Scholastic To Publish Updated Edition of J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
New York – January 5, 2017 – Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, will publish an updated edition of the bestselling and collectible companion book to the Harry Potter books, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, with a new foreword by J.K. Rowling, writing as Newt Scamander, and a new cover by Headcase Design on March 14, 2017. The book will be published simultaneously with Bloomsbury UK and the Pottermore eBook edition.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has been an approved textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since its publication. Newt Scamander’s masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations and is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the wizarding world. Scamander’s years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance. Introducing six new beasts, readers will have fun spotting them among the much-loved favorites. J.K. Rowling’s new introduction, written from the viewpoint of Newt Scamander, offers tantalising hints about the Magizoologist’s adventures and relationships. Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books – the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail. Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist.
Proceeds from the sale of this edition will go to Comic Relief and J.K. Rowling’s own international charity Lumos, charities which help the world’s most vulnerable children and young people, to help them have a better life.
Scholastic will also release a re-packaged edition of the Hogwarts Library Box Set which includes the new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as well as Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, with a new case by Headcase design.
About J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling is the author of the record-breaking, multi-award-winning Harry Potter novels. Loved by fans around the world, the series has sold over 450 million copies, been translated into 79 languages, and made into 8 blockbuster films. She has written three companion volumes in aid of charity: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (in aid of Comic Relief and Lumos), and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (in aid of Lumos), as well as a film script inspired by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, her screenwriting debut, and a further extension of the Wizarding World, which was released as a Warner Bros film in November 2016. In 2012, J.K. Rowling’s digital company Pottermore was launched, where fans can enjoy news, features and articles, as well as original content by J.K. Rowling. Her first novel for adult readers, The Casual Vacancy was published in September 2012 and adapted for TV by the BBC in 2015. Her crime novels, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, were published in 2013 (The Cuckoo’s Calling), 2014 (The Silkworm) and 2015 (Career of Evil), and are to be adapted for a major new television series for BBC One, produced by Brontë Film and Television. J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard commencement speech was published in 2015 as an illustrated book, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination, and sold in aid of Lumos and university–wide financial aid at Harvard. J.K. Rowling has recently collaborated with writer Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany on the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, which is now running at The Palace Theatre in London’s West End. As well as receiving an OBE for services to children’s literature, she has received many awards and honours, including France’s Légion d’Honneur, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award.
About Comic Relief
Since 2001, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them have raised nearly £20 million for Comic Relief- a magic amount of money that is already hard at work changing lives. Money raised through the sale of this new edition will be invested in children and young people around the world, preparing them to be ready for the future – to be safe healthy, educated and empowered. We are particularly interested in helping those children who start their lives in the most difficult circumstances, where there is conflict, violence, neglect or abuse.
About Lumos
Lumos is an international non-profit organisation founded by J.K. Rowling to help the estimated eight million disadvantaged children in orphanages around the world to be returned to their family or placed in a loving family environment. www.wearelumos.org
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss is the first podcast-based book to become a #1 New York Times Bestseller
NEW YORK – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) announced today that Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss is the first-ever book based on a podcast to debut at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers List. It was # 1 for the weeks of December 25 and January 1, and remains in the top five for January 8 and January 15.
“The Tim Ferriss Show,” on which Tools of Titans is based, is the first business-interview podcast to cross the 100,000,000 download mark, according to podcasting network Libsyn. Ferriss’s show was also recently named a “Best of iTunes” for the third consecutive year. Tools of Titans is the perfect companion piece for fans and for new readers alike. The ultimate experimenter, Ferriss has tested all the wisdom in Tools of Titans himself and synthetizes the common habits and routines of the best in their fields to provide the definitive blueprint for living a better life in the New Year. Included are tips from Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Robbins, Brené Brown, Jamie Foxx, Peter Thiel, BJ Novak, Maria Popova, Edward Norton, Mike Birbiglia, and dozens more—plus brand new takeaways.
“We knew this book would be a bestseller for two reasons,” says Bruce Nichols, Senior Vice President and Publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing. “Not only does it distill the wisdom spread throughout the hundreds of hours of Tim’s podcasts, but beyond that, Tim adds a huge new layer of his own analysis and testing—so even if you’ve listened to every episode, you learn new things.”
“I created Tools of Titans for myself, as the ultimate CliffsNotes of bite-sized tactics and tips pulled from more than 100 world-class performers,” adds Ferriss. “To have their advice at my fingertips was a dream, and now, here we are. For my personal notebook to hit #1 is surreal and extremely rewarding; it shows just how far scratching your own itch can go.”
