LITTLE OWL'S NIGHT

LITTLE OWL'S NIGHT, by Divya Srinivasan (Viking 2011)(ages 3-5).  Little Owl loves the night, visiting his nocturnal friends and feeling sorry for the ones who are up all day and never get to see the stars.  Even as he falls asleep at dawn, though, he wants to know what the day is like...

LITTLE OWL'S NIGHT is a quiet celebration of night, the break of day, and curiosity.  Illustrations are bold and expressive.  Altogether, an excellent choice for bedtime reading.   

10th Anniversary: RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME

Congratulations to my wife, Cynthia Leitich Smith, on the Tenth Anniversary of the publication of her first novel, RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME.  Go over to Cynsations to check out some reflections on the occasion!

TANTALIZE: KIEREN'S STORY [updated]

TANTALIZE; KIEREN'S STORY, by Cynthia Leitich Smith, ill. by Ming Doyle (Candlewick Aug. 2011)(ages 14+).  The graphic novel version of TANTALIZE presents the story from half-werewolf Kieren's point of view.  Under suspicion for murdering Chef Vaggio, Kieren must clear his name and stop Quincie from falling into the clutches of the evil Bradley Sanguini...

New scenes provide additional insight into Kieren's doings and his efforts to uncover the truth.  Ming Doyle's drawings are elegant and expressive.  A must-read for all fans of gothic fantasy.

Note:  A graphic novel version of ETERNAL, also illustrated by Ming Doyle, is forthcoming.

Update:  Cynthia Leitich Smith will be appearing with Barry Lyga on the MORE THAN ONE WAY TO READ: GRAPHIC NOVELS panel at the Texas Book Festival on Saturday, October 22, from 11:30-12:30 in Capitol Extension E2.010.

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!".  

Tantalizing news!

We recently received ARCs of the graphic novel, TANTALIZE: KIEREN'S STORY, by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Ming Doyle, cover by Sam Weber. Available in August 2011, it tells the story of TANTALIZE from Kieren's POV, with new scenes and more intrigue...

Writers and Dinosaurs: P.J. Hoover

P.J. Hoover and Triceratops horridus.

P.J. Hoover is the author of THE FORGOTTEN WORLDS TRILOGY, comprising THE EMERALD TABLET, THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD, and THE NECROPOLIS. She blogs at Roots in Myth and at Texas Sweethearts and Scoundrels. A former electrical engineer, she , of course, decorates her Christmas tree (almost) exclusively with Star Trek ornaments.

P.J. and a big giant turtle (probably Protostega or Archelon).

Recently, P.J. attended an overnighter at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science and was kind enough to send these photos.

Together with her fellow Texas Sweethearts and Scoundrels, she's going to be leading a workshop on revision for the Austin SCBWI this July. Also, for next week's Texas Library Association Annual Conference here in Austin next week, note that the Texas Sweethearts and Scoundrels are hosting a reception at the CBAY booth on April 13, at 2 pm.

2011 Books by Austinites

Revised and updated 25 November 2011.
Revised and updated 12 November 2011.
Revised and updated 4 November 2011.
Revised and updated 4 May 2011.

Young Adult (Fiction and Nonfiction) and Graphic Novels

BLESSED, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, January 2011).
TANTALIZE: KIEREN'S STORY, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, Fall 2011).
NIGHT SCHOOL, by Mari Mancusi (Berkley Trade, January 2011).
BLOOD TIES, by Mari Macusi (Berkley Trade, August 2011).
BLOOD COVEN VAMPIRES (Vol. 1), by Mari Mancusi
SASS AND SERENDIPITY, by Jennifer L. Ziegler (Delacorte, July 2011).
CAN I SEE YOUR I.D.?, by Chris Barton (Dial, April 2011).
CALLI, by Jessica Lee Anderson (Milkweed, Fall 2011).

Chapter Book, Middle Grade, and Tween
ODD GIRL IN, by Jo Whittemore (Aladdin MIX, March 2011)
THE ORPHAN OF AWKWARD FALLS, by Keith Graves (Chronicle, September 2011)
JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW, by Nathan Brnsford, ill. by C.S.Jennings (Dial, 2011)

Picture Books written and/or illustrated by Austinites

HUMMINGBIRDS, by Jeanette Larson (Charlesbridge, February 2011)
NOODLE AND LOU, by Liz Garton Scanlon (Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster, March 2011)
DUKE ELLINGTON'S NUTCRACKER SUITE, by Anna Celenza, ill. by Don Tate (Charlesbridge, November 2011).
THE UGLY DUCKLING DINOSAUR, by Cheryl Bardoe, ill. by Doug Kennedy (Abrams, May 2011).
WIENER WOLF, written and illustrated by Jeff Crosby (Hyperion, July 2011).
HARNESS HORSES, BUCKING BRONCOS, AND PIT PONIES: A HISTORY OF HORSE BREEDS, written and illustrated by Jeff Crosby and Shelley Ann Jackson (Tundra Books, October 2011).
MINE! by Shutta Crum, ill. by Patrice Barton  (Knopf, June 14, 2011).
ROSIE SPROUT'S TIME TO SHINE, by Allison Wortche, ill. by Patrice Barton (Knopf, December 13, 2011).
LITTLE OWL'S NIGHT, written and illustrated by Divya Srinavasan (Viking 2011).