BookExpo Editors' Buzz Titles Revealed; First Look at 'Nevermoor'

[PW Children's Bookshelf: Breaking children's and YA publishing news, author interviews, bestsellers lists and reviews.] [Girls Will LOVE These Thrilling New Mysteries!]( In the Spotlight [Kids’ Subscription Services Take Off]( As indie booksellers look for ways to distinguish their stores, many turn to individualized monthly subscription services for babies through teens, with an emphasis on getting high-quality age-appropriate books into customers' hands by mail. [more]( In the News [BookExpo Editors' Buzz Finalists Announced]( BookExpo has named the finalists for its Young Adult and Middle Grade Editors' Buzz panels. The books' editors will discuss the works at presentations during the convention. [more]( [Cottage Door Press Expands List]( Three years after it was founded, Cottage Door Press, publisher of board books and picture books for babies and toddlers, continues to expand its list and staff. [more]( [Enter to Win an Advanced Reader Copy of 'Please Please the Bees' by Gerald Kelly]( First Look [Jessica Townsend's 'Nevermoor']( Debut author Jessica Townsend's forthcoming YA novel Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, due out in October, has already drawn comparisons to Harry Potter. PW spoke with Townsend about the nearly decade-long writing process for this first book in her much-anticipated series. [more]( Book News [Three Funny Fellows Introduce a Fourth In ‘Jake the Fake Makes It Real’]( Writers Craig Robinson and Adam Mansbach have teamed up with illustrator Keith Knight on Jake the Fake Keeps It Real, a middle-grade humor novel that is kicking off a new series. PW spoke with the trio about their collaboration and the "strokes of serendipity" that brought them together. [more]( [Discover Children's Graphic Novels on Europecomics.com]( On the Scene [North Texas Teen Book Festival in Photos]( The third annual North Texas Teen Book Festival, held on March 4, featured more than 80 authors who spoke on panels, signed books, and connected with young readers. Click through to see our photo essay. [more]( Out Next Week [Hot Off the Presses: Week of March 13, 2017]( Hitting shelves next week are a picture book about a shifty-eyed triangle, a middle grade novel from a Chinese author about two inseparable friends, and a lush nonfiction book about the diversity of plant life. [more]( In Brief [In Brief: March 9, 2017]( (Clockwise from top l.): This week, the VlogBrothers go live at NerdCon; E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler turns 50; Kat Yeh reads aloud on Live Stream; author Angie Thomas shares a warm moment with her mother; Kate Hosford and Gabi Swiatkowska serve up tea and reader’s theater at their book launch; and author P.J. Hoover has her King Tut cake and eats it too. [more]( SPONSORED [PW KidsCast: Listen Now]( Jerry Spinelli, Kwame Alexander, Maggie Stiefvater, A.S. King, David Shannon, Matthew Reinhart, Jewell Parker Rhodes – 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. Check out the new [PW JobZone]( New features include: - Enhanced Listings - Job Alert Emails - Resume Hosting - Streamlined User Interface Plus the same focused job opportunities you've come to expect from [PW JobZone]( Rights Report Kate Farrell at Henry Holt has acquired the YA thriller Fake Plastic Girl and its untitled sequel, by Zara Lisbon. Inspired by The Great Gatsby, the novels are set in the 21st-century world of the Rich Kids of Instagram, Hollywood style. Publication of the first book is set for winter 2019. Richard Abate at 3 Arts Entertainment brokered the deal for world rights on behalf of the author and Spilled Ink, Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston's creative content company. Maggie Lehrman at Abrams has bought world rights to debut author Maxine Kaplan's YA noir, The Accidental Bad Girl. The novel follows high school senior and good girl Kendall on her discovery of her bad side. After getting caught "in the act" with her best friend's boyfriend by the entire senior class, Kendall finds herself at the center of a shady drug ring, and with more than just her reputation on the line—maybe her life too. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Ali McDonald at the Rights Factory negotiated the deal. Kate Egan at KCP Loft has acquired Marci Curtis's The Leading Edge of Now, in which a 17-year-old girl returns to a small coastal town where she's confronted by her former best friend, an ex-boyfriend, and a tragic secret. As sparks fly and relationships strain, the truth unfolds, forcing her to make a decision that will likely destroy the people she has grown to love. Fall 2018 is the projected publication date; Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold North American rights. Kheryn Callender at Little, Brown has bought Princess Hair and Do Not Touch My Hair! by debut author-illustrator Sharee Miller. Princess Hair celebrates the diversity of black natural hair styles, shapes, and textures, from Afros to braids and more. Do Not Touch My Hair! is about a girl's plight to escape curious hands that love to touch her hair, until finally she has had enough and teaches the importance of requesting permission first. The first book is slated for fall 2017, and the second for fall 2018; Monica Odom of the Bradford Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world rights. Alessandra Balzer of HarperCollins imprint Balzer + Bray has acquired world rights to Celebrate You by Sherri Duskey Rinker (l.), author of Mighty, Mighty Construction Site, to be illustrated by A.N. Kang. This picture book celebrates every new milestone in life. Publication is planned for winter 2019; Lori Kilkelly of Rodeen Literary Management represented the author and Elena Giovinazzo of Pippin Properties represented the illustrator. Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben has bought world rights to the picture book biography An Unlikely Ballerina, written by Krystyna Poray Goddu (l.) and illustrated by Cosei Kawa, about the early life of acclaimed ballerina Alicia Markova. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Jennifer Unter of the Unter Agency represented the author and Hannah Abbo of Advocate Art represented the illustrator. Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights to Moth & Butterfly by Dev Petty (l.), about two caterpillar friends who emerge post-metamorphosis with different results. Ana Aranda is set to illustrate; publication is set for spring 2019. Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author and Adriana Domínguez at Full Circle Literary represented the illustrator. Tom Peterson at the Creative Company has bought world rights to the picture book Phrases of the Moon, a collection of poems inspired by the moon, written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Jori van der Linde. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown represented the author and Kate Moore of Sullivan Moore represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, [click here](. IN THE MEDIA [From the Guardian:]( Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals' all-white longlists prompt inquiry. [Click here]( [From the Hindustan Times:]( A sex-education book for elementary school sparks controversy in China. [Click here]( [From Entertainment Weekly:]( Kate DiCamillo and Jaime Kim on how they created their nearly wordless picture book. [Click here]( [From Brain Pickings:]( The Forgotten Young Woman Who Became Japan's Most Beloved Children's Poet. [Click here]( [From the Avalanche-Journal:]( The author of Hank the Cowdog loses his home in the Texas Panhandle wildfires. [Click here]( [From the Horn Book:]( Reading Without Walls: A Conversation with Gene Luen Yang. [Click here]( [From the Smithsonian:]( New Exhibition Explores the Science and Math in Children's Book Illustrations. [Click here]( [From the Huffington Post:]( Five-Year-Old Becomes Youngest to Qualify for Scripps National Spelling Bee. [Click here]( SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner [The Cheerfulness Challenge]( A contest to save the self-esteem of overused words is here at last. [more »]( Cynthia Compton [Greetings from Hoosierland!]( Welcome to ShelfTalker’s newest blogger, Cynthia Compton of 4Kids Books in Zionsville, Ind. [more »]( Elizabeth Bluemle [The Most Dreaded Task?]( Something every bookstore manager may want to do. [more »]( Leslie Hawkins [Simply Brilliant]( Fewer words often translate to more work, and the payoff can be deceptively simple but brilliant picture books. [more »]( FEATURED REVIEWS [Walk with Me]( Jairo Buitrago, trans. from the Spanish by Elisa Amado, illus. by Rafael Yockteng. Groundwood (PGW, dist.), $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-55498-857-0 The duo behind Two White Rabbits returns with another compassionate portrait of a child negotiating difficult circumstances with grace. The narrator, an unnamed girl with shaggy dark hair, is joined by an imposing lion as she makes her way through a rundown, smoggy city after school. Wherever they go, passersby look on with shock (some faint in fright). [more]( [Noah Webster’s Fighting Words]( Tracy Nelson Maurer, illus. by Mircea Catusanu. Millbrook, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4677-9410-7 Noah Webster himself serves as “editor” for this wry introduction to his life and work, marking up the pages with corrections, commentary, and deletions (usually in service of portraying himself in the best possible light). Maurer paints a picture of a man secure in his opinions, including his desire to see America “break away from Great Britain in every way." [more]( [Invisible Emmie]( Terri Libenson. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $10.99 trade paper (192p) ISBN 978-0-06-248493-2 In her first children’s book, cartoonist Libenson offers strikingly different visions of seventh grade through two very dissimilar narrators. School is stressful for shy, quiet Emmie; Katie, meanwhile, is breezily popular, confident, and beautiful. [more]( [Thick as Thieves]( Megan Whalen Turner. Greenwillow, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-256824-3 Even minor characters in Turner’s Queen’s Thief saga have fascinating stories to tell, as she proves in this fifth installment, seven years in the making. This volume centers on Kamet, head slave and secretary to the Emperor of Medes’s out-of-favor nephew, who left Attolia when his scheme to seize power failed. Kamet is relieved to be home until he gets word that his master has been poisoned. [more]( TALES FROM THE SLUSH PILE [SEE ALL]( March 9, 2017 E-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [The Fallen Kingdom, Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy by Elizabeth May]( [Little Red by Bethan Woollvin]( People Lucille Rettino has been named v-p of marketing and publicity for Tom Doherty Associates, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group, including the imprints Tor Teen and Starscape, effective March 20. She was previously v-p, director of marketing for Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. Mark Your Calendar Kweli Journal will host a day-long publishing conference in New York City for authors and illustrators of color. The Color of Children’s Literature Conference will take place on Saturday, April 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; for more information, [click here](. In Case You Missed It [Children’s and Teen Choice Awards Finalists Announced]( [more]( [New Series from Cressida Cowell]( [more]( [David Wiesner's Graphic Novel Debut]( [more]( [Cashore and Sutherland Discuss Fantasy Writing as Escape]( [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 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. If you would like to stop receiving this or any Publishers Weekly e-newsletter or promotional emailing, [click here to update your newsletter subscription preferences](. Publishers Weekly takes spam very seriously. 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