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In the Spotlight A Lesson in Hope: Children's Authors Who Are Teachers During Covid-19 As the fall semester begins, schools nationwide face unprecedented challenges during the pandemic. Some have opted for socially distanced classes, others for virtual lessons, or a hybrid of both. And, of course, plans may change at any time. We asked a number of authors who are also teachers how they are adapting and maintaining optimism. more Cover Reveal Krosoczka Launches Graphic Memoir And Web Series National Book Award finalist Jarrett Krosoczka returns to his adolescence in Sunshine, his second graphic memoir for teen, the cover of which is revealed here. We spoke with Krosoczka about the forthcoming book and his other projects, including YouTube drawing tutorials for kids, and a web series for teens that kicks off later this week. more SPONSORED Let Your Students Know That They Rock! Inspired by the bestselling picture book Ricky, the Rock that Couldn’t Roll by Mr. Jay, Oct. 7 has been named “You Rock!” Day: a celebration of friendship and perseverance. Let your students know that they rock with free lesson plans, activity pages, a coloring book, and more! Register today! MORE ► On the Scene Inspiration and Process: A Picture Book Panel On September 8, the North Texas Teen Book Festival virtually hosted the "Picture Our World Author Panel" on YouTube, featuring picture book author-illustrators Vashti Harrison, Yuyi Morales, Daria Peoples-Riley, and Dan Santat. During the event, the artists discussed their work and their creative influences. more Reading Report Time Loops and Multiverses: A Children's and YA Book List The ongoing pandemic has many of us feeling like we're living in Groundhog Day, with days blurring together and no end in sight. Click through to see our selection of books for young readers that bend space and time. more Book News Berenstain Bears Get a New Faith-Based Series Random House Children’s Books is expanding the Berenstain Bears franchise with Gifts of the Spirit, a new series of faith-based picture books, written by Michael Berenstain. more Q & A Amy Timberlake Newbery Honor author Amy Timberlake introduces a pair of unlikely animal roommates in her latest book, Skunk and Badger, a middle grade novel illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen. In this series launch, curmudgeonly Badger is irate when perky Skunk arrives, suitcase in hand, at the brownstone where he lives alone. We spoke with Timberlake about the genesis and writing of the new book. Q: You have written two realistic novels as well as a picture book, so writing an animal tale takes you in a new direction. What inspired this creative venture? A: I was actually working on a different book when I first thought about doing an animal story. I got stuck on the novel so I started re-reading classic animal stories, like Paddington and Beatrix Potter tales, and—in particular—the Winnie the Pooh books. It struck me that these stories are so beautifully crafted. I decided that was the kind of story I wanted to write next. more Corinne Duyvis In Corinne Duyvis's new YA novel, The Art of Saving the World, a portal to alternate worlds goes rogue on Hazel Stanczak's 16th birthday. After Hazel encounters four doppelgangers from other dimensions, the five of them join forces with a dragon to save humanity. Duyvis, who is the creator of the #OwnVoices hashtag, spoke with us about writing characters at different points on the sexuality spectrum. Q: How does this novel fit into the #OwnVoices movement? A: I never predicted the impact this hashtag would have on the publishing industry. When I first coined it, the idea was to just toss out book recommendations for one evening. Five years later, #OwnVoices has become an integral part of the publishing lexicon. I try not to agonize over where the book fits. Queerness isn’t always clear-cut, which can make the hashtag difficult to apply. And you know what? That’s fine. more SPONSORED Win First Book in Middle Grade STEM Series Award-winning author and girl-power expert Valerie Tripp joins Books on Tap Live on Sept. 16 to discuss the new STEM-based series, Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad. Enter to win a copy, and join us on Facebook Live or YouTube at 4 PM EDT/1 PM PDT. Get all the details! MORE ►   For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! Digital Print Associate - Independent Publishers Group - Chicago, IL. Editorial Director, Nonfiction, Grand Central Publishing - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. Manager, Art Direction and Production - American Academy of Pediatrics - Itasca, IL. Director, Sales (Library Services) - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. Marketing Specialist - Sourcebooks - Naperville, IL. Rights Report Karen Lotz at Candlewick and Walker Books Group has acquired world rights to The Beatryce Prophecy, a standalone fantasy novel by two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo (l.) and two-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall, the first collaboration between the duo. Andrea Tompa will edit. DiCamillo's text and Blackall's black-and-white illustrations create a tale of fate, love, and the power of words, in a medieval setting. Publication is slated for September 28, 2021; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Marietta Zacker at Gallt & Zacker represented the illustrator. Sara Sargent at Random House has bought world rights to Grammy Award-winning music artist Lil Nas X's (l.) C Is for Country, an alphabet picture book illustrated by Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Theodore Taylor III. Publication is scheduled for January 5, 2020; David Vigliano at Vigliano Associates represented the author, and Carrie Hannigan at HG Literary represented the illustrator. Chris Hernandez at Razorbill has acquired, at auction, world rights to Champions of Breakfast by Reed Black, a YA graphic novel series for fans of The Adventure Zone and Nimona, in which the wizard Cereal assembles a group of ragtag adventurers including the thief Bacon and the necromancer Coffee for a near impossible quest to prove their worth in a magical D&D-style fantasy world populated with anthropomorphized food. Publication for the first book is set for spring 2022; Alyssa Jennette at Stonesong did the six-figure, two-book deal. Arianne Lewin at Putnam has bought North American rights at auction to How to Succeed in Witchcraft by debut YA author Aislinn Brophy, pitched as Booksmart meets The Craft. A biracial witch is cast as the lead in her school play and must decide between exposing her predatory drama teacher or getting the magical scholarship she desperately needs. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency negotiated the two-book deal. Stephanie Guerdan at HarperTeen has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Winter Break by Jake Maia Arlow, a contemporary YA rom-com about two Jewish girls reluctantly falling in love at Christmastime, a hate-to-love romance pitched as “like a Hallmark Christmas movie—if a Hallmark Christmas movie ever starred sexually frustrated lesbian Jews.” Publication is slated for fall 2022; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret brokered the two-book deal. Jessica Garrison at Dial has bought world English rights to A Catalog of Burnt Objects by Shana Youngdahl (As Many Nows As I Can Get). The YA novel follows Caprice, a teenage girl who aches to escape her tiny Northern California town, where her addict brother's legacy looms large. When a catastrophic fire tears through her community—and her home—she's forced to rethink everything in this story about loss and hope. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic handled the deal. Andrea Tompa at Candlewick has acquired, at auction, cartoonist Alex L. Combs's debut nonfiction YA graphic novel, Trans History: A Graphic Novel. Written and illustrated from an #OwnVoices perspective, this book introduces readers to the history of transgender identities, the transgender rights movement, and what it means to be trans in the U.S. and beyond. Publication is set for 2023; Zabé Ellor at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights. Zachary Clark at Scholastic has bought world rights to Last Gate of the Emperor by Kwame Mbalia (l.) (Tristan Strong series), an Afro-Futurist middle grade Black Panther set in a mythical Ethiopia, co-written by Prince Joel Makonnen, the grandson of the real Ethiopia's last emperor, kicking off a new series. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media now represents the deal, originally brokered by Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary on behalf of Cake Literary. Patrice Caldwell at New Leaf Literary & Media represents Mbalia. Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook has acquired middle grade nonfiction Doomed: The Tragic Story of Sacco & Vanzetti by John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro (War in the Ring), which explores the controversial lives of two Italian anarchists convicted of murder and later executed in Boston. Publication is slated for summer 2022; Jennifer Weltz at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights. Phoebe Yeh at Crown has acquired world rights to the middle grade anthology Recognize: Honoring Black Life, edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson of Just Us Books. The collection will feature short stories, essays, poems, and full-color art from authors and artists such as Mahogany L. Browne, Floyd Cooper, Dhonielle Clayton, London Ladd, Kwame Mbalia, Nic Stone, and Alicia Williams, among others, in celebration of Black lives, Black creativity, Black fortitude, Black vision, and Black resistance. Publication is set for fall 2021; Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson represented themselves. Liesa Abrams at Aladdin has bought world English rights to Super Atomic Wombat Girl by Russell Ginns (l.) and illustrator Jay Cooper, a new graphic novel series starring a fearless wombat and her loyal pangolin sidekick as they save the world from ANVIL (the Agglomerated Network of Venomous Insects and Lizards). Publication for the first book is planned for spring 2022; Kevin O'Connor at O'Connor Literary represented the author, and Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator in the two-book deal. Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda has acquired world rights to Hear Me by Crystal Kite-winning author Kerry O'Malley Cerra. This #OwnVoices contemporary middle-grade novel follows 12-year-old Rayne who, at odds with her parents over her sudden hearing loss and looming cochlear implant surgery, sets off on a journey where she discovers that even though her ears may be broken, she is not. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Janine Le at Sheldon Fogelman Agency did the deal. Wiley Blevins at Reycraft has bought world rights to Voices of the People by Joseph Bruchac, who is enrolled in the Nulhegan Band of the Abenaki Nation. The poetry anthology features more than 30 biographical poems about Native Americans, including The Peacemaker, Pocahontas, Pontiac, Nancy Ward, Tecumseh, Chief Joseph, Susan La Flesche, Maria Tallchief, and others. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Barbara Kouts Literary negotiated the deal. Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids has acquired world rights to She Raised Her Voice!: 50 Black Women Who Sang Their Way into Music History, written by music journalist and writer Jordannah Elizabeth (l.), illustrated by Briana Dengoue. This middle grade anthology explores the lives of 50 women singers across musical genres—from jazz, blues, and R&B to folk, opera, and hip hop—and shines a light on their determination, tenacity, and drive to follow their dreams. Publication is set for December 2021; the author represented herself, and Aurora Meyer at Astound US represented the illustrator. Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown has bought Andrew Weiner's early reader graphic novel, Daddy and the Beanstalk, in which Estella refuses to go to sleep without a bedtime story, so her father crafts his own hot-dog filled twist on the classic “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Rachel Dukes is set to illustrate. Publication is planned for winter 2024. Charlie Olsen at InkWell Management represented the author and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the artist in the two-book deal for world rights. Cynthia Leitich Smith and Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins/Heartdrum have acquired North American rights to Just Like Grandma by debut author Kim Rogers (Wichita) (l.), illustrated by Julie Flett (Cree-Métis), a picture book about a contemporary Wichita girl who wants to be just like her grandmother. Publication is slated for winter 2023; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator. Margaret Anastas at Penguin/Flamingo has bought North American rights to author Kelly Corrigan's (l.) debut picture book, Hello World, illustrated by Stacy Ebert, plus a second untitled picture book. Hello World teaches children that the most enriching experiences in life come from getting to know each other, and meaningful connections come from asking each other questions. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Suzanne Gluck at William Morris Endeavor represented the author, and Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary represented the illustrator. Kathy Landwehr at Peachtree has acquired A School for Problems: Myles Horton and the Highlander Folk School by Cynthia Levinson (The Youngest Marcher and coauthor of Fault Lines in the Constitution), illustrated by Keith Henry Brown. The picture book in verse portrays the school and its founder, as well as their impact on civil rights and other social justice movements in the U.S., including providing strategizing for Rosa Parks, Septima Poinsette Clark, and others. Publication is set for fall 2022; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights. Katie Scott at Kids Can Press has bought world rights to Pugs Cause Traffic Jams by Jennifer McGrath (l.). When Kirby the pug goes missing, his owner sets off on a search of the neighborhood—encountering various personalities and their canine companions along the way. Kathryn Durst will illustrate; publication is planned for fall 2021. Sally Keefe Cohen represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Anna Membrino at Scholastic acquired world rights to Hey, You're Not Santa!, a picture book by TV comedy writer Ethan T. Berlin (l.) and illustrated by Edwardian Taylor; Rachel Matson will edit. When Santa needs a last-minute substitute, an unlikely hero steps in. But will this cow be up to the job? Publication is slated for fall 2021; Susanna Einstein at Einstein Literary Management represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Michelle Bisson and Alison Deering at Capstone have bought world English rights to the nonfiction picture book Soaring in Style: How Amelia Earhart Became a Fashion Icon by Jennifer Lane Wilson, about aviation icon Earhart's love of fashion and her lesser-known career as America's first celebrity fashion designer. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Clelia Gore at Martin Literary & Media Management negotiated the deal. Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear has acquired world rights to Jack Horner: Dinosaur Hunter, a picture book biography by Sophia Gholz, illustrated by Dave Shephard. The book chronicles the life of paleontologist Horner, who overcame many obstacles, including severe dyslexia, to become the world-famous paleontologist who inspired a main character in Jurassic Park. Publication is set for fall 2021; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From Deadline: Rick Riordan Developing Feature Adaptations of The Kane Chronicles at Netflix. CLICK HERE From Entertainment Weekly: Laurie Halse Anderson and Tiffany Jackson discuss YA and the Me Too movement. CLICK HERE From NPR: Jacqueline Woodson Wants Kids to Know the Beauty—and the Danger —of Football. CLICK HERE From USA Today: Neil Patrick Harris on why reading is the escape kids need right now. CLICK HERE From Entertainment Weekly: Arvin Ahmadi on how an Italian getaway inspired his new novel How It All Blew Up. CLICK HERE From the New Yorker: Daily Shouts: Chapter Books Rewritten to Reflect the Catastrophic Effects of Climate Change. CLICK HERE From Brightly: Children’s and YA Books by Latinx Authors. CLICK HERE From HuffPost: 17 Children's Books to Help Kids Navigate Life During a Pandemic. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL FEATURED REVIEWS Julián at the Wedding Jessica Love. Candlewick, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5362-1238-9 Julián is back! He is going to be in a wedding, and he arrives, dressed in a sharp lavender suit and magenta shoes, with his abuela. Julián and flower girl Marisol, who attends in a ball cap with her own caretaker, meet each other, greet the brides and walk down the aisle. The specificity of Love’s characterizations offers vibrancy and immediacy, and under their community’s watchful eyes, Julián and Marisol find affection, acceptance, and room to grow. more Out the Door Christy Hale. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4644-5 Intricate, textural cut-paper collage distinguishes this directional tale, which follows a brown-skinned child sporting a red jacket through a weekday commute via the New York subway—from a Brooklyn brownstone to school and back. A charming, detailed primer for easing children into new routines and spatial phrases. more Your House, My House Marianne Dubuc. Kids Can, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5253-0490-3 This day-in-the-life tale takes place in a modest apartment building seen in Richard Scarry–style cutaways. The animal residents, including some natural predator-prey pairs, live in harmony alongside one another. This book will prompt contented rereads and conversations about neighbors, sharing, and community. more Forget This Ever Happened Cassandra Rose Clarke. Holiday House, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-82344-608-7 Small-town politics, weird creatures, and LGBTQ first love elevate this fast-paced piece of speculative horror from nostalgic homage to gleeful update. Clarke unfolds the mystery with a compulsively building menace, while delightfully alien monsters, sweet queer representation, and a riot grrrl soundtrack keep even tense moments fun. more	September 15, 2020 Bestsellers Children's Frontlist Fiction #1 Grime and Punishment (Dog Man #9) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Click here Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out in spring 2021, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on Instagram! Please 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 to drop us a note.

