If you’re like me and have no clue about this paintball-filled subculture (the kids today with their rap music and baggy pants and their paintballing! Gah!), the opportunity to dive in is a total treat.

In the book we are introduced to Grace and Kyla, two best friends forever who are also competitive paintball players. Kyla has a dark secret in her past, one that makes Grace unsure of what to do to best help her friend through her troubled life as Kyla's demons begin to take over.

Unlike a lot of contemporary YA fiction, where the core narrative is between the protagonist and a love interest (swoon), this book’s main story delves into the dynamics of friendship, and how those moments of growth and change in a teen’s life impact both people in the relationship, for better or worse.

The notion of the best bud for women has become something of a cultural cliché. How many of us, after all, wish we could have the cocktails and chat sessions of Carrie Bradshaw’s NYC foursome? The jean-sharing comraderie of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants? (Even if we're not so keen on sharing pants). But what is not heard among all the gal-pal bonding in popular culture is how the bonds of friendship can be frayed slowly from the outside in, ultimately leaving loose strings and a host of conflicting emotions and questions:

What does it mean to be a good friend?

How long do I stay in a toxic friendship?

How can I be there for someone in a way that doesn’t hurt me?

What is the final straw? The red line that can't be crossed in this friendship?

I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Gurtler. Plus, I now have the crazy urge to don some paintball gear and go see what this sport is all about (let's just say this Mother's Day weekend might be rather interesting).

If you would rather curl up with a good book than go and get doused with paint, there's a number of excellent backlist titles from Janet Gurtler to satisfy. Check 'em out:

If I Tell
9781402261039

I'm Not Her
9781402256363

Who I Kissed
9781402270543

With Emblaze, the third book in the Embrace series, making it's North American debut, we thought it was high-time we caught up with author Jessica Shirvington:

Did you always want to be a writer?

No. In fact, it never really occurred to me. I finished school and went straight into the workforce. I worked hard and by the time I was 23 years old I owned a company in London and everything was going really well. Then, at 27, I had my first daughter and everything changed. My perspective on what was and wasn’t important, my ideals about where I wanted to live and who I wanted to be around – it all changed. So I set about selling my business and home and by the time we moved back to Sydney, I was pregnant with our second daughter. When she was born, for the first time since finishing school, I wasn’t working crazy hours and so I was reading a lot – like a crazy amount of books. I don’t know why, but one day I finished a book and instead of opening a new one, I opened my laptop and started to write EMBRACE. It hit the shelves exactly one year after that in Australia

What was your favourite book as a teenager?

I didn’t really have a lot of favourite books when I was a teenager. YA really wasn’t what it is now. As a teenager I actually read a lot of crime and thrillers. I loved Patricia Cornwell and the Kay Scarpetta Series.

The series is set in a complex world, with multiple layers of existence happening at the same time. How do you keep the rules of this world straight when you’re writing?

By keeping lots of notebooks and timelines. You have to keep the rules very clear. If you break them, you will lose the confidence of your readers so I am fairly fanatical about these things.

It’s hard not to notice that Violet’s last name is Eden – is the relationship between Violet, Lincoln, and Phoenix a nod to the original trio from the Garden?

Yes, in some ways. The books are centered on the concepts of choice and consequence. What greater story of choice and consequence is there than the story of The Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge?

Was it fun to do the research for the books?

Yes. I’m a research junkie, so I love digging around in mythology and biblical folklore looking for potential stories and myths that I might be able to twist into Violet’s world. I also love choosing things that aren’t necessarily the most obvious and seeing how I can work them in. Yeah, I’m a total nerd!

The series is headed to the CW Network! Did you ever think you’d get to see your characters come to life on TV? Are you involved with the script?

I suppose throughout the writing process I always saw the potential for a screen conversion but of course, you never expect it to actually happen. And to be honest, it still may not. The option has been picked up and they are developing the scripts for the pilot but whether or not it gets to the next stage is out of my hands. There are so many people involved in the decision making that I really have no idea what will happen, but I have my fingers crossed! As for my involvement – if it all goes ahead it will be as a consultant. I am not a scriptwriter and my passion is and will always remain with writing books!

We love the playlists you give for each book on your website! Do you have songs that you listen to for certain characters?

