The Uninvited, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

I've known Tim a long time, and in fact when I first started the agency, I asked then if he was interested in representation. He wasn't, but we stayed in touch, and last year he changed his mind and signed up. And what an amazing book he gave me to sell! Creepy, sophisticated, with a serious left hook of a twist. But really, don't take my word for it; take theirs!

"A nervy, triple-knotted pretzel of a plot that reads partly like a sexy paeon to creativity and partly like a choral scream."

--Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked

"The Uninvited" is a terrific book. Tim Wynne-Jones has always been one of the most perceptive and truth-telling writers about families and their painful complexities; here the whole story is overlaid with a tension and mystery that makes it compelling to follow and impossible to put down. I loved it."

--Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials

"Atmospheric, seductive and scary, The Uninvited has a powerful undercurrent that will keep you in its grips until the very end."

--Kenneth Oppel, author of Airborn and Silverwing

"Against a backlit, finely detailed landscape with scraps of myth floating in the trees and above the water, Tim Wynne-Jones's young people gawk and blunder and swear around, laughing things off, trying to work things out, proceeding towards, OMG, how is this all going to end? You think you know what's happening to them, but you don't, not yet - no, not now, either. Keep reading. Go right to the end with them."

--Margo Lanagan, author of Tender Morsels

Get out to an indie bookstore near you, or a chain if you must, but get it. You'll thank me later.

Peace Love & Baby Ducks, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

What a week for Ms. Myracle! (By the way, it's pronounced M EYE racle, not like the divine magic trick, and don't let Lauren tell you otherwise.) First she gets to visit the offices of one of her publishers, Dutton Children's Books (along with all their smart, funny, and exceedingly female staff). Then she wins the Children's Choice Book Award for Thirteen. And now, today, her newest YA novel is released! Oh, and Friday is her birthday, so really, it's just the best week ever!

"Myracle’s spot-on portrayal of a teen stuck in the throes of defining herself based on what she is not rather than what she is allows plenty of room for Carly to muse, grow and change." -- Kirkus Reviews

Go and get it today at your favorite indie bookstore; it's as adorable as that cover, I promise!

Princess and the Bear, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

I'm a day late, but I'm so thrilled to announce that Mette Ivie Harrison's new book is now on sale! This is the sequel to The Princess and the Hound (which is also now available in paperback). And a third book, The Princess and the Snowbird, will be out next year.

"Although this follows directly from The Princess and the Hound (2007), both stories are complete in themselves and can be read independently. This beautifully understated tale is of magic and "unmagic," human and animal, forest and town. A bear and a hound circle each other, warily. He was once a king; she was once a princess. The bear does not know his magic yet; the hound is uneasy with hers. When they see unmagic (think antimatter) sucking the life out of their world, they both return to the past, to King Richon's devastated kingdom, to save it. Richon the bear and Chala the hound move between animal and human existence; the relationships between animal and human, and the magic in being both, are exquisitely delineated, and the love story between the two strong protagonists is all the more powerful for being intensely restrained. There's a fair amount of bloodshed and violence, but that, too, is understated. Not for every reader, but an absorbing tale for the right one. (Fantasy. 12 & up) " (Kirkus Reviews (pointer)

How to Be Bad pbk, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

I've been a bit remiss with my book birthday blogging. This fabulous collaborative novel by Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski, and E. Lockhart is now out in paperback, with a fun new cover.

These whackadoodle authors had a lot of fun working on this book, and then touring in support of it. Don't believe me? Check out this video of them in their goofball (and in E.' s case, very pregnant!) glory.

theoblack

CC1 Trouble Magnet, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

I didn't get to put this up while I was in Bologna, but better a bit late than never. Award-winning author Graham Salisbury has something new: a chapter book series for readers age 7-10. This is the first book, and the second, The Zippy Fix, will be on sale in September, with more to come next year.