In Conversation J.Elle and Denene Millner Youth advocate and educator J.Elle's (l.) debut fantasy novel, Wings of Ebony, is due from Denene Millner Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, in February 2021. The book marks the first YA acquisition for editorial director Denene Millner's eponymous imprint. We asked J.Elle and Millner to interview each other about the forthcoming book, whose cover is revealed here for the first time, and the joy of celebrating Black girl magic. more Book News Liza Baker and Ken Geist Assume New Roles at Scholastic Scholastic has announced the promotion of Liza Baker to v-p and publisher in the Scholastic Trade Publishing division; in her new role, she will oversee the publishing and editorial direction for the division’s younger readers’ imprints. In addition, current v-p and publisher Ken Geist will take on the role of v-p, publisher-at-large, following a move to Portland, Ore. more Children's and Teen Choice Book Awards Finalists Revealed Maintaining the momentum of this year's Children’s Book Week festivities in May, which had moved online because of the pandemic, the Children's Book Council and Every Child a Reader have announced their list of finalists for the 2020 Children's and Teen Choice Book Awards. more SPONSORED TWINS: A New Middle-Grade Graphic Novel From award-winning author Varian Johnson and debut cartoonist Shannon Wright comes a pitch-perfect story about Maureen and Francine, twins and best friends. When they start sixth grade, though, things begin to change, and there's nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good? MORE Reading Report Back to School 2020: A Children's Book List While it remains uncertain if schools across the country will reopen for students this fall, we've gathered a selection of noteworthy books to get young readers back in the spirit of learning. more Book News Sourcebooks to Release Sesame Street Picture Book, 'Heroes Wear Masks' With Covid-19 cases in children continuing to rise amid concerns over school openings during a pandemic, Sourcebooks has announced that it is collaborating with Sesame Workshop to publish a picture book appropriate to the current circumstances. Heroes Wear Masks: Elmo's Super Adventure will be released on September 15 under Sourcebooks's Wonderland imprint. more Four Questions Amanda McCrina In Traitor, YA historical fiction writer Amanda McCrina illuminates a lesser-known facet of World War II. The novel's setting is Galicia, a region claimed by Poland and the Ukraine and occupied multiple times by German and Russian forces during the war. McCrina weaves together the stories of orphaned Tolya, a sharpshooter in the Soviet army, and Aleksey, leader of a Ukrainian paramilitary squad. We spoke with McCrina about her research into a "super dark, super bleak" snippet of history. Q: What do you want readers to walk away with from Traitor? A: I want readers to walk away realizing there [are] still so many corners of World War II that haven’t been explored yet. More thematically, I hope [people] take empathy away from this reading experience. I hope they realize we don’t always know why people do what they do. We can’t assume that we understand where someone’s coming from. more   For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! Designer - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - New York, NY. Graphic Designer & Illustrator - Harold Grinspoon Foundation - Agawam, MA. Communication Coordinator - Book Industry Charitable Foundation - Ann Arbor, MI. Marketing & Publicity Director - ZG Stories - , Canada. Publicity Manager - Brookings Institution Press - Washington, DC. Rights Report Michelle Frey and Christopher Myers at Make Me a World have acquired, at auction, Lucha by Tehlor Kay Mejia, author of the We Set the Dark on Fire duology. The YA fantasy novel follows Lucha Moya, a bounty hunter living on the border of an ancient, mythical forest—the only source of a highly addictive drug that's destroying her community and her family. As the first member of her community in a generation to possess magic, she vows to defeat the evil that surrounds her. Publication is set for fall 2022; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret brokered the two-book deal for world rights. Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has bought, in a two-book, six-figure preempt, This Rebel Heart by Sydney Taylor Honor-winning author Katherine Locke (The Girl with the Red Balloon). The fabulist YA novel follows a Jewish teen finding her voice during the student-led 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and explores whether failed revolutions matter—and whether you should fight for a country that doesn't love you back. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022, with a second YA novel to follow; Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary did the deal for world rights. Hannah Milton at Little, Brown/Poppy has acquired It's All in How You Fall, the next YA contemporary romance by Sarah Henning (Throw Like a Girl). After an injury ends her career, a near-elite competitive gymnast develops a major (and majorly inconvenient) crush on her older brother's best friend after he promises to help her find a new signature sport—and, in return, she offers to set him up with her former teammate. Publication is planned for winter 2022; Whitney Ross at Irene Goodman Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights. Trisha de Guzman at FSG has bought, in a preempt, children's book editor Deeba Zargarpur's debut novel, The Song We Lost, a magic-infused contemporary YA about an Afghan-Uzbek immigrant family's secrets, and the teen girl who comes face to face with the literal ghosts of their past. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Elana Roth Parker at Laura Dail Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Alice Jerman at HarperTeen has acquired Being Mary Bennet, plus an untitled standalone, by JC Peterson. This YA romantic comedy debut follows a girl who discovers she is the Mary Bennet of her own life, and resolves to become the main character of her story. Publication is scheduled for winter 2022; Amy Elizabeth Bishop at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret handled the two-book deal for North American rights. Kelsey Murphy at Philomel has bought world English rights to Catch the Light by debut author Kate Sweeney. This contemporary YA romance follows a high school junior after she is forced to move from Los Angeles to upstate New York nine months after the death of her father. While wrestling with complicated feelings about her father, she meets a boy who shares her passion for photography and helps her come to terms with the fact that living in the present might mean letting go of the past. Publication is set for fall 2021; Melanie Castillo and Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary negotiated the two-book deal. Tiffany Liao at Holt has acquired, at auction, The Marvellers, a middle-grade debut by Dhonielle Clayton, first in a fantasy series set in a magic school in the sky where students from around the world come together to practice their cultural marvels. Ella Durand, the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, must overcome anti-Conjuror prejudice to track down a missing teacher and protect the school from a magical threat. Publication is planned for winter 2022; Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary did the two-book deal, in association with Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency, for world English rights. Stephanie Lurie at Disney-Hyperion/Rick Riordan Presents has bought, in an exclusive submission, world English rights to the third and final book in Kwame Mbalia's bestselling Tristan Strong series. The novel opens in New Orleans, where Tristan and friends old and new from African and African-American folklore discover a sinister set of forces luring the peaceful spirits away from the city, threatening to leave a trail of destruction and mayhem along the Mississippi River. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media now represents the deal, originally brokered by Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary on behalf of Cake Literary. Patrice Caldwell at Howard Morhaim Literary represents Mbalia. Laura Schreiber at Little, Brown/Patterson has acquired, in a six-figure preempt, world English rights to Freewater by Amina Luqman Dawson. Inspired by formerly enslaved people who escaped to the Great Dismal Swamp during the 19th century, this middle grade debut follows a brother and sister who discover the secret community of Freewater after fleeing from a plantation, as well as a freeborn girl who has only known life in Freewater. They unite to protect their community from the encroaching dangers of the outside world and save the ones they love. Publication is tentatively scheduled for fall 2021; Emily van Beek at Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal. Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has bought, at auction, three standalone contemporary middle-grade graphic novels by Johnnie Christmas, cartoonist and co-creator of the Angel Catbird graphic novel series with Margaret Atwood. Publication will begin in summer 2022; Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary brokered the deal for world rights. Rachel Poloski at Little, Brown has acquired The Secret Garden on 81st Street, a middle-grade graphic novel modern retelling of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett with text by Ivy Noelle Weir (l.), illustrated by Amber Padilla. Entitled loner Mary Lennox moves to her uncle's house in New York after losing her parents in a car accident and makes friends who help her restore her uncle's abandoned rooftop garden and teach her to grieve and grow. Publication is set for September 2021. Anjali Singh at Ayesha Pande Literary represented the author, and Dara Hyde at Hill Nadell Literary represents the illustrator, who was unagented at the time of the deal. Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has bought I'm Up! and I'm Still Up! by Sibert Honor-winning author-illustrator Antoinette Portis, two board book odes to the day and night about waking up (and staying up), and the daily routines we establish with the ones we love. Publication for both books is slated for fall 2021; Deborah Warren at East West Literary negotiated the deal for world rights. Lee Wade at Random House Studio has acquired, in a preempt, Once Upon a Forest by Pam Fong, a wordless picture book in which an eager marmot and a resourceful bird discover the heart-wrenching remnants of a forest fire and work to help the forest heal. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Abigail Frank at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented Fong for world rights. Andrew Wooldridge at Orca has bought world rights to Masks Are For... by author-illustrator Marla Lesage (AWOL). The picture book is meant to help kids overcome any fear or awkwardness they might feel about wearing a mask. Publication is scheduled for winter 2021; Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency brokered the deal. Kelsey Skea at Amazon/Two Lions has acquired The Best Gift for Bear by Jennifer A. Bell in her authorial debut. The picture book features a thoughtful hedgehog who wants to give the perfect gift to her friend Bear. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary did the deal for world rights. Andrea Tompa and Melanie Cordova at Candlewick have bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Rajani LaRocca's (l.) Masala Chai, Fast and Slow, illustrated by Neha Rawat Battish. Although Aarav is always in a hurry and his grandfather likes to take things slow, they find a way to make masala chai together every day. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Amanda Hendon at Advocate Art USA represented the illustrator. Anne Schwartz at Random House/Schwartz has acquired, at auction, North American rights for If You Get Lost by Nikki Loftin (l.) (Wish Girl), illustrated by Deborah Marcero (In a Jar). This picture book debut from the author tells the story of a stuffed bunny who falls from a car window at the start of her family's camping trip, and begins a magical adventure through the forest to find her way back. Publication is set for summer 2023. Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown represented the author, and Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary represented the illustrator. Margaret Ferguson at Holiday House/Ferguson has bought world rights to The Sharing Book by Dianne White (l.), which follows a child throughout a day on a camping trip and explores the opportunities that arise for sharing with others, from meals to fun, from stories to hugs. Simone Shin is set to illustrate. Publication is slated for summer 2023; Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary represented the illustrator. Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to Amah Faraway, written by Margaret Chiu Greanias (l.) and illustrated by Tracy Subisak, a picture book in modified reverse poem structure about a Taiwanese American girl who goes to visit her Amah in Taiwan. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary represented the author, and Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary represented the illustrator. Wendy McClure at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to debut picture book She Stitched the Stars: The Story of Ellen Harding Baker's “Solar System” Quilt by Jennifer Harris (l.), which imagines the origins of the scientific quilt now held by the National Museum of American History. Louise Pigott will illustrate; publication is planned for fall 2021. Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From Time: Angie Thomas on How Books Are Transforming the Next Generation: 'They’re Realizing Their Power.' CLICK HERE From the Guardian: Stephenie Meyer: 'I’d like to be remembered for writing The Host - but it’ll be Twilight.’ CLICK HERE From NBC News: Vashti Harrison and Renée Watson on why Black resilience and joy in books can improve all children’s understanding of others’ everyday lives. CLICK HERE From the Atlantic: How to Show Kids the Joy of Reading. CLICK HERE From People: LeBron James Wants His New Children's Book to Give Kids 'Confidence and Hope for Their Future.' CLICK HERE From the Star Tribune: Children's book on the hijab puts Muslim girls in spotlight. CLICK HERE From HuffPost: Writer Reworks Love You Forever to Take Out the Creepy Parts. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: The Problem with The Cat in the Hat. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: 12 YA Fantasy Books That Aren't Part of a Series. CLICK HERE From HuffPost: 20 Children's Books That Celebrate Teachers. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL FEATURED REVIEWS Turtle Walk Matt Phelan. Greenwillow, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-293413-0 Turtle kids experience extremely delayed gratification when their parents announce a local adventure in this winning picture book. The gentle joke at the heart of the story is that the destination is a hillside above the meadow where the turtles live; being turtles, though, it takes the family four seasons to arrive there. But Phelan makes the trip more than worthwhile for both his characters and readers. more Your Place in the Universe Jason Chin. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4623-0 This dizzyingly powerful exploration of comparative scale starts with an inclusive group of eight-year-old children who are “about five times as tall as this book, but only half as tall as... this ostrich.” Caldecott Honoree Chin adroitly guides readers from ostriches to redwood trees, past skyscrapers and Mount Everest, through Earth’s layered atmosphere to the moon, and beyond the solar system to the edges of the observable universe. more Before the Ever After Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin/Paulsen, $17.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-399-54543-6 National Book Award winner Woodson provides a beautiful and heart-wrenching story in her latest middle grade novel. Starting in 1999, 12-year-old ZJ leads readers on a journey through memories of a time before his father's persistent headaches kept him from playing football, when he still loved music and wrote songs with ZJ, and into the "ever after," when he sometimes forgets even ZJ's name. more Dungeon Critters Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter. First Second, $22.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-250-19547-0 Anxious dog June; stolid Goro, a legged snake; flamboyant cat Rose; and self-assured frog Prince Chirp are the Dungeon Critters, a wisecracking, villain-fighting, dungeon-raiding group of anthropomorphic friends who roam a magical fantasy kingdom. Riess and Goetter create a lighthearted slapstick escapade that prioritizes jokes per page while playing with the conventions of fantasy and RPG adventures. more Watch Over Me Nina LaCour. Dutton, $17.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-593-10897-0 Mila, 18, is thrilled to leave behind four years of foster care when she is given the opportunity to live and work at a picturesque coastal farm in Northern California whose owners care for adopted children of all ages and bring on interns to share the workload. Printz Medalist LaCour’s portrait of a young woman yearning to belong and facing her past while navigating the liminal space between childhood and adulthood brims with tender moments and sensory details. more	August 11, 2020 Bestsellers Children's Frontlist Fiction #1 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. Click here Picture Books #1 Disney Princess: Enchanted Pop-Ups. Click here Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out in spring 2021, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on Instagram! Please 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 to drop us a note.

Pride Month In honor of Pride Month, we present our close-up on a selection of new and forthcoming books celebrating LGBTQ+ stories for young readers of all ages. Interviews with LGBTQ+ Children's and YA Authors We spoke with six authors whose books for children and teens center LGBTQ+ characters, illuminating the intricacies of the queer experience. more Reading with Pride: A Booklist Here we gather an extensive selection of LGBTQ+ books for kids and young adults, including a wide range of voices and genres. more Dressed for Success Since Drag Queen Story Hour first took flight in San Francisco in 2015, chapters across the country and around the world have facilitated lively events where drag queens read aloud to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores. This season brings a number of picture books starring drag queens. more In the News We Need Diverse Books Steps Up to Help KidLit Community In response to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, as well as the current tumult in cities across the U.S., We Need Diverse Books has launched two initiatives to help amplify the voices of children's book writers and illustrators. One is a program to provide financial assistance to diverse publishing industry professionals and creatives; the other program is designed to assist African-American emerging authors and artists. more In the Spotlight While the book publishing industry is responding daily to the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide continuing coverage on efforts by publishers, authors, booksellers, and more. Kids Authors Go Digital: Graduation and Commencement Due to the new coronavirus, few graduation ceremonies this year can be what they once were. As educators look for creative ways for their students to celebrate, several publishers are giving a platform to children's and YA authors to contribute their words of wisdom for graduates of all ages. more Mac Barnett's Instagram Labor of Love In an effort to reach kids who are sheltering in place, author Mac Barnett has launched a series of interactive readings on Instagram. Mac's Book Club Show has followers in 50 countries on all seven continents. Barnett said of the project, "Gathering together to listen to stories is one of the most human things we can do." more LBYR Matching Todd Parr Book Sales with Donations Throughout the month of June, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Hachette Book Group will match every copy of a Todd Parr book bought directly from the publisher by indie bookstores with a donated copy that will be given to the Children’s Book Project, a literacy nonprofit that distributes books to children in need. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of June 8, 2020 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book in which the protagonist finds a star, a middle grade novel about a girl who brings a pony home to her apartment, and a YA novel about two girls who fall in love despite their attempt to keep things casual. more In Brief In Brief: June 4, 2020 This week, L.C. Rosen and Phil Stamper celebrate Pride; Sam Wedelich redraws the classics; Victoria J. Coe welcomes a very good guest; and Lindsay Lackey virtually visits the Centennial State. more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Jorma Taccone, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Supriya Kelkar, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Production Coordinator Sr - Getty Publications - Los Angeles, CA. Marketing Manager - University of Washington Press - Seattle, WA. Investor Relations Collateral Production Associate - The D. E. Shaw Group - New York, NY. Director of Marketing and Sales - Dreamscape - Holland, OH. Production Manager - Boyds Mills & Kane and minedition - New York, NY. Rights Report Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has acquired Some Girls Do, a YA contemporary queer romance by Jennifer Dugan (Hot Dog Girl and Verona Comics). The story follows an openly gay track star who falls for a closeted, bisexual local beauty queen with a penchant for fixing up old cars. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Brooks Sherman at Janklow & Nesbit Associates negotiated the deal for world English rights. Krista Marino at Delacorte has bought End Like This by Kyra Leigh (Reaper), a YA contemporary retelling of the Lizzie Borden story. When Charlotte's mother mysteriously dies, she and her sister begin to suspect that their father and his new girlfriend may have played a part in the death, and spiral into paranoia with horrifying consequences. Publication is set for spring 2022; Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights. Liesa Abrams at Simon & Schuster has acquired Jennifer Nissley's contemporary YA novel, The Mythic Koda Rose. For fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson, this debut features a queer teen exploring the enigmatic legacy left behind by her rock star father, who finds herself navigating an emotionally charged bond with his mercurial ex-girlfriend. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Danielle Burby at Nelson Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights. Kieran Viola at Disney-Hyperion has bought world rights to Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke. The YA novel follows rare-book-lover-turned-adventurer Samantha "Sam" Knox, who must embark on a globetrotting mission to save the universe from a centuries-old Celtic curse. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic negotiated the deal. Jody Corbett at Scholastic has acquired, at auction, North American rights to Brianna Bourne's YA debut You and Me at the End of the World and a second untitled novel. The former is a love story following teenagers Hannah and Leo as they discover they are the last two people left on Earth. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency handled the deal. Amy Fitzgerald at Carolrhoda Lab has bought world rights to Torch by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Gringolandia), set in Communist Czechoslovakia in 1969. When their best friend dies in an act of self-immolation to protest the Soviet invasion the previous year, teen misfits Stepan, Lida, and Tomáš find themselves targeted by the government and must work together to survive. Publication is set for fall 2022; Jacqui Lipton at Storm Literary Agency brokered the deal. Emily Seife at Scholastic has acquired, in a seven-way auction, Barakah Beats by debut author Maleeha Siddiqui. In this middle grade contemporary novel, a Muslim girl joins a boy band in an effort to find her place at a new school, but struggles to reconcile her new friends' interests and her own faith. Publication is slated for 2021; Lauren Spieller at TriadaUS Literary Agency negotiated the two-book, six-figure deal for world English rights. Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has bought Donna Barba Higuera's middle grade science fiction novel, The Last Cuentista. Relocating to a new planet after Earth is destroyed, 12-year-old Petra Peña’s suspended animation fails during the 370-year journey, so when all the other children are mysteriously reprogrammed and the adults purged, Petra becomes the lone bringer of Earth's now forbidden stories and her grandmother's Mexican folklore to a changing humanity. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio did the deal for North American English and Spanish, and Dutch rights. John Morgan at Macmillan/Imprint has acquired, at auction, world English rights to Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit and the sequel by Jesse Q Sutanto. This middle-grade fantasy series features Theo, a Chinese-American boy in a world with magic spells instead of smartphones, trying to solve the mystery of his brother's death with the help (and hindrance) of a mystical fox named Kai. Publication of the first book is scheduled for early 2022; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management brokered the deal. Elizabeth Stranahan at Crown has bought A Kind of Spark by Scottish author Elle McNicoll. The middle grade debut follows Addie, a neurodivergent girl who campaigns for a memorial plaque when she learns that her town used to burn witches because they were different. