Scholastic Launches Monthly Children's Books Bestsellers List

Scholastic Book Clubs has launched a monthly bestsellers list, which will feature the most popular books selected by children ages five to 14 nationwide. According to Scholastic, the list was "designed to inform parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers and book lovers about which children's books are most popular with kids."

Beginning this month, the bestsellers list will be released the second Tuesday of each month, and will be available online on Scholastic Book Clubs' official blog, Book Talk. It will list the five most popular children's books based on books purchased through Scholastic Book Clubs in each of the following categories: Picture Books, Transitional Readers, Early Chapter Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult and Nonfiction.

In addition to viewing the list on Book Talk, people also can sign up to receive the list by e-mail each month by posting in the blog comments or sending an e-mail to bookclubsbestsellers@scholastic.com, or they can access it through the Scholastic Book Clubs Facebook page.

"Parents and teachers trust Scholastic Book Clubs to be the experts on the books kids love and can't wait to read," says Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs. "This list will give the book-loving community even more information about what books kids are choosing. Research shows that when kids choose their own books, they are more likely to become avid, lifelong readers. We hope this list will be another way to let parents and teachers know which books can really spark a love of reading in their children or students."

The bestsellers are chosen based on unit sales data of titles available through Scholastic Book Clubs at the time of each month's report. Special-offer books available each month for $1 are not included.

Scholastic Media Announces Three-Day TV Event
Scholastic Inc. also recently announced a new offering from Scholastic Productions, Scholastic Media's television arm, as it continues to expand its global business beyond book publishing. A three-day TV event, entitled "Clifford's BIG Valentine Celebration," will feature Valentine-themed episodes from Scholastic Productions' PBS KIDS TV series "Clifford The Big Red Dog" and its spinoff series "Clifford's Puppy Days."