Raincoast Books Kids and Teen Blog

YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults

2012-02-03T19:10:10+00:00

Last week, I blogged about all the amazing books that were highlighted by ALA, YALSA and ALSC. Guess what? There's more! Yes, more great books, more "best of" lists.

YALSA announced it's picks for the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults: "books, recommended for ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens".

There are quite a few books on the list that we're pleased to stock in our own warehouse:

Enclave, by Ann Aguirre, published by Feiwel & Friends. (Also available in Audio; paperback coming in August 2012.)

Freak Hunters Deuce and Fade are exiled from their underground enclave, and face even greater dangers above ground.

Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake, published by Thomas Doherty Associates / Tor Teen. (Paperback coming in July 2012.)

Moving from town-to-town, Cas slays murderous ghosts, seeking revenge for the death of his father. Along the way, he meets Anna’s ghost, and discovers new insights into the complexities of ghosts.

Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier, published by Henry Holt & Company. (Paperback coming in April 2012.)

Gwenyth upsets her family when she inherits the time traveling gene instead of her cousin, Charlotte. Soon Gwenyth finds herself unexpectedly involved in mysterious, dangerous, and intriguing circumstances.

Stupid Fast, by Geoff Herback, published by Sourcebooks / Sourcebooks Fire. (Also keep an eye out for Geoff Herback's Nothing Special, coming out in May 2012!)

As football recruitment brings new friends, Felton tries to keep his mother’s depression, and his own insecurities, hidden.

Prized, by Caragh O'Brien, published by Roaring Brook Press.

The leadership in Sylum is threatened by Gaia and attempts to control her by systematically separating her from everyone she loves, including her infant sister and boyfriend Leon.

Stick, by Andrew Smith, published by Feiwel and Friends.

Stick and his brother Bosten must lean on each other to survive their abusive family, until Bosten is kicked out and must survive on his own.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente, published by Feiwel & Friends. (Paperback coming in April 2012.)

September is excited, puzzled, confused and thrilled on her quest through Fairyland.

Miles from Ordinary, by Carol Lynch Williams, published by St. Martin's Press / St. Martin's Griffin. (Paperback coming in March 2012.)

When her troubled mother disappears, an isolated Lacey frantically searches for her, while facing the terrors of her mother’s delusions.

See the complete list of YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults.

2012 ALA, YALSA, ALSC Award Winners & Picks

2012-01-27T21:36:33+00:00

The American Library Association (ALA) has announced their annual picks for the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas.

We're proud to have some of these award-winning titles on our list! Congratulations to all the award winners and nominees. There's a wealth of amazing books for children's and youth out there now.

Newbery Honor Book
Breaking Stalin's Nose, written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company.

See all Newberry winners.
Find other books by Eugene Yelchin.

Caldecott Honor Books
Grandpa Green, illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press.

See all Caldecott winners.
Find other books by Lane Smith.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award
Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press.

See all Coretta Scott King winners.
Find other books by Shane W. Evans.

Alex Award for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
The Lover’s Dictionary, by David Levithan, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (Paperback coming from Picador in January 2012.)

See all Alex Award winners.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults, ages 12 – 18, each year. The 2012 Excellence winner is by The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery, by Steve Sheinkin, published by Roaring Brook Press. One of the Finalists is Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, by Karen Blumenthal, published by Roaring Brook Press.

See all YALSA Award winners.
Find other books by Steve Sheinkin.
Find other books by Karen Blumenthal. Her new book, Steve Jobs, the Man Who Thought Different, is coming out in February 2012.

YALSA also published its annual list of Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Enclave, by Aguirre, Ann, published by Feiwel and Friends was on the Top Ten list.

On the full list of Quick Picks, we were pleased to see several titles that we carry:

F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers, by Richard Benson, published by Chronicle Books.

Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog, by J.H. Lee, published by Chronicle Books.

Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake, published by Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Teen.

Dead Inside Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse, by Lost Zombies, published by Chronicle Books.

Death Sentence: Escape From Furnace #3, by Alexander Gordon Smith, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Paperback from Square Fish coming February 2012.

Fall For Anything, by Courtney Summers, published by St. Martin's Griffin.

See all 2012 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

And last but not least, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has released its list of 2012 Notable Children's Books:

Younger

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, published by Chronicle Books.

