Did you know there were Video Book Awards? I confess, I did not. But three intriguing videos are finalists for Kirkus Reviews 2009 Book Video Awards. The Award “challenges student filmmakers to create video trailers based on three upcoming young-adult novels to be published by Random House Children’s Books. ”

The three finalist books are: Very Lefreak, The Maze Runner, and Fallen.

Vote for your favorite here and be sure to add these books to your YA collections.

-Marie

Hello friends!

It has been a while. I was away on business and vacation in my home state: sunny California. And sunny it was. I’m surprised I got any reading done but with a 5-6 hour flight both ways there is plenty of time for that. While I did cheat on Random House a bit, I also finished a few of our own titles:

THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES: The second in a new “paranormal” series from Carrie Ryan, this book is published by our kids group and was even better than the first. It picks up in the years following The Forest of Hands and Teeth (read my previous post about that one to get a synopsis) and follows Gabry as as she goes from living a quiet life to confronting the undead, the blossomings of love, and family secrets that change everything. If you haven’t read Forest yet, start there, as Dead-Tossed won’t be available until March 2010.

FACTORY GIRLS: FROM VILLAGE TO CITY IN A CHANGING CHINA: Wall Street Journal reporter Leslie T. Chang effectively drops her reader into the life of the “factory girls,” young  Chinese women who leave their villages and families for the province of Dongguan – a city of factories where everything from Coach to Nike is made. Focusing on dating practices, job hunts, English classes, and other ways of life, this book gives readers a glimpse into the culture surrounding the world that has been created all in the name of our sneakers and electronics. As a young woman who “migrated” from the suburbs to the city myself, I was intrigued by the stories of the women Chang interviewed and befriended and our shared similarites. This book was named a New York Times Book Review “Notable Book” and it is easy to see why – approachable and illuminating, this is not one to miss.

THE TRIPLE BIND: SAVING OUR TEENAGE GIRLS FROM TODAY’S PRESSURES: Ever wonder why more adolescents suffer from troubling emotional problems today than in decades past? Dr. Stephen Hinshaw (chair of the Psychology Department at my alma mater!) points to what he calls “The Triple Bind.” Today’s young girls are feeling more and more pressure to “Be pretty, sweet, and nice” and at the same time “be athletic, competitive, and get straight A’s” and the clicher… “be impossibly perfect”. This is an interesting read for anyone who has a teen girl in his or her life – or ever was one.

To welcome myself back to the blog after my absense, I’ve procured a copy of The Triple Bind that I’d love to send to one lucky reader. Please comment for your chance to win!

- Marie

photo courtesy of Allure.com

Last night I was watching a cheesy entertainment news show (Hey, we all have our guilty pleasures, right?) and saw something exciting. A book! And not just any book, a cute children’s book called Reading Can Be Fun. Yes, it can! I recognized the title immediately as one published by Random House client, Rizzoli Publications.  The adorable read was in the hands of none other than superstar Julia Roberts during her photo shoot for the March issue of Allure magazine. Score one for bibliophiles everywhere!

                   

 This isn’t the only great tot title in this series written by Munro Leaf. There’s also Manners Can Be Fun and Brushing Your Teeth Can Be Fun.  Pass this bit of info on to your children’s collection developers so they can answer “Yes, we do! It is right over here…” when scores of folks come in with magazine in hand and point to it with frantic looks on their faces. It could happen. If Julia loves it, it must be good, right?

-Marie