A New Line Of Classics

Just Us Books, the New Jersey–based publisher of black-interest books for children, has announced a new imprint that will bring back previously out-of-print classic African-American titles. Named Sankofa, which means "go back and fetch it" in the Akan language of West Africa, the imprint will be "bringing back books that helped to lay the foundation for black-interest children's literature," according to Wade Hudson, president and CEO. Sankofa will launch this fall with five titles, including Harlem Renaissance by James Haskins and Tamika and the Wisdom Rings by Camille Yarbrough.

According to director of marketing Katura Hudson, the imprint was started because "these books are timely and we thought they needed a home so people can continue to enjoy the stories, to introduce them to a new generation of readers."

Just Us will not publish a set number of books into the imprint each season, but rather will publish as they come across titles they want to add to their list. The imprint's books will be a mixture of those from the company's "wish list" as well as those people bring to the company.

Each release in the imprint will be given new cover art, and for the fall 2004 title Freedom Rides: Journey to Justice, the company is looking to add new photos to the interior. The text will stay the same in all books, but updates will be given where needed, such as in the case of timelines.