Tim Ferriss has been listed as one of Fast Company‘s “Most Innovative Business People,” one of Forbes‘s “Names You Need to Know,” and most recently one of Fortune‘s “40 under 40.” He is an early-stage technology investor/advisor (Uber, Facebook, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ others) and the author of four #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek and his latest, Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers. The Observer and other media have called Tim “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of “The Tim Ferriss Show” podcast, which has exceeded 100 million downloads and has been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.
Simon & Schuster Brings Beloved Authors to Broadway for a Star-Studded Book Club Matinée on March 11
Authors Anthony Doerr, Isabel Allende, Lisa See, Lisa Genova, Ruth Ware and Megan Miranda are Coming to New York’s Historic Ed Sullivan Theater for an Afternoon of Conversation for Book Lovers
NEW YORK, January 25—Simon & Schuster is pleased to announce that it will host on Saturday March 11 an unprecedented gathering of bestselling literary star-power for an entertaining and enlightening afternoon of lively, book-focused conversation featuring some of today’s most popular and beloved authors. Taking the stage at one of the most famous theaters in the world, New York’s historic Ed Sullivan Theater, will be Isabel Allende (The Japanese Lover); Anthony Doerr (All the Light We Cannot See); Lisa Genova (Still Alice); Megan Miranda (All the Missing Girls); Lisa See (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane) and Ruth Ware (The Woman in Cabin 10).
The event will showcase a who’s who of Simon & Schuster authors representing a broad spectrum of high-quality reading interests and who are widely embraced by book clubs. The program will include solo talks and dynamic conversations. Elisabeth Egan, Books Editor at Glamour and author of A Window Opens, Carol Fitzgerald, President of The Book Report Network and Leigh Haber, Books Editor for O, The Oprah Magazine will be among the moderators.
“We’re delighted to bring the excitement of a multi-author live event to an audience of devoted readers,” said Liz Perl, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Simon & Schuster. “Bringing books to Broadway by hosting this unique gathering at the landmark Ed Sullivan Theater, site of the Beatles US debut performance, home of The Late Show with David Letterman and now that of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, makes this a can’t miss event.”
Tickets for the event are already on sale and selling briskly. Tickets are being offered at two levels, General Admission and in a special VIP Package that includes preferred seating and an exclusive, post program reception with the authors. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets go to http://simonandschusterpublishing.com/presents/
Partners for the Book Club Matinée include The Book Report Network, the Library Hotel and Zabar’s.
Barnes & Noble Launches Three-Month-Long Celebration of The LEGO® Batman Movie Starting January 28
New York, New York – January 19, 2017 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the nation’s largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced, in partnership with Warner Bros. and The LEGO Group, it is kicking off a three-month-long celebration of the new animated adventure The LEGO® Batman Movie, beginning at stores nationwide with a special event on Saturday, January 28. The launch event will feature fun activities for children ages 5+ including a LEGO-inspired building experience, sing-along and special giveaways. Specific times for the January 28 event will vary by store.
On January 28, young fans of DC’s beloved Super Hero, Batman, and LEGO toys are invited to their local Barnes & Noble store to watch the movie trailer, sing along to a new song from the film and join in a group LEGO build where they will have the opportunity to create their own version of the Batmobile and show it off in store. There will also be special giveaways at the event, available while supplies last, including two limited-edition Barnes & Noble Exclusive collectible trading cards featuring Batman and The Joker (50 each per store) and a special mini poster (50 per store).
In addition, two limited-edition Barnes & Noble Exclusive collectible trading cards featuring DC Super Heroes and Super Villains from the movie will be given away at each event on February 25 and March 11 at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide, while supplies last. Customers who attend all three The LEGO Batman Movie events at Barnes & Noble will be able to put their six collectible trading cards together to create a scene inspired by the movie, which opens nationwide on February 10.
Plus, at the March 11 event, customers will be able to build their very own LEGO Batman Speedwagon to take home. More details on the February 25 and March 11 events will be announced in the coming weeks. Customers should stay tuned.
