Pat Zietlow Miller, author of Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story, selected these five family favorites.
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Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages 0-3, Ages 4-8, Picture Books, Book Lists, Ezra Jack Keats, Helen Oxenbury, Aladdin Books, Seasonal: Holiday Books, Best Books for Kids, Family Favorites, Best Kids Stories, Diane Redfield Massie, Dorothy M. Kennedy, X. J. Kennedy, Square Fish Books, William Steig, Thanksgiving, Michael Rosen, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, thankfulness, Jane Dyer, Puffin Books, Pat Zietlow Miller, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Charlotte Huang, Jack E. Levin, Vesa Lehtimaki, Harry Potter, Ages 4-8, Ages 9-12, Book Lists, Scholastic, James Dashner, featured, Sarah Beth Durst, DK Publishing, Loren Long, Jeff Kinney, Delacorte Press, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amulet Books, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Aladdin Books, Clarion Books, Philomel Books, Cressida Cowell, Lauren Kate, How to Train Your Dragon, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Marissa Meyer, Coralie Bickford-Smith, Teens: Young Adults, Lunar Chronicles, Jenn Bennett, Best Kids Stories, Feiwel & Friends, Hot New Releases, Best New Kids Books, Mark R. Levin, Add a tag
Hot New Releases & Popular Kids Stories It's important to keep up on the hot new releases and popular kids' books as we enter the gift giving season!
Add a CommentBlog: Tara Lazar (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Aladdin Books, Simon & Schuster, PiBoIdMo 2010, Alyson Heller, Children's Books, Picture Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Editors, Children's Writing, Writing for Children, Add a tag
by Alyson Heller
As I dodged shoppers last Friday at my local mall, I came to realize that trying to find that next “big thing” in publishing is like to trying to find a great pair of shoes on sale—really hard to do, may cause some panic attacks, but once in a while, you will find the perfect fit.
We editors have a love/hate relationship with that “thrill of the hunt”—with every email from an agent, we hope that once we click open the attachment or email, there will be a pitch or manuscript so amazing, we will have to stop our day to read and convince our powers-to-be to let us acquire it. Most of the time, it isn’t quite what we are looking for—it might not be our taste, or in line with our house publishing strategy—but every once in a while, there is a pitch or idea that makes us pause our day.
For me, I always have that gut feeling—much like that fabulous piece of jewelry that draws your eye, I just know that I absolutely have to try to make sure that particular manuscript gets to stay with me, knowing that I would be so very bummed out if I couldn’t work on the project. There’s usually a unique hook—an idea that hasn’t been done over and over and over again—or a character that I immediately fall in love with that triggers that feeling. I also try to see if there is something timeless about the story; a book that you know readers will think is still relevant to their world 10 years from now—the little black dress of publishing, so to speak.
Of course, love for the idea isn’t enough to propel that manuscript into something that can go directly from my in-box to the local bookstore. Even though this may have caught my eye, I need to make sure that the story ultimately can fit into the overall marketplace and fit in with our list. That means a revision or two (sometimes 3!), making sure that the author shares our vision for their project, and coordinating the best PR possible for the title.
Though writing may seem like a solitary endeavor, the editing process is a team effort, and one of the great joys I have with my job. Even though it can be daunting, that chase, that knowledge that another fantastic story for kids could be sitting with me (or a member of my terrific team), is what keeps me going—and what makes this crazy, wonderful, unpredictable world of publishing so great. There’s nothing like finally seeing that finished product hit the shelves—and knowing that book will hopefully be someone’s perfect fit.
Alyson is an assistant editor with Aladdin Books, a kid-centric imprint featuring titles with strong commercial appeal for readers of all ages up to tween.
Alyson was part of the S&S Associate’s Program before landing her job with the Aladdin imprint and becoming part of a wonderful team. Alyson works on everything from picture books through middle-grade novels. She has had the privilege of working with some fantastic authors (and agents!) during her time with S&S. Some new and upcoming titles that she has edited or co-edited include Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan, Odd Girl In by Jo Whittemore, Sprinkles and Secrets by Lisa Schroeder, Cold Case by Julia Platt Leonard, The Monstore by Tara Lazar and I Loathe You by David Slonim.
