First Review for Webb's TALE OF HALCYON CRANE!!!

Waiting for that very first review from the press must be stressful, especially for a debut novelist like Wendy Webb.

But if this Library Journal review, the first for the upcoming HALCYON CRANE, is any indication of what's to come, Wendy's got nothing to fear (expect maybe that creepy girl from Holt's spectacular cover art, or the many chills 'n thrills from Wendy's imagination lying in wait within the book's covers . . .)


















An engaging modern gothic tale with a strong female protagonist and well-done suspense. Fans of Mary Higgins Clark and Barbara Michaels and readers who like supernatural elements in their fiction will enjoy this debut.”—Library Journal

THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE has it all . . a complex, atmospheric tale that will remind you of why you first loved reading.” --Patry Francis, author of THE LIAR'S DIARY

“The perfect cozy read.”—Mary Sharratt, author of The Vanishing Point and Daughters of the Witching Hill

Holt April 2010

Upcoming February and March 2010 Releases

What are the Four Rs? Reading 'riting, 'rithmetic, and Rufus, of course! Rufus is back, with even more of his puppy friends. Spend a day in school with the clever canine as they read, write, count, and sing--and make mischief in the library.

Charlesbridge, February 2010


















There's nothing ten-year-old Lily Sinclair likes about her new life in the city with her single mom. She misses her best friend, who seems to have forgotten her and their secret place, Willowood. She almost never sees her hard-working mom, can't get her to tell Lily anything about her absent father. Her only source of comfort is her beloved pet gecko, Weemis. Everything changes when Mrs. Hiller introduces Lily to the owner of the Pet Palace, a nearby pet store, and his adult Down's syndrome son, Nate. Lily finds herself with an unofficial after school job--and forges a tentative friendship with Nate that's threatened by a dark secret about Nate that Lily has yet to discover.

Aladdin (Simon & Schuster), March 2010

“THE LANGUAGE OF SECRETS is a psychological mystery with emotional under-pinnings that will have you puzzled and intrigued right up to the moment Dixon’s sleight-of-hand is revealed.” —Sue Grafton

"A lovely, compelling debut novel. Aptly titled, THE LANGUAGE OF SECRETS explores the ramifications of loss, the aftermath of tragedy, and the sometimes terrible cost a child can pay for a parent's guilt." --Kristin Hannah, New York Times-Bestselling author of Firefly Lane

DoubleDay, March 2010

CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE nominated for Edgar Award!!

Nancy Springer is no stranger to the Edgar Award, having won in the Best Juvenile category not once, but twice--for LOOKING FOR JAMIE BRIDGER in 1994 and for TOUGHING IT in 1996.

But two things make her current nomination for 2009 Edgar Award THE CASE OF THE CRYPTIC CRINOLINE extra-special: this is the second time that Springer's critically-acclaimed Enola Holmes series, starring the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, has been nominated for the award; the first title in the series, THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS, was also up for the award in 2006.

Secondly, the double nomination for the series (could it be Springer's third win?) will likely to provide a nice boost to the concluding chapter in the Enola Holmes saga: CASE OF THE GYPSY GOODBYE, coming May 2010!


















Philomel May 2010

New Booklist Reviews, December and January Realeases

The December 15th edition of Booklist has positive words for the second titles from both Lesley Livingston (WONDROUS STRANGE) and Jillian Cantor (SEPTEMBER SISTERS).

After the "action-packed" DARKLIGHT, the sequel to Livingston's WONDROUS STRANGE, coming next week from Harper Teen, Booklist has no doubt that "readers will anxiously await the concluding volume."

DARKLIGHT, Harper Teen December 2009



As for Cantor's LIFE OF GLASS, coming January 2010 from Harper Teen, Booklist states that the talented Cantor succeeds in painting "a gentle portrait of a girl growing through her grief."

LIFE OF GLASS, Harper Teen January 2009

Happy Holidays from JVNLA!!

Click here to see the animated card!!!

Upcoming December 2009 Releases

Book Two of the WONDROUS STRANGE Series

Praise for WONDROUS STRANGE:

"Readers will revel in the hints of Shakespeare within the text . . . Set against the backdrop of present-day New York City, this enchanting first novel weaves together worlds of theater and magic in a way that is sure to please fans of both." -- School Library Journal

Stands out with a balanced mix of folklore and authorial invention . . . Kelley is appealingly feisty and stubborn, and her romance in Sonny develops quickly but believably . . . [Wondrous Strange] will capture readers eager for romance, magic and suspense." --Booklist

HarperTeen December 2009

Upcoming November 2009 Releases

This rich work will be well received by Faulknerian students and scholars. Highly recommended." --Library Journal

William Faulkner is often cited as the greatest American novelist of the 20th century, yet he lived a life marked by a pervasive sense of failure. Repeatedly, he failed to master the challenges that erupted upon him in charged moments: crises involving love, war, and race, as well as family, Hollywood, and alcohol. In this imaginative biography, Philip Weinstein, a leading authority on Faulkner, targets Faulkner's sense of unpreparedness as central to both his life and his work.

Oxford University Press November 2009