All throughout the three-month-long celebration of The LEGO Batman Movie, customers are encouraged to check out Barnes & Noble’s robust offering of related merchandise from Warner Bros. Consumer Products’ global licensing and merchandising program, including a selection of books and toys. Featured books will include DK’s The LEGO Batman Movie: The Essential Guide (B&N Exclusive Poster Edition) and Scholastic’s Batman’s Guide to Being Cool (The LEGO Batman Movie), and toys will include The Joker Balloon Escape, Catwoman Catcycle Chase, The Riddler Riddle Racer, Clayface Splat Attack, Killer Croc Tail-Gator and The Batcave Break-In. Customers should contact their local store for more details on what products will be available for purchase.
Pearson Lowers Price of E-Book Rentals, Adds Pilot Print Rental Program
WASHINGTON, DC – In a move to help students better manage the cost of their education, Pearson today announced it is dropping the prices of its e-book rentals and piloting a new program for print textbook rentals. The company already provides e-book rental options on more than 2,000 titles, but beginning later this month students will see savings of up to 50 percent on many of those materials. Students will be able to rent e-books through the same, trusted online retailers they’ve always used, just at a lower cost. In addition, fifty of the most popular print textbook titles will be available for Fall 2017 classes through the new print rental program. The print textbooks will also be available through many of the same retailers that currently rent Pearson titles.
“Students have been clear in telling us they want more choices when selecting course materials,” said Tim Bozik, Pearson’s President of Global Product. “We understand that many students are stretched financially and that college is a significant investment for them. Pearson has long been developing new ways to make college more affordable and more accessible.”
With nearly two-thirds of full time students paying for college with financial aid, Pearson has been taking steps to make education more affordable and accessible. In 2016, the company introduced the digital courseware tool, Revel, which blends authors’ narrative, interactive media, and assessment, accessible on students’ computer, tablet or mobile phone. Students can access Revel for as little as $65. Other programs, like Digital Direct Access, deliver course materials directly to students on the first day of class up to 60 percent less than traditional print materials. Last October, Pearson also announced a partnership with IBM Watson to develop virtual tutors for students.
Nearly 75 percent of college students are now juggling work and family commitments while in school. Pearson’s rental program will offer these students a way to ease the demands on their time while also saving them money on course materials. This will also increase the likelihood of students having materials on the first day of class. When students struggle with obtaining textbooks or delay their purchases, they take fewer courses and are at higher risk of dropping, withdrawing from or failing courses.
“Students and faculty both want materials that are flexible and compatible with laptops and mobile devices,” Bozik said. “It’s time to provide course materials that are both affordable and in-sync with how faculty and students teach and learn today.”
MIT University Press – Economics 2017
The MIT University Press for 2017 has about 24 new economics titles. Some of these look pretty good and much more readable than the economics research essays.
Blue Rider Press Acquires Scott Simon Book on the Chicago Cubs
Scott Simon, the award-winning journalist and NPR host, will write a book about the Chicago Cubs for Blue Rider Press, it was announced this week. Part club history, part personal history, part reflection on what it means to be a Cubs fan, the untitled book will be published in April 2017. World rights were acquired by Blue Rider Press president and publisher David Rosenthal from Wayne Kabak of WSK Management, LLC. “I am excited to be able to write this book about what is, after all, the longest-running love of my life. Cubs fans have shared a special joy with the country this year.” said Simon. “But the secret we’ve carried for more than a century is that even through all the fiascos, farces, and screw-ups, Cubs fans usually manage to find a way to have a good time anyway. The key to a happy life may be somewhere in there.” On July 31, 2016, Simon threw out the first pitch at a Cubs vs. Mariners game, which the Cubs won in twelve innings and then began a thirteen-game win streak that solidified their hold on first place. It’s reported that Aroldis Chapman’s reaction to Simon’s pitch from the bullpen was: “Asi es como se hace!” (“So that’s how it’s done!”) Simon is one of America’s most admired writers and broadcasters, having reported from all over the world and many wars. He is the award-winning host of Weekend Edition Saturday. With over 4 million listeners it is the most-listened to news program on NPR. Simon has written seven books including the recently published, Just Getting Started, with Tony Bennett, and has one of the largest personal media followings on Twitter. He also hosts public television specials and does stories for CBS Sunday Morning. Scott received the Order of Lincoln from the State of Illinois in 2016, the state’s highest honor.