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary and Media negotiated the deal on behalf of Knights of Media for North American rights. Alyson Day at HarperCollins has acquired, at auction, in a two-book deal, Unsettled, a middle grade novel in verse by Reem Faruqi (Lailah's Lunchbox). The story follows Nurah, whose family has recently moved from Karachi, Pakistan, to Peachtree City, Ga., where she wants to blend in at school but stand out in the swimming pool like her star-athlete brother. Together, the siblings find a way to overcome prejudice, make new friends, and learn the meaning of becoming settled. Publication of the first book is set for summer 2021, with the second to follow in summer 2022; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency did the deal for North American rights. Luana Horry at HarperCollins has bought world rights to debut author-illustrator Anne Appert's Blob. Blob is a character of indeterminate kind. As a blob, they can be anything. The only problem is, they don't know who to be! This is a story that encourages kids to dream big. Publication is planned for fall 2021, with a second, untitled picture book to follow; Emma Sector at the Prospect Agency brokered the deal. Courtney Code at Abrams has acquired world rights to debut author Ashlee Latimer's (l.) Fat Francis Discovers Possible, a picture book about a girl who overcomes body shaming with help from her father and their shared love for words. Shahrzad Maydani will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator. Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has bought world rights to The Good Hair Day by Christian Trimmer (l.), illustrated by J Yang. The picture book follows a boy who wants long, glorious hair but who struggles to find the words to express his desire, until he receives support from the people he loves. Publication is set for spring 2022; Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Stacey Barney at Putnam has acquired world rights to Snail's Ark by Irene Latham (l.), illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini. Like all snails, Esther cannot hear or see beyond light and dark, but she uses her own gifts and encounters a miracle or two to survive the confusion of weather and animals on a dangerous night to guide her snail friend Solomon safely onto the ark. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Dena Neusner at Behrman House has bought world rights to Big Larry's Latkes by Jenna Waldman. Big Larry, an alligator with a latke food truck, decides to create a new latke recipe with the help of his friends at the farmers market. Ben Whitehouse will illustrate; publication is planned for summer 2021. The author represented herself, and Robbin Brosterman at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the New York Times: These Books Can Help You Explain Racism and Protest to Your Kids. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: A Teacher Tweeted Her Favorite Children's Books on Racism and It Went Viral. CLICK HERE From PopSugar: 17 YA Books to Diversify Your Kids' Bookshelves and Teach Them to Become Better Allies. CLICK HERE From School Library Journal: Little House, Big Problem: What to Do with “Classic” Books That Are Also Racist. CLICK HERE From Yahoo: Sesame Street Wants to Help Start Conversations About Racism with Kids. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: Why Are the Same Fairytales Retold Again and Again? CLICK HERE From Christian Science Monitor: Jules Feiffer, a stubborn pooch, and a children’s counting book. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: “The Gossip Girl Book Covers Look Different Now and I'm Not Okay.” CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: 21 Exceptional YA Books to Read During Pride. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 15 of the Best Comic Books for Kids. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner S.A. Chakraborty Holds Forth An interview with the accomplished author of the Daevabad Trilogy, a book for all times and our times. more » Kenny Brechner ‘Our Friend Hedgehog’ Lauren Castillo’s Hedgehog is a friend indeed. more » Elizabeth Bluemle The Flying Pig Games Promoting the fourth book in the Hunger Games series during COVID-19 invited a little video intervention. more » Elizabeth Bluemle When the Mail Makes You Cry Happy The best batch of mail we’ve ever had. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Little Green Donkey Anuska Allepuz. Candlewick, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5362-0937-2 Allepuz presents a comic cautionary tale for picky eaters. Round-bellied Little Donkey has a very limited palate that—despite his mother’s pleas—consists entirely of grass, “so sweet and tangy, flavory fresh and green!” But as Little Donkey’s belly fills, the voracious eater transforms from pale gray to viridescent. The bright, silly humor of Allepuz’s gleeful gourmand will leave even the fussiest eaters giggling. more After Squidnight Jonathan Fenske. Penguin Workshop, $12.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5247-9308-1 Fenske opens with a scene straight out of a creature feature: an army of grim-eyed squids oozing their way from the water to a house where a child sleeps beside an open window. In a twist that’s funny and more than a little moving, the squids aren’t bent on terrorizing; they’re frustrated artists determined to leave an enduring mark. more The Cassandra Curse (Muse Squad #1) Chantel Acevedo. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $16.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-294769-7 Acevedo deploys a mixture of imagination and sincerity in this magical duology opener with a message of art’s importance and awakening the hero within. Life takes an unexpected turn for 11-year-old Miami native Calliope “Callie” Martinez-Silva after a deadly train ride sets in motion a series of strange events. It’s all because Callie is the newest muse of epic poetry—one of the nine from Greek mythology. more A Peculiar Peril (The Misadventures of Jonathan Lambshead #1) Jeff VanderMeer. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99 (656p) ISBN 978-0-374-30886-5 Jonathan Lambshead plans to spend his summer inventorying the English countryside manor of his dead grandfather, Dr. Thackery “Thwack” Lambshead—a task the 16-year-old orphan must complete before inheriting Thwack’s estate. Thwack left Jonathan cryptic instructions regarding bird-children, a quest, and the Order of the Third Door, which Jonathan suspects are dementia-inspired nonsense. Then he finds a portal to Aurora, an alternate Earth. Adult author VanderMeer’s sprawling YA debut offers a riotous, slyly sophisticated take on the hero’s journey. more	June 4, 2020 People Scholastic has several job moves. Celia Lee rejoins the trade division as senior editor, Cartwheel and Orchard. She was most recently with Scholastic Book Clubs as editorial manager for the We Need Diverse Books partnership. Lori Wieczorek has joined the trade licensed publishing department as editor, licensing, media, and brands. She was previously senior editorial manager and licensing coordinator for Scholastic Book Clubs. Michael Petranek has been promoted to executive editor and manager, AFK and Graphix Media. He was previously executive editor and LEGO brand manager. ICYMI Tackling Racism with Teens more YA Authors Move Online more J.K. Rowling Releases First Serialization of New Story Online more Wimpy Kid 15 Cover and Title Revealed 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 to drop us a note.

Politics for Kids 2020 Political Books For Children In the run-up to November’s presidential election, publishers are courting readers who won’t be eligible to cast ballots this year or, in some cases, for many years to come. more Children’s Books for an Election Year We spoke with editors about the wave of political titles for kids and teens that are hitting shelves this season. more In the Spotlight While the book publishing industry is responding daily to the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide continuing coverage on efforts by publishers, authors, booksellers, and more. Debut Children's Books and Authors Affected by the Coronavirus With schools, libraries, and bookstores closed, children’s authors have had to suspend their travel plans and appearances during the Covid-19 outbreak. Still, publishers are finding innovative ways to spread the word about new releases and connect authors with their readers through digital platforms. We’ve been highlighting some of the books this season that may not have gotten the attention they were due. Click through to see our latest roundup, showcasing five more spring debuts. more In Support of Indie Bookstores, Dozens of Illustrators Send Art To help bolster independent bookstores during the current crisis, Caldecott Honor artist Elisha Cooper and author-illustrator Ruth Chan are spearheading the Kid Lit Art Surprise initiative. More than 50 of the nation’s leading illustrators have joined together, sending packages of art for free to indies, which the stores are then giving away to customers who place online orders. more Candlewick Launches Online Summer 'Camp' School closures and remote learning will extend well into the next school year for many students. In the interim, Candlewick Press has launched a program for children and young adults wondering what to do with their long summer days amid the pandemic. more 'Covid-19 Helpers' E-Book Wins Global Health Award Children's author Beth Bacon sprang to action when she learned of the Emory Global Health Institute’s Covid-19 Children’s E-book Competition. Bacon enlisted her friend, illustrator Kary Lee, and together they won the contest for their e-book Covid-19 Helpers, which praises young readers for their role in fighting the coronavirus by staying home. more In the News Restructuring at S&S Children’s Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing will be reorganizing under two publishing entities: a trade publishing group focusing on picture books, middle grade, and YA; and a new branded publishing team to concentrate on the expansion of preschool titles, beginning readers, chapter books, graphic novels, licensing and middle-grade brands, and IP. more ABA Children's Institute Goes Virtual The American Booksellers Association has scheduled a virtual edition of its annual Children's Institute for July 15–16. The programming will feature a day of education, with three education sessions, an Indies Introduce presentation, a keynote speech, and a virtual gathering. more Obituary Karen Blumenthal Children's book author and journalist Karen Blumenthal, widely recognized for her works of narrative nonfiction addressing complicated subject matters, died on May 19, following a heart attack. She was 61. Emily Feinberg, Blumenthal’s editor at Roaring Brook, said in remembrance, "She was a journalist through and through and was committed fully to the truth—both finding it and delivering it to young readers." more Q & A Zoraida Córdova Zoraida Córdova's debut novel, Vicious Deep, launched her into the world of young adult fiction in 2012. Her latest novel, The Way to Rio Luna, marks her entrée into writing middle grade fiction and weaves themes of isolation and hope through a story rooted in family. Córdova spoke with PW about what it’s like to write for a new age group, and how her work has led to collaborations and friendships. Q: What inspired you to step into middle grade? A: The thing that made me want to start writing middle grade was I’ve always read it, even though I aged out of it. I had this idea about a boy looking for family. I wanted to stick to a more classic feel of a kid in search for something wondrous. I know that when I was younger I was always in search of magical doors or gateways that would take me into a cool place like Narnia or through the looking glass. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of May 25, 2020 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about a light bulb who gets a chance at a great adventure, a middle grade novel set under the big top, and the launch of a YA series infused with West African mythology. more In Brief In Brief: May 21, 2020 This week, Mark Oshiro, TJ Klune, and Lauren Shippen discuss mental health representation; Mari Mancusi and Henry Clark have a fiery launch; Andrea Beaty and David Roberts honor Iggy Day; and Barbara McClintock gives a fur-miliar nursery rhyme a facelift. more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Jorma Taccone, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Supriya Kelkar, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Director of Marketing and Sales - Dreamscape - Holland, OH. Production Manager - Boyds Mills & Kane and minedition - New York, NY. General Manager - Greenlight Bookstore LLC - Brooklyn, . Manager, Publishing Marketing - VIZ Media - San Francisco, CA. Assistant Professor in Publishing Arts - University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) - Wilmington, NC. Rights Report Allison Moore at Bloomsbury has acquired author, playwright, and "Modern Love" contributor David Valdes's Spin Me Right Round. Pitched as an #OwnVoices twist on Back to the Future, the YA novel follows an out-and-proud Latinx teen who accidentally time-travels to his parents' era and makes it his mission to save a closeted classmate from a tragic end. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Annie Bomke at Annie Bomke Literary Agency handled the two-book deal for world rights. Katherine Harrison at Knopf has bought Elizabeth Lim's YA fantasy duology Six Crimson Cranes, a reimagining of the Wild Swans fairytale, and a third untitled work. Set in the same world as Spin the Dawn, Six Crimson Cranes centers an exiled princess who must unweave the curse that turned her brothers into cranes, assisted by her spurned betrothed, a mercurial dragon, and a paper bird brought to life by her own magic. Publication of the first book is scheduled for summer 2021; Gina Maccoby at Gina Maccoby Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights. Tiffany Liao at Holt has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Lesley Livingston's Queen Among the Dead, a YA fantasy inspired by the legend of the first true queen of ancient Eire and the mysterious sacred sites of Newgrange and the Hill of Tara. Favored by the Wolf Goddess, Neve is a renegade Celtic princess who defies destiny to seize the throne of kings with the aid of shapeshifting druid-turned-thief Ronan and a band of berserker women warriors. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Jess Regel at Foundry Literary + Media brokered the deal for North American rights. Liza Kaplan at Philomel has bought The Wolves Are Watching, a YA novel by Natalie Lund (We Speak in Storms and The Sky Above Us). Luce sees golden eyes in the woods on the night a toddler goes missing. With her small town quick to apportion blame, Luce follows a wolf into the forest and discovers the mysterious history of the town, the magical animal-women who were forced into hiding many years before, and the unsettling truth that this has happened before. Publication is set for spring 2022; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary did the deal for North American rights. Patty Rice at Andrews McMeel has signed poet Colby Cedar Smith's debut novel Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit, a YA historical novel-in-verse about a tight-knit Greek family in Michigan in the 1930s and the struggles faced by one strong-willed young woman, whose ambitions and dreams were ahead of her time. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for world English rights. Kristen Pettit at HarperCollins has acquired My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen (Dangerous Alliance). A gender-flipped Pygmalion, the YA historical novel is set in an alternate London in the 1800s where two young female Culinarians recruit a street vendor to teach him to become a gastronomic star for the upper crust. Publication is scheduled for January 2022; Jennifer Unter at the Unter Agency brokered the deal for world English rights. Maggie Lehrman at Abrams has bought, in an exclusive submission, world English rights to Lia and Beckett's Abracadabra by Amy Noelle Parks (The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss). This YA romantic comedy, set in a magic-themed resort town, is a Romeo and Juliet love story, with illusions instead of duels and a happy ending instead of death. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency handled the deal. Julie Rosenberg at Razorbill has acquired North American rights to The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling (These Witches Don't Burn). The contemporary fantasy follows Elise, a mortal girl who feels the death of anyone she touches, and Claire, the vampire assigned to recruit her for the Order, as they team up to stop a paranormal killer and realize they might be falling in love. Publication is set for fall 2021; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal. Antonia Markiet and Megan Ilnitzki at HarperCollins have preempted Jacquetta Nammar Feldman's debut middle grade novel, Wishing Upon the Same Stars. The novel follows a seventh-grade Arab-American girl whose notions of home and heritage are redefined after moving to Texas and becoming best friends with the Jewish Israeli girl next door. Publication is slated for winter 2022; Peter Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media did the two-book deal for world English rights. Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought, in an exclusive submission, Katrina Moore (l.) and Zoe Si's Teeny Houdini series, pitched as Junie B. Jones meets Dory Fantasmagory. The chapter books follow Bessie Lee, the teeniest girl in her first-grade class, and the disaster that follows when her magic tricks go awry. The first two books are scheduled for winter 2022; Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the author and the illustrator represented herself in the three-book deal for world rights. Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has acquired world rights to A Seed, a nonfiction picture book by Sibert Honor author-illustrator Antoinette Portis, marking their eighth collaboration together. The book follows the life cycle of a sunflower plant. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Deborah Warren at East West Literary brokered the deal for world rights. Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has bought Andrew Prahin's picture book Ship in a Bottle, in which a mouse, who lives in constant fear of the cat, sets off in a ship in a bottle to search for a new home and a better life. Publication is set for summer 2021; Paul Rodeen at Rodeen Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights. Courtney Code at Abrams has acquired world English rights to Jennifer Thermes's Horse Power: How Horses Changed the World, a picture book that explores the ways in which the everyday horse inspired invention and innovation around the world for thousands of years, and changed the course of human history. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency brokered the deal. Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought, at auction, world rights to The Notebook Keeper by Stephen Briseño, illustrated by Magdalena Mora. Inspired by true events, the picture book follows Noemi and her Mamá who, denied entry at the U.S. border, must wait and find the refugee in charge of "the notebook," an unofficial ledger of those waiting to cross into the U.S. As time goes on and hope dwindles, Noemi discovers the power of spreading kindness in such a dark place. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Natalie Lakosil at the Bradford Literary Agency represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator. Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Paulsen has acquired world rights to The Storyteller by Lindsay Bonilla, illustrated by Noar Lee Hagan, featuring a boy whose grandmother showers him with love, encouragement, and a world of stories, all of which stand him in good stead when it's time for her to depart and he is left to tell his own stories—and hers. Publication is set for fall 2022; Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis represented the author, and Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency represented the illustrator. Chris Krones at HMH has bought world rights to Let's All Be Kind, written by Karen Beaumont and illustrated by David Catrow (creators of I Like Myself and I Ain't Gonna Paint No More). The rhyming picture book serves as a call for kindness. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; the author represented herself, and Wendi Gu at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the illustrator. Peggy Schaefer at WorthyKids has acquired world rights to A Flood of Kindness by Ellen Leventhal (l.), illustrated by Blythe Russo. The picture book features a girl who struggles with feelings of anger and sadness when her home is destroyed in a flood, until she finds hope in the healing power of kindness. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Mary Cummings at Betsy Amster Literary Enterprises represented the author, and Molly O'Neill at Root Literary represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the New York Times: Welcome to Kiera Cass’s Kingdom, Where She Makes the Rules. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: How Teaching Taught Me More About YA Books. CLICK HERE From Autostraddle: Trans Representation in YA Fiction Is Changing, But How Much? CLICK HERE From Time Out New York: The Eric Carle Museum's first virtual picture-book exhibit has original artwork. CLICK HERE From How Stuff Works: The Surprising Controversy Behind “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” CLICK HERE From Romper: Molly Idle on Coral, and How Having Children Changes the Way You Read. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: 21 YA Books to Read During Mental Health Awareness Month. CLICK HERE From Wired: A Reading List for Kids on Their Very Long Summer Break. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 6 Great Multicultural “Cinderella” Picture Books. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner ‘Our Friend Hedgehog’ Lauren Castillo’s Hedgehog is a friend indeed. more » Elizabeth Bluemle The Flying Pig Games Promoting the fourth book in the Hunger Games series during COVID-19 invited a little video intervention. more » Elizabeth Bluemle When the Mail Makes You Cry Happy The best batch of mail we’ve ever had. more » Kenny Brechner Two Twos Two things I’m pretty sure are true and two things we’re doing at DDG to work around the closure of our selling floor. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Dozens of Doughnuts Carrie Finison, illus. by Brianne Farley. Putnam, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-525-51835-8 LouAnn, a stout black bear, is frying doughnuts for one last pre-hibernation meal, and she’s looking forward to eating them all by herself. But it’s not to be. Sturdy, thumping verse by Finison, making her picture book debut, chronicles the constant interruptions of a stream of hungry callers. The combination of delicious treats and tantalizing delay keeps the tension high. more Condor Comeback Sy Montgomery, photos by Tianne Strombeck. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $18.99 (96p) ISBN 978-0-544-81653-4 The California Condor’s stunning and fragile existence swoops into focus in the latest Scientists in the Field title. In 1982, fewer than two dozen California Condors were left in the wild, their numbers decimated by hunting, habitat loss, and poisoning from lead shot in the animal carcasses they eat. A collective effort led by conservationists and zoos is slowly rebuilding the population, but they remain critically endangered. Though the condor’s future remains tenuous, Montgomery’s compelling page-turner inspires optimism. more Curse of the Night Witch (Emblem Island #1) Alex Aster. Sourcebooks, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-4926-9720-6 Debut author Aster takes inspiration from Colombian folklore to craft a rousing series opener. Tor Luna, 12, was born with a leadership emblem; the “two purple rings around his left wrist” signify that he will someday lead, just like his chieftess mother. Hoping to become a water-breather, instead—swimming is his great joy and source of calm—he wishes on the New Year’s Eve bonfire; during the yearly celebration, anything can happen. more Jo & Laurie Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz. Putnam, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-9848-1201-8 De la Cruz and Stohl’s affectionate tribute to Louisa May Alcott’s work takes place in the year between the 1868 release of Little Women and the 1869 publication of Good Wives, two volumes that are today published as one. At 18, Jo March struggles to produce a sequel after the success of her domestic novel loosely inspired by her family. The authors carefully mimic the setting and dialogue style of Alcott’s works, making their care for the characters apparent. more The Falling in Love Montage Ciara Smyth. HarperTeen, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-295711-5 When 17-year-old Saoirse is dumped by her girlfriend and former best friend, she decides that dating isn’t worth the heartache, especially since she’s already dealing with her mother’s moving into a home due to dementia, and the revelation of her father’s affair. She doesn’t expect her electric attraction to Ruby. An emotionally stirring queer romance with witty, playful dialogue. more	May 21, 2020 To Our Readers Next week, because of the Memorial Day holiday, we'll have one issue of Bookshelf, on Wednesday, May 27. And next Thursday, look for our newsletter highlighting the speakers at Book Expo's online Children's Book and Author Dinner. We'll see you then! ICYMI Summer Reads 2020 more Bologna's Virtual Fair Draws 60,000 Online Visitors more Adaptation, the Amazon Problem, and Future Trends: A Bologna 2020 Panel more Cover Reveal: 'Before the Ever After' by Jacqueline Woodson 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 to drop us a note.

