I’m so happy to wish LOVE, TRIANGLE by Marcie Colleen and Bob Shea the very happiest of book birthdays! LOVE, TRIANGLE was a special project right from the start – when Marcie and I first met to discuss representation, we talked over a number of her manuscripts. She mentioned a story she had brewing – nothing to share yet – about a Circle and a Square who have been friends forever……Circle and Square just fit, the way best friends do. Then someone new comes along: Triangle. Triangle is different, bold, inspiring. A wedge develops between Circle and Square and before long, they find they no longer fit the way they used to. Can this friendship for two grow to become one for three?The genius of LOVE, TRIANGLE is its geometry-inspired wordplay, but the story will resonate with even the youngest readers – after all, you don’t have to understand the Pythagorean Theorem to know what it’s like when a friendship gets bent out of shape, and needs to be put back together again.Well, of course I was intrigued! Marcie sent me the text a year after we began working together. We were both thrilled when it found a happy home at Balzer + Bray, and Bob Shea was able to create the charming, clever illustrations.Please find this book at your library or local bookstore – it is a real delight!Congrats and happiest of Pub Days to Marcie Colleen and Bob Shea -- stop by their sites to say hello. You'll find Marcie here and here.

I'm so happy to share that Paul Acampora's new MG novel, CONFUSION IS NOTHING NEW, has sold to Nancy Mercado at Scholastic!This book is a true gem. Generous in spirit, funny and a real pleasure -- or, as Paul says, it's fueled by bighearted 80s rock&roll, a dash of Goonies, and large doses of Cyndi Lauper's girl-power joy.Ellie Magari is figuring out what it means to be a girl in the world today, especially when the one role model she could have had (her mother) was never around and she was raised by her hardworking single father who didn't exactly keep the lines of communication open. Exactly who was Ellie's mom? And now that she's gone for good, what does that mean for Ellie?Fueled by the bighearted sounds of '80s rock and roll, plus a dash of The Goonies and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and large doses of Cyndi Lauper's girl-power joy, is a coming of age story as well as a drama and comedy about friendship, girls, and the tension between fathers and daughters. It's also a story about girls who understand that it's good to make things, but breaking things is okay too.In fact, sometimes breaking things is required.

Not one, not two, but three (or four, depending on how you count) Upstart clients have new books out in the world today! Happy pub day to Ruth Spiro's newest BABY LOVES books: BABY LOVES THERMODYNAMICS and BABY LOVES QUANTUM PHYSICS; Marcie Colleen's seventh SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS title, TINY PRANCER; and Catherine Holt's MIDNIGHT REYNOLDS AND THE SPECTRAL TRANSFORMER! And, bonus: Sarah Lariviere's Edgar Award nominee, THE BAD KID, is out today in paperback!Congrats and happiest of Pub Days to all!

I'm so happy to share that Amanda Ashby's MG ghostly mystery novel Midnight Reynolds and the Spectral Transformer, has sold in a three book deal to Wendy McClure and Eliza Swift at Albert Whitman!I love this cute and creepy novel -- chock full of ghosts and ghost-hunting gizmos. Not to mention a twist that I promise you won't see coming!When twelve year-old misfit Midnight Reynolds takes a job helping out eccentric Miss Appleby in the mansion down the street, she never imagined her work would involve battling ghosts. But as it turns out, Midnight and her new employer have quite a bit in common—they were both born on Halloween and have the power to see spirits of the dead. But when Midnight learns more about the history of her town, she starts to wonder if she’s fighting on the right side...

Congratulations to Marcie Colleen on the publication of the fifth and sixth books in the SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS series!The Super Happy Party Bears are back in this silly chapter book series filled with full color illustrations and adorable animals.

In BAT TO THE BONE, the bat-only punk rock band “Flying Blind” has a dedicated following of other nocturnal music lovers. Their screechy sound really meshes with sonar hearing. While on tour to expand its fan base, Flying Blind stops at the Grumpy Woods for a midnight show. Soon tons of rock fans are keeping everyone awake at night! But when the bears start jamming with the band, its sound changes, driving away the crowd. This time it’s Opal Owl who saves the day―and returns some peace and quiet to the woods.With music, mayhem, dancing and donuts, Super Happy Party Bears: Bat to the Bone rocks the party.

