The World of Peachtree Publishers

Happy Groundhog Day!

2012-02-02T10:24:00.001-05:00

If you stop and think about it, Groundhog Day is a little weird. Every February, thousands of tourists flock to Pennsylvania to watch a rodent predict the weather. A little silly, on the face of it, yes? In recent years, the holiday has come to mean more than just the arrival of an early spring or the drudging on of an even longer winter: if you have cable, you're going to be seeing lots of reruns of one particular movie of the same name.

"Well, it's Groundhog Day... again... and that must mean that we're up here at Gobbler's Knob waiting for the forecast from the world's most famous groundhog weatherman, Punxsutawney Phil, who's just about to tell us how much more winter we can expect."

photo via news.nationalgeographic.com

I have always been fond of Groundhog Day. I find joy in the fact that, even just for one day a year, we put reason and logic aside and believe in this charming tall tale, harmless in its oddness. With the “Pennsylvania Polka” looping in our ears, we suspend our collective meteorological knowledge for something a little more fanciful and put all our hopes for an early spring on the furry shoulders of Punxsutawney Phil.

It’s not often that this, the otherwise deemed insanity of anthropomorphism to the utmost extreme, is celebrated on such a wide scale. That is until you cross over into fiction! Readers, I give you: Animals acting like people!

The Three Armadillies Tuff
Three fun-loving armadillo sisters are eager to cross a busy highway to get to the new dance hall on the other side, but inside the culvert lurks a spindly legged coyote...

Ol' Bloo's Boogie-Woogie Band and Blues Ensemble
A hilarious backwoods retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm story The Bremen Town Musicians. Ol’ Bloo Donkey has spent year after year hauling cotton on a farm in the Deep South and dreaming of the day when he could retire from the fields to become a honky-tonk singer.

The Horned Toad Prince
When Reba Jo finds herself in a mess of trouble, she's forced to strike a deal with a horned toad.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach
When Martina decides to choose a husband, her grandmother gives her some shocking advice in this charming Cuban folktale. (Also available in audio!)

One More Sheep
A knock on the door in the middle of the night wakes up Sam and his flock. How will Sam know that the knock on the door isn't a lost lamb but a wolf when he can't count up to ten without falling asleep? Now it's up to the fast-thinking sheep to help him…before it's too late!

The Scarecrow's Hat
A resourceful chicken seeks the help of her farm animal friends to solve a problem, whil giving something of herself along the way.

Gilbert de la Frogponde
Two chefs arrive at Gilbert's pond in search of dinner. Too fat to escape, Gilbert must convince them that bugs -- not frogs -- are all the rage in culinary circles!

Three Hens and a Peacock
When a peacock suddenly arrives at a quiet farm, everything changes and the hens don't like the newcomer getting attention while they stay cooped up doing all the hard work. With the help of a wise hound, they orchestrate a job swap. What follows is the hilarious tale of three hens who get in way over their feathered heads, and one very distressed peacock who just can’t figure out how to lay an egg.

Happy Groundhog Day everyone! May it be full of illogical fits of whimsy!

*Edited at 12:38 p.m.: This just in: Phil saw his shadow! Looks like 6 more weeks of winter!

The Bad Girl of the Book World is BAAACK!

2012-01-24T11:28:00.000-05:00

The Return of the Library Dragon has been a highly anticipated sequel for years, and I'm excited to announce it's upcoming release in the fall of 2012! To celebrate Lotta Scales return to libraries everywhere, we've decided to have a little contest.

For years, librarians have been telling us how much they love The Library Dragon--so much so that they have created their own Library Dragon costume, which they use every year when introducing the book. Frankly, we love to see pictures and hear stories about these intrepid story-tellers, and in celebration of your creativity, we have come up with The Library Dragon Contest.

Library Dragon Contest Rules:

(beginning 1/20/12)

'Like’ The Library Dragon on Facebook
(http://facebook.com/TheReturnofTheLibraryDragon)
Send us a photo or video of yourself in your best Miss Lottie or Lotta Scales costume
Write a paragraph or more describing your relationship with the original Library Dragon book: when you first learned about it, how you’ve used it, the development of your costume, or any reactions from family, children, and coworkers. Basically, tell us why you love the Library Dragon and why you deserve to win!
Post your photo and paragraph on The Library Dragon’s Facebook page, or e-mail it to publicity@peachtree-online.com and we’ll post it for you!
Entries will be accepted until 12p.m. eastern time October 31^st. Winners will be announced the following week

* by entering the contest, entrants grant Peachtree Publisherspermission to display, distribute, or reproduce the entries, in whole or inpart, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for any educational,promotional, or publicity purposes.

The first prize winner will receive signed first editions of The Library Dragon and The Return of the Library Dragon, The Library Dragon audio CD, a Library Dragon flip-doll, a skype visitwith author Carmen Agra Deedy, and a signed piece of original artwork byillustrator Michael P. White!

Happy Birthday, MLK

2012-01-16T13:50:00.001-05:00

Black History Month may still be a couple of weeks away, but we like to celebrate early for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

Most people have a general understanding of the events of 1963 as the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. The March on Washington and King's nonviolent approach inspired marches and sit-ins across the country. King's famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail and many other papers and speeches have all made their way into the history books in the decades since. Today, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we remember the man behind the message and the many brave men and women (and children) who joined him on the road to freedom so many years ago and since.

A lesser known event from that historic year is the topic of our forthcoming title from Cynthia Levinson: We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March.

Imagine: Four thousand elementary-, middle-, and high-school students skipping school to voluntarily step into the path of violent retaliation from the corrupt police force and deliberately go to prison. These children and teenagers demonstrated not just their desire to be truly free, but also their willingness to stand up in the most dangerous of circumstances and risk their lives for a cause they believed to be greater than their individual safety.

Levinson spent four years researching and interviewing primary sources to compile the memoirs of those involved and presents here one of the most compelling and thorough accounts of this lesser-known event that changed the course of the entire Civil Rights Movement. Formatted for middle grade readers, the book is full of images and quotes and includes a timeline of the Civil Rights Movement. For more information about We've Got a Job, including a teacher's guide and suggested discussion questions, check it out at Peachtree or Cynthia Levinson.com. For more on Dr. King, check out The King Center archives, which now allows online access to King's papers.

Last fall, we introduced a fantastic middle grades novel about a young man caught up in the middle of the precursor to the Civil Rights Movement: The Abolitionist Movement.

In Chasing the Nightbird by Krista Russell, we meet Lucky, a thirteen-year-old sailor who has spent his life on ships with his father, the best whaler on the eastern seaboard. His happy life at sea is interrupted and his plans to join the whaling ship Nightbird are dashed when, following his father's death, Lucky is kidnapped and pressed into servitude by his cruel and embittered half-brother, Fortuna.

Fortuna immediately puts Lucky to work under harsh conditions in a textile mill and confiscates the boy's wages. All his plans for the future seem lost, but Lucky remains determined to escape his misfortune. When he meets Emmeline, a spirited girl with abolitionist sympathies, and Daniel, a fugitive slave from the South, his dream of returning to his old life of freedom and the sea seems within reach.

Emmeline offers Lucky passage on her father’s ship in exchange for his help leading escaped slaves through the Underground Railroad, but first he must escape Fortuna who will stop at nothing to get back what he believes is his rightful property.

For more information about Chasing the Nightbird, visit Peachtree (teacher's guide here) or Krista Russell here!

Peachtree is proud to offer these great titles for Black History Month -- please let us know if there are any you'd like to review on your blog!

It is the summer of 1947 and a highly charged baseball season is underway in New York. Jackie Robinson is the new first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers—and the first black player in Major League Baseball. A young boy shares the excitement of Robinson's rookie season with his deaf father.

The inspirational story of former slave and journalist, Ida B. Wells, whose contributions fighting both injustice and prejudice set the stage for the civil rights movement.

In a period ripe with racial tension, Charlie recruits a former Negro Baseball League player to teach his neighborhood baseball team, but a long held secret leaves his world filled with suspicion and violence.

Author Alison Hart mines the complex relationships between white and black, slave and master, Unionist and Confederate, and old and young in this trilogy of gripping historical fiction.

In 1937, the Depression is in full force, Joe Louis is the new heavyweight champion of the world, and Champion Luckey has just arrived in Snow Hill, Alabama. Brother Sayre's life will never be the same.

Upside down and backwards!

2012-01-13T12:56:00.000-05:00

Have you ever woken up on a seemingly suspicious day like Friday the 13th to find that everything really is...The Opposite?

When Nate woke up in the morning, The Opposite was standing on his ceiling staring down at him. From that moment on, Nate's day turned upside down in the most extraordinary way!

When Nate poured milk on his cereal—something he is usually good at—The Opposite happened. Milk splashed everywhere and made a big mess. When started to draw a very good picture of an elephant at school, the Opposite happened. Paint went everywhere, except on his paper!

All seems lost until Nate cleverly devises a plan to get rid of The Opposite forever!

From where exactly does the supersition of Friday the 13th originate? There are lots of legends supporting the myth of this most unlucky day of the year, some dating back to primitive eras when man was first learning to count! The ancient Egyptians had a theory and so did the Greeks and early pagan Romans, the early Catholic Church and just about everyone else, including recent world leaders (Theodore Roosevelt was a member of the superstitious Thirteen Club)! Even today, most buildings don't have a 13th floor.

If you're superstitious, I'm sure you're reading this post from the safety of your home, away from all ladders, mirrors and spillable salt. If you're braving the outside world on this Friday the 13th, be careful out there! And maybe swing by your local indie bookstore to check out The Opposite!

Happy reading, everyone!

And now...a GIVEAWAY!

Do you have any superstitions or lucky habits? Tell us about them in a comment here (please include an email address or some other way for me to contact you) or email me at Rivet@Peachtree-online.com for a chance to win a copy of The Opposite! I'll pick a winner on Monday, Jan. 16 so have your entries in by Sunday night!

*Contest ends Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.
**U.S. residents only, please

If you like The Opposite, check out:

Guest Post with Susan Stockdale at the Nonfiction Book Blast

2012-01-11T14:34:00.003-05:00

Our very own author/illustrator, Susan Stockdale, had a guest blog post with the Nonfiction Book Blast yesterday. I've included an excerpt, but visit the blog here to read the whole story!

My interest in animals and nature as well as my love of color and rhyme began in my formative years. I grew up in sunny Miami, surrounded by lush vegetation, flowers and skittering lizards. I loved visiting an attraction called the Parrot Jungle, where I was enchanted by the birds’ bright, bold colors and feathered patterns. I also spent a few childhood years in Ireland. The Irish landscape was green and sparkly, filled with cows, horses and other animals I’d never seen in tropical Miami.

Throughout these years, my mother, a published poet and author, instilled in me a love of words. She used to rhyme them together in a casual, playful way, showing me that words were joyful and to be celebrated. My favorite was “Shake and shake the ketchup bottle; none will come and then a lot’ll!”

After graduating from college as an art major, I exhibited my paintings of fantasy landscapes and animals. I also freelanced as a textile designer for the clothing industry, giving me an opportunity to express my love of pattern and color, which are still hallmarks of my artwork in children’s books.

The idea for Fabulous Fishes emerged during a snorkeling trip that my husband and I took to Belize. I was astounded by the diversity, shape and color of the fishes I saw beneath the water. My most memorable moment was when our snorkeling guide pulled back a rock to reveal a porcupine fish, looking right up at me like a big balloon.

Read the rest of Susan's post at the Nonfiction Book Blast

The Dragon New Year

2012-01-09T14:08:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! We’ve got a lot in store for 2012at Peachtree: audiobooks, new board books, adorable picture books, hard-hitting nonfiction, and compelling middle grade titles are all hitting shelvesthis spring and we’re so excited! We also have big plans for the blog, so keepyour eyes here for new features and fun posts as we get the year started!

One new feature is our spotlight on backlist titles. Theseold favorites are not to be forgotten!

