LIVE FROM BOOK EXPO 2017: Let's Visit Some Publishers

For the last two years, I have been privileged to serve as an onsite correspondent for Armchair BookExpo. I've gone to Chicago and New York. I've met oodles and oodles of authors and I've seen oodles and oodles of wonderful new books.

For a variety of reasons, Armchair BookExpo is no more.

And for one (HUGE!) reason, I am not at BookExpo this year....I am in Italy celebrating the the retirement of my husband and me as well as our 40th wedding anniversary.

But there's no reason I can't visit Italy and go to BookExpo at the same time....isn't that the wonder of the written word?

So let’s take a look back at my past visits to BookExpo. Let's go to the 2017 BookExpo, held in New York City:

LIVE FROM BOOK EXPO: Let's Visit Some Publishers

It's Deb Nance at Readerbuzz here again. I want to share a little about those people who make the amazing event that is BookExpo possible: the publishers.

Every publisher in America (and some outside America!) is at Book Expo. Mainstream fiction. University presses. Nonfiction. Niche fiction. I love roaming the exhibit hall, stopping to talk to publishers. This year I discovered new-to-me publisher New York Review of Books that publishes, among other things, wonderful old children's books, including the amazing Polly and the Wolf. I also stopped in and talked to some great publishers I've known for a long time to see what is coming out soon.

CHRONICLE BOOKS

Chronicle Books is an independent publisher based in San Francisco. This year is Chronicle Books' fiftieth anniversary.

Chronicle Books publishes children's books, adult books, cookbooks, gift books, art books, calendars, stationery, and journals. 

I spent some time at Book Expo with senior publicist Lara Starr. She shared some of the books Chronicle will be publishing soon. One favorite is Dave Eggers' second children's book, Her Right Foot, which takes on the Statue of Liberty. Eggers was inspired to do the book when he noticed that Lady Liberty was on the move.

Eggers uses the book to reflect on immigration, noting that originally we were all immigrants. It's a moving, sometimes poignant story.

Lara also shared the new Adam Rex book, Nothing Rhymes with Orange. Poor Orange. Nothing rhymes with orange, and it makes him very sad. Apple figures out a way to help Orange stop feeling left out. It's a delightful book.

Finally, Lara showed Press Here author Herve Tullet's new book, Say Zoop! Like Tullet's other books, it is interactive. This time, Tullet encourages children to make sounds aloud as they read. It should make a fun read-aloud.

 For more about Chronicle Books, take a look at the website here.

SOURCEBOOKS

Sourcebooks is an independent publisher located in Naperville, Illinois. Sourcebooks' mission is "to reach as many people as possible with books that will enlighten their lives." Sourcebooks is the publisher of a big favorite among bloggers, The Readers of Broken Wheel.

I met at Book Expo with Sourcebooks Senior Publicist Katy Lynch. She shared some of her favorite books set for upcoming publication. 

One book Katy loves is Quantum Physics for Babies. Yes, you read that right. It's a board book. Fun, huh?

She showed some of the other children's book titles including the latest Max book. I got a chance to hear firsthand about one of Sourcebooks' big upcoming titles in YA, Before I Let Go, written by author Marieke Nijkamp. The author spoke about her book at Book Expo's Children's Authors Breakfast.

Then Katy shared some of the best nonfiction Sourcebooks will soon be publishing. She especially recommended nonfiction titles Carnegie's Maid, We Are All Shipwrecks, and Radium Girls. 

For more about Sourcebooks, take a look at its website here.

QUIRK BOOKS

Quirk Books is headquartered in Philadelphia. This publishing company focuses on twenty-five books a year. One of its recent hits among bloggers is Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children. They publish adult mysteries, children's fiction, cookbooks, art books, and pop culture titles.

Quirk Books is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. 

I met with the president of Quirk Books, Brett Cohen. He showed some of his favorite books, including some children's adaptations of movies and tv series.

Brett is very proud of new Quirk book, Cinemaps. Artist Andrew DeGraff created hand-painted maps of twenty-five of everyone's favorite movies.

Brett told me that he loves to publish books that are...well, quirky.

I got the opportunity to meet Quirk author David Stabler, writer of the series of books about the childhoods of famous artists, writers, and athletes. His latest book is Kid Writers.

For more about Quirk Books, take a look at the Quirk website here.