Imprints: Kwame Alexander Books
Sourcebooks will launch Kwame Alexander Books, a children’s and adult imprint “rooted in the belief that books can help shape the next generation of thoughtful young readers and leaders through stories that center creativity and community and resilience.” The imprint will launch in spring 2027 and publish picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult titles by Alexander and other authors, including including the fourth book in his Crossover series which will publish in fall 2027. “The world is changing rapidly. We need young people to have an imagination that can see how to shape that change for the better,” […]
Forthcoming: Pope Leo XIV’s ‘Freedom Under Grace’
On September 15, Image, part of Penguin Random House Christian, will publish “the first published writings” by Robert F. Prevost, who was selected as Pope Leo XIV in 2025. FREEDOM UNDER GRACE: Reflections on the Spiritual Tradition That Formed Me is a collection of his “homilies, addresses, and writings” between 2001 and 2013. “It’s our great privilege to present this inspiring book to readers,” PRH Christian svp, publisher Campbell Wharton said in a release. “Each chapter is a window into the spiritual depth and vision of the man who would eventually become Pope Leo, with an urgent message of love […]
BNED Expects Sales, Profits to Rise in 2026
Barnes & Noble Education announced preliminary results for the fiscal year ended May 2, with expected sales between $1.710 and $1.720 billion, up about 6.2 to 6.8 percent or $100 to 110 million from 2025. Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be $75 to 77 million, up 26 to 30 percent from $59.4 million. Net income is $15 to 18 million, compared to a $(65.8 million) loss last year, attributed to growth in their First Day Complete program. (In 2025, they took a $55.2 million loss to pay down debt.) This is the first year the company has recorded net income […]
Ask an Expert: Yahdon Israel
Yahdon Israel is a cultural strategist, editor, and founder of The Compound Collective and the School of Cultural Stewardship. Formerly a senior editor at Simon & Schuster, he works at the intersection of literature, culture, and community to steward important ideas into use for the people they are meant to serve. He is the creator of Literaryswag, a cultural movement that brings literature and fashion into conversation to make books accessible and aspirational. Yahdon is also the creator of The Fiction Revival, a reading community inspiring heterosexual men to read more fiction, and the Advanced Readers Club, a cultural institution […]
Children’s Books Show Gains in April
The Association of American Publishers released their April StatShot report, with trade sales up 4 percent to $705 million. In adult books, sales grew 2 percent to $493.5 million, with fiction up 10 percent to $291 million and nonfiction down 8 percent to $202.5 million. Hardcovers fell 5 percent to $156 million, paperbacks grew 8 percent to $169 million, digital audio grew 13 percent to $86.2 million, and ebooks grew 2 percent to $72.9 million. Children’s and YA book sales gained 9 percent to $212 million, including $164 million in fiction (up 3 percent) and $48 million in nonfiction (up […]