2018 Releases by Austin Authors and Illustrators

It's the eve of the Texas Book Festival so make sure you check out the festivities on the Capitol grounds! And here's a tentative list of projects from Austin authors and illustrators releasing next year! For previous years, go here.

Picture Books, Easy Readers, and Board Books

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A VOICE LIKE THAT? by Chris Barton, ill. by Ekua Holmes (Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane 2018).

MIGHTY TRUCK: ON THE FARM, by Chris Barton, ill. by Troy Cummings (HarperCollins, May 2018).

MIGHTY TRUCK: THE TRAFFIC TIE-UP, by Chris Barton, ill. by Troy Cummings (HarperCollins, May 2018).

PENGUIN AND TINY SHRIMP DON'T DO BEDTIME, by Cate Berry, ill. by Charles Santoso (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins 2018).

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S DUELING WORDS, by Donna Janell Bowman, ill. by S.D. Schindler (Peachtree, 2018)

THE BOOK THAT JAKE BORROWED, by Susan Kralovansky (Pelican 2018).

COUNTING COLORS IN TEXAS, by Susan Kralovansky (Pelican 2018).

KATE, WHO TAMED THE WIND, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Lee White (Schwartz & Wade, Spring 2018).

FRANCES IN THE COUNTRY, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Sean Qualls (Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press, Summer 2018).

DEAR SUBSTITUTE, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Chris Raschka (Disney-Hyperion, Summer 2018).

STALEBREAD CHARLIE AND THE RAZZY, DAZZY SPASM BAND,  by Michael Mahin, ill. by Don Tate (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018).

PAR-TAY: DANCE OF THE VEGGIES (AND THEIR FRIENDS), by Eloise Greenfield, ill. by Don Tate (Alazar Press 2018).

POTATO KING: THE STORY OF JUNIUS G. GROVES, by Don Tate (Knopf 2018).
 

Middle Grade

THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST, by Samantha Clark (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, Summer 2018).

KNOCKOUT, by K.A. Holt (Chronicle, Spring 2018).

DEAR ME (tent. title), by K.A. Holt (Scholastic, Summer 2018).

THE PARKER INHERITANCE, by Varian Johnson (Scholastic, Spring 2018).

THE CAMELOT CODE: THE ONCE AND FUTURE GEEK, by Mari Mancusi (Disney-Hyperion, Oct. 2018).

GIRLS WHO CODE: LIGHTS, MUSIC, CODE, by Jo Whittemore (Penguin Workshop, Spring 2018).

REVENGE OF THE TEACHER'S PETS, by Jennifer Ziegler (Scholastic, June 2018).

Young Adult

HEARTS UNBROKEN, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick Press, 2018).

AVENGED, by Amy Tintera (HarperTeen, May 2018).

2017 Books by Austinites

I'm a bit late this year, but here is a preliminary listing of books written and illustrated by Austinites with releases in 2017!  Note that publication dates may change and/or slip...

For books from earlier years, go here.

Picture Books

BOOK OR BELL, by Chris Barton, ill. by Ashley Spires (Bloomsbury 2017).

MIGHTY TRUCK: MUDDY MANIA, by Chris Barton, ill. by Troy Cummings (HarperCollins 2017).

DAZZLE SHIPS: WORLD WAR I AND THE ART OF CONFUSION,  by Chris Barton, ill. by Victo Ngai (Millbrook 2017).

 WHY AM I ME?, by Paige Britt, ill. by Sean Qualls & Selina Alko (Scholastic Press, Sept. 2017).
 
WHOBERT WHOVER, OWL DETECTIVE, by Jason Gallaher (@DraftingJason), ill. by Jess Pauwels (Margaret McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, July 2017).
 
 CINNAMON, by Neil Gaiman, ill. by Divya Srinivasan (HarperCollins, May 2017).

THE YOUNGEST MARCHER; THE STORY OF AUDREY MAY HENDRICKS, A YOUNG CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, by Cynthia Levinson (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster 2017)

BOB, NOT BOB, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Audrey Vernick (Disney Hyperion, Winter 2017)

ANOTHER WAY TO CLIMB A TREE, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Hadley Hooper (Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook Press, Aug. 2017).

STRONG AS SANDOW: HOW EUGEN SANDOW BECAME THE STRONGEST MAN ON EARTH, by Don Tate (Charlesbridge, Aug. 2017).

WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A BANG AND A CLANG, by Emma Virjan (HarperCollins 2017).

Middle Grade/Tween

THE GREAT HIBERNATION, by Tara Dairman (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, September 2017).

GNOMEAGEDDON, by K.A. Holt (McElderry Book/S&S, Fall 2017)

TUT: MY EPIC BATTLE TO SAVE THE WORLD, by P.J. Hoover (Tor 2017).

FAULT LINES IN THE CONSTITUTION: THE FRAMERS, THEIR FIGHTS, AND THE FLAWS THAT AFFECT US TODAY, by Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson (Peachtree 2017).

IF THE SHOE FITS, by Mari Mancusi (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Fall 2017).

IN A DARK LAND, by Christina Soontornvat (Sourcebooks 2017).

REVENGE OF THE HAPPY CAMPERS, by Jennifer Ziegler (Scholastic 2017).


Young Adult

THIS IS NOT THE END, by Chandler Baker (Disney-Hyperion, Aug. 2017).

WITCHTOWN, by Cory Putnam Oakes (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Oct. 2017).

THE SANDCASTLE EMPIRE, by Kayla Olson (HarperTeen 2017).

AVENGED, by Amy Tintera (HarperTeen May 2017).

2016 Books by Austinites

 Here's the preliminary list of trade picture books and novels scheduled for publication from Austin authors and illustrators next year!  And click the link for previous years' books by Austin authors and illustrators!

Middle Grade/Tween

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN, by Cynthia Levinson (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins 2016)

CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS, by Jo Whittemore (HarperCollins 2016).

GOLDEN GIRL, by Mari Mancusi (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster 2016).

TO CATCH A CHEAT, by Varian Johnson (Arthur Levine/Scholastic, Spring 2016).

RED MOON RISING, by K.A. Holt (McElderry/Simon & Schuster, 2016).

DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS, by Cory Putnam Oakes (Sourcebooks, February 2016).

THE CHANGELINGS, by Christina Soontornvat (SourceBooks, Fall 2016).

Young Adult

HIGH SCHOOL HORROR STORY, by Chandler Baker (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, Winter 2016).

RUINED, by Amy Tintera (HarperTeen, Summer 2016).

THE RADIANT ROAD, by Katherine Catmull (Dutton, January 2016).

Picture Books

88 INSTRUMENTS, by Chris Barton, ill. by Louis Thomas (Knopf, August 2016).

CARROT HAWK, by Chris Barton, ill. by tbd (Hyperion, Spring 2016).

WHOOSH!, by Chris Barton, ill. by Don Tate (Charlesbridge 2016).

MIGHTY TRUCK, by Chris Barton, ill. by Troy Cummings (HarperCollins 2016)

THAT'S NOT BUNNY, by Chris Barton, ill. by Colin Jack (Disney-Hyperion, February 2016).

BEARS MAKE THE BEST READING BUDDIES, by Carmen Oliver (Capstone/Curious Fox, Mar. 1, 2016).

WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A HUSH AND A SHUSH, by Emma Virjan (HarperCollins, January 2016).

WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A MUNCH AND A CRUNCH, by Emma Virjan (HarperCollins, May 2016).

BE THE CHANGE: A GRANDFATHER GANDHI STORY, by Bethany Hegedus and Arun Gandhi, ill. by Evan Turk (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, Fall 2016).

STEP RIGHT UP: HOW DOC AND JIM TAUGHT THE WORLD ABOUT KINDNESS, by Donna Janell Bowman, ill. by Daniel Minter (Lee & Low, Spring 2016).

Texas Book Festival Children's and YA Panels [Updated]

The schedule for the 2013 Texas Book Festival has just been released!  Here's a handy listing of the children's and YA panels.  Note that I did not include the readings in the Children's Read Me a Story tent, which are ongoing all day Saturday and Sunday. Also note that the schedule is subject to change and it's entirely possible that I missed a coupled of the panels :-).  

Panels featuring Austin authors are indicated in bold. Panels featuring authors from other parts of Texas are indicated in italics.

Update: I will be moderating the On the Verge of Crazy panel with Diana Lopez and Karen Harrington at the Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca) and 11:30 on Saturday.  See you there!

