Kids New Title Radar, Week of 6/10
The second week in the month, the traditional release period for children’s titles, brings a flood of new books to our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of June 10, including the conclusion to actress Lauren Conrad’s Fame Game series. For those who buy movie tie-ins, we’ve listed the titles that are based on the animated Dreamworks movie, Turbo, about a garden snail and his dreams of becoming the fastest being on earth. It hits theaters on July 17, with a Netflix series following in December.
Last week’s Book Expo had us distracted, so we didn’t post the downloadable Kids New Title Radar, Week of June 3. It happens that two of the week’s most-anticipated books were also big at the show. Sarah Dessen was there, about to begin her book tour for The Moon and More (Viking/Penguin), which has been praised by YA GalleyChatters for showing a new level of maturity, focusing more on character than the author’s earlier, but nonetheless very popular titles.
The first in a new dystopian series, The Testing just arrived and ARC’s for the sequel, Independent Study coming in January (both from HMH) were already being handed out at the show (see previous post).
Also arriving this week is a book that mimicks the form of the still-popular nearly 45 year-old title, Go Ask Alice, a cautionary tale in the form of an anonymous diary. This one about anorexia, Letting Ana Go, (Simon Pulse) and even refers to its predecessor in the cover line (“In the tradion of…”). It cleverly begins as a high school sophomore’s food diary that gradually slides towards obsession. Kirkus calls it “A disturbing tale that feels meant to titillate rather than caution.”
If you weren’t already aware of it, your middle graders have probably let you know that Dork Diaries 6: Tales from a Not-So-Happy Heartbreaker, (S&S/Aladdin) was also released this week.