NEWS AND EVENTS (Updated April, 2005)

JUST OUT FROM HENRY HOLT!
SQUASHED IN THE MIDDLE
(4-8) illustrated by Pat Cummings
Henry Holt, 2005

This story of life as a middle child has its first blazing review!

"Beginning with the up-close, downcast face on the jacket, this direct picture book personalizes the frustration of a middle child wanting to be heard. Daisy's courage surprises her family into finally understanding how she feels. Cummings' recognizable robust style and intense palette give Daisy and her African American family a modern, familiar look."
 Starred Review, Booklist

Squashed in the Middle
Henry Holt

DOG SHOW WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
In honor of Elizabeth Winthrop's new book DOG SHOW (ISBN #0- 8050-7111-3) with illustrations by New Yorker artist Mark Ulriksen (www.markulriksen.com) Henry Holt Books for Young Readers ran a "dog and owner look-alike contest"!

HERE ARE THE WINNERS!
1st Place - Brooks Follansbee and her dog Oscar 2nd Place - Peter Mussared and his Cockapoo Patch 3rd Place - Mindy Hackner and her Basset Hound Hawkeye
See www.henryholtchildrensbooks.com for details and prizes! (LINK TO DOG SHOW PAGE)

This spring and fall Elizabeth will be travelling to help promote SQUASHED IN THE MIDDLE, her latest picture book illustrated by Pat Cummings. Here are some of her currently scheduled appearances.

SELECTED APPEARANCES!
April, 2005
The Unquowa School, Fairfield, Connecticut
New Jersey Librarians Conference, Long Branch, New Jersey
May, School Visits in Massachusetts

May 12, 2005
Clarksburg Elementary School
Clarksburg, Mass.

July 12, 2005
Medaille College, Buffalo, New York

November 15, 2005
Writers At Work
Manhattanville College

Week of November 28th 2005
Medford, New Jersey Schools

In addition she will be making a limited number of school appearances in the 2005-2006 year. If you are interested in having Ms. Winthrop speak at your school or conference, please send her an e-mail at winthrop@absolute-sway.com or contact Lisa Nadel at Henry Holt Publisher, lisa.nadel@hholt.com.

School Visit Guide

JUST PUBLISHED!

DUMPY LA RUE (ages 4-8,) illustrated by Betsy Lewin, is out in a paperback edition (ISBN #0-8050-7535-6) by Henry Holt. DUMPY has been nominated for children's book awards in Indiana and California. It received a number of starred reviews and was included in the following "best of the best" lists:

* New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Children's Books
* 2001 Barnes and Noble.com Best Children's Books of the Year
* Booksense '76 list
* Nick Jr. Magazine Best Books for Children
* 2001 Bank Street School Best Books for Children.


REVIEWS, PUBLICATIONS AND AWARDS!

"The First Snow," by Elizabeth Winthrop featured in the November 2004 issue
of Nick Jr. Family Magazine and illustrated by Ora Eitan has won a merit award in the

"Illustration, Entire Story" category of the Society of Publication Designer's PUB 40
Design Competition. The illustrations will be included in SPD's 40th Publication Design Annual.

A list of winning publications can be viewed online at www.spd.org.

DON'T FORGET!

Reviewers are raving about THE RED-HOT RATTOONS (Henry Holt, ages 9 up, ISBN #0-8050-7229-2) with spot drawings by Betsy Lewin. This is the book Winthrop's CASTLE fans have been waiting for, the first middle grade fantasy novel she has written since THE BATTLE FOR THE CASTLE.

"The rats of NIMH have nothing on Benny, Fletcher, Ella, Woody and Monk, five young jazz and tap dancing rats who set out for the fabled Big City in hopes of seeing their names in lights. Rat Hollow, which mirrors the thinly disguised New York aboveground, provides a side-splitting backdrop to this engaging tale of life on (and beneath) the boards." ~SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

The FULL CAST AUDIO unabridged version (ISBN #1-932076-47-6) of THE RED-HOT RATTOONS in cassette tape or CD version is available. The author narrates the story while live actors play each of the 79 characters. Ask for it at your local bookstore or you can order it direct at www.fullcastaudio.com or by calling 1- 800-871-6152.
"The young cast of rattoons proves a fine-tuned troupe, conveying childlike naivete and lots of comic moments...solidly entertaining adaptation of Winthrop's funny and adventure-filled tale." ~PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"The Golden Darters," Winthrop's award winning short story for adults has recently been anthologized in the college textbook, RIVERSIDE READER, Eighth Edition (Houghton Mifflin), in e- FICTIONS, First edition, (Harcourt) and in the ninth edition of FICTION 100 (Pearson) edited by James Pickering.

Random House has published a new teacher's guide to THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC. It is full of ideas for classroom projects and discussion topics on questions as varied as family relationships and science in the Middle Ages. It can be found on their website at www.randomhouse.com/teachers/guides/castle.html

BOOKS TO WATCH FOR

THE RED-HOT RATTOONS
Paperback Edition
(ages 10 up)
Henry Holt Books
Spring, 2006

COUNTING ON GRACE
(ages 10 up)
Historical Fiction for Middle Grade Readers
Wendy Lamb Books,
Random House, Spring, 2006

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS STOCKING
A Fable for All Ages
illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Random House, Fall 2006

THE BIGGEST PARADE
(4-8), illustrated by Mark Ulriksen
The Second Tale of Fred and Harvey
Henry Holt, Fall, 2006