The acquisition of two previously unpublished manuscripts by the late Ellen Raskin; the unexpected pairing of Stephen King and Maurice Sendak; and an analysis of the sneaky gender bias in picture books featuring animals were among PW’s most-clicked stories about kids’ and YA books in 2025. Here is our list of the top 15 articles, in ascending order of popularity. Catch up on some of the big stories you may have missed!
15. Albert Whitman Files Petition for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
In April, Albert Whitman & Co. filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The children’s publisher founded in 1919, which once owned the rights to the Boxcar Children series, had struggled for years to maintain its financial sustainability. Authors and agents regularly contacted PW to complain of delayed and missing royalties, as well as a lack of transparency on the part of the publisher.
14. Ellie Berger to Step Down as Head of Scholastic’s Trade Group
Ellie Berger, a steadfast presence at Scholastic for 40 years, stepped down as president of Scholastic Trade Publishing and EVP of the company in June. Since joining Scholastic in 1985, she was involved in publishing some of the industry’s bestselling franchises including Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club series.
13. A Visit to Shel Silverstein’s Archives
Shel Silverstein was an irrepressible creative spirit and globetrotting troubadour who wrote whenever inspiration hit—in notebooks, on napkins, restaurant placemats, and paper bags. PW was invited by the Silverstein family for an exclusive tour of the prolific author’s archives in Chicago—which are closed to the public.
12. Scholastic Combines Its Trade, Fairs, and Clubs Businesses
A day after Ellie Berger announced plans to step down as president of Scholastic Trade, the publisher announced the integration of its trade publishing, book fairs, and book club businesses into the Scholastic Children’s Book Group under Sasha Quinton as president and Jackie De Leo as publisher and chief merchant.
11. Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants Makes the Leap to Manga
The latest entry in Scholastic’s Graphix manga line brings a familiar face to a new medium: Dav Pilkey is adapting his bestselling Captain Underpants chapter books into manga. Graphix will publish Captain Underpants: The First Epic Manga, written and adapted by Pilkey and illustrated by the Japanese manga artist Motojiro, in April 2026.
10. Where Is the Kid Lit Community Online?
Amid the decline of Twitter/X and the rise of Bluesky and Threads, we spoke with children’s authors and publishers about how they’re navigating the splintering of social media, and where their next digital water cooler might be.
9. Barbara Marcus to Retire from Random House Children’s Books
Barbara Marcus, one of the most prominent and influential figures in children’s book publishing for decades, stepped down as president and publisher of Random House Children’s Books in May. She was succeeded by Mallory Loehr, previously EVP and publisher of the Random House Books for Young Readers Group.
8. 2025 YA Trends: Bouncing Between the Dark and Light
We asked agents and editors what’s been selling in YA, and found that several trends seen in recent years are still holding strong—from vacation romances to dark academia and high-stakes heists.
7. Middle Grade Is Down but Never Out
The now-familiar tale of the middle grade market has many alarming plot strands, including declining sales, encroaching censorship, unstable school and library funding, and dips in children’s reading scores, as well as kids’ time spent reading. We asked agents about trends they are seeing in the category, and how they are persevering in a tough market.
6. Google Launches Personalized Gemini Storybook App to Industry Concern
Amid controversy around its introduction of Gemini, a chatbot aimed at children, Google launched Gemini Storybook in August, an app offering personalized stories with read-aloud narration as an option. Children’s publishing professionals spoke with PW about the implications.
5. The Sneaky Gender Bias in Picture Books: Animal Characters
Melanie Walsh, an assistant professor at the University of Washington, uses data to analyze contemporary culture. In this essay, she shared her investigations into the subtle gender imbalance often at play in picture books featuring animal characters.
4. Spring 2026 Children’s Sneak Previews
Highlights of next season’s children’s and YA titles—including highly anticipated debuts, follow-ups to bestselling novels, and collaborations between favorite authors and illustrators—can be seen in our exclusive roundup.
3. Fall 2025 Children’s Sneak Previews
Our compilation showcased the season’s biggest titles for young readers.
2. Hansel and Gretel’ Picture Book Due This Fall from Stephen King and Maurice Sendak
In a surprise pairing, HarperCollins announced the September publication of Hansel and Gretel, a Brothers Grimm reimagining by horror writer Stephen King, illustrated by late Caldecott Medalist Maurice Sendak. This new edition of the fairy tale classic features art originally created by Sendak in 1997 as set and costume designs for the Engelbert Humperdinck opera of Hansel and Gretel.
1. Sale of Ellen Raskin Estate Reveals Unpublished ‘Westing Game’ Sequel
Not unlike the enigmatic benefactor at the core of her most famous novel, author Ellen Raskin left behind a trove of treasures for readers, and her legacy continues to grow since her death in 1984. International Literary Properties has acquired Raskin’s estate and, along with it, two previously unpublished manuscripts, including a sequel to her Newbery–winning mystery, The Westing Game.
