The death of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green in the Arizona shootings has brought national attention to a previously-overlooked 2002 book from HCI, FACES OF HOPE. The title presents pictures of 50 babies born on 9/11/2001, one from each state, along with messages of hope for their future, with Green’s baby picture representing Arizona.
For anyone who missed the first wave of attention for the book, President Obama cited it again in last night’s nationally-televised speech: “As has already been mentioned, Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called Faces of Hope. On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life. “I hope you help those in need,” read one. “I hope you know all the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart.” “I hope you jump in rain puddles.” If there are rain puddles in Heaven, Christina is jumping in them today.”
HCI director of communications Kim Weiss tells us they were already receiving reorders for the book–including a sizable order from Ingram–prior to last night’s speech, and demand has only increased. The company, which prints its own books, will be back on press later today for “a significant number” of new copies that is still being determined, and Weiss expects it will take them two days to turn around the new books. They have a modest number of books still in their warehouse heading out today, with demand hitting online first but now expected to spread to bookstores. In-store stock was light, since the book had sold modestly after its 10,000-copy printing in 2002.