Today I’m looking at TheDragon New Year:

The story begins with a young girl who is frightened by thefireworks and loud crowds outside as her town celebrates the New Year. Not understandingthe commotion, she pleads with her grandmother: “Please do not leave me alone!”

The girl’s grandmother explains that it is because of the loud noise and brightlights that she is safe from harm. She tells the tale of the Dragon New Year:

New Year is a dragon. New Year is the most ferocious of allsea dragons. It lives in a palace at the bottom of the sea.

The tale of the Dragon New Year is a fearful one. Everyyear, the dragon springs forth from the sea to feed in the town, sendingvillagers fleeing for the hills. Until one year, the grandmother explains, acourageous woman stays behind and, with the help of Buddha, devises a plan toscare the dragon away! Because the dragon lives in the sea, it knows nothing offire and loud noise, so the woman and Buddha build a great bonfire.

It came as it had every year. Bursting onto the beach, itslithered with haste toward them. Fixing them with its cold, snake-like eyes,its distorted hindlegs dancing in the sand and its forepaws tearing at theclouds, the dragon reared to strike.

It reared up. It stopped.

Bewildered, New Year stared at the bonfire.

Flailing wildly, like a boulder plummeting from theheavens, it dropped to the bottom of the sea.

The dragon had disappeared. It had fled, terrified andconfused. And, for the first time ever, it had left hungry.”

The tradition holds true today, as Chinese New Yearcelebrations are filled with firecrackers and the clanging of bells andwhistles to ring in the holiday safe from the clutches of the Dragon New Year!

Did you know that 2012 is the Year of the Dragon in China? TheChinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year, beginning with the Year of the Rat and then moving on to Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig before starting the cycle over again. According to the tradition, each of theseanimals is thought to bestow certain characteristics to the people born intheir year. Legend has it that the Year of the Dragon will be marked byexcitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity!

Here are some fun and interesting facts about the Chinese New Year:

The Chinese New Year falls on the western calendar’sJanuary 23^rd this year.

It is a 14-day-long celebration and includes manyfestivals and traditions, including the telling of the many Chinese legends.

Chinese New Year is a time to welcome longevity, wealth,and prosperity and to eliminate any negative chi (energy) from the past.

The Chinese government has issued dragon stamps for the NewYear, but after a year of using bunny stamps for the Year of the Rabbit, somesay the new stamps are too ferocious.

For more information on TheDragon New Year, head over here.

If you like The DragonNew Year and are interested in other titles about Chinese heritage, checkout GoodFortune:

New Year, New Netgalley titles!

2012-01-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

Check out our newest titles now available on NetGalley!

Rough Waters by S.L. Rottman

A crisis on the river may be the only thing that can save Scott and Gregg from losing what little family they have left.

Mooshka, a Quilt Story by Julie Paschkis

A delightful, intergenerational bedtime story featuring a remarkable quilt and a reluctant new big sister.

The House on Dirty-Third Street by Jo S. Kittinger, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

A mother and daughter turn a hopeless old house into a loving family home with faith, hard work, and the support of their community.

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson

The inspiring story of one of the greatest moments in civil rights history as witnessed by four young people who were at the center of the action.

Lamb in His Bosom by Caroline Miller

Lamb in His Bosom is the 1934 Pulitzer Prize winning story of Cean and Lonzo, a young couple who begin their married lives two decades before the Civil War.

Happy Blog-iversary to us!

2012-01-04T13:50:00.000-05:00

We're two years old today! Ah, to be two. What a glorious age! We can talk (a bit) and there's so much to say and there's also so much to learn! I hope this year is a great one!

For the two-year-old in your life, check out our board books! Their fascination with chewing on books may be fading, but the structure of a board book is still great for their teeny hands to learn how to turn pages!

New this spring:

In the Garden by Elizabeth Spurr/Illustrated by Manelle Oliphant

Fabulous Fishes by Susan Stockdale

The Gift of Giving

2011-12-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Every year I write a verydetailed Christmas list. It’s listed inorder of importance, and color-coded, and broken down by price andavailability. And every year my list isstudiously ignored. My mom is notoriousfor her (well-intentioned I’m sure) odd and off-base gifts. Over the years I’ve received: paperweights,napkin rings, a flannel nightgown, figurines of bears, and miniature teasets.

And all I want is shoes,ya’ll. Horribly impractical shoes.

So this year I’ve devised afull-proof plan. To do good for othersand boost my karma for the rest of the year. I’m just asking for donations for my favorite charity: Heifer International.

Not only does it have thebest name ever, it’s a really great cause. You can buy a heifer (or water buffalo, sheep, pig, flock ofgeese, camel, etc.) for a family in a developing country. Heifer International’s approach is “givingfamilies a hand-up, not just a hand-out,” by helping them “improve theirnutrition and generate income in sustainable ways.”

It’s an innovative and greatidea, and you can read more about their work here.

Speakingof cow-themed gifts, maybe you should add 14 Cows for America to yourChristmas list. After witnessing the9/11 attacks, a Maasai tribesman returns to Kenya and tells his people thestory of the tragedy. As an act ofsolidarity and sympathy, the tribe donates 14 cows to the people ofAmerica. Visit the book website tolearn more about WilsonKimeli Naiyomah and his gift.

An Imaginary Snow Day

2011-12-16T11:19:00.001-05:00

Every yeargrowing up my sister and I wished for snow on Christmas day. We would have even been content for snow nearChristmas, but Georgia weather just never obliged. Now that I’m older, I usually appreciate the South’s temperateclimate (especially in the morning when I have to walk the dogs), but I stillhold a little hope in my heart for a white Christmas.

If you’re likeme, and are seriously lacking in the snow department, you should check out SnowDay! by Lester Laminack. Thegorgeous illustrations by Adam Gustavson will help you pretend that you’rebuilding snow forts and sledding—and you’ll be able to relate to thecharacter’s disappointment when school isn’t cancelled. I don’t want to give away the ending, butthe surprise always brings a smile to my face.

After enjoying SnowDay! you might feel the need to create some snow yourself. This year I decided to decorate with papersnowflakes. Since it had been many,many years since I had been instructed in this art (and mine were turning outlooking like mangled bits of paper), I found this great how-to onInstructables. You can find it here. If you aremaking snowflakes with young children, I suggest you use the larger piece ofpaper. Even I was having trouble withthe smaller size in the instructions, and I have pretty decent fine motorskills.

My attempt:

Professionals:

As you can see,mine don’t have quite the sophistication of the professionals, but theycertainly bring some cold weather cheer to my house!

C is for Catalogs!

2011-12-06T12:40:00.001-05:00

It's about that time of year again, friends! I have catalogs and checklist letters piled up as far as the eye can see and I'm so excited to share with you the titles we have planned for Spring '12!

This is the cover of our spring '12 catalog--pretty, yes?

This is what my desk looks like this week. Cozy, right?

Just as soon as I dig my way out of these piles of catalogs, they will be sent out to our many friends in Book Review Land. It's a magical place!

But first, here's the seasonal preview of our new books I just know you've been waiting for! Enter below for your chance to win a prize back of our picture books (as soon as they get in the warehouse, that is)!

The newest additions to the About Habitats...series introduce Oceans and Deserts to young readers. The Sills are at it again—their beautiful illustrations and compelling imagery coupled with super interesting information will have adults and children eager to learn more about these habitats.


In 1963, four thousand blackelementary, middle, and high school students voluntarily went to jail in Birmingham, Alabamato fight for civil rights. Through the eyes of four of these children, We’veGot a Job tells the story of this little-known event that became aturning point in American history.

Susan Stockdale's beloved Fabulous Fishes is now available in a board book! Perfect for the littlest little ones—the bright colors and stunning illustrations will enthrall young readers-to-be!

When a mother and daughter find themselves starting over in a new town, the run-down house they planned to fix up doesn't quite feel like home. Soon, they are overwhelmed with the projects and long for the old neighborhood they left behind. As they realize they can't do it all on their own, they reach out to the new community and find that they aren't as alone as they feel. As new friendships are formed and the house gets rebuilt, so does their sense of hope and belonging.


Karla loves the quilther grandmother made for her using old scraps of fabric from various familymembers. At night, each colorful piece of cloth tells Karla wonderful stories!When new baby sister Hannah is born, Karla has to find a way to share Mooshkain this intergenerational bedtime story.

In simpleyet informative language, A Place forBats introduces young readers to these interesting creatures and all the ways human action or inaction can affectbat populations.At the end of the book, author Melissa Stewart offers readers a list of things they can doto help protect these special creatures in their own communities!


Miss Lotta Scales is a "real dragon" when it comes to guarding the library books from certain disaster at the hands of grubby children. She won't even let the students touch the books! When one innocent child stumbles into the library and begins reading aloud to the other kids, Miss Scales’s outlook changes. Check out this new edition of the beloved book, which includes an audio CD narrated by Carmen Deedy herself!

A quirky twist to the traditionalfairytale, this adorable picture book gives readers a newkind of princess to root for. After tiring of theneeds of overly demanding princesses, Prince Henrik devises a test to find agirl who’s not so “sensitive,” using a very thin mattress and an entire packetof frozen peas!

Rose thinks the city is ugly and gray, and she wishes forbeautiful red, yellow and blue flowers. The crazy old Birdman who feeds pigeons in thepark gives Rose magic seeds to make a beautiful garden grow, and to everyone's surprise, a livinggarden springs up on Rose’s windowsill!

It’s summervacation, and Socko and his best friend Damien are taking care to avoid thelocal gang and its leader, Rapp. When Socko’s great-grandfather suddenly offersto buy a house in the suburbs, Socko’s mom jumps at the chance to leave the badneighborhood, but all is not what it seems. During his Summer on the Moon, Socko will facea series of tests concerning his own nature, the nature of the world and hisplace in it all.

This is a sweet, simple board book about an endearing young boy who digs in the dirt and plantsseeds. Time passes and the seeds grow intosomething amazing. This is the first in a series of three adorable board books,featuring the same character, so keep your eye out for the others, coming soon!

If you're a book reviewer and would like to be on our mailing list, make sure to email us at publicity@peachtree-online.com!

To enter to win a prize pack of our picture books, leave a comment here with your email address or email me at Rivet@Peachtree-online.com and tell me what you're most looking forward to this spring!

I'll pick a winner at random on Monday, Dec. 12 so keep an eye on your inbox that day!

Happy Reading!

*Contest ends 12/11/11 at 11:59 p.m.

**U.S. residents only, please

Walking off the turkey...and the pie...and the cranberry sauce...and the other pie...

2011-11-28T11:37:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had awonderful Thanksgiving! If you're anything like me, there are a few thingsthat are certain about your weekend:

A lot of food mysteriously disappeared from your kitchen around the same time someone shrunk all of your pants. How did that happen?
Rather than busting it through all the Black Friday sales, you spent Friday blissfully unconscious in a series of naps with a note taped to your face: “If you attempt to wake me or otherwise ruin this glorious day off by asking me to be productive, bad things will happen. Back away slowly. You were never here.”
The Sunday night blues set in as you realized that in a few short hours it would be Monday and this year’s Thanksgiving would soon be no more than a memory.

A good way to shake thingsup and get going again is to get outside! Get some fresh air! Bask in thesplendor of nature! If you live in Atlanta,you can spend that time simultaneously basking and wondering, “How on earth isit still so WARM? I’m Christmas shopping in shorts and flip-flops!” You canalso take advantage of all the great scenic and historical walks and trails inthe metro area.

Don’t know where to start?We’ll make it easy for you with the recently published fourth edition of Renand Helen Davis’s fabulous book Atlanta Walks. It has something for everyone,including me, the self-proclaimed “indoor” enthusiast. Getting out and hiking hasnever been my first choice when looking for an activity (I’m typically game foranything that involves sitting down) but I found some great trails forbeginners like me and thought I’d give it a go:

Marietta Square is pretty close to where Ilive and has a lot to offer—the historical markers are really interesting, theStrand presents great plays (I saw a production of "Hairspray" there lastyear!) and the shops and restaurants have something for everyone. Every weekendthere is a farmers market and every now and then there are concerts inthe square as well!

