Notes from the Kweli Conference; 'I Spy' Author Marzollo Remembered

[PW Children's Bookshelf: Breaking children's and YA publishing news, author interviews, bestsellers lists and reviews.] [A Box of Butterflies by Jo Rooks]( In the News [Stories for All Readers: The 2018 Kweli Conference]( The Kweli Color of Literature Conference offered a day of discussion and community building, on April 4 in Manhattan. PW was on hand to cover several of the panels, which addressed issues relating to writing, publishing, and promoting stories with appeal for readers of all backgrounds. [more]( [Bank Street's Best: An Awards Presentation]( Children’s authors, illustrators, teachers, librarians, publishers, and other members of the book community gathered on April 5 for the Children’s Book Committee’s presentation of the 2018 Best Children’s Books of the Year at Bank Street College. [more]( Obituary [Jean Marzollo]( Prolific author, illustrator, and educator Jean Marzollo, widely known for the bestselling I Spy series, died on April 10 at the age of 75. I Spy collaborator Walter Wick said, "She was a force in children’s book literature and early childhood education circles and will be sorely missed." [more]( Book News [Disney to Publish 'Artemis Fowl' Spin-Offs]( Disney-Hyperion has acquired two new books by Irish children’s author Eoin Colfer, both taking place in the world of his bestselling Artemis Fowl series. The first book, The Fowl Twins, is set for publication in February 2020, to be followed by a second, as-yet-untitled novel. [more]( [Little Pickle Gives New Life to Series for Learning Challenged Kids]( More than a decade ago, Barbara Esham's frustration with the lack of resources to help her young daughter navigate her learning struggles drove her to create her own series of storybooks. Self-published in 2008, The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses will have a new look when Sourcebooks imprint Little Pickle Press releases repackaged editions of the books on May 1. [more]( In Conversation [Laura Geringer Bass and Tamar Brazis]( Laura Geringer Bass, head of the former HarperCollins imprint Laura Geringer Books, is the author of the forthcoming middle grade novel, The Girl with More Than One Heart. The book was edited by Tamar Brazis, editorial director of Abrams Books for Young Readers, who began her career in 1998 as an editorial assistant at Laura Geringer Books. We asked Bass and Brazis to interview each other about the evolution of their relationship as friends and colleagues. [more]( Out Next Week [Hot Off the Presses: Week of April 16, 2018]( Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about a girl and her wild wolf friends, a middle grade novel that confronts police shootings of black children, and a YA novel about two lonely hearts. [more]( In Brief [In Brief: April 12, 2018]( This week, children’s book authors travel to Israel; an author meets one of her idols; Henry Lien has a surprise guest at his book party; chef and author Heather Kim takes her sweet revenge on-air; author Jessie Janowitz has a doughnut-themed book launch; and author Amy Trueblood celebrates the release of her historical YA novel. [more]( SPONSORED [PW KidsCast: Listen Now]( Tomi Adeyemi, Wendy Mass, Rebecca Stead, Christopher Paul Curtis, Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen – 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! - [Freelance Editor - Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. - New York](. - [Editorial Assistant - Rizzoli International Publications, Inc - New York](. - [Senior Manager, Brand Marketing - VIZ Media - San Francisco](. - [Partner Success Rep - BookBub - Cambridge](. - [Account Coordinator - BookBub - Cambridge](. Rights Report Claudia Gabel at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired Katharyn Blair's debut, The Beckoning Shadow, and an untitled second book. Pitched as The Magicians meets Fight Club, the high-concept YA fantasy follows a teenage runaway named Vesper as she uses her magical abilities to fight in the Court of the Undone, an underground tournament where the winner of a duel can pick a personal tragedy to reverse. Publication is slated for summer 2019 and summer 2020; Brianne Johnson at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights. Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought world rights to journalist and LGBTQ+ activist George M. Johnson's YA memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue. The memoir takes stories from his life growing up as a queer black teen to show readers how they can fight for themselves or be allies in the struggle for equity and equality. Publication is set for winter 2020; Eric Smith at P.S. Literary brokered the deal. Jeffrey West at Scholastic has acquired Sarah Kuhn's YA debut, I Love You So Mochi, about a Japanese-American fashionista who journeys to Japan on a quest of self-discovery after her college plans fall apart; along the way, she reconnects with her estranged grandparents and finds romance with a med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. Publication is planned for summer 2019; Diana Fox at Fox Literary did the deal for world rights. Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown/Poppy has bought author Erin Gough's Amelia Westlake Was Never Here. The queer romantic comedy tells the story of two girls who can't stand one another, but reluctantly join forces in a grand feminist hoax to expose harassment and injustice at their elite private school through a series of pranks. