This Summer Create a Flanagan Frenzy with Ranger's Apprentice & Brotherband Chronicles
"Flanagan Frenzy" is an interactive program designed to celebrate all things John Flanagan, with activities, signage, and incentives.
Teachers and Librarians:
Email teachersandlibrarians@us.penguingroup.com to receive a kit with:
- An oversized standee with customizable wipe-off board
- A calendar poster with reproducible activities on the back
- Buttons for staff
- Bookmarks with punch card and certificates to reward participation
- Access to activity ideas based on successful Ranger's Apprentice summer camps produced and sponsored by the YMCA and ACA, including indoor and outdoor games, craft ideas, and suggestions for additional programming
- Free exclusive downloads, resources, and messages from John Flanagan on RangersApprentice.com/FlanaganFrenzy
And information on how to enter to win a visit from John Flanagan!
Kits will be available starting April 2012
Suggested program timing is July 9th-August 10th, 2012
Enter the Mal & Chad Fill-in-the-Bubble Contest!
Fill-in-the-bubbles for an opportunity to win a personalized sketch of yourself as a Mal & Chad character drawn by the author and 2 signed copies of Food Fight!
Visit MalandChad.com/contest for an entry form, official rules, and to find out more about Mal & Chad!
2011’s Best Books 4 Boys
School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly have recently come out with their top 2011 picks. We’ve narrowed the list down to highlight the boy-approved books!
A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Lewis
Booklist Editor's Choice Best Book, School Library Journal Best Book
September 2011
September is Roald Dahl Month!
Celebrate Roald Dahl Month this September or any month of the year!
Glass Elevator, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach and more!
Plan a splendiferous event in honor of Roald Dahl's birthday on September 13th, or on any other simply marvelous day!
Download scrumdiddlyumptious activities and a gloriumptious bookmark here and be sure to visit Roald Dahl’s website at www.roalddahl.com.
Follow That Peach and Quentin Blake Virtually Live
Mark the 50th anniversary of Roald Dahl's beloved classic James and the Giant Peach with the new "Follow that Peach" website: www.followthatpeach.com. Here you may print out Peach Grams for your students to send in the mail or send virtual peaches online! Help roll James's peach across the world!
Celebrate Roald Dahl Day and the world's No. 1 Storyteller, Roald Dahl, creator of all your most-loved characters and Quentin Blake, the legendary illustrator.
See Quentin Blake LIVE on September 28th at your school or library. Watch him bring to life some of his amazing characters LIVE on stage, hear him talk about working with Roald Dahl and tune in for your chance to ask him questions!
Visit www.quentinblakevirtuallylive.com for more information and to register now!
Enter the Skippy Scoop Sweepstakes!
Get the Skippy Scoop monthly e-newsletter that features MUCHO fun Skippito stuff like info about the newest Skippyjon Jones books, fantastic lesson plan ideas, downloadable activity sheets, and other goodies for your students. Sign up for the Skippy Scoop and be automatically entered for a chance to win the grand prize—a visit from Judy Schachner and a Skippy costume!
To sign up, just send an email to schoolandlibrary@us.penguingroup.com with the subject line "Skippy Scoop Sign Up Sweepstakes," The e-newsletter is free and sweepstakes entry is open to eligible teachers, school librarians, or educations of preschool through 1st grade.
Read the official rules and list of prizes!
Authors on Tour!
Connect with your favorite authors, including Adam Gidwitz, Harlan Cben, Jay Asher while they tour this Fall! Click here for a complete list of who will be where and when!
The Accidental Adventures Come to Your Classroom!
Author C. Alexander has announced he is going on tour! A Skype tour that is! Book your virtual visit from the author of the Accidental Adventures, We Are Not Eaten By Yaks and We Dine With Cannibals today. Find out how here.
Summer 2011
Follow us on Twitter!
The Penguin School and Library Marketing department can now be found on Twitter! Follow @thepenguinpeeps for the latest on boy reads and so much more!
Fight Bullying With Books
Now available for teachers, librarians, parents and caregivers, our anti-bullying brochure collects new and favorite Penguin titles that will help you broach the all-too-timely topic of bullying at every age. Divided into Elementary, Middle School, and High School categories, the brochure provides book recommendations to aid in creating teachable moments, fostering discussion, and providing insight and understanding into the ramifications of actions and words.
February 1, 2011
New Spring Stars!
These boy-approved best bets have received wonderful accolades. Make sure they are on your list this spring!
Three Stars! 
A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Lewis
School Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist
One Star!
Booklist
Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider
Booklist
Booklist
January 1, 2011
Best Boy Books of 2010!
2010 was a great year for Penguin and we've combed through the list of awards to bring you a list of the best for boys:
Horn Book's "Fanfare: Our Choices for the Best Books of 2010
- Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Kirkus 2010 Best Books for Children and Teens!
- Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull
- Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Wiener by Ursula Vernon
- Around the World in 100 Days by Gary Blackwood
- Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Kirkus 2010 Best Books for Children and Teens!
- Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull
- Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Wiener by Ursula Vernon
- Around the World in 100 Days by Gary Blackwood
- Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
- Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
School Library Journal's Best Books of 2010
- Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
- Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull
September 20, 2010
Penguin author Robert Paul Weston takes part in Access Books and "Air Lift to L.A." program to deliver books to Compton School
Los Angeles - As part of their ongoing commitment to strengthen inner-city school libraries throughout Los Angeles and beyond, Access Books has joined forces with a team of Canadian authors to help Ralph Bunche Elementary (16223 Haskins Lane, Carson, CA 90746-1092) on October 2, 2010 at 9 a.m. One of 25 elementary schools in the Compton Unified School District (CUSD), Bunche is in desperate need of books for its 450 students.
Access Books, "Air Lift to L.A." and a team of volunteers from Bunche will spend October 2nd revitalizing the library by painting murals and cataloging brand new books. In addition to the books, Access Books will provide a reading rug, rocking chair and sofa to create a warm and inviting environment for students. Five authors from Canada will be on hand for the event and to give fun and exciting presentations to the students, including Robert Paul Weston, author of Dust City and the award-winning novel-in-verse, Zorgamazoo.
Learn more about Robert Paul Weston at www.RobertPaulWeston.com or on the Penguin website and learn more about Access Books at http://www.accessbooks.net/.
September 14, 2010
Celebrate Back to School with George Brown, Class Clown
George Brown really doesn't want to get in trouble... but with a magical burp that propels him into all sorts of tricky situations, he can't seem to help himself! Find out more about this great series and visit the George Brown, Class Clown series page or the new website at www.penguin.com/georgebrown. Don't miss the "Send a Burp" feature on the website, where you can send burps (you choose what kind) to everyone you know!
September 1, 2010
Take Part in the Roald Dahl Reading Dahlathon!
September is Roald Dahl Month and what better way to celebrate the birthday month of the world's greatest storyteller than to participate in a Roald Dahl Reading Dahlathon?
What is it?
- A reading challenge that kicks off in September for Roald Dahl Month!
How can kids participate?
- Kids track their reading progress in the Official Reading Journal from September through December.
- When they've read three Roald Dahl books, they have a parent, teacher, librarian, or guardian sign their entry coupon in the Official Reading Journal and mail in the signed coupon to receive Dahlicious prizes!
Here's how you can get involved:
- Click here for the official Dahlathon website, where you can get more information about the program and download materials such as the Roald Dahl Reading Dahlathon Official Reading Journal, which includes the official entry form; a Roald Dahl Month Celebration Calendar with a new idea for each day of the month; and Reproducible Activity Sheets for use in the classroom or at home.
July 23, 2010
Top 10 Sports Books for Youth
Booklist picks the ten best sports books for youth published during the last 12 months, including one great Penguin title!
• No Easy Way: The story of Ted Williams and the Last .400 Season by Fred Bowen.
July 20, 2010
The new, first-of-its-kind, literacy initiative combines the joy of reading with the power of giving!
We Give Books is a free website that enables anyone with internet access to put books in the hands of children who don't have them, simply by reading online. Share the power and pleasure of reading, and teach children about the importance of helping others at the same time. For every children's book read at www.wegivebooks.org, a brand new book will be donated to a nonprofit literacy organization you select.
Visit www.wegivebooks.org today to start reading and giving!
July 15, 2010
Dragonbreath #3: Curse of the Were-Weiner by Ursula Vernon receives its first starred review! Don't miss this great addition to the series when it hits stores in September.
"School lunch bites-literally-in the third impossibly droll escapade featuring dragonling Danny Dragonbreath and his peace-loving iguana buddy, Wendell. When Wendell and other students at Herpitax-Phibbias School For Reptiles and Amphibians are nipped by a strangely colored hot dog, Danny finds himself in a race against time to find and take out the Alpha-Wurst in a package of feral were-wieners before his friend and schoolmates are transformed into mindless minions. Dishing out most of the many punchlines and wisecracks in thick-lined red-and-green cartoons, Vernon crafts a mixed-format escapade that sends Danny and Wendell on a Journey through dark storm drains (cue a Joseph Campbell joke from Wendell; 'Who?' asks Danny to enlist the aid of an escaped sentient potato salad that likewise came out of the school kitchen-because everybody knows that potato salad and hot dogs are ancient enemies'--and on to a gory (okay, ketchup-y) climax in the lunchroom fridge. What next? Would you believe...a Bat Monster? Stay tuned."
—Kirkus Review, starred review
July 7, 2010
The following books have been chosen for Indie Bound's Indie Next List!
Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger
"Stanley and his friend Miranda try and save their school from a zombie plague. A hillarious send-up of the zombie genre set in elementary school complete with the stock characters and scenes, but punched up with funny touches and illustrations to boot!"