Sometimes. Mostly, I just love songs that seem to capture the tone of a particular scene. I do listen to a lot of Florence and the Machine though!! I also think Anya Marina’s song – All The Same To Me – is the perfect song for Phoenix.

When will Endless, the next book in the series, be available in the US and Canada?

ENDLESS will be out in October and then the final book in the series (title still to be finalized!) will follow shortly after.

Is the fifth book finished?

No! I’m working on it now. In fact, I fly out tomorrow to go on a research trip to a large section of the fifth book.

Violet is such a strong-willed, independent character. Will it be hard to leave her behind and start new projects?

Yes. It will. Very hard, I imagine. But I always promised that I would finish the series at the right point for her, not me. And this is it.

While we’re all eagerly waiting for the next two books, can you recommend another YA series to read? 

Anything by Melissa Marr. Maria V. Snyder or Neil Gaiman.

Thanks Jessica! 

“You can be Han Solo," he said, kissing her throat. "And I'll be Boba Fett. I'll cross the sky for you.”

I’ve become that annoying person who can’t shut up about a book. I leave the corner of the book cover peeking out of my purse in the hopes that some casual passerby will take note, giving me the chance to reel said person in for a nice, fat book chat. In my defense, it’s simply fantastic.

Eleanor & Park is the story of (you guessed it) Eleanor and Park, two teens in mid-1980s Omaha, Nebraska, who meet and begin a gradually and timidly deepening relationship through those mighty elixirs of high school outcasts everywhere: comic books and the melancholy melodies of the Smiths.

Eleanor is overweight, a red-haired, quirky girl from a troubled, claustrophobic home. She is quickly targeted by the school bullies on the bus as “Big Red”. Park is half-Korean, a lover of comics and music, desperate to get his driver’s license, and having a difficult time connecting with his father. While not an active target of the bullies, he has a built-in Teflon sheen that lets him slide under their radar. He wants nothing to do with Eleanor, who is, for all intents and purposes, the equivalent of a big red target.

Eleanor sits next to Park on the bus. He actively ignores her, hating her for disrupting his invisibility. She reads his comic books over his shoulder. He notices, begins to wait a little longer to turn the pages. He leaves comics for her to take home and read. They talk about them. They talk about music. Mixed tapes are made. The relationship evolves in this way, with cautious steps and sideways glances.

At times reminiscent of the vinyl love in Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, at times displaying the quick, sardonic dialogue of John Green (who is, by the way, a BIG fan of this book too!), I have never read a book that so accurately captures the machinations of first love. The awkwardness, the feeling of being separate from the unwieldy goings-on of one’s own body, that magic moment of holding someone’s hand for the first time and persevering through a nervous sheen of sweat that lights between palms…

The scenes of hand holding in this book are intense—more likely to make your heart a-flutter than any contemporary romance novel. Take this line from Park, which I re-read three times and after which I needed to take a starry-eyed breather:

“Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.”

The characters in the book are complicated and real, the writing beautiful. The story carries with it a quiet power that will hit and will hit you hard.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough – definitely one of my favourites of 2013.

Because no review of this book is complete without mention of the music, here’s my recommended Eleanor & Park playlist (*when you’re done, check out author Rainbow Rowell’s playlists for more excellent tuneage) Some of these are Park's picks from the book, some my own.

Eleanor & Park Playlist

1) The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
2) Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
3) Elvis Costello - Alison
4) The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
5) U2 - Bad
6) The Smiths - Ask
7) The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
8) The Cure - Boys Don’t Cry
9) Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - The Morning of Our Lives
10) Dead Kennedys - Police Truck
11) New Order - Blue Monday
12) XTC - Love on a Farm Boy’s Wages

Odd Duck

(9781596435575), May 14

Theodora is a normal, respectable duck. She shops for her quackers at the supermarket and does a little stargazing now and then. That is, until Chad the odd duck moves in next door with his tie-died feathers and teddy bear. This book is so fantastic (an in-house favourite), and just might have you trying to balance a teacup on your head like the oh-so-lovely Theodora. Author Cecil Castellucci will be attending the Toronto Comic Arts Festival May 11-12, so be sure to keep an eye on the Raincoast blog for futher details.

More From Illustrator Sara Varon

Bake Sale

(9781596434196)

Cupcake has a pretty darn good life with his bakery, his band, and his best friend Eggplant. See what these two get up to in the kitchen (disclaimer: they are adorable).

