13-Year-Old to Publish Book Series With Penguin Young Readers Group

Posted on August 20, 2013

This news will make all struggling authors jealous. 13-year-old Jake Marcionette has landed a book deal with Grosset & Dunlap, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. Grosset & Dunlap will publish Marcionette's Just Jake book series. Marcionette was just 12 when he wrote the book. His debut novel is set for a February 2014 release.

The book is about a boy named Jake who arrives at a new school. Jake ranks the kids at school using hand-made Kid Cards. Jake runs into trouble when his Kid Cards fall into the wrong hands and a bully marks him as next in line for annihilation.

Marcionette said in a statement, "School can be scary and challenging in so many ways, but it can also be really funny. Whether in school, at home, or on the lacrosse field, I try to find the 'funny' in my daily experiences. This book began as a collection of doodles and sketches of my classmates, and it has developed into a truly awesome book. I hope kids enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it."