Grandpa Green, by Lane Smith, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Over and Under the Snow, by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, published by Chronicle Books.

Prudence Wants a Pet, by Cathleen Daly, Illus. by Stephen Michael King. Roaring Brook Press, $16.99. (9781596434684).

Middle

America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001 The Day the Towers Fell, by Don Brown, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Breaking Stalin's Nose, by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt and Company.

E-mergency!, by Tom Lichtenheld, illustrated by Ezra Fields-Meyer, published by Chronicle Books.

Lemonade, and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word, by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Nancy Doniger, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Nursery Rhyme Comics : 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists, published by First Second.

Underground, by Shane Evans, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt.

Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke, illustrated by Ben Hatke, published by First Second.

Older

Anya's Ghost, by Vera Brosgol, published by First Second.

Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917, by Sally M. Walker, published by Henry Holt.

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, by Karen Blumenthal, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck, by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt.

All Ages

Press Here, by Hervé Tullet, published by Chronicle Books.

See all ALSC 2012 Notable Children's Books.

So many great books to add to your "To Read" pile!

UPDATE: Also check out the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults!

I Want to Go to the Moon Launch!

2012-01-11T18:42:03+00:00

Author Tom Saunders and illustrator Cynthia Nugent will be launching their new book I Want To Go To The Moon 6-9pm on Friday at the Scottish Cultural Centre in Vancouver.

Check out this cute video invite for the event:

I Want To Go To Moon Launch
6-9pm, January 13th 2012
Scottish Cultural Centre
8886 Hudson Street
Vancouver, BC V6P 4N2

My Favorite Books of 2011: Crystal (Children’s Book Publicist)

2011-12-22T19:59:41+00:00

Seriously? You want me to pick my favorite children's books from 2011? That's like a parent choosing which of their kids is their favorite! Impossible. Can't be done. There are just too many FABULOUS choices!

Ok if you really want to twist my arm. Here are a few of my MANY favorite books from 2011. I should also say that I love all of the kids books that my collegues chose, but decided not to have any repeats.

Not For Parents Travel Book

I first heard that Lonely Planet was planning a line of Children's Books at sales conference 4 years ago. I waited for 4 long years for a Lonely Planet Children's Book to chomp my Kids Publicity teeth into. This book did not disappoint. Like the adult version of The Travel Book it features a page for every country in the world. Fun facts will keep kids turning page after page, trying to find new, gross things to gross mom out, while not even realizing their learning. An example: When Queen Elizabeth II visited Belize in 1985, she was served a local rodent called a gibnut, which some people say looks a bit like a giant rat without a tail (picture below). It tastes like rabbit.

Yeah. Gross.

When I Was Small

This beautiful picture book is all the lovelier because the author (Sara O'Leary) and illustrator (Julie Morstad) are both really fabulous Canadian women. I also love that the little girl looks an awful lot like my daughter, Bella, if she would only allow me to have her hair chopped off into a bob. The story is of a mother telling her son the story of what it was like when she was little, however she takes it one step further and tells a fantastical story about her not only being little (young) but also little (tiny). My favorite spread is the one below where she feasts upon raspberries.

Zeal Of Zebras

I confess. I have a shelf in my sewing studio of children's picture books that inspire me creatively. I don't let me daughter play with these books (mostly because I know that she will steal them and bring them to her own room.) Zeal of Zebras is one of the books that graces my sewing studio bookshelf. Created by Woop Studios (the graphic designers for the Harry Potter movies) this book of collective nouns is visually stimulating, educational and just plain entertaining. Really who knew that a group of pandas is called an embarrassment of pandas? The page below is the one that I find myself turning to most often as it reminds me of my time snorkeling with the sea turtles on The Big Island.

Glow

I affectionately call this title "The Book That Almost Ruined My Summer Vacation". It was just so good that I couldn't put it down! My husband and daughter were pretty upset that my nose was buried in my book the entire time instead of playing with them in the sand. Like Hunger Games in space, this book is a must read. Here is a trailer to give you a sneak peek.

Embrace

Last but definitely not least I'm going to cheat a little bit. One of my favorite things about being a Children's Book Publicist is that I get to read a lot of books well before they hit bookstores.