The following photos are courtesy of the Marietta tourism website (when I went, theweather wasn’t nearly as nice):

Image from Marietta.com

I always have a fun time when I go to Marietta Square. There's a lot of history to take in and it's a beautiful place to spend an afternoon, even if it's rainy! I found a spot near the square (a lot of the parking is metered, but you can also find parking lots around the area and walk to the square) and walked along the sidewalks, window shopping and getting ideas for Christmas gifts. After a while, I met some friends for lunch at the Marietta Pizza Company—yum! It was a great day, despite the weather, and I can't wait to go back soon!

Atlanta Walks includes maps of trailsfor everyone from novice walkers and families with children to the experiencedhiker looking for new ground to cover. Most of the walks are located within the Atlanta perimeter, butthere are many in the surrounding suburbs as well (Marietta is covered in chapter26!). Each walk includes:

a map, GPS coordinates and transportation and parking tips
information about distance covered, terrain and difficulty
seasonal events
local background, historical marker locations and notable sites
other available activities and nearby walks

For more information onthis book, click hereand have fun out there!

Guest Post by Author Cynthia Levinson

2011-11-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our debut author Cynthia Levinson wrote this post for the PiBoIdMo blog (that's Picture Book Idea Month for all you uninitiated), and we liked it so much that we wanted all of ya'll to get a chance to read it too! You can also hop over to PiBoIdMo if you'd like to read it there, or check out their other articles.

I was so heartened to read Carol Hampton Rasco’s opening blog post on PiBoIdMo because she made two comments that really resonate with me. Well, she said one, and then she quoted a savvy but jaded six-year-old.

First, she noted that the top picture-book choice of teachers, reading specialists, and Reading is Fundamental volunteers is NONFICTION. That buoyed me because that’s what I write. In fact, my agent, Erin Murphy, has two of my nonfiction picture books under submission right now. The six-year-old, however, quickly brought me down to earth. As he peered at a terrific looking book, he said, “it doesn’t look like a true fact book, they’re usually boring.” That’s good news for the book he was enjoying but “aargh” for the others.

We can all cite other terrific NF PBs. Some of my favorites include MIND YOUR MANNERS, ALICE ROOSEVELT! by Leslie Kimmelman; 14 COWS FOR AMERICA by Carmen Agra Deedy, which is available in both English and Spanish (which is perfect, since Rasco also said that bilingual books rank among the top-three most-wanted); andYOURS FOR JUSTICE, IDA B. WELLS by Philip Dray. Citing counter-examples to the six-year-old’s complaint, however, is beside the point. It’s his experience and his impression that count. So, what can we, as NfPiBoWr (that’s nonfiction picture-book writers) do to alter his conclusion that “true fact” books are boring?

Language and illustrations, of course, contribute hugely to enlivening books that happen to be accurate. Rasco also commented that what adults want for the children they read and give books to are books that are “eye and mind catching.” Great illustrations catch the eye; lilting, lively, lyrical text captures the mind. Neither of these is quite sufficient, however, if the topic—and we are dealing with ideas during PiBoIdMo here—is lackluster.

As a nonfiction writer, my ideas come from a number of places—the news, teacher-friends who lament the lack of good books about X, expert-friends who share fascinating stories about their research, and sheer curiosity. But, the biggest source of my ideas is Carus.

Who?

Carus is the family of magazines that is sometimes abbreviated to “COBBLESTONE.” These include, for various age groups, not only this magazine about American History but also DIG on archeology, APPLESEEDS and FACES on culture, CALLIOPE on history, ODYSSEY on science, and others. It’s not that I steal ideas from other writers; I steal ideas from myself. Here’s what I mean.

Most of these magazines are theme-based, and a couple of times a year, I check their Writer’s Guides to see what intrigues me. What I see now in ASK, a science magazine for six- to nine-year-olds, for instance, are calls for proposals for nonfiction articles on dreams and dreaming, “all the fish in the sea” on a census of fish, spelunking, and animal sounds. Don’t these sound like great grist for topics?!

While ASK targets the perfect age group for picture-book readers, magazines for older readers inspire ideas, too. For instance, FACES is soliciting articles on “Ghosts and the Spirit World” and COBBLESTONE on the 1963 “March on Washington.” There are many other fine nonfiction magazines as well—RANGER RICK and KNOW, for example. All of these can suggest possible picture book topics.

What’s critical for me, though, is not the general theme but what I just said. They suggest possible topics. Or, actually, the big ideas lead me down multiple paths to them. The themes themselves are often too broad for a picture book. But they can spark an idea for a specific article that might then transmogrify into an idea for a picture book.

For instance, when COBBLESTONE sought articles for an issue on Mark Twain, I consulted a friend who is a Twain expert. She suggested an idea for an article that became the basis for one of the picture books that is under submission. Similarly, in response to an issue of COBBLESTONE on the “Freedom Rides,” I wrote an article on music in the civil rights period. My research for this article revealed to me more than I had known about children’s involvement in civil rights—and that led to my other PB under submission. (In fact, I wrote and sold a whole middle-grade nonfiction book, WE’VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN’S MARCH, that was inspired by that article. But, that’s the topic for another blog!)

So, my recommendations for PiBoIdMo are to:

Check out great kids’ magazines.
Use their suggestions as springboards for your own. And
Inspire and be inspired by bored six-year-olds!

Cynthia Levinson has sold two dozen articles and stories on a wide range of topics to some of the best children’s magazines. Her debut middle-grade book, WE’VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN’S MARCH, will be published in February 2012.

Thanksgiving! And What You Thought You Knew About Jingle Bells

2011-11-23T12:43:00.001-05:00

I’ll admit Thanksgiving wasn't my favorite childhood holiday. For starters, there aren't any presents. OK, stop judging me! Behonest, and you’ll have to agree that presents are pretty much the barometerfor holiday excellence when you’re a kid.

It didn’t help that I don’tlike any of the food Thanksgiving is famous for. No, really. Not thecranberry sauce or the stuffing or the gravy or the dressing (which actuallymight be the same as stuffing, I’m not certain), or sweet potato casserole, orgreen bean casserole, or pumpkin pie. Idon’t even like turkey. Most childhoodThanksgivings had me sitting at the kids’ table, eating a slice of dry turkeyslathered in ketchup with a side of cocktail olives.

Thanksgiving too often getsskipped over nowadays, with Christmas decorations going up at Macy’s inOctober and Christmas music on the soft rock station in early November. But don’t think that I’m skipping out onThanksgiving just because this book’s title is Jingle Bells—what youmight not know is that the song ‘Jingle Bells’ was actually written for theThanksgiving holiday!

Here are some other funfacts about the song:

-'Jingle Bells' was the firstsong sung in space. That’s right, onDecember 16, 1956 the crew of Gemini 6 reported the sighting of “an object,looks like a satellite going from north to south, probably in polar orbit... I see a command module and eight smaller modules infront. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit...." before burstinginto a rendition of the familiar tune.

-Both Medford, Massachusetts and Savannah,Georgia claim to be the location where James Lord Pierpont composed thesong. We, of course, know it hadto be written in good ol' Georgia.

-The tune of ‘Jingle Bells’ has also beenused in German and French songs that celebrate the winter months, even thoughtheir lyrics have nothing in common with our holiday classic.

-‘Jingle Bells’ was written in 1857 andoriginally titled ‘One Horse Open Sleigh.’

-We can thank Carl Weismannof Denmark for the timeless ‘dogs barking Jingle Bells’ phenomenon. Weismann was a bird song enthusiast, who wasannoyed by his recordings being marred by barking pests. He decided to edit out the barks, and thenlinked the tape together, adjusting the speeds to manipulate the sound. This was a pretty complex task in the1950s, and is considered one of the ground-breaking steps toward musicmanipulation (I’m not going to say Weismann is to blame for Auto-tune, but I wonderwhere Rebecca Black would be without him?)

-The horse mentioned in the song is not named ‘Bob’ or ‘Bobtail,’ but insteadthat refers to the practice of ‘bobbing’ or ‘docking’ a horse’s tail, cuttingit very short to keep it from becoming tangled in the harness.

Have a fun and safe Thanksgiving holiday with the ones you love!

NCTE Recap

2011-11-22T11:18:00.001-05:00

Cynthia Levinson signing advanced reader's copies of We've Got a Job

Kathy and I showing off copies of We've Got a Job

Just wanted to mention that we had a great time at NCTE this year in Chicago! We just got our first advance copies of We've Got a Job, which were snatched up immediately in our booth. Debut author Cynthia Levinson presented on a social justice panel, and signed in the booth, and Lester Laminack was there as well, signing and presenting an anti-bullying campaign.

If you missed out on receiving a copy of We've Got a Job, the book will soon be available on NetGalley. See you next year in Las Vegas!

Stand Up to Bullying!

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is International Stand Up to Bullying Day.

I’m afraid we’re all too aware now of the widespread problem of bullying in schools and online. Not that it’s a new problem—I think most of us can recall some painful school day moments—but it’s escalated in recent years to new and more tragic degrees.

In the good old days you would just get picked on by the swing set, or on the bus ride home, but with Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and a slew of other online apps, it’s all too easy for anonymous cruelty to take place.

In This Girl is Different, Evie has been homeschooled by her free-spirited mother her whole life, but she craves an authentic high school experience. She enrolls in the local public school for her senior year, but quickly discovers that real high school is a far cry from Saved by the Bell.

Disenchanted by the injustice she sees from the teachers and administration, Evie creates an anonymous online campaign to set things straight. To her surprise, the anonymity of the internet turns her well-meaning project into something she had never imagined. Cruel accusations are made, classmates are at each other’s throats, and all anyone can agree on is that Evie is to blame. Evie must face the music—and her fellow students—and resolve this fiasco she’s created. In the end, she finds a way to clean up her mess, and to foster the open-minded dialogue she had intended all along.

This young adult novel is a great tool to address school bullying, without an overt or didactic message. Evie is a great, unusual character, and students will relate to her good intentions, and believable mistakes.

You can find out more about Evie here, and support International Stand Up to Bullying day by visiting their website here and by wearing a pink shirt on November 19^th.

Other Peachtree titles that deal with bullying are:

Picture books:
Camp K-9
Middle-grade:
Stumptown Kid
Dog Sense
The Everlasting Now
Gaff
Young Adult:
Charlie’s Story

Flash Point

Out of the Blue

There are a lot of other great anti-bullying resources out there as well:

STOMP Out Bullying

Kid’s Against Bullying

Hey U.G.L.Y.

Stop Bullying.gov

Where do ideas come from?

2011-11-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Where do ideas come from? All around! Check out Melissa Stewart’s video about the inspiration for her nature books:

There’s no denying that fall has finally descended on us here in Atlanta and that winter is on the way. The temperature is dropping and every morning on my drive into work I see roads covered in crispy, crunchy brown, yellow and red leaves. Suddenly, it's not unusual to see people in scarves and jackets and there are advertisements everywhere for events coming up in December. For me, this is my happy time--I love fall and all the promise of winter holidays ahead!

How do you celebrate the new season? Are you inspired by the crispness in the fall air and the changing colors of the leaves? What’s your favorite part of the Autumnal nature where you live? Or is fall the time when you start counting down the days until spring?

Leave us a comment with your email address here or email me at Rivet@Peachtree-online.com for your chance to win copies of Melissa Stewart’s books from the video, When Rain Falls and Under the Snow! I'll pick a winner at random on Saturday (Nov. 19) so keep an eye on your inbox!

Happy Reading, everyone!

*U.S. residents only, please

**Contest ends Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 11:59 p.m. EST

Blue Thirty-two, Blue Thirty-two, HUT HUT!

2011-11-14T14:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, I have no idea what "blue thirty-two" means or if "HUT" is what they actually say down there on the field, but I love football and the competition of team sports. I particularly love the camaraderie and brotherhood of the team. Having never played on a football team, I can only imagine the warm fuzzies the guys must get knowing that their teammates have their backs. Okay, maybe not warm fuzzies, but some manly, scruffy version of warm fuzzies.

