At a time when American history is at a critical juncture, an established imprint is marking its own milestone of 20 years of bringing lesser-known historical figures and their stories into the limelight. Calkins Creek, now under the Astra Books for Young Readers umbrella, has spent the last two decades creating nonfiction, novels, and picture books based on real-life events for ages seven and up. With more than 210 award-winning titles in circulation, the brand continues to highlight voices who have shaped the past, while preserving these tales for the future.
Dusting Off the Past
Calkins Creek has been under the helm of editorial director Carolyn Yoder since its inception. In 1999, after serving as the editorial director and associate publisher of Cobblestone Publishing and director of the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society, Yoder returned to her Princeton, N.J., hometown, where she was a freelance writer for the New Jersey Historical Society and senior editor of history for Highlights. Yoder’s editor Kent Brown, who was also the publisher of Boyds Mills Press, would occasionally invite her to review history book manuscripts and edit any submissions that intrigued her. “One day, he asked me if I would be interested in starting an imprint under Boyds Mills devoted exclusively to American history,” she told PW. “Knowing nothing much about book publishing, I said yes, excited and terrified at the same time.”
Named for the body of water that flows into the hamlet of Boyds Mills, Pa., Calkins Creek began its tenure in 2004, publishing a handful of titles each year. Yoder described the imprint’s mission of creating “exceptional and innovative books for kids that introduce young readers to the unsung heroes from American history they might not know about, but they should meet.” In 2019, the once-fledging imprint and other Boyds Mills Press brands were sold to Kane Press, which is owned by Thinkingdom Ltd., a subsidiary of the Beijing-based Thinkingdom Media Group. Two years later, the company created a children’s book division, Astra Books for Young Readers, for all of its imprints, including Calkins Creek.
Yoder noted Calkins Creek’s natural synergy with other Astra brands whose titles aspire to promote imagination and creativity, while allowing readers to contemplate their place in the world. “Calkins Creek books present a living, breathing past that is believable with a fascinating cast of characters—some known and some who need to be known,” she added. Yoder described her desire to share all types of stories, regardless of their tone. “I strive to offer young readers an exciting and accurate look into the past, a past filled with bright and dark moments,” she said. “A past that is not dust-covered, but relevant to their lives.”
An Eye to the Future
Publishing an average of 12 to 15 titles per year, Calkins Creek’s content ranges from stories about unfamiliar people and events to more recognizable figures and occurrences. Issues such as social justice and civil rights continue to top the list, as evidenced by titles including Lizzie Demands a Seat! (2020), The Teachers March! (2020), Twelve Days in May (2022) and Call Me Roberto! (2024). The fight for justice intersects other popular themes of environmental activism, scientific truths, and women’s rights in The Leaf Detective (2021), Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose! (2024), and Introducing Sandwina: The Strongest Woman in the World (December 2024), respectively.
Calkins Creek prides itself on delivering stories that are visually informative and well-researched. “In my opinion, you can’t achieve original writing— (nonfiction mostly—with inadequate research,” Yoder noted. In fact, extensive fact-gathering can sometimes spark ideas for subsequent stories, as in Gail Jarrow’s 2024 Spirit Sleuths, which stemmed from her research for The Amazing Harry Kellar (2012) and Spooked! (2018).
With no shortage of relevant topics and events unfolding every day, Calkins Creek is intent on continuing to broaden its reach, both in terms of books and contributors. “People never think of the past as changing, but it does change due to new findings, new attitudes, and new research,” Yoder said. “I envision the future of Calkins Creek as staying on mission and being open to this ever-changing, complex world we live in, to listen for new stories, and to keep young readers in the forefront.”