Robot Dreams

(9781596431089)

I don't usually confess up front to a kids' comic making me cry, but... this one got me a little sniffly. Robot Dreams tells of a dog and a robot. After a jaunt at the beach that leaves the robot rusted and wedged in sand, the dog has to return alone to the life they shared. You might want to grab some tissues now (I have allergies! I swear!).

Anna & Froga: I Dunno... What Do You Want To Do?

(9781770461208), July 23

ANNA AND FROGA ARE COMING BACK! I can't believe how much I love this comic, which follows the adventures of Anna, Froga the frog in her saucy red boots, Ron the Cat, Bubu the imposter-artist dog, and Christopher the worm. Their snarky, mischievious, primary-coloured adventures and pranks are laugh-out-loud funny, and I can't wait for this latest installment!

More from Author/Artist Anouk Ricard

Anna & Froga: Wanna Gumball?

(9781770460706)

Quite possibly one of my favourite comics EVER! The adventures of Anna, Froga, and the whole gang are so silly and snarky, you will likely find yourself snorting and chortling away while your family give you suspicious glances (not that this has happened to me...). A frog in saucy red boots? A cat playing volleyball while wearing a Speedo? A worm who has an unquenchable french fry addiction? Oh it's so good!

For more graphic novels for kids, check out our recent Newsletter "Comics For Kids," and be sure to stay tuned for more updates on the Toronto Comic Arts Festival and their amazing line-up just for kids!

Anorak is ALSO a wonderful, tremendous, stupendous magazine for kids! I was so excited to see Issue #2 of the happy-making mag for kids, released February 1, that I practically catapulted through the Raincoast office to get a copy in my hot little hands. This issue's theme is animals: the weird, the wacky, the furry and the funny (spoiler alert: there's a sloth wearing suspenders and painting alongside a flamingo in a kimono = YES!).

Anorak Magazine is an indie kids publishing house with five issues per year, aimed at boys and girls aged 6-12, as well as adults who refuse to grow up (like, erm... me!).

The mag contains short illustrated stories, book reviews, games, activities, and it's an absolute showcase of the most beautiful and unique children's artists in the world. The magazines are meant to be kept, collected, and adored, like kids' magazines of the past.

My favourite feature has to be the recurring exploits (told as a photo-story) of Munkie and Horrace, two real monkey stuffies. In this issue, Munkie and Horrace's world is turned upside down by the arrival of G Munkie, a bling-wearing scamp who convinces the other monkeys to get in on his illicit cupcake business, driving his RV to a remote location to instigate his mobile bakery in order to protect the secret cupcake recipe (Breaking Bad fans, you will LOVE this).

Issue #2 also features some gorgeous illustrative work by Edmonton's Studio Tipi, who created the cover.

Check out Issue #1, the circus-themed issue, if you want even more Anorak giggles and games:

Why Marissa Meyer, what kickin' reads you have!

Marissa Meyer’s epic Lunar Chronicles series kicks into high gear next week with the release of book #2, Scarlet (Check out the Facebook fan page for the latest release information). Cinder and Scarlet’s dystopian take on the fairytale aren’t your average damsel-in-distress, singing-drawf stories. I am so excited for Scarlet’s release, I’ll be wearing my red cloak and bionic leg all weekend (family, watch out, you’re about to be embarrassed). Here’s a quick recap to get y’all in the mood:

Cinder

Not Your Average Dystopia: Raises questions about what it means to be human when the androids are often more empathetic than the warmbloods.

Not Your Average Fairytale: Androids? Plague? Cyborgs? YES! So much for tiaras and tulle.

Girl meets boy. Girl is cyborg, boy is prince of New Beijing, and, oh yeah, the world is being threatened by both a deadly plague and a race of eerie moon people who seem bent on intergalactic domination.

Cinder is a cyborg, a second-class citizen with a mysterious past who is both reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her sister’s illness. After becoming intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai, Cinder becomes caught in an intergalactic struggle. Cinder must uncover secrets about her own past in order to protect the future of the world.

Scarlet

Not Your Average Dystopia: Raises questions about permanence, leaving a mark on this earth. Can a person’s essence be captured in a microchip? Is destiny something to be embraced, or avoided?

Not Your Average Fairytale: Grandma ain’t goin’ down without a fight. Take that, wolfie.