In the Spotlight While the book publishing industry is responding daily to the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide continuing coverage on efforts by publishers, authors, booksellers, and more. More Mondays with Michelle Obama The weekly read-aloud series "Mondays with Michelle Obama," which launched on April 20 by the former First Lady, Penguin Young Readers, Random House Children's Books, and PBS Kids, has been such a hit, it's expanding to include four more stories—featuring some special guests. more 'James and the Giant Peach' Reading Raises Funds for Global Health Initiative Roald Dahl's children's classic James and the Giant Peach is heading from the page to the screen in support of a major global health initiative's work to combat the new coronavirus. The Roald Dahl Story Company has tapped Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi to create a 10-episode YouTube reading of the book featuring dozens of actors, musicians, and designers, from Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, and Lupita Nyong'o, to Ryan Reynolds and Nick Kroll. more Christian Robinson: Creating Art That Matters Author-illustrator Christian Robinson spoke with us about the genesis of his latest picture book, You Matter, and his new video series, called "Making Space." The series was prompted by Robinson's desire to provide comfort to families that are sheltering in place due to Covid-19. "Making Space" debuted on Instagram in early April, and You Matter will be released on June 2. more Free 'Bad Kitty' Coloring Book Teaches Readers to Wash Their Paws As schools were starting to close across the country in response to Covid-19 in March, publicists at Macmillan sent a request to the company's authors, asking them to do online read-alouds. Bad Kitty creator Nick Bruel was happy to help, but wondered if there was more he could do. Just a short few weeks later, that idea is a full book: the Bad Kitty: Wash Your Paws coloring book is now available for free download on Bruel's website. more In the News Schrank Named to Head Astra Publishing House; Russo to Join Minedition Backed by Thinkingdom Media Group, Astra Publishing House has launched a new adult division, which will join children's publishing divisions Boyds Mills & Kane and minedition in the new company. Former Holt head Ben Schrank is publisher and COO of Astra, and Maria Russo, former New York Times children’s books editor, has been named editorial director of mineditionUS. more Obituary Thomas Low Thomas Low, co-founder and CEO of multicultural children's publishing house Lee & Low Books, has died of cancer, his family confirmed. He was 78. Lee & Low cofounder Philip Lee said of Low, "He was a great friend, mentor, and visionary. It meant a lot to him to build a company that would promote diversity, encourage new voices, and nurture a new generation of publishing professionals.” more Soapbox When It Comes to Online Events, It's Time for Bookstores to Go Wild Maggie Tokuda-Hall, debut YA author of The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea, urges indie booksellers to think big when planning online events amid the pandemic. "Your stores are loved and your stores are needed, and there are so many of us who want to help. So take advantage of it," she says. more Interview Kate Messner Children’s book author Kate Messner will publish a dozen new books, and launch a new series, this year alone—all in spite of the current strain the industry is under. “It was going to be a wild year, even before the world turned upside down,” Messner said. more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Jorma Taccone, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Supriya Kelkar, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Production Manager - Boyds Mills & Kane and minedition - New York, NY. General Manager - Greenlight Bookstore LLC - Brooklyn, . Manager, Publishing Marketing - VIZ Media - San Francisco, CA. Assistant Professor in Publishing Arts - University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) - Wilmington, NC. Director of the Northwestern University Press - Northwestern University - Evanston, IL. Rights Report Andrew Eliopulos at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Act Cool by Tobly McSmith. In the YA novel, a transgender teen is accepted into a prestigious performing arts high school in New York, but when he is cast in a role that hits too close to home—the part of a trans teen whose family is intent on conversion therapy—he must learn how to be true to himself, apart from any role. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners brokered the two-book deal for world rights. Miriam Weinberg at Tor Teen has bought Charlie Jane Anders's debut YA sci-fi novel, Victories Greater Than Death, first in a trilogy. Tina has always known her destiny is outside the norm—after all, she is the human clone of the most brilliant alien commander in all the galaxies. But she is tired of waiting for her life to begin. And then it does—and maybe Tina should have been more prepared. Publication is set for spring 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively; Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights. T.S. Ferguson at Little, Brown/Patterson has signed Valeria Wicker (author-illustrator of The Ugly Doodles) to illustrate Eleanor Rigby, a YA graphic novel written by James Patterson, in which a teen girl runs away to Seattle to find her missing sister and must tell stories on the street to survive. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Adria Goetz at Martin Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights. Rose Pleuler at HarperAlley has acquired world rights to debut author-illustrator Cait May and debut author Trevor Bream's Another Kind, a YA graphic novel, plus a second untitled graphic novel. While six cryptid kids search for a new place to call home, something sinister lurks in the shadows. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Claire Draper at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal. Jessica Garrison at Dial has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Zack Loran Clark's solo debut, The Lock-Eater. In the vein of Diana Wynne Jones, this middle-grade adventure brings together a girl with an uncanny talent and a "gearling" who yearns for greater things on a dangerous journey that will take all they have just to survive, and explores questions of friendship, sexual identity, and moral ambiguity. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal. Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has bought The Somewhere Else by Megan Frazer Blakemore (Water Castle) in her fantasy debut. This feminist middle grade retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" features a princess who, when she discovers that her curse allows her to call a boy from our world into hers, takes control of her own destiny and challenges the definitions of heroism. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties did the deal for world rights. Bethany Buck at Pixel+Ink has acquired Erin Soderberg Downing's When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Peach Pie—as well as another in the Great Peach Experiment series—a middle grade novel about a family reconnecting as they take a road trip in a newly acquired food truck. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights. Janine O'Malley at FSG has bought Between the Lighthouse and You, a debut middle grade novel by Michelle Lee, about a girl who goes looking for answers about her missing mother on an island that receives yearly messages from the dead, and a boy whose family maintains the island's lighthouse, fighting to protect his town's traditions. Publication is set for fall 2021; Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Alex Arnold at Quirk has acquired world rights to The Wild World Handbook by Andrea Debbink (Spark and Think for Yourself), an illustrated middle grade guide to nature exploration and environmental stewardship. With creative activities to engage with the natural world, ways to protect it, and stories of both famous and little-known adventurers, scientists, and artists who did just that, the book aims to empower the next generation of young activists and nature lovers. Publication is planned for April 2021, to tie in with Earth Day; Reiko Davis at DeFiore and Company handled the two-book deal. While at Simon & Schuster, Liz Kossnar bought Dragons Are the Worst, a picture book by Alex Willan; Kendra Levin will edit. Gilbert the goblin does not understand why everyone is so afraid of dragons; after all, goblins are scary too—they know spells, and can fly, sort of. Surely they deserve a quest or two of their own, don't they? Publication is set for fall 2021; Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights. Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has acquired world rights to Ancestory by Hannah Salyer. Focusing on ancient wall art from around the world, the nonfiction picture book asks who created it and why—while the exact answers may be out of reach, the investigation is half the fun. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions brokered the deal. Antonia Markiet at HarperCollins has bought, at auction, What Would You Do in a Book About You?, written by Jean Reidy and illustrated by Joey Chou, and two additional picture books by the author-illustrator team. What Would You Do in a Book About You? empowers children to be the authors of their own stories, embracing all the possibilities that life—or imagination—puts in front of them. Publication is slated to begin in spring 2021; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights. Neal Porter at Holiday House/Porter has acquired world rights to I Don't Care by Julie Fogliano (l.), a picture book about two friends comparing all of the things that do (and do not) matter when it comes to true friendship. It will be jointly illustrated by Caldecott Honorees Molly Idle (c.) and Juana Martinez-Neal (r.). Publication is set for fall 2022; Steven Malk at Writers House represented Fogliano and Idle, and Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary represented Martinez-Neal. Sydnee Monday at Kokila has bought world rights to A Blue Kind of Day, a picture book debut by Australian psychologist Rachel Tomlinson (l.). The story follows a boy who is learning how to navigate the physical symptoms of depression, and his family who is learning how best to hold space for him. Tori-Jay Mordey will illustrate. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Stacey Glick at Dystel, Goderich and Bourret represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Courtney Code at Abrams has bought world rights to Before Music by Annette Bay Pimentel (l.), which explores how people have, throughout time and across the world, used natural materials they find around them to make music. Madison Safer will illustrate in her debut; publication is scheduled for spring 2022. Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Megan Ilnitzki at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to One Wish by M.O. Yuksel (l.), a picture book biography about Fatima al-Fihri, the ninth-century Muslim woman who pioneered the world's oldest university—which is still operating today. Mariam Quraishi will illustrate; publication is set for winter 2022. Jenna Pocius at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary represented the artist. Courtney Burke at Page Street Kids has bought Sita's Hurly Burly Hullabaloo, a picture book by Tina Athaide (l.), illustrated by Asa Gilland, which centers on a girl whose endless energy helps her have fun but whose inability to sit still gets her in trouble—until her grandfather reveals he has his own "hurly-burly hullabaloo" and they work together to help Sita find her balance. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Susan McCabe at Lilla Rogers represented the artist. Wendy McClure at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Dylan's Dragon by Annie Silvestro, which follows overscheduled Dylan and his new friend Dragon as they try to play together. But it's tough to find time in between baseball practice, piano lessons, karate class, homework… The picture book is a reminder that sometimes it's better to cut back, and do less to live more. Ben Whitehouse will illustrate; publication is set for April 2021. Liza Pulitzer Voges at Eden Street represented the author, and Frederica Dawson at the Bright Agency represented the artist. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the Dallas Morning News: Author Karen Blumenthal, who tackled complicated topics for teens, died of a heart attack on Monday at 61. CLICK HERE From Shondaland: YA Authors Reflect on the Impact of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. CLICK HERE From the Bulwark: Dear Reader: A letter from Lois Lowry, the author of The Giver and Number the Stars. CLICK HERE From 100 Scope Notes: The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2020. CLICK HERE From Pacific San Diego: Oh, the Places It’s Gone: Dr. Seuss book turns 30 amid the pandemic. CLICK HERE From the Tonight Show: Mo Willems gives Jimmy Fallon a "Squillem" doodle lesson on The Tonight Show. CLICK HERE From People: The Best Children's Books to Read with Your Kids at Home Right Now. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 9 Escapist YA Books About Summer Break. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Elizabeth Bluemle The Flying Pig Games Promoting the fourth book in the Hunger Games series during COVID-19 invited a little video intervention. more » Elizabeth Bluemle When the Mail Makes You Cry Happy The best batch of mail we’ve ever had. more » Kenny Brechner Two Twos Two things I’m pretty sure are true and two things we’re doing at DDG to work around the closure of our selling floor. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Publishers: Think Like a Kid Pushing books back several months affects children differently from adults. more » FEATURED REVIEWS All the Birds in the World David Opie. Peter Pauper, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4413-3329-2 A quizzical kiwi follows readers through Opie’s vibrantly illustrated exploration of bird types and attributes. Fantastical compilations of birds common and rare, depicted with great care and painterly realism, are shown roosting, nesting, wading, and flying, interleaved with spreads showing arrays of eggs, beaks, and bird feet. It’s a captivating display of diversity. more Sal & Gabi Fix the Universe Carlos Hernandez. Disney/Riordan, $16.99 (432p) ISBN 978-1-368-02283-5 In this heartwarming follow-up to 2019’s Sal & Gabi Break the Universe, the titular duo is faced with a new set of challenges when a Gabi from a parallel dimension appears, claiming that Sal’s father’s efforts to close wormholes will actually destroy the universe. While Hernandez incorporates a genuine threat to his characters in this rousing adventure, the true focus is on friendship, family, and honesty. more Agnes at the End of the World Kelly McWilliams. Little, Brown, $17.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-3164-8733-7 The Red Creek compound is the only life Agnes, 16, has known. Adhering to the belief that “perfect obedience produces perfect faith,” she and her siblings have been taught by Red Creek’s prophet that women are inferior to men and that outsiders are not to be trusted. Devout though she is, Agnes secretly seeks outside help to save her brother, who has type 1 diabetes. When a viral pandemic encroaches, Agnes uncovers an aural realm long forgotten. more A Song of Wraiths and Ruin Roseanne A. Brown. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99 (480p) ISBN 978-0-06-289149-5 Magic creates a centuries-long divide between peoples in this stunning debut novel inspired by North African and West African folklore. Malik and his sisters, refugees from the Eshra Mountains, have spent the last two months traveling the Odjubai Desert to find work in the city-state of Ziran. When his younger sister is taken by an evil spirit as payment for a magical gift, Malik strikes a deal to kill Princess Karina Alahari, 17, in order to save his sister. more The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Suzanne Collins. Scholastic Press, $27.99 (528p) ISBN 978-1-338-63517-1 Collins continues her unflinching exploration of power and morality in this prequel set 64 years prior to the events of the Hunger Games trilogy. In a challenging move that considers the journey from complicity to what lies beyond, the story centers on Coriolanus Snow, archvillain of the Katniss Everdeen era. A gripping mix of whipsaw plot twists and propulsive writing make this story's complex issues vivid and personal. more	May 19, 2020 Of Note We Need Diverse Books has announced that the 2020 Walter Dean Myers Grants for writers from diverse communities are open for applications on May 31 and will accept submissions until June 30. Originated in 2015 by WNDB, the Walter Dean Myers program provides 16 grants of $2,000 to support writers from diverse communities. Past recipients include such writers as Jennifer de Leon (Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From), Yamile Saied Méndez (Where Are You From?), and Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give). For more information, click here. Bestsellers Children's Frontlist Fiction #1 The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate. Click here Picture Books #1 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Click here Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on Instagram! Please 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 to drop us a note.

