Pendred Noyce's The Ice Castle Wins a Mom's Choice Award

Scarletta is excited to announce that Pendred Noyce's second book in the Lexicon Adventure series, The Ice Castle: An Adventure in Music, has won a Gold Award from Mom's Choice Awards® in the category of Juvenile Level 2 (ages 9-12)!
The Mom's Choice Awards® honor the best in products and services for children and families. Evaluating in over 150 categories, the Mom’s Choice Awards® use an esteemed panel of judges including educators, media and other experts, parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists, and others. "The program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products and services," and the result is a list of materials that parents and educators can feel confident using. (-Mom's Choice Awards®)
Noyce's first book in the series, Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers, was also a Mom's Choice Award® Gold winner, and the second book continues that tradition. The Lexicon Adventure series provides young readers with entertaining and exciting stories that are rich in language play, description, complex themes, and multiple points of view. Not to mention its embedded explanations of science, math, language, and music make the series a great educator's tool for use in cross-curricular learning.
We're proud to have The Ice Castle: An Adventure in Music recognized as one of the best in family-friendly media!

Middle Grade or YA? A Mother Writes for Advanced Readers

When your first grader (or third grader) gobbles up Harry Potter, what’s next? When your eager reader begins to look past the chapter book section in the library to the middle-grade section and beyond, how should you steer that child? In a society that pushes early sexualization of children and treats tweens as consumers controlling parent purse strings, is it possible to help children grow their brains without cutting short their childhoods?

Reviews for The Ice Castle

The official release date of Pendred Noyce's newest Lexicon Adventures book was only yesterday, but already the praise is piling up! We're so excited that everyone is loving this book as much as we do that we thought we would just highlight some of the lovely things people have had to say.



In a 4-star review, Marilyn at Compass Book Ratings said:
"THE ICE CASTLE, the second book in the Lexicon Adventures series, has many necessary ingredients that would entice young readers, i.e. adventure, fantasy, family member who don't get along, social commentary and a unique emphasis on music....Young adults will recognize that it reflects the real world they live in and will be able to see the social implications." Read the rest of the review here.

***** Teresa Bateman from Keen Readers said:
"There are puzzles to solve, traitors to catch, and friendships to forge. This is a well-written, thoughtful fantasy book that addresses issues of equality while providing interesting musical insights. Besides, it’s a great adventure!" You can read the rest of the review here.

***** And Denise LeBlanc, Director of Learning Experiences at The Discovery Museums called The Ice Castle:
"a beautiful symphony in which Ivan, Daphne, and Lila face various challenges and come to learn about themselves, one another, and human nature. This beautifully orchestrated book will delight and captivate readers of all ages."

You can find The Ice Castle: An Adventure in Music on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, or through your favorite independent bookstore on IndieBound. Happy reading!

The Ice Castle Activity Fair

We just finished editing our new promotional video for Pendred Noyce's second book in the Lexicon Adventure Series, The Ice Castle: An Adventure in Music, and we must say, it looks pretty cool!
The book is out on August 9, and it comes with discussion questions and activities to get kids involved with music and science. What's even cooler is that we've put together a set activities so that you can host your very own Ice Castle Activity Fair at your local school, library, or museum.
So check out our video to get an introduction to the book and the activity fair, and if you want to host an event, email our publicity director, Desiree .

Why We Love Books in a Series

There is always talk about what the big trend is in YA literature. Right now it’s vampires and dystopias, but soon it will probably be mermaids and cyborgs, or maybe it will be dinosaurs. Who knows? It fluctuates, and despite anyone’s claim, it can’t really be predicted. But what does seem to be a lasting trend is the popularity of books in a series.

Flavorwire posted a list the other day of what they deemed to be 10 of the greatest YA series of all time, and it made us wonder, what is the appeal of a series over a single book? We’re not arguing that there aren’t great single books out there, or that they can't be as popular, but you have to admit that when you think of the best-selling books of the time, they are all series: The Hunger Games, Twilight, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings. The list could go on. And books continue to be bought by publishing houses not just as a single title, but in groups of three or more. There's always a discussion of whether the soon-to-be acquired book could be turned into a series.
And we're no different. We have a few new series in the works, and book two of Scarletta Junior Readers’ Lexicon Adventure series, The Ice Castle: An Adventure in Music, hits shelves in August. (The series follows cousins Ivan and Daphne and their exciting--and sometimes dangerous--adventures in the land of Lexicon. If you haven’t read them yet, you definitely should.)
But back to series as a whole, what’s so great about them? Here’s our list so far:
1. Kids grow up with the characters. When I read the first Harry Potter book, I was the same age as Harry. As the books continued to be published, I stayed roughly the same age as the characters, and it made me identify with them even more.

It's also National Music Week!