A young girl and her missing grandmother. A big bad (and handsome) wolf. A vicious lunar queen trying to hunt them down.

Scarlet Benoit is searching for her missing grandmother. In the search, she discovers secrets about her grandmother’s life and her own, and the grave danger they have both been in for their entire lives. Scarlet meets Wolf, a street fighter who promises to have information about her grandmother. The two are drawn to one another, growing closer in their search. Cinder also appears, trying to break out of prison and in the process, becoming the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

In honour of the Lunar Chronicles and their awesomeness, I’ve taken down a list of recommendations à la Scarlet for other fairytale creatures (listen up, gnomes):

1. Always travel with an android if you can swing it, preferably one with a smart mouth and a celebrity obsession. Much more entertaining than singing dwarves.
2. Cyborg parts are SO HANDY! Run out of pockets for your magic wand/spare change/poisoned apple? Simply open up that metal panel in your thigh and stick 'em inside! Ikea storage taken to a new level.
3. If you’re going to be bitten by a wolf, make sure he’s tall, dark, and mysterious.
4. Train your grandmother to kick butt. And not just a little, but a LOT.  A grandma with a wicked sidekick is much more excellent when it comes to battling evildoers than one who just pulls the covers tighter and gets eaten.
5. Take note Hansel and Gretel: it’s much easier to navigate dark forests and fairytale settings with an internet connection in your brain. Not to mention the money you’ll save on breadcrumbs. 

Want to find out about new Teen Fiction? Be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

Sometimes it goes beyond plain-old suckage and into downright nasty, over-the-top suck-tastic territory.

Adult fiction loves the coming-of-age tale, but what if that coming of age is horrendous, cataclysmic, short… or doesn’t happen at all?

There’s been an ongoing spate of attention to the so-called genre of “sick lit” for teens (a term that doesn’t leave much wiggle room for argument). What is "sick lit"? (I cringe whenever I type that term... Every time I read about so-called “sick lit” I hear a shrill shriek in my head of “Won’t somebody please think of the children!"). Essentially it describes  books for teens that explore topics such as death, disease, and anything not particularly PC.

This subject got a lot of attention from the success of last year’s The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, a story about two teens with cancer. Whether you think the whole sick lit argument is a somewhat bogus idea that doesn’t give teens enough credit [full disclosure here: I DO! ], or an argument with some merit, it can hardly be disputed that bad things happen to kids, bad things act as good discussion points, and bad things can make a pretty compelling story.

Here are a couple of good books on the horizon that I’ve been reading that do it right, and some good discussion points raised therein.

Absent
(Spring 2013)

Much like the Marleys were dead to begin with, Paige is dead from the get-go after a freak fall from the school roof during her physics class. Seemingly doomed to be confined in ghostly form to the high school that was the scene of her death (as nightmarish an idea as any I’ve ever heard), Paige feels hopeless as rumors circulate that her death wasn't an accident, but a suicide... until she discovers that she can possess living people when they think about her. Can she use this new ability to stop the rumors swirling about her death?

Why you’ll talk about it: There is a mystery involved in this story, and the borders between the living and the dead are not so rigid as they would seem.

Discussion points: Questions of free will are raised, the labels we assign to people, and the idea of reputation, that bastion of obsessed high-school attention, extended to life after death.

My Life After Now
(April 2013)

Theatre-loving Lucy is sixteen and happy, with a boyfriend, her best friends, and an upcoming role in the school play. But after her boyfriend makes a less-than-graceful exit with another girl and Lucy's choice role in the school play goes to said girl, Lucy loses it and does something completely out of character. After an unplanned night, Lucy becomes HIV positive. Yikes. Now there’s a yearbook summary from hell for you.

Why you’ll talk about it: This is no “don’t have sex or bad things will happen” kind of book, but a book of what happens "after". As the protagonist notes, what happens when you need to know information beyond the “practice safe sex, kids” lessons of sex ed class?

Discussion points: How do you go to high school being HIV positive? How do you deal with the misinformation and fear around the disease? How do you forgive yourself for a costly mistake? 

BIG Discussion Point: As the authors notes in the "Facts and Figures" section at the end of the book, though teenagers make up only 25% of the sexually active population, young peole (13-29) accounted for 39% of all new HIV cases in the USA in 2009. That is a scary number.