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Annabel Barker and Madeleine Manifold at Hardie Grant Egmont negotiated the deal for North American rights. Lisa Sandell at Scholastic has acquired Nafiza Azad's debut, The Candle and the Flame. Set in a city along the Silk Road that has become a refuge for those of all faiths, the YA fantasy is about a young woman with mysterious origins and two clans of powerful djinn who threaten to destroy her peace, and the unlikely alliances she'll make to survive. Publication is slated for 2019; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management handled the deal for North American rights. Mari Kesselring at Flux has bought world rights to Tinfoil Crowns, a contemporary YA debut by Erin Jones. Seventeen-year-old YouTube star Fit will do anything to become famous, sharing everything about herself with her fans. But there's one thing her fans don't know: when Fit was three years old, her mother tried to kill her. Publication is set for spring 2019; the book was unagented. Lauren Knowles at Page Street has acquired world rights to Mary Fan's steampunk fantasy, Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon. In a world inspired by Qing dynasty China, a warrior girl, Anlei, teams up with a young thief to save her village from shadow spirits. But, after arriving at the Courts of Hell, a discovery challenges everything they know about who the real enemy is. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Uwe Stender at TriadaUS Literary Agency brokered the deal. Cheryl Klein at Lee & Low has bought When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. A trans boy shows his parents how to support him during his coming-out process, but when Mom announces that she's pregnant, Aidan starts to worry. How can he make sure that no one puts labels or stereotypes onto the baby? And what does it mean to be a good big brother? Publication is planned for summer 2019; the author represented himself, and Charlotte Sheedy at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired, at auction, world rights to I'm Gonna Push Through by Jasmyn Wright (l.), a picture book that trumpets resilience in the face of adversity. The book was inspired by a mantra written for Wright's third-graders that became a social media sensation. Shannon Wright will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2020; Lindsay Auld at Writers House represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator. Kait Feldmann at Scholastic/Levine has acquired world rights to Aida Salazar's (l.) debut picture book, Jovita Wore Pants, the story of Jovita Valdovinos, who dressed as a man and commanded a battalion of revolutionaries in a fight for religious freedom in the Mexican sierras. The biographical picture book is based in part on personal accounts told to Salazar, who is related to Valdovinos. Debut picture book artist Molly Mendoza will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for 2020; Marietta B. Zacker at the Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Callie Metler-Smith at Spork has bought English world rights to the picture book Glimmer, Sing of Sun by Raven Howell (l.), illustrated by Carina Povarchik. The poetry collection features adventures in which vivid colors sprout, the sun paints the sky, days are strawberry-scented, and laughter and bird twitters set the heart alight. Publication is planned for summer 2019; both the author and the illustrator were represented by Essie White at Storm Literary Agency. Margaret Raymo at HMH has bought, in a two-book deal, Lowriders in Space illustrator Raúl the Third's bilingual picture book, Vamos! Let's Go to the Market. Inspired in part by Richard Scarry's Busytown, the book offers a guide to the food, marketplace, games, animals, plants, and more of a U.S./Mexico border town. Publication is set for spring 2019, under the Versify imprint; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Jen Besser at Macmillan/Roaring Brook has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Conor McGlauflin's author-illustrator debut, Sock on the Loose!, a picture book that gives a glimpse at where all those missing socks may go. Publication is slated for winter 2020, with a second book to follow; Rob Weisbach at Rob Weisbach Creative Management represented McGlauflin in the deal. Alexis Orgera and Chad Reynolds at Penny Candy have bought world rights to Be/Hold, a debut picture book by poet, musician, and visual artist Shira Erlichman. Built around a celebration of compound words (i.e. toothbrush, windbreaker, behold), the book explores ways of uplifting those we love through challenging times. Publication is slated for May 2019; the author was unagented. To see all of this week's deals, [click here](. IN THE MEDIA [From Entertainment Weekly:]( Ramona Quimby's greatest mishaps, in honor of Beverly Cleary's 102nd birthday. [Click here]( [From Bookish:]( In Search of Missing Children: Why Representation in Kid Lit Is So Important. [Click here]( [From Literary Hub:]( How a Beloved Book for Children Was Born of Despair. [Click here]( [From the L.A. Review of Books:]( Pedagogic, Not Didactic: Former YALSA President Michael Cart on Young Adult Fiction. [Click here]( [From Entertainment Weekly:]( David Yoon's Frankly in Love is acquired by Penguin Young Readers. [Click