Embrace is a book coming in March but I read it a few months ago and just can't get it out of my head. Here is a link to a blog post that I wrote on the day that we did the Embrace Cover Reveal. Sourcebooks also created a Making The Cover video which I found to be really fascinating. So much goes into creating a book cover.

Embrace Cover Shoot from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Wishing you happy reading this holiday season and into 2012!

Crystal

Christmas Picture Books

2011-12-21T22:36:59+00:00

Trying to think up a last-minute Christmas gift? Or just in need of a stocking stuffer?

For the little ones in your life, you can't really go wrong with a Christmas picture book. After the fun and craziness of Christmas morning, once the house is filled with boxes, bows and wrapping paper (not to mention all those toys!), wouldn't it be nice to curl up with a cup of cocoa for a quiet moment (however brief) and share a story?

Here are a few seasonal books that just might do the trick. Click on the book covers to find out more...

You’re Invited To The Launch Of I Want To Go To The Moon

2011-12-15T23:40:18+00:00

You're invited to to the launch of I Want To Go To The Moon by Tom Saunders, Illustrated by Cynthia Nugent.

Saturday, December 17th, 2011 from 2:00-4:00. Coast Capital Playhouse 1532 Johnston Road, White Rock, BC.

About The Book:

Although everyone told Neil Armstrong his dream of travelling to the moon was impossible, he never gave up. Tom Saunders' song tells the story of Neil's life, step-by-step, until he reaches that world-changing "small step" and "giant leap." In this book, the inspiring lyrics are brought to life by the illustrations of award-winning Cynthia Nugent.

Cover and Trailer Reveal for Embrace

2011-12-08T19:21:02+00:00

One of my favorite things about being a Children's Book Publicist is that I get to read YA Books long before they are available to the general public. One of the titles that I'm most excited about is Embrace by Jessica Shirvington. 17 year old Violet Eden has to decide if she is going to embrace the kick butt role of being a Grigori (fighter of exiled angels) that she was destined for from the moment of her mother's death when she was 2 years old, or continue her life as a regular teen. Think Buffy but with angels. Oh and their is a fantastic love triangle. I'm Team Lincoln, but our other resident YA reader is Team Phoenix (I think she likes the bad boys). Trust me, you have to read this book the second it hits stores in March.

But don't take my word for it, check out all of these fab reviews on GoodReads!

Today I have the lucky role of revealing the cover of Embrace to you! So without further ado... drumroll please.... Ta da!

What do you think? Does it make you want to read it? I love the whispy angel wings and would die for hair like hers.

And for even more behind the scenes content, here is the big reveal of the Behind The Scenes Cover Shoot Video!

Embrace Cover Shoot from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Hope you enjoy fellow YA Book lovers! Don't forget to Like the Embrace The Series Facebook Page and sign up for Email Updates!

Kick off Christmas With Sara Gillingham and My Little Stocking

2011-11-29T19:39:17+00:00

Get into the holiday spirit by joining us to celebrate the launch of darling new holiday puppet board book, My Little Stocking, by Sara Gillingham.

Sunday, December 4th from 4-5 at Dilly Dally Kids – 1161 Commercial Drive(at William) in Vancouver.

Sara Gillingham will give a presentation of the book and then help the little ones make a "My Little Ornament" take home keepsake.

For more information contact Dilly Dally Kids at 604-252-9727.

8 Year Old Sophie France Writes About Meeting Annie Barrows

2011-11-18T17:36:12+00:00

On November 1st I had the great pleasure of spending the day with author extraordinaire, Annie Barrows. Annie is the author of the hilarious Ivy and Bean Series.

Annie and I got into all kinds of mischief together, including riding a giant teacup at Chapters Robson and taking a well deserved break on the Raincoast boardroom table after signing a few hundred copies of Ivy and Bean No News Is Good News. (See photographic evidence.)

Annie is such a blast to hang out with. One of my favorite things about her is the way she interacts with the kids who come out to her events.

My good friend Hanna, who writes the blog The Famished Foodies, was at the event with her 8 year old daughter Sophie. I decided that instead of me telling you about my day with Annie it would be more interesting to hear about one of Annie's events through the eyes of a child. Sophie, an aspiring illustrator and writer was happy to oblige. Take it away Sophie!

Let's run! I was pulling along my mom to see Annie Barrows. It was a chilly night and it was already dark after our warm sushi dinner. We were forty minutes early and I got what I wanted. Front row seats!

