From the author of Brooklyn and The Master, and of the previously published short fiction collection Mothers and Sons, comes a stunning new book of short stories.

"In the captivating stories that make up The Empty Family, Colm Tóibín delineates with a tender and unique sensibility, lives of unspoken or unconscious longing, of individuals often willingly cast adrift from their history. From the young Pakistani immigrant who seeks some kind of permanence in a strange town, to the Irish woman reluctantly returning to Dublin and discovering a city that refuses to acknowledge her long absence, each of Tóibín's stories manage to contain whole worlds: stories of fleeing the past and returning home, of family threads lost and ultimately regained."

Colm Toíbín has been called "his generation's most gifted writer of love's complicated, contradictory power" by the Los Angeles Times.

Sarah Nickerson is like any other career-driven supermom in the affluent Boston suburb where she leads a hectic but charmed life. 

Between her high-powered position, shuttling the kids to various activities, and making it home in time for dinner, it's a wonder this over-scheduled, over-achieving Harvard graduate has time to breathe.

Sarah miraculously manages every minute of her life like an air traffic controller. Until one fateful day, in the blink of an eye, all the rapidly moving parts of her jam-packed life come to a screeching halt. ... Sarah relinquishes control to those around her, and struggles to find answers about her past and her uncertain future. 

Lisa Genova holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy, Support Network International and DementiaUSA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's association.  She is also the author of of the New York Times best-selling novel, Still Alice.
 

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, Tom Rachman's wry, vibrant debut follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper as they struggle to keep it - and themselves - afloat.

As the era of print news gives way to the Internet age and this imperfect crew stumbles toward an uncertain future, the paper's rich history is revealed, including the surprising truth about its founder's intentions.

Spirited, moving, and highly original, The Imperfectionists has established Tom Rachman as one of our most perceptive, assured literary talents.

Author Tom Rachman was born in London and raised in Vancouver. A graduate of the University of Toronto and the Columbia School of Journalism, he has been a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, stationed in Rome.   
 

The Imperfectionists was a staff favorite when we read the hardcover last spring; the paperback edition is now available.

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of 19th-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, who, along with Kate Greenaway and Walter Crane, set the bar for illustrations that used humor and movement to complement the stories.

It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. 

The 2011 Caldecott Medal winner was announced at the ALA's mid-winter meeting this past weekend ... A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead, published by Roaring Brook Press.

In this tender tale of reciprocity and friendship, zookeeper Amos McGee gets the sniffles and receives a surprise visit from his caring animal friends. Erin Stead's delicate woodblock prints and fine pencil work complement Philip Stead's understated, spare and humorous text to create a well-paced, gentle and satisfying book, perfect for sharing with friends.

"Endearing, expressive characterization in spare illustrations rendered in muted tones distinguish this timeless picture book.  It's a great day for Amos McGee!" said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Judy Zuckerman.