(BONUS: the book includes book Reader's Guide discussion questions and an HIV Resource Guide For Teens at the back).

If you’re like me, there’s nothing better than curling up with a great dystopian read, some cheesie poofs (official foodstuff of the apocalypse) and letting glimpses into the possible future take over your imagination. Here are some recommended dystopian reads, and some suggested survival accessories.

Love in the Time of Global Warming

Essential Survival Accessories Kit: Flippers, snorkel, giant-repellent, a copy of Homer’s Odyssey.

After losing everything to a tidal wave that sweeps across her city, 16-year-old Penelope sets off on an Odysseus-esque quest that will bring her face to face with life and death, and all the choices therein. The beautiful language and writing will pull you in, and the gripping story will keep those pages turning.

The Fury

Essential Survival Accessories Kit: Burn ointment for those pesky radiation burns, a tape measure to determine quarantine distances, running shoes.

Three normal kids discover that their families and friends are suddenly overtaken with rage and have an unstoppable mission to kill them. Just another Saturday night for some, but the scope of this epic story ensures it is anything but ordinary. This page-turner will keep you guessing: who are the real bad guys in a setting where survival itself may be the worst thing one can do to a person?

Unremembered

Essential Survival Accessories Kit: Social insurance card and birth certificate, lifejacket, parachute.

Being in a plane crash probably isn’t the most fun thing  in the world. Being the sole survivor and media target, as well as losing your memory completely? Probably even less so. This book is all the more intriguing and alarming for how completely around-the-corner it feels. Science running rampant? No way, that would never happen…

Scarlet

Essential Survival Accessories Kit: Toolbox with ALL screwdriver heads (no skimping), degree in mechanical and/or computer engineering, up-to-date vaccinations.

The second book in the Lunar Chronicles series, this book continues to follow Cinder as her story crosses with that of the fiery Scarlet, as well as her grandmother and, oh yeah, a futuristic big bad wolf. Intergalactic espionage and fighting forces Cinder to finally accept, acknowledge, and embrace a destiny that will change everything she has ever known.

Siege and Storm

Essential Survival Accessories Kit: Warm clothes for those brisk northern snowstorms, pickled herring (mmmmm), boating license.

Fantasy with an overlay of dystopia, this book, the second in the Grisha series (FYI waiting for the third book feels like my own personal dystopia—I want it now!) further pushes main character Alina’s personal powers to a brink that could either sever the natural world or save it. This book will make

Hey you Ivy + Bean fans! Here's a chance to meet the lovely Annie Barrows!

If you're in Toronto please stop by Friday and/or Saturday to say hi!

Book Signing:
October 19
TIME: 7:00PM
Chapters
1950 The Queensway, Etobicoke
(416) 622-2838

Book Signing:
October 20
TIME:1:00PM
Chapters
52 Quarry Edge Dr, Brampton
(905) 456-7177

Click here to check out an interactive map which show where you can find a participating bookstore or library near you!

FUN!

FUN!

FUN!

If you go, please send me your photos. We'd love to share them on our blog. Email danielle [at] raincoast.com

Watch the series trailer!

Just some of the many Ivy + Bean products.

Do you live in Oakville? You do! Well then, make sure you get yourself down to the Oakville Public Library this Wednesday to hear the awesome Cory Doctorow (author of Little Brother and For the Win) introduce his latest novel, Pirate Cinema! 

Pick up your free ticket at all Oakville Public Library branches to hear Cory read from his book and discuss creativity, copyright and bill C-11 followed by a Q&A.

Bring your book to have it autographed! Don’t have a copy? Different Drummer Books will be available with copies for purchase.

Cory Doctorow at Oakville Public Library 
Wednesday, September 26: 6-8pm
Central Branch Auditorium – 120 Navy Street
Refreshments will be served

Tickets are required and are available in all branches. If you are unable to pick up a ticket for this event before Wednesday, please contact Elise at ecole@oakville.ca or at 905-815-2042 ext. 5037 and a ticket will be left at the door for you!

This event is open to Grades 9 and above.

Please contact Elise at ecole@oakville.ca or 905-815-2042 ext. 5037 if you have any special needs.

This event is sponsored by The Friends of the Oakville Public Library.