Annie Barrows is a famous writer of my favourite books. She wrote all of the Ivy and Bean books and also The Magic Half. And she uses tons of juicy words. My teacher likes those juicy words. I love Ivy because she reads a lot and so do I. And I like Bean a lot because she's goofy. I am the goofiest! All of Annie Barrows' stories are funny, realistic and wonderful. One time, in What's the Big Idea?, Ivy and Bean made a million and seven science potions in their house. This got messy. This is something I do. (But I haven't done a million and seven.) Yet.

Sitting in the front row with my new hardcover, No News is Good News, I saw my friend, Emma, from school and invited her to squeeze in next

to me. I was really excited and I had to talk and talk and we laughed and laughed until it was time to listen. And then there was Annie Barrows. She read four chapters of this great new book and it was very funny. She was funny too! She even brought a cheeseball covered with red wax just like in the story.

After her reading, she answered questions like which book was the easiest and which was the hardest to write. By the way, the hardest book was Doomed to Dance and the easiest was Ivy and Bean, the first one. Then she signed books and wrote "Say cheeeeese!" in mine. See? She's funny.

At home that night I only read two chapters but I finished the book the next evening. I'm really excited to wait for the next book but while I wait, I'll be reading the series over again from the beginning. When I grow up I will definitely be an illustrator and now I think I may be a writer too!

By Sophie France Ahn, age 8!

A special thanks to Kidsbooks for hosting two fabulous Ivy and Bean events, to Hanna Ahn (Zuzu Photography) for her beautiful photographs (last two in this post) and for having such a talented daughter, to Annie Barrows for another fabulous day together in Vancouver and to Sophie for her incredible blog post.

Fall’s Best Children’s Books According To Children at The Huffington Post

2011-10-27T23:39:40+00:00

What would childrens publishing look like if it was kids who wrote Children's Book Reviews?

The Huffington Post put 4 girls and their mom to work and had them give the honest truth about what they liked (and didn't like) about a big pile of books. 4 of the 7 books that they reviewed were from our very own publisher Chronicle Books!

Click through on each picture to see what the girls and their mom thought of the books.

From left to right, top to bottom: Count Dagmar, Eye-Popping 3-D Bugs, The Conductor, Over and Under The Snow.

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes wins Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Book Award

2011-10-26T16:17:29+00:00

Make no mistake about it... we are thrilled to announce that The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes has been awarded an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Book Award!

Congratulations to authors Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein, and the whole team at Sourcebooks. When the book was first presented to us, it was praised as an in-house favourite at Sourcebooks (possibly due in part to the protagonist's resemblance to a certain perfectionist Sourcebooks rep!), and it's great to be seeing the book being so well-loved now that it's out there in the world.

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Book Award is an independent consumer review of children's media founded by child development experts Joanne Oppenheim and her daughter Stephanie Oppenheim. Their Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards have become a benchmark of excellence with consumers, toy makers, and the media. In order to receive an Oppenheim award, the book must be selected by a noted expert in child development, children's literature, and education, and further tested by the most objective panel of judges—kids.

The Platinum Award is given to the most innovative, engaging products of the year. This is the highest honor the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards!

For more information about the award and to see the full review of this book, visit the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio website.

Flying The Canadian Flyer

2011-10-24T14:25:45+00:00

When I was eight years old I’m pretty sure I wasn’t even allowed to go around the corner by myself, which is why I love our Canadian Flyer series — Emily and Matt, our two fourth-grade adventurers, have been to more provinces and territories (and gotten out of more jams) than anyone I know! Since 2007, when Beware, Pirates! first started flying off shelves, they’ve outrun dinosaurs in the Alberta Badlands, seen the Silver Dart soar high in Nova Scotia’s skies, drove a bumpy stagecoach from Montreal to Peterborough, and experienced other key moments in Canadian history firsthand (such is the magic of time travel)!

Owlkids is wrapping the series up this November with Halifax Explodes!, which finds Matt and Emily touching their magic sled down on Citadel Hill just as the city is rocked by a giant explosion. Nova Scotia is clearly a favourite province of theirs, as this will be their fourth visit in as many years! It will be sad not to have a new Canadian Flyer or two (or three) on our list next season, but luckily there are 17 books in total, which is plenty of material for even the most voracious of young readers.