Summer Reads For long, warm days amid uncertain times, check out PW’s picks for young readers of all ages and interests. Picture Books Discover entertaining and meaningful picture books by Christian Robinson, Matthew Cordell, and many more. more Middle Grade Our selections for middle graders include a science fiction romp by Carlos Hernandez and a historical fiction novel by Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly, among others. more Young Adult Click through for a tale of two sisters from National Book Award winner and Printz Medalist Elizabeth Acevedo, an #OwnVoices LGBTQ coming-of-age story by Kacen Callender, and more noteworthy books for teens. more In the News Trustbridge Global Media Acquires Walker Books In another move to broaden its reach in the worldwide children’s book publishing market, Trustbridge has acquired Walker Books, the U.K.-based children’s publisher and owner of Candlewick Press. Trustbridge said it plans no changes to Walker’s operation. more Children's Book Week Recap After reconfiguring this year's Children's Book Week into an entirely virtual format because of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Children's Book Council and Every Child a Reader wrapped up their annual literacy celebration for an online audience of booksellers, librarians, and educators. From May 4–10, participants engaged in programming that included author readings, virtual story times, and more. more School and Library Spotlight Here we focus in on issues and news relating to educators, librarians, and youth media experts. Look for expanded coverage in our new School & Library Spotlight newsletter, which kicks off next month. Beginning Readers 'Meet Monster' In New Compilation Well before beginning- and leveled-readers grew into the broad category they are now, a series of learn-to-read books starring a friendly, lanky, purple monster became a sensation with students and teachers in the 1970s and '80s. The Monster titles were created by educators and literacy experts Ellen Blance and Ann Cook, in collaboration with New York City schoolchildren, and illustrated by a then-rising British artist named Quentin Blake. Long out of print in their original format, the Monster stories are back in a new hardcover collection. more Q & A Andrew Eliopulos Andrew Eliopulos is an author and executive editor at HarperCollins, where he has helped usher award-winning novels into the world. His debut YA offering, The Fascinators, is a magic-laced LGBTQ story about three friends in small-town Georgia. Eliopulos spoke with us about magic in queer fiction, and transitioning between his roles as editor and author. Q: What appealed to you about adding a fantastical element to the novel? A: I grew up in a small town—Newnan, Georgia. And, because I was growing up closeted, I turned to a lot of fantasy escapist literature, like Lord of the Rings and Edgar Allan Poe. I had an active imagination and was always dreaming of the day that I would finally leave Newnan and my real life would start. To me, bringing that magic to a fictional town had a kind of destabilizing effect. It’s disarming. more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Supriya Kelkar, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Antony Barone Kolenc, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Manager, Publishing Marketing - VIZ Media - San Francisco, CA. Assistant Professor in Publishing Arts - University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) - Wilmington, NC. Director of the Northwestern University Press - Northwestern University - Evanston, IL. Editor and Writer - The D. E. Shaw Group - New York, NY. Senior Book Editor - Fox Chapel Publshing - Mount Joy, PA. Rights Report Eliza Swift at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired world English rights to When the Night Comes by Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends). Pitched as The Society meets Contagion, the YA novel is about a group of teens in a residential facility who celebrate when their guards abandon them, only to discover that a catastrophic event has occurred outside their walls, and they must work together if they want to survive. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Jennifer Udden at New Leaf Literary & Media negotiated the deal. Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books has bought Adrienne Young's Fallen City duology, a Greco-Roman inspired fantasy where a glittering world, a lottery built on lies, and a forbidden romance come together as an 18-year-old girl desperately attempts to escape a city under siege. Publication is scheduled for winter 2022; Barbara Poelle at Irene Goodman Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights. Carmen Johnson at Amazon/Skyscape has acquired, at auction, world rights to Jonny Garza Villa's #OwnVoices debut novel, Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun. Pitched as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets One Day at a Time, the book centers a Mexican-American Texan high school senior Julián Luna and the repercussions that follow after he accidentally comes out to the world on social media. Julián finds himself juggling the joy of falling head over heels in love with a boy from California, and the fear of his conservative father finding out before he's ready. Publication is set for summer 2021; Claire Draper at the Bent Agency did the deal. Sydnee Monday at Kokila has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to artist and comedian Rinny Perkins's nonfiction debut Not Everyone Is Going to Like You: The Art of Self-Validation, a guide to adulthood for black girls with a focus on radical self-care. Featuring graphic collage that pays homage to 1970s black woman-centered ephemera, the book will cover topics including identity, sex and dating, mental health, and navigating the workplace. Publication is slated for 2022; Monica Odom at Odom Media Management negotiated the deal. Farrin Jacobs at Little, Brown has acquired, in a preempt, Together as One by 15-year-old Claire Sarnowski, written with Sarah Durand. The middle-grade memoir tells of Claire's years-long friendship with a Holocaust survivor that not only changed their lives but the public school curriculum in their home state of Oregon. Tuesdays with Morrie meets I Will Always Write Back in this story that champions activism and getting to know your community, while introducing young readers to the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of one of their peers. Publication is planned for winter/spring 2022; Peter Steinberg at Foundry Literary + Media handled the deal for North American rights. Lauri Hornik at Dial has bought world English rights to Shane Pangburn's debut middle-grade series, The Reject Room. When a series of escalating pranks disrupts state standardized test day, flooding the middle school hallways with escaped pets, students, cafeteria pudding, marshmallows, and chaos, school administrators call in the usual troublemakers, the "Rejects" of the Reject Room, to find out who's responsible. Publication is set for 2021; Richard Abate at 3 Arts Entertainment and Sarah Burnes at the Gernert Company sold the Spilled Ink & Pseudonymous Bosch production. Kate Prosswimmer at Simon & Schuster has acquired It All Begins with Jellybeans (previously published in Australia as Sick Bay), a middle grade novel by Australian author Nova Weetman. Two girls—one struggling with the loss of a parent and difficult finances, and one who has type 1 diabetes—strike up an unlikely friendship in the nurse's office, gaining new perspectives. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio sold North American rights. Janine O'Malley at FSG has bought The Adventure Is Now, a middle-grade contemporary fantasy by Jess Redman (The Miraculous; Quintessence). Video game-loving Milton P. Greene has had the rottenest year of all time—and it gets even rottener when his parents send him to the electricity-free Lone Island for the summer. But on the island, Milton finds a field guide full of fantastical creatures, clues to a hidden treasure, and a definitely unrotten real-life adventure. Publication is slated for May 2021; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties did the deal for North American rights. Melissa Manlove at Chronicle has acquired world rights to Patricia Hruby Powell's Cave of the Heart: A Story of Martha Graham, an illustrated middle grade biography of choreographer and dancer Martha Graham built around the theme of movement's power to communicate. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary negotiated the deal. Lee Wade at Random House Studio has bought Tweet by B.B. Cronin, a wordless picture book about a boy who loves birds so much that he's willing to be a tree. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Brenda Bowen at the Book Group brokered the deal for North American rights. Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook has acquired world English rights to Rebecca Jordan-Glum's picture book, Kitty, in which Granny, who is delighted to cat-sit, discovers she's sitting for the worst cat ever… who may not actually be a cat at all. Publication is set for winter 2022; Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal. Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has bought world rights to G My Name Is Girl: A Song of Celebration from Argentina to Zambia, written and illustrated by Dawn Masi. This rhyming, alphabetical celebration of girls around the world is based on the classic jump rope rhyme, with each letter representing two girls' names, their country, and an empowering adjective to describe their personalities. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Christa Heschke at MacIntosh & Otis did the deal. Sylvie Frank at S&S/Wiseman has acquired world rights to Chirp!: Chipmunk Sings for a Friend, written by Jamie A. Swenson and illustrated by Scott Magoon. Chipmunk spends her days sitting on her rock and chirping by herself, but when she sets out to find a companion that will sing along with her, she finds friends (and harmonies) in unexpected places. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the author, and Paul Rodeen at Rodeen Literary represented the artist. Jennifer Greene at Clarion has bought Mr. Walker Steps Out by National Book Award finalist Lisa Graff, illustrated by Christophe Jacques, about a human-shaped WALK symbol who, tired of watching all the wonderful things in the world go by below his signal box, decides to jump down and join in. Publication is set for spring 2021; Stephen Barbara at Inkwell Management represented the author for North American rights, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator for world rights. Jill Davis at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Come On In: There's a Party in This Book, written by Jamie Michalak (l.) (Joe & Sparky series), and illustrated by Sabine Timm in her picture book debut. The book features photos of found-objects-brought-to-life. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Victoria Wells Arms at Wells Arms Literary/HG Literary represented both author and illustrator. Katie Heit at Scholastic has bought world rights to educator and STEAM expert Rekha S. Rajan's Amazing Landmarks, an illustrated compendium of 10 iconic global landmarks, with interactive stories that prompt readers to understand how and why each was built, and explore the unique challenges faced in design and construction. Graphic artist and founder of IdeaStorm Studios Alex Asfour will illustrate. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and the artist represented himself. Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek has acquired The Brilliant Calculator: How Mathematician Edith Clarke Helped Electrify America by Jan Lower (l.), illustrated by Susan Reagan. The nonfiction picture book features the electrical engineer who transformed the development of electric transmission in the 1920s using a graphical calculator of her own invention. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented both the author and the illustrator in the deal for North American rights. Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick has bought world rights to Suma Subramaniam's (l.) debut picture book, Namaste Is a Greeting, an exploration of Namaste through everyday observation and simple actions to honor the divine within all people. Sandhya Prabhat will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2022. Miranda Paul at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Alice Sutherland-Hawes at Madeleine Milburn Agency represented the illustrator. Georgia Amson-Bradshaw at Frances Lincoln has acquired world rights to Hello Mom, written by Donna Amey (l.) and illustrated by Aura Lewis. This series celebrates families in all their diversity; each title focuses on a different family member, and explores what makes them special. The first in the series, Hello Mom, is a tribute to the mothers we all know and the many roles they take on, from inventors to detectives, from stylists to tech wizards, and from cheerleaders to zookeepers. Publication is set for spring 2021; the author represented herself, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Maria Dismondy at Cardinal Rule Press has bought world rights to Kindness Is a Kite String, a picture book by Michelle Schaub (l.), illustrated by Claire Laforte, a story of kindness as a domino effect that brings a community together. Publication is slated for spring 2021; the author was unagented, and Kate Kendrick at Astound Art Agency represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From Entertainment Weekly: The Hunger Games: Revisiting how the original trilogy began ahead of the prequel. CLICK HERE From the Horn Book: Disturbing the Universe: Books That Broke the Rules. CLICK HERE From School Library Journal: What Librarians Are Doing to Support Students and Teachers in the Shutdown. CLICK HERE From JSTOR Daily: Do Series Books Turn Kids Off Adult-Approved Novels? CLICK HERE From the Guardian: British Library asks nation's children to write miniature books in lockdown. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: How Sesame Street Changed Childhood Forever. CLICK HERE From Netflix Life: Just Beyond: R.L. Stine’s graphic novels adapted for Disney Plus series. CLICK HERE From Decider: The Baby-Sitters Club Gets a Modern Update in First Look Trailer. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 20 Must-Read Adult Books for YA Readers. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Elizabeth Bluemle When the Mail Makes You Cry Happy The best batch of mail we’ve ever had. more » Kenny Brechner Two Twos Two things I’m pretty sure are true and two things we’re doing at DDG to work around the closure of our selling floor. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Publishers: Think Like a Kid Pushing books back several months affects children differently from adults. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Stars and Stares Kind acts and thoughtful generosity shine through the darker moments of this crisis. more » FEATURED REVIEWS From Ed’s to Ned’s Gideon Sterer, illus. by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Knopf, $17.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-525-64806-2 “Getting there is half the fun” is a big understatement when it comes to the children who populate this rhythmic transportation fantasy by Sterer and Cummins. Twins are sitting in front of the TV when a call comes over the tin-can phone line. They immediately head next door—but instead of walking, they “Climb to Cal’s,” pulling themselves hand over hand across a clothesline that connects the two houses. Cummins’s doll-like characters and the happy, single-minded aplomb with which they navigate their world are equally mesmerizing. more Girl Versus Squirrel Hayley Barrett, illus. by Renee Andriani. Holiday House/Ferguson, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4251-5 Pearl is trying to turn her backyard into a bird oasis, but a wily squirrel keeps outwitting her, swiping peanuts from a feeder that she has taken particular pride in creating. Pearl does her best to discourage the squirrel, and eventually constructs “a network of obstacles... each more squirrel-challenging than the last”—only to be outwitted in an amazing show of squirrelly dexterity and nimbleness. Cartooned illustrations by Andriani are loads of fun, capturing this backyard battle of wills from every angle. more Raising Lumie Joan Bauer. Viking, $16.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-593-11320-2 A guide dog in training helps a grieving girl navigate a transitional year in Bauer’s tender middle grade novel. Following her plumber father’s death, 12-year-old Olive tries to keep her anxiety at bay when she must leave her familiar home and move to a new town with Maudie, the older half-sister she’s just met. Things shift when Olive lucks into the opportunity to raise a pup named Lumie. more True or False: A CIA Analyst’s Guide to Spotting Fake News Cindy L. Otis. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-23949-5 In an age when many are “basically standing under a showerhead of information all day, every day,” former intelligence analyst Otis provides timely guidance on how to separate fact from fake news. Written in an easy, conversational style matched by a user-friendly design with pullouts, exercises, and photographs, it’s a book that teachers and civic leaders will want to make required reading. more You Should See Me in a Crown Leah Johnson. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-338-50326-5 Debut author Johnson easily channels the self-effacing coolness of 1990s teen comedies with a 2020 sensibility in this heartfelt and laugh-out-loud funny YA rom-com. When the music scholarship she’s counting on falls through, senior Liz Lighty does the unthinkable as one of the only black girls at her wealthy, majority-white, and sometimes racist high school—run for prom queen and win the scholarship that accompanies the crown. more	May 12, 2020 People Macmillan Children's Publishing Group has four promotions. Morgan Kane has been promoted to assistant publicity director, from publicity manager. Justin Krasner has been promoted to senior editor at Odd Dot, from editor. Rachel Murray has been promoted to associate editor at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, from assistant editor. Jessica Chung has been promoted to junior designer at Imprint, from design assistant. Bestsellers Children's Frontlist Fiction #1 Fetch-22 (Dog Man #8) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Click here Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on Instagram! Please 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 to drop us a note.

First Person Launching a Pandemic Novel— Into a Pandemic Author Kelly McWilliams reflects on the unexpected resonance of publishing her new YA novel, Agnes at the End of the World, during the coronavirus crisis. "Like all authors of 2020 books, I’m braced for disaster. But what if, to someone still social distancing this summer, the novel means more—offers comfort, even?" she said. more In the Spotlight While the book publishing industry is responding daily to the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide continuing coverage on efforts by publishers, authors, booksellers, and more. Craft, DIY, and Activity Books Buoy Publishers During Coronavirus Covid-19 has disrupted all aspects of book publishing, from putting pressure on sales channels to changing the kinds of books consumers want. A number of indie publishers have pivoted to meet the demand for books in newly popular categories and formats for all ages. more Upcoming Random House Book Celebrates Essential Workers Random House Books for Young Readers has announced the summer publication of Thank You, Helpers: Doctors, Teachers, Grocery Workers, and More Who Care for Us, a picture book by Patricia Hegarty and illustrated by Michael Emmerson, honoring those who are making vital contributions during the Covid-19 crisis. more How Kids' Lit Is Responding To the Coronavirus PW is tracking some of the most creative initiatives by authors and publishers on social media and across the web. Updated for today's issue, this list includes a new doodling initiative by Mo Willems, the Bronx Book Festival online, an at-home platform from the Guinness Book of World Records, a free coloring book for travel-minded kids, and more. more In the News Jacqueline Woodson and Albertine Win 2020 Hans Christian Andersen Awards The winners of this year’s Hans Christian Andersen Awards—considered the Nobel Prize for children’s literature—were announced yesterday by the International Board on Books for Young People, as part of the virtual edition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. U.S. author Jacqueline Woodson (l.) received the prize for writing, and Swiss artist Albertine was awarded the honor for illustration. more Bologna Announces Best Children's Publishers of the Year Publishers from Australia, Canada, China, Ghana, Italy and Mexico have been named Best Children’s Publishers of the Year by the Bologna Children's Book Fair, in recognition of their creativity. more CBC and Goddard Riverside Launch Prize for Social Justice The Children's Book Council and Goddard Riverside in New York have announced a new literary award: the Goddard Riverside CBC Young People's Book Prize for Social Justice. The prize will be given in celebration of nonfiction books for young readers that represent urban life and themes of community and compassion. more National Book Foundation Announces Innovations in Reading Prize The National Book Foundation has selected Nebraska-based literacy nonprofit DIBS for Kids as the winner of its 2020 Innovations in Reading Prize, given in recognition of an individual or organization that has developed a unique project for promoting a lifelong love of books. more SCBWI Launches YouTube Channel Spotlighting Archival Footage The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has created a YouTube channel that showcases a collection of memorable moments from past conferences, dating back to the 1970s. Free and open to the public, the Vault features videos of acclaimed children's book authors and artists, editors, and other industry experts. more Book News Stephenie Meyer Returns to 'Twilight' Universe with 'Midnight Sun' Bestselling author Stephenie Meyer’s long-awaited novel Midnight Sun will be published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on August 4, 15 years after the Twilight Saga debuted. The novel retells Meyer’s franchise-launching book, Twilight, from Edward Cullen’s point of view. more News from the North Canadians Create Safe Spaces with Words Children's book publishers across Canada are rallying to provide reading material to educate, entertain, and support children during the Covid-19 crisis. more Q & A Jenny Torres Sanchez In her timely fifth book, We Are Not from Here, Jenny Torres Sanchez follows three teens attempting the dangerous journey from their violence-ridden village in Guatemala to the United States, on their own. Sanchez spoke with us about her affinity for those who feel like outsiders and the challenges of writing authentically about the migrant experience. Q: In your author’s note you say you began writing this book in 2015. Can you trace the build-up of inspiration? A: The idea came from hearing all the news about children making the journey from Central America by themselves. It was so heartbreaking to hear about such vulnerable lives being put at so much risk. My parents are from Central America; I myself am a mother—so it hit hard. As I learned more and more about La Bestia and then thought about how kids had to get out of Central America and to the train, I realized I wanted to write a story that shed some light on all that. more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Supriya Kelkar, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Antony Barone Kolenc, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Assistant Professor in Publishing Arts - University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) - Wilmington, NC. Director of the Northwestern University Press - Northwestern University - Evanston, IL. Editor and Writer - The D. E. Shaw Group - New York, NY. Senior Book Editor - Fox Chapel Publshing - Mount Joy, PA. VP of Purposeful Design Publications - Association of Christian Schools International - Colorado Springs, CO. Rights Report Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has bought The Valiant Ladies of Potosi by Melissa Grey (Girl at Midnight and Rated), in which two proper young 17th-century Peruvian ladies trade their skirts for swords and end up as vigilante crime-fighters, while falling for each other along the way. Publication is scheduled for winter 2022; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management did the deal for world English rights. Dana Leydig at Viking has acquired, in a preempt, Lillie Vale's latest YA romcom, Beauty and the Besharam, pitched as a contemporary genderswapped Beauty and the Beast in which Kavya, an outspoken Indian American teen, learns to break down her walls and allow love in for the first time with the last guy she ever expected: her constant rival, Ian. