Today is the day, folks! The day that the eighth book in the marvelous, colorful, silly and happy series, SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS, is available — aka your lucky day!

A group of sloths arrives at the Grumpy River for a synchronized swimming competition, and the Super Happy Party Bears are thrilled. They throw a party to celebrate their team, but the sloths just…sleep.

The residents of the Grumpy Woods can’t help but notice the giant pile of snoozing sloths, and Mayor Quill plots to get rid of them by shutting down the competition…until he unexpectedly gets the opportunity to show off his swimming moves.

Illustrated in full color!

Praise for Super Happy Party Bears: Knock Knock on Wood : “The pure delight of the story will easily draw youngsters in and probably turn a … [more]

I’m delighted to wish two marvelous books the very happiest of book birthdays!

A TAXONOMY OF LOVE is Rachael Allen’s third YA novel. It begins with the moment Spencer meets Hope, the summer before seventh grade. It’s . . . something at first sight. He knows she’s special, possibly even magical. The pair become fast friends, climbing trees and planning world travels. After years of being outshone by his older brother and teased because of his Tourette syndrome, Spencer finally feels like he belongs. But as Hope and Spencer get older and life gets messier, the clear label of “friend” gets messier, too.

Through sibling feuds and family tragedies, new relationships and broken hearts, the two grow together and apart, and Spencer, an aspiring scientist, tries to map it all out using his trusty system … [more]

Happiest of book birthdays to Shelley Tougas’s LAURA INGALLS IS RUINING MY LIFE!

A life on the prairie is not all its cracked up to be for one girl whose mom takes her love of the Little House series just a bit too far.

Charlotte’s mom has just moved the family across the country to live in Walnut Grove, “childhood home of pioneer author Laura Ingalls Wilder.” Mom’s idea is that the spirit of Laura Ingalls will help her write a bestselling book. But Charlotte knows better: Walnut Grove is just another town where Mom can avoid responsibility. And this place is worse than everywhere else the family has lived―it’s freezing in the winter, it’s small with nothing to do, and the people talk about Laura Ingalls all the time. Charlotte’s convinced her family will … [more]

I’m so happy to wish LOVE, TRIANGLE by Marcie Colleen and Bob Shea the very happiest of book birthdays! LOVE, TRIANGLE was a special project right from the start – when Marcie and I first met to discuss representation, we talked over a number of her manuscripts. She mentioned a story she had brewing – nothing to share yet – about a Circle and a Square who have been friends forever…

…Circle and Square just fit, the way best friends do. Then someone new comes along: Triangle. Triangle is different, bold, inspiring. A wedge develops between Circle and Square and before long, they find they no longer fit the way they used to. Can this friendship for two grow to become one for three?

The genius of LOVE, TRIANGLE is its geometry-inspired wordplay, but the … [more]

Not one, not two, but three (or four, depending on how you count) Upstart clients have new books out in the world today! Happy pub day to Ruth Spiro’s newest BABY LOVES books: BABY LOVES THERMODYNAMICS and BABY LOVES QUANTUM PHYSICS; Marcie Colleen’s seventh SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS title, TINY PRANCER; and Catherine Holt’s MIDNIGHT REYNOLDS AND THE SPECTRAL TRANSFORMER! And, bonus: Sarah Lariviere’s Edgar Award nominee, THE BAD KID, is out today in paperback!

Congrats and happiest of Pub Days to all!

… [more]

Congratulations to Marcie Colleen on the publication of the fifth and sixth books in the SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS series!

The Super Happy Party Bears are back in this silly chapter book series filled with full color illustrations and adorable animals.

In BAT TO THE BONE, the bat-only punk rock band “Flying Blind” has a dedicated following of other nocturnal music lovers. Their screechy sound really meshes with sonar hearing. While on tour to expand its fan base, Flying Blind stops at the Grumpy Woods for a midnight show. Soon tons of rock fans are keeping everyone awake at night! But when the bears start jamming with the band, its sound changes, driving away the crowd. This time it’s Opal Owl who saves the day―and returns some peace and quiet to the woods.

With music, … [more]