These books have great curriculum links for grades two to four — everything from geography to language arts and social studies — so author (and former teacher) Frieda Wishinsky has helped us put together these great lesson plans for teachers. Hope you can use them in your classroom or library! Plus, don’t you love this map of Canada, which shows all the places Emily and Matt have gone on their adventures? Let your Raincoast rep know if you would like one.

Bon voyage!

Annie Barrows Returns to Kidsbooks

2011-10-21T22:45:15+00:00

Annie Barrows the author of the bestselling Ivy and Bean Series is returning to Vancouver for the North American Launch of Ivy And Bean No News Is Good News with Kidsbooks.

Two fabulous events to choose from.

In North Vancouver:

Tuesday November 1st at 4 pm at North Van District Library, Lynn Valley Branch, Community Meeting Room
1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver
For more information, call Kidsbooks in the Village at 604-986-6190

In Vancouver:

Tuesday November 1st at 7 pm
West Point Grey United Church Sanctuary
4595 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver
For more information, call Kidsbooks at 604-738-5335

Don't delay! Call and reserve your tickets early in order to avoid disappointment.

13 New Halloween Books for Monsters of All Ages

2011-10-13T18:30:17+00:00

It's that time of year again: costumes are being sewn, pumpkins are being carved... The cold is starting to creep in, and we're all starting to crave some creepy, bonechilling tales. Here are a few new Halloween books for all ages, ranging from the cute to the creepy.

New Halloween Books for Young Monsters...

Little Owl Finger Puppet Book (Ages -3)

Count, Dagmar! by J.otto Seibold (All Ages)

Renowned artist J.otto Seibold (Olive the Other Reindeer) gives Halloween a delightfully wacky and sweet spin in this counting board book starring Dagmar, the beloved vegetarian vampire from Vunce Upon a Time. Lift the flaps and count from one to ten billion -- or at least from one to ten!

Ten Little Beasties by Ed Emberley and Rebecca Emberley (Ages 2-6)

If there's one thing beasties love to do, it's dance! When one little beastie is joined by two little, three little, and more little beasties, we count UP until there's a party on the page. But when one of the little beastie starts trouble, it's time to start counting DOWN.

Click here to listen to the "Ten Little Beasties" song!

When a Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor (Ages 3-6)

When a monster is born, there are two possibilities— either it’s a faraway-in-the-forests monster, or ... it’s an under-your-bed monster. If it’s a faraway-in-the-forests monster, that’s that. But if it’s an under-your-bed monster, all sorts of comical things can happen. Read it at bedtime and laugh your pajamas off ... or read it during the day and laugh your socks off!

Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann (Ages 4-8)

Ghost dogs and skeletons in a tall tale with a tender heart from the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of My Friend Rabbit. Sam doesn't feel like doing much after his dog ella dies. He doesn't really even feel like dressing up for Halloween. But when Sam runs into a bunch of rowdy skeletons, it's Ella -- his very own Bone Dog -- who comes to his aid, and together they put those skeletons in their place. A book about friendship, loss, and a delightfully spooky Halloween.

Monster Doodles for Kids by Chris Sabatino (Ages 6 and up)

Filled with prompts and illustrations to help inspire their inner Dr. Frankenstein, Monster Doodles for Kids lures boys and girls into this pocket-sized laboratory where they can create fiendish, snaggle-toothed monsters and eye-popping villains to their heart's desire.

Horrid Henry Wakes the Dead by Francesca Simon (Ages 7-10)

Henry will do anything to win the grand prize at this year's talent show...even wake the dead! Plus three other stories that will leave you screaming for more.

New Halloween Books for Tween Terrors...

The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves (Ages 8-12)

"The worst is yet to come for a town built on secrets and sauerkraut..."

With a penchant for spooky details, surprising twists, and haunting illustrations, Keith Graves (best known for his picture books, Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance and Chicken Big) delivers a suspenseful and engaging first novel.

Chihuawolf: A Tail of Mystery and Horror by Charlee Ganny (Ages 9-12)

Paco, a smart, fashionably-dressed Chihuahua, lives in a snug and comfortable world as the pampered pet of ten-year-old Olivia. The problem is Natasha, the gorgeous Afghan hound he adores, thinks him too tiny to be taken seriously. Determined to change his outside to reflect the lion-hearted courage he possesses inside, Paco decides to do something drastic. He enlists the help of his animal friends to help him transform into the biggest, fiercest canine he can imagine: a Chihuawolf!

