Arcadia Publishing, publisher of hyper-local titles, will increase its presence in the children’s market this fall with the release of a new series, Spooky America. The series is the first offering from the Arcadia Children’s Books imprint that was formed last summer with the appointment of former DK editorial director Nancy Ellwood as publishing director. Until the release of Spooky America, Arcadia had a published an occasional chilldren's title.
The imprint will make its debut September 7 with a launch list of eight titles. All books in the series are being adapted from Arcadia’s Haunted America series, which has published more than 300 adult titles that deal with local lore. The Spooky America books are being rewritten for the middle-grade audience.
“Starting this fall, we’re publishing titles that celebrate the history and lore of local neighborhoods and communities and will get kids excited to read, learn, and dig deeper,” said Ellwood in a statement. Ellwood added she expects to expand the age range in the future. Books will be published in $12.99 paperbacks,
The first titles in the series include The Ghostly Tales of Charleston, which Arcadia described as featuring “the ghost of a little boy who still plays in the bed and breakfast where he once lived,” and The Ghostly Tales of the Queen Mary, which asks the question, “Is Winston Churchill still aboard?”
