New Release: TELL THE TRUTH, PANGOLIN

TELL THE TRUTH, PANGOLIN by Melinda Beatty and Paola Escobar
(Anne Schwartz Books, Oct 2022)

In this delightful, thoroughly entertaining picture book about the importance--and difficulty--of telling the truth, the queen's trusty servant, a pangolin, breaks the royal swing and doesn't know what to tell her!

Pangolin is enjoying himself on the royal swing in the bright summer sunshine when suddenly, the ropes break and--OW!--he falls to the ground. What will I tell the queen?! Pangolin worries. He races to the stables to ask his friend Badger. "Tell her the musicians needed the swing's rope for their lutes!" the stablemaster advises. Fox, the castle guard, has a different idea: "Might you say that the King needed to repair his royal jump rope?" Pug, Cat, and Goose all have suggestions, too. But which story will Pangolin tell the queen?!

Select praise for TELL THE TRUTH, PANGOLIN:

  • Booklist review: “…bustle(s) with whimsical details that will capture young readers’ hearts.”

  • Kirkus review: “A noble look at the courage needed for honesty.”

New Release: RIVERBOUND

RIVERBOUND by Melinda Beatty (Putnam Children’s, June 2019)

RIVERBOUND by Melinda Beatty (Putnam Children’s, June 2019)

Only Fallow can see lies - a cunning so powerful that the King insists on keeping her in the palace, tasked with helping him flush out traitors.

When the King’s counselor, Lamia, tells Only of her plan to oust the King and put his daughter on the throne, Only is eager to help. Though Only’s cunning would be useful to any ruler, the Princess had promised to send Only home when she becomes Queen. But Only soon learns the truth is a complicated matter - especially when the fate of a country hangs in the balance. Now wound tight in a twisted plot, Only must set the record straight to stop the destruction of everything - and everyone - she holds dear.

The stunning finale of Melinda Beatty’s middle-grade duet is just as rich, imaginative, and full of adventure as the first installment.

Select praise for RIVERBOUND:

  • Kirkus review: “A cozy yet surprisingly thought-provoking magical ordeal.”

  • School Library Journal review: “Day-to-day details are fully imagined, and the young characters feel authentic as children thrust into an unexpected adventure. This is a story about othering; the mistreated Ordish people, of whom Lark is a member, are instantly recognizable due to their physical characteristics. Throughout the text, Only insists that Lark be seen and treated as a person. It is notable that a story in which children are mistreated, taken from their families, and considered a means to an end is written in a way that is appropriate for middle grade readers.”

New Release: HEARTSEEKER

HEARTSEEKER by Melinda Beatty (Putnam Children’s, June 2018)

HEARTSEEKER by Melinda Beatty (Putnam Children’s, June 2018)

You’re a Fallow of the Orchard. You’re as tough as a green apple in summer.

Only Fallow was just six harvests old when she realized that not everyone sees lies. For Only, seeing lies is as beautiful as looking through a kaleidoscope, but telling them is as painful as gnawing on cut glass. Only’s family warns her to keep her cunning hidden, but secrets are seldom content to stay secret.

When word of Only’s ability makes its way to the King, she’s plucked from her home at the orchard and brought to the castle at Bellskeep. There she learns that the kingdom is plagued by traitors, and that her task is to help the King distinguish between friend and foe. But being able to see lies doesn’t necessarily mean that others aren’t able to disguise their dishonesty with cunnings of their own.

In the duplicitous, power-hungry court, the truth is Only’s greatest weapon… and her greatest weakness.

Select Praise for HEARTSEEKER:

  • Booklist review: "A smart, captivating fantasy-adventure that will leave readers hungry for more."

  • Kirkus review: “This series opener dances compellingly along the border separating its young, naïve heroine from harsh political realities.”

  • Publishers Weekly review: “Beatty creates a cast of memorable characters and entrancingly vivid settings, immersing readers in a magical realm worth revisiting.”

  • School Library Journal review: “"In this stunning debut novel, Beatty crafts a world rich with its own mythology and filled with strong heroes. This well-developed and original fantasy is a must-have for any middle grade collection."

Deal Announcement: HEARTSEEKER

Arianne Lewin at Putnam has acquired Melinda Beatty's middle grade debut HEARTSEEKER, about Only Fallow, whose ability to see lies means she must leave everything she's known behind to serve her King, while his enemies aim to make sure she never reaches the castle alive. It's scheduled for publication in 2018; Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management did the two-book deal.

PW: Rights Report: Week of December 5, 2016.