Scholastic announced that it has acquired AMULET, a two-book deal won at auction. Written by 27-year-old graphic novelist Kazu Kibuishi, the first title will be released in spring 2007 under Scholastic's Graphix imprint.
"We are very proud to be the publisher of Kazu Kibuishi's AMULET," said Jean Feiwel, publisher/svp, Scholastic Children's Book Publishing. "Kazu's amazing ability to combine action-packed storytelling, engaging characters and stunning artwork will appeal to children and adults alike. We look forward to building this new Graphix talent and bringing these innovative books to Scholastic's distribution channels."
In AMULET, main characters Em and Navin's mother has recently died, and their father has just moved them to a strange, hilltop house. After their father disappears suddenly, the kids find a door that leads into a stunning labyrinth filled with strange creatures and hints of a vast, new world at the end of it. As they search for their father in the maze, they join forces with a small rabbit, Miskit, who is also searching for a lost loved one.
Kibuishi's debut graphic novel, DAISY KUTTER: THE LAST TRAIN, was nominated as an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults the only graphic novel on the list in 2005. He is the editor and art director of the critically-acclaimed FLIGHT, an anthology of young comic book artists. FLIGHT VOLUME II was published in April 2005 to rave reviews. Kibuishi was born in Tokyo, Japan and moved to the U.S. in 1982 with his mother and brother. He currently lives in southern California.
In early 2005, Scholastic established itself as a leading publisher of graphic novels for kids with the full-color publication of BONE, the award-winning epic tale by Jeff Smith. Scholastic launched BONE as the flagship title for Graphix, a new graphic novel imprint that focuses on creator-driven books that bring exceptional art, rich content and strong storytelling to a range of genres including fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, nonfiction, and more. The mission of Graphix is to bring visual literacy and aesthetic sense of graphic novels to children.
Scholastic Corp. is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school- based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the company's Internet site, www.scholastic.com/.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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