While I am sure everyone is dreading the end of summer, the shift into fall isn't all bad... especially when you take into account all these awesome upcoming fall titles, and their corresponding Canadian events:

Celebrate this adorable series with us on October 13th, the first international Ivy & Bean day! Visit the Chronicle Books website for tons of fun activities. The author of Ivy & Bean, Annie Barrows, will also be in Toronto on October 19th and 20th - stay tuned for more details!

 

 

WHO I KISSED

by Janet Gurtler

available October 2012

 

Who I Kissed is Canadian author Janet Gurtler's third YA novel with Sourcebooks, and one that tackles a topic rarely seen in fiction.  A book about how one little kiss turned main character Samantha's life upside down, Gurtler manages to convey the all-encompassing emotion of guilt in a realistic, relatable way, as Samantha has to deal with the repercussions of her unexpectedly fatal action. Janet Gurtler expertly weaves her way through the intricacies of food allergies while simultaneously exploring the effect of guilt, and the importance in learning to overcome it.

 

As a person with allergies myself, I truly appreciated that aspect of the novel, and Janet's insight into the complex emotion of guilt is guaranteed to keep readers' interest.

 

Come meet Janet at the Shawnessy Chapters branch in Calgary on October 12th, 2012 for the launch of Who I Kissed! Janet will also be in Vancouver on October 15th, 2012.

 

 

 

PIRATE CINEMA

by Cory Doctorow

available October 2012

 

Pirate Cinema is Cory Doctorow's latest novel and one that will keep you reading until the very end.  Hitting on subjects that are close to home in this period of internet piracy, Pirate Cinema explores a dystopian future that really doesn't seem all that far-fetched. 

 

Intrigued yet? See for yourself by reading the first chapter here. 

 

 

Cory Doctorow will also be touring several Canadian cities. See if he is visiting your city, and stop by to say hello!

 

September 26, 6:00PM: Oakville Public Library

September 27, 7:00PM: Bakka Books, Toronto

October 19: Edmonton Public Library 

October 20: Vancouver Writers Festival

October 21, 6:00PM: Vancouver Kidsbooks event

October 22: Bolen Books, Victoria

October 25-26 IFOA , Toronto

 

 

1. Chloe, Instead- This book reminds me of the Charlie and Lola books for a slightly younger audience. 

2. E-Mergency- One of my very favorite books from our fall list. So clever. 

3. Kokeshi- To celebrate spring and the cherry blossoms! 

4. Piggy Bunny- A look behind the scenes at how Canadian Illustrator, Jeremy Tankard, created the illustrations for this adorable, spring book. 

5. A Wrinkle In Time- One of my favorite books from childhood, A Wrinkle In Time is celebrating it's 50th Anniversary! This video is a great history on how the book came to be (and how it almost didn't). 

March 2nd, 2012

Publicity Intern for Raincoast Books

Raincoast Books is looking for an unpaid publicity intern to start immediately. We require a candidate who can devote a minimum of sixteen hours a week for a three month period.  Our intern must be self-motivated, well organized and can work on many projects simultaneously.

The ideal candidate will have:

• excellent written and verbal skills
• some facility with design programs
• an interest in adult fiction and young adult titles
• experience with blogging  and social media

Raincoast Books is a national full-service sales and marketing book distributor for over 20 client publishers from across Canada and around the world. Raincoast has offices in Vancouver and Toronto and the successful candidate will work out of our Vancouver head office.

Candidates should send CV and cover letter by March 16th to:

Danielle Johnson
Lifestyle Publicist
Raincoast Books
danielle at raincoast.com
604-448-7163

-AND-

Crystal Allen
Children’s Books Publicist
Raincoast Books
crystal at raincoast.com
604-448-7141

YALSA announced it's picks for the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults: "books, recommended for ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens".

There are quite a few books on the list that we're pleased to stock in our own warehouse:

Enclave, by Ann Aguirre, published by Feiwel & Friends. (Also available in Audio; paperback coming in August 2012.)

Freak Hunters Deuce and Fade are exiled from their underground enclave, and face even greater dangers above ground.

Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake, published by Thomas Doherty Associates / Tor Teen. (Paperback coming in July 2012.)

Moving from town-to-town, Cas slays murderous ghosts, seeking revenge for the death of his father. Along the way, he meets Anna’s ghost, and discovers new insights into the complexities of ghosts.

Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier, published by Henry Holt & Company. (Paperback coming in April 2012.)

