Cassandra Clare Pens Fantasy Series for Adults; On Tour with Marissa Meyer

[PW Children's Bookshelf: Breaking children's and YA publishing news, author interviews, bestsellers lists and reviews.] [New York Rights Fair 2018]( In the News [Cassandra Clare to Pen Fantasy Series for Adults]( Bestselling YA author Clare has closed a major two-book deal with Random House for an adult fantasy series, Sword Catcher. Clare said, "My own journey as a writer has brought me to the point where I am ready to realize this world." [more]( [First Book Keeps Looking After Young Readers]( The 25-year-old nonprofit has overseen the distribution of more than 170 million free and affordable low-cost books and materials to educators and community leaders nationwide, and it's just getting started. [more]( [Innovative Leaders Appearing Exclusively at Global Kids Connect | Dec. 4, 2017]( On the Scene [On Tour with Marissa Meyer]( This month, Meyer (r.) set off on a nine-city tour in celebration of Renegades, first in her new YA duology. Click through for a selection of photo highlights from the festivities, which included standing-room-only superhero-themed events, a closing keynote at YALLFest, and cosplay inspired by Meyer’s characters. [more]( Four Questions [Jack White]( White. who is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the band The White Stripes, has also performed with The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, and on numerous solo projects. Now, the accomplished musician has turned to a quieter venture—adapting one of his early songs into a picture book, which hits shelves this month. Q: When you first wrote the song “We’re Going to Be Friends,” did you ever envision adapting it into a picture book? A: No, I didn’t imagine that would be a reality at all. I actually thought that people might not understand the song for what it was supposed to be. The world I worked in at the time was very cynical so I thought they would take it as ironic. The lyrics being treated as poetry and an actual story is a wonderful full circle for a songwriter. [more]( Throwback Thursday [Tales from the Slush Pile]( Every Thursday in our newsletter we feature an original comic strip, 'Tales from the Slush Pile,' which follows the trials and tribulations of a children's book writer and his friends. Author-illustrator Ed Briant has been drawing the strip since 2005; several years back we had a few questions for our cartoonist about his process. [MORE]( Out Next Week [Hot Off the Presses: Week of December 4, 2017]( Hitting shelves next week are a pop-up picture book ode to love, a list of things more fun with friends and family, and a YA novel about a tenuous friendship with a private school mean girl. [more]( In Brief [In Brief: November 30, 2017]( This week, Obama White House photographer Pete Souza visits a D.C.-area school; the Gingerbread Man is on the loose; and authors show up for a National Press Club Journalism Institute fundraiser. [more]( SPONSORED [PW KidsCast: Listen Now]( Francisco X. Stork, Andrea Beaty, Dan Santat, Julie Fogliano, Christian Robinson, Philip C. Stead, Matthew Cordell – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in the PW KidsCast podcast. [Click here]( to listen. For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new [PW JobZone]( now with resume hosting and more! - [Agent Coordinator - Bright Agency - New York City](. - [Assistant Editor for Simon Spotlight - Simon & Schuster](. - [Publicist, Revell and Baker Books - Baker Publishing Group - Grand Rapids](. - [Art Director - Callisto Media - New York](. - [Art Director - Callisto Media - Emeryville](. Rights Report Kristen Pettit at HarperCollins has acquired Cindy Lin's The Twelve, a debut #ownvoices Asian-inspired middle-grade fantasy. Pitched as Avatar: The Last Airbender meets Harry Potter, the book, first in a duology, follows 12-year-old Usagi as she teams up with rebels in hiding to hone her innate magical abilities—and reunite a mythical group of warriors—to save her island kingdom from a tyrannical Dragonlord. Publication will begin in summer 2019; Josh Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights. Elise Howard at Algonquin has bought world English rights to Susan Kaplan Carlton's In the Neighborhood of True, the story of a high school girl who moves from Manhattan to Atlanta in 1958 and falls for sweet tea and debutante dances, while hiding the fact that she's Jewish—until the synagogue she's been secretly attending is blown up by the KKK, and the boy she believes she loves may be involved. The book is inspired by the real-life bombing of Atlanta's oldest temple. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal. Joan Powers at Candlewick has acquired world rights to Joe & Sparky author Jamie Michalak's new chapter book, Frank & Bean, illustrated by Bob Kolar. The story features a hot dog and a bean who go camping, form a band, and play around with words. Publication is set for fall 2019; Victoria Wells Arms of Wells Arms Literary handled the deal for the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator. Ellen Cormier at Dial has acquired, at auction, author-illustrator Kelly Leigh Miller's debut picture book, I Am a Wolf, a story about a rescue pup who believes she doesn't need a pack—until she meets the girl who will melt her icy heart. Publication is planned for summer 2019, with a second, untitled picture book to follow in summer 2020; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra & Associates negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights. Stacey Barney at Putnam has bought world rights to Abrams editorial director Traci Todd's A Story of Nina Simone, a picture book biography of the musician, telling how she defied genre and expectation both musically and socially; Christian Robinson will illustrate; publication is tentatively slated for 2021. Steven Malk of Writers House represented both author and illustrator. Margaret Ferguson at Holiday House has bought Snowy Race by April Jones Prince (l.), illustrated by Christine Davenier, in which a girl and her father, a snowplow driver, compete against a snowstorm in order to pick up someone special. The book is scheduled for fall 2019; Studio Goodwin Sturges represented both the author and the illustrator in the deal for world rights. Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has acquired world rights to Bob Raczka's (l.) Beware!, to be illustrated by Larry Day, about a bear and a bee who meet on uncertain terms but ultimately become friends. The story is told in words made up of only the five letters in the title. Publication is set for fall 2019; Kelly Sonnack of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Amy Rennert of the Amy Rennert Agency represented the illustrator. Dimiter Savoff at Simply Read Books has bought world rights to Marisa and the Mountains by George M. Johnson. The book depicts a girl who is fearful of her mountainous surroundings, but after traveling to the prairies, she comes to discover how special her home is. Chelsea O'Byrne will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2019. Essie White of Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. To see all of this week's deals, [click here](. IN THE MEDIA [From the Guardian:]( Philip Pullman's La Belle Sauvage was chosen Waterstones Book of the Year in the U.K. [Click here]( [From the Guardian:]( Jill Barklem, creator of the Brambly Hedge books, has died. [Click here]( [From the Millions:]( Brimming with Curiosity: On Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage. [Click here]( [From Book Riot:]( What to Say When Someone Asks for "Boy Books" or "Girl Books" in a Bookstore. [Click here]( [From Book Riot:]( 10 Black Princess Books to Celebrate the Royal Engagement. [Click here]( [From Book Riot:]( 7 Beautiful Books to Introduce Poetry and Wordplay to Children. [Click here]( [From Entertainment Weekly:]( Love, Simon: See the trailer for the film based on Becky Albertalli's YA novel. [Click here]( [From NPR:]( Harry Potter Translated to Scots, Marking Its 80th Language. [Click here]( [From the Guardian:]( Long before Harry Potter, The Box of Delights remade children's fantasy. [Click here]( [From Cynsations:]( Nancy Werlin on Thriving as a Long-Time, Actively Publishing YA Author. [Click here]( [From 100 Scope Notes:]( The Ultimate Children's Literature Illustrator Gift Guide. [Click here]( [From Book Riot:]( A Guide to Comics and Graphic Novels for Reluctant Readers. [Click here]( SHELFTALKER Elizabeth Bluemle [Reading Is a Team Sport]( What adorable little bookstore readers and Icelandic Christmas Eve revelers have in common… [more »]( Cynthia Compton [Tinsel and Lists]( The lists of “best books” abound for customers and retailers during the holiday season. [more »]( Kenny Brechner [The 2017 Stocking Stuffer of the Year Award]( DDG’s best new sideline gifts are recognized, but can the award overcome the last two years’ shocking scandals? [more »]( Cynthia Compton [And So We Give Thanks]( A children’s bookseller gives thanks for the blessings of the season. [more »]( FEATURED REVIEWS [Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms]( Robert Paul Weston, illus. by Misa Saburi. Tundra, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-101-91874-6 “Seeing these blossoms in bloom/ is always finest with friends,” Sakura’s grandmother Obaachan tells her as they picnic underneath flowering cherry trees. Sakura loves her grandmother and misses her when her family moves from Japan to the United States. With lyrical prose—and sentences written in the Japanese poetic form of tanka—Weston chronicles the trials of adapting to another culture. [more]( [Jinx and the Doom Fight Crime!]