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Jessica Watterson at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights. Catherine Laudone at Simon & Schuster has bought Of Blood and Briars, a queer YA fantasy by Rebecca Kim Wells (Shatter the Sky). Cursed to kill all those she touches, Lena endures an isolated life on the run from her fellow humans. But when an enigmatic stranger offers to help her break the curse in exchange for her aid in assassinating a princess hidden in an enchanted forest, Lena embarks on a quest to win her freedom, no matter the cost. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights. Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Ottaviano has acquired world rights to Two Truths and a Lie and Back After This by April Henry. Pitched as Two Can Keep a Secret meets Bad Times at the El Royale, Two Truths and a Lie features a dwindling group of teens stranded at an old hotel. Back After This follows a teen podcaster who tries to use genetic genealogy to solve a cold case and gets more than she bargained for. Publication is set for winter 2022 and summer 2022, respectively; Wendy Schmalz at the Wendy Schmalz Agency negotiated the two-book deal. Kendra Levin at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to Lumberjackula, written by Mat Heagerty (l.) and illustrated by Sam Owen. In this middle-grade graphic novel, Jack—a half-vampire, half-lumberjack—struggles to choose between a vampire or lumberjack prep school when what he really wants is to dance. Publication is set for summer 2022; Maria Vicente at P.S. Literary Agency represented both creators. Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has bought world rights to Dear Student by Elly Swartz (Give and Take). The contemporary middle-grade novel stars a girl with social anxiety who becomes the secret voice of the advice column in her middle school newspaper and is faced with a dilemma—how does she give advice to friends who want different things, while keeping her identity a secret? Publication is slated for spring 2022; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency brokered the deal. Olivia Valcarce at Scholastic has acquired Yamile Saied Méndez's Wish Upon a Stray, about a girl who moves from Argentina to the U.S. and meets a dog who reminds her of her pet back home. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Linda Camacho at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights. Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has bought world English rights to Monica Sherwood's middle-grade debut The Ice House. In this coming-of-age story tinted with magical realism, two fifth graders whose lives are upended by a historic winter freeze build an ice house meant to help them escape family tensions indoors, but instead it forces them to confront inevitable change. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Steven Malk at Writers House did the deal. Jenny Bak at Viking has acquired, at auction, Jody Lee Mott's debut middle-grade novel, Hush-A-Bye. When Lucy's impressionable younger sister finds a broken, old-fashioned doll who she claims can speak to her, sinister things begin to happen to anyone who picks on them. Publication is set for summer 2021. Lindsay Auld at Writers House negotiated the deal for world English rights. Jennifer Greene at Clarion has bought, in a five-house auction, Emmy Kastner's A Very Big Fall, a picture book about the thrill of transition—from the point of view of three autumn leaves. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Hannah Mann at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights. Kelly Barrales-Saylor at Sourcebooks eXplore has acquired world rights to author-illustrator Todd Sturgell's Except Antarctica, in which a turtle leads a band of rogue animals to disobey the wishes of their book's nature-documentary-esque narrator and embark on an adventure, only to be surprised by the results. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021, with a second, untitled picture book to follow; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary negotiated the two-book deal. Samantha Swenson at Tundra Books has bought, at auction, world rights to The Family Tree by novelist, playwright, and actor Sean Dixon, inspired by his daughter's experience. In this debut picture book, a common school assignment prompts a girl to show that the ways to display the members of a family are as unique and special as the families themselves. Lily Snowden-Fine will illustrate. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Kelly Delaney at Knopf has acquired world rights to The Disappearing Mr. Jacques by Gideon Sterer (l.) (From Ed's to Ned's), about a magician demonstrating his spellbinding disappearing act for the reader, to be illustrated by Benjamin Chaud. Publication is set for summer 2022; Stephen Barr at Writers House represented the author, and Debbie Bibo at Debbie Bibo Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Paulsen has bought world rights to The Yowlers by Stacy Lynn Carroll (l.), illustrated by Molly Ruttan, a picture book in which members of a bad-tempered family finds themselves transformed by the influence of their considerate neighbors to something almost nice. Publication is slated for 2022; Alyssa Jennette at Stonesong represented the author, and Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the artist. Bethany Vinhateiro at HMH has acquired world rights to Jimmy Matejek-Morris's (l.) debut picture book Don't Say Poop, full of tongue-twisting alternatives to kids' favorite potty words. Fred Blunt will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2021. Emily Keyes at Fuse Literary represented the author, and Arabella Stein at the Bright Agency represented the artist. Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook has bought world rights to To Dogs with Love by Maria Gianferrari (l.) (Hawk Rising and Coyote Moon). This latest picture book, illustrated by Lucy Fleming, is an ode of love and praise to our most loyal companions. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Frederica Dawson at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Courtney Code at Abrams has acquired world rights to Blue Floats Away by 100 Scope Notes blogger Travis Jonker (l.) (The Very Last Castle), illustrated by Grant Snider. In the picture book, a young iceberg named Blue breaks from his mother and father in rising temperatures, but reunites with them in a surprising and comforting way. Publication is set for spring 2021; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management represented the author, and Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary Management represented the illustrator. Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Goldilocks and the Three Engineers by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis. The picture book is a STEM twist on the fairytale, in which Goldilocks's inventions are improved by three innovative bears who happen upon her makerspace. Publication is slated for April 2021; Jennifer Unter at the Unter Agency represented the author, and Sam Goff at Advocate Art represented the artist. Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books has acquired world rights to  Ana Siqueira's (l.) picture book  Bella's Recipe for Success, in which  a bilingual Latina girl tries to learn how to bake with her abuela and discovers the value of making mistakes and trying again. Geraldine Rodriguez  will illustrate. Publication is planned for  spring 2021; Andrea Walker at Olswanger Literary represented the author,  and Lucie Luddington at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.   To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the New Yorker: New Yorker artist and children’s book illustrator Barry Blitt wins Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning. CLICK HERE From the Guardian: J.K. Rowling donates £1m to U.K. charities during coronavirus outbreak. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: Caught Between Worlds? For Elizabeth Acevedo, It’s a Familiar Feeling. CLICK HERE From the New Yorker: Sesame Street was created to put kids’ screen time to good use. Half a century later, how is it holding up? CLICK HERE From Vanity Fair: How a Pandemic and Nuclear Threats Shaped Madeleine L’Engle’s Writing and Worldview. CLICK HERE From Entertainment Weekly: First look: YA powerhouse Marissa Meyer returns with debut rom-com Instant Karma. CLICK HERE From Romper: 14 Children's Book Recommendations from Independent Booksellers. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Elizabeth Bluemle When the Mail Makes You Cry Happy The best batch of mail we’ve ever had. more » Kenny Brechner Two Twos Two things I’m pretty sure are true and two things we’re doing at DDG to work around the closure of our selling floor. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Publishers: Think Like a Kid Pushing books back several months affects children differently from adults. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Stars and Stares Kind acts and thoughtful generosity shine through the darker moments of this crisis. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Every Color of Light Hiroshi Osada, trans. from the Japanese by David Boyd, illus. by Ryōji Arai. Enchanted Lion, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-59270-291-6 In a strong translation by Boyd, a Japanese team captures the magic of a summer rainstorm. By employing landscapes in lieu of human or animal characters, Osada and Arai ask readers to look—really look—at the rain, the way the changing weather transforms the visible spectrum, and the magnificence of the night sky, phenomena all too often unseen in a hurry-up world. The result is a story that sharpens the senses and quiets the soul. more Alice’s Farm Maryrose Wood, illus. by Christopher Denise. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-250-22455-2 This captivating, wry novel opens with the revelation that the longstanding antagonism between farmers and rabbits is rooted in vegetables, which “farmers love to grow, and rabbits love to eat.” After Alice, a curious rabbit kit, watches the Harvey family move into a deserted farmhouse, she and her brother sneak onto the property and overhear disconcerting news: a greedy developer is intent on buying the property from the Harveys. more Burn Patrick Ness. Quill Tree, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-286949-4 Ness reveals an alternate universe that cunningly echoes our world and its history. Too deeply in debt to engage human farmhands, 15-year-old Sarah Dewhurst’s father is forced to hire a dragon to clear their farm’s fields for planting. With Cold War tensions running high in an alternate 1957 America, employing a dragon, especially a rare Russian blue, is sure to be an unpopular move, but Sarah, who is biracial, already experiences daily racism in her small town. more Girl, Unframed Deb Caletti. Simon Pulse, $18.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-5344-2697-9 Caletti offers a riveting, meticulously plotted mystery with plenty of drama alongside an exploration of objectification and the male gaze. Sydney Reilly, 15, dreads having to leave her Seattle academy to spend the summer with her movie star mother who is now renting a San Francisco home from her wealthy boyfriend, Jake. Sydney is wary of real estate developer and art collector Jake, a “real man” who shows signs of being abusive. more	May 5, 2020 People Catherine S. Frank has joined Peachtree as editor at large, with a focus on middle grade and YA fiction and nonfiction. Most recently she was an editorial consultant, and before that was executive editor at Viking Children's Books. For a look at all of April's job moves, including new hires and promotions, click here. On-Sale Calendar Books for young readers making their way into print for the month of May include The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate, a follow-up to her Newbery winner The One and Only Ivan. YA fans can commit to The Betrothed by Kiera Cass, and a timely nonfiction book, True or False: A CIA Analyst's Guide to Spotting Fake News by Cindy L. Otis. Shuri: A Black Panther Novel by Nic Stone springs into action, and Diana and the Island of No Return by Aisha Saeed offers an escape for readers. For more books publishing this month, check out PW’s On Sale Calendar here. Bestsellers Children's Frontlist Fiction #1 Fetch-22 (Dog Man #8) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Click here Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on Instagram! Please 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 to drop us a note.

In the Spotlight While the book publishing industry is responding daily to the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide continuing coverage on efforts by publishers, authors, booksellers, and more. Children's Books: What's Selling in the Mass Channels? Mass retailers have remained open during the pandemic and continue to bring in enormous foot traffic. Customers are not only picking up essentials like food and pharmacy items, but also children's books, with publishers reporting strong sales in educational and coloring and activity titles, and other categories. more Debut Children's Books and Authors Affected by the Coronavirus With schools, libraries, and bookstores closed indefinitely, children's authors have had to cancel their travel plans and appearances during the Covid-19 outbreak. Many publishers are finding creative new ways to spread the word about new releases and connect authors with their readers through digital platforms while maintaining social distancing protocol. We've been highlighting some of the books this season that may not have gotten the attention they were due, and now we turn our sights to some of spring’s debuts, kicking off a series. more Virtual Handselling: Recommendations from Politics and Prose's Children's Manager As part of our ongoing series, Donna Wells of Politics and Prose shares personal recommendations of new children's and YA releases. "During these challenging times," she said, "booksellers continue to provide opportunities to share some joy while strengthening the bonds within our community." more In the News 2021 Carle Honors Announced The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art has revealed the recipients of its 2021 Carle Honors, which will be celebrated at an event in fall 2021. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Carle Honors are shifting to a virtual benefit to support the museum and its programming. more Chico Bon Bon Moves From the Page to Netflix Industrious monkey Chico Bon Bon, the star of Chris Monroe's Monkey with a Toolbelt picture books, is coming to the small screen next month, when Netflix releases an adaptation of the books. more 'Oh, the Places You'll Go!' Virtual Graduation Party In honor of the many students who are graduating this spring without the pomp and circumstance of a live ceremony, and the 30th anniversary of Dr. Seuss's inspirational picture book Oh, the Places You'll Go!, Random House Children's Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises are launching a nationwide virtual celebration tomorrow. more Choose Your Own Adventure Moves into Board Books Chooseco is skewing its signature interactive reading concept significantly younger with the launch of its Choose Your Own Adventure board book line, which is aimed at babies and toddlers up to age three. more On the Scene YALLSTAYHOME Festival In Photos In order to maintain social distancing while building YA community, more than 70 authors came together for an online version of teen festival YALLWest on April 25–26. Click through to see our selection of photos from the inaugural YALLSTAYHOME, which featured panels, readings, contests, and more. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of May 4, 2020 Among the books releasing next week are a nonfiction picture book about a brilliant horse, a historical middle grade novel from a Newbery Medalist, and a YA novel about two teens brought together after a plane crash. more In Brief In Brief: April 30, 2020 This week, Minh Lê and Gene Luen Yang don their capes in the digital space; Oliver Jeffers gives Instagram an exclusive sneak peek; Melanie Sumrow has a talk with teachers; and Angela Dominguez and Maris Wicks present a science study sesh. more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Supriya Kelkar, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Antony Barone Kolenc, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Assistant Professor in Publishing Arts - University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) - Wilmington, NC. Director of the Northwestern University Press - Northwestern University - Evanston, IL. Editor and Writer - The D. E. Shaw Group - New York, NY. Senior Book Editor - Fox Chapel Publshing - Mount Joy, PA. VP of Purposeful Design Publications - Association of Christian Schools International - Colorado Springs, CO. Rights Report Alexandra Hightower at Little, Brown/Poppy has acquired, in a five-house auction, North American rights to Mariko Turk's debut YA novel, The Other Side of Perfect. The story features a 16-year-old ballerina whose life-changing injury thrusts her back into the halls of a normal high school. As she navigates a world without her passion, she discovers friendship and romance, and finally confronts the discrimination in the dance industry that she tried hard to ignore. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Alexandra Levick at Writers House negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights. Kristen Pettit at HarperCollins has bought, at auction, debut author Vanessa Len's Monsters trilogy, set in London. Sixteen-year-old Joan is half-monster; when Nick, the boy she loves, turns out to be a legendary monster slayer, Joan must embrace her own monstrousness to stop him from killing everyone she cares about. The first installment, Only a Monster, will publish in fall 2021, with the subsequent two following annually; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary did the deal for North American rights. Kendra Levin at Simon & Schuster has acquired Indestructible Object by Printz Honor author Mary McCoy (I, Claudia). The YA novel follows a queer teen girl who hosts a podcast about the love stories of great artists. When she finds her life falling apart after her parents announce they're divorcing and her boyfriend breaks up with her right after graduation, it inspires her to set out on a summer podcast project about whether love even exists at all. Publication is set for summer 2021; Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights. Jennie Conway at Wednesday Books has bought Cristin Terrill's The Stars Between Us, a YA sci-fi romantic thriller. Pitched as Defy the Stars and Empress of a Thousand Skies with a Dickensian twist, the book follows a girl who, when she gets the chance to leave her planet behind, realizes things are not what they seem in her new glittering world. Publication is planned for winter 2022; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret handled the deal for North American rights. Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired Sara Walters's debut A Violent Season and a second untitled novel. In the town of Wolf Ridge, November is marked by violence. Last year, Wyatt's mother was murdered, and this year she worries her best friend, Cash, might snap. As she and Cash pull away from one another, and she unexpectedly connects to the town's golden boy, Wyatt has to figure out who to trust. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights. Natashya Wilson at Inkyard Press has bought The Kindred, a YA sci-fi novel by Alechia Dow (The Sound of Stars) and a second, untitled YA novel. Felix, a royal, and Joy, a commoner, mistakenly mind-paired at birth, land on Earth after fleeing royal assassins, only to find the "developing" planet might hold the solutions to their divided and unjust lives back home. Publication is scheduled for winter 2022; Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary Agency did the two-book deal for North American rights. Lisa Yoskowitz at Little, Brown has acquired, in a preempt, J. Albert Mann's next YA novel, Fix. In verse and prose, the novel explores a complicated friendship between two teen girls who were brought together and torn apart by their physical differences as one recovers from a major surgery and becomes increasingly dependent on pain medication. Publication is set for spring 2021; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan brokered the deal for world rights. Shana Corey at Random House has bought the first two books in The Mighty, the first graphic novel series in a new superhero universe created by Judd Winick, creator of the bestselling Hilo series. The Mighty tells the story of Miranda Luna (aka The Mighty!), a 13-year-old everygirl who discovers how to be the hero her world needs now and the hero she was born to be. Publication will begin in summer 2022; Jodi Reamer at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights. Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired, in a five-house auction, Lisa Stringfellow's debut #OwnVoices middle grade novel, Dark Tide. When Kela salvages a mysterious, sea-worn box, she unknowingly opens a connection to a dangerous mermaid, Ophidia, who will stop at nothing to retrieve what is hers. Publication is planned for winter 2022; Lindsay Davis Auld at Writers House handled the two-book deal for world English rights. Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought world English rights to four books in a new series by Dan Gutman (My Weird School, The Genius Files, and Flashback Four series). The latest series features biographies with a twist: a brother and sister duo, Paige and Turner, present hundreds of facts about figures such as Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali, Amelia Earhart, and Teddy Roosevelt. Allison Steinfeld will illustrate; publication for the first two books is slated for spring 2021. Liza Pulitzer Voges at Eden Street represented the author, and the artist represented herself. Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired Summer of June and Schooled, middle grade novels by Jamie Sumner (Roll with It and the forthcoming Tune It Out). Summer of June stars a 12-year-old girl with anxiety who starts a secret library garden and hatches a plan to set her mother up with a new man. Schooled follows a boy who attempts to sabotage the experimental middle school he's forced to attend on the college campus where his father teaches. Publication is set for summer 2022 and spring 2023, respectively; Keely Boeving at WordServe Literary handled the deal for world rights. Chris Krones at HMH has bought, in a two-book deal, world rights to Code to Be Cool by Deirdre Langeland (l.) and illustrated by Sarah Mai. The slice-of-life middle grade graphic novel series features a nerdy 12-year-old homeschooled fashionista with an affinity for coding. The first book is scheduled for fall 2022, with book two to follow in fall 2023; the author represented herself, and Lori Nowicki at Painted Words represented the illustrator. Julie Rosenberg at Razorbill has acquired Sylvia Liu's debut middle grade novel, Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation. A 12-year-old girl must save her classmates from a corporate plot that threatens their ability to connect to the multiweb through neural implants, only to discover that her scientist mother may also be involved in the conspiracy. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights. David Linker at HarperCollins has bought, at auction, world rights to The Unforgettable Logan Foster, a middle-grade novel by debut author Shawn Peters. Logan, a boy with an eidetic memory, discovers his adoptive parents are actually superheroes in grave danger, danger that only his highly logical mind can rescue them from. Publication is slated for winter 2022; Rick Richter at Aevitas Creative Management brokered the two-book deal. Chris Schoebinger at Shadow Mountain has acquired Hob and Bogie's Champions Quest by Frank L. Cole. Pitched as Jumanji meets Dungeons and Dragons, this middle grade fantasy follows a foster child who finds new friends and more adventure than he bargained for at a mysterious gaming store, where a role-playing game, and its many challenges, comes to life. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Joanna Cárdenas at Kokila has bought, at auction, world rights to My Two Border Towns by David Bowles, one of the founders of #DignidadLiteraria. This debut picture book reveals a boy's vibrant life as a border kid, visiting the market across the border with his father and spending time with family and friends, while also shining light on what some immigrant families face at border crossings. Erika Meza will illustrate; publication is set for summer 2021 in simultaneous English and Spanish editions. Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Claire Cartey at Holroyde Cartey represented the illustrator. Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Ottaviano has acquired world rights to The Good Dream Dragon by Jacky Davis (l.) (Ladybug Girl), illustrated by Courtney Dawson. This bedtime picture book explores the power of imagination to overcome anxiety. Publication is planned for 2022; Doug Stewart at Sterling Lord Literistic represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the artist. Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has bought world rights to Alton Yates' Movement Forward by Chris Barton (What Do You with a Voice Like That?), illustrated by Steffi Walthall. From space flight experiments in the New Mexico desert to civil rights activism in Florida, the nonfiction picture book explores scientific and social progress through the experiences of one Air Force enlistee. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has acquired, at auction, world rights to Melissa Stewart's (l.) Tree Hole Home, a nonfiction picture book about various tree holes and the animals that inhabit them. Amy Hevron will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2022. Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator. Madison Moore at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Shaped by Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez by Anna Harber Freeman (l.) and Barbara Gonzales (c.), who is Maria's great-granddaughter. The picture book, which is illustrated by Aphelandra (r.), follows Maria's path as a Native American Indian artist, from learning pottery with her aunt in their home in San Ildefonso Pueblo to exhibiting her groundbreaking black-on-black pots at fairs across the country. Publication is set for spring 2021; the authors and illustrator represented themselves. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the New York Times: Alaska School District Votes Out Catch-22, Gatsby, and Other Classics. CLICK HERE From Deadline: Goosebumps Live-Action Series in Works by Neal H. Moritz and Scholastic. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: Twilight Author Stephenie Meyer Has a Countdown on Her Website, and No One Knows What It's For. CLICK HERE From NPR: Will Your Kids Love Your Favorite Childhood Reads? Let's Find Out. CLICK HERE From Refinery29: Netflix Show ‘Summertime’ Is Based on Beloved YA Books. CLICK HERE From the Guardian: Reasons to be cheerful: author Katherine Rundell introduces poems, stories, and illustrations to give hope. CLICK HERE From Parnassus Books: Yes, that’s author and Parnassus Books owner Ann Patchett wearing a ball gown and reading Peter Pan. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: 10 Times Hollywood Ruined Our Favorite Book Characters and 11 Times They Absolutely Nailed It. CLICK HERE From Essence: 50 Must-Read Black Children’s and Young Adult Books of the Past 50 Years. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: 35 Picture Books That'll Take Your Family on Adventures When You're Stuck at Home. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Elizabeth Bluemle When the Mail Makes You Cry Happy The best batch of mail we’ve ever had. more » Kenny Brechner Two Twos Two things I’m pretty sure are true and two things we’re doing at DDG to work around the closure of our selling floor. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Publishers: Think Like a Kid Pushing books back several months affects children differently from adults. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Stars and Stares Kind acts and thoughtful generosity shine through the darker moments of this crisis. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale Sam Wedelich. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-338-35901-5 Whimsy reigns in Wedelich’s debut picture book, a reimagining of the classic doomsday story. The confident chick insists that she is “not little! I am petite!... and I’m not afraid of anything!” She’s rattled after an unidentified object drops from above but insists that there must be a reasonable explanation: “It’s not like the sky is falling.... Or is it?” more The Big Book of Soccer Mundial, illus. by Damien Weighill. Wide Eyed, $30 (112p) ISBN 978-0-7112-4910-3 Mundial, an international soccer magazine, compiles five comprehensive sections about footie in this oversize illustrated compendium. Opening with a handy glossary, the book continues with a history of soccer and the evolution of its boots, balls, and notable players. An entertaining resource to pass to both readers well versed in soccer and those seeking to be. more Doodleville Chad Sell. Knopf, $20.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-9848-9471-7 Nine-year-old Drew’s primary companions, a friendly-looking crew of living Doodles that live in paper town Doodleville, are known to escape into the human world, where they can alter art. Even so, Drew takes them on an art club trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, where they run amok through classic paintings. But when her peers don’t understand her art, Drew’s anxiety manifests, turning one creation into a monstrous, art-destroying creature that the club must band together to handle. more A Place at the Table Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan. Clarion, $16.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-358-11668-4 When 11-year-olds Elizabeth and Sara meet in an after-school cooking class, they don’t immediately hit it off. Pakistani-American Sara is anxious about her family’s finances and starting at a big public school, while Elizabeth, who is Jewish, worries about her British mother’s depression and her best friend replacing her. When the girls become cooking partners, though, they embark on a cautious friendship. Told in alternating voices, Faruqi and Shovan’s nuanced tale about the thrill of budding friendship is relatable without sacrificing challenging topics. more The State of US Shaun David Hutchinson. HarperTeen, $17.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-06-295031-4 Andre “Dre” Rosario and Dean Arnault have one big thing in common—a parent running for U.S. president—but, at first glance, little else. Hutchinson creates two likable characters in a love-against-the-odds story that effectively takes up the well-timed issue of how to love people whose beliefs one doesn’t share. more	April 30, 2020 ICYMI Eye on Middle Grade: Spring 2020 more Bologna Virtual Fair Releases Schedule, Opens Registrations more Children's Staffers on Working from Home more Renée Watson on Holding On to Sunshine more MacKids Streaming Schoolhouse to Offer Author-Led Classes more Kids' Authors Go Digital more Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out in fall 2020, in our exclusive roundup. CLICK HERE 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 to drop us a note.

In the Spotlight While the book publishing industry is responding daily to the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide continuing coverage on efforts by publishers, authors, booksellers, and more. Library Programming for Teens Goes Virtual During Covid-19 Unable to open their doors to their communities, youth services librarians across the country have taken their programs online. Click through to see some of the most innovative approaches, from trivia nights and social media challenges to scavenger hunts and more. more Bookselling in the Age of Covid-19: Shipping Tips, Book Boxes, and Giving Back Continuing our series on how children's bookstores are responding to the needs of their communities during the pandemic, we spoke with a number of booksellers about the rewards and challenges of pivoting to offer curbside pickup and free shipping. more How Kids' Lit Is Responding to the Coronavirus PW is tracking some of the most creative initiatives by authors and publishers on social media and across the web. Updated for today's issue, this list includes a free coronavirus e-book featuring The Princess in Black, Bookshop website lists for debut YA titles, Lectura’s Bilingual resources for parents and educators, Beanstack’s reading challenge with Lerner sports titles, and more. more Cover Reveal New Fairy Tale-Forward Series From Melissa de la Cruz We spoke with author Melissa de la Cruz about Never After, her new middle grade series in which classic stories collide with real-life. The first title, The Thirteenth Fairy, goes on sale December 1 from Macmillan's Roaring Brook Press imprint; click through to see our early look at the cover and concept. more Obituary Robert Kimmel Smith Writer and children's book author Robert Kimmel Smith, widely known for such popular middle grade novels as Chocolate Fever and The War with Grandpa, died on April 18 at his home in Manhattan of natural causes; he was 89. An early reader, Smith began jotting down his own stories in grade school and continued that pursuit into high school, at which point he knew he wanted to become a writer. more In the News Random House Launches Virtual 'Magic Tree House' Program Random House Children’s Books and Mary Pope Osborne, author of the popular Magic Tree House series, are teaming up for a new online program, aimed at keeping young readers engaged during the coronavirus crisis. Magic Tree House Home Adventures will run through May 22, featuring weekly themed videos, crafts, games, reading challenges, and other activities. more B&N Launches National Children’s Short Story Contest While families are hunkered down at home together, Barnes & Noble is giving aspiring young authors a chance to showcase their creativity—and become published. Contestants can submit written or graphic short stories to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming B&N anthology. more Book News U.K. Demand Prompts U.S. Edition of 'I Don’t Want to Wash My Hands!' Books have long been a tool for helping children understand their world and calm their fears, especially in times of crisis. As families seek out ways to discuss the current coronavirus pandemic and encourage kids to embrace more vigilant hygiene practices, they can now turn to a title from popular British illustrator Tony Ross. more Reading Report New and Noteworthy Novel Sequels: April 2020 Novel sequels releasing this month include a second case for a gang of kid sleuths; the further adventures of a young do-gooder; the topsy-turvy journey of three siblings; and more. more Licensing News Scholastic Visits the 'Dino Ranch' Scholastic has acquired the master publishing rights for Boat Rocker Studios' Dino Ranch, an animated series for preschoolers scheduled to debut on Disney Junior in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2021. The inaugural books are set for a fall 2021 release. more Q & A Katherine Applegate The author of The One and Only Ivan follows up that 2013 Newbery winner in The One and Only Bob. Katherine Applegate's sequel is narrated by gorilla Ivan's best friend, Chihuahua mutt Bob, a tough-talking but soft-hearted former stray who has become a bit spoiled since being rescued by a caring family. Applegate discussed her motivation for the new book. Q: Was it at all intimidating to tackle a sequel? A: I guess I went into it thinking that sequels are almost always disappointing on some level. When readers have a positive experience with a book, in a sequel an author might evoke that experience but never duplicate it. At the same time, I knew that Bob’s was a fun voice and one I was familiar with. And on every school visit I make, without fail kids will say, ‘There’s got to be a One and Only Bob!’ more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Supriya Kelkar, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Antony Barone Kolenc, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Director of the Northwestern University Press - Northwestern University - Evanston, IL. Editor and Writer - The D. E. Shaw Group - New York, NY. Senior Book Editor - Fox Chapel Publshing - Mount Joy, PA. VP of Purposeful Design Publications - Association of Christian Schools International - Colorado Springs, CO. Editor-In-Chief - University of Illinois System - Champaign, IL. Rights Report Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown has acquired bestselling adult author Chuck Wendig's debut middle grade novel, Dust & Grim. Cosplay-loving Molly and her stuffy older brother Dustin must reluctantly team up to save their family's monster-serving mortuary business, which is being threatened by a rogue devourer. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Stacia Decker at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner negotiated the deal for world rights. Dana Leydig at Viking has bought, in an exclusive submission, Eternally Yours, a YA paranormal romance anthology edited by Patrice Caldwell (editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn). In addition to a contribution from Caldwell, the volume will include short stories by Kendare Blake, Kat Cho, Melissa de la Cruz, Emily Duncan, Hafsah Faizal, Sarah Gailey, Alexis Henderson, Adib Khorram, Kwame Mbalia, Anna-Marie McLemore, Casey McQuiston, Sandhya Menon, Danielle Paige, Akshaya Raman, Marie Rutkoski, and Julian Winters. Publication is set for fall 2022; Alexandra Machinist and Hillary Jacobson at ICM Partners did the deal for world English rights. Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has acquired, in a six-figure auction, MIT student and Her Campus 22 Under 22 honoree Rona Wang's debut novel, You Had Me at Hello World. The YA rom-com follows a Chinese-American teen who is invited to a coding competition at MIT, where she teams up with a cute tech industry prodigy to work on an app to help immigrants connect and put down roots. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Penny Moore at Aevitas Creative Management brokered the two-book deal for world rights. Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has bought The Legacies and another YA novel by Stonewall Honor author Abdi Nazemian. The Legacies follows five wildly different teens who confront their boarding school's culture of abuse while facing their own demons in an exclusive writing class. Publication is planned for spring 2021; John Cusick at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management did the deal for North American rights. Rachel Murray at Holt has acquired, at auction, world English rights to Al Graziadei's YA contemporary debut, Icebreaker. This hate-to-love romance follows a hockey legacy who is on track to become the NHL's top draft pick, even while barely coping with his untreated depression. Then a catastrophe named Jaysen Caulfield strikes, threatening his #1 spot and stealing his heart. Publication is scheduled for winter 2022; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency handled the two-book deal. Mallory Kass at Scholastic has bought Out of the Fire, a YA novel by Andrea Contos (Throwaway Girls), and a second, untitled novel. It wasn't the kidnapping that ruined Cass Adams's life, but the pink envelopes that followed—each a reminder that the man she escaped is always watching. She forms an alliance with three friends who have also been wronged by men, and the quartet sets out on a dangerous quest for justice, until Cass realizes that the man who ruined her life may be the only one who can save it. Publication is set for fall 2021; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights. Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books has acquired Elizabeth Kilcoyne's YA Southern Gothic debut, Wake the Bones, in which 19-year-old Laurel Early must unravel her mother's terrifying legacy and tap into her own innate magic to save everyone she loves before it's too late. Publication is slated for summer 2022; Erin Clyburn at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights. Suzy Capozzi at Sterling Children's Books has acquired world rights to Halli Gomez's debut #OwnVoices YA novel List of Ten, an account of a teen living with Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder and contemplating his own mortality. Publication is slated for spring 2021 as part of the launch of YA imprint Sterling Teen; Deborah Warren at East/West Literary Agency brokered the deal. Mari Kesselring at Flux has bought E.J. Schwartz's YA contemporary debut, Before We Were Blue, a dual POV pitched as Cheer meets Girl, Interrupted. In a treatment center for their eating disorders, former cheer-lebrity Shoshana and headstrong rebel Rowan develop a bond. Ultimately, they will have to make a choice: be healthy on their own, or stay sick together. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Kaitlyn Johnson at Corvisiero Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights. Alyson Heller at Aladdin has bought Barbara Dee's (Halfway Normal; Maybe He Just Likes You) latest middle grade novel, called Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet. The book stars Haven, a girl combatting eco-anxiety and an obsession with climate change by fighting against the company whose factory is polluting the river running through her town. Publication is set for fall 2022; Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights. Margaret Raymo at Versify has acquired, in a preempt, Nicole D. Collier's debut middle grade novel, Just Right Jillian. Fifth grader Jillian will do anything to blend in. But after a bully says she can never be a winner, she sets out to win her school's biggest battle of wits. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Danielle Chiotti at Upstart Crow Literary brokered the two-book deal for North American rights. Jenne Abramowitz at Scholastic Press has bought A Touch of Ruckus by Ash Van Otterloo (Cattywampus). In this middle grade fantasy, a peacemaking girl burdened by her prideful family's secrets finds solace in ghost hunting with her nonbinary crush inside a nearby forest. But when the ghosts reveal that the forest's existence is threatened, she must find the link between how they died and her own family's secrets. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Lauren Spieller at TriadaUS Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Ben Rosenthal at HarperCollins has acquired the first three books in Eliot Schrefer's The Animal Rescue Agency series, in which a fox and her rooster colleague save animals in distress around the world. Publication for the first book is planned for January 2021; Richard Pine at InkWell Management negotiated the deal for world rights. Emilia Rhodes at HMH has bought, in an exclusive submission, Izzy at the End of the World by K.A. Reynolds (The Land of Yesterday and The Spinner of Dreams). This middle grade novel follows Izzy, a neurodiverse girl, surviving the end of the world with her dog as a companion as she uncovers the truth about her mother. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights. Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired, in a multiple offer situation, world rights to Friendbots by former Google product designer Vicky Fang (the Layla and the Bots series). The STEM-inspired early graphic novel series is about friendship and robots. Publication of both books is set for spring 2021; Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency negotiated the two-book deal. Carol Hinz at Lerner/Millbrook has bought world rights to Chris Barton's How to Make a Book (About My Dog), with Sarah Horne illustrating. The nonfiction picture book allows kids to follow a nonfiction book (about Chris's dog, Ernie) through the process of creation and publication. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Jodie Hodges at United Agents UK represented the illustrator. Helen H. Wu at Yeehoo Press has acquired North American English and simplified Chinese rights to Amalia Hoffman's How to Make a Mean Monster, a picture book about humans and monsters who discover that it is possible to overcome bias and form a wonderful friendship. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Anna Olswanger of Olswanger Literary represented the author-illustrator. Arthur Levine at Levine Querido has bought world rights to Kristen Mai Giang's (l.) second picture book, Last Flight, based on the true story of Kristen's family's escape from Vietnam six days before the fall of Saigon in 1975. Saigon-based artist Xuan Loc Xuan will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and the artist represented herself. Clarissa Wong at HarperCollins has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma by Joanna Ho (l.), illustrated by Teresa Martinez. The picture book centers cellist Yo-Yo Ma using his music to build bridges instead of walls—a testament to music, humanity, and what unites us. Publication is set for fall 2021; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Aurora Meyer at Astound represented the illustrator. Sarah Jane Abbott at S&S/Wiseman has bought world rights to Loud and Proud by Coretta Scott Honor author Lesa Cline-Ransome (l.), illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. This picture book biography of Shirley Chisholm looks at the life of the trailblazing congresswoman who mobilized women voters during her run as the first African American candidate for President. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Charlotte Sheedy at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Jill Davis at HarperCollins has acquired world English rights to The Family Business by Lenore Appelhans (Chick-O-Saurus Rex), illustrated by Ken Lamug (Ghastly Ghosts). In the picture book, a younger brother raccoon yearns to join "the family business"—but the "business" turns out not to be entirely on the up and up. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management represented the author, and Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency represented the artist. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From School Library Journal: Racists Abuse Authors During Virtual Events. CLICK HERE From Literary Hub: Patrick Ness and Luca Guadagnino are adapting Lord of the Flies for the big screen. CLICK HERE From the Guardian: Terry Pratchett novels to get 'absolutely faithful' TV adaptations. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: 'It Was Just Too Much': How Remote Learning Is Breaking Parents. CLICK HERE From Fatherly: Goodnight Zoom: James Corden reads a children's book parody about the indignities of Covid-19. CLICK HERE From 100 Scope Notes: Parody Children's Books for This Moment. CLICK HERE From NPR: A Girl Didn't Like Her Bedtime Bonnet, So Mom Wrote a Book to Help. CLICK HERE From Romper: 20 Children's Books About Waiting to Help Your Kids Practice Patience. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Elizabeth Bluemle When the Mail Makes You Cry Happy The best batch of mail we’ve ever had. more » Kenny Brechner Two Twos Two things I’m pretty sure are true and two things we’re doing at DDG to work around the closure of our selling floor. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Publishers: Think Like a Kid Pushing books back several months affects children differently from adults. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Stars and Stares Kind acts and thoughtful generosity shine through the darker moments of this crisis. more » FEATURED REVIEWS What’s the Matter, Marlo? Andrew Arnold. Roaring Brook, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-250-22323-4 Marlo and the narrator of this book are best friends who love dogs and dog jokes. “We read together. We laugh together. We play games together,” writes Arnold in his picture book debut. When Marlo falls into a funk that he won’t explain, an emotional void opens up. What starts out as a modest book soon becomes profound and reassuring. more Nana Akua Goes to School Tricia Elam Walker, illus. by April Harrison. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-525-58113-0 Zura’s school is inviting grandparents to visit, and though her Ghanaian grandmother, Nana Akua, is “her favorite person in the whole universe,” Zura is worried that her tribal facial markings will draw unwanted attention. Once in Zura’s classroom, Nana Akua paints Adinkra symbols on the faces of Zura’s classmates in a visit that delights everyone. Newcomer Walker offers a compelling portrait of a grandmother whose pride and poise put concern about difference to rest. more Home Base Nikki Tate, illus. by Katie Kath. Holiday House, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-3663-7 In this rhythmic celebration of family and self-reliance, a mother and daughter embark from their shared home into parallel story arcs—the single parent begins a bricklaying job, while the child joins a baseball team. Kath’s pastel and watercolor illustrations enliven the text, with vibrant, nostalgic-style panels that align the two narratives. This picture book unobtrusively featuring women in nontraditional roles empowers, as does its message of teamwork and support. more Lobizona (Wolves of No World #1) Romina Garber. Wednesday, $18.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-250-23912-9 In a timely work of magical realism, Garber tackles issues of nationalism, identity, and belonging. Sixteen-year-old Manu has spent her whole life in hiding; even as her period substantially changes her body each month, she cannot visit the doctor. She and her mother are undocumented immigrants from Argentina. Fearing deportation, they stick within the area around their Miami apartment complex, and Manu keeps her strange eyes covered. more Today Tonight Tomorrow Rachel Lynn Solomon. Simon Pulse, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-5344-4024-1 Every morning, Neil McNair awakens Rowan Roth with a taunting text: they’re the two top students in the senior class, and sworn rivals. But on the last day of school, there are only two competitions left: who will make valedictorian, and who will win Howl, a citywide senior class event, “part Assassin, part scavenger hunt.” Enemies turned lovers is an old romance trope, but in Solomon’s deft hands, this funny, tender, and romantic book is fresh and wholly satisfying. more	April 28, 2020 Bestsellers Children's Frontlist Fiction #1 Fetch-22 (Dog Man #8) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Click here Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on Instagram! Please 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 to drop us a note.

