Trivia aficionados will enjoy the copious nuggets found in the pages of Who HQ: The Fifty States, a series from Penguin Workshop that kicks off on November 4. To wit: California is home to the hottest place on Earth, Ohio boasts the first-ever pro baseball team, no location in Florida is more than 60 miles from a coast, and there’s a tasty origin tale behind Philly cheesesteak.

Illustrated by Ted Hammond and released simultaneously in paperback, hardcover, and digital formats, this series for readers ages eight to 12 also rounds up facts about states’ famous landmarks, historic events and residents, and local traditions.

Launch titles are Where Is California?, Where Is Florida?, Where Is Georgia?, and Where Is New York? by Jennifer Marino Walters; Where Is Illinois? and Where Is Ohio? by Tracy Vonder Brink; and Where Is Pennsylvania? and Where Is Texas? by Annette Whipple. Seven additional states will be showcased in the series’ second wave of releases, due next January, and books on the remaining U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, are expected to publish by 2028.

A Brand’s Birth and Evolution

The Who HQ line had its roots in Penguin’s Who Was? series, which debuted in 2002 with four books. Today, with 70 million books in print worldwide, it is the top-selling nonfiction series for middle grade readers and has spawned an Emmy–winning family variety series on Netflix and a children’s trivia quiz podcast.

The original Who Was? series has evolved into a brand encompassing more than 360 titles across 11 series, among them What Was?, Where Is?, What Is the Story Of?, What Do We Know About?, Graphic Novels, Board Books, and Workbooks, known collectively as Who HQ. In addition to Who HQ: The Fifty States, Penguin Workshop this fall is introducing Who HQ: Illustrated Biographies. This series of hardcover picture books for children ages four to seven starts up with Taylor Swift, Caitlin Clark, Beyoncé, and Michael Jordan.

Paula Manzanero, director of the Who HQ lines, who arrived at Penguin Young Readers more than 13 years ago as an editor of Who Was? books, attributed the ongoing success of the brand to its high kid appeal and wide spectrum of offerings. “The beloved bobblehead covers are a hallmark of the series and they draw young readers in,” she said. “And our breadth of coverage ensures that we always have a book for every reader. That really sets us apart. Over the years, we’ve gone from covering classic subjects, like the founding fathers, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. to unexpected figures and moments like Tony Hawk, Bigfoot, climate change, Caitlin Clark, and Shohei Ohtani.”

The director also pointed to the benefit of tapping into expanding market channels. “Who HQ series have a very strong presence in the school and library market, but our trade success is undeniable,” Manzanero noted. “Our Who HQ Now! titles, which are a shorter, quick-to-print format, keep us on top of trends and relevant in the mass channels. These include titles like Who Is Bad Bunny? and Who Is Greta Thunberg?”

Musing on where Who HQ might venture next, Manzanero cast her net wide. “My wish list is always a mix of trailblazers, leaders, luminaries, and scene stealers,” she replied. “And I have a soft spot for mysterious places and cryptids. We’ll soon be publishing books about Lizzie Borden, AI, Katherine Johnson, the Northern Lights, Wilma Mankiller, the International Space Station, Cleopatra, dragons, and Spontaneous Human Combustion. It’s a joy to develop this list and to see it expand in so many exciting new ways.”