"Salisbury (Night of the Howling Dogs) brings the Hawaiian locale and boy-centric vibe of his novels to a younger audience in this kicky start to a middle-grade series. For four years, Cal has been “the man of the house,” standing in for his absentee dad, the famous crooner Little Johnny Coconut (who saddled the family with its stage-ready surname). But things get topsy-turvy when a surly teenage family friend arrives to be a live-in babysitter for Cal and his little sister, and Cal makes some missteps in the first days of school in Mr. Purdy's Fourth-Grade Boot Camp, which include a lost centipede and a class food fight. Salisbury uses humor and lots of action to guide Cal as he deals with a neighborhood bully, his new teacher and the upheaval in his home life. Fun details of Hawaiian life, including descriptions of snack foods, beach pursuits and the characters' melting pot of heritages bring the setting to life. The tone is realistic, warm and light as an island breeze—perfect for luring newly confident chapter-book readers." -- Publishers Weekly

Graham will be signing at Books of Wonder this Saturday, April 4th at 12:00, and he's got other stops on his tour around the country. Try and catch him if he's in your neck of the woods!

City of Glass, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

The final volume in Cassandra Clare's fabulous Mortal Instruments trilogy releases today in the U.S. Go out and get your copy today and learn the answers to all those burning questions you had at the end of City of Ashes.

And if you haven't read the earlier two books, well, what are you waiting for? Stephenie Meyer loves them, so all you Twilight fans in search of something new to read...here ya go!

Cassie's on tour right now, check her site for dates. (Sorry, I'm in Bologna at the moment or I'd link it up myself...this darn european keyboard is giving me headaches!)

PRESS RELEASE                                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                            
BARRY GOLDBLATT LITERARY LLC HIRES TWO NEW AGENTS

Barry Goldblatt Literary LLC hires Joe Monti and Beth Fleisher as agents.

Brooklyn, NY – March 16, 2009 – For nearly ten years, Barry Goldblatt Literary LLC, an agency representing authors of children’s and young adult books, has been a one-man show. Now, it has tripled in size, welcoming two new agents—Joe Monti and Beth Fleisher.

Joe Monti most recently held the position of director of paperbacks at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and before that was the children's national accounts manager at Houghton Mifflin. He is perhaps best known for his tenure as the children's fiction buyer at Barnes and Noble, Inc., a position he held for over ten years, where he is credited with helping to form the rise in popularity of teen fiction.

“I'm thrilled to embark on this next adventure with such an experienced team,” says Monti. “I see this as continuation of what I know and love the best about this field, namely finding and championing authors and artists. In short, being a good bookseller.”

Beth Fleisher got her start in publishing via an internship with Houghton Mifflin’s trade division in Boston. Next came close to a decade with The Berkley Publishing Group, focusing on fantasy and science fiction, as well as several graphic novel and comics related projects. Beth then established an independent consultancy providing a range of services for prose, comics, and graphic novels.

“This is an exciting new venture, filled with creative opportunities,” says Fleisher. “I can't wait to begin!”

“I’m thrilled to be growing the agency,” says Barry Goldblatt. “At a time when there’s a lot of doom and gloom out there, I’m optimistic about the future, and I thought what better way to show that than by expanding? And to be able to do so with smart, talented people like Joe and Beth sends the confident message that bigger and better things are ahead.”

Barry Goldblatt Literary LLC was established in 2000, and represents many bestselling authors, including Holly Black, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Shannon Hale and Lauren Myracle.

[	mood	|	excited	]
[	music	|	What Do I Get? -- Buzzcocks	]

JoJo and the Fiendish Lot, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

This is definitely the year for mondo weird books from my clients, and Andy's contribution is fabulous: dark, twisted, sickly funny and still deeply heartfelt. I'm so excited it's finally out there in the world!

But don't just take my word for it...read this review from The Book Muncher!

Adventure Annie 1, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

We all know children who love to imagine themselves as superheroes and with this sprightly story about Annie Grace (aka Adventure Girl), readers can find a heroine with whom to identify. When Adventure Girl's mom is called back to work to find a misplaced report instead of the two of them spending the day together, she takes her daughter along, instructing her to sit and wait. But Adventure Girl has other ideas and stalks the wilds of the quiet workplace determined to find the file. In a great "rescue," she spots the errant folder under a desk and saves the day. The charm of this story lies not only in depicting the fun that kids have at parents' workplaces but also in portraying Adventure Girl as cheerfully undaunted by changes in plans and parental admonitions. The bright, full-color pencil and watercolor pictures are set against ample white space and show the warm relationship between mother and daughter. This is an office adventure that children will want to experience and a heroine they'll love meeting. -- Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha Public Library, WI (School Library Journal)

There's a sequel in the works too...Annie will return!