here]( [From Book Riot:]( One former childhood fan says: Beverly Cleary writes the books about everyday, regular kids. [Click here]( [From Deadline:]( TV series in the works based on Anna Day's dystopian YA novel The Fandom. [Click here]( [From Bookish:]( Amy Spalding on Writing a Fat Character Who's Not the "Before." [Click here]( [From School Library Journal:]( Joy McCullough on Reclaiming the Female Body and Blood Water Paint. [Click here]( [From Entertainment Weekly:]( Impostors: Westerfeld's return to the Uglies universe. [Click here]( SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner [The Murdstone Challenge]( Can we save a great book from unwarranted oblivion? [more »]( Cynthia Compton [A Tribute to Genius Girls]( Some of this bookseller’s favorite gifted girls in middle grade fiction. [more »]( Elizabeth Bluemle [Glom on Mom: An Early Reader for Parents]( An ode to mothers of small children, with apologies to Dr. Seuss’s ‘Hop on Pop.’ [more »]( Meghan Dietsche Goel [Cracking the 6-Minute Book Challenge]( Lessons learned from some quality, if occasionally reluctant, reading time. [more »]( FEATURED REVIEWS [Be Prepared]( Vera Brosgol. First Second, $12.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-62672-445-7 Eisner-winner Brosgol's second graphic work is a summer camp memoir set in the real world. Vera, Brosgol's nine-year-old self, is a wide-eyed Russian immigrant kid desperate to fit in with her suburban classmates. They all go to camp every summer, and when she finds out about a Russian Orthodox camp, she talks her mother into letting her go. It doesn't take her long to realize that she's wished for the wrong thing. By turns sardonic, adorable, and noble, Vera is a beguiling hero. [more]( [Bear's Scare]( Jacob Grant. Bloomsbury, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-68119-720-3 Bear, a plodding, conscientious creature, takes pleasure in the certainty that his house is tidy, and lavishes attention on his stuffed toy Ursa. But then (horrors!) he discovers spiderwebs in his house, and he sets to work trying to find the spider and get rid of it. However, Bear’s search is so hurried and careless that he rips Ursa’s arm loose. He can’t mend it, but someone else—someone with eight legs and lots of creativity—can. [more]( [Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere]( Barb Rosenstock, illus. by Katherine Roy. Little, Brown, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-316-39382-9 Rosenstock provides a vivid account of a history-making dive of the submersible Bathysphere. In 1930, eminent scientist William Beebe and Bathysphere designer Otis Barton descend more than 800 feet in a herky-jerky plunge that Roy depicts with stylized, action-packed watercolors. It's a tribute to the power of curiosity, imagination, and ambition. [more]( [Neverworld Wake]( Marisha Pessl. Delacorte, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-399-55392-9 Bestselling adult writer Pessl creates a compelling nightmare world while maintaining a foothold in realism. Beatrice Hartley has spent the past year distancing herself from her four best friends after the mysterious death of her boyfriend in their senior year. With summer ending, Bee decides to find out what they know. The reunion doesn’t go as expected, and a near-fatal drunk-driving accident brings the teens into the Neverworld, a place between life and death, where they live the same day over and over again until they can agree on who gets to survive. [more]( [Not the Girls You’re Looking For]( Aminah Mae Safi. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-15181-0 In Safi's YA debut, Lulu considers herself both American and Arab, but to many of her classmates, she’s only Arab (and therefore a terrorist). Meanwhile, she fails to meet her Muslim family’s cultural standards. In addition to Safi’s focus on multicultural identity, her story provides a candid perspective on female friendships that are full of conflict, love, and angst. [more]( [Blood Water Paint]( Joy McCullough. Dutton, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-7352-3211-2 McCullough's debut, told primarily in verse, introduces 17-year-old Artemisia Gentileschi, who was in real life a talented young painter during the Italian Baroque period. When an established artist takes an interest in her, Artemisia reaches for the opportunity to improve her craft, but she soon learns that his interest is less than noble and her protestations are no protection. A haunting, stirring depiction of an unforgettable woman, Artemisia's story will resonate deeply with readers today and beyond. [more]( TALES FROM THE SLUSH PILE [SEE ALL]( April 12, 2018 E-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [A Box of Butterflies by Jo Rooks]( [Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! - The Itchy Book]( [Get the Best in Print!]( PeopleAlia Almeida has been promoted to marketing manager at HMH Books for Young Readers, from marketing specialist. In Case You Missed It [Bologna 2018: Middle Grade, Inspiring Women, and Unicorns]( [more]( [Figures and Forecasts on China's Children's Book Market]( [more]( [Q & A with Jon Burgerman]( [more]( [2018 TeenBookCon in Photos]( [more]( Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out this fall, from picture books to YA novels, [in our exclusive roundup](. 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. 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