Marvel and Scholastic are teaming up to produce middle grade original prose novels based on Marvel’s celebrated lineup of superheroes.
Beginning in 2020, Scholastic will publish two novels, Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, to be written by Nic Stone, bestselling author of such novels as Dear Martin and Odd One Out; and Avengers Assembly, an original middle grade series to be written by Preeti Chhibber, Spider-Man superfan and author of Spider-Man: Far from Home: Peter and Ned’s Ultimate Travel Journal.
Sana Amanat, v-p content and character development at Marvel, said, “Our primary goal was to get the best middle-grade talent we could find for these projects, and Nic and Preeti were the perfect fit. The fact they are both huge Marvel fans is a bonus.”
Amanat, who is also the co-creator of Marvel's hit Muslim-American superhero Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, said the novels will feature a broad and inclusive cast of characters. “These novels will include characters of all ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, just like in our comics," she said.
She also emphasized that the forthcoming middle grade novels will be “informed by the comics but aren’t beholden to them. Our goal is to have the best authors tell the best stories for young readers everywhere. But readers who are familiar with the characters from the comics will definitely feel at home.” Although the initial novels will be aimed at middle grade readers, Amanat said she is in discussions with Scholastic about other age groups and formats.
Scholastic v-p and publisher, global licensing, brands and media Debra Dorfman cited such Marvel characters as Shuri, Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales, and Squirrel, and emphasized, “The Marvel Universe is vast, inclusive and iconic with a great range of multi-faceted characters—and there are a lot of stories to be told.”