There’s been a lot of talk this week about Children’s Book Week, but did you also know that it’s National Music Week? First observed in 1924 and sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs, this week is marked by concerts, festivals, and musical events of all sorts in libraries, businesses, and schools across the country. In the words of National Music Week’s founder, Mr. Charles M. Tremaine,

“Music Week is, to some extent, different from all the other special ‘weeks.’ It is a ‘drive’ for music by the friends of music, but is also the occasion for participation in and receiving of pleasure, thus making it independent of any propelling force from behind. It gathers its momentum as it goes along from the enjoyment it brings…. Music, permeating the atmosphere, enters many new places where it is welcome.”

In celebration of National Music Week, we thought it only fitting to provide some fun facts about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the most influential composers in history. It’s also especially fitting because Mozart happens to be featured prominently in Pendred Noyce’s upcoming book, Ice Castle. In the latest book of the Lexicon series—out this August from our Scarletta Junior Readers imprint—Daphne and Ivan, along with their cousin Lila, travel to the Land of Winter where social status is based on musical talent. The three children must endure slavery, hunger, illness, and injustice before they can spark a revolution to return spring to the Land of Winter.

Trends in Children's Literature

You've probably heard...we love kid's books. Which is why we created Scarletta Junior Readers and Scarletta Kids, so we can spend a lot more time with children's literature! Because this is still a new adventure for us, we decided to do some basic digging in children's lit trends.
First, how much are kids reading? Turns out they're reading less than ever. The reasons? Homework and standardized testing are taking up a lot of their free time. And this has some seriously negative effects. Studies have shown that:

• Kids who are readers do better at school and in life
• Children and teens who read for pleasure on a daily or weekly basis score better on reading tests than infrequent readers
• Frequent readers also score better on writing tests
• Advanced readers accrue personal, professional, and social advantages
• Literary readers are more likely than non-readers to engage in positive civic activities, such as volunteering

Catch us at the Twin Cities Book Festival

A new world of entertainment awaits you at the Twin Cities Book Festival in Minneapolis! We hope you’ll stop by to visit with Scarletta Press & author Pendred Noyce!

 

Rain Taxi Review of Books will proudly sponsor the 11th Annual Twin Cities Book Festival this coming Saturday, October 15, at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College in downtown Minneapolis from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The book festival is open to the public, and hosts a wide array of publishers, bookstores, and other industry members for a day of children’s activities, used book fairs, spectacular authors, and panel discussions.

 

This year, Pendred Noyce has been invited to host a Lexicon Villages event at the festival’s children’s pavilion. The Lexicon Villages will be a featured event that children and adults of all ages can dive into from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. You’ll travel from village to village, and puzzle over fun and engaging concepts together as the land of Lexicon comes to life. Don't be surprised if you walk away with a keepsake from Lexicon!

 

Lost in Lexicon is a literary fantasy for kids age 9-12. It tells the tale of two cousins on a journey through a magical land full of mixed up words and numbers, with a quest to return the lost children of Lexicon to their homes. It is the first in a four-part adventure series. Lost in Lexicon has won numerous awards, to include a Mom's Choice Gold Award, a Parents’ Choice Recommended award, a ForeWord Book of the Year Awards Honorable Mention, and an IBPA Ben Franklin for Interior Design.

 
And DON’T FORGET to stop by the Scarletta Press table in the main exhibit hall to purchase both new and old books at a discounted price. If you can’t make it to the book festival (although we hope you can!), Scarletta Press books are also available from your local bookstores, and from many large outlets as well. Check out our website to find out about all our books!

 
Author Biography

Pendred Noyce is a doctor, education reformer, and writer. Penny has practiced internal medicine, supervised medical residents, and become a leader in Massachusetts mathematics and science education reform. She serves on a number of nonprofit boards, including that of the Noyce Foundation, and she chairs the boards of Maine’s Libra Foundation and the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy. Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers is Penny's first full novel and is the first in a four-part adventure series.

For more information on Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers, please visit www.lostinlexicon.com.

MIBA & Beyond: Book Trade Shows and What They Do

As many of you faithful literature lovers may know, especially you booksellers, the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association (MIBA) Trade Show happened last Thursday and Friday, September 22-23, at The Depot in downtown Minneapolis. And what a great show, and a great venue it was! Claire Kirch, of Publisher's Weekly, reported on the conference, describing the venue as upstaging "everything and everybody at the Midwest Independent Booksellers' annual Conference..." And at Scarletta Press, we'd have to agree: This year's show was in a top-notch location, and brought some top-notch booksellers over to the Scarletta Press table!
Scarletta Press has been strongly emphasizing their new children's line, Junior Bookwormz, since early February of this year. The cornerstone books: The Lexicon Adventure Series by Pendred Noyce. The first book in the series, Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers, debuted on August 9, and has been making a splash in every aspect. The book itself has won over 8 awards, including an IBPA Ben Franklin for 1-2 Color Interior Design, and Honorable Mention from ForeWord Reviews' BOTYAs for Juvenile Fiction, and a Parents' Choice Recommended. ForeWord calls it "...an adventure story for the digital generation...," and School Library Journal says "...readers will be rewarded with a good adventure, affecting lyrical passages, and thought-provoking questions..." With all this buzz, we thought: Let's give Penny Noyce and her books the main focus at the MIBA conference this year.