It takes a lot of hard work to become a team in the truest sense of the word. One of my alma mater's claims to fame is that 'Remember the Titans' was filmed in large part on our campus -- the scene in which the boys are called upon to tell Coach Boone something they've learned about another teammate is one of my favorite scenes. It shows the building blocks of teamwork and what it takes to invest yourself in those relationships. (It also helps your sense of teamwork if you have an awesome musical score playing in the background, but that's a post for another day.) Fred Bowen tackles (pun intended) these importantlessons in his latest title, Quarterback Season.

Quarterback Season by Fred Bowen

Quarterback Seasontakes us right into the thick of school sports and what it means to be part ofa team. Matt is sure he'll be the starting quarterback for his middle school'sfootball team this year—and why shouldn't he be? He's been training all summerfor this. But when the new kid, Devro, joins the team and impresses the coachwith his speed, Matt suddenly finds himself unsure of his chances.

Vying for the same position, Matt and Devro quicklybecome unofficial enemies as the season approaches. Slowly but surely, the boysrecognize that their individual strengths will go a lot further if they focuson doing what's best for the team, rather than what will make them the star MVPof the season.

What I love about this book is that Bowen shows theother side of competition—competition within theteam—and how it can jeopardize the season. It’s a great lesson in team buildingwith all the exciting play-by-play action that this series is knownfor. Another interesting angle to this book is how the season and Matt’stransformation from star quarterback hopeful to all-around team player aredetailed in his journal, which is written as part of an assignment for hisEnglish class. Matt learns to be a better teammate while he learns to be abetter writer.

For more information on Fred Bowen and his SportsStory and All Star series books, check out his website here! Fred also did a really cool podcastwith IRA last summer about his work. Check it out!

Girls and Ponies

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I was one of those annoying girls that grew up with my own pony. In fact, I used to ride my pony around our ‘neighborhood’ (I use that term loosely, since I’m not sure five houses randomly plunked down along a dirt road really comprises suburbia), and sell wrapping paper, or cookies, or whatever we had to hawk for our school fundraiser.

When my sister and I weren’t racing our ponies around, we were playing with our horse figurines, or thumbing through the Dover Saddlery catalog, earmarking our favorite bridles (I wish I was exaggerating. We were fairly boring kids). Besides being a horse-crazy kid, I was also a voracious early reader, and had every copy of The Saddle Club and Thoroughbred series (my mom thought The Babysitter’s Club books were too racy).

I was pretty excited to discover upon my arrival at Peachtree that author Chris Platt, former Thoroughbred series contributor, was one of Peachtree’s esteemed authors. I love to think that there’s a whole new generation of girls growing up reading her books and running around their backyards pretending to be horses (yes, we did that too).

In Star Gazer, new kid in town Jordan McKenzie has just moved to rural Michigan. Despite her limited experience with horses, she is enamored with the big farm animals, and dreams of having one of her own. However, her newly single mother is adamant that the expense is more than they can afford. But when Jordan sees a beautiful draft mare headed to slaughter, she can’t help but bid at the local auction…

My experience with horses has always been more of the proper English side of things, so this book was a learning experience for me. I’m not as familiar with log-skidding competitions or wagon-pulling, but Chris Platt is a knowledgeable horsewoman as well as an excellent author, and there is plenty of detail and instruction to be found.

I’ve included a little video here so you can see what log-skidding is all about:

I’d say it’s not as easy as it looks, but it doesn’t look that easy to me!

For more info on Star Gazer, head over here. Happy Trails!

Make Butterfly Memories: A Guest Post By Author Sandra Markle

2011-11-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

Sandra Markle, author of Peachtree's Butterfly Tree, posted these helpful activities on her blog. They are so amazing, and such a great guide to using Butterfly Tree at home or in the classroom, I couldn't help but share them here with you!

You can read the original post here, on Sandra's blog, Write On!

******************************************

The best memories are the times we share. So I developed these activities for children to enjoy while reading my book, Butterfly Tree (Peachtree Publishers, 2011).

First, the heart of this book is about making a memory—taking time to do something together you can remember sharing forever. Talk about and then write about a special time you remember sharing with someone.

*Where and when did it happen?

*What happened?

*What was the key moment of that shared time?

Of course, there are also places we’d like to go and things we’d like to do to make memories. Talk about and then write about something you’d like to share doing together.

Now, explore the special memory Jilly and her mother share in Butterfly Tree.

When Jilly first spots something strange in the sky out over Lake Erie, what does she think it looks like? Read and discover.

Describing what something looks like by comparing it to something else is called a metaphor. Basically, something unfamiliar is described by telling how it’s like something familiar. A metaphor can be a powerful way to use words to paint a picture in someone’s mind. Try it.

Sit quietly for a few minutes either indoors or outside. Look around. Pick out something to focus on. Then think how you could describe what it looks like to someone who’s never seen it by comparing it to something else--something familiar.

Next, share your metaphor. Ask the person to describe the visual image your words painted in their mind. Trade metaphors back and forth to work together building a description.

Here are some places and times you could use metaphors to partner building a description others can enjoy too.
*A sunset
*A stormy day
*An animal in action: a bird taking flight; a squirrel in a tree; a cat playing

When Jilly first sees the orange cloud in the sky, she makes lots of guesses of what it might be. Each of those guesses probably instantly made Jilly think of a different possibility for where the cloud came from and why it’s over Lake Erie. What did Jilly imagine the cloud might be? Read and discover.

Spend some time cloud watching with someone. Look out a window or go outside on a wonderfully cloudy day. Focus on one cloud that looks like an animal, an object, or something totally magical. Tell a short story about that cloud and what you imagined about it.

Then write your cloud story. Be sure to include at least one metaphor to help your reader see what you’re describing.

Jilly’s ready to run away because of the orange cloud she’s spotted, but her Mom suggests they go searching for where the cloud landed.

What orange things do Jilly and her Mom discover in the woods before they find the orange cloud? Read and discover.

What happens to reveal what the orange cloud really is? Don't miss reading to find out!

Mom says she remembers seeing the butterflies when she was a girl. Why do you think she didn’t just tell Jilly what the orange cloud was?

Now, discover more about monarch butterflies.

The Circle of Life

Look at these images of the stages of a monarch butterfly’s life cycle.

Egg
The female lays her eggs on the leaves of milkweed plants. Caterpillars hatch out in about four days.

Caterpillar
Caterpillars eat their egg case and keep on eating. They eat the milkweed leaves they’re on. They eat nearly twenty-four hours a day for about two weeks.

Pupa
The caterpillar spins a silk pad on the under side of a leaf. It grips this with tiny legs, called prolegs. It hangs in a J-shape and molts. This way it sheds its exoskeleton, or outer covering.

That hardens to form a chrysalis, a protective case. Inside the chrysalis, digestive juices break down a lot of the caterpillar’s old body. Using energy from stored up fats, a new body grows from the old one bit by bit.

Adult
After about two weeks, an adult monarch butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. It takes several hours for its wings to fully inflate and harden. Then it flies off to feed on nectar, the sweet liquid produced by flowers. It lives from two to eight weeks. During this time, the males and females mate. Then the females lay their eggs, starting the cycle over again.

Butterfly Inside
Experience what happens when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Cut out and color anadult monarch.

Then fold this up small and push it inside a balloon.
Have an adult partner blow up a balloon just enough to partly inflate it. Tie the neck to seal the balloon.

Cover the balloon with paper mache. To do this, first snip newspaper into strips about an inch (2.5 cm) wide and 6 inches (25 cm) long. Cut at least 25 strips. In a bowl, mix one-half cup flour with enough water to make a runny paste. Dip one paper strp into the glue mixture. Hold the strip over the bowl and slide between your thumb and fingers to remove excess paste. Smooth the strip onto the balloon. Repeat until the whole balloon is covered up to the neck. Smooth your fingers over the wet balloon. This will help seal the edges of the paper strips. Set the balloon in a clean, dry bowl. Turn frequently for a few hours to help it dry evenly. Leave overnight.

The balloon now represents the chrysalis inside which the caterpillar is changing into an adult butterfly. Use scissors to carefully snip into the balloon just below the neck. That will pop the balloon. It will deflate and separate from the inside of the paper mache. Carefully pull out the balloon. Open it and pull out the folded up adult. Unfold the adult slowly.

In real life, the adult butterfly’s body gives off a special chemical that helps break open the chrysalis. Then the adult crawls out and hangs upside down from its chrysalis. Its abdomen squeezes over and over, pumping fluid into the wings. The big wings slowly unfold. The butterfly flaps these wings while they dry and become strong. Then it’s ready to fly.

Scavenger Hunt

Now, go on an on-line scavenger hunt to track down the answers to these questions.

How can you help monarch butterflies?

Why is a viceroy butterfly colored to mimic a monarch butterfly?

Also, don’t miss the fun, interactive jigsaw puzzles on this site.

Where do monarch butterflies go to escape cold winters?
Watch the slide show at The Magic of Monarch Butterfly Migration

Also find out what is the longest any monarch butterfly has flown to date during itsmigration?

Wonder how monarch know where they’re going when they migrate?

Journey North’s Monarch Butterfly Migration Tracking Project reports
“This is a question that scientists are still working to answer. People working at the University of Kansas with Chip Taylor have shown that they use the sun, and also probably the earth’s magnetic field to know which way is south during the fall migration. But we don’t know how they find the specific spots in Mexico. Personally, I’m not sure that we’ll ever be able to answer this one—which I think is kind of nice. I like mysteries!”

If you like science mysteries too, after you finish readingButterfly Tree you'll enjoy another of my books The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A Scientific Mystery (Millbrook, 2011). It’s the story of a real-life science mystery. Solving it meant the difference between life and death for Panama’s tiny golden frogs.

Aunt Susan would be so proud!

2011-11-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

Did you vote yesterday? It may not be a presidential election year, but yesterday we celebrated Election Day just as we have every year since 1845. Well, almost as we have since 1845. See, a whole lot has changed in our country and in our culture since then, and much of this change is more recent than you’d think.

One of the biggest changes came in 1920 with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment which guarantees that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Approving this amendment was a long and arduous process many years in the making. Our recent title, Marching with Aunt Susan, details one of the many rallies leading to this giant step toward gender equality in our country.

Marching with Aunt Susan is inspired by the journals of ten-year-old Bessie Keith Pond who lived in California during the suffrage campaign. All Bessie wants is to go hiking with her father and brothers, but it is 1896 and girls don’t get to hike. They can’t vote either, which Bessie discovers when Susan B. Anthony comes to town to help lead the campaign for women’s suffrage. Inspired by the great woman, Bessie becomes involved in the movement and discovers how real change is made.

It’s amazing to think of a time when women couldn’t vote. What’s more, the very act of campaigning for this right was seen by some as downright criminal! These photos of British suffragettes were used as ID sheets for Scotland Yard officers (via Retronaut):

http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/07/suffragette-surveillance-1913/

Getting the right to vote was certainly a feat and a great accomplishment, but women’s rights certainly didn’t stop there. Even the last fifty years have held their own challenges for women.

I came across this book the other day and had quite a chuckle:

How is this in any way a humorous book you ask? Well, flip to the section in which expectant mothers are advised to buy larger clothes or just stay indoors for the purpose of concealing their "current state." There are also a few bits about husbands dropping their wives off at the hospital and returning to work to "await the news." My, how times have changed! This book surely isn't indicative of everyone who ever had a baby in 1963, but it's intriguing to think of how different life was even that recently.

Fast-forward to 2010:

Last year, my sister voted, pregnant belly abounding, and went into labor two days later--and her husband was in the room, for shame! They brought into the world a precious little girl who, in 17 years, will go and vote herself!

If you’re a woman who voted yesterday, take a moment to thank the pioneers of the previous century that you’re able to do so--and in whatever "current state" you’re in, no less!