The Super Happy Party Bears are in awe of their new friend, Butter, a groovy caterpillar who’s got the moves. This Jitterbug can breakdance, tango, and boogie-woogie. Butter becomes an honorary Super Happy Party Bear dedicated to being goofy and spreading the party spirit!When Butter mysteriously disappears, the bears frantically search for him, only to discover that the Jitterbug has morphed into a beautiful butterfly! The bears must accept that jitterbug has grown up and must follow his own fluttery path.Cheerful, sweet, and full of fun, Super Happy Party Bears: THE JITTERBUG will put you in the mood to dance.Congratulations to Marcie for this amazing, happy series! Books 7 and 8 will follow in the new year.To buy copies, please visitPowellsIndie BoundBarnes + NobleAmazon

I'm so happy to share that Lisa Lewis Tyre's MG novel HOPE IN THE HOLLER, has sold in a two book deal to Nancy Paulsen at Nancy Paulsen Books / PRH!HOPE IN THE HOLLER is the poignant - and funny - story of a girl trying to be brave and find her place in the world after she's sent to live with scheming relatives.Right before Wavie's mother died, she gave Wavie a list of instructions to help her find her way in life, including this one: Be brave, Wavie B! You got as much right to a good life as anybody, so find it! But little did Wavie's mom know that events would conspire to bring Wavie back to Conley Hollow, the Appalachian hometown her mother tried to leave behind. Now Wavie's back in the Holler--and in the clutches of her Aunt Samantha Rose. Life with the devilish Samantha Rose and her revolting cousin Hoyt is no picnic, but there's real pleasure in sleeping in her own mother's old bed, and making friends with the funny, easygoing kids her aunt calls the "neighborhood-no-accounts." With their help, Wavie just might be able to prevent her aunt from becoming her legal guardian, and find her courage and place in the world.

I'm delighted to share that Angie Smibert's MG historical fiction novel GHOSTS OF ORDINARY OBJECTS, has sold in a three book deal to Rebecca Davis at Boyds Mills!Sometimes the hardest story to love is your own.Set in a Southern Virginia coal mining town in 1942, GHOSTS OF ORDINARY OBJECTS: BONE’S GIFT introduces us to twelve year old Bone Phillips, who can see the stories in ordinary objects—and she doesn’t much like it. It’s her family Gift, as her Mamaw calls it. In a jelly jar, fiddle or even a butter yellow sweater, Bone sees tales of loss, grief, love and hope. But these aren’t the stories Bone likes to tell. She’d much rather spin yarns of gypsies or talking animals. Bone’s Mama had the Gift too, but Bone doesn’t know much about her; she died when Bone was young. But when Bone finds a note saying that the Gift killed her mother, she knows it’s time to learn more.GHOSTS OF ORDINARY OBJECTS: BONE’S GIFT weaves Bone’s story and the mystery of her mother’s death into a beautifully resonant tale about the power of story. Author Angie Smibert summons this coal-mining town to life by drawing together history and Appalachian folklore, giving us not just the facts, but the heart of this place. She populates it with characters just as richly felt – among them Bone, whose quiet strength radiates, beautifully, through this book.

I'm delighted to share that the next books in the BABY LOVES SCIENCE! series by Ruth Spiro will be published next year by Charlesbridge. Topics this time are Gravity and Coding, and I can't wait to see how Ruth makes the magic happen again: her ability to explain complex scientific principles in 75 words or less never ceases to amaze and delight me! We're so lucky to have a wonderful team working on these books -- illustrator Irene Chan's sweet and colorful artwork brings the books to life, and the whole group at Charlesbridge, especially editor Alyssa Pusey, couldn't be better to work with.Can't wait to see covers for these, and in the meantime, enjoy the first four below!

Happy publication day to Sarah Tolcser – her thrilling, immersive new YA fantasy is out today!