Wonkenstein: The Creature from My Closet by Obert Skye (Ages 9-12)

Click here to read the first chapter! (PDF)

Twelve-year-old underachiever Rob has better things to do than read. His parents give him lots of books but most of them just end up in the messy pile of junk he keeps locked in his closet that once doubled as a makeshift science laboratory. One day, Rob hears weird sounds coming from behind his closet door and discovers a funny little creature that seems to be a cross between two characters from books he's tried to ignore. He names him Wonkenstein...

Sally's Bones by MacKenzie Cadenhead (Ages 9-12)

Click here to read the first chapter!

Sally is a quirky character who loves Death Rock and faded blue jeans. She fits in better with the Addams Family than with a clique of catty sixth grade girls. After her mother's death, grief-stricken Sally begs for death... and death is exactly what she gets: a tail-wagging skeleton dog called Bones. A gift from beyond the grave, Bones is a dreadfully delicious girl's best friend. In this cleverly written, alliterative tale the neighbourhood's dog treats go missing and everyone blames Bones. Sally must solve the mystery to save her cadaverous canine from puppy prison.

New Halloween Books for More Grown-Up Ghouls...

The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunkle (Ages 12 and up)

Young Tabby Aykroyd has been brought to the dusty mansion of Seldom House to be nursemaid to a foundling boy, but there are ghosts lurking the halls, and sleeping in her bed. Clare B. Dunkle, author of the acclaimed Hollow Kingdom trilogy writes this bone-chilling story as a prelude to Wuthering Heights.

Daybreak by Brian Ralph (Ages 16 and up)

Click here to read a excerpt from the graphic novel! (PDF)

Daybreak is seen through the eyes of a silent observer as he follows his protector and runs from the shadows of the imminent zombie threat. Brian Ralph slowly builds the tension of the zombies on the periphery, letting the threat-rather than the actual carnage-be the driving force. The post-apocalyptic backdrop features tangles of rocks, lumber, I beams, and overturned cars that are characters in and of themselves. Drawing inspiration from zombies, horror movies, television, and first-person shooter video games, Daybreak departs from zombie genre in both content and format, achieving a living-dead masterwork of literary proportions.

Intern Insights: Thanks for the Little Things

2011-10-11T20:07:32+00:00

Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a great long weekend. It was Canadian Thanksgiving and I definitely got my fill of stuffing and mashed potatoes (I'm a vegetarian so no turkey for me). I got to thinking about things I'm grateful for, this internship definitely being one of them, and it's always the small things that make a place great.

The Little Things:

Office Supplies:
Who doesn't love office supplies? From the feel of a fresh new pen on a brand new Moleskine to colourful sticky notes and pink paperclips? I cleaned up my desk today with stackable trays and that definitely brings a smile to my face!

Tea:
I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I can definitely finish off three cups or more of tea. Any kind: I love earl greys, greens, whites and blacks! A hot steaming cup, sometimes sweetened, sometimes with milk or cream - no matter how it's prepared it's always a warm and uplifting drink. Perfect for those rainy Vancouver days. (Crystal is tea lover as well!)

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ~C.S. Lewis

A good book:
One of the perks of being an intern at a book distributor is access to advanced copies! Tempest is a hot new young adult book from St. Martin's press and has already been slated for a movie by Summit Entertainment (Twilight). Julie Cross debuts with this fast and action packed time jumping novel. The narrator is a teenaged boy, rare in the world of YA books, but don't let that scare you, when this comes out (January 2012) I suggest you pick it up!
Romance and young love, secrets and government spies and time travelling! What more could you ask for in a good weekend book?

What are you thankful for? I’d love to hear in the comments or let me know by email.

I'll leave off with a lovely comic about reading (I think we can all relate):

The Intern Journals: Week One

2011-10-06T21:05:24+00:00

Imagine an office space: keyboards clicking away, the quiet humming of the air conditioner and the comfort of an ergonomic office chair. This isn't any office though, there are books everywhere. There's a staff library, there's an advanced reading copy library, there are books being shipped out and in and a huge warehouse filled and filled with books! Not to mention the many I have on my desk.