Focus on Middle Grade Eye on Middle Grade: Spring 2020 We asked editors about some of the latest developments in the category: the portrayal of mental health issues and #MeToo trauma, and graphic novel–style memoirs and nonfiction. more Middle Grade Spotlight: A Book List Click through to see our selection of some of the noteworthy spring titles exploring new territory in books for young readers. more In the Spotlight While the book publishing industry is responding daily to the coronavirus outbreak, we will provide continuing coverage on efforts by publishers, authors, booksellers, and more. Working from Home Having to work from home because of the Covid-19 pandemic presents a unique set of challenges, such as figuring out a workspace, attending videoconferences with kids and pets vying for attention, and more. We asked children's publishing staffers how they are coping. more Kerlan Collection Hosts #OperationReadAloud True to its mission of promoting children's literature and literacy, the Kerlan Children's Literature Research Collections has launched #OperationReadAloud. The project consists of videos, primarily of authors and illustrators, but also celebrities such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, reading from beloved children’s books. more MacKids Streaming Schoolhouse To Offer Author-Led Classes Schools nationwide have struggled with the challenge of how best to open for online instruction, but for students who have internet access, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group is offering three days of instruction from a unique set of teachers. From April 27–30, MacKids Streaming Schoolhouse will provide classes for middle graders taught by children's authors. more In the News Federal Appeals Court Declares Literacy a Constitutional Right In a 2-1 ruling released today, the court held that basic literacy is "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty," and central to "the basic exercise of other fundamental rights," including political participation. more Bologna Virtual Fair Releases Schedule, Opens Registrations The Bologna Children's Book Fair has released its schedule for the virtual edition of the fair, which will be held from May 4–7. The online edition includes exhibitions, conferences, and even illustrator portfolio reviews. "We have been working nonstop for weeks to see this happen and feel we have come up with the best approximate experience of actually being in Bologna at the fair that we can with the tools available," exhibition manager Elena Pasoli told PW. more Riordans to Match Up to $100K In Donations to #SaveIndieBookstores Rick and Becky Riordan have announced a personal matching gift challenge for the #SaveIndieBookstores campaign, in which they will match each dollar raised up to $100,000. MORE Gotham Group Joins Nonprofits to Provide Kids' Content During Pandemic The Gotham Group, a management and production company representing talent in the entertainment and book industries, has assembled a number of nonprofit organizations to share free videos for children under quarantine. The Gotham Reads series, which kicked off on YouTube yesterday, will feature nearly 75 authors, screenwriters, and performers, reading books and discussing their creative process. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of April 27, 2020 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a rhyming picture book about sizzling sausages, a galactic middle grade series-starter, and the launch of a YA high fantasy duology. more In Brief In Brief: April 23, 2020 This week, Isaac Fitzgerald and Brigette Barrager have a dream fulfilled; Jeopardy! features a contemporary classic; Monica Hesse has a virtual launch; and Wednesday Books has a weeklong reader fest. more SPONSORED PW KidsCast: Listen Now Hear our latest podcasts, featuring Supriya Kelkar, Tomi Adeyemi, Kwame Alexander, Jonathan Auxier, Antony Barone Kolenc, Lauren DeStefano and Gaia Cornwall, Hafsah Faizal, Carlos Hernandez, Brittney Morris, Christopher Myers, Steve Sheinkin, and Rebecca Stead – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in our 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! Editor and Writer - The D. E. Shaw Group - New York, NY. Senior Book Editor - Fox Chapel Publshing - Mount Joy, PA. VP of Purposeful Design Publications - Association of Christian Schools International - Colorado Springs, CO. Editor-In-Chief - University of Illinois System - Champaign, IL. Vice President of Publishing - Our Daily Bread Ministries - Grand Rapids, MI. Rights Report Nicole Sclama at HMH has acquired, at auction, Akshaya Raman's epic YA fantasy debut, The Ivory Key, first in a duology. Set in an Indian-inspired world where magic is a physical resource, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source of magic to save their country. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Hillary Jacobson at ICM Partners brokered the two-book deal for North American rights. Arianne Lewin at Putnam has acquired, in a preempt, in a two-book deal, debut author Leslie Vedder's The Bone Spindle, an #OwnVoices LGBTQ YA fantasy pitched as a gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty meets Indiana Jones, in which a cursed treasure hunter and an axe-wielding huntswoman must team up to rescue the prince sleeping in the Forest of Thorns. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Carrie Hannigan and Ellen Goff at HG Literary did the deal for North American rights. Britny Brooks at Running Press has bought Fools in Love, a romance anthology co-edited by Rebecca Podos (l.) and Ashley Herring Blake, offering new takes on classic romance tropes in multiple genres, from Rebecca Barrow, Gloria Chao, Sara Farizan, Claire Kann, Hannah Moskowitz, Natasha Ngan, Lilliam Rivera, Laura Silverman, Amy Spalding, Rebecca Kim Wells, Julian Winters, and more. Publication is set for December 2021; Eric Smith at P.S. Literary negotiated the deal for world rights. Nicole Ellul at Simon Pulse has bought Jenn Bennett's (Alex Approximately and Starry Eyes) new YA romance, Always June. During a lake vacation, a teenage girl falls for a boy who mistakenly believes she's the wealthy daughter of a reclusive California record producer—not the daughter of his chauffeur. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for North American rights. Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired Mapmaker, a middle-grade fantasy by Lisa Moore Ramée (A Good Kind of Trouble), and a second untitled middle grade novel. Walt is a Mapmaker, one of just a few in the universe who can draw maps that come to life. He must pit his own powers against another malevolent Mapmaker who has the power to destroy any world—including our own. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Brenda Bowen at the Book Group handled the two-book deal for world English rights. Claire Stetzer at Bloomsbury has bought, at auction, J. Elle's middle grade debut, A Taste of Magic. The first of two books set at the Park Row Magic Academy stars 12-year-old Kyana, a black girl who enrolls in an inner-city magical academy hidden in the back of a beauty shop and must fight to keep it open after redistricting and gentrification threaten to close it down. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights. Laura Godwin at Macmillan/Godwin has acquired How to Be Brave, a middle grade debut by blogger and podcaster Daisy May Johnson. Set in a boarding school in the U.K.—the same one Calla's mother attended when she was orphaned years ago—Calla and her friends must outwit the new headmistress to save her mother (whose special duck expedition isn't what it seems) in the Amazon. Publication is set for fall 2021. Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio did the deal for North American rights on behalf of Bryony Woods at DKW in the U.K.; U.K. rights went to Sarah Odedina at Pushkin Press. Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown has bought, in an exclusive submission, Sharee Miller's debut middle-grade graphic novel Curlfriends, in a planned four-book series. The series follows four black girls from different backgrounds as they meet, face challenges, and learn lessons about friendship, love, and growing up. Publication of book one is slated for fall 2022; Monica Odom at Odom Media Management brokered the deal for world rights. Margaret Ferguson at Holiday House has acquired world rights to Worser, a middle-grade novel by Jennifer Ziegler, author of How Not to Be Popular and Revenge of the Flower Girls. Worser centers a socially awkward, word-loving boy whose life is upended by his single mother's recent stroke, but finds glimmers of hope when it turns out there are friends to be found who also share his love of wordplay. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal. Karen Nagel at Aladdin has bought, in an exclusive submission, the first four books of a chapter book series, Night Frights, by Joe McGee (Junior Monster Scouts). The books tell about strange happenings in a small town in the woods, creepy things that only kids see but adults never notice. Publication of the first book, The Haunted Mustache, is scheduled for fall 2021; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook has acquired world rights to Parfait, Not Parfait! by Scott Rothman (l.) (Attack of the Underwear Dragon). Avery Monsen (All My Friends Are Dead) will illustrate. The book is a minimally worded read-aloud that takes readers on a wordplay journey. Publication is set for winter 2022; Erica Silverman at Stimola Literary represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator. Allyn Johnston at Beach Lane has bought world rights to An Abundance of Light by Lauren Stringer, a picture book about Henri Matisse's experiences in Tangier, Morocco, and about how the people, the culture, and most of all, the abundance of sunlight, changed Matisse's understanding of light and dark in both his art and his life. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Victoria Wells Arms at Wells Arms Literary/HG represented the author-illustrator. Nancy Inteli and Megan Ilnitzki at HarperCollins have acquired world rights to Jason June's (l.) picture book Never Forget Eleanor, about the life-changing power of words and the ways in which those we love never truly leave us. The story follows a young elephant named Elijah who loves the stories his grandma Eleanor tells him. But when Eleanor's memory starts to fade, Elijah will need to become the storyteller himself. Bestselling picture book creator Loren Long will illustrate; publication is planned for winter 2023. Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the artist. Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to Branches of Hope: A Story About the 9/11 Survivor Tree, a nonfiction picture book by debut author Ann Magee (l.) and illustrated by Nicole Wong. The journey of the Callery pear tree rescued from Ground Zero and replanted 10 years later is presented alongside a wordless story about a girl and her first-responder uncle. Publication is set for summer 2021, in time for the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The author was represented by Carole Boston Weatherford, and Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator. Kristen Mohn at Capstone has acquired world rights to Best Buddies by Lynn Plourde, illustrated by Arthur Lin. In this story about friendship and growing up, a boy with Down syndrome starts kindergarten, and he and his dog realize that even though they can't be together all day long anymore, they'll always be best buddies. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Susan Cohen at Writers House represented the author, and Simon Bollinger at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator. Katie Moore at Magination Press has bought world rights to They're So Flamboyant!, a picture book by Michael Genhart (l.) (Rainbow: A First Book of Pride) that shows the welcome change that comes over a neighborhood of birds when a flamboyance of pretty, pink, and proud flamingos moves in. Tony Neal will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2021. Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Frederica Dawson at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Lauri Hornik at Dial has acquired world rights to Marilyn Singer's (l.) Following the Holidays, illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte. The collection of poems celebrates Jewish holidays both familiar and not, and explores the history behind each special day. Publication is planned for fall 2022; the author represented herself, and Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the artist. Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear Press has bought world rights to Ocean Soup, written by Meeg Pincus (l.). The plastics in our oceans make the waters look more like a soup than the crystal-clear waters we expect, but who were those chefs who cooked up such a brew? And more importantly, what is the recipe for cleaning up our seas? Lucy Semple will illustrate; publication is set for spring 2021. Jenna Pocius at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Cindy Kim at Little Simon has acquired world rights to Babybug, a board book written and illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan. The book is a day-in-the-life adventure featuring baby's everyday activities imagined in nature. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the author. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From Bustle: Listen to Suzanne Collins read an exclusive excerpt from The Hunger Games prequel. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: Common thread tying together 2019’s ‘most challenged’ books: LGBTQ issues. CLICK HERE From the Irish Times: Paper Lanterns: a new Irish YA literary journal. CLICK HERE From Bustle: At 28, Judy Blume was a housewife with secret dreams of being a writer. CLICK HERE From the Guardian: The whole world in a bedroom: seven of the most imaginative picture books for lockdown life. CLICK HERE From BuzzFeed: 19 Differences Between the Gossip Girl Books and Show. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 12 Great (Mostly) New Picture Books for Earth Day. CLICK HERE From A Mighty Girl: Understanding the Way I Feel: 50 Books About Managing Emotions. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 6 of the Best Medieval Young Adult Books. CLICK HERE From NPR: For Spring, 3 YA Tales of Girls on the Edge. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 10 of the Best Fake Dating Young Adult Novels. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner Two Twos Two things I’m pretty sure are true and two things we’re doing at DDG to work around the closure of our selling floor. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Publishers: Think Like a Kid Pushing books back several months affects children differently from adults. more » Elizabeth Bluemle Stars and Stares Kind acts and thoughtful generosity shine through the darker moments of this crisis. more » Meghan Dietsche Goel Reaching Readers Where They Are: At Home! Offering a big thank you to BookShop and Ingram Direct-to-Home. more » FEATURED REVIEWS It’s Not My Fault! Jory John, illus. by Jared Chapman. Random House, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-9848-3060-9 John and Chapman’s redheaded protagonist is a pro at passing the buck: it’s his pen’s fault that his homework is messy and late, and the moon’s fault that he’s up past his bedtime. But his fall guys are not as inanimate as he assumes. The blame game is never just fun and games. more Any Day with You Mae Respicio. Random/Lamb, $16.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-525-70757-8 Filipina-American Kaia, 12, begins to see her beloved 90-year-old great-grandfather, Tatang, in a new light when he announces that he’ll be moving from their Santa Monica home to live in his homeland year-round. Rich with opportunities for discussion and contemplation, Respicio’s book offers a heartfelt story about family, embracing change, and the meaning of home. more The Turnover Mike Lupica. Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-5344-2158-5 Lupica’s newest feel-good sports story features dutiful 12-year-old Lucas Winston who, having lost his father to cancer when he was an infant, looks to his grandfather for guidance, especially when it comes to basketball. Now, with Gramps returning to coach the Claremont Wolves, Lucas is confident that their talented team will dominate the season. But when Lucas learns the startling truth about Gramps’s college career, he questions everything he thought he knew about his beloved grandfather. more The Betrothed Kiera Cass. HarperTeen, $19.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-06-229163-9 Cass’s trademark love triangle is set against the fictitious 16th-century kingdom of Coroa and its elaborate customs, while the threat posed by the insidious Isolte king adds danger. Though Hollis begins with a deference toward Jameson that at first makes her seem timid, she has found both her voice and her spine by the end of this duology opener, becoming a headstrong heroine whom Cass’s loyal following will champion. more The Fascinators Andrew Eliopulos. Quill Tree, $18.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-06-288804-4 In small-town Georgia, being a magicker is only slightly more acceptable than being gay, which makes things very difficult for high schooler Sam, who is both. With his best friends Delia and James, the group makes up the entire roster of their high school’s magic team, the Fascinators. Trouble begins as James steals a book from a cultlike magical group looking for ways to increase their numbers. Eliopulos, making his YA debut, builds out the complexities of childhood friends on the precipice of adulthood. more	April 23, 2020 Award News Family entertainment company Encantos has announced the launch of its Encantos Fellowship, a year-long creative mentorship and training program to provide the next generation of underrepresented talent with tools to embark on a career in family entertainment. Kayla Bowles, an 11th-grade student and National Honor Society member at the Ursuline School in New Rochelle, N.Y., has been selected as the first Encantos Fellow. The fellowship includes a $5,000 stipend. For more information, click here. ICYMI Learning at Home in the Age of Covid-19 more With School Closures, Book Fairs Go Online more Free Coronavirus Picture E-Book Finds Eager Readers more Feiwel Series to Put New Faces and Spins on Classics more Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out in fall 2020, in our exclusive roundup. CLICK HERE 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 to drop us a note.