Once again, we are able to include children’s literature in our annual process of tabulating the consensus Best of the Best Books of the year. Drawing on a slightly smaller group of 18 selective sources in all, this year the data yielded more middle grade picks than in the past (including a nonfiction book, Gary Paulsen’s memoir), with a natural group of top titles there and in young adult, and with a long roster of picture books appearing on the same number of lists: Top Middle Grade Books of the Year The Legend of Aunti Po, Shing Yin Khor Starfish, […]
Children's
Shanghai Children’s Book Fair Is Postponed
The Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), scheduled for November 19 to 21, has been postponed due to the resurgence of COVID-19. The new planned dates — March 20 to March 22 — coincide with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, currently set for March 21 to 24. Shanghai organizers write that: “For the first time, the two major professional children’s book fairs will connect East and West through innovative real-time events. By mobilizing their wide array of resources, the two fairs will organize joint activities in copyright trade, book promotion and illustration so that participants at both ends of the […]
Imprints: Astra Publishing Forms Children’s Division
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 books for all ages and children’s interests, from board books for babies and toddlers and picture books to nonfiction and history, poetry, middle-grade, and young adult books and so we felt it was time to identify and celebrate them with a new children’s book division: […]
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 others. The series will continue in 2022 with 10 more chapter books written by other authors on prominent figures, including Kelly Starling Lyons on Coretta Scott King and Aisha Saeed on Malala Yousafzai. Clinton will write the introductions.
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 percent, while activity books, study aids, games and activities, and concepts dropped. “While a number of juvenile non-fiction categories declined compared to 2020’s unprecedented spike in sales, the overall unit-sales volume for this supercategory remains very strong historically,” NPD book industry analyst Kristen McLean said. […]
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 Powers condemning antisemitism. When a Palestinian American member asked for a similar statement condemning Islamophobia, she was blocked from the organization’s social media and her comments were deleted. Powers subsequently apologized for “mishandling the moment” and resigned, and Oliver apologized to “our Muslim and Palestinian […]