2014 Books by Austinites [Updated 9/21/14]

This is a preview of books by Austin authors and illustrators tentatively scheduled for release in 2014.  Note that titles and release dates may be subject to change.

Picture Books

GRANDFATHER GANDHI, by Bethany Hegedus and Arun Gandhi, ill. by Evan Turk (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, Spring 2014).

THE GOOD-PIE PARTY, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Kady McDonald Denton (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic 2014).

THANK YOU, GARDEN, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill tbd (Beach Lane Books/S&S 2014).

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, by Pat Mora and Libby Martinez, ill. by Patrice Barton (Knopf/Random House 2014).

ATTACK! BOSS! CHEAT CODE! A GAMER'S ALPHABET, by Chris Barton, ill. by Joey Spiotto (POW! 2014).

LITTLE OWL'S DAY, by Divya Srinivasan (Viking, 2014).

Middle Grade/Tween

LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN, by Greg Leitich Smith (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan, Spring 2014).

NIGHTINGALE'S NEST, by Nikki Loftin (Razorbill/Penguin 2014)

TUT, by P.J. Hoover (Tor/Macmillan, Spring 2014).

THE GREAT GREENE HEIST, by Varian Johnson (Arthur Levine Books/Scholastic 2014).

POETRY BANDIT, by K.A. Holt (Chronicle, Fall 2014).

THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, by Katherine Catmull, et al. (Greenwillow, Summer 2014).

REVENGE OF THE FLOWER GIRLS, by Jennifer Ziegler (Scholastic, 2014).

HEAP HOUSE, by Edward Carey (Overlook Press 2014).

Young Adult

FERAL CURSE, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick 2014).

EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN, by Lindsey Lane (FSG, Fall 2014).

UNMADE, by Amy Rose Capetta (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 2014).

SHATTERED, by Mari Mancusi (Sourcebooks Fire, Fall 2014).

2013 Books by Austinites

Here's a quick preview of books written and/or illustrated by members of Austin's youth literature community scheduled to be published in 2013!


PICTURE BOOKS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUNNY, by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Stephanie Graegin (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster, January 2013).

ROCKABILLY GOATS GRUFF, by Jeff Crosby (Holiday House, Fall 2013).

BALL, by Mary Sullivan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Spring 2013).

OCTOPUS ALONE, by Divya Srinivasan (Viking, May 2013).

OTIS STEELE AND THE TAILEEBONE!, by Tom McDermott, ill. by Jeff Crosby (Pelican, September 2013).

THE YEAR OF THE BABY, by Andrea Cheng, ill. by Patrice Barton (Houghton Mifflin, May 2013).

THERE WAS A TALL TEXAN WHO SWALLOWED A FLEA, by Susan Holt Kralovansky, ill. by Deborah Ousley Kadair (Pelican 2013).

THE CART THAT CARRIED MARTIN, by Eve Bunting, ill. by Don Tate (Charlesbridge, Fall 2013).


CHAPTER BOOK/MIDDLE GRADE/TWEEN

JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE INTERSTELLAR TIME WARP, by Nathan Bransford, ill. by C.S. Jennings (Dial/Penguin 2013).

THE INVISIBLE BOY, by Trudy Ludwig, ill. by Patrice Barton (Knopf, October 2013).


YOUNG ADULT

FERAL NIGHTS, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, January 2013).

ETERNAL: ZACHARY'S STORY, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, February 2013).

HOMICIDAL ALIENS AND OTHER DISAPPOINTMENTS, by Brian Yansky (Candlewick, Fall 2013).

SOLSTICE, by P.J. Hoover (Tor/Macmillan, June 2013).

RIPTIDE, by Lindsey Scheibe (Flux, Summer 2013).

SCORCHED DRAGONBOUND, by Mari Mancusi (Sourcebooks Fire, Fall 2013).

PROMISE ME SOMETHING WHAT HAPPENED AT TALMADGE HILL, by Sara Kocek (Albert Whitman, September 2013).

ENTANGLED, by Amy Rose Capetta (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2013).

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.

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...

ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES [Updated with trailer]

ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES, by Brian Yansky (Candlewick, Oct. 2010)(12+). High-schooler Jesse thinks he's just a typical teen-ager, bored in class and trying to figure out his life. But then, ten seconds after the Sanginians arrive, most of mankind are dead. A handful, like Jesse, have latent telepathic abilities and survive as slaves with no hope of manumission for themselves or the earth. But then Jesse and his friends discover that the Sanginians just might not be as omnipotent as they appear...

Quirky, thought-provoking, and insightful, ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES offers an engaging protagonist, a thrilling plot, and wry humor. Perhaps the most dryly funny post-apocalyptic YA novel ever.

Watch the trailer:

WONDERS OF THE WORLD

WONDERS OF THE WORLD, by Brian Yansky, (Flux, 2007). Eric's father introduced him to the "wonders of the world"-- stories of (mostly) made-up adventure and world travel. But when Eric was twelve, his father left, never to return. His mother remarried, and they moved to Omaha.

At seventeen, Eric runs away, to escape his mother's new life and maybe find his father. Now, Eric is living on the streets of Riverton, a cesspool of gangs, junkies, murder, and sex for hire. He manages to eke out a miserable existence panhandling, along with a handful of other street kids. But then he and his ex-girlfriend attract the attention of Bluebeard, the thuggish and vicious crime boss who runs much of the vice in Riverton. Desperate to find a way out, Eric just may have a chance if only he can escape the evil Bluebeard.

Told with sardonic humor, WONDERS OF THE WORLD is quirky, gritty, and riveting, with a great voice and terrific story. Sometimes grim, sometimes hopeful, WONDERS OF THE WORLD is an amazing, compelling read. Highly recommended.

See an interview with Brian Yansky at Cynsations.