Cover Reveal for New Cressida Cowell Series; Children’s Choice Award Finalists

[PW Children's Bookshelf: Breaking children's and YA publishing news, author interviews, bestsellers lists and reviews.] [Facility Merriman]( In the News [Children’s and Teen Choice Awards Finalists Announced]( The Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader have announced the finalists for its 10th annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards. Young readers across the country will vote online for the finalists in four categories from Friday, March 3 through Sunday, May 7—the last day of Children’s Book Week. [more]( Book News [Cressida Cowell Looks for Lightning to Strike Twice with New Series]( Cressida Cowell, the author and illustrator behind the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, will launch a new middle-grade series this fall. PW spoke with Cowell about origin of the The Wizards of Once series, and here reveals the cover of book one. [more]( [Scholastic Marks 25 Years of 'Old Turtle' With a New Story]( For more than a quarter of a century, Douglas Wood’s sage Old Turtle has been imparting messages of hope, acceptance, peace, and the interconnectedness of all beings to readers of all ages. The tortoise returns again in Old Turtle: Questions of the Heart, due on March 28. PW spoke with Wood about revisiting the series and partnering with a new illustrator, Greg Ruth. [more]( [The Pain Eater by Beth Goobie]( In Conversation [Laura Amy Schlitz And Brian Floca]( What do you get when you pair a Newbery Medalist and a Caldecott Medalist? In the case of author Laura Amy Schlitz and illustrator Brian Floca, the answer is Princess Cora and the Crocodile: a slapstick fairy tale, starring a princess-in-training whose prim and proper lifestyle is upended by a mischievous pet crocodile. PW asked the author and illustrator to let us in on their creative and collaborative process, and some of their favorite moments in the new chapter book. Dear Brian, Thank you for the glorious Princess Cora cards! I also loved the sketch you made of the reclining crocodile. You wrote that he looked a bit more risqué than you had expected. Personally, I wasn’t surprised: he is that kind of crocodile. [more]( [A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts]( Canadian Report [News from the North: March 2017]( In this roundup of Canadian children’s publishing news: an author who escaped the Iron Curtain writes a picture book about her journey; a debut YA author brings to life the 1976 Soweto uprising; bestselling author Ashley Spires publishes a follow-up to The Most Magnificent Thing; and an adult author writes her first kids’ book, about a mountain goat living in New York City. [more]( Out Next Week [Hot Off the Presses: Week of March 6, 2017]( Hitting shelves next week are a picture book about a noisy apartment building, a middle grade novel about a girl coming of age between two worlds, and a YA novel about a boy who grapples with grief and guilt. [more]( In Brief [In Brief: March 2, 2017]( This week, Daniel Handler, Chris Harris, and Matthew Forsythe get up to shenanigans at a picture book party; Jon Agee brings Martian life to Kalamazoo; fourth graders perform Readers Theater; Matthew Van Fleet signs books; and Mary Losure reveals her powers as an alchemist. [more]( SPONSORED [PW KidsCast: Listen Now]( Jerry Spinelli, Kwame Alexander, Maggie Stiefvater, A.S. King, David Shannon, Matthew Reinhart, Jewell Parker Rhodes – listen to these and other top writers and artists discuss their new books for children and teens in the PW KidsCast podcast. [Click here]( to listen. Check out the new [PW JobZone]( New features include: - Enhanced Listings - Job Alert Emails - Resume Hosting - Streamlined User Interface Plus the same focused job opportunities you've come to expect from [PW JobZone]( Rights Report Michelle Nagler and Rachel Poloski at Random House have acquired U.S. and Canadian rights for YouTube star and gaming phenomenon Ali-A's Game On!, an action-adventure graphic novel in which Ali-A must transform from gaming icon to real-life hero. Publication is set for fall 2017; Puffin UK did the deal. Melanie Nolan at Knopf has bought at auction over five other bidders Kester "Kit" Grant's debut YA trilogy, A Court of Miracles, described as Les Miserables meets The Jungle Book. The story follows a young thief named Eponine (Nina), who goes head-to-head with the nobility as well as the leaders of Paris's criminal underground to save the life of her sister Cosette (Ettie) in the dangerous days following a failed French Revolution. Publication is scheduled to start in fall 2018; Josh Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights. Lisa Yoskowitz at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to debut author A.M. Morgen's The Inventors at No. 8, about a pompous — and disastrously unlucky — orphan who joins forces with his neighbor, 12-year-old wunderkind and brilliant scientist Ada Lovelace, when his family legacy is threatened by a nefarious group of criminals, in a cross-continent adventure that will change both of their lives forever. Publication is slated for spring 2018; Stephen Barbara at Inkwell Management brokered the two-book deal on behalf of Paper Lantern Lit. Gavin Grant and Kelly Link at Small Beer Press have bought North American English rights to John Schoffstall’s debut YA novel Half-Witch, about a girl who must cross mountains in order to save her charming fraudster father, with her only hope for the perilous journey being a young witch who hates everyone, and whose magic appears to be alarmingly infectious. The book will pub in summer 2018; Sally Harding of the Cooke Agency did the deal. Kelly Delaney at Knopf has acquired at auction In This Together Media's anthology Nevertheless, We Persisted, a collection of essays from actors, activists, politicians, athletes, business leaders, and others — including DeRay McKesson, Alia Shawkat, Azure Antoinette, and many more — about a time in their teen years when they were held back due to their race, gender, sexual identity, or other factors, but refused to take no for an answer. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Jess Regel at Foundry Literary + Media negotiated the deal for North American rights. 10% of royalties will be donated to Girls Write Now. Natashya Wilson at Harlequin Teen has bought at auction Nancy Richardson Fischer's debut YA novel, Fly, the story of a teenage girl whose struggle with the legacy of her mother's mental health is brought into sharp focus when an internship forces her to consider the fate of a baby elephant that has been rejected by its mother. Publication is set for fall 2018 with a second novel to follow; Stephanie Rostan at Levine Greenberg Rostan brokered the deal for world English rights. Matt Ringler at Scholastic has acquired world rights for three books in a new middle grade series from Snappsy the Alligator author Julie Falatko, to be illustrated by Colin Jack. The series, Two Dogs in a Trench Coat, follows the adventures of a pair of dogs who concoct a plan to disguise themselves as a human in order to follow their boy and make sure he's safe. In the first book, Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go to School, they matriculate as a new student, which leads to mayhem as they experience gym, science, music, and the wonders of lunch. The first book is due out in 2018, with two books to follow in 2019. Danielle Smith at Lupine Grove Creative represented the author and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator. Sonali Fry at Little Bee has bought a four-book middle grade series, Ask Emily, by mother/daughter team Sheryl (r.) and Carrie Berk, authors of the Cupcake Club series. In the new series, seventh grader Emily Woods can't help minding other people's business and starts an “Ask Emily” blog where her peers can write in for help. But when the very cute Jackson moves into town and doesn't want her help making friends, Emily realizes she's crushing for the very first time. Publication is scheduled for September 2018; Rick Richter at Aevitas Creative Management negotiated the deal for world English rights. Tamar Brazis at Abrams has acquired world English rights at auction to a debut picture book from Travis Jonker (l.), school librarian and creator of the 100 Scope Notes blog. The Very Last Castle is about a girl who wonders what goes on inside her town's lone remaining castle, until she receives an invitation to visit from the mysterious stranger who lives within its walls. Mark Pett will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2018. Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management represented the author and Pett was represented by Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan. Jennifer Greene at Clarion has bought world rights to Fairy's First Day by Mustache Baby author Bridget Heos (l.), about a fairy's first day of fairy school, where she encounters all the typical new experiences a human child might find at preschool, but with fairy-like twists. Sara Not will illustrate. publication is slated for spring 2018. Liza Voges at Eden Street represented the author and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator. Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has acquired world rights to Erin Dionne's first picture book, Captain's Log: Snowbound, about how imagination can turn a snowy day into a journey to the South Pole. The book will be illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. It's scheduled for fall 2018; Sally Harding of the Cooke Agency represented the author and Mela Bolinao of MB Artists represented the artist. Emma Ledbetter at Atheneum has bought world rights to Duckworth, the Difficult Child by Michael Sussman, illustrated by Júlia Sardà . The picture book stars a kid with misguided parents whose literal readings of a parenting book lead to trouble. Publication is planned for spring 2019; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of Red Fox Literary represented the author and Rebecca Sherman of Writers House represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, [click here](. IN THE MEDIA [From the CSM:]( The story of Dr. Seuss's Navy – or, how a PR man became a giant of children's books. [Click here]( [From People:]( Children Line Up to Read Cat in the Hat to Shelter Dogs [Click here]( [From Entertainment Weekly:]( Soman Chainani to pen a second School for Good and Evil trilogy. [Click here]( [From Abe Books:]( The World's Most Valuable Children's Books - Do You Have One? [Click here]( [From OZY:]( Introducing Intersex in YA Literature. [Click here]( [From Bookish:]( Spring 2017's Best Children's & MG Books: Strange Monsters, Smart Women + Sharks. [Click here]( [From the Guardian:]( World Book Day gives many children their first chance to buy a book of their own. [Click here]( [From Read It Forward:]( NFL Players Help Tackle Reading Across America. [Click here]( [From Entertainment Weekly:]( Dave Eggers's Statue of Liberty picture book gets earlier release date. [Click here]( [From the Huffington Post:]( Garbage Collector Rescues Books from the Trash for Low-Income Kids. [Click here]( [From Bookish:]( Spring 2017's Must-Read YA SF/F. [Click here]( [From Bookish:]( Spring 2017’s Best Young Adult Books: Hip Cats, Refugees, and a Royal Court. [Click here]( SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner [Over-Embargoed? And What Is Skwuff, Anyway?]