SATURDAY

10-11 AM
Battle Bunny
Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Jon Scieszka
Mac Barnett

10-11 AM
Haters Gonna Hate
Capitol Extension Room E2.030
e. E. Charlton-Trujillo

10-11 AM
My So-Called Life
Capitol Extension Room E2.014
Gabrielle Zevin
Joanna Philbin

10- 11 AM
Shared Spaces: Children's Picture Book Authors in One Studio
Capitol Extension Room E2.010
Sergio Ruzzier
John Marciano
Brian Floca
Sophie Blackall

10:30-11:30
Confessions of a Scholarship Winner
Capitol Extension Room E2.028
Kristina Ellis

11:30 - 12:15
Tomás Rivera Award
Capitol Extension Room E2.030
Guadalupe Garcia McCall

11:30-12:30
On the Verge of Crazy
Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Diana Lopez
Karen Harrington

12:15 - 1 PM
Summer Changes Everything
Capitol Extension Room E2.014
Leila Sales
Bennett Madison
Gayle Forman

1 - 1:45 PM
Build It & They Will Come: Keeping Readers Hooked in a Series
Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Jude Watson
Adam Gidwitz
Clark Rich Burbidge

 1 - 2 PM
A Midsummer Night's Scream
House Chamber
R.L. Stine

1:30 - 2:30 PM
Girl Power(s)
Capitol Extension Room E2.014
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Jessica Khoury
Kami Garcia
PJ Hoover

2:15 - 3 PM
The One and Only Ivan
Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Katherine Applegate

3 - 3:45 PM
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Capitol Extension Room E2.014
James L. Swanson
Steve Sheinkin

3:30 - 4:15 PM
Is It the End of the World As We Know It?
Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Heather Terrell
Neal Shusterman

4:15 - 5:15 PM
Apocalypse Now
Capitol Extension Room E2.014
Brian Yansky
Matt de la Pena
Alexandra Coutts

SUNDAY

11 - 11:45 AM
At a Loss for Words
Capitol Extension Room E2.010
Bob Staake
Chris Raschka

12:15 - 1 PM
When Did You See Her Last?
House Chamber
Lemony Snicket

12:15 - 1 PM
You Are Getting Very Sleepy!
Capitol Extension Room E2.010
Gordon Korman

12:15 - 1:15 PM
Move Over, Katniss: New Heroines
Lone Star Tent
Aprilynne Pike
P. J. Hoover
Tracy Deebs
Amy Rose Capetta

1:30 -2:15 PM
Scavenger Hunt
Capitol Extension Room E2.010
Jude Watson
Xavier Garza

2:45- 3 PM
Friends in Low Places
Capitol Extension Room E2.010
Anne Ursu
Claire Legrand

 4 - 5 PM
Scary Tales
Capitol Extension Room E2.010
James Preller

2015 Books by Austinites

Here's a preliminary list of books by Austin authors scheduled for publication in 2015!  For previous years' (2010-2014) lists, click here: "Austin Authors and Illustrators." Note that titles and pub dates are subject to change. 

Young Adult

FERAL PRIDE, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, Spring 2015).

THINGS I'LL NEVER SAY: SHORT STORIES ABOUT OUR SECRET SELVES, by Ann Angel (ed.)(Candlewick, Spring 2015)(with pieces by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Varian Johnson) 

VIOLENT ENDS, by Shaun David Hutchinson (ed.)(Simon Pulse, Fall 2015), with piece by Cynthia Leitich Smith

UTOPIA, IOWA, by Brian Yansky (Candlewick 2015).

SMOKED, by Mari Mancusi (Sourcebooks Fire, Fall 2015).

KISSING IN AMERICA, by Margo Rabb (HarperTeen Spring 2015).

Middle Grade/Tween

ANYWHERE BUT PARADISE, by Anne Bustard (Egmont, Spring 2015).

CHRONAL ENGINE: BORROWED TIME, by Greg Leitich Smith (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2015).

COLONIAL MADNESS, by Jo Whittemore (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Spring 2015).

WATCH OUT FOR FLYING KIDS, by Cynthia Levinson (Peachtree 2015).

THE GREAT GOOD SUMMER, by Liz Garton Scanlon (Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster 2015).

HOUSE ARREST, by K.A. Holt (Chronicle Books, Fall 2015).

THE LOST TRACK OF TIME, by Paige Britt (Scholastic, Spring 2015).

DINOSAUR BOY, by Cory Putnam Oakes (Sourcebooks 2015).

WISH GIRL, by Nikki Loftin (Razorbill/Penguin, February 2015).


THE CURIOUS WORLD OF CALPURNIA TATE, by Jacqueline Kelly (Henry Holt/Macmillan, July 2015). 

