Mark your calendars to Holler Loudly about Alien Invasions and Truth with a Capital T!

Authors Bethany Hegedus, Brian Yansky and Cynthia Leitich Smith will celebrate their latest books at 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at BookPeople in Austin, Texas.

This joint author party will feature refreshments, alien tattoos, readings, a Q&A, and signing.

Cynthia’s latest release is Holler Loudly, illustrated by Barry Gott (Dutton, 2010)(ages 4-up). See teacher guides for Pre-K, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 created by Shannon Morgan (PDFs). From the promotional copy:

Holler Loudly has a voice as big as the Southwestern sky, and everywhere he goes people tell him to “Hush!” From math class to the movies and even the state fair, Holler’s LOUD voice just keeps getting on people’s nerves. But Holler can’t help himself—being loud is who he is!

Will Holler ever find a way to let loose his voice—without getting into trouble?

Cynthia Leitich Smith’s award-winning books for children include Jingle Dancer, Indian Shoes and Rain Is Not My Indian Name (all HarperCollins). She’s also the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling YA author of Eternal, its companion Tantalize and the forthcoming Blessed (all Candlewick).

Cynthia is a member of faculty at the Vermont College M.F.A. program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her website was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer’s Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations blog was listed as among the top two read by the children’s/YA publishing community in the SCBWI “To Market” column.

Brian’s latest release is Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences (Candlewick, 2010)(ages 12-up). From the promotional copy:

Jesse is in history class when a formidable, efficient race of aliens quietly takes over the earth in less time than it takes him to brush his teeth. Most humans simply fall asleep and never wake up. In moments, everyone Jesse knows and loves is gone, and he finds that he is now a slave to an inept alien leader.

On the bright side, Jesse discovers he’s developing telepathic powers, and he’s not the only one. Soon he’s forging new friendships and feeling unexpectedly hopeful. When a mysterious girl appears in his dreams, talking about escaping, Jesse begins to think the aliens may not be invincible after all. But if Jesse and his friends succeed, is there anywhere left to go?

Brian Yansky offers a funny, grim novel packed with everything boys and sci-fi fans love: aliens, humor, action, and a healthy dose of triumph.

Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences (Candlewick) is Brian Yansky‘s third novel. The Horn Book cheers, “Alien Invasion is nothing if not action-packed, and yet it is provocative, profound, and wickedly funny as well.” He is also the author of the award winning My Road Trip to the Pretty Girl Capital of the World (Cricket) and Wonders of the World (Flux). He has an MFA in Writing from Vermont College and teaches at Austin Community College.

Bethany’s new release is Truth with a Capital T (Delacorte, 2010)(ages 9-up). See Teacher Activity Guide for Truth with a Capital T created by Debbie Gonzales (PDF). From the promotional copy:

Have you ever planned a trip in your head and then when it happens nothing is the way you planned? That is exactly what happens to Maebelle when she visits her grandparents’ antebellum house.

First off, her talented cousin is going to be with her for the entire visit, so her alone time with her grandparents is not going to happen. Secondly, there is a locked wing in her grandparents’ old house that no one is supposed to enter, and Maebelle has been instructed not to even try to go in there. Thirdly, Maebelle discovers some clues to the mystery behind the locked wing, so she disobeys and breaks in and what she discovers changes the history of her family and brings attention to the entire town of Tweedle, Georgia.

Bethany Hegedus’s novel Between Us Baxters (WestSide Books) was named a Best Book of 2010 (starred) by the Bank Street Awards Committee and a Top 40 Fiction Books for Young Adults by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association. Her latest novel, Truth with a Capital T (Delacorte), debuted at the 2010 Texas Book Festival. Forthcoming with Atheneum/Simon Schuster is a picture book Bethany has co-authored with Arun Gandhi, entitled Grandfather Gandhi.

Bethany is a graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts and serves as co-editor to the Young Adult and Children’s page of the literary journal Hunger Mountain. Bethany writes from her home in Austin.

See also An Inside Look at a Unique School Visit Partnership on the Civil Rights Movement by Bethany Hegedus and Kekla Magoon from Multicultural Review (PDF). Or go to Bethany’s “For Educators” page for related links.