Take a sneak peek at Gillian Tyler’s sketches for Hurry Down to Derry Fair by Dori Chaconas (Candlewick, 2007)(author interview).

“Ideas on Demand” by Lisa Harkrader from the Lieurance Group. Part one of a three-part series. See the April 19, 2006 post. L.D. Harkrader is the author of Airball: My Life in Briefs (Roaring Brook, 2005)(author interview).

“Panic Free Synopsis” by Jan Fields from the Institute of Children’s Literature.

The Summer 2006 Book Sense Children’s Picks from the American Booksellers Association. Highlights include: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Book Two of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series)(Hyperion, 2006)(author interview); Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum, 2006)(author interview)(excerpt); An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle, 2006)(author interview); Archer’s Quest by Linda Sue Park (Clarion, 2006)(author interview)(excerpt); Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley (HarperCollins, 2006); The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow, 2006)(recommendation); Nothing But the Truth and a Few White Lies by Justina Chen Headley (Little Brown, 2006)(author interview)(excerpt); Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler (Dutton, 2006)(recommendation); Wait for Me by An Na (Putnam, 2006)(author interview)(recommendation); and The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (Hyperion, 2006).

Why I Have An Agent by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Sudipta is the author: of Tightrope Poppy, the High-Wire Pig, illustrated by Sarah Dillard (Sterling, 2006); Vinnie and Abe, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (Chronicle, 2007); Flying Eagle (Charlesbridge, 2007); and more. Learn more about her books.

Why I Don’t Have an Agent or Doing the Math by Barbara Kanninen. Barbara is the author of A Story With Pictures (Holiday House, forthcoming) and Circle Rolls (Henry Holt, 2007).

Don’t miss what’s happening tonight at the YA Authors Cafe (Tuesday, April 25) at 8:30 p.m. EST, 7:30 p.m. CST, 5:30 p.m. Pacific. To join the chats, go to www.yaauthorscafe.com and click the chatroom icon to enter. Debra Garfinkle (author interview) will moderate a panel of first-time novelists Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Dorian Cirrone (author interview), and David LaRochelle. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a senior at Yale and the author of Golden (Delacorte, 2006), in which a girl with supernatural powers must deal with high school cliques. Delacorte will publish three more of Ms. Barnes’ young adult novels in the next few years. Dorian Cirrone, author of Dancing In Red Shoes Will Kill You (HarperCollins 2005)(recommendation), uses humor to address issues of body image, censorship and subtle messages girls are taught. She also writes a chapter book mystery series featuring Lindy Blues. David LaRochelle wrote Absolutely, Positively Not (Scholastic 2005), an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and winner of the 2005 Sid Fleischman Humor Award. He has also written and illustrated many picture books.