Congrats to both Marcie Colleen and Alison Oliver for their first, starred review for their picture book collaboration, THE BEAR'S GARDEN, from Kirkus Reviews:
One little girl understands that urban spaces need tender loving care.When a little black girl with her hair in two puffballs looks at her city street, she sees people who rarely slow down enough to imagine the possibilities of beauty around them. But she does...Inspired by a true story of a stuffed bear found in what has become the Pacific Street Brooklyn Bear’s Community Garden, this tale of urban renewal shows how one person with an imagination, a little dirt, and a few seeds can transform a concrete village into something beautiful. Oliver’s endpapers depict maps of the garden site—the front endpapers sans garden and the rear ones featuring colorful flowers on several street corners. Throughout the illustrations, the background remains black, dark gray, or dark green, but as the garden grows, the darkness becomes less noticeable as the garden takes over the block and the blue sky appears above it.A well-illustrated, beautifully written tale of encouragement for budding gardeners.I'd amend this only to say that this book contains inspiration for all, gardener or not!For more info, please see Macmillan's book page for THE BEAR'S GARDEN, here.
Big congratulations to Brian Broome on the sale of his stunning debut memoir, LIKE THIS, to Rakia Clark at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt! LIKE THIS is a poetic, uproarious, and raw coming of age story about Blackness, masculinity, and addiction in America’s Rust Belt.Brian is a Moth finalist and is currently in the MFA program at the University of Pittsburgh. I first heard him perform his work at a reading series in Pittsburgh, and the entire audience just fell in love with him. I know you'll be just as captivated by him when you read his work! The book will be out in May 2021.
Jenna's illustrated humor book, THE BREAKUP HAIR HANDBOOK, will be published by Andrews McMeel publishing in 2020. Part catharsis and part smash-the-patriarchy manifesto, THE BREAKUP HAIR HANDBOOK inspires readers to revolt against societal pressures and take ownership of their hairstyles.
Jenna's colorful artwork combines old world inspirations with the youthful spirit of punk fashion. Visit her at jennaluecke.com or follow her on Instagram @jennaluecke.
Big congratulations to Sarah Lariviere, on her next book deal for her second novel, TIME TRAVEL FOR LOVE AND PROFIT! This superb novel will be published by Kelly Delaney at Knopf Books for Young Readers, and comes out next year. I adore this novel. If you like to read books that literary love stories, with a speculative twist, this is for you!
Just a bit more about the book...
Nephele is a whip-smart math prodigy who invents time travel in orderto re-do a disastrous first year of high school. Unfortunately, Nephele becomesstuck in a time loop that results in her repeating that year ten times in arow.
Now facing yet another freshman year, Nephele knows what to expect. Orso she thinks. She didn’t anticipate that a new teacher would be a student fromher first ninth grade class, now a grown man; or that she would finally make anew friend. And she couldn’t have pictured someone like Jazz, with his deepblue eyes, goofy magic tricks and the quietly intense way in which he sees her.She never imagined telling him about her invention. Or the terrible decisionshe’ll have to make, once she does.
TIME TRAVEL FOR LOVE & PROFIT is literary and stirring. Nephele’s voice isbright, strong, funny. I love all the questions this book asks, and thebeautiful love story it tells.
Stay tuned for more info and the gorgeous cover....
Wishing a happy publication day to Jacqueline West and A STORM OF WISHES, the spellbinding conclusion to her series, THE COLLECTORS.
It’s been only a few weeks since Van uncovered a magical secret—that wishes really can come true, and that a mysterious society called the Collectors protects us from the dire consequences even the smallest wish can have. Van knows only too well how wishing can go awry: his mother is recovering from a broken leg, his friend Pebble has been stolen away by the evil wish collector Mr. Falborg, dozens of dangerous creatures called Wish Eaters have escaped into the world, and Van himself has almost died—twice—all because of wishes.
When Van's mother is offered a position at the renowned Fox Den Opera, located in the quiet, beautiful forest a few hours north of the city, she whisks Van away with her, hoping this will be a safer home for their family of two. But Fox Den is home to an ancient Wish Eater—a powerful creature with the ability to grant wishes that have catastrophic consequences; a Wish Eater Mr. Falborg would love to get his hands on. Van must team up with the Collectors and find a way to stop him before he makes a wish that leaves the world in chaos.