Steady Hands, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

Inventive, complicated collages and well-crafted poems focus on the activities of working people in this eye-catching book. With an observant eye, Zimmer (Sketches from a Spy Tree) captures different individuals performing work with “steady hands.” She details the “flap/ roll/ flap” of the baker kneading dough or the way a clerk performs “a ballet/ of hands” as she sorts, scans and bags groceries. Sometimes she gives the worker a backstory or views him after hours—a former lawyer prefers “the predictable company of dogs” and becomes a dog walker, while the exterminator doesn’t mind the guys at the bowling alley “calling him Roach.” Halsey and Addy’s (Amelia to Zora) hip collages combine individual cut-outs of people along with drawings, photos, textured backgrounds and designs. The aspiring filmmaker pops out of a box of movie popcorn while the tow-truck driver “fishes in the city,” literally reeling in cars. The sophisticated look should generate plenty of interest from the target audience. Ages 9–12. (Starred review, Publishers Weekly)

the year we disappeared, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

Cylin Busby and her dad John's powerful memoir is going to be featured tomorrow night on CBS at 10pm EST, on 48 Hours Mystery. Here's the trailer for the new series (Cylin appears right at the beginning).


Watch CBS Videos Online



Maybe it's not the romantic Valentine's event you had in mind, but it should be really compelling television.

AS is Not in Love, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

The latest in Jennifer Richard Jacobson's sweet and funny chapter book series, now with a brand new look, which I just adore.

"The characters are complex and realistic . . . The narrative voice is fresh and whimsical as when an impatient Dolores waves “her arms like a willow in a windstorm.” The pen-and-ink illustrations effectively depict Andy’s frustration, Dolores’s temper, and Granny’s zany self-assuredness. Andy Shane is a welcome addition to the pantheon of compelling chapter-book protagonists. Children who feel upstaged by the Junie B.s of the world will be grateful to make his acquaintance."
— School Library Journal, starred review for the first book in the series, Andy Shane and the Very Bossy Delores Starbuckle

Andy Shane and the Queen of Egypt will get a new matching cover when it comes out in paperback in Spring 2010. And for those of you jonesing for Jennifer's older writing, she's got a doozy of a new YA novel. The Complete History of Why I Hate Her, due out in April 2010 too.

Yummiest Love, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

"Starring an excitingly large and fuzzy bear and a tricycle-riding cub, McCourt's (the Stinky Face books) latest celebrates a parent's love. "I love your wild belly laugh-/ so delicious to my ears,/ I'd do my silly face a hundred times/ just to hear it again and again," writes McCourt; Bryant (God Gave Us You) tamps down the notion of "wild," showing a delighted cub rather politely applauding the parent's silly-face routine. More domestic humor follows ("I love your never-ending surprises./ Like when you hate broccoli./ Then it's your favorite./ Then you hate it./ Then it's your favorite") and Bryant's well-dressed bears have a wonderful time sledding and splashing and celebrating. McCourt's sweet sentiments will reassure youngest readers, but expressions of love this fervent may make strike some older children as uncomfortably mushy: "I love... the warmth of your small body/ and the beautiful beating/ of your perfect little heart." If a book could be a piece of Valentine's Day candy, this would be it. Ages 3-5. (Jan.)" -- Publishers Weekly

Chicken Cheeks, originally uploaded by bgliterary.

"Actor/comedian Black produces a winner with his first children's book. A bear spies honey in a hive high atop a skinny tree, and as other animals come along, they pile on top of each other to create a tower. The focus of the story, and of Hawkes's brilliant acrylic cartoons, is animal backsides-"moose caboose," "penguin patootie" and, of course, "chicken cheeks." Pictures tell the story, with minimal text adding humor with rhyme, alliteration and clever wordplay. The visual humor is outstanding: What comes out of chicken cheeks? An egg of course, cracked upon the moose's nose. The animals' expressions are priceless as they struggle under each other's weight; the sight of the guinea pig straining to hold up the "deer rear" is positively hysterical. A "bumblebee bum" provides the climax to the story, and the tale concludes wordlessly, showing who gets to enjoy the honey in the end, or "the ends," as the author puts it. No butts about it, this is a perfect collaboration of text and illustration." (Picture book. 3-8) -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Michael will also be appearing on Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonight (unless all these political shenanigans in the senate get him bumped).