Liz Wong’s debut picture book features a kitten who grows up thinking it is a duck and highlights themes that are sure to resonate with young children everywhere, such as acceptance, fitting in, and embracing our differences. Random House Children’s Books President and Publisher Barbara Marcus said, “We are so excited that QUACKERS by Liz Wong has been selected by Jumpstart’s Read for the Record. It is a perfect book to read together, and one that celebrates acceptance, inclusion, and friendship. We have seen firsthand the incredible impact this initiative has on children, classrooms, and communities. We look forward to partnering with Jumpstart again and reaching even more young readers together to inspire a lifelong love of books and reading.”  Since 2006, this 24-hour celebration has mobilized over 17 million people in support of early education and literacy, including celebrity ambassadors such as Josh Duhamel, Bridget Moynahan, LL Cool J, Maya Angelou, Mandy Moore, Julianna Margulies, and more. A limited number of special-edition copies of QUACKERS are being sold exclusively by Jumpstart. Special editions are available in paperback in both English and Spanish and feature reading tips, vocabulary words, reading comprehension questions, and activity guides developed by Jumpstart’s team of early education experts. All proceeds help bring Jumpstart’s program to preschool children in under-resourced communities across the country. “Read for the Record highlights the invaluable connections and learning gains that are made when caring adults, be it parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, or mentors, read with young children,” explains Naila Bolus, President and CEO of Jumpstart. “QUACKERS is a wonderful story of self-identity, trying new things, and being whoever you want to be. I can think of no better way to celebrate Jumpstart’s mission and Read for the Record than with this inspiring and uplifting story.”  To learn more about Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, visit readfortherecord.org.

September 22:  “Victoria & Abdul” The extraordinary friendship between an elderly, ailing Queen Victoria and her young Indian companion, Abdul Karim, is chronicled in Shrabani Basu’s book, VICTORIA & ABDUL: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant (Vintage). Lonely in the wake of the deaths of her beloved Prince Albert and John Brown, and increasingly isolated from the cocooning royal entourage, Victoria and Abdul formed a platonic bond, and to the dismay of her staff and son Bertie he became an empowered figure in her court and a friend close to her heart.  In the film, directed by Stephen Frears, Dame Judith Dench portrays Queen Victoria and Ali Fazal plays Abdul Karim.  Michael Gambon and Eddie Izzard are also part of the cast. Watch the trailer:   October 6: “The Mountain Between Us” Charles Martin’s THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US (Broadway) is a life-affirming tale of love and survival.  Following a plane crash, a pair of strangers – one a doctor, the other a writer – are stranded in the remote wilderness of Utah. With winter closing in, no food or water, and only meager supplies, the pair is forced to rely on one another.  As the days in the mountains become weeks, their mutual survival becomes increasingly perilous.  The film, starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, was directed by Hany Abu-Assad and written by Chris Weitz and J. Mills Goodloe, based on Martin’s book. Watch the trailer:    October 20: “The Snowman” Jo Nesbo’s THE SNOWMAN (Vintage), the eighth Harry Hole novel, revolves around a bizarre missing-person’s investigation that sets Hole on the trail of an elusive and brutal serial killer. One night, after the first snowfall of the year, a boy wakes up and discovers that his mother has disappeared. Only one trace of her remains: a pink scarf, his Christmas gift to her, now worn by the snowman that inexplicably appeared in their yard earlier that day.  Inspector Hole suspects a link between the missing woman and a suspicious letter he has received. The case deepens when a pattern emerges: over the past decade, eleven women have vanished—all on the day of the first snow.  In the film, directed by Tomas Alfredson and written by Hossein Amini and Peter Straughan, based on Nesbo’s novel, Michael Fassbender plays Hole, with the cast also including Rebecca Ferguson, Val Kilmer, Chloe Sevigny, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and J. K. Simmons. Watch the trailer:   November 17:  “Wonder” R. J. Palacio’s WONDER (Knopf Books for Young Readers), a multi-year #1 bestseller, with more than 6 million copies sold, and inspiration for the #ChooseKind movement, is the story of Auggie Pullman, an ordinary kid with an extraordinary face.  Born with a facial difference that for the first several years of his life prevents him from attending school, Auggie is finally allowed to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep – but is the school ready for him?  In this long-awaited film, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson star as the parents of Auggie, portrayed by Jacob Tremblay.  Stephen Chbosky directed and Steve Conrad wrote the screenplay, based on Palacio’s book. Watch the trailer:   December 15:  “Ferdinand” The Grosset & Dunlap classic children’s book, THE STORY OF FERDINAND by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson, originally published in 1936, tells the story of the world’s most peaceful and beloved bull, one that prefers smelling flowers to chasing red capes held by matadors in the bullfighting arenas of Spain.  FERDINAND, the movie, based on Leaf’s book and directed by Carlos Saldanha, is a timeless tale of pacifism and nonviolence for all ages, and proves “you can’t judge a bull by its cover.”  Kate McKinnon, John Cena, Bobby Cannavale, and Gina Rodriguez are among the actors who give voice to the characters in the animated film. Watch the trailer:   

