Formerly | Scholastic Inc. (1981–2011) |
---|---|
Company type | Public |
Nasdaq: SCHL S&P 600 Component | |
Industry | Children's literacy and education |
Founded | October 22, 1920 , in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Founder | Maurice Robinson |
Headquarters | Scholastic Building 557 Broadway, New York City, New York 10012, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | |
Products | Books, magazines, pre-K to grade 12 instructional programs, classroom magazines, films, television |
Revenue | US$1.7 billion (2022) [1] |
Number of employees | 8,900 (2019) [2] |
Divisions | Imprints and corporate divisions |
Website | scholastic.com |
Scholastic Corporation is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, teachers, parents, children, and other educational institutions. Products are distributed via retail and online sales and through schools via reading clubs and book fairs. Clifford the Big Red Dog, a character created by Norman Bridwell in 1963, is the mascot of the company.
Scholastic was founded in 1920 by Maurice R. Robinson near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to be a publisher of youth magazines. The first publication was The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic. It covered high school sports and social activities; the four-page magazine debuted on October 22, 1920, and was distributed in 50 high schools. [3] More magazines followed for Scholastic Magazines. [3] [4] In 1948, Scholastic entered the book club business. [5] In the 1960s, scholastic international publishing locations were added in England 1964, New Zealand 1964, and Sydney 1968. [6] Also in the 1960s, Scholastic entered the book publishing business. In the 1970s, Scholastic created its TV entertainment division. [3] From 1975 until his death in 2021, Richard Robinson, who was the son of the corporation's founder, served as CEO and president. [7]
In 2000, Scholastic purchased Grolier for US$400 million. [8] [9] Scholastic became involved in a video collection in 2001. In February 2012, Scholastic bought Weekly Reader Publishing from Reader's Digest Association, and announced in July 2012 that it planned to discontinue separate issues of Weekly Reader magazines after more than a century of publication, and co-branded the magazines as Scholastic News/Weekly Reader. [10] Scholastic sold READ 180 to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2015. in December 2015, Scholastic launched the Scholastic Reads Podcasts. On October 22, 2020, Scholastic celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 2005, Scholastic developed FASTT Math with Tom Snyder to help students with their proficiency with math skills, specifically being multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction through a series of games and memorization quizzes gauging the student's progress. [11] In 2013, Scholastic developed System 44 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help students encourage reading skills. In 2011, Scholastic developed READ 180 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help students understand their reading skills. [12]
The business has three segments: Children's Book Publishing and Distribution, Education Solutions, and International. Scholastic holds the perpetual US publishing rights to the Harry Potter and Hunger Games book series. [13] [14] Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and print and digital educational materials for pre-K to grade 12. [15] In addition to Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, Scholastic is known for its school book clubs and book fairs, classroom magazines such as Scholastic News and Science World , and popular book series: Clifford the Big Red Dog , The Magic School Bus , Goosebumps , Horrible Histories , Captain Underpants , Animorphs , The Baby-Sitters Club , and I Spy . Scholastic also publishes instructional reading and writing programs, and offers professional learning and consultancy services for school improvement. Clifford the Big Red Dog serves as the official mascot of Scholastic. [16]
The Scholastic Art & Writing awards was Founded in 1923 by Maurice R. Robinson, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, [17] administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is a competition which recognizes talented young artists and writers from across the United States. [18]
The success and enduring legacy of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards can be attributed in part to its well-planned and executed marketing initiatives. These efforts have allowed the competition to adapt to the changing times, connect with a wider audience, and continue its mission of nurturing the creative potential of the nation's youth.
