11.15.2017: Free Books for Schools in Need

November 15, 2017 Anica Rissi

UPDATE (11.19.2017): Thanks to all of you who helped spread the word about these donations! The response has been overwhelming--I've already promised to send far more books than I originally budgeted to buy. I am going to fill all requests that have already come in (approximately 900 books), but unfortunately now I need to start turning new requests down. If you'd like to be among the first to know about future giveaways and other book news, please sign up for my newsletter (see sidebar).

This fall, I'm hoping to donate copies of the Anna, Banana chapter books and my picture book The Teacher's Pet to high-poverty public elementary schools* (meaning either Title I or schools where more than 70% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price meals). If that's your school, please be in touch! And if you know of a school in need, please encourage a teacher, librarian, or administrator there to reach out to me. My email is anicamroserissi at gmail dot com.

In the final weeks of 2016, I sent more than four hundred books to schools in twenty-three states. I hope to donate even more books this year.

If you're inclined to share this post to help spread the word, please do. You'll also find the below graphic in shareable form on my Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter accounts. Thank you!

Anna Banana and The Teachers Pet donations.jpg

*U.S. schools only, due to shipping costs. Giveaway ends December 15, 2017.

The Anna, Banana chapter books are best for students in grades 1-4. For more information about the series, please click here. The Teacher's Pet, illustrated by Zachariah OHora, is best for students in Pre-K through graduate school. For more information about the book, including reviews and a peek inside, please click here.

5.2.2017: Have you seen this Kitten?

May 2, 2017 Anica Rissi

Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten comes meowing into bookstores today! This fifth (and most purrific) book in the Anna, Banana series has been, in many ways, a long time in the making. Here I am in 1986 (age 7), conducting early research:

And here I am a few days ago, practicing my Very Professional Author Face with the first finished copies of the book.

As you can already tell from the cover, Meg Park's illustrations for this book are ridiculously adorable. Here's a little peek inside....

If you'd like to snag your own copy of the book to read or take selfies with, it's available now in hardcover, paperback, and ebook. You can order it online at Indiebound, B&N, Amazon, BAM, Target, or iTunes, ask for it at your favorite local bookstore, or request it at your library. Thanks for your support!

I'll be visiting eight terrific elementary schools in the next few weeks to talk with the kids about creativity, books, and writing. If you'd like to see photos, please follow my adventures on Instagram. You'll find me there and on Twitter at @anicarissi.

(Fun fact: In Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten, Anna and her friends belong to a club at school called String Club. I got the idea from the third graders in Mrs. Donnelly's class at Springfield Estates Elementary School, who introduced me to their version of String Club when I spoke at their school last year.)

Meow!

3.31.2017: Book news! More Bananas

March 31, 2017 Anica Rissi

March comes in like a lion, goes out like Bananas....

I'm pleased as punch to get to write two more books in the Anna, Banana series (books seven and eight!). Thank you to all the readers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents whose support is making this possible. And thanks to illustrator Meg Park, editrix Alexa Pastor, agent Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, designer Laurent Linn, and the whole fabulous team at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. I'm having a lot of fun creating these stories and can't wait to see where the adventures lead next!

Here's the official announcement from Publishers Marketplace:

The first four books in the series will soon be available in Danish as well. Here are the covers for the first two translations, coming from Carlsen publishers in May 2017. Google tells me the titles translate to "Enemies" and "One, Two, Many." Please tell all your friends in Denmark!

There's still time to preorder book five, Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten, which comes out in hardcover, paperback, and ebook on May 2nd. You can find it online at Amazon, B&N, Indiebound, Target, BAM, and iTunes, or ask for it at your local bookstore or library. Thanks for your support! Here's Rooga reviewing the first typeset pages:

10.7.2016: Little Lost Kitten Cover Reveal!

October 7, 2016 Anica Rissi

Introducing...Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten.

I'm delighted to share Meg Park's adorable cover art for the fifth book in the Anna, Banana series. Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten will come meowing into a bookstore or library near you (in hardcover, paperback, and ebook!) on May 2, 2017.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy, please follow these links for B&N, Amazon, BAM, or iTunes, or ask for it at your local bookstore or library. To add the book on Goodreads, click here. Thanks for your support!

Here's what it's about:

It's Anna's lucky day: She found a stray kitten! But when her dog, Banana, scares the kitten away, it's up to Anna and her friends to find him again.

Catching the kitten is trickier than Anna expects—kittens are easily scared and very sneaky. And even a small kitten can cause big trouble, as Anna and her friends soon discover. They want to help the kitten find a good place to live, but is saving the kitten worth breaking the rules?

In other news: Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet (book three) is now available in paperback (click here to find where to buy it). And the first four Anna, Banana hardcovers now come in a beautiful boxed set called Anna, Banana, and Friends: A Four-Book Collection. I love that the boxed set art is the same as the cover for book one, only with Sadie smiling. Here's where to find it: Indiebound | B&N | Amazon | BAM | Target.

So...what do you think Anna and Banana should dress up as for Halloween?

5.5.2016: Happy Birthday, Little Book!

May 5, 2016 Anica Rissi

This calls for cake.

One year ago today, my first book was born. I've been celebrating all week by making up new stories with the creative kids in the Princeton Young Achievers program—and by eating chocolate cake with pink vanilla frosting (Anna and Sadie's favorite). Thank you to all the readers, booksellers, librarians, educators, parents, and friends who made this such a fun year for Anna, Banana, and me.

If you've been waiting for Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split to be cheaper and more bendable, wait no longer! It is now out in paperback. Here are some of the places you can find it: Indiebound, Amazon, B&N, BAM.

I just sent the manuscript for Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten (book five) to my editor. I'm excited for you all to read it. But first: revisions (and more cake).

Paperbacks!

Princeton Young Achievers

2.3.2016: More Bananas! and the Price of Promotion

February 2, 2016 Anica Rissi

Announcing...Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten!

I'm thrilled to share the news that there soon will be two more books in the Anna, Banana series. Up next: Anna, Banana, and the Little Lost Kitten. I can't wait to see the cover art! (But first I have to write the book.)

Here's the official announcement from Publishers Marketplace. I'm lucky to continue working with the fabulous team behind the first four books: editrix Kristin Ostby, agent Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, illustrator Meg Park, and art director Laurent Linn.

Click on the image above to open a PDF of the article.

I have a new piece in the March issue of The Writer magazine, called the Price of Promotion. In it, I share what I did to help promote my debut novel (Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split), and what it cost, in time and money. I hope other writers will find it useful. (Click on the image to open a PDF.)

Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split recently went into its third printing. THANK YOU to all the booksellers, librarians, teachers, and readers who helped make this happen!