Julie Mata Sanchez reports that she recently signed with literary agent Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management, who will be representing Julie’s middle grade novel, Kate Walden Directs: Night of the Zombie Chickens.
CWW’s 2010 Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award winner Jacqueline Houtman’s The Reinvention of Edison Thomas has come out in paperback.
Kashmira Sheth’s chapter book, The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule, is out and has garnered a Kirkus review that says, in part, “While the multicultural aspect of this title is important, its real strength is the familiarity of Ishan’s situation. Elementary school readers will find it easy to identify with both his younger-brother troubles and his desperate desire for a dog. Just right for aspiring pet owners. The full review is on Kashmira’s website at http://kashmirasheth.com/books/younger_readers/no_dogs_allowed_rule.php. Kashmira has a scheduled book launch on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at Barnes and Noble West in Madison. More details are at http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3822235.
Emily “E.M.” Kokie’s YA novel, Personal Effects, is due out on Sept. 11. Her launch party is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sept. 16 at A Room Of One’s Own in Madison. Reviews are rolling in. Excerpts from Kirkus, VOYA and Horn Book are on her blog at http://emkokie.com/attractive_nuisance/2012/08/28/its-going-to-be-a-busy-fall/.
CWW’s 2011 Tofte/Wright Children’s Literature Award winner Janet Halfmann’s Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story is due out in paperback this month. Her Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish will be one of the books representing Wisconsin authors at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC, Sept. 22-23, for which Janet thanks Wisconsin Center for the Book and Council for Wisconsin Writers. Her Good Night, Little Sea Otter will be promoted by Friends of the Sea Otter as part of the national annual Sea Otter Awareness Week the last week of September. Plus both Star of the Sea and Good Night, Little Sea Otter are in aquarium gift shops around the country.
Lisa Moser’s latest picture book, Railroad Hank, is being released on September 25. Lisa will be helping with story-time on at 2 p.m. on Sept. 29 and signing books afterwards at Next Chapter Bookshop in Mequon.
CWW’s 2011 Anne Powers Fiction Book Award winner Kathleen Ernst issued the following news release about her latest “American Girl” creation:
For the last three years I have been working on a secret project for Middleton-based American Girl. They tasked me with researching and creating their next new American Girl historical character — and writing books about her life and times. Starting next week the remaining secrecy ends. My six books about Caroline Abbott, and the beautiful doll created to represent her, will be officially released by American Girl.To celebrate, I’m introducing her at Madison’s Barnes & Noble West Towne.
(While I’m scheduled to leave soon on an extended author’s tour that includes Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Washington, this will be the very first public opportunity, anywhere, for readers to hear me talk about Caroline’s adventures — and to see the doll.)
Barnes & Noble West Towne will have all of the Caroline books available. I’m looking forward to personalizing and signing them, and to posing for pics with American Girl fans. The fun starts at 6:00 PM, but I’ll be there until 7:30 PM.
BTW, did I mention that everyone who attends will receive a special, complimentary bookmark, and that I’ll be giving away several door prizes?
Creating Caroline has been an extraordinary experience. I believe that you (or your daughter, neice, or granddaughter) will find her stories both exciting and heartwarming. I’d be delighted to see all of you next Wednesday.CWW congratulates all of these writers’ achievements and wishes each of them continued success.
CWW website is www.wiswriters.org. Come visit us!