Picture Books

STEP RIGHT UP: THE STORY OF BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY AND THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD, by Donna Janell Bowman (Lee & Low 2015).

THE NUTCRACKER COMES TO AMERICA: HOW THREE BALLET-LOVING BROTHERS CREATED A HOLIDAY TRADITION, by Chris Barton, ill. by tbd. (Millbrook 2015).

POET; THE REMARKABLE STORY OF GEORGE MOSES HORTON OF CHAPEL HILL, by Don Tate (Peachtree 2015).

IN THE CANYON, by Liz Garton Scanlon (Beach Lane/S&S, Summer 2015).

WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A PIG IN A WIG, by Emma Virjan (Harper Children's, 2015).

THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH, by Chris Barton, ill. by Don Tate (Eerdmans 2014).

TWELVE COWBOYS ROPIN', by Susan Kralovansky (Pelican, Fall 2015).

THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP

THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP, by Kathi Appelt (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster 2013)(ages 8+).  Raccoon brothers Bingo and J'miah are the newest Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp and they take their responsibilities seriously.  But when there's a menace to the swamp too big for even them to handle, they know they have to awaken -- for the first time in decades -- the ancient and powerful Sugar Man.  But what if he wakes up cranky?   

In the meantime, twelve-year-old Chap Brayburn is trying to deal with the recent loss of his beloved grandfather and make enough fried pies to keep the family shop in business.  But can they ever make and sell enough of the things to fend off the developer who wants the land for an alligator wrestling arena?

THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP offers a lively and, at times, funny story filled with unforgettable characters.  With a voice redolent of the swamps of east Texas, Appelt provides an engaging and atmospheric tale of hope and integrity that spans the generations.

NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO and TOFU AND T.REX back in print!

I am delighted to announce that IntoPrint Publishing, LLC, will be bringing my award-winning Peshtigo School novels for tweens, NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO, and TOFU AND T.REX, back into print as e-books and in hard copy! 

NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO is a romantic-, science-, comedy-, courtroom-drama about three friends who take part in their school science fair and end up in their student court because of it.

For more information, including reviews and awards, check out the official NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO web page here! Read an interview about NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO at Cynsations!

TOFU AND T.REX is the story of a girl who's a vegan who goes to live with her cousin's family, who own a German delicatessen and butcher shop.

For more information, including reviews and awards, check out the official TOFU AND T.REX web page here!  Read an interview about TOFU AND T.REX at Cynsations!

More details as they become available!

CHAINED

CHAINED, by Lynne Kelly (FSG, May 8, 2012)(ages 8+).  In this debut novel by Houstonian Lynne Kelly, ten-year-old Hastin takes a job with a circus owner in order to pay off his sister's hospital bill.  His job -- to care for the baby elephant Nandita -- is made more difficult by the cruel elephant trainer and the circus owner.  He contemplates running away with her, but where can a ten-year-old boy go to hide out with an elephant?

CHAINED offers a thought-provoking look at elephants and how how captive elephants are sometimes treated, as well as a compelling protagonist and poignant coming-of-age story.   

Big News: LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN

I am thrilled to announce that Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan) will be publishing my novel, LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN.  Release is tentatively scheduled for Fall 2013.

It's a comedic middle grade story about what happens to three friends at a motel in Cocoa Beach, Florida, after a manned space launch at Kennedy Space Center is scrubbed due to the appearance of an unidentified flying object over Cape Canaveral.

Thanks to my agent Ginger Knowlton and my new editor Deirdre Langeland (FYI, Deirdre is also editor at the Flashpoint imprint, where she edits some awesome nonfiction)! 

Photos courtesy of NASA 

Texas Independence Day! Lone Star Dinosaurs!

Happy Texas Independence Day!  One hundred and seventy-six years ago today, the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed in Washington-on-the-Brazos. 

So far as I know, there were no dinosaurs there.  :-).

Texas does, however, have a rich legacy of dinosaurs, primarily from the Triassic and the Late Cretaceous Periods.  So I commend to your attention Louis Jacobs' LONE STAR DINOSAURS (Texas A&M Press 1999), illustrated by Karen Carr.  It's chock-full of fascinating information on dinosaurs in the Lone Star state. 

LONE STAR DINOSAURS was, naturally enough, one of the resources I consulted when writing CHRONAL ENGINE and was a major factor in my deciding to set the Cretaceous scenes in prehistoric Texas (the contemporary scenes are in the Bastrop area).