Scarletta Press on KFAI's Write On Radio!

Hi all! I just wanted to introduce myself. My name’s Ashley, and I’m the newest Literary Marketing Intern at Scarletta Press. I know there are a lot of really great publishers in Minneapolis, but one of the things I love about Scarletta is their new children’s imprint: Scarletta Press Junior Bookwormz!
I’m currently reading the first book in their children’s line, Lost in Lexicon, and even at the age of 21, I’m enjoying it! This past Tuesday night, Scarletta’s Publicity Director, Desiree Bussiere, asked me if I’d like to tag along and observe some marketing she had planned for the book.
We ended up at KFAI’s Write On Radio! program with the author of Lost in Lexicon, Pendred Noyce, as well as Peter Smith, author of A Cavalcade of Lesser Horrors. I arrived under the impression that it would be an evening to sit back and listen, but I soon found myself being asked if I’d like to help read off the upcoming literary events.

The Road to Kid Lit

We began launching our children's line in January when we signed our first children's author, Pendred Noyce. Pendred Noyce wrote Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers, a middle grade adventure fiction, and first published it on her own in October 2010. After acquiring Pendred's series, we republished the first book this past August, and scheduled the next three books for publication in successive Augusts to come. (Check out Penny's Path to Publication story!)

The Lexicon Adventure series serves as cornerstone to Scarletta Press’ line of intellectually stimulating books for strong and thoughtful readers. “We want to publish fiction that ‘writes up’ to kids, treating them as young intellectuals who enjoy thinking,” says Leask. “Our books will be fun, adventurous, and suspenseful, but their vocabulary and storylines will be designed to challenge young readers in the right way.”

Founded in 2005, Scarletta Press has gained a reputation as a publisher of high quality literary fiction and non-fiction. Its adult books have won or been nominated for a number of literary awards.

After revising our submission requirements and really getting the word out about Lost in Lexicon, we've received many new children's book submissions. After rifling through the pile, there are a number of them still on the consideration table. With the plan to continually expand our children's line, we decided we needed a good name for our new children's imprint.

So here it is: Scarletta Press Junior Bookwormz! Be sure to follow us on twitter @SP_JRBookwormz. We've got a plan for some great Children's Literature, and we hope you'll be a part of it.

Tasty treats & mentions

Well we couldn't be more pleased to help Linda White kick off her new series on MN Indie Publishers! This article comes at a perfect time with three books launching from our little press: Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers by Pendred Noyce, A Celtic Childhood by Bill Watkins, and Scotland Is Not for the Squeamish also by Bill Watkins.

We're making waves. Check out this article and share it everywhere!

"Though it radiates that sense of optimism and fresh outlook that only a relatively young company can, nothing about Scarletta Press is amateur. Perched in a sunny historic building on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, the office is a beehive of activity. Their output is sleek and their leadership is made up of industry veterans...

While the publishing world may be changing, Scarletta Press looks poised to ride that change...Some may think you’d have to be crazy to start a publishing company these days. But Scarletta Press is proving that if you take your lumps, do your homework, and know the playing field, there are still many opportunities out there. And they are doing a great job of looking ahead and moving into those new realms of possibility." Read the rest!

We're definitely proud to be a moving vehicle in this publishing industry!

The 2011 International Book Awards Announced!

ISBN 978-0-9824584-7-1

ISBN 978-0-9830219-2-6

Scarletta Press is excited to announce the selection of Pamela Cory's Hassie Calhoun: A Las Vegas Novel of Innocence and Pendred (Penny) Noyce's Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers as finalists in the the 2011 International Book Awards (IBAs) hosted by JPX Media Group.

JPX Media Group announced the winners and finalists of the 2011 IBAs on May 11, 2011. Over 300 winners and finalists were announced in over 140 categories covering print and audio books. Awards were presented for titles published in 2009, 2010 and 2011. The full list of Winners and Finalists can be found here. "Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO of JPX Media Group, said this year’s contest yielded a large number of entries from authors and publishers around the world, which were then narrowed down to the final results." (—JPX Media Group)

More Book of the Year Awards!!!