( Lisa Mantchev, illus. by Samantha Cotterill. S&S/Wiseman, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4814-6701-8 They defend the innocent—from a washing machine turned monster. They protect the planet—from a Godzilla-like creature menacing a toy city. And then they stop to have lunch. It’s all in a day’s work for two siblings in this imagination-fueled superhero story. [more]( [Adelaide’s Secret World]( Elise Hurst. Knopf, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5247-1454-3 A humanlike rabbit named Adelaide works in a small storefront that was once bustling, “but over time, Adelaide found herself all alone.” She crafts figurines of other lonely animals she sees in her city, including a solitary fox who sits near her shop. When he drops his book, she returns it, but she’s too overcome to speak. That evening, a strange storm gives Adelaide fresh inspiration and the courage to change. [more]( [All We Can Do Is Wait]( Richard Lawson. Razorbill, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-448-49411-1 Lawson’s empathetic, wrenching debut zeroes in on five teenagers from various demographics and family situations, who meet in the waiting room at Boston General Hospital, seeking news about whether their loved ones survived a bridge collapse. Chapters shift among the complex and carefully drawn characters, offering distinct points of view and providing aching insight into the personal pain that colors their perspectives. [more]( TALES FROM THE SLUSH PILE [SEE ALL]( November 30, 2017 E-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Explanatorium of Nature by DK]( [PW KidsCast: A Conversation with Kiki Prottsman]( PeopleElizabeth Law has been named editor at Holiday House, and will focus on backlist opportunities for the company. She was most recently v-p and publisher at Egmont USA. Brigitte Waisberg is retiring from Annick Press after 12 years as marketing manager and 37 years in the publishing industry, as of December 31. Creative director Sheryl Shapiro will retire at the end of the year; she has been with Annick since 1991. Amanda Olson will join Annick as marketing manager effective January 2, 2018; she was most recently sales manager at HarperCollins. Claire Caldwell is joining the company as associate editor; she was previously assistant editor at Harlequin. Gayna Theophilus has been promoted to sales and rights director, from sales and rights manager. Brendan Ouellette has been promoted to digital project manager, from digital development and online marketing manager. Evan Griffith has been promoted to editor at Workman Children's; he was previously associate editor in Workman's adult group. Mekisha Telfer has been named associate editor at Roaring Brook Press; she was most recently associate editor at Glasstown Entertainment. SNEAK PREVIEWS Have you checked out our Spring 2018 Sneak Previews? Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for young readers due out next season, [in our exclusive roundup](. In Case You Missed It [Jennifer Klonsky Named V-P and Publisher at Putnam]( [more]( [We Need Diverse Books Names Its 'Bookseller of the Year']( [more]( [Actor Neil Patrick Harris Assumes New Role of Children’s Author]( [more]( [Continued Growth at the Fifth Shanghai Children’s Book Fair]( [more]( Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on [Instagram]( Follow us @pwkidsbookshelf. Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? [Click here]( for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. [Click here](mailto:childrensbooks@publishersweekly.com) to drop us a note. [Follow PWKidsBookshelf on Twitter]( Children's Bookshelf Editor: Diane Roback Associate Editor: Emma Kantor Digital Producer: Michael Seidlinger Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: childrensbooks@publishersweekly.com Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to: cbryerman@publishersweekly.com Follow PW on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below. Publishers Weekly, 71 West 23 St. #1608 New York, NY 10010 Phone 212-377-5500 Copyright 2017, PWxyz LLC Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( To view back issues of Children's Bookshelf, [click here](. You are receiving this email because {EMAIL} subscribed to one of Publishers Weekly's e-newsletters. If you are not {EMAIL}, then please disregard this. 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