CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 29, 2011
"This is no didactic near-future warning of present evils, but a cinematic adventure featuring endearing, compelling heroes. (Science fiction. 12-14)"
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 8, 2011
"Despite these lowbrow historical techniques, Massie delivers a fascinating account of dog-eat-dog politics in 18th-century Europe and the larger-than-life Russian empress who gave as good as she got."
Roughly every decade since Nicholas and Alexandra (1967), popular historian Massie (Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea, 2003, etc.) publishes a fat volume of European history for an eager readership; his latest will not disappoint.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"Utterly charming, and informative, to boot; readers brought up on a diet of rhymes, bright colors and adorable fluffy animals will find its simple beauty a balm. (Informational picture book. 4-8)"
A young child enjoying a full day of cross-country skiing narrates this gentle tale, explaining both her own activities and what the animals are doing.
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NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"As precious (and precocious) as he may sound, Lahlou's recipes, when followed accurately, are exciting and deliciously new."
NONFICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"A slim, somber classic."
Didion (We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live: Collected Nonfiction, 2006, etc.) delivers a second masterpiece on grief, considering both her daughter's death and her inevitable own.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 25, 2011
"Orwellian dystopia, sci-fi, the modern world (terrorism, drugs, apathy, pop novels)--all blend in this dreamlike, strange and wholly unforgettable epic."
"Things are not what they seem." If Murakami's (
After Dark, 2008, etc.) ambitious, sprawling and thoroughly stunning new novel had a tagline, that would be it.
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NONFICTION
Released: Oct. 25, 2011
"Lucid and compelling but hardly groundbreaking."
A crisply written but not entirely original retelling of John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 24, 2011
"Filled with gratuitous violence, unnecessary vulgarity and unending cliché, this story often slides from merely bad into truly offensive. (Thriller. 14 & up)"
In Schreiber's debut novel for teens, an awkward high-school exchange student morphs into a beautiful assassin, changing a boring prom night into a dangerous race against time.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 11, 2011
"Dazzling work—Eugenides continues to show that he is one of the finest of contemporary novelists."
A stunning novel—erudite, compassionate and penetrating in its analysis of love relationships.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 11, 2011
"Ideal for bedtime, this will shine on through repeat readings. (Picture book. 3-7)"
A poetic paean to stars both real and metaphorical brings the heavenly down to readers without robbing it of mystery.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 4, 2011
"Although Janie's narration loses some of its charm and humor as the adventure escalates, its blend of history, culture and the anxiety of the time with magical "science" will keep readers just as spellbound as the characters. (art not seen) (Historical fantasy. 10-14)"
Following the paths of Neil Gaiman, Julia Alvarez and Carl Hiaasen, bestselling author Meloy (
Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It, 2009, etc.) takes a successful plunge into middle-grade fiction.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 4, 2011
"An irresistible read: This book sings. (Fantasy. 8-12)"
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
"An excellent collection, full of unexpected delights. (introduction, author biographies) (Anthology. 12 & up)"
You can't have steampunk without steam (and maybe some gears), but in the hands of a stellar cast of authors, everything else is open to interpretation.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
"Readers with great expectations will find them fully satisfied by this tongue-in-cheek romp through a historic public House that is the very opposite of Bleak. (Animal fantasy. 10-12)"
"He was the best of toms. He was the worst of toms." And for all his harsh early life and unnatural dietary preferences, ragged London alley cat Skilley gets to look at a queen, too.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
"Elegiac, mature and nostalgic--a fine evocation of childhood, and of days irretrievably past."
A graceful, closely observed novel that blends coming-of-age tropes with a Conradian sea voyage.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 27, 2011
"A grand tale skillfully updated and tightened up, this should win the hearts of a new generation. (Fantasy. 8-12)"
A heart-shaped talisman created in the Stone Age brings terribly corrupting power to those who possess it, until 12-year-old Charles Jago manages to destroy it permanently.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 27, 2011
"Cynical on wry. (Picture book. 4-7)"
Klassen's coy effort combines spare illustration, simple, repetitive text and a "payback's a bear" plot.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 27, 2011
"A poignant tribute to the life and talent of Siobhan Dowd and an astonishing exploration of fear. (Fiction. 11-14)"
From a premise left by author Siobhan Dowd before her untimely death, Ness has crafted a nuanced tale that draws on elements of classic horror stories to delve into the terrifying terrain of loss.
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CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 13, 2011
"A story rife with unusual honesty and hope. (Fiction. 12-16)"
A young teen loner gradually learns to accept the friendship of an outspoken girl in this problem novel filled with likable, idiosyncratic characters.
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 7, 2011
"A promising debut--and one guaranteed to draw attention, for it commanded an unusually big advance and will likely be pushed accordingly. Stay tuned."