Aunt Susan and Bessie would be so proud of how far we've come! The world is a very different place for us because of their hard work. For more info on Marching with Aunt Susan, check out this link. We also have free teacher guides for classroom discussions!

Happy Reading (and voting!), everyone!

*If you like Marching With Aunt Susan, check out:

Happy Birthday, Margaret Mitchell!

2011-11-08T12:20:00.002-05:00

Margaret Mitchell was an enigma in her day. Virtually unknown except for breaking convention as a socialite and as the first female reporter for the largest newspaper in the south, Mitchell's first manuscript was published almost in spite of her best intentions (After having given her manuscript to Macmillan publisher Howard Latham, she sent him a telegram reading "Have changed my mind. Send manuscript back."). It went on to become one of the most popular novels in American history, selling over 30 million copies worldwide.

In her book, Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The love story behind Gone With the Wind, author Marianne Walker's extensive research into the personal life of Mitchell reveals more than a few idiosyncrasies and quite the colorful personality. Marianne was kind enough to share with us this essay on one of Mitchell's quirks--her unwillingness to ever reveal her true age!

Welcome to the blog, Marianne!

Oh, my! Margaret Mitchell would’vebeen annoyed to discover that the whole world knows exactly when she was born.She never—ever—wanted any mention ofher age, or any questions asked about it, or any attention given to herbirthday. And now look at what we, her fans, are doing! This year, we are notonly celebrating the 75^th birthday of her only “baby”–Gone Withthe Wind—but alsoher 111^th birthday on November 8.

Like many other women of hergeneration, Margaret—or Peggy, as friends called her—was extraordinarilysensitive about telling her age. Even when she was very young, she did herlevel best to conceal it. For a long time, she easily succeeded in gettingfolks to think that she was younger than she was; it helped that she waspetite, youthful looking, and pretty.

Her veracity was above reproach,except when she was questioned about her age. Yes, the truth is MargaretMitchell refused to state her birth date at all unless some legal reasonrequired her to do so and, even then, she could not let the truth be known.

For example, on June 15, 1925, sheand her sweetheart John Marsh ran to the courthouse on their lunch break toapply for a marriage license. Right there in the clerk’s office in the FultonCounty Courthouse, the seat of the judicial system in Georgia (where truthsurely ought to prevail), she fibbed again. On the marriage application, shestated her age as twenty-two, when in fact she was twenty-four. No doubt evenher fiancé didn’t know her correct age at the time. Later, on her driver’slicense, she again falsified her birth date, stating it as November 8, 1908. (Good grief, that’s slicing off eight years!) Otherinstances provide evidence that the older she got, the younger she madeherself.

After she became famous, she hadgreat trouble concealing her age. She literally received thousands—noexaggeration here—of letters from fans, many of whom believed that she hadlived through the Civil War, which they presumed was the reason she was able towrite about it so eloquently. Whew,that notion really scorched her! But Peggy handled the matter politely—withoutrevealing her age.

Absolutely nothing would make herveer from her principle: remain silent or lie! In November 1936, Mr. SamDoerflinger, an executive at the Macmillan Company (her publisher), happilyinformed her that Gone With the Windhad been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and that he would need somebiographical information about her to submit to the nominating committee. She bristled.

Imagine his shock when he read hertart reply written on Thanksgiving Day, 1936: “…I’ll gladly tell you where I was born. I was born here in Atlanta, Ga.But I am not telling when I was born.”

She went on to explain to Mr.Doerflinger that she had “never felt that a person’s age was the concern ofanyone except herself and her family.” And, she said, “My feeling on thismatter has been considerably strengthened since Gone With the Wind was published. The day seldom passes but thatseven complete strangers either phone me or call at the door and ask pointblank, ‘Just how old are you?’ The newspapers, news services, biographicalreviews, etc. have been in a lather about the matter, too. The effect has beento arouse my stubbornness.”

The conclusion of her letter leavesus with no doubts about her feelings: “My age is my own private business and Iintend to keep it so—if I can. I am not so old that I am ashamed of my age, andI am not so young that I couldn’t have written my book and that is all thepublic needs to know about my age . . . the curiosity seekers have made mestubborn on this point, and, if my reticence knocks me out of the nomination[for the Pulitzer], then I guess that’s just too bad.” (Can’t you just hear some woman in thebackground, shouting. “Good for you, girlfriend!”)

So, in Peggy’s honor, why don’t allof us fans simply agree to say that the author of Gone With the Wind wasa child prodigy, and let it go at that?

Turn Back the Clocks!

2011-11-05T19:17:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the end of Daylight Saving Time! Don’t forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight and enjoy that bonus hour of snoozing. Here are some sleep-centric Peachtree titles to get you in the mood for some extra Zs.

Please Don’t Wake the Animals

Written by Mary Batten, Illustrated by Higgins Bond

All people sleep. So do all other mammals. Birds sleep, too. Even snakes, fish, and insects have a way of sleeping. How different animals sleep on land, in water, and in the air—and the special ways they do it—is the subject of this fascinating book for young readers.

Nighty Night!

Written by Margaret Wild, Illustrated by Kerry Argent

It's bedtime on the farm, but the baby animals aren't ready to go to sleep. Mother Sheep, Father Duck, Mother Hen, and Father Pig are in for a big surprise when they go to tuck their little ones in: none of the babies are in their own beds! Once the bedtime mix-up is finally straightened out, the parents realize that the fun has just begun
Instead of sleep, the baby animals want another story, a drink of water, kisses, and more. Will these baby animals ever be ready to say "nighty night?"

One More Sheep

Written by Mij Kelly, Illustrated by Russell Ayto

On a wild, windy night in a thunderstorm, Sam brings his ten sheep home and tucks them in bed for the night, with woolly socks on their feet and woolly hats on their heads. The shepherd wants to make sure he's rounded up all of them. But counting sheep always makes him fall asleep!

Bedtime in the Jungle

Written and Illustrated by John Butler

As nighttime approaches, mother animals and their babies are settling down for the night. A rhinoceros soothes one child to sleep, while a monkey makes a bed for her two babies and a leopard tucks in her three little ones. By the time readers arrive at the stunning gatefold illustration at the end of the story, a herd of ten elephant babies is nodding off, and silence finally settles over the jungle. Perhaps other little eyes will begin to close as well.

While You Were Sleeping

Written and Illustrated by John Butler

While young Daisy sleeps, animals play and swim and fly. When she wakes up, her mother tells her about each animal in turn. John Butler's lyrical text and rich, vivid pictures make this a special book for sharing. Children can learn to count while they discover what animals do while we're asleep, and adults will be equally enchanted by the luminous beauty of Butler's brilliant, detailed illustrations.

Back to Bed, Ed!

Written and Illustrated by Sebastien Braun

Getting ready for bed is lots of fun at Ed's house.

But while Ed loves going to bed, he doesn't like staying there. Night after night he tiptoes down the hall and climbs into Mom and Dad's big bed. Mom and Dad aren't getting much sleep so they come up with a plan to keep Ed in his bed.

Ed doesn't think much of Mom and Dad's plan—so he comes up with one on his own!

How to Rock Your Baby

Written by Sibley Fleming, Illustrated by John Amoss

When Baby arrives, the new Mom and Dad follow the "How To" instructions in their baby book as closely as they can. But when the book says, "Now rock the baby to sleep," the parents are left a little confused about exactly what to do. They try every trick they can think of—from the ordinary to the outlandish—but Baby just won't fall asleep. Then, just when Mom and Dad are tired and running out of ideas, they make a wonderful discovery...

Notes from the Litter box: Cats rule, Dogs drool

2011-11-03T10:38:00.002-04:00

Hello my faithful readers! I’ve been away for a while but someone finally left a computer on overnight, allowing me to make my long-anticipated return to the blog! I’d have done so sooner, but do you know how hard it is to push a power button when you’re a cat? Really, my dependence on these humans is so frustrating at times. I’ll continue my futile attempts to distract them as they leave in hopes that they forget to switch everything off more often. I could get used to this computer being on--it makes a great heater for me to sleep on!

Remember how I said that a cat makes a better ‘man’s best friend’ than a dog? I just about flipped my lid when I saw this book:

I Am Tama, Lucky Cat is a prime example of our superiority, so I decided to review it for National Cat Day!

This beautiful book tells the Japanese legend of the beckoning cat. One day, deep in the mountains of Japan, a cat graces an old ruin of a temple with its presence and lets the monk and worshippers spend their days with it. This cat not only provides companionship for the people in the temple, but brings good luck and great fortune. Now that’s what I call a best friend! I’ve read it a couple of times--I hope the humans don’t find the copy I swiped; I do love a good book to read before bedtime. (It’s hidden under one of my cushions, so shhh—don’t tell!)

When I read this book I had never heard of the beckoning cat. So, naturally (being a cat and all), my curiosity was piqued. Here are some really interesting things I learned about the beckoning cat since reading the book:

     - In its original Japanese, ‘beckoning cat’ is Maneki Neko.
     - The sculpture is typically made of ceramic and designed to look like a calico
        Japanese Bobtail cat
     - Sometimes the sculptures are made to be used as piggy banks--neat!
     - There are many beliefs about what each paw means when raised, but I have
       found that most center around bringing fortune or protection.
     -While it is believed that Maneki Neko first appeared between 1603 and 1867
       in Japan, the earliest documented evidence is a newspaper article dated 1876.
     -It is commonly believed the higher the raised paw, the greater the luck.

If you ask me, this cat Tama makes a great best friend for the monk and the worshippers in the story. Cats in general are clearly superior--even the cheese-eating one would make a better friend than a dog! The three of us should team up and show these humans what's what. I bet there's contact information for them somewhere in all these files.

Once I find the info I need, I think I'll email these fellow felines and see about forming a league of extraordinary cat companions. We'll call ourselves...(wait for it)...The Cuddly Killer Kibble Eaters! Or something like that.

Until next time, faithful readers! Happy Reading!

Happy Halloween from Peachtree!

2011-10-27T13:44:00.007-04:00

Halloween at my house usually means hoarding candy like there's no tomorrow and staying up way too late watching scary movies on television. This year, however, I may skip the scary movie. Having had quite the spooky night last weekend, I think I'm all scared out!

I was driving up to the tippy-top northeast corner of Georgia and as the sun began to set, I had a sneaking suspicion that I wouldn't make it to my destination before dark. Being a city girl (okay, a suburb girl), I wasn't used to the twisty, winding, narrow mountain roads and my trusty GPS was failing me. The phrase 'searching for satellite connection' has never been so scary! Before long, it was pitch dark out and I had very few clues as to where I was. Even if my phone had had any reception out there, all I could have told anyone was "I'm on a dark, curvy road. There are also trees everywhere." I felt like the boy in Trick or Treat on Monster Street--separated from the group and lost in the deep, dark, scary woods--petrified of how the night might end.

I spent approximately 2 minutes flipping out, convinced I was doomed to sleep in my car and wait for daylight, but finally pulled myself together and continued up the mountain. When I came upon a public establishment (the only one I’d seen in an hour of backwoods driving), I didn’t hesitate before pulling in and asking for help.

Much like the boy in the story, I eventually found my way thanks to some very friendly locals. Only, his rescuers invited him to a Halloween party and then literally carried him out of the woods while mine wrote directions down for me on the back of a receipt. Eerily enough, and also like the boy in the story, I can’t figure out where on earth I must’ve ended up! I’ve gone back to the map a hundred times since that fateful night and it’s still a mystery.

Spooky stories like these make Halloween so exciting (who doesn't like a good scare, especially when hopped up on candy?), but what about the monsters out there who are just trying to help? The ones who eat our peas for us or do our math homework? And what are the traditions behind the Day of the Dead holiday?

Read on about Peachtree's Halloween books featuring everything from trick or treating to El Dia de los Muertos to monsters both mischievous and hilarious. Leave a comment below to win!