In particular, according to the National Park Service website, the Aguja and Javelina Formations in the Big Bend area have been a source of over ninety dinosaur species, nearly one hundred plant species, and more than two dozen fish, frogs, salamanders, turtles, crocodiles, lizards, and early mammals. These include the dinosaurs Alamosaurus, Texacephale, Kritosaurus, and Edmontonia, as well as tyrannosaurs and deinonychosaurs; the crocodilian Deinosuchus; the pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus; and more. At least some of these appear in CHRONAL ENGINE. :-).

Writers and Illustrators and Dinosaurs: Meredith Davis

Meredith Davis writes picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels.  A former bookseller at Toad Hall, she is the founder of the Austin Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and served for three years as its Regional Adviser.  She recently completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

She blogs at Stories in the Street.

  The lad with the gimlet eye is her son, Benji. 

Upcoming Book People Events!

Friday, February 10:  My Vicious Valentine: Spine-tingling YA Author Panel, featuring Jordan Dane, P.J. "Tricia" Hoover, Mari Mancusi, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and L.A. Weatherly---moderated by Sean Petrie--will take place at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at BookPeople in Austin. Join us when six top YA authors dish on the devilish, gab about ghosts, and soar with the angels in this panel celebrating spine-tingling stories, supernatural creatures, and perhaps scariest of all, true love.

March 4 (3 PM at the Carver Museum):  Launch Party for We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March, by Cynthia Levinson.  Join Cynthia Levinson as she discussed the background and research process for We've Got a Job!

March 24 (2 PM at BookPeople). Launch Party for Chronal Engine! Greg Leitich Smith will present on his middle grade/tween prehistoric time travel adventure! 

Be sure to download the activity guide here!

2012 Books by Austinites [updated]

Updated 17 November 2011.Updated 27 January 2012. Updated 6 March 2012. Updated September 17, 2012.

The Austin children's writing community will be having another good showing for 2012.  Here are some of the highlights (and go here for my updated Austinites' Books 2011 post):   

Picture Books

IT JES' HAPPENED: WHEN BILL TRAYLOR STARTED TO DRAW, by Don Tate, ill. by R. Gregory Christie (Lee & Low, Spring 2012).



I LIKE OLD CLOTHES, by Mary Ann Hoberman, ill. by Patrice Barton (Knopf, August 2012).

JUST AS GOOD: HOW LARRY DOBY CHANGED AMERICA'S GAME, by Chris Crowe, ill. by Mike Benny (Candlewick 2012).

THINK BIG, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Vanessa Newton (Bloomsbury, June 2012).

 A PIRATE'S 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, by Philip Yates, ill. by Sebastian Serra (Sterling, October 2012).

HOPE'S GIFT, by Kelly Starling, ill. by Don Tate (Putnam 2012).

Middle Grade/Tween

CHRONAL ENGINE, by Greg Leitich Smith, ill. by Blake Henry (Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2012).

THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY, by Nikki Loftin (Razorbill 2012).

WE'VE GOT A JOB: THE 1963 BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S MARCH, by Cynthia Levinson (Peachtree, February 1, 2012).

RETURN TO THE WILLOWS, by Jacqueline Kelly, ill. by Clint G. Young (Henry Holt, November 2012).

LAUGH WITH THE MOON, by Shana Burg (Delacorte 2012).

D IS FOR DRAMA, by Jo Whittemore (Aladdin MIX, August 2012).

JACOB WONDERBAR FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSE, by Nathan Bransford, ill. by C.S. Jennings (Dial 2012).

SUMMER AND BIRD, by Katherine Catmull (Dutton, October 2013).

Young Adult

DIABOLICAL, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, January 2012).

DEAR TEEN ME, ed. by Miranda Kenneally and E. Kristin Anderson (Zest Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2012).

SOUL BOUND (BLOOD COVEN VAMPIRES #7), by Mari Mancusi (Berkley Trade, March 2012).

BLOOD FOREVER (BLOOD COVEN VAMPIRES #8), by Mari Mancusi (Berkley Trade, September 2012).

SHORT STORIES

"Mooning over Broken Stars," by Cynthia Leitich Smith, in GIRL MEETS BOY, ed. by Kelly Milner Halls (Chronicle, January 2012).

