book
look
Also:
■ Thrillers and killers
■ Mystery money
■ Edgar nominees
Little House
makeover
IT’S HARD TO believe, but 2007 marks the
75th anniversary of the Little House on the
Prairie series. To celebrate, HarperCollins
Children’s Books has repackaged the entire
series. Instead of the classic Garth Williams
illustrations that most readers grew up with,
the covers now feature photographs that are
more action oriented and convey a sense of
adventure for today’s readers. However, to
appeal to all readers, the series will be available with both sets of covers.
HarperCollins decided to make the change
after conducting a survey of teachers and
librarians across the country and learning that
the illustrations felt old-fashioned and did not
resonate well with today’s young readers.
In a press release, a representative of
HarperCollins said, “We also hope the new
look will appeal to the growing market of
homeschooling families—many of whom
already identify with Little House family values and even use the books in their curriculum. Currently, an estimated 2 million
students are homeschooled in the U.S. and
this number increases by 7 to 12 percent every
year. Our photographic look will attract these
new young audiences, but we also wanted to
hold on to dedicated Little House fans.”
Thrillers and killers
The International Thriller Writers (ITW)
kicked off a new fund-raising event in March.
The semiannual luncheon program, called
Brunch and Bullets, features ITW writers who
move from table to table during the meals. A
quarter of net proceeds will be donated to
signings
Robin Miller signs Quick Fix Meals on
April 2, at noon, at the Issaquah,
Washington, Costco, 1801 10th Ave. NW.
Sanjay Gupta signs Chasing Life on
April 28, at noon, at the Atlanta,
Georgia, Costco, 6350 Peachtree
Dunwoody Road NE.
(Click here for maps and
directions to Costco locations.)
local chapters
of Reading Is
Fundamental, a
nonprofit organization promoting children’s literacy.
The next luncheon
is scheduled for May 5, in Greenwich,
Connecticut. Authors currently scheduled to
appear, with more to be confirmed closer to
the day, include Stephen Coonts, Linda
Fairstein, Michael Palmer and Doug Preston.
For more information or to register for the
event, visit
www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?
Event Id=116819.
Mystery money
In other writers group news, the Mystery
Writers of America (MWA) have also
launched an initiative to help financially
struggling libraries throughout the United
States. Launched in February 2007, the program, named MWA: Reads, aims to bring
attention to the needs of public library systems by donating books to libraries for their
collections—with a particular focus on books
for children and young adults.
The initiative is starting with a pilot program in West Virginia, where it’s seeking
donations, especially children’s mysteries, to
the West Virginia Library Commission. More
information about the program is available at
giveaways
COSTCO HAS FIVE copies of Jodi
Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes and five
copies of Robert Crais’ The Watchman
to give away. To enter, print the name
of the book you hope to win, your name,
membership number, address and
daytime phone number on a postcard
or letter and send it to: The Costco
Connection, P.O. Box 34088, Seattle,
WA 98124-1088, or fax it to (425) 313-
6718. No purchase is necessary.
Only current Costco members are
eligible to win. One entry per household. Entries must be received or
www.mysterywriters.org/MWAreads.
In other MWA news, author Nelson
DeMille has been elected president of the 67-
year-old group. He will serve a one-year term,
which ends in February 2008. DeMille is the
author of novels such as The General’s
Daughter, Wild Fire and The Gold Coast. Past
presidents include Raymond Chandler, Mary
Higgins Clark and Elmore Leonard.
Edgar nominees announced
At the end of April, the MWA will hold its
61st Gala Banquet to announce the winners
of the 2007 Edgar Awards. Check this space
next month for a list of winners. In the meantime, here are the nominees in the Best Novel
category.
The Pale Blue Eye, by Louis Bayard
The Janissary Tree, by Jason Goodwin
Gentlemen and Players, by Joanne Harris
The Dead Hour, by Denise Mina
The Virgin of Small Plains,
by Nancy Pickard
Liberation Movements,
by Olen Steinhauer
postmarked by May 1,
2007. Winners will be
randomly selected
and notified by mail
on or before June 1,
2007. The value of
the prizes is $26 and
$25.95, respectively. Void
where prohibited. Winners are
responsible for all applicable federal,
state and local taxes. The decision of
the judges is final. Employees of
Costco or Simon & Schuster and their
families are not eligible.
Send your feedback on this
month’s Buyer’s Pick to:
discussionquestions@costco.com
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