We had another wonderful surprise in our inbox today; something we accidentally overlooked on Monday! Pendred (Penny) Noyce's Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers has also been selected as a finalist for ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards 2010! It has been selected for the Young Adult Fiction category.  (You'll notice the selection is for the first edition, which was published in October 2010 by Tumblehome Press. The first edition will be out of print come July 1, 2011. The Scarletta edition is available for pre-order, and has a publication date of August 9, 2011.)

View the complete list of Young Adult Fiction competitors here. Winners will be announced at the American Library Association (ALA) Conference, June 23-28, 2011. **Penny will be signing books at the Publishers Group West booth at ALA.

Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers is a literary fantasy for readers ages 9-12. It tells the story of two cousins, Ivan and Daphne, on a quest to find lost children in a world of words and numbers running wild.

A first-time author, Pendred’s novel has been selected as a recommended read by the Indie Next Kids List Winter 2011. And ForeWord Reviews says it “...breaks new ground in the adventure genre. This rollicking, often tongue-in-cheek novel will appeal to young readers who need a break from their computer games and long to journey into the woods of learning.”

“Lost in Lexicon is a smart romp of a book. Just as 13-year-olds Ivan and Daphne are propelled on a quest through the land of Lexicon so the reader will be pulled through this intriguing story with its puzzles and games. A challenging read and an entertaining adventure rolled into an extremely handsome package with excellent illustrations.” — Mary Logue, co-author of the Bloodwater mystery series

Too Much Good News?? No such thing!

There was already no doubt about it... Lost in Lexicon is a hit. But just because we can... Here's some more great reviews and interviews! Check 'em out!

Elle Strauss interviews Pendred Noyce
http://ellestraussbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/self-publishing-success-story.html

Andrea from Online With Andrea interviews and reviews
http://andreasonlineblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/lost-in-lexicon-by-pendred-noyce.html
...and then it went global...

Scarletta goes big time...

Claire Kirch wrote a nice little article in Publisher's Weekly about Scarletta's new line: children's books.

Scarletta Press, a small press in Minneapolis best known for its nonfiction, including an annual Writer’s Handbook, is launching a children’s fiction line this summer. The first title in the new line will be Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Pictures by Pendred Noyce, illustrated by Joan Charles. Continue reading...

Thanks PW! Way to go Scarletta!

Choosing Lexicon

Check out these links for reviews and fun stuff about Lexicon in the news:

An article about Penny and Lost in Lexicon by Carolyn Ellis in the Wellesley Weston Magazine
http://wellesleywestonmagazine.com/spring11/dept_books.htm

Reviews for mathematics and writing on a gifted child website
http://www.icanbeanything.ca/Site/Book_Selections.html

Laurie Hertzel mentions Scarletta's contract with Penny
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/books/115219944.html

Scarletta Press launches new children’s line with "Lost in Lexicon" by Pendred Noyce

Minneapolis-based Scarletta Press announces that it will launch a new children’s book line by acquiring Lost in Lexicon: an Adventure in Words and Numbers by Pendred Noyce. A self-published literary fantasy for readers ages 9-12, "Lost in Lexicon" tells the story of two cousins, Ivan and Daphne, on a quest to find lost children in a world of words and numbers running wild. “It’s just the combination of braininess, humor, and adventure we were looking for to start our new line,” says Ian Graham Leask, Scarletta’s publisher.

Look for this cover AUGUST 2011

 With four books planned, the Lexicon series will serve as cornerstone of Scarletta’s new line of intellectually stimulating books for strong and thoughtful readers. “We want to publish fiction that ‘writes up’ to kids, treating them as young intellectuals who enjoy thinking,” says Leask. "Our books will be fun, adventurous, and suspenseful, but their vocabulary and storylines will be designed to challenge young readers in the right way.”

Founded in 2005, Scarletta Press has gained a reputation as a publisher of high quality literary fiction and non-fiction. Its adult books have won or been nominated for a number of literary awards.

Pendred Noyce, author of "Lost in Lexicon," is a Massachusetts physician, education reformer, and mother of five. She is active in educational philanthropy as a trustee of the Noyce Foundation, where she takes a special interest in mathematics and science education. Serving on the boards of multiple math and science-based education non-profits, she also chairs the board of the Libra Foundation in Maine and the Rennie Center for Education Policy Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Noyce wrote "Lost in Lexicon," her first book for children, as a gift for her son Damian’s ninth birthday. “I wanted to see if I could make middle school math and language concepts come alive in characters and villages. I had a lot of fun writing the book, but when my agent took it out to large publishers, they considered it too didactic and old-fashioned for today’s kids.” Convinced that the publishers were wrong, Noyce formed her own company, Tumblehome Press, and assembled her own editorial and artistic team. Illustrations by Joan Charles, a California artist, brought a sense of playful magic to the text.