Recently in ACHUKA Category

2010 Hans Christian Andersen Awards Shortlist

The five short-listed authors in alphabetical order are:
· Ahmad Reza Ahmadi from Iran
· David Almond from the United Kingdom
· Bartolomeu Campos de Queiros from Brazil
· Lennart Hellsing from Sweden
· Louis Jensen from Denmark

The five short-listed illustrators in alphabetical order are:
· Jutta Bauer from Germany
· Carll Cneut from Belgium
· Etienne Delessert from Switzerland
· Svjetlan Junakovic from Croatia
· Roger Mello from Brazil

Orion Children's Books have announced the acquisition of MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE, a debut novel by Annabel Pitcher.

The deal was negotiated with Catherine Clarke of the Felicity Bryan Agency.

Narrated by ten year old Jamie, MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE is about life after tragedy and documents the falling apart of a family and the ways they find to rebuild their lives.

MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE will be published in hardback in spring 2011.

Orion Children's Books have announced the acquisition of a new series from the bestselling author of THE ROMAN MYSTERIES, Caroline Lawrence.

In a major deal, negotiated with Clare Pearson of Eddison Pearson Ltd, publisher Fiona Kennedy acquired World English Language (excluding US and Canada) and translation rights for THE WESTERN MYSTERIES: THE CASE OF THE COUNTERFEIT INJUNS and three further 'cases' in the series. US rights will be sold on behalf of Clare Pearson by Brenda Bowen at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates in New York.

Set in Virginia City, Nevada Territory during the 1860s silver boom, the books will follow the varying fortunes of twelve year-old P.K. Pinkerton in a quest for the truth, a family, and the ultimate goal: a position as a 'Private Eye' at the Pinkerton Detective Agency in Chicago.

The first case will be published in hardback in early summer 2011.

Nosy Crow

Must have had my eye off the ball. Kate Wilson's new venture has been up and running for a month, and I've only just found out.
The website, I have to say, is wonderfully cool.
ACHUKA has high expectations!

Hilary Duff Signs Young Adult Book Deal

with Simon & Schuster...

She is set to bring out a series of young adult novels. Beginning with "Elixir", set to hit bookstores in October, the series will follow the adventures of a globe-trotting photojournalist named Clea Raymond.

Publication of the CILIP Carnegie long listed REVOLVER in paperback in April 2010 will be the first in a new cover look for author Marcus Sedgwick, followed by the hardback publication of his new teen novel, WHITE CROW, in July.
The new look will then be used across Sedgwick's entire backlist throughout the summer with all ten novels relaunched in paperback by October 2010.
Publisher Fiona Kennedy says of the relaunch: "2010 is Marcus' first year as a full time writer. It's going to be a significant year for him in many ways, and seemed the ideal time to give his backlist this stunning new look. All ten of his novels remain consistently in print from his Branford Boase winning debut FLOODLAND in 2000 to his latest titles, and we are confident that the relaunch will take him to an even larger audience."

Ireland To get Its Own Children's Laureate

Nominations must be received by 5pm March 19th 2010. No nomination can be accepted after this deadline. The recipient of the first Children's Laureate will be announced on May 13th 2010. 

There will be a special information forum on Ireland's First Children's Laureate at 10.30am on Monday March 8th in Council Chambers, City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2 as part of Dublin Book Festival.

Anthony Horowitz Interview - The Times

Recommended

...Horowitz was, he says, "personally really disappointed" that Anthony Browne, the current children's laureate, "chose to go on television supporting the government legislation" against the views of Fine, Pullman, Morpurgo and himself. "It was almost a nail in the coffin of the laureateship, as far as I was concerned." Browne asked Horowitz: "How can you argue against this legislation if it will save the life of one child?" But Horowitz responds: "That to me is a totally false argument, because it won't save the life of one child, first of all, and if you take the argument to its logical conclusion you will end up with children locked in rooms being fed vitamins. That way you will know 100% they are not going to get into any trouble."

Cumulative Website Listing

Here is the cumulative featured website listing that was missing from the most recent Deakin Newsletter... worth bookmarking...

Image via Wikipedia

World Book Day is the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK and Ireland.

Watch this YouTube video....

AuthorHotline

Launching on World Book Day, March 4th, AuthorHotline will host a competition for Infant and Junior School Children to runs throughout March.

The site is "proudly supported by all six Children's Laureates".

Shanville Monthly #116

Children's Book Doctor<

Good job I'm not the Guardian's book doctor. I wouldn't have been able to contain my open-jawed disbelief at the opening question:

"Do you have any suggestions for getting an 18-year-old boy [sic] on to adult books? He has enjoyed Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and the Alex Rider books."

John Grisham Children's Titles...

Hodder & Stoughton has announced a deal to publish two children's books from bestselling author John Grisham:

The novels follow Boone, a 13-year-old boy "who knows more about the law than most lawyers do", as he becomes "unwillingly" caught up in a local murder trial. Although H&S said it would appeal to 9-12 year-olds, the books are aimed at "all the family".

The first will be published on 10 June, this year. The second will follow in 2011. Hodder has promised the launch will be "a major international event in the media, in bookshops and in online communities".

National Literacy Trust Survey

Less than half of children aged nine to 14 read fiction more than once a month, a study by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) has found...
reported in the Daily Telegraph