Gwenyth upsets her family when she inherits the time traveling gene instead of her cousin, Charlotte. Soon Gwenyth finds herself unexpectedly involved in mysterious, dangerous, and intriguing circumstances.

Stupid Fast, by Geoff Herback, published by Sourcebooks / Sourcebooks Fire. (Also keep an eye out for Geoff Herback's Nothing Special, coming out in May 2012!)

As football recruitment brings new friends, Felton tries to keep his mother’s depression, and his own insecurities, hidden.

Prized, by Caragh O'Brien, published by Roaring Brook Press.

The leadership in Sylum is threatened by Gaia and attempts to control her by systematically separating her from everyone she loves, including her infant sister and boyfriend Leon.

Stick, by Andrew Smith, published by Feiwel and Friends.

Stick and his brother Bosten must lean on each other to survive their abusive family, until Bosten is kicked out and must survive on his own.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente, published by Feiwel & Friends. (Paperback coming in April 2012.)

September is excited, puzzled, confused and thrilled on her quest through Fairyland.

Miles from Ordinary, by Carol Lynch Williams, published by St. Martin's Press / St. Martin's Griffin. (Paperback coming in March 2012.)

When her troubled mother disappears, an isolated Lacey frantically searches for her, while facing the terrors of her mother’s delusions.

See the complete list of YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults.

We're proud to have some of these award-winning titles on our list! Congratulations to all the award winners and nominees. There's a wealth of amazing books for children's and youth out there now.

Newbery Honor Book
Breaking Stalin's Nose, written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company.

See all Newberry winners.
Find other books by Eugene Yelchin.

Caldecott Honor Books
Grandpa Green, illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press.

See all Caldecott winners.
Find other books by Lane Smith.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award
Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press.

See all Coretta Scott King winners.
Find other books by Shane W. Evans.

Alex Award for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences
The Lover’s Dictionary, by David Levithan, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. (Paperback coming from Picador in January 2012.)

See all Alex Award winners.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults, ages 12 – 18, each year. The 2012 Excellence winner is by The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery, by Steve Sheinkin, published by Roaring Brook Press. One of the Finalists is Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, by Karen Blumenthal, published by Roaring Brook Press.

See all YALSA Award winners.
Find other books by Steve Sheinkin.
Find other books by Karen Blumenthal. Her new book, Steve Jobs, the Man Who Thought Different, is coming out in February 2012.

YALSA also published its annual list of Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Enclave, by Aguirre, Ann, published by Feiwel and Friends was on the Top Ten list.

On the full list of Quick Picks, we were pleased to see several titles that we carry:

F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers, by Richard Benson, published by Chronicle Books.

Boo: The Life of the World’s Cutest Dog, by J.H. Lee, published by Chronicle Books.

Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake, published by Tom Doherty Associates/Tor Teen.

Dead Inside Do Not Enter: Notes from the Zombie Apocalypse, by Lost Zombies, published by Chronicle Books.

Death Sentence: Escape From Furnace #3, by Alexander Gordon Smith, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Paperback from Square Fish coming February 2012.

Fall For Anything, by Courtney Summers, published by St. Martin's Griffin.

See all 2012 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

And last but not least, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has released its list of 2012 Notable Children's Books:

Younger

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld, published by Chronicle Books.

Grandpa Green, by Lane Smith, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Over and Under the Snow, by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, published by Chronicle Books.

Prudence Wants a Pet, by Cathleen Daly, Illus. by Stephen Michael King. Roaring Brook Press, $16.99. (9781596434684).
 

Middle

America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001 The Day the Towers Fell, by Don Brown, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Breaking Stalin's Nose, by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt and Company.

E-mergency!, by Tom Lichtenheld, illustrated by Ezra Fields-Meyer, published by Chronicle Books.

Lemonade, and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word, by Bob Raczka, illustrated by Nancy Doniger, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists, published by First Second.

Underground, by Shane Evans, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, published by Henry Holt.

Zita the Spacegirl, by Ben Hatke, illustrated by Ben Hatke, published by First Second.

Older

Anya's Ghost, by Vera Brosgol, published by First Second.

Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917, by Sally M. Walker, published by Henry Holt.

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition, by Karen Blumenthal, published by Roaring Brook Press.