SONG OF THE CURRENT is Sarah Tolcser’s debut novel. Set in a vividly imagined world, with action expertly balanced against building romantic tension, it features a fabulous heroine – Caro is fiery, headstrong, resourceful; longing to feel at home in her own skin, but determined to find happiness on her own terms.Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. Her father is a wherryman, as was her grandmother. All Caro needs is for the river god to whisper her name, and her fate is sealed. But at seventeen, Caro may be too late.So when pirates burn ships and her father is arrested, Caro volunteers to transport mysterious cargo in exchange for his release. Secretly, Caro hopes that by piloting her own wherry, the river god will finally speak her name.But when the cargo becomes more than Caro expected, she finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies. With much more than her father's life at stake, Caro must choose between the future she knows, and the one she could have never imagined.Praise for SONG OF THE CURRENT:★ “Tolcser blends the right amount of epic fantasy, sea voyage, and romance for a rollicking, swashbuckling adventure.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review★ “Ultimately this story is one of self-discovery…All the characters are fully developed and complex…While the narrative is often action-packed, the pacing does not feel rushed and gives readers time to learn about the characters and the world they inhabit. This enticingly written tale will take readers on an adventure and leave them craving more. For fans of titles such as Heidi Heilig’s The Girl from Everywhere or Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch. Highly recommended.” – School Library Journal, starred review“Caro’s distinctive, engaging voice plunges readers into the action and doesn’t let up… Kristin Cashore’s heroines find a worthy sister in Caro; readers will eagerly await her further adventures in the hinted-at sequel.” – Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books"Adventurous and dangerous! Fate and fires, pirates and shadowmen, Song of the Current will carry you into a treacherous and fantastic world, which you will not want to leave." – Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of CARAVALTo buy a copy, please visit:PowellsIndieBoundBarnes + NobleAmazonCONGRATULATIONS to author Sarah Tolcser – you can visit her site, or say hi on twitter!

Well, May 30th – you’re a lucky day! This is the day that Julie Israel’s debut YA novel, JUNIPER LEMON’S HAPPINESS INDEX is out there in the world!

Funny, warm, and moving, Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index is a contemporary YA novel about loss, how deeply we can know others, and making our own happiness; perfect for fans of Sara Zarr and Jandy Nelson’s The Sky Is Everywhere.Sixty-five days after the death of her older sister, sixteen-year-old Juniper Lemon discovers the break-up letter addressed to “You” Camilla wrote the day she died. Juni is shocked—she knew nothing of this You, and now the gaping hole in her life that was her sister feels that much bigger. She’s determined to uncover the identity of You and deliver the letter. Maybe that would help fill the hole, even if only a bit.But what Juniper doesn’t expect is that in searching for You she will unearth other notes and secrets—and that may be just what she needs to sort out her own mess.I knew I had to offer rep on this novel about 20 pages in. Juniper is funny and smart with an appealing indomitability -- she grieving, and struggling through that process, sometimes swamped by it, but always trying to move forward, and go deeper; she’s considering the process of grieving at the same time as living it. It’s in her ability to be reflective that she finds the strength to move forward. This is a book that made me cry, as often as it made me cackle with laughter.We’ve been receiving lovely reviews, including a star from School Library Journal!“Themes of loss and emotional growth resonate throughout this novel. Told from Juniper’s point of view, the book … is peppered with lists, poems, notes, and letters…Israel brings together a diverse cast of characters with problems to which many readers can relate…This heartwarming work will appeal to fans of Cori McCarthy’s You Were Here. A well-told story of teen struggles and grief that will resonate with readers.” – School Library Journal, starred review“Israel’s debut novel sensitively examines loss, survivor’s guilt, and how one girl attempts to rebuild her life…handles the long, painful process of negotiating grief gently and realistically while cleverly interweaving the light mystery of “you’s” identity throughout, keeping readers guessing as Juni steps closer to finding closure.” – Publishers WeeklyYou can buy JUNIPER LEMON’S HAPPINESS INDEX here:PowellsIndieBoundAmazonBarnes + NobleFind Julie here and here – give her a shout hello!