Writers and Illustrators and Dinosaurs: Carmen Oliver

Carmen Oliver is the Assistant Regional Adviser for the Austin Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Born in Manitoba, Canada, she lived for a while in Calgary before moving to Austin.  She has published numerous nonfiction articles for both adults and children.

 The photos were taken at the home of Stephen Mooser, president and co-founder of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

WIENER WOLF

WIENER WOLF, by Jeff Crosby (Hyperion 2011).  Wiener dog is bored with life with grandma.  What he craves is excitement!

But when he answers the call of the wild, he finds out the rebuttal is a little more than he bargained for...

With expressive illustrations and a timeless story, WIENER WOLF brings to life one dachshund's quest for self-actualization in this thoroughly fun, hilarious, and engaging picture book.

Jeff read from WIENER WOLF at BookPeople

Writers and Dinosaurs: Amy Rose Capetta

Amy Rose Capetta and Brachiosaurus altithorax outside Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.

Amy Rose Capetta is a naturalized Texan and an MFA candidate in the Writing for Children and Young Adults program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.  She grew up in a small town in Connecticut where the librarians still know her by name.

Now living in Austin, she writes middle grade and YA fantasy, science fiction, and mystery, and is a self-described "fan of the adventurous and odd."  She is presently on the staff of the Writers' League of Texas, so if you're attending this weekend's Agents Conference, say "Hi!".  

Writers and Dinosaurs: Jennifer Ziegler

Jennifer Ziegler walks Picotyrannus, a small, plush relative of Tyrannosaurus rex.

Jennifer Ziegler is the author of ALPHA DOG and HOW NOT TO BE POPULAR, a 2009 Texas Lone Star book.  Her newest novel, SASS AND SERENDIPITY, available in July 2011, is a story of sisterhood and sibling rivalry, with a bit of Jane Austen.

Jennifer was born in Temple, Texas and spent most of her early childhood in Anchorage, Alaska.  She came to Austin to attend the University of Texas and never left.

For the 2011-2012 school year, Jennifer and Cynthia Leitich Smith (author of the Tantalize series) are offering a joint presentation titled "From Classics to Contemporary."

The authors will discuss how they were inspired by Jane Austen and Bram Stoker, respectively; how Stoker's and Austen's themes are still relevant to teens/YAs today; the ongoing conversation of books over the generations; and much more.

Contact Dayton Bookings for more information and to schedule.

Writers and Dinosaurs: Brian Yansky

Apatosaurus with author Brian Yansky (shadow, left) a the Hill Country Pasta House.

Brian Yansky is the acclaimed author of WONDERS OF THE WORLD, MY ROAD TRIP TO THE PRETTY GIRL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, and ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES.   His newest novel, FIGHTING ALIEN NATION, a sequel to ALIEN INVASION, is forthcoming from Candlewick Press.

Born in Iowa, Brian now lives in Austin with his wife, author-illustrator Frances Hill-Yansky.

Writers and Dinosaurs: Heather Hepler

Heather Hepler and pachycephalosaur, American Museum of Natural History

Heather Hepler is the author of several books for teens and tweens including, most recently, THE CUPCAKE QUEEN, a Fall 2009 Indie Pick.

Her other books, co-written with Brad Barkley, include SCRAMBLED EGGS AT MIDNIGHT, DREAM FACTORY, and JAR OF AIR.

Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, she went to high school in Texas and college in Alaska. She now lives in Tyler, Texas.

Big giant news! And turtles!

Down by Padre Island, Galveston, and on the Gulf Coast, in general, we have just begun the nesting season of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle.

Below is a picture of Archelon, a Cretaceous turtle that hung around the Western Interior Seaway back in the day (It's substantially larger than Kemps ridley).

Archelon, from the Yale Peabody Museum

And congratulations to Austinites Nikki Loftin and Brian Yansky on sales of new books!


Per Publishers Lunch:

Nikki Loftin’s debut novel THE SINISTER SWEETNESS OF SPLENDID ACADEMY, pitched as Coraline meets Hansel and Gretel, about a young girl whose seemingly delightful new school hides frightening secrets, to Laura Arnold at Razorbill, in a two-book deal, for publication in Summer 2012, by Suzie Townsend at Fineprint Literary Management (World).

Brian Yansky's FIGHTING ALIEN NATION, the sequel to ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES, which continues the story of the survivors of an alien invasion, again to Candlewick, with Kaylan Adair to edit, by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger (world English).

And, no, neither has anything to do with turtles.  That I know of...