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    March 28, 2013: Big at Bologna

     

     

    This year at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the focus has shifted to middle-grade.  “A lot of foreign publishers are cutting back on YA and are looking for middle-grade,” said agent Laura Langlie, according to Publisher's Weekly.  Lighly illustrated or stand-alone contemporary middle-grade fiction is getting the most attention.  Read more...

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    March 10, 2013: Marching to New Titles

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Check out these titles releasing in March...

     

     

     

     

     

    March 5, 2013: Catch the BEA Buzz

     

    Titles for BEA's Editor Buzz panels have been announced.  The middle-grade titles selected are:

     

     

    A Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1: Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson

     

     

    Counting By 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

     

     

    The Fantastic Family Whipple by Matthew Ward

     

     

    Nick and Tesla's High-Voltages Danger Lab by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

     

     

    The Tie Fetch by Amy Herrick

     

    For more Buzz books in other categories, read more...

     

     

     

    February 20, 2013: Lunching at the MG Roundtable 

     

    Earlier this month, MG authors Jeanne Birdsall, Rebecca Stead, and N.D. Wilson shared insight about writing for the middle grades at an informal luncheon with librarians held in conjunction with the New York Public Library's Children's Literary Salon "Middle Grade: Surviving the Onslaught." 

     

     

    Read about their thoughts...

     

    February 10, 2013: New Books to Love

     

     

     

     

     

    Check out these new titles releasing in February...

     

     

     

    January 28, 2013: Ivan Tops List of Winners 

    The American Library Association today honored the best of the best from 2012, announcing the winners of the Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz awards, along with a host of other prestigious youth media awards, at their annual winter meeting in Seattle.

    The Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature went to The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Honor books were: Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz; Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin; and Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. 

    The Coretta Scott King Book Award went to Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney.

    The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, which honors an author for his or her long-standing contributions to children’s literature, was presented to Katherine Paterson.  

    The Pura Belpre Author Award, which honors a Latino author, went to Benjamin Alire Saenz for his novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, which was also named a Printz Honor book and won the Stonewall Book Award for its portrayal of the GLBT experience.

    For a complete list of winners…

     

    January 22, 2013: Biography Wins Sydney Taylor

    Louise Borden's His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg, a verse biography of the Swedish humanitarian, has won the Sydney Taylor Award in the middle-grade category. The award is given annually to books of the highest literary merit that highlight the Jewish experience. Aimee Lurie, chair of the awards committee, writes, "Louise Borden's well-researched biography will, without a doubt, inspire children to perform acts of kindness and speak out against oppression."

    For more...

     

    January 17, 2013: Erdrich Wins Second O'Dell

    Louise Erdrich is recipient of the 2013 Scott O'Dell Award for her historical novel Chickadee, the fourth book in her Birchbark House series. Roger Sutton, Horn Book editor and chair of the awards committee, says of Chickadee, "The book has humor and suspense (and disarmingly simple pencil illustrations by the author), providing a picture of 1860s Anishinabe life that is never didactic or exotic and is briskly detailed with the kind of information young readers enjoy." Erdrich also won the O'Dell Award in 2006 for The Game of Silence, the second book in the Birchbark series. 

    For more...

     

    January 15, 2013: After the Call

    Past Newbery winners Jack Gantos, Clare Vanderpool, Neil Gaiman, Rebecca Stead, and Laura Amy Schlitz talk about how winning the Newbery changed (or didn't change) their lives in this piece from Publishers Weekly...

     

    January 2, 2013: On the Big Screen

    One of our Mixed-up Files members may be headed to the movies! Jennifer Nielsen's fantasy adventure novel The False Prince is being adapted for Paramount Pictures by Bryan Cogman, story editor for HBO's Game of Thrones. For more...

     


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Upside of Ordinary Giveaway

Giveaways

Debut middle grade author Susan Lubner stopped by to tell us a little about how she came to write her novel “The Upside of Ordinary”.  She’s also giving away an advanced reader’s copy to one lucky reader.

 

Take one missing uncle, a lucky skull ring, a run-away tarantula, lots of pickles, and an “ordinary” family. Put it all together and you have my debut middle grade novel. The Upside of Ordinary is about eleven-year-old Jermaine— so enamored with the idea of becoming famous that she decides to make a reality TV show about her family.  The inspiration for this story came out of my own fascination with reality TV…not so much by those who watch the reality shows,  but by the many who give up their privacy (and sometimes dignity!) to participate in one.  One of the things that makes The Upside of Ordinary special to me is that it is my first middle grade novel. But I also love the main character’s  resolve mixed with her naiveté and the fact that even though Jermaine finds the idea of fame to be so glamorous and appealing, she eventually discovers what’s simple, but very special, about her own life.  

Thanks, Susan! Due on shelves October 1, you can win an advanced copy n0w by leaving a comment below.

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. Stefanie Wass  •  Aug 27, 2012 @6:42 am

    Sound like a great read!
    Congrats on your debut.

  2. Jennifer  •  Aug 27, 2012 @8:24 am

    Congratulations on your debut! It sounds like a fun book — I’m not a big fan of reality shows in general, but, like you, am very intrigued by those who participate in them. This also sounds perfect from my 10.5 year old, who is also enamored with the idea of being famous! Best of luck with this!

  3. Llehn  •  Aug 27, 2012 @8:42 am

    Sounds like fun!

  4. JenP  •  Aug 27, 2012 @10:46 am

    Sounds cute!

  5. Jill  •  Aug 27, 2012 @2:39 pm

    Can’t wait to read this. It sounds great.

  6. Cheryl Mansfield  •  Aug 27, 2012 @5:28 pm

    Congratulations, Susan…the book sounds fantastic. Going on my tbr list.

  7. Linda Andersen  •  Aug 27, 2012 @5:40 pm

    Congratulations, Susan. I love the title and the mixture of elements in the book. Even though I’d love to win a copy, I have won several books lately and will withdraw my name for the drawing. I wish you all the best. Enjoy your debut showing!

  8. Jennifer  •  Aug 27, 2012 @6:07 pm

    This sounds perfectly adorable- and one I’ll have to read with my own daughter, who views fame through rose-colored glasses:)

  9. Cathe Olson  •  Aug 27, 2012 @6:48 pm

    I love this idea . . . and I bet my students will too. Looking forward to reading this one.

  10. Lisa Rogers  •  Aug 27, 2012 @7:03 pm

    This idea is a fascinating one…thinking of the original reality tv family, the Louds, and how they fell apart, I’m curious to see what Susan does with this idea. I’d like to meet Jermaine and learn her perspective. Congrats, Susan, on your debut!

  11. D.Lee Sebree  •  Aug 27, 2012 @7:50 pm

    The number of students I have who think they want to be on reality tv scares me. I’d love a copy!

  12. Stacey  •  Aug 27, 2012 @9:35 pm

    Sounds like a great story!

  13. Laura Armstrong  •  Aug 27, 2012 @10:36 pm

    This is a great idea for a novel. I can see students really getting into the story.

  14. Carol  •  Aug 28, 2012 @4:04 pm

    Looking forward to reading this. I love the title.

  15. PragmaticMom  •  Aug 29, 2012 @12:03 am

    Looks fantastic. Would love to read it!

  16. Susan Lubner  •  Aug 30, 2012 @9:09 am

    Thanks everyone for the nice comments! :)