In 2005, Scholastic developed FASTT Math with Tom Snyder to help students with their proficiency with math skills, specifically being multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction through a series of games and memorization quizzes gauging the student's progress. [29] In 2013, Scholastic developed System 44 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help students encourage reading skills. In 2011, Scholastic developed READ 180 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to help students understand their reading skills. Scholastic Reference publishes reference books. [30] [31]
Scholastic Entertainment (formerly Scholastic Productions and Scholastic Media) is a corporate division [32] led by Deborah Forte since 1995. It covers "all forms of media and consumer products, and is comprised of four main groups – Productions, Marketing & Consumer Products, Interactive, and Audio." Weston Woods is its production studio, acquired in 1996, as was Soup2Nuts (best known for Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist , Science Court and Home Movies ) from 2001 to 2015 before shutting down. [33] Scholastic has produced audiobooks such as the Caldecott/Newbery Collection; [34] Scholastic has been involved with several television programs and feature films based on its books. In 1985, Scholastic Productions teamed up with Karl-Lorimar Home Video, a home video unit of Lorimar Productions, to form the line Scholastic-Lorimar Home Video, whereas Scholastic would produce made-for-video programming, and became a best-selling video line for kids, and the pact expired for two years, whereas Scholastic would team up with leading independent family video distributor and a label of International Video Entertainment, Family Home Entertainment, to distribute made-for-video programming for the next three years. [35]
Title | Year(s) | Network | Co-production with |
---|---|---|---|
Voyagers! | 1982–1983 | NBC | James D. Parriott Productions and Universal Television (owner) |
Charles in Charge | 1984–1985 1987–1990 | CBS Syndication | Al Burton Productions and Universal Television (owner) |
Scholastic's Blue Ribbon Storybook Video | 1986 | Direct-to-video | Nelvana and Karl-Lorimar Home Video (owner) |
Clifford the Big Red Dog | 1988 | Nelvana | |
My Secret Identity | 1988–1991 | CTV (Canada) Syndication (U.S.) | Sunrise Films (owner), MCA TV |
Parent Survival Guide | 1989 | Lifetime | |
The Baby-Sitters Club | 1990–1993 | Direct-to-video HBO | Amber Films, Ltd. |
The Magic School Bus | 1994–1997 | PBS Kids | Nelvana, South Carolina ETV |
Goosebumps | 1995–1998 | Fox Kids | Protocol Entertainment |
Animorphs | 1998–1999 | Nickelodeon (U.S.) YTV/Global (Canada) | Protocol Entertainment |
Dear America | 1999–2000 | HBO Family | |
Clifford the Big Red Dog | 2000–2003 | PBS Kids | Mike Young Productions |
Horrible Histories | 2000–2001 | CITV | Mike Young Productions and Telegael |
I Spy | 2002–2003 | HBO Family | The Ink Tank (season 1) and JWL Entertainment Productions (season 2) |
Clifford's Puppy Days | 2003–2006 | PBS Kids | Mike Young Productions (season 1) |
Maya & Miguel | 2004–2007 | PBS Kids Go! | |
The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl (interstitial series) | 2006–2007 | PBS Kids | Soup2Nuts |
WordGirl | 2007–2015 | Soup2Nuts | |
Turbo Dogs | 2008–2011 | Kids' CBC (Canada) Qubo (U.S.) | Smiley Guy Studios, Huhu Studios, CCI Entertainment (owner) |
Sammy's Story Shop | 2008–2009 | Qubo | |
Astroblast! | 2014–2015 | PBS Kids Sprout | Soup2Nuts |
The Magic School Bus Rides Again | 2017–2021 | Netflix | 9 Story Media Group and Brown Bag Films |
His Dark Materials | 2019–2022 | BBC One HBO | BBC Studios, Bad Wolf (owner), New Line Productions |
Clifford the Big Red Dog | 2019–2021 | Prime Video PBS Kids | 9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films and 100 Chickens |
Stillwater | 2020–2023 | Apple TV+ | Gaumont Animation |
Puppy Place | 2021–2022 | ||
Eva the Owlet | 2023 | Brown Bag Films | |
Goosebumps | 2023–present | Disney+/Hulu | Original Film, Stoller Global Solutions and Sony Pictures Television (owner) |
Title | Airdate | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Mystery at Fire Island | November 27, 1981 | CBS | |
The Haunted Mansion Mystery | January 8–15, 1983 | ABC | |
The Magic of Herself the Elf | July 30, 1983 | Syndication | Nelvana, Those Characters from Cleveland (owner) |
The Great Love Experiment | February 8, 1984 | ABC | |
A Different Twist | March 10, 1984 | ABC | |
The Almost Royal Family | October 24, 1984 | ABC | |
The Exchange Student | January 22, 1985 | CBS | |
The Adventures of a Two-Minute Werewolf | February 23-March 2, 1985 | ABC | |
High School Narc | December 4, 1985 | ABC | |
Getting Even: A Wimp's Revenge | March 19, 1986 | ABC | |
The Incredible Ida Early | May 29, 1987 | NBC | |