Hurricane Dancers: The First Caribbean Pirate Shipwreck, by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt.

All Ages

Press Here, by Hervé Tullet, published by Chronicle Books.

See all ALSC 2012 Notable Children's Books.

So many great books to add to your "To Read" pile!

UPDATE: Also check out the YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults!

Author Tom Saunders and illustrator Cynthia Nugent will be launching their new book I Want To Go To The Moon 6-9pm on Friday at the Scottish Cultural Centre in Vancouver.

Check out this cute video invite for the event:

I Want To Go To Moon Launch
6-9pm, January 13th 2012
Scottish Cultural Centre
8886 Hudson Street
Vancouver, BC V6P 4N2

Ok if you really want to twist my arm. Here are a few of my MANY favorite books from 2011. I should also say that I love all of the kids books that my collegues chose, but decided not to have any repeats. 

Not For Parents Travel Book

I first heard that Lonely Planet was planning a line of Children's Books at sales conference 4 years ago. I waited for 4 long years for a Lonely Planet Children's Book to chomp my Kids Publicity teeth into. This book did not disappoint. Like the adult version of The Travel Book it features a page for every country in the world. Fun facts will keep kids turning page after page, trying to find new, gross things to gross mom out, while not even realizing their learning. An example: When Queen Elizabeth II visited Belize in 1985, she was served a local rodent called a gibnut, which some people say looks a bit like a giant rat without a tail (picture below). It tastes like rabbit.

Yeah. Gross. 

When I Was Small

This beautiful picture book is all the lovelier because the author (Sara O'Leary) and illustrator (Julie Morstad) are both really fabulous Canadian women. I also love that the little girl looks an awful lot like my daughter, Bella, if she would only allow me to have her hair chopped off into a bob. The story is of a mother telling her son the story of what it was like when she was little, however she takes it one step further and tells a fantastical story about her not only being little (young) but also little (tiny). My favorite spread is the one below where she feasts upon raspberries.

Zeal Of Zebras

I confess. I have a shelf in my sewing studio of children's picture books that inspire me creatively. I don't let me daughter play with these books (mostly because I know that she will steal them and bring them to her own room.) Zeal of Zebras is one of the books that graces my sewing studio bookshelf. Created by Woop Studios (the graphic designers for the Harry Potter movies) this book of collective nouns is visually stimulating, educational and just plain entertaining. Really who knew that a group of pandas is called an embarrassment of pandas? The page below is the one that I find myself turning to most often as it reminds me of my time snorkeling with the sea turtles on The Big Island.

Glow

I affectionately call this title "The Book That Almost Ruined My Summer Vacation". It was just so good that I couldn't put it down! My husband and daughter were pretty upset that my nose was buried in my book the entire time instead of playing with them in the sand. Like Hunger Games in space, this book is a must read. Here is a trailer to give you a sneak peek.

Embrace

Last but definitely not least I'm going to cheat a little bit. One of my favorite things about being a Children's Book Publicist is that I get to read a lot of books well before they hit bookstores.

Embrace is a book coming in March but I read it a few months ago and just can't get it out of my head. Here is a link to a blog post that I wrote on the day that we did the Embrace Cover Reveal. Sourcebooks also created a Making The Cover video which I found to be really fascinating. So much goes into creating a book cover.

Embrace Cover Shoot from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Wishing you happy reading this holiday season and into 2012!

Crystal 

For the little ones in your life, you can't really go wrong with a Christmas picture book. After the fun and craziness of Christmas morning, once the house is filled with boxes, bows and wrapping paper (not to mention all those toys!), wouldn't it be nice to curl up with a cup of cocoa for a quiet moment (however brief) and share a story?

Here are a few seasonal books that just might do the trick. Click on the book covers to find out more...

You're invited to to the launch of I Want To Go To The Moon by Tom Saunders, Illustrated by Cynthia Nugent. 

Saturday, December 17th, 2011 from 2:00-4:00. Coast Capital Playhouse 1532 Johnston Road, White Rock, BC. 

About The Book:

Although everyone told Neil Armstrong his dream of travelling to the moon was impossible, he never gave up. Tom Saunders' song tells the story of Neil's life, step-by-step, until he reaches that world-changing "small step" and "giant leap." In this book, the inspiring lyrics are brought to life by the illustrations of award-winning Cynthia Nugent.