Kids and YA Radar: May 7th – 13th
For young adults next week, there’s Andrew Fukuda’s would-be successor to the Hunger Games (with the added element of vampires). In children’s books, Patterson continues his middle school series and Stephen Colbert tries to rival Maurice Sendak.
YOUNG ADULT
The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (Macmillan/St. Martins/Griffin; Macmillan Audio) is the first in a new vampire series that is on many lists of what to read after The Hunger Games. PW says, “With an exciting premise fueled by an underlying paranoia, fear of discovery, and social claustrophobia, this thriller lives up to its potential while laying the groundwork for future books.” To capitalize on the Hunger Games hook, The Hunt‘s website (where you can read an excerpt), cross-promotes a free download of an eBook called How to Survive The Hunger Games and uses the tagline “Now that the games are over…it’s time to start the hunt.”
City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (S&S/Margaret K. McElderry; Simon & Schuster Audio) is the fifth installment in the bestselling Mortal Instruments series. The film of first book is moving forward, with release currently slated for August 23, 2013, starring Lily Collins and directed by Harald Zwart (The Karate Kid).
CHILDREN’S
Middle School: Get Me Out of Here! by James Patterson (Hachette/LBYR; Hachette Audio) the second in Patterson’s bid to appeal to the Wimpy Kid crowd.
I am A Pole (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio) is a book that the author threatened to write when he interviewed Maurice Sendak on his TV show. Sendak called the concept “terribly ordinary,” adding: “The sad thing is I like it.” We’re listing it as a children’s title, because that’s what Colbert calls it; it’s being published as an adult title, however.
May 7th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
I am a Pole (And So Can You!) is not a children’s book…anymore than Go the #*!@ to Sleep is a children’s book. Adult ordered for our library and that’s where it will go…probably in nonfiction humor area. Lots of great unpublished authors out there wondering when they will get the break. Colbert is clever and does a lot to promote great books and authors and for that libraries are grateful.
May 8th, 2012 at 10:38 am
Does he still have the part about the stripper pole? Yes, it’s an adult book. Colbert, in his character role, calls it a children’s book. Don’t think Colbert–when not in character–calls it a children’s book.