—Patrick Hunter, Hooray for Books!, Alexandria, VA
Find out more about Zombiekins at Indiebound
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by Kevin Bolger
"Will Grayson, meet Will Grayson! Two very different dudes living in separate suburbs of Chicago, who have the same name and the same problems when it comes to matters of the heart. Fortunately, big, loud and flamboyantly gay Tiny Cooper is there to save the day. A funny and moving coming-of-age novel focusing on friendship, trial and error, love, longing, but most important of all, being true to yourself."
—Jet Hopster, The Book Works, Del Mar, CA
Find out more about Will Grayson, Will Grayson at Indiebound
May 25, 2010
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer goes on sale today!
A perfect murder
A faceless witness
One person knows the whole truth... and he's only thirteen years old.
Meet Theodore Boone.
With two attorneys for parents, thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone knows more about the law than most lawyers do. But when a high profile murder trial comes to his small town and Theo gets pulled into it, it's up to this amateur attorney to save the day.
Click on the video below to watch the Theodore Boone trailer!
Click here for more information on this exciting new series and to get your free downloadable classroom kit.
May 18, 2010
Ranger's Apprentice Book 8: The Kings of Clonmel Releases Today!
Make sure to check out the eighth book in the Ranger's Apprentice Series, The Kings of Clonmel for more adventure, danger, and secrets in this ongoing series. Keep an eye out for the next book in the series, Ranger's Apprentice Book 9: Halt's Peril, which is being released in October!
April 20, 2010
T.A. Barron has WON the 2010 M. Jerry Weiss Book Award for Merlin's Dragon
The M. Jerry Weiss Book Award was established in 1994 by the New Jersey Reading Association (NJRA) to honor Dr. M. Jerry Weiss, distinguished service professor at New Jersey City University, and nationally known advocate for children's literature. Books are nominated by school committees, individual classroom teachers, or school librarians, and then screened by a state committee. Final voting is by students. The award is presented in alternate years to an author and illustrator in the K-3 category, an author and illustrator in the 4-6 category, and an author in the 7-12 category.
April 16, 2010
Incarceron and I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President are two of the 2010 YALSA Teens' Top Ten Nominations!
I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President
A young boy (who happens to be an evil genius) wants to be student body president to attract his father/arch-nemesis' attention. After using his almost unlimited resources, he thinks he has the election in the bag, when suddenly everything goes wrong that no amount of money can fix.The Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted on Support Teen Literature Day during National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year. Readers ages twelve to eighteen will vote online between Aug. 23 and Sept. 17; the winners will be announced in a webcast featuring WWE Superstars and Divas during Teen Read Week.
YALSA's mission is to advocate, promote and strengthen library service to teens, ages 12-18, as part of the continuum of total library services, and to support those who provide library service to this population.
For the complete list of official nominations visit: ala.org
April 9, 2010
Incarceron Catherine Fisher has been chosen as one of Booklist's Top 10 SF/Fantasy Titles for Youth!
For more information about this and other titles on the list, please visit Booklist Online
March 9, 2010
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan Receives THREE Starred Reviews
"Two superstar authors pair up and really deliver the goods, dishing up a terrific high-energy tale of teen love, lust, intrigue, anger, pain, and friendship threaded with generous measures of comedy and savvy counsel... a tale populated with young people engaged in figuring out what's important and shot through with strong feelings, smart-mouthed dialogue, and uncommon insight."
—Booklist, starred review
"Love, honesty, friendship and trust all ensue, culminating in the world's gayest and most fabulous musical ever. Green and Levithan craft an intellectually existential, electrically ebullient love story that brilliantly melds the ridiculous with the realistic."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Based on the premises that "love is tied to truth" and "being friends, that's just something you are," this powerful, thought-provoking, funny, moving, and unique plot is irresistible. Told in alternating chapters from each Will Grayson's point of view (one in lower case, effectively individualizing identities), complete with honest language, interesting characters, and a heartfelt, gritty edge, this quirky yet down-to-earth collaboration by two master YA storytellers will keep readers turning pages."
—School Library Journal, starred review
February 2, 2010
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher Receives FIVE Starred Reviews
"A tour de force."
—School Library Journal, starred review
"This is a must-have."
—Booklist, starred review
"[An] elegant, gritty, often surprising novel."
—The Horn Book, starred review
"Complex and inventive . . . this tale is certain to please."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A rich confection of darkness, subtlety and depth."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
January 22, 2010
2010 ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and Popular Paperbacks Lists Include Awesome Boy Reads
January 18, 2010
Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes wins an ALA Michael L. Printz Honor!
Wednesday, September 5, 1973: The first day of Karl Shoemaker's senior year in stifling Lightsburg, Ohio. For years, Karl's been part of what he calls "the Madman Underground"—a group of kids forced (for no apparent reason) to attend group therapy during school hours. Karl has decided that senior year is going to be different. He is going to get out of the Madman Underground for good. He is going to act—and be—Normal. But Normal, of course, is relative. Karl has five after-school jobs, one dead father, one seriously unhinged drunk mother...and a huge attitude. Welcome to a gritty, uncensored rollercoaster ride, narrated by the singular Karl Shoemaker.
