Astra announced the launch of its children’s division, Astra Books for Young Readers, which will house one new imprint–Astra Young Readers–and five existing imprints: Calkins Creek, Hippo Park (Jill Davis’s newly-named imprint), Kane Press, mineditionUS, and Wordsong. Astra coo Ben Schrank said: “Astra Publishing House now has six very special children’s book imprints that cover […]
Children's
Forthcoming: More in Chelsea Clinton’s “She Persisted” Series
Chelsea Clinton’s “She Persisted” series will expand with another picture book and a line of chapter books, Philomel announced. SHE PERSISTED IN SCIENCE: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference, written by Clinton and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, will release on March 1 and feature Florence Nightingale, Zaha Hadid, Gladys West, Jane Goodall, Greta Thunberg, and […]
Children’s Non-Fiction Remains Strong
NPD reports that this year’s print children’s nonfiction sales through the week ending July 24 are down just 5 percent—2 million units—from the historic high of 2020, and up 23 percent—6 million units—over 2019. The biggest BISAC categories this year are biography and autobiography, which grew 23 percent, and science and nature, which grew 9 […]
SCBWI Director to Retire Following Controversy
Co-founder and longtime executive director of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Lin Oliver said in an email that she will retire at the end of this year (which she then confirmed to PW). The organization has been embroiled in controversy following a post in June by chief equity and inclusion officer April […]
Publishing Rethinks Its Use of “#OwnVoices”
In June, nonprofit children’s book organization We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) announced that it would stop using the term #OwnVoices, in favor of authors’ specific descriptions of themselves and their characters. WNDB said that use of the term has forced authors to self-identify in ways that are uncomfortable or dangerous; some diverse identities, such as […]
In Bologna Panel, Publishers Discuss History, Future of Diverse Books
In a pre-recorded panel at the virtual Bologna Children’s Book Fair, A Decade of Diversity in Children’s Books, publishers and creators of children’s books from around the world discussed the history and future of diverse books. Featuring COO of We Need Diverse Books Dhonielle Clayton; publisher of Lee & Low Books Jason Low; author and […]