Bestselling author David Baldacci  has signed a deal with Scholastic for a middle grade fantasy novel.

The children’s publisher will release The Finisher next March, the story of a fourteen-year-old girl named Vega Jane.

Scholastic Trade president Ellie Berger negotiated the deal with Aaron Priest, of the Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency. Executive editor Rachel Griffiths will edit the manuscript.

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A number of publishing promotions and job changes were announced this week.

Scholastic has hired Katrina Krantz as director of digital marketing, Caite Panzer as director of rights and global publishing strategy, Kelly Smith as senior editor for nonfiction, and Michael del Rosario as managing editor.

The company has also promoted fifteen staff members.

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Scholastic has revealed Kazu Kibuishi’s cover design for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Kibuishi’s art depicts The Boy Who Lived along with his two best friends riding a blind dragon.

The artist created new jackets for all seven Harry Potter books–follow the jump to see the sixth book’s redesign and links for the five other previously revealed covers. Here’s more from the press release:

The Scholastic Store hosted an exciting event to celebrate the unveiling of the new cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Scholastic Store party was packed with Harry Potter fans of all ages, a welcoming Hagrid and live snakes, toads and owls … Following today’s unveiling, Scholastic will release the seven back covers of the new paperback trade editions illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi, one each day from August 1st through 7th. Each day at 9 a.m. (EDT or eastern time), fans can see the amazing new Harry Potter art at www.oomscholasticblog.com.

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Deadline reports that filmmaker Francis Lawrence is hoping to cast Academy Award-nominated actress Julianne Moore for the final two Hunger Games films.

Moore might play Alma Coin in the two-part adaptation of Suzanne Collins‘ Mockingjay.

Many Hunger Games fans would characterize Coin as a pragmatic, controlling, and ruthless politician. Moore (pictured, via) won a Golden Globe for portraying an infamous political personality in the HBO movie, Game Change; former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

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Young adult novelist Ally Carter has signed a deal with Scholastic for the Embassy Row trilogy. Carter is the author of the Heist Society and Gallagher Girls series.

The publisher plans to release the first installment in 2015. Publisher David Levithan negotiated the agreement with Nelson Literary Agency president Kristin Nelson. Here’s more from the release:

This exciting new series focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row. Now, at age sixteen, she’s come back to stay— in order to solve the mystery of her mother’s death.

(Image via)

Scholastic unveiled the new cover for Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets at BookExpo America.

This jacket depicts Harry Potter and three Weasley brothers riding in the infamous flying car–what do you think?

Both Kazu Kibuishi, the artist behind the new designs, and Arthur A. Levine, the editor of the American edition of the Harry Potter series, appeared at the unveiling.

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During last night’s Movie Awards show, MTV revealed the first teaser trailer for Catching Fire, the second installment of The Hunger Games film franchise.

We’ve embedded the video above–what do you think? The trailer has already drawn more than 1.5 million views on YouTube.

The trailer offers the fans glimpses of several major events in the story and a first look at Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman as Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee. This adaptation of Suzanne Collins‘ young-adult novel won’t be released until November 22, 2013.

Deb Futter has been named publisher of Grand Central Publishing’s Twelve imprint. Futter will continue to serve as EIC of Grand Central Publishing. Current publisher Cary Goldstein will depart.

Other publishers made changes as well this week. Maha Kahlil jumps from Hyperion, where she served as director of sales, to her new role as marketing director for the Crown Publishing Group’s Clarkson Potter, Potter Style, Potter Craft, Watson-Guptill, and Amphoto imprints.

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Scholastic has unveiled the first of seven new covers for a set of U.S. trade paperback editions of J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series. The new editions will come out in September.

Amulet graphic novel artist Kazu Kibuishi created the covers. What do you think? Kibuishi explained his process in the release:

When I was asked to submit samples, I initially hesitated because I didn’t want to see them reinterpreted!  However, I felt that if I were to handle the project, I could bring something to it that many other designers and illustrators probably couldn’t, and that was that I was also a writer of my own series of middle grade fiction. As an author myself, I tried to answer the question, ‘If I were the author of the books – and they were like my own children – how would I want them to be seen years from now?’

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Bestselling novelist and 39 Clues contributing writer David Baldacci will guide a virtual field trip at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Some of the items that will be featured on this tour include the Lewis and Clark compass, Abraham Lincoln’s pocket watch and the Star-Spangled Banner. This free webcast will air on March 5th, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT.

On the same day, Scholastic will release book six of The 39 Clues: Cahills vs Vespers series which is written by Baldacci.

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