   Watch the new trailer from Lionsgate for #WonderTheMovie, starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay, coming to theaters nationwide on November 17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngiK1gQKgK8&feature=youtu.be

the powerful speech he delivered during last summer’s Democratic National Convention. THIS IS OUR CONSTITUTION, a middle-grade nonfiction hardcover, will release simultaneously with Khan’s adult memoir, AN AMERICAN FAMILY (Random House), on November 14, 2017. Michelle Frey, Executive Editor for Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, will edit. “I was so deeply moved by my first meeting with Khizr Khan—by his incredibly admirable personal journey, and also by the stories he shared about connecting with our nation’s youth at various events across the country,” says Ms. Marcus. “THIS IS OUR CONSTITUTION is an important book for young readers, families, and educators, and I am honored that Random House Children’s Books will be its home.” Mr. Khan says, “This book is my humble effort to pay tribute to our future leaders, the true custodians of our Constitution, and to all of the human dignities enshrined in our Bill of Rights, as the making of our republic continues.” THIS IS OUR CONSTITUTION will extend Mr. Khan’s message to young readers, introducing them to the history and contents of the Constitution and Bill of Rights—what these documents say, and why they still matter. Mr. Khan will share his highly personal perspective on the relevance and importance of the Constitution, including a history of how it was drafted, passed, and amended, and highlighting some of the key turning points in its interpretation that he considers essential to understanding our country. Khizr Khan grew up in Pakistan with few of the fundamental rights that are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and his personal experiences and education inspired THIS IS OUR CONSTITUTION. Khan is deeply passionate about raising awareness of the rights and protections that the Constitution provides for every American, and calling attention to the symbol of hope it represents throughout the world. Khizr and his wife, Ghazala, immigrated to America in 1980, and subsequently became citizens. Their middle son, Captain Humayun Khan, was killed in 2004 in a suicide attack near Baqubah, Iraq, and was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. In 2016, Khizr and Ghazala attended the Democratic National Convention, where he delivered a speech honoring his son’s sacrifice and stressing the importance of an inclusive America with liberty for all citizens. After the extraordinary response his speech received, he has taken this message on the road, delivering talks throughout the country.

Follow-Up, featuring an exclusive interview with Mr. Pullman. Here is an excerpt: For readers and booksellers, this is news to rival the discovery of a new Harry Potter story. “His Dark Materials” has sold more than 17.5 million copies around the world. It spawned a Hollywood movie, The Golden Compass, and a hit stage adaptation. The new book begins a decade before the start of the original trilogy, but Mr. Pullman says it is not a prequel. Nor is it a sequel. Mr. Pullman prefers to call it an “equel,” or companion story. “The first part will deal with something that happened when Lyra was less than 1 year old,” he said. “So in that sense she’s the center of the story, but she’s not actually an agent in the story. She is acted upon, so to speak, by other people who are very important. The second part, which will come out later, will deal with events when Lyra is about 20.” Read the full AP article here. NPR’s Morning Edition is airing an approximately 10-minute taped interview, Author Philip Pullman Announces A Follow-Up Trilogy To ‘His Dark Materials’.  Access it here.