Read Between the Lines | June 3, 1987 | ABC | |
Song City USA More Song City USA | September 1989 | Direct-to-video | |
Floor Time: Tuning In to Each Child | 1990 | Direct-to-video | |
Riding the Magic School Bus with Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen | September 1992 | Direct-to-video | |
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Stories | 1993 | Direct-to-video | U.S. version of The World of Eric Carle |
Stellaluna | 2002 | Direct-to-video | |
Scholastic Book Fairs began in 1981. Scholastic provides book fair products to schools, which then conduct the book fairs. Schools can elect to receive books, supplies and equipment or a portion of the proceeds from the book fair. [36]
In the United States, during fiscal 2024, revenue from the book fairs channel ($541.6 million) accounted for more than half of the company's revenue in the "Total Children's Book Publishing and Distribution" segment ($955.2 million), [37] and schools earned over $200 million in proceeds in cash and incentive credits. [38]
In October 2023, Scholastic created a separate category for books dealing with "race, LGBTQ and other issues related to diversity", allowing schools to opt out of carrying these types of books. Scholastic defended the move, citing legislation in multiple states seeking to ban books dealing with LGBTQ issues or race. [39] After public backlash from educators, authors, and free speech advocacy groups, Scholastic reversed course, saying the new category will be discontinued, writing: "It is unsettling that the current divisive landscape in the U.S. is creating an environment that could deny any child access to books, or that teachers could be penalized for creating access to all stories for their students". [40] [41]
Scholastic Book Fairs have been criticized for spurring unnecessary purchases, highlighting economic inequality among students, and disruption of school activities and facilities. [42] [43]
Scholastic book clubs are offered at schools in many countries. Typically, teachers administer the program to the students in their own classes, but in some cases, the program is administered by a central contact for the entire school. Within Scholastic, Reading Clubs is a separate unit (compared to, e.g., Education). Reading clubs are arranged by age/grade. [44] Book club operators receive "Classroom Funds" redeemable only for Scholastic Corporation products. [45] [46] [47]
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a fantasy novel written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It is the first novel in the Harry Potter series and was Rowling's debut novel. It follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical heritage on his eleventh birthday when he receives a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry makes close friends and a few enemies during his first year at the school. With the help of his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents but failed to kill Harry when he was just 15 months old.
Encyclopedia Americana is a general encyclopedia written in American English. It was the first general encyclopedia of any magnitude to be published in North America. With Collier's Encyclopedia and Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana became one of the three major and large English-language general encyclopedias; the three were sometimes collectively called "the ABCs of encyclopedias". Following the acquisition of Grolier in 2000, the encyclopedia has been produced by Scholastic.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a fantasy novel written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth novel in the Harry Potter series. It follows Harry Potter's struggles through his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the surreptitious return of the antagonist Lord Voldemort, O.W.L. exams, and an obstructive Ministry of Magic. The novel was published on 21 June 2003 by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic in the United States, and Raincoast in Canada. It sold five million copies in the first 24 hours of publication.
Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as friendship, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world building than adult literature as it seeks to highlight the experiences of adolescents in a variety of ways. There are various genres within young adult literature.
Gordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a 1969 children's picture book designed, illustrated, and written by American children's author and illustrator Eric Carle. The plot follows a very hungry caterpillar that consumes a variety of foods before pupating and becoming a butterfly. It incorporates elements that contribute to early childhood education, including counting, days of the week, and food. It also incorporates a butterfly’s life cycle.
