-
Medallion to Publish YA Titles by YA Writers
Medallion Press is venturing into unfamiliar territory, in announcing the launch of its new Ya-Ya line of fiction and nonfiction for young adult readers ages 13-18. Not only is the Ya-Ya line intended for teen readers, but the titles in the imprint will actually be written by teen authors.
-
Licensing Hotline: July 2010
News from the recent Licensing International show in Las Vegas, including new Star Wars books, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet deals, Dr. Seuss news, and more tidbits.
-
New Film on Children's Book Authors and Illustrators
Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar stories, or more specifically Adam Gopnik’s interpretation of them as part of the common language of childhood in the New Yorker in September 2008, serve as both title and inspiration for an upcoming film on children’s literature, Library of the Early Mind, directed and produced by Edward J. Delaney and co-produced by Steven Withrow.
-
New Children's Bookstore in Maine
Michael Curtis, owner of Union River Book and Toy Co. in Ellsworth, Maine, is the latest property owner to turn to bookselling to fill an empty storefront. However, unlike others in real estate, Curtis already had years of experience selling books: his parents owned Sherman’s Books in Bar Harbor, which turns 125 next summer.
-
Jacobs Named Editorial Director at HC Children's Books
HarperCollins's Children's Books has announced several promotions, including that of Farrin Jacobs to the position of editorial director. As the head of the teen series team in the division's fiction group, Jacobs oversaw the publication of the L.A. Candy, Vampire Diaries, and The Luxe series, among others; she also acquired and edited the Pretty Little Liars series and acquired the 2009 Printz winner Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.
-
Wohl Departing Macmillan
Effective June 30, Lauren L. Wohl will step down from her position as associate publisher for Roaring Brook Press, Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers, and First Second Books. However, Wohl won’t be leaving the publisher entirely: she will immediately begin consulting for Macmillan Children’s Book Group's institutional marketing division as well as for ReadKiddoRead, an organization founded by author James Patterson to help adults find good books for children and teens, and for other projects as they arise.
-
Value Channel Not for the Faint of Heart
The last year has brought good news and bad news for children's book publishers targeting the value end of the business. On the one hand, sales in the value channel—composed of dollar stores, regional discounters, and other off-price chains—are growing as price-conscious consumers look for bargains.
-
Are Children's Publishers Destroying Rainforests?
Do children's publishers deserve to wear green hats—or black ones? In a recent report, the Rainforest Action Network said most of the top 10 children's publishers have released at least one picture book containing paper fiber linked to the destruction of Indonesian rainforests. For their part, children's book publishers say they are making great strides to be green.
-
Listen Up for Candlewick on Brilliance Audio
Candlewick on Brilliance Audio is the name of the new imprint announced today by Candlewick Press and Brilliance Audio. The companies have joined forces in an innovative agreement that enables Brilliance Audio to publish and distribute audiobook editions of select Candlewick Press titles.
-
Investor Group to Acquire Alloy for $126 Million
Alloy Inc., whose products aimed at young adults and older include Gossip Girl and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, has agreed to be acquired by an investor group led by ZelnickMedia in a deal valued at $126.5 million. According to a statement, the new owners, which include members of Alloy’s senior management team, “aim to build Alloy into a leading entertainment and media brand for the millennial generation (ages 10-29).” The company had sales of $205 million in the fiscal year ended January 31 and an operating loss of $2.4 million.
-
BookPeople Launches New Literary Camp
BookPeople, which in 2006 organized the first literary day camp for children, Camp Half-Blood, is branching out. The Austin, Tex., independent bookstore hosted its first Ranger's Apprentice Corps Training Camp, inspired by John Flanagan's medieval fantasy series.
-
Lerner Goes Digital
This weekend at the American Library Association conference in Washington, D.C., Lerner Publishing Group will unveil Lerner Digital, its new digital content brand for the school and library markets, by launching the company’s new line of fiction and nonfiction digital books for struggling readers, Lerner Interactive Books. Lerner will release 33 titles for the Lerner Interactive Books inaugural list this fall.
-
June 24: People
Cecily Kaiser will join Abrams on July 6 in the new role of publishing director for children's books, and Krista Marino has been promoted to executive editor at Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
-
Open Letter to Children's Publishers
A children's book author challenges the book publishing industry to print fewer picture books.
-
An Impassioned Plea for Picture Books
The symbolism was not lost at this past Tuesday's meeting of the New England Children's Booksellers Advisory Council, held at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass., that Ken Geist, v-p and editorial director of Orchard Books and Cartwheel Books and author of the picture book The Three Little Fish, should choose this setting to ask independent booksellers to get behind picture books.
-
Exhibitors, Attendees Upbeat at Las Vegas Licensing Show
Exhibitors and attendees at last week's Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas—including publishers, licensing agencies representing book-based properties, and retail book buyers—were cautiously optimistic that the licensing business may be about to turn a corner after a rough 2008 and 2009. As has been the case in recent years, much of the focus was on the tried-and-true, including classic properties, entertainment franchises, and retro licenses.
-
People: June 17
Alison Morris has been named senior editor of acquisitions and merchandising at Scholastic Book Clubs, Catherine Onder has joined Disney-Hyperion as senior editor, and Deane Norton will join Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing as associate director in the subsidiary rights department.
-
Conescu Joins Dutton Children's as Executive Editor
Nancy Conescu will return to the company where she first began her children's publishing career, when she joins Dutton Children's Books as executive editor on July 6. Conescu has been a senior editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the past six years, but began working in children's books as an assistant to the publishers of the Puffin and Grosset & Dunlap imprints.
-
Mitchell to Leave Tundra After 21 Years
Catherine Mitchell, director of foreign and special markets at Toronto-based Tundra Books, has resigned effective July 2. Mitchell has been with Tundra for 21 years since its beginnings in Montreal, during its move to Toronto and its acquisition by McClelland & Stewart in 1995. "I've done what I can do at Tundra, and it’s time for me to do my next thing," Mitchell said.
-
Licensing Hotline: June 2010
In licensing news, Scholastic acquires rights to the Chuggington and Alpha and Omega properties; ABDO does a deal for book based on such properties as Star Wars, Scooby Doo, Transformers, and Indiana Jones; and Simon & Schuster brings Where's Smiley? to the U.S. market.
Browse archive by date:
