en Copyright 2008, Powells.com Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:00:07 PST Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:00:07 PST webmaster@powells.com http://powells.com/favicon.png Powells.com, yo! Jake Starts School, Michael Wright's follow-up to Jake Stays Awake, is a laugh-out-loud look at one family's dilemma of dealing with first-school-day separation. In this Kids' Q&A, Wright shares the harrowing story of "The Night of 1,000 Bats," his favorite experience with a reader, and more!]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:26:30 PST In Girlwood, an extraordinary fantasy debut for young adults, a young girl struggles with her sister's disappearance and flees to nature and the safety and power of a hidden grove she calls Girlwood. In this Kids' Q&A, author Claire Dean shares her childhood dream to fly, why she will never write for adults again, and more!]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:26:13 PST Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:25:45 PST The award-winning collaborators of the #1 New York Times picture book bestseller Wild about Books are back with Born to Read, a new story that promotes books and reading. In this Kids' Q&A, author Judy Sierra and illustrator Marc Brown share what they wanted to be when they grew up (find out how close they got!), why they make books for children, and more!]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:24:51 PST From the bestselling author of Russell the Sheep comes a brand-new, lovable character, Splat the Cat. It's Splat's first day of school and he's worried: what if he doesn't make any new friends? In this Kids' Q&A, Rob Scotton shares his favorite art teacher, his most memorable moment with a bedraggled reader, and more!]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:29:31 PST Set in 1906 London and Cairo, Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos is a middle-grade mystery that introduces the intrepid new heroine Theodosia Throckmorton — who is thrust into the heart of a mystery when she learns an ancient Egyptian amulet carries a curse that threatens to crumble the British Empire. In this Kids' Q&A, author R. L. LaFevers shares her favorite encounter with a fan, memories of her pet bear cubs, and more!]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:28:57 PST After Milton and Marlo Fauster die in a marshmallow-bear explosion, they are sent straight to Heck, an otherworldly reform school. Milton can understand why his kleptomaniac sister is here, but Milton is — or was — a model citizen. Has a mistake been made? Find out in Dale E. Basye's debut, Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go. And in this Kids' Q&A, you'll find out why Basye wants to befriend Jonathan Livingston Seagull, his favorite Simpsons episode you've never seen, and more!]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:08:37 PST In Cathy's Key, the sequel to Cathy's Book, Cathy Vickers is trying to keep a job, her journal is stolen, the cute boy is not who he seems to be. Even Emma's side project/start-up company is about to get caught up in the mystery surrounding Cathy and her search for the truth about her presumed-dead father. In this most unusual Kids' Q&A, Cathy herself shares her favorite story as a child, why she hopes Cathy's Key will also be your book, and more!]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:42:53 PST In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Sarah Prineas's debut, The Magic Thief, is an "uncommonly engaging" (Kirkus) YA fantasy novel. In this Kids' Q&A, Prineas reveals her favorite childhood books, why she writes for kids, and more!]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:42:13 PST In Ghost of Spirit Bear, the sequel to his gripping Touching Spirit Bear, Ben Mikaelsen weaves a tale of urban survival where every day is a struggle to stay sane. In this INK Q&A, Mikaelsen tells us about his difficult childhood growing up in Bolivia, what it's like to live with a 700-pound black bear, and more!]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:41:56 PST Moody and mesmerizing, Gareth Hinds's graphic novel adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, one of Shakespeare's more controversial plays, boasts a chic modern cast, high drama, and all the dark, familiar beauty of Venice. In this Kids Q&A, Hinds tells us about his favorite teacher, why it's always a good idea to date a bookseller, and more!]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:41:38 PST Star-crossed crushes make for uproarious misunderstandings in The Loser's Guide to Life and Love, A. E. Cannon's contemporary take on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, complete with lots of teen angst, endearing characters, and modern-day sensibility. In this Q&A, Cannon shares why she'd like to live in Middle Earth, which childhood story she didn't like, and more!]]> Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:35:40 PST It's obvious in her newest book, Tupelo Rides the Rails, that Melissa Sweet is a dog-lover. Which is more than fine with us, as some of us on the team have a thing for those four-legged creatures, too! Her distinctively detailed pastel watercolor illustrations always turn our heads, no matter what the project is. Find out how many dogs she would have, if her family would let her, in this exclusive Q&A. ]]> Tue, 27 May 2008 16:39:28 PST Gary D. Schmidt's newest book, Trouble, opens with: "Henry Smith's father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you." Great line! Clever one-liners like this are why Gary is such a brilliant author. Like his previous books, including the 2008 Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars, Trouble takes a universal story about family and hardship and places it in a vivid, well-researched historical setting. Read Gary's Q&A to find out which book's opening line entranced him and why he can't pick a favorite episode of The Simpsons. ]]> Tue, 27 May 2008 15:53:41 PST Robin Benway is a huge rock 'n' roll fan. Some of her favorite artists include The Cure, Joni Mitchell, and The Beatles, but we have a hunch she could go on and on. A while ago Robin heard a song on the radio that bitterly trashed the artist's ex-girlfriend, and she thought about what that girl must feel like. Robin's music-infused first novel, Audrey, Wait! was written with that girl in mind. Find out why she thinks Weetzie Bat is real, why Billy Corgan cracks her up, and much more about what makes this rock 'n' roll fan tick in her exclusive Q&A. ]]> Tue, 27 May 2008 14:58:53 PST