Watertown, Mass., children’s publisher Charlesbridge has acquired the rights to the 30-book backlist and several forthcoming titles from Mackinac Island Press of Traverse City, Mich. MIP will continue to operate as a book developer, producing between eight and 12 children’s titles and one and two series a year. The backlist and forthcoming titles will be published by Charlesbridge under the Mackinac Island Press imprint.

With the purchase, Charlesbridge stands to gain inroads into MIP’s specialty markets while strengthening its backlist. Charlesbridge v-p and associate publisher Mary Ann Sabia said, “Charlesbridge is excited about bringing books like Santa Goes Green, Elliot, the PaleoJoe Detective Club series, and the rest of the list to a wider audience.” Charlesbridge, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has begun shipping MIP titles from its Massachusetts warehouse. MIP customers may call Charlesbridge for questions pertaining to their orders.