreply@blogger.com (Libby Stille) — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 13:00:00 +0000

Meet Andy Cummings, Lerner’s new Editor in Chief!

First, tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a Midwesterner and grew up in Wisconsin just 20 minutes from Lambeau Field. So, yes I am a Packers fan but I look forward to seeing a Vikings game in that remarkable stadium. I have been involved in media from a young age. I was a sports reporter for my local paper from age 15 and have worked in publishing for over 35 years (I think I just gave away my age). I attended Northwestern and the University of Missouri where I earned a master’s degree in Media Management. I have worked and lived in Chicago, North Carolina, Poland, Missouri, Indiana, and now Minnesota. I am married with three kids—two boys in college and my daughter will join them soon.

How did you get into book publishing?

Like many things, it was a combination of fortunate events. I had been working in media in Indiana but looking for a new challenge. In graduate school, I paid my tuition by setting up and running a new computer research lab. I wrote and edited the documentation for students and professors. With that background in technical writing, I discovered a start-up publisher in Indianapolis that had just released the first Dummies title with a tech focus. I joined the team as employee #30. We grew rapidly and expanded globally for the next 20 years. It was a roller coaster with many more ups than downs. My last role was leading our technology publishing program as well as spearheading digital initiatives for the Dummies brand.

What have been some of your favorite projects or books to work on?

I have been fortunate to work on so many interesting projects. My first books as editor included working with emerging tech superstar author David Pogue on both Mac Secrets (1,200 pages edited in 30 days!) and Macs For Dummies. On the latter title, we put a 2nd title page under the cover called Macintosh Methodologies in Theory and Practice, so users could tear off the Dummies cover and show that 2nd cover if they wanted to show their peers or teachers that it was a *serious* book.

More recently, we introduced the first children’s titles from our company [John Wiley & Sons, which acquired Dummies in 2001] in over 200 years that were focused on STEAM topics and the initial titles became bestsellers. I am looking forward to working on many new educational projects at Lerner.

What were your favorite books as a kid? What are some favorite books you’ve read recently?

I read many, many sports narratives and stat books. I also loved and still love history books. I also read every book from Stephen King—even though some of them kept me up at night!

Say you’re trapped on a desert island—what 5 books would you want with you?

Start with WHY (Simon Sinek). The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway). The Book Thief (Markus Zusak). Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón). Cat’s Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut).

You moved to Minneapolis from Indianapolis in January. How do you like Minnesota so far?

We are thoroughly enjoying the area. We have several close family friends who live here and it is terrific to catch up and see the sites with them. I am grateful that the Lerner staff provided an early education for me with a custom-made Minnesota for Dummies title the made sure that I understand critical issues and terminology. I am looking forward to exploring the many greenways and trails. Finally, we look forward to enjoying the rich arts community in the area.

Speaking of things other than reading, what are your hobbies?

Inka

My wife and I love to be outdoors with our goofy and energetic (meaning misbehaved) rescue dog, Inka. We also volunteer for causes important to us. I am a prison literacy reading coach, food pantry volunteer, Boy Scout counselor, and volunteer for Junior Achievement.

If you weren’t working in publishing, you’d be a…

Fun to speculate ... likely a high school teacher, or a guide to the mountains in Zakopane, Poland (preferably both!).

Thanks, Andy!