….that leap off the shelf and into your hands.
Why do you pick one book over another. Could be the author. Could be the cover design. Or it could be the title.
It is so difficult to choose a perfect title for a book. You want it to reflect the content and not mislead the reader. It should entice while not giving too much of the plot away. If it can be taken more than one way, so much the better. If at all possible, it should be original and memorable. Short. Attention-grabbing.
I have been thinking about this in the last few weeks after reading the second in the Wingfeather Saga series of four books by Andrew Peterson. The title was North! Or Be Eaten which kills me on so many levels. It perfectly embodies the writing style, the voice of the author and adventurous, humorous, tricksy middle grade story.
Writer Kelly Barnhill repeatedly finds titles for her novels, whether they are for young or adult readers, that are perfect fits,. Titles like:
The Mostly True Story of Jack
Iron Hearted Violet
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
When Women Were Dragons
Here are some other books with titles that do a good job of inviting readers to explore further:
Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan (YA)
Nosy Parker by Lesley Crewe
Dune by Frank Hebert
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger