Running Press has announced the creation of an imprint devoted exclusively to children's books. Launching this fall with 25—30 titles, Running Press Kids will feature a mix of preschool and middle-grade titles.
Though the company has been publishing children's books for 25 years, the idea behind the new imprint is to increase the range and scope of the children's publishing program. Editors Andra Serlin, previously at Highlights for Children, and Elizabeth Shiflett, previously at Simon & Schuster Children's Books, joined the company last spring, and have been acquiring new titles for the imprint.
The list will focus on educational nonfiction, and will introduce a line of products that focus on kinesthetic learning. The Magic Wand Adventure series, which includes magnetic characters readers can move around the pages, will launch this spring and is aimed at this market.
The list may grow in future years, but they will continue to publish books that fit in with their vision. According to Serlin, "[we] publish books we believe in, but you can only believe in so many books at a time."
