Riordan has outlined the story arc for the series and has written the first volume, but the subsequent books will be penned by Gordan Korman (Schooled), Peter Lerangis (the Drama Club series), Jude Watson (Premonitions) and other authors yet to be announced. Six collectible cards will be included with each book, each containing a unique code that allows children to register and manage their collections online; 350 cards will be created for the promotion, with packs of 16 cards available for separate purchase.

John Cole, director of the Center for the Book, and Valeria Stelmakh of the Pushkin Library Foundation (center) discuss Building Nations of Readers, which they coedited. Maria Vedenyapina (r.), president of the Pushkin Library Foundation, moderated the panel at BiblioBraz.

The Center has actively pursued its mission both here and abroad. Over the past three decades it has set up individual Centers for the Book in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and established a national reading and writing program, Letters About Literature, which is cosponsored by Target. In addition, the Center has developed partnerships with international organizations involved in literacy, like the Pushkin Library Foundation in Russia, which copublished its most recent book, Building Nations of Readers: Experience, Ideas, Examples, a bilingual Russian and English history of promoting reading in Russia, the U.S. and the U.K.

“The fiction team will report to Rebecca McNally, and the nonfiction team continue to report to publisher, Melissa Fairley,” said Hopkin. Regarding the integration of the companies’ sales operations, Hopkin added, “The publishing will remain very market-driven, and input from all sales forces is paramount. Simon Boughton, who is heading up Kingfisher U.S., will be involved in all publishing decision-making.” Previously part of Houghton Mifflin, which managed it from the U.S., Kingfisher has an £11 million turnover. 

Sally Floyer.

Floyer to Retire from Penguin
Sally Floyer, managing director of the brands and licensing division of Penguin, will retire at the end of March 2008 after 24 years with the company. She will be succeeded by Stephanie Barton, deputy managing director and publishing director of the division.

During Floyer’s tenure, she built up the Beatrix Potter brand from the original 23 titles to a global licensing business for Peter Rabbit and Friends, acquired Flower Fairies for Warne in 1989, and added Eric Hill’s Spot to the portfolio through the acquisition of the packager Ventura in 1991.     read more London news

Bray.                   Hale.

“We felt they had a similar sense of humor and this great energy,” says Shapiro. “We thought, ‘Hmm, this could be a great pairing.’ ” Before sharing the idea with their colleagues, they first broached the idea with their respective authors. And the responses were resoundingly positive—Bray recalls that her first thought was, “Woo-hoo!” 

Inspired to do something to help advance the idea of shared humanity after the attacks of 9/11, the Steckels traveled the world for a year, taking pictures of children. When they proposed the book based on their project to Tricycle, the publisher was eager to jump on board. And when, shortly after that, the United Nations awarded the couple its annual Tolerance Award, the company became even more enthusiastic about the project and the book, according to Tricycle publicist Hayley Gonnason.

The Milestones Project pubbed in 2004, and has sold over 30,000 copies; Tricycle issued a paperback edition last month. The new edition contains an “Ethical Growth Chart” and stickers, so children and their parents can track height as well as such behavioral development issues as sharing toys or learning to be a good friend.    read more