( Has the practice of single title embargo agreements gotten out of hand? [more »]( Elizabeth Bluemle [Bringing the Spectacular ‘Grand Canyon’ to New England]( A standing-room only crowd sees the desert come to life. [more »]( Leslie Hawkins [Manatee in the Garden!]( New baby books from Blue Manatee Press that look good enough to eat. [more »]( Meghan Dietsche Goel [Beyond ‘Goodnight Moon’: Building Home Libraries by Mail]( The unexpected joys of sending out books one month at a time. [more »]( FEATURED REVIEWS [Old MacDonald’s Things That Go]( Jane Clarke, illus. by Migy Blanco. Nosy Crow, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7636-9326-8 Clarke gives Old MacDonald an insatiable need for speed in this snappy vehicular riff on a classic nursery song. Instead of animal noises and choruses of “E-I-E-I-O,” she deploys an array of dings, vrooms, and zooms as the farmer takes to the roads, rivers, and sky: “And on that farm he had a plane./ He loved things that go!” [more]( [Go Sleep in Your Own Bed]( Candace Fleming, illus. by Lori Nichols. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-375-86648-7 Night has fallen on the farm and, as in many human households, none of the animals wants to sleep in its own bed. Pig’s plan to get shut-eye in his sty is thwarted when he discovers Cow sleeping there. Cow is admonished, but after she trudges to her stall, her derriere lands on Hen. And so it goes. [more]( [The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre]( Gail Carson Levine. Harper, $16.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-06-207466-9 A prequel to Levine’s The Two Princesses of Bamarre, this story draws on elements of that book, including appearances from the fabled hero Drualt and the magical “seven league” boots, but is set generations earlier. Fifteen-year-old Peregrine, aka Perry, has been raised by stern but loving Lakti parents, trained in the art of war, and served by the conquered people of Bamarre. After being visited by the fairy Halina, Perry discovers that her ancestry is Bamarre, a truth her mother has kept hidden. [more]( [Bang]( Barry Lyga. Little, Brown, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-316-31550-0 Ten years after accidentally shooting and killing his baby sister, 14-year-old Sebastian is haunted by the loss to the point of considering suicide. When he meets Aneesa, a new neighbor whose brown skin and headscarf also make her an outcast, their friendship challenges his views of his self worth. [more]( TALES FROM THE SLUSH PILE [SEE ALL]( March 2, 2017 E-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Barkus]( [The Hidden Life of a Toad by Doug Wechsler]( [Speed of Life by Carol Weston]( People Kristin Zelazko has joined Little Bee Books as senior editor; she was previously an editor at Albert Whitman & Company. On-Sale Calendar March roars in like a lion with picture book powerhouse duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen teaming up for a new book, Triangle, the conclusion of Danielle Paige's Oz-inspired Dorothy Must Die series, and a new volume in Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel series Secret Coders. R.J. Palacio follows up her bestselling novel Wonder with a picture book that addresses similar themes. Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer, the first in a new duology following her bestselling Daughter of Smoke and Bone series hits shelves, as does Rin Chupeco's latest, standalone YA novel The Bone Witch. Brandon Mull's Dragonwatch series adds a title, and Jack and Annie explore WWII in the latest installment of the Magic Tree House series. Authors Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser team up for Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting It Done, a book on coding for young women. For more on these and other titles for young readers publishing throughout the month of March, check out PW's [On Sale Calendar](. Mark Your Calendar The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America will host an exhibit of more than 200 American and international book dealers, many dealing in children's literature, at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. The New York Antiquarian Book Fair will run from March 9–12; for more information, [click here](. Of Note We Need Diverse Books is now accepting applications for 2017 WNDB Internship Grants. This year five $2500 grants are available to diverse publishing and literary agency interns; for more information, [click here](. In Case You Missed It [Commemorating 75 Years of Little Golden Books]( [more]( [Kwame Alexander and Nikki Grimes on the Power of Poetry]( [more]( [Overcoming Bias: Authors and Editors Discuss Sensitivity Readers]( [more]( [Q&A with Jason Chin]( [more]( [Obituary: Dick Bruna]( [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](mailto:childrensbooks@publishersweekly.com) to drop us a note. [Follow PWKidsBookshelf on Twitter]( Children's Bookshelf Editor: Diane Roback Associate Editor: Emma Kantor Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: childrensbooks@publishersweekly.com Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to: cbryerman@publishersweekly.com Follow PW on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below. Publishers Weekly, 71 West 23 St. #1608 New York, NY 10010 Phone 212-377-5500 Copyright 2017, PWxyz LLC Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( To view back issues of Children's Bookshelf, [click here](. You are receiving this email because {EMAIL} subscribed to one of Publishers Weekly's e-newsletters. If you are not {EMAIL}, then please disregard this. If you would like to stop receiving this or any Publishers Weekly e-newsletter or promotional emailing, [click here to update your newsletter subscription preferences](. Publishers Weekly takes spam very seriously. 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