A boy’s dread of things that go bump in the night fills his head with monstrous thoughts. So when he is separated from his older brothers on Halloween night and finds himself alone on Monster Street, he fears the worst! When he knocks on the door of the house up ahead, he gets a big surprise--is it a trick or a treat?
Read it to find out!

What is the Day of the Dead all about? This picture book tells the story in captivating images and simple text in both Spanish and English. Graveyard skeletons shake, rattle, and roll in a spirited Day of the Dead celebration featuring bold and colorful cut-paper illustrations. A section in the back explains the holiday and includes a glossary of terms.
More info here!

What do you dread eating the most? For the boy in this story, it’s peas! It would seem his problem is solved when a hilariously disgusting monster appears and offers to eat the revolting peas in exchange for one little thing…the boy’s soccer ball. Every time peas appear on the boy’s plate, the monster’s demands escalate. How far will the boy go to avoid the offending vegetable he loathes?
Read it to find out!

The monster is back! Only this time, he’s doing a little boy’s math homework! At first, everything adds up perfectly. But when the boy’s math knowledge is tested at school, his troubles begin to multiply…
More info here!

What would you do if you found a hungry Gorg in the neighborhood bog? How would you get a Three-Toed Albanian Snoring Sock Bat our of your drawers? Professor LeGrand, the world’s foremost expert on monster diversity, will instruct you on the outrageous habits and appalling behavior of bizarre creatures such as the Sissyfoos, the Whichwayawawa, the Snurps and perhaps worst of all…Ralph, Ed and Joe!
More info here!

What are your Halloween or Day of the Dead traditions? Have you ever been lost in the woods on a spooky, dark night? How far would you go to avoid eating loathsome peas? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a prize pack of ghoulishly wonderful Halloween books from Peachtree! I'll pick a winner at random on Saturday (10/29) afternoon!

*Contest ends Saturday, Oct. 29 2011 at 5 p.m. EST

**U.S. residents only, please

Melissa Stewart gives us an inside look at her office!

2011-10-24T23:13:00.000-04:00

What are you going to be for Halloween? A pumpkin? A ghost? How about an author? Melissa Stewart’s nieces are getting a head start, showing their aunt just how an author should show off her work space!

Thanks Melissa for this adorable look at your office! For more info about Melissa and her wonderful books, check out her Science Clubhouse!

The Cheshire Cheese Cat Challenge!

2011-10-07T14:05:00.006-04:00

Ready for a Dickens of a contest? There are MANY ways to enter this one for the chance to win a signed copy of The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale and a poster! Multiple entries are encouraged, friends – the more points, the better!

I’ll be picking three winners and you have the next two weeks to enter as many ways as you can! The three people with the most points will be contacted Friday evening, Oct. 21!

Ways to enter:

1. "Like" The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale on Facebook (2 points)

2. Leave a comment on this post (2 points)

3. Find and comment on as many Cheshire Cheese Cat reviews as you can and send me the links! You can do this via email, our Cheshire Cheese Cat Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/thecheshirecheesecat) or Twitter (tweet to @PeachtreePub with #cheshirecheesecat) (3 points per comment)

4. Find a copy of The Cheshire Cheese Cat at your local independent bookstore and take a photo of yourself reading it! Again, you can email the photo(s) to me or share them on The Cheshire Cheese Cat Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/thecheshirecheesecat) or Tweet them to @PeachtreePub with #cheshirecheesecat (5 points)

5. Mad Libs (sorta, more like a Wordy Scavenger Hunt)! Go through the book and put together the secret phrase:
· 32nd word of chapter 1
· 2nd word on page 5
· 14th word on page 24
· 2nd word on the last line of page 65
· 23rd word on page 25
· Last word on the 5th line of page 89
· 1st word on the 11th line of page 24
· 1st word on the 19th line of page 154
· 1st word on the 2nd line of page 30
· Last word on first line of chapter 41
· 2nd word of the 4th line on page 129
· Second-to-last word of the 2nd line on page 93

Email the phrase to me with subject line: The Cheshire Cheese Cat Secret Phrase!
*Don’t put this one on Twitter or Facebook though – shh! It’s secret!
(5 points)

Good luck everyone! Happy Reading!

**Contest ends Oct. 21, 2011
***US residents only, please

The Cheshire Cheese Cat blog tour!

2011-10-03T10:45:00.019-04:00

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale

BLOG TOUR

Welcome to the official blog tour for The Cheshire Cheese Cat! I'll be updating this page throughout the week with links to the blog posts, so check back often!

Monday, Oct. 3:

A Word’s Worth – Check out some exclusive interior images and enter for your chance to win a copy of The Cheshire Cheese Cat!

Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf -- A great review of The Cheshire Cheese Cat awaits along with another chance for you to win a copy of the book!

Tuesday, Oct. 4:
Through the Looking Glass -- There's a very special letter from one of the main characters over here all about the importance of words (can you guess who it's from?)! Plus, you can enter for your chance to win a copy of the book!

There's a Book -- Check out this great review of The Cheshire Cheese Cat and enter for your chance to win a copy!

Wednesday, Oct. 5:
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers reviews The Cheshire Cheese Cat and gives you a chance (a couple chances, actually!) to win a copy!

Chapter Book of the Day -- Ever wonder what it’s like to edit “the next big thing”? Head over to Booktalking's Chapter Book of the Day to read an interview with Margaret Quinlin, editor of The Cheshire Cheese Cat!

Thursday, Oct. 6:
Not Just for Kids – Check out some exclusive interior images and read a great review of the book, plus another chance for you to win a copy of the book!

YA Books Central is featuring an excerpt from The Cheshire Cheese Cat!

Friday, Oct. 7:

Maestra Amanda posted her ideal cast of voices for the characters of the Cheshire Cheese Cat! What fun!

Thanks again to all of our contributing bloggers, you guys are always such wonderful people to work with!

"The pain of parting is nothing

to the joy of meeting again.”

-Charles Dickens

I've got a super exciting contest going live this afternoon for all of you! Check back right here around 2 p.m. EST!

*Want to be part of the blog tour with us? On Twitter, retweet tour posts and add #CheshireCheeseCat to spread the word and be in on the action! On Facebook, link to tour posts and tag @Peachtree Publishers and/or @The Cheshire Cheese Cat (the book page). It won't go unnoticed!

*Be sure to check out the new Cheshire Cheese Cat interactive website! http://www.cheshirecheesecat.com/

All Things Cheshire Cheese!

2011-09-26T14:04:00.004-04:00

“What greater gift than the love of a cat?"
- Charles Dickens

Announcing Cheshire Cheese Week! We have a lot of fun in store for everyone beginning...right now!

This week: Watch Twitter (@PeachtreePub) for fun Dickens facts and trivia!

Saturday, Oct. 1: We'll be hosting 'A Tale of Three Cities' book launch parties for The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale in three cities (get it?)! For more info, check out our Facebook pages for the event! Also, our Cheshire Cheese Cat website will go live!

Next Week, Oct. 3-7: Watch this space for links to all the stops on The Cheshire Cheese Cat blog tour! Big, big thank you to all of our participants: A Word's Worth, From the Mixed-Up Files of Jennifer Bergman, There's a Book, Through the Looking Glass, Booktalking, Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers, Maestra Amanda's Bookshelf, YA Books Central and Not Just for Kids!

Friday, Oct. 7: I'll wrap up the blog tour right here with a contest! Keep your eyes on the prize, readers!

Want to be part of the blog tour with us? On Twitter, retweet tour posts and add #CheshireCheeseCat to spread the word and be in on the action! On Facebook, link to tour posts and tag @Peachtree Publishers and/or @The Cheshire Cheese Cat (the book page). It won't go unnoticed!

See you there!

-E

S is for Signings!

2011-09-19T10:37:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of hopping over to the Buckhead area of Atlanta to meet up with author Susan Stockdale for Children's Hour at Barnes & Noble, where she was scheduled to read and sign books.

Being fairly new to this position at Peachtree, I hadn't been on the professional side of a book signing before, so I didn't know what to expect upon my arrival. Sure, I had stood in line to get a book signed before, all the while contemplating the PERFECT thing to say during what always promises to be a four-second foray into how awkward I can possibly be (pretty darn, as it turns out, which is impressive given the time restraint!), but I had never had an actual role to play at a book event. I had never had a real reason for showing up early and hanging out late (though that never stopped me from doing just that...awkwardly). Pretty exciting stuff!

So, I figured this would be a perfect opportunity for me to delve into my exploits, to give everyone an insider's look into the publishing world from a first timer's point of view, to boldly go where, okay, probably lots of people have gone before!

Friends, I give you: "S is for Signings!"

This is Susan Stockdale. She is AWESOME!

Once I had navigated the somewhat intimidating streets of Buckhead and found our Barnes & Noble, I had no trouble finding Susan in the children's section. Just as sweet as she always has been to me in emails and phone calls, she was her usual, happy, energized self. She's truly a delightful person to work with!

There were already a few families gathered, anticipating story time with Susan and finding the best spot to snuggle down in for the hour. I heard announcements over the PA system that "Barnes & Noble's Children's Hour with Susan Stockdale will be starting in just a few minutes" and I thought to myself, "Wow, this is a real thing!"

When Susan began reading from her latest book, Bring On the Birds, the kids were immediately engaged. I'd never seen a more attentive audience of kiddos! They ate it up and absolutely loved it when Susan stood up to impersonate the birds in her book. She was a hoot! (No pun intended!)

She even brought along some of her paints and paintbrushes to show us all how she creates the illustrations for her books, which I thought was a really cool idea for story hour. I learned a lot and went home with the urge to start painting. I bet I wasn't the only one who was inspired by her art!

We all had so much fun listening to Susan go through Bring On the Birds, Fabulous Fishes and Carry Me!, but all good things must come to an end, so we transitioned to the book signing portion of the morning. Everyone was so excited to have Susan sign and personalize books that we almost ran out of copies!

A young author shares his work with Susan -- it was inspired by Bring On the Birds!

After every book was signed and Children's Hour came to a close, the children's section of Barnes & Noble looked just exactly as it had when I walked in. Only this time I looked around knowing that a bunch of kiddos had just seen some magic (because what's more magical at that age than meeting a real, live author and having her write your name next to hers in a real, live book?). Plus, I had gotten over my fear of awkwardosity at book signings (unless you count standing in the back snapping pictures the whole time as awkward).

Thank you so much to everyone who came, and thank you to Susan for everything you do! (Check out her website for more info!)

Until next time, happy reading!

-E

*For more 'P is for Publicity' and behind-the-scenes posts, here are some past posts about seasonal mailings, submitting a manuscript, the slush pile, tips for publicists, tips for bloggers, cover design, the many types of editors, art direction, the acquisitions process and tips for reviewers.

14 Cows for America: 10 Years Later

2011-09-07T14:43:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that it has been ten years since September 11, 2001. Harder still to believe is that there are many teachers who face the challenge of explaining what happened to a new generation of students who were too young at the time to remember what happened or who were not yet even born. This daunting task will be difficult, but it is important and shouldn’t be overlooked.

This weekend, let us look to our younger generation with hope for the future as we discuss with them the importance of remembering the past.

Carmen Deedy’s New York Times bestselling title 14 Cows for America is a great way to start the conversation. The Wall Street Journal noted that “of all the expressions of consolation sent to a grieving America after 9/11, perhaps none was as poignant as the gift of 14 cows from Maasai tribesman in a remote corner of Kenya. How the offering came about is the subject of this moving and dramatically illustrated picture book.”

Below is some detailed information about 14 Cows for America. If you'd like more information, click here to visit the 14 Cows for America website. A free classroom discussion guide is available here.

About the book:

14 Cows for America

by Carmen Agra Deedy, in collaboration with Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah

Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

$17.75 / 9781561454907 / Ages 6-10

The Big Gift of Compassion One Small Kenyan Village Made to the American People

14 Cows for America is the true story of Maasai tribesman and Stanford University student Kimeli Naiyomah. On September 11, 2001, while visiting the United Nations headquarters in New York, he witnessed the catastrophic events that changed our nation forever.

