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Rick Riordan Makes His 'Mark'
These days, it requires a Herculean effort to keep up with Rick Riordan. The god of mythology-minded tween literature has his hands full, finishing the third installment in his five-book Heroes of Olympus series, touring for the concluding book in the Kane Chronicles, traveling to Europe to do research for an all-new series based on Norse lore – and he shows no signs of letting up.
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One Book, Two Editions: Random U.K. Releases Adult Edition of 'Wonder'
Hot on the heels of the stir it has caused in the U.S., R.J. Palacio's novel Wonder is proving equally dynamic in the U.K. It hit bookshops March 1 in a children's edition, and an adult edition will follow on June 7.
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This Week in Children's Apps
This week in children's apps features All My Love (for You), an app designed for parents and children to share. Also this week is the latest Dr. Seuss app, The King's Stilts, about King Birtram of Binn, who finds his world turned upside down when his prized stilts are stolen.
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Paula Danziger's Best Friends Revive Amber Brown Series
Back in 1994, Paula Danziger introduced a plucky, pun-prone heroine in Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon, and went on to write seven more Amber Brown chapter books and six easy-to-reads before her death in 2004. In September, Putnam will bring back Amber Brown in Amber Brown Is Tickled Pink, written by Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy.
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Filmmakers Launch Kickstarter Campaign for 'Fat Kid' Film
The filmmakers behind the movie version of K.L. Going’s Printz Honor book Fat Kid Rules the World – in which punk rock changes the title character's life – have launched a Kickstarter campaign of their own.
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Andrews McMeel to Launch AMP! Comics for Kids Line at BEA
Andrews McMeel Publishing, a humor, comics strip collections, giftbook and nonfiction house, is launching AMP! Comics for Kids, a line of paperback graphic novel stories aimed at middle grade readers.
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Finn and Jake's Next Adventure: Books with Penguin
Cartoon Network has licensed Penguin Young Readers Group for books tied to its series Adventure Time, starring Finn the Human and Jake the Dog. The show is in its fourth season and is the #1 television program on Mondays for children 6-11.
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I Am a Bestseller (And So Can You!): Behind Stephen Colbert's Picture Book
By now most people know the story of Stephen Colbert showing his picture book I Am a Pole (And So Can You!) to Maurice Sendak during their January interviews on the Colbert Report. But what was the genesis for the book?
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Giving Birth to 'Bitterblue'
Kristin Cashore's third novel, Bitterblue, hit bookstores May 1 and hit the New York Times list (at #2) two weeks later. The Times reviewer called it "thrillingly imagined and beautifully executed." "I read that sentence over a couple of times," Cashore admits.
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In New Anthology, LGBT Authors Speak to Their Younger Selves
Writer Sarah Moon came out as gay at 14 years old. The experience, she says, left her hungry for community – and for stories from others who’d gone through what she had. Moon says her idea for The Letter Q: Queer Writers’ Notes to Their Younger Selves grew from wanting to give today’s teens connections like the ones she’d found.
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'The Outsiders' Comes to E
Coinciding with its 45th anniversary, S.E. Hinton's The Outsiders is now available as an e-book from all major retailers, priced at $9.99 for Kindle and Nook. The announcement was made May 15 by Don Weisberg, president, Penguin Young Readers Group.
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Making Sure Everything Adds Up in a One-in-a-Million Project
Most counting books are content to stop at 10 or 20. You might even find one that goes up to 100. A new, large-format picture book from a husband-and-wife team has blown past the competition by taking readers up to 1,000,000 – and showing them exactly what that number looks like. But a project that ambitious is not without design and production challenges.
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Viz Media to Publish Original Kids' Graphic Novels
Over the past year, U.S. manga publisher Viz media has begun branching out in a new direction, releasing original graphic novels created just for them.
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In Brief: May 3
This week, a young chef/author receives a surprise visit from Rachael Ray; teens get a sneak peek at Julie Kagawa's new YA series; and author events with Laurisa White Reyes, Mariah Fredericks, and Allegra Kent and Emily Arnold McCully.
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Children’s Galleys to Grab: BEA 2012
Lots to pick up at publishers’ booths this year: favorite authors like Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, and Libba Bray are exploring new genres; some popular series are drawing to a close; and stars of other media (incuding Hunger Games director Gary Ross) are trying their hands at fiction.