This is the Raincoast office and I am Janet, the new publicity intern and I've just survived my first week!

First off I have my own desk! This is pretty exciting to have your own workspace:

I remember asking myself when I was lucky enough to grab this opportunity, "What is a publicist?" I had no idea what kind of work I'd be doing, I just knew I wanted to be a part of the publishing and book world. I did a quick Google search but there wasn't too much other than the vague "generate publicity" answer, I guess I'd have to wait until my first day to see!

My tasks so far have included creating Press Releases and mailing out books. A publicist will create a Press Release (pictured to the right) to build up hype. This document will detail a book's synopsis, rave reviews and an 'about the author' paired with the book's cover. Then we send these to media outlets!

I also mailed out books to reviewers today; we're crossing our fingers that they will promote them with good reviews. Today I mailed out two childrens'’ books to various magazine and newspaper reviewers.

One of the books was A Dog is a Dog by Stephen Shaskan. This picture book is a great and fun story filled with vivid illustrations; I was smiling at every turn of the page! I know my little sister and brother would laugh out loud at each hilarious revelation. Definitely recommended!

The other book we mailed out was The Crown on Your Head by Nancy Tillman. It reads like a dream, the pages are filled with gorgeous landscapes and ethereal children and animals. This is a beautiful book filled with love and self-esteem boosters. One of my favourite quotes with how Tillman describes our crowns:

"It was made up of glittering, sparkling things

Like moonlight, and fireflies, and dragon wings."

Well Thursday is almost over and I will be back next week for some more Intern insights. Happy Thanksgiving!

Win 2 Of Today’s Hottest Teen Reads from Myjellybean.com!

2011-10-06T21:30:16+00:00

While I was on vacation this summer, my husband and daughter were begging me to put down my book and spend time playing on the beach with them. I had the hardest time honoring their request because the book I was reading was unputdownable (yeah I just coined a new word!) "Just one more page!" "Just one more chapter!" "Just let me finish!" were the words that they grew accustomed to hearing. I was reading an advance reading copy of Glow, the first book in Macmillan's hot new teen series by Amy Kathleen Ryan.

You thought Hunger Games was good? Waiting for another series to wet your YA Novel appetite? Well I am very pleased to tell you that Glow is now available in stores across North America, and my good friends you could win a copy from MyJellybean.com, just follow the link and enter! I promise, you won't be disappointed with this book.

Glow: Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager — until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage — and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth. But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

While you are visiting MyJellybean enter to win a copy of Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel, a great teen novel about being the new girl and trying to fit in while attending a posh private school. The Art Geeks and Prom Queens contest on MyJellybean can be found here.

Art Geeks & Prom Queens: Being the new girl is tough -- just ask sixteen-year-old Rio Jones. A New York transplant, Rio has no clue how she's going to fit in at her fancy new private school in Southern California. Plus, being late, overdressed, and named after a Duran Duran song doesn't make the first day any easier.

Then, Rio meets Kristi. Beautiful, rich, and a cheerleader, Kristi is the queen bee of Newport Beach, and she isn't friends with just anyone, so Rio is thrilled when she's invited to be part of the most exclusive, popular clique. At first, Rio is having a great time, but as she becomes more immersed in the jet set crowd, she discovers an unwritten rule that her new friends forgot to mention: don't cross Kristi...

Good luck!

Off To Class

2011-09-27T18:44:20+00:00

With September drawing to a close, kids have been “off to class” for a few weeks now. The grumblings about homework have probably begun, and all those recently bought school supplies might already be looking a little worse for wear. But this isn’t the case everywhere. Worldwide, there are over 100 million kids are missing out on getting an education. Sometimes, a community doesn’t have the necessary resources to build a school; other times, kids have to work to earn money for their families and can’t afford to spend time in a classroom. In even more cases, kids aren’t allowed to go to school because of their gender, their background, or their citizenship, or they live in remote areas or ones hit by natural disasters. Kinda makes you feel guilty for already starting the countdown to Winter Break, huh?

Luckily, there are some really amazing and creative people who have stepped in to help these kids get the education they deserve. In Off to Class, Susan Hughes profiles some of the world’s most unique and unusual schools — built to overcome each community’s particular hurdle. In this book, readers will travel to Bangladesh to hop aboard a Boat School, an ingenious idea to ensure students don’t miss class during Bangladesh’s monsoon season; trek to Shree Santi Primary School in Nepal, where children from all castes are welcome; and go out on a limb to visit Grand Oaks Academy in the USA, a home school in a tree house.