The young man traveled back to his home, a remote village in Western Kenya, with a heavy-burdened heart to bring the story to his tribe. The village had not heard about the collapse of the twin towers in New York and when Kimeli told them about this event that had “burned a hole in his heart,” they could hardly understand its scope.

As a gift of support and compassion, the village reacted to Kimeli's sorrow by offering the thing that most supported life for them: a herd of cows, the ultimate gift a Massai can give. The Maasai people are nomadic cattle herders. To the tribe, the cow equals life.

With stunning illustrations of the Kenyan landscape and people, and simple, moving text, 14 Cows for America, is a story of hope and generosity in the face of tragedy with the message that comfort, solace, and aid can come from the most unexpected places.

Carmen Agra Deedy has been writing and traveling around the world telling stories for almost twenty years. Her books have received numerous awards and honors. Born in Havana, she lives in the Atlanta area and can be found online at www.carmendeedy.com.

Thomas Gonzalez was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. Tom originally trained as an artist and painter, and went on to become an illustrator with a wide range of clients from Delta Airlines to Coca-Cola. 14 Cows for America is his first picture book. Gonzalez currently lives with his daughter and wife in the Atlanta area.

Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah received his master of science degree in molecular biology from Stanford University in 2008. He was awarded a Rotary International World Peace Fellowship and will begin studies in peace and conflict resolution at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, in spring 2010.

Praise for 14 Cows for America:

“A lovely picture book…beautifully evocative…”

— The New York Times

“…moving and dramatically illustrated…”

— The Wall Street Journal

“Rarely do books for children address the bridging of cultural difference on a grand scale.”

— Newsday

“A moving tale of compassion and generosity.”

—Publishers Weekly

“The suspenseful pace is especially striking when surrounded by Gonzalez’s exquisite colored pencil and pastel illustrations. The colors of Kenya explode off the page.”

—School Library Journal (Starred Review)

“A stirring, heartwarming tale that made headlines when it happened—and is now, thankfully, preserved on the page for children.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“…the words and the glowing mixed-media illustrations

show empathy and connections across communities…”

— Booklist

Awards and Honors:

2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award

2010 CCBC Choice

Nominee, 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Award, Association of Booksellers for Children

Remembering Hurricane Katrina

2011-08-29T13:17:00.001-04:00

Hurricane season is upon us and Irene, barreling up the East Coast, won't let us forget it.

Another storm I hope we never forget is Hurricane Katrina. For all that was lost this fateful week six years ago, let us always remember the solidarity of citizens, the help that can be given, the hope that can be shared and the determination of the people of that historic and legendary city.

With any natural disaster, there is always the question of how to communicate what happened and why it is important to share the events with the little ones in our lives. It's not always easy, but we must communicate the past to the budding citizens of our future.

Myron Uhlberg's A Storm Called Katrina gives parents, teachers and librarians a wonderful format with which to sensitively introduce what happened to those who don't remember and to help make sense of it for those who do. Below are some of the reviews of the book--please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like a review copy.

New Orleans, you're in our thoughts and hearts this week!

Click here to download a free classroom discussion guide and fact sheet.

Critical Acclaim:

"Can the enormity of a large-scale tragedy like 9/11, the Japanese tsunami or Hurricane Katrina be conveyed to school-age children without frightening them? How to describe the emotional toll without imposing a burden? It’s a difficult balance. But it’s one that the writer Myron Uhlberg and the illustrator Colin Bootman strike gracefully" -New York Times

"...Readers are in for a deeply personal and sometimes uncomfortable look at a disaster whose ramifications are still being felt..." -Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"...Simple, affecting prose and intricate, inspired paintings make this one worth sharing for sure..." -Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Blog Reviews:

An Abundance of Books
Book Dads
Books of Wonder and Wisdom
The Eclectic Reader
The Happy Nappy Bookseller
Let's Go on a Picnic!
Mysteries, etc.
A Patchwork of Books
Read It Again, Mom!
Recycle Your Reads
Waking Brain Cells

Notes from the Litter Box: Where's the love?

2011-08-26T20:12:00.002-04:00

Hello faithful readers,

It’s Eddie here and I have some disturbing news.

Earlier this week, something terrible happened in the office. If you ask the humans, they’ll say it was a fabulous night filled with laughter and good friends, but for me…oh, I shudder to think of it.

You see, friends, I have long held the belief that I am the top cat around here. It’s always been this way and nobody has given me the impression that this would ever change. Until Wednesday night.

The party was for The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale. At first, I was excited to see a new cat book from Peachtree, but then I realized: nobody’s ever thrown me a party before. It even has its own website and facebook page! So there I was, in the middle of all this merriment, lacking the verbal ability to shout from atop the linen-draped tables that I, not Skilley, am the cat they should be praising! To get the message across, I had to resort to physical rather than spoken means. It really is too bad that MM cleaned up the broken glass and tipped over trashcan that I left as a message to everyone. Now they’ll never know (unless they read this post, of course).

This grand celebration, I fear, is a sign of changes to come. Am I to be dethroned by this Skilley character I keep hearing about? Everywhere I turn, there are cats popping up in Peachtree books and instead of celebrating each addition of feline fiction, I'm now riddled with fear. Will they be just as threatening to the order of this office? It’s bad enough that today is apparently ‘National Dog Day’ and people everywhere are proclaiming the slobbery, clumsy creatures as ‘Man’s Best Friend,’ but no--I also have to take refuge from those in the office singing the praises of this Cheshire Cheese cat. And what kind of cat eats cheese anyway?

I’ve wanted to take count of our cat vs. dog books for a while now. It never hurts to know where you stand as far as how many cat and dog lovers there are in your midst and I figure you can’t argue with numbers. If I'm going to be knocked from my pedestal, I'd much rather it be because of another cat rather than a dog. So, let’s see shall we?

Dog Books:

Camp K-9 features a pup going to camp and coming to terms with a bully poodle (Sounds about right to me). It ends well though and is a sweet story, I have to admit.

The Blue House Dog is about a boy and a dog--it's pretty powerful even if it does star a dog. I think a cat could have done just as good a job in this leading role, but nobody asked me. Still a good read!

This one, First Dog Fala, is about FDR and his dog--again, a pretty cool book, but you never hear people talk about First Cats. This has always bothered me.

Bark Park is a simple picture book for little kiddos with lots of pictures of all the different kind of dogs at the park. Again, dogs everywhere!

Larabee is pretty funny--he waits and waits for someone to send him some mail, but really, who writes letters to a dog? Maybe to a cat, but not a dog. I think he finally gets a letter in the end though. If he didn't, even I would find that cruel.

This one is about the sinking of the S.S. Ethie and how a dog saves a bunch of people. Again, a cat could have easily done the same heroic deed, but noooo. Although, I think it's a true story, so maybe I'm being harsh.

SeaMan is the dog who accompanied Lewis and Clark--again, it's historical so I can't really mess with it too much.

Cat Books:

This book is about a very curious cat and has these really cool illustrations--I think I've seen plans around here to do another book with this illustrator soon...

This book features a few different animals, but the cat made the cover, so it counts as a cat book for me!

Old Tom is a hoot. Seriously, if I ever meet him, I bet we'll become great friends!

Old Tom again. That dude cracks me up!

This book isn't about cats per se, but the cat, Figaro, is on the cover, so I'm counting it!

This is a cute story about a little kitten who finds a picture of a tiger and assumes they're related. Of course they are, technically, which is another reason why cats are better than dogs. Our wild counterparts are lions and tigers. Dogs are related to...what, hyenas, right?

This book is a prime example of why cats should be called 'Man's Best Friend.' I think I'll do a review of it in October for National Cat Day!

This Cheshire Cheese book looks pretty good, I must admit. And the cupcakes at the party were scrumptious! (The humans thought they could outsmart me by hiding them, but they didn't see that I swiped a couple! So yummy!)

Ooh, it looks like we edged them out by one book! Eight cat books to seven dog books! In the interest of peace-keeping, we do have a book with both a cat and a dog and it's pretty fantastic.

Ol' Bloo has a boogie woogie band and blues ensemble--yes that's a rooster on a cat on a dog on a donkey. It's awesome! (Though, I wouldn't trust a dog enough to stand on its back...)

I'll rest easy this weekend knowing that we at least have more cat books than dog books, even with the threat of the Cheshire Cheese cat taking over the office. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone...

Until next time, this is Eddie signing off!

M is for Mailings

2011-08-08T11:32:00.018-04:00

M is also for Missing In Action, which I feel like I've been these past few weeks. So, before the fall season gets into full swing, I'd like to show you what our mailings are all about and maybe the next time I disappear it won't be quite as mysterious!

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the first post in a series I like to call “P is for Publicity: All the stuff we do to get the word out on these awesome books short of tattooing the covers on our foreheads.” Or...just "P is for Publicity."

Every season (every = spring and fall for publishers), there are certain mailings that the publicity department plans and carries out, and there are many factors that determine the timing of these mailings:

When the title is scheduled for publication
Who is receiving the review copy and how far in advance they need it according to their editorial calendars
When the books are due to arrive in the warehouse from the printer

We send books to the trade publications, to our “long-lead” list, and to our “short-lead” list. *The long-lead list is usually really short and the short-lead list is usually super long. Confusing. Let’s move on.

Throughout this process, press releases need to be written, proofed and finalized. Lists of recipients need to be pulled and edited. We need to make sure envelopes for these mailings are available, which means ordering them separately so as not to deplete the regular envelope stashes for the rest of the office like some kind of packing supply glutton.

Then, when all the planets align, the printer isn’t possessed by paper jam gremlins and all the envelope-ordering has gone off without a hitch, the books are here and the list is ready…well, my friends, that is when the really fun part begins. My office looks like a co-op for packing materials and I’m up to my elbows in cardboard:

A typical assortment of goodies on my desk...to-do lists, piles of books, envelopes...

My maniacally scribbled notes on the envelope-ordering/mailing timeline

This should look familiar to all of our reviewers out there!

Ah, yes. These look like they're ready for UPS labels!

Looking into my office...

...and looking out from my office!

The pile is growing!

I think I'm outnumbered...

Hernias (or is it ‘herniae’?), paper cuts and abundant arm-bruising aside, a mailing is a happy thing. A mailing means that our books are on their way to people who will read them and pass them along to fellow readers (either physically or by posting reviews in their magazines, newspapers, newsletters and blogs). Plus, after 3 weeks of hauling 60-pound boxes around the office, I can cut out my weightlifting at the gym because I’ve got the arms of a beast!

So, the next time you get a package of review books from us, you'll know just how much love and care went into it! And if it's been a while since you've heard from me on Twitter...maybe call the office so someone can make sure I'm not buried under a pile of mutinous padded envelopes.

For more behind-the-scenes reading, here are some past posts about submitting a manuscript, the slush pile, tips for publicists, tips for bloggers, cover design, the many types of editors, art direction, the acquisitions process and tips for reviewers.

Happy reading everyone!

-E

eBooks are here!

2011-07-20T13:23:00.003-04:00

That's right -- Peachtree has added ebooks to the catalog! You can check them out and shop on our main website here.

Also, keep your eye on the blog for a new page featuring these available ebook titles! We're really excited to be able to offer this to our readers and we'll hopefully have even more titles available soon!

Happy Reading!

Do you live in Georgia? Do you have a television?

2011-06-30T09:42:00.006-04:00

Because I do, and I know what I'm watching tonight!

With the 75th anniversary of Gone With the Wind right around the corner, you may notice a lot of programs around town and on television about Georgia's beloved local legend. Tonight, Georgia Public Broadcasting will air the world premiere of their biography documentary Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel. I borrowed a copy of the DVD from our editor here at Peachtree a week ago -- it was so good that I'm tuning in to watch it again!

The documentary features our very own Marianne Walker, author of Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind. It airs tonight, Thursday, June 30, at 8 p.m. on GPB! They did a great job of it, so you all should definitely watch with me! After all, Rhett said it himself: "Take a good look my dear. It's an historic moment you can tell your grandchildren about."