In addition to her love for reading and writing, Alyson is also a huge fan of traveling, baking, eating things that are bad for you, awful reality t.v., and all things sparkly. She currently lives in Connecticut.
Simon & Schuster has generously donated several picture book prizes for PiBoIdMo. Winners for the titles below will be announced on December 4th, randomly selected from those who 11 Comments on Editor Alyson Heller and “The Thrill of the Hunt”, last added: 12/3/2010
Blog: Adventures in POND SCUM (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze, Aladdin books, Add a tag
I can't believe the amount of time that has elapsed since my last post. Can I write it off to the slumping economy? Global warming? Canada beating USA in the gold medal hockey game? (and with that sentence I think I just admitted that yes, I am finally adjusting to life in Canada!)
I love the simplicity of the letters and how the solid color background makes my characters pop. And we worked long and hrad to get Milo's expression just right. Karin Paprocki, Art Impressario of Team Milo, really worked overtime to get the cover perfect and I can only boast (yet again) of the wonderful collaboration going on between me and my editors at Aladdin. Thanks Liesa and Karin!
So, what do you guys think of the cover? I'd love to hear some unbiased feedback....as long as it's all glowing!!!!
Blog: Seize the Day (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: language, children's writing, thought, purpose, SI Hayakawa, trudi trueit, aladdin books, Add a tag
Today's high five comes from Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa. Born in Canada, he became a well-known academic and political figure in America. SI was an English professor and then a United States Senator from California. One of his greatest contributions was as a semanticist. He investigated the history of language patterns and habits of thought.
This guy was someone my parents required me to read. They considered his book, Language in Action, a part of the journey of an individual to be part of a free thinking society.
First a quote from the preface of his book. This bit chills me to the bone, and I hope I keep the flame of sentiment alive:
It was the writer's conviction then, as it remains now, that everyone needs to have a habitually critical attitude towards language — his own as well as that of others —both for the sake of his personal well-being and for his adequate functioning as a citizen. Hitler is gone, but if the majority of our fellow-citizens are more susceptible to the slogans of fear and race hatred than to those of peaceful accommodation and mutual respect among human beings, political liberties remain at the mercy of any eloquent and unscrupulous demagogue."
And then this quote from SI:
In a real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read. It is not true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.
Try to live up to these ideas in every book you write. Open yourself up to literature so that you will live many lives. Be aware how important your journey is. You are sent to open the hearts of children to new lives and new worlds.
Remember we are in the company of genius. Time to greet another Golden Coffee Cupper, the talented Trudi Trueit. She has a series coming up in 2009 from Aladdin books, Girls Allowed (Dogs Okay). The first title: Secrets of a Lab Rat. Click here for a sneak peek!
OK, one more thing, just in case you need to dance it out. Here's Carry on Wayward Son, from Kansas from 1976.
Whew, let me know of your successes! I will do some holy snappin'!
Dear Allyson! Just loved this bird’s eye view! Thanks for sharing it And just love many of these books — can’t wait to discover what’s under the cover of those I don’t know!
I could only imagine the “thrill of the hunt” from an editor’s perspective. I know that I feel that way shopping for picture books, though. Cheers!
When an editor finds a manuscript they like, there’s a thrill on both sides, but in today’s publishing world, the writers have to make it past more than just the editor. You’ve got to get by the editorial board too. My book was quirky and got the editor’s attention, but it didn’t quite fit the publishing target of the house as a whole, so was declined after several months. I guess you just have to know it’s part of the business and enjoy the thrill while it lasts!
Great post, and such generous prizes!!! So nice!
Thank you for participating and the donation of books!
Great post.
Thanks for being a part of PiBoIdMo!
Great post. Let’s hope there’s a lot of sparkle in all our ideas this month. Awesome prizes! Thanks
Great post! Thanks Tara and Alyson! This last month has been so inspiring in so many ways!
Thanks for the insightful post. Very cool prizes
Thanks for the thoughtful post. It is nice to know that the excitement we feel when we seal up our manuscript and send it off is felt on the other side too.
Always enlightening to hear the editor’s perspective. Two sides of the same book.
I have to say that being a bit of a kat myself, that ‘Square Cat’ has tweaked more than a whisker of curiosity in me… >^,^<