SCHOLASTIC EDITORS FORECAST TOP 10 TRENDS
IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS FOR 2013
December
11, 2012 – New York, NY – The editors at Scholastic have been
publishing, curating and distributing award-winning books for children
for decades, and have become experts at predicting exactly where kids’
book interests will go next. Today, the editors of Scholastic Book Clubs
and Scholastic Book Fairs, along with editors in the Trade Publishing
group, present their list of top ten trends in children’s books for the coming year.
"Publishing
trends are truly driven by a vital community of readers – our kids,"
David Allender, Editorial Director for Scholastic Book Clubs. "We see
readers get excited about books, talk about them, and share them with
their friends. Before you know it a book is trending, more and more kids
are vying to read it, and they can't get enough of it." Hear more from David Allender.
THE SCHOLASTIC EDITORS’ TOP 10 TRENDS FOR 2013
(list is not ranked in any order)
1) Bullying is THE Timely Topic in Kids’ Books.
The
fact is nearly every child will face or witness the effects of bullying
at some point in their lives. Children’s authors recognize this as a
major concern for kids and have become more adept at weaving bullying
themes into storylines, from picture books to young adult titles. In
2013 look for: The Meanest Birthday Girl by Josh Schneider (May 2013/Clarion), and The Call of the Bully: A Rodney Rathbone Novel - the sequel to How to Beat the Bully Without Really Trying by Scott Starkey (January 2013/Simon & Schuster).
2) ’13 Will be a Lucky Number for Science Fiction Fans. While
the end of dystopian novels is no-where in sight, fans can expect to
see a new theme uncovered, bringing some stellar new titles with a
“true” science- fiction edge. Books to watch for in the New Year include
Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet (February 2013/Feiwel & Friends), Enders the second title in the Starters series by Lissa Price (December 2012/Delacorte), and Pulse by Patrick Carman (February 2013/HarperCollins).
3) Intriguing Nonfiction. Biographies have always been a staple in kids’ literature, but fans are going to see even more great ones in 2013. With
the new Common Core State Standards, which are currently adopted in 46
states, the way students learn in school is changing and there is an
elevated importance being placed on non-fiction, or “informational
texts.” Standouts in 2013 will be Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson (January 2013/HarperCollins), A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet (January 2013/Knopf), and Lincoln's Grave Robbers by Steve Sheinkin (January 2013/Scholastic).
4) Novels-in-Cartoons. With
the success of the Bone, Captain Underpants, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid
series, there continues to be an insatiable demand for the
“novels-in-cartoon” genre. The illustrations provide entertainment value
and urge kids to continue reading; especially for reluctant readers.
Fans are going to see a great flood of fun, new reads in 2013 such as: Chickenhare by Chris Grine (February 2013/Scholastic), Stick Dog: A Really Good Story with Kind of Bad Drawings by Tom Watson (January 2013/HarperCollins), Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers (January 2013/Scholastic) and Bad Kitty: School Daze by Nick Bruel (January 2013/Roaring Brook)
5) Kid Lit on the Screen.
In
2013, readers will be seeing the pages out of their favorite books on
the big screen! Get ready to watch the movie versions of Scott Orson
Card’s Ender’s Game the supernatural romance, Beautiful Creatures (based on the 2009 series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl/Little, Brown), and the action adventure saga Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
(based on the 2008 series by Cassandra Clare/ Margaret K. McElderry
Books). Middle grade readers will also find the second film from Rick
Riordan’s Percy Jackson series (2007/Hyperion Book) in theaters in late summer: Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
“While
there is never a shortage of works about the undead and paranormal in
young-adult literature, we’ve recently seen the release of a wide range
of post-apocalyptic novels brimming with action and romance,” said Ed
Masessa, Senior Manager Product Development for Scholastic Book Fairs and New York Times bestselling
children’s book author. “But perhaps the bigger trends are the return
to realistic action-packed novels and to books that reinforce the
positive messages of tolerance, hope and acceptance. Regardless of their
reading preference, children will find that 2013 is going to be a
banner year.”
6) War.
Whenever
we reach a historical anniversary, there is an increased interest in
books related to the topic. 2013 marks the second year of the American
Civil War Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary), so history
buffs will see an influx of Civil War titles to read. Wars in general
will be making their way on to the bookshelves in 2013, which is great
news for teachers looking for great non-fiction to supplement classroom
learning and help kids meet the Common Core State Standards. Look for a broad selection of Civil War books including: I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg by Lauren Tarshis (January 2013/Scholastic) and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? Jim O'Connor, John Mantha and James Bennett (February 2013/Grosset & Dunlap).
7) Tough Girls.
Katniss from The Hunger Games is building a legion of strong girl protagonists. In 2013, readers can expect to be introduced to more powerful
female characters that exhibit the willingness to accept challenges.
These characters do not set limits for themselves or take the easy way
out – an important lesson for both boys and girls. Books with exceptionally resourceful lead characters include: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (May 2012/Hyperion), Legend and its sequel Prodigy by Marie Lu (January 2013/Putnam), Lawless by debut author Jeffrey Salane (February 2013/Scholastic).
8) Survival Stories.
Survival
stories have always been popular, but they have become more prominent
as a result of popular movies and reality television shows. Whether the
setting is historical as in Finding Zasha by Randi Barrow (January 2013/Scholastic) or contemporary like Stranded by Survivor
host Jeff Probst and Chris Tebbetts (February 2013/Puffin) thrilling
page-turners filled with tension and excitement will set their hooks
into young readers.
9) Spotlight on Diversity.
Kids
want to see themselves in the novels they read, and publishers are
embracing their individuality. Readers can learn about their families,
cultures, and themselves with these books that focus on cultural
diversity. Historical novels like The Lions of Little Rock
by Kristin Levine (January 2012/Putnam) will provide plenty of home and
classroom discussion. Novels with more contemporary settings include Hold Fast by Blue Balliett (March 2013/Scholastic).
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