PS - A new giveaway!!

This one is easy, peasy. Write me on Twitter (@PeachtreePub) or comment here with something you learned about Margaret Mitchell or your favorite line from Gone With the Wind! I'll pick a winner at random to receive a copy of Marianne's great book!

If you don't live in Georgia or you don't have a television, keep an eye on the GPB website for great info about Mitchell and snippets of the film. You can still enter the contest too, of course.

I'll keep the giveaway open until the end of the day on Thursday, July 7 and announce the winner on Friday, July 8!

*US residents only, please

*Contest ends 11:59 p.m. July 7, 2011

Notes from the litter box: Eddie speaks

2011-06-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

Humans,

Finally, someone in this office left the blog up on the computer and now it’s my turn! I thought I’d take a spin on here and see what the fuss is all about.

I am Eddie. I’m perpetually 29 years old (in cat years, thank you very much) and I love a good nap in the sun. I only take breaks from my napping to stare at people incessantly, cry at passersby when they are somehow oblivious to the emptiness of my food bowl, eat once they’ve filled it and lounge on desks. My time is precious so I can’t be bothered for many other duties – or so everyone thinks!

I’ve been living, working and startling employees at Peachtree for over 10 years now. I’m a legend! If it weren’t for me, this place would be very different. You see, at the end of the day when all the Peaches go home, they don’t know that I snuggle up to the editor’s desk to see what they’ve been up to. Every now and then, if I’m feeling generous, I might make notes on a manuscript or two, put my paw stamp on sketches, file invoices, etc. I’ve even written a few press releases!

My generosity aside, it is my intent to share some behind-the-scenes peeks of what is happening at Peachtree Publishers. Check back soon to see what scoop this kitty has to share. I’ve got my eye on a few new books that finally feature some of my fellow felines, but more on that later. I’m signing off for now -- it's time for my mid-afternoon snack!

PS - I uploaded my meow-harmony photo to the 'About' page. I wonder how long it'll take the humans to figure out I did that. In the mean time, go check it out - I'm gorgeous.

It’s beginning to look a lot like--wait…what?

2011-06-02T10:54:00.001-04:00

The Peachtree Publishers Fall 2011 preview!

It’s June, so you know what that means: Fall!

Okay, maybe not quite yet, but in Book Land we’re always working a season ahead of schedule. This can get confusing. Case in point: Yesterday I turned on the radio and wondered why nobody was playing Christmas music. Thankfully, I recovered from my time-continuum mishap pretty quickly and laughed off my befuddledness before any permanent damage was done (In Book Land we also make up lots of words).

I’m delighted to give you all a little sneak peak at our Fall 2011 frontlist titles! We’ve got some really exciting things planned. Above is a photo of our picture books, fresh from the printer and delivered to the floor of my office. This is just the beginning--tune in next week for our chapter book preview (hint: some of these are already on NetGalley)!

In the spirit of seasonal confusion, leave a comment here or send a message on Twitter to @PeachtreePub and tell me what you’re most looking forward to this fall/winter for your chance to win a set of these picture books! I'll pick a winner at random on Friday, June 10! Fa la la la laaa--Oh, darn it.

Attending BEA?

2011-05-18T15:41:00.000-04:00

Come visit us! We are in booth # 2955. Please let us know if you are a blogger--we'd love to meet you in person!

Here is a run down of what's happening with our authors each day:

Tuesday, May 25 2011
10:30 AM
If you are going to Speed Dating With Children’s Authors and Illustrators on Tuesday, you'll get to meet Susan Stockdale, author and illustrator of Bring On the Birds .

1:00 PM
Susan will also be signing copies of Bring On the Birds on Tuesday at 1 PM - 2PM in the autographing area at table 19.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011
12:15
Come by the Peachtree Booth (#2955) to meet Carmen Agra Deedy and Barry Moser, author and illustrator of the new middle grade title The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale.

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Carmen Agra Deedy and Barry Moser will be signing galleys of The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale in the autographing area at table 11.

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Illustrator Adam Gustavson will sign copies of his new picture book, Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be.

We'll also be giving away copies of the debut novel Chasing the Nightbird autographed by author Krista Russell.

If you can't be at BEA, we are also participating in Armchair BEA. Stay tuned for more info about giveaways!

Mothers' Day Giveaway!

2011-05-06T15:34:00.000-04:00

Last fall, I became an aunt for the first time…twice! I love showering my new niece and nephew with books:

My sister Leslie’s daughter Clara "Biscuit" reading with Daddy

My sister Jaime’s son Charlie "Bucket" “reading” Little Rabbit Lost

More than building Charlie's and Clara's libraries, I have loved watching my sisters become mothers and I’d like to wish them and new moms everywhere a very special Mothers’ Day weekend! Here are some of our favorite board books, great for any family with new babies (Enter for your chance to win copies!):

Little Rabbit Lost
Written and Illustrated by Harry Horse

It's Little Rabbit's birthday and the whole family is celebrating at Rabbit World Theme park to mark the occasion. Little Rabbit insists he is a big rabbit now and ignores his parents' warnings to stay close. But when he suddenly finds himself all alone, he doesn't feel quite so grown up anymore. What happens when Little Rabbit realizes just how little he is?

While You Were Sleeping
Written and Illustrated by John Butler

A cozy bedtime tale all about the animals that stir while we slumber! Young readers can count the animals in snowy fields, tall oak trees, oceans and grasslands from the comfort of their own bed and dream of all that lies beyond the window while they are sleeping.

Can You Cuddle Like a Koala?
Written and Illustrated by John Butler

Butler's interactive bedtime story about how animals move will captivate young audiences with its simple text and vibrant images. By the time you ask if they can "hug like a bear with all your might" and "curl up like a squirrel getting ready for the night," young ones will be ready to sleep like a child with their eyes closed tight!

To win a pack of these three adorable board books, leave a comment here or send a tweet to @peachtreepub and tell me how you plan to/how you celebrated Mothers' Day this year! I’ll pick two winners at random and contact them at the end of the drawing.

Watch for NEW board books to be published soon by Peachtree!

*Contest ends May 13, 2011

**US residents only, please

Fins, Wings and Other Things blog tour, week two!

2011-04-18T10:09:00.000-04:00

Fins, Wings and Other Things

Monday 4/18:

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – *Guest post by Melissa Stewart, author of A Place for Fish

A Word’s Worth – *Review of Planting the Wild Garden

Tuesday 4/19:

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – *Guest post by Kathryn O. Galbraith, author of Planting the Wild Garden

Archimedes Notebook – *Review of A Place for Fish

Wednesday 4/20:

There’s a Book – *Review of At the Sea Floor Cafe

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – *Guest post by Leslie Bulion, author of At the Sea Floor Café

Simply Science – Review of Planting the Wild Garden

A Word’s Worth – *Guest post by Wendy Anderson Halperin, illustrator of Planting the Wild Garden

Thursday 4/21:

Archimedes Notebook – *Interview with Melissa Stewart, author of A Place for Fish

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers - *Guest post by Susan Stockdale, author/illustrator of Bring On the Birds

Friday 4/22: HAPPY EARTH DAY!

A Word’s Worth – *Review of A Place for Fish

Abby the Librarian – Review of Planting the Wild Garden

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – *Guest post by Wendy Anderson Halperin, illustrator of Planting the Wild Garden

There’s a Book – *Review of About Habitats: Grasslands

*Also featuring a giveaway contest!

Fins, Wings and Other Things blog tour!

2011-04-11T10:17:00.000-04:00

Our Fins, Wings and Other Things blog tour has officially begun!

Monday 4/11:

A Word’s Worth – *Review of At the Sea Floor Café

Archimedes Notebook – *Review of Planting the Wild Garden

Tuesday 4/12:

A Patchwork of Books – Guest post by Melissa Stewart, author of A Place for Fish

Abby the Librarian – Review of Bring On the Birds

Jenn’s Bookshelves – *Review of A Place for Fish

Wednesday 4/13:

Simply Science – Review of At the Sea Floor Café

Book Dads – Review of Planting the Wild Garden

Archimedes Notebook – *Interview with Kathryn O. Galbraith, author of Planting the Wild Garden

There’s a Book – *Review of A Place for Fish

Thursday 4/14:

Book Dads – Interview with Wendy Anderson Halperin, illustrator of Planting the Wild Garden

A Word’s Worth – *Review of About Habitats: Grasslands

Abby the Librarian – Interview with Susan Stockdale, author/illustrator of Bring On the Birds

Friday 4/15:

There’s a Book – Interview with Melissa Stewart, author of A Place for Fish

Jenn’s Bookshelves – Review of Planting the Wild Garden

Saturday 4/16:

Devourer of Books – Review of Bring On the Birds

*Also featuring a giveaway contest!

Be sure to check back next week for part two!

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Peachtree Publishers!

2011-03-23T14:16:00.000-04:00

Calling all poets!

In honor of National Poetry Month and our newest title by Leslie Bulion, At the Sea Floor Cafe, we're hosting a poetry drawing on our facebook page!

From March 21 through April 30^th, teachers can post their students’ best spring or ocean critter poems to our Facebook page!

One grand prize winner will receive a complimentary 45 minute Skype visit with author Leslie Bulion and a signed copy of At the Sea Floor Café for the class.

Find Peachtree Publishers on Facebook and “like” our page. Then just start posting to our wall!

Good luck!

For official contest rules, click here.

It's Madness! March Madness!

2011-03-02T15:50:00.001-05:00

Every March, my dad gives everyone a bracket to fill out for March Madness. Having never followed basketball, I usually fill mine out based on jersey color, whether or not I’ve ever visited that state and if I like the look of their mascot. Every March, my dad makes fun of me. Well, not this year! I’m determined to make a name for myself by filling out the perfect bracket…or at least a respectable one.

So I decided to do a little research. Did you know that the first basketball game was played on December 29, 1891 in, essentially, a P.E. class? James Naismith was a teacher at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was asked by the physical education coach to invent a game they could play inside. Fast-forward nearly 120 years and "basket ball" has become one of the most popular sports in our country. A kid in the US can start playing basketball on a recreational team as early as kindergarten and play all the way through to college leagues and the NBA.

In our Fred Bowen books, we follow kids doing just that--playing a sport they love and moving up in the ranks. Bowen is the author of both Peachtree’s popular Sports Story and All-Star Sport Story series. A lifelong sports fanatic, he has coached youth league baseball, basketball, and soccer. His kids’ sports column “The Score” appears each week in the KidsPost section of the Washington Post. Check out his website here. There are 13 books in his series and each is a captivating read for anyone who enjoys sports. These are his titles all about basketball:

Real Hoops (Just published in February!)

Can street ball and technical play mix it up on the court and score wins

for the team? Can Ben convince Hud to leave his hotshot style back on the pickup court?

The Final Cut (Part of the All-Star Sports Story Series)

Four friends who share a love of basketball have to go through tryouts for the school team. But will they all make the team?

Full Court Fever (Part of the All-Star Sports Story Series)

The Falcons have the skill but not the height required to win their games. Will they be able to win the dreaded end-of-the-season game against their much taller rivals?

Hardcourt Comeback

When a basketball team's star forward loses his confidence, he has to learn how to think like a winner again.

Off the Rim (Part of the All-Star Sports Story Series) Chris yearns to be more than a benchwarmer on the Oak View Middle School basketball team. With the help of his best friend Greta and her mom, Chris begins to change his defensive strategy and successfully learns to keep his opponents from scoring.

On the Line (Part of the All-Star Sports Story Series)

Marcus is the high scorer and best rebounder on his basketball team, but he's not so great at free throws, until the school custodian helps him overcome his fear of failure.

One thing I really love about this series is that each book includes a featured “Real Story.” These chapters are filled with fascinating information about real players who made an impact on the game. Not only for those of us (okay, me) who don't know much about the game, the “Real Story” bridges the fiction to the players who inspired it, giving even the most avid basketball fan a better understanding of the history of the sport.