CUSTOM HOUSE TO PUBLISH NEW BOOK BY THE LATE SHIMON PERES, LEGENDARY ISRAELI STATESMAN AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER
Custom House, a line of books from William Morrow/HarperCollins, announced today that it will publish the late Shimon Peres’s NO ROOM FOR SMALL DREAMS on April 4, 2017. The book, which the former President and two-time Prime Minster of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize winner had been working on for the past two years, draws upon extensive research and his own experiences to explore the turning points in Israel’s history and the nature of Israeli character. Geoff Shandler, Editorial Director of Custom House, had begun private discussions with Peres in 2014 and acquired the book from the Robin Straus Agency and Andrew Nurnberg Associates in early 2016. Peres finished his work on the book several weeks before his passing.
Peres, who arrived in Palestine as an eleven year old in 1934, was one of Israel’s most important founding fathers. Over the course of six decades, he served twice as Israel’s Prime Minister, and held every senior cabinet position, including Foreign Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Finance. As the capstone to his career, Peres served seven years as the ninth President of the state he helped build. He was widely seen a global leader and inspiration, evidenced not only in his winning the Nobel Peace Prize but through his ongoing leadership of the Peres Center for Peace. His experience of being at the center of Israel’s ascent—in particular, his role again and again as a crucial decision maker–gave him the unique authority to write a book looking at key events as a way to understand Israel’s past and its future challenges. From Israel’s War of Independence to the present day, from the revival of Jewish life and the birth of a nation after the Holocaust, from the creation of Israel’s military to inside accounts of secret negotiations, from establishing Israel’s nuclear program to launching the country’s astonishing high tech industry, from financial crisis to economic triumph, NO ROOM FOR SMALL DREAMS spans decades. But the book is more than an intimate, personal history of Israel’s rise. In this, his final testimonial to the world, Peres provocatively meditates on what makes for a great leader, how to make hard choices in a climate of uncertainty and distress, the challenge of making peace, the obligations and opportunities the next generation must embrace, and the liberating power of imagination. His wisdom is deep and universal, meant for all around the world who seek a better life for themselves and their communities.
Said Shandler, “Shimon Peres was not only a giant in Israel’s history, but a giant in world history, period. A great man of peace, protection and prosperity, this book is the final gift of a man of unequaled generosity.”
Or Kornhauser, an advisor to Peres, said, “President Peres wanted to tell the remarkable story of the State of Israel, and through the journey of a rising nation, teach the young generation to dream, to dare, and to make hard decisions. Shimon Peres believed that so long as one refuses to accept reality as it is, there are no dreams too big. Through his eyes and in his words, he teaches us to break through barriers and become the change we wish to see in the world. This book was so dear to President Peres. I know he would have been so happy to see it published. We too are consoled to know that it will be read and enjoyed, as the writing of it was so close to his heart.
ABOUT CUSTOM HOUSE:
Custom House is a line of books from William Morrow, started in 2015 with the intent of publishing a small, exclusive list of extraordinary nonfiction and fiction.
OPRAH WINFREY ANNOUNCES A SECOND ‘AN OPRAH BOOK’ IMPRINT TITLE
Flatiron Books announced today that Oprah Winfrey’s book imprint, ‘An Oprah Book,’ has selected its second title: Maria Smilios’s The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis, the true story of 300 black nurses who changed the course of history, which will be published in 2018.
“At my core I am a storyteller and teacher, and I believe in books,” said Oprah Winfrey. “The Black Angels’ is a story that hasn’t been told and I felt it needed to be shared.”
In 1929, when white nurses staged a walk out at Seaview, Staten Island’s 2000-bed TB sanatorium, New York was threatened with a public health catastrophe. Desperate, city health officials made a radical decision to sanction a national call for “colored nurses.” Lured by the promise of good pay, education, housing and most of all, a “rare opportunity” to work in a hospital free of quotas and segregated wards, women from all over the country boarded trains and buses and walked out of their lives and into a world that held both hope and danger. Their triumphant story, bringing together medicine, politics, racial strife, women’s rights and cutting-edge science, has up until now been almost completely ignored. Colin Dickerman will be editing Black Angels; Peter Steinberg at Foundry Literary + Media represented Smilios in the deal.
The previously announced first title in Winfrey’s imprint will be her first ever cookbook ‘Food, Health and Happiness: ‘On Point’ Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life” which will be published on January 3, 2017. In the book, Winfrey discusses her lifelong relationship with food and shares recipes for the meals she loves. ‘Food, Health and Happiness’ is being produced by Melcher Media, whose book, ‘Hamilton: The Revolution,’ was recently #1 on the New York Times bestsellers list
Winfrey’s book imprint, which was announced earlier in the year, includes non-fiction titles chosen personally by Oprah.
Flatiron Books is a division of Macmillan.
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