Mary GrandPré is an American illustrator best known for her cover and chapter illustrations of the Harry Potter books in their U.S. editions published by Scholastic. She received a Caldecott Honor in 2015 for illustrating Barb Rosenstock's The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky's Abstract Art. GrandPré, who creates her artwork with paint and pastels, has illustrated more than twenty books and has appeared in gallery exhibitions and periodicals such as The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, and The Wall Street Journal.
Weekly Reader was a weekly educational classroom magazine designed for children. It began in 1928 as My Weekly Reader. Editions covered curriculum themes in the younger grade levels and news-based, current events and curriculum themed-issues in older grade levels. The publishing company also created workbooks, literacy centers, and picture books for younger grades.
Grolier was one of the largest American publishers of general encyclopedias, including The Book of Knowledge (1910), The New Book of Knowledge (1966), The New Book of Popular Science (1972), Encyclopedia Americana (1945), Academic American Encyclopedia (1980), and numerous incarnations of a CD-ROM encyclopedia (1986–2003).
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a fantasy novel written by the British author J. K. Rowling. It is the sixth novel in the Harry Potter series, and takes place during Harry Potter's sixth year at the wizard school Hogwarts. The novel reveals events from the early life of Lord Voldemort, and chronicles Harry's preparations for the final battle against him.
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles.
Accelerated Reader (AR) is an educational program created by Renaissance Learning. It is designed to monitor and manage students' independent reading practice and comprehension in both English and Spanish. The program assesses students' performance through quizzes and tests based on the books they have read. As the students read and take quizzes, they are awarded points. AR monitors students' progress and establishes personalised reading goals according to their reading levels.
Weekly Reader Publishing was a publisher of educational materials in the United States that had been in existence for over 100 years. It provided teaching materials to elementary and secondary schools that was used by more than 90 percent of that country's school districts.
National Book Trust (NBT) is an Indian publishing house, which was founded in 1957 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education of the Government of India. The activities of the Trust include publishing, promotion of books and reading, promotion of Indian books abroad, assistance to authors and publishers, and promotion of children's literature.
Smile is an autobiographical graphic novel written by Raina Telgemeier. It was published in February 2010 by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. The novel provides an account of the author's life, characterized by dental procedures and struggles with fitting in, from sixth grade to high school. The book originated as a webcomic, which was serialized on Girlamatic. It is most appropriate for readers between fourth and sixth grade. Smile has had a pedagogical impact, and reviews have been written on this novel.
Martha Brockenbrough is an American author of fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Her first book, It Could Happen To You: Diary Of A Pregnancy and Beyond, was published by Andrews McMeel Publishing in 2002. She is the founder of The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) and of National Grammar Day.
Melissa, previously published as George until April 2022, is a children's novel about a young transgender girl written by American author Alex Gino. The novel tells the story of Melissa, a fourth-grade girl who is struggling to be herself to the rest of the world. The rest of the world sees Melissa as George, a boy. Melissa uses the class play, Charlotte's Web, to show her mom that she is a girl by switching roles with her best friend, and playing the part of Charlotte. Scholastic first published the novel on August 25, 2015, and it has had a mixed reaction because of its LGBT+ content. In 2021, Gino retitled the novel Melissa.
As of 2018, several firms in the United States rank among the world's biggest publishers of books in terms of revenue: Cengage Learning, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw Hill Education, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Wiley.
Elizabeth C. Bunce is an American author who writes mysteries, fantasy, and ghost stories. Best known for her Edgar Award-winning Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series and her novel A Curse Dark as Gold, her books feature strong female characters, are often inspired by folklore, and targeted toward young adult and pre-teen readers while also appealing to adults. Her writing style has been referred to as literary fiction, and her works have been called “mysteries in fantasy dress,” “spun with mystery and shot through with romance.” Her works are infused with the results of her research into history, science, culture, and etymology, often set in or inspired by historical places and times.
Maurice Richard Robinson Jr. was an American business executive and educator. From 1975 until his death in 2021, Robinson was the chief executive officer of Scholastic Corporation. Robinson was noted for bringing many book franchises to younger readers, such as Harry Potter and Captain Underpants.
Where can classroom funds be spent? Classroom Funds can be spent online only at Scholastic Book Clubs (clubs.scholastic.com)