"Warm and enchanting."—Kirkus
Baby loves to explore the world of science! What's next for Baby after learning about physics, engineering, computers, and the natural world? Becoming a scientist, of course! In this fun look at scientific careers, parents and children can talk about different science fields and the everyday heroes that work in them. Beautiful, visually stimulating illustrations complement age-appropriate text to encourage baby's sense of wonder.
To buy, please click here, or visit your local indie bookstore, or online vendors: Amazon, Indie Bound or Barnes + Noble.
Big congratulations to Rachael Allen, on her next book deal for her fourth novel, THE SUMMER OF IMPOSSIBILITIES! This marvelous novel will be published by Erica Finkel at Abrams, and come out next year -- and I love it so much. If you're a sucker for multi-POV books, this is your jam, my friends!
Just a bit more about the book...
Four girls. One summer. And a pact to do the impossible.
Skyler, Ellie, Scarlett, and Amelia Grace are forced to spend the summer at the lake house where their moms became best friends.
One can’t wait.
One would rather gnaw off her own arm than hang out with a bunch of strangers just so their moms can drink too much wine and sing Journey at two o'clock in the morning.
Two are sisters.
Three are currently feuding with their mothers.
One is hiding how bad her joint pain has gotten.
All of them are hiding something.
One falls in love with a boy she thought she despised.
One almost sets her crush on fire with a flaming marshmallow.
One has a crush that could change everything.
None of them are the same at the end of the summer.
Stay tuned for more info and the gorgeous cover....
Talk about news that makes your heart happy - my dear client, Rachael Allen, was named Georgia Young Adult Author of the Year for her 2018 novel, A TAXONOMY OF LOVE! Any award and all publicity for books is a good thing. It's especially so when the writer is as marvelous as the books she writes - and that's 100% true of Rachael.
Here's what the judge had to say about it:
A Taxonomy of Love, like the title implies, is indeed a love story, but not just between the two main characters.
It is a love story to family, and life, and the growth that happens along the way. Over a six-year time span and through a collection of charts, emails, letters, and narrative, Allen carries us along and pulls us deep into the heart of her main characters, Spencer, who has Tourette’s Syndrome, and Hope, who has lost her best friend/older sister. The unique structure and longer time frame allow the reader to grow with Spencer and Hope in a way that is never forced but works for the novel and allows us to journey with them in a deeper way.
What I particularly liked about this was the opportunity to see the reality of relationships. The push and pull. The tearing apart. The finding a way together. The pain that comes when we lose loved ones, are hurt by those supposed to be our friends, and the forgiveness we can find when we risk vulnerability.
A Taxonomy of Love is hopeful, truthful, and smart, which to me, embodies the essence of young adult literature.
I couldn't agree more, and I couldn't be prouder to say that Rachael is a client. CONGRATULATIONS, RACHAEL!!!
For more info about the book, click here. To learn more about the awards, visit the Georgia Author of the Year site here.
I'm so happy to share that Alison Oliver will be illustrating THE BREATHING BOOK by Christopher Willard and Olivia Weisser, to be published by Sounds True.This picture book teaches breathing techniques and will delight any child or parent interested in the ways that a mindfulness practice can benefit children.You'll find it in bookstores in the summer of 2021 -- congratulations to Marcie and everyone involved!
Sun, a sporty boy, reconnects with his artistic side in this gorgeous, joyful celebration of creativity that offers an expanded and appealing model for boyhood.Sun loves everything about playing soccer: the cheers, the competition, the winning. But he feels as though something is missing. When he sees his younger brother spread out on the floor, creating a wondrous piece of art, he remembers how much he loves to make things. He goes to the beach to think, and it’s there that a magical encounter with a fox helps him reconnect with a long-forgotten source of happiness.Simple words and stunning illustrations pair to show us there is more than one way to be a boy…and remind us of the deep satisfaction of creativity."[An] immensely appealing fantasy...expressed in an explosion of collage-style montages. A visual treat for the young imagination." – Kirkus Reviews"Simply magical...a fitting follow-up from author-illustrator Oliver does not disappoint. Simple text pairs perfectly with vibrant and colorful illustrations to tell the story of Sun, a boy who excels at soccer but also loves to create, and reminds us that there is more than one way to be a boy. A terrific storytime read-aloud or a one-on-one selection for a child struggling to find his or her bliss." – School Library JournalTo buy, please click here, or visit your local indie bookstore, or online vendors: Amazon, Indie Bound or Barnes + Noble.