One of our favourite schools in the book is School-in-a-Box, which UNICEF hand-delivered to Haiti following the devastating earthquake in January 2010. Each box contains everything a teacher needs to set up a classroom on the spot, including a special can of paint that can be used to turn a box lid into a blackboard. UNICEF sends these kits all over the world to help kids get back to school after disasters, and also to places where wars keep kids from going to school. Owlkids was so inspired by this that we recently partnered with UNICEF to try and raise money to send 630 of these Schools-in-a-Box to kids in need.

Our hope for Off to Class is that it inspires some young readers in the same way — or, at the very least, that it gets them to think about their school (and homework) in a whole new way!

Mom Minute- September 24th is Worldwide Day of Play

2011-09-23T20:30:51+00:00

This Saturday, September 24th is The Worldwide Day Of Play. As the mom of a 3 year old I firmly believe that two of the very best gifts you can give your child are The Gift of Reading and The Gift of Play.

I had my daughter in my late 20's. I found it was easy to keep her entertained and stimulated when she was a baby but when the toddler years hit I realized something- I forgot how to play! I found that we were doing the same things over and over again. Going for a walk, feeding the ducks, visiting the park and then heading home. There are so many great outdoor activities to do all year long, I think that some of us just need to be reminded.

15 Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out Of The House And Connect With Your Kids by Rebecca Cohen is the perfect tool to remind parents, like myself, how to play.

To help celebrate the Worldwide Day of Play I checked in with Rebecca to see if she had any tips and tricks for getting outside to play during these cool fall months.

Here are three things you can do right now to engage your kids in active, healthy play:

1) Plant sugar snap peas. They are easy to grow, love cooler fall temperatures, teach your child the plant lifecycle first hand, and offer a sweet result to taste. The pea plant vines its way up a stick you plant in the ground (or in a container with drainage) - you can even make a tee pee trellis or grow them on your windowsill. Keep soil moist and in the sun. In seven days you'll have a sprout, in two weeks an even taller plant, a flower in eight weeks, and the pod will grow straight from the flower!

2) Play 15 Minutes Outside Before School. It sounds crazy, but kids will get ready faster in the morning - dressed, breakfast, and lunches made - with the promise of play time outside before they leave. Your kids will get ready so quickly that you'll have time to play with them!

3) Pack a picnic dinner for the playground. Grab some sandwiches, water bottles, and a blanket from home, then do homework and reading outside and let the kids run around to get their wiggles out before bed while watching the sun set. The kids will be exhausted at bedtime and you'll be happy.

Thanks for the tips Rebeccah!

What activities do you and your kids do outside? Are you planning on celebrating Worldwide Play Day? Have a great weekend. Hope you find time to enjoy this lovely fall weather.

Ivy and Bean Day November 12! Stores and Libraries Order Your Materials!

2011-09-21T18:07:32+00:00

November 11th is Ivy + Bean Day! If you aren't familiar with Ivy and Bean you are sorely missing out. Ivy and Bean are the lovable characters in the bestselling series by Annie Barrows. Two young girls who are sure that they won't like each other, but become best friends anyways. Their favorite activities? Bugging Bean's older sister, causing mischief and of course, spending time together. "A little bit bad and a whole lot funny", Ivy and Bean bring me right back to my childhood reading Beverly Cleary's Ramona books.

What Ivy + Bean day mean's for you:

If you are a school, library or bookseller head over to the Ivy + Bean Day website, download and request materials to help you celebrate! But do it fast! Supplies are limited.

If you are an Ivy + Bean fan contact your local bookstore, library or school and ask them to throw an Ivy + Bean celebration. Direct them to this page for all the info they will need to throw and Ivy + Bean party.

Also make sure to check out all the Ivy + Bean fun and games that are available all year long on the Chronicle Books website. Every day can be Ivy + Bean day!

If you live in Vancouver you are especially lucky! Annie Barrow's will be launching Ivy + Bean Book 8: No News Is Good News with Kidsbooks on November 1st. Stay tuned for more information.

Make sure to "like" Ivy + Bean on Facebook!