A sneak peak at what I'm editing now

Another question from my personal blog that I'll answer here, this one courtesy of Katherine Tillotson.

What books are you editing that you are currently excited about?

Right now I'm working mainly on my Spring 2008 list, and although that list is yet to be finalized, three of the books that I hope to make it on that list that I'm excited about are:

A middle grade novel by Tony Abbott (author of Firegirl): this book is still untitled, although it might be called some combination of The Postcard or Twin Palms. Except for the stellar writing and kidlike dialogue, this book is nothing like Firegirl, but I love it just as much. This one is a mystery, set in Florida, and involves a wacky cast of characters, mysterious phone calls, clues in the form of postcards, and a story-within-the-story. It's an ambitious, compelling novel, and it's different from anything else I've edited. I'm really happy with how it's coming along, and I'm excited for people to read it soon.

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young. This picture book will either be on the Spring/Summer 2008 list, or on Fall 2008. It's been such an honor and pleasure to be working with Caldecott Medal-winner Ed Young, and I love the concept: wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophical concept where you find beauty in the ordinary, in nature, in imperfection, such as worn, chipped pottery, a damp pile of fallen leaves and dirt, and, in the case of this book, an ordinary cat with mottled fur. Although the concept is somewhat sophisticated, the story is lyrical, fun, and kid-friendly, and the art is magnificent.

Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel Rodriguez. I had been wanting to work with Edel for almost five years now, ever since I discovered that we worked in the same building, I sent him an email, and he came to show me his portfolio. At the time, I was only familiar with his picture book biography-style of art, and his editorial work, which I loved, but when I received this proposal last year about a little penguin from Argentina named Sergio, I was delighted. The art style was simpler, more graphic, yet just as wonderful, and the office fell in love with the character and personality of little Sergio.


So, stay tuned for news on these three books! But if you can't wait over a year, here's a quick list of some of the titles I have coming out this Winter/Spring. I will probably be writing more about them later, so for now I'll just include a quick description:

Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans: A breathtaking novel-in-verse about the devastation a death in the family bring to a teen girl and her parents. This is just out now.

Flush: The scoop on poop throughout the ages by Charise Mericle Harper: An informative, zany follow-up picture book to Imaginative Inventions about everything bathroom-related: who invented the toilet, how astronauts go to bathroom in space, what people throughout history have used as toilet paper, and much, much more! This is coming out in March.

Going Nowhere Faster by Sean Beaudoin: Hilarious Young adult novel about a genius video store clerk who everyone thought would Go Somewhere and Be Something, but guess what--he's going nowhere faster. I call this Clerks meets Good Will Hunting. Coming out in April.

Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson: Poignant middle grade novel about a young girl dealing with her verbally abusive mother. Coming out in April.

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli: A quirky middle grade novel about an unlikely friendship between two fragile children who are missing something in their lives. Coming out in June.