Wikipedia

Scholastic Corporation

(Redirected from Blue Sky Press)

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 Scholastic.

Scholastic Corporation
FormerlyScholastic Inc. (1981–2011)
TypePublic
Nasdaq: SCHL
S&P 600 Component
IndustryChildren's literacy and education
FoundedOctober 22, 1920; 105 years ago (1920-10-22), in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
FounderMaurice Robinson
HeadquartersScholastic 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
RevenueIncrease US$1.7 billion (2022)[1]
Number of employees
8,900 (2019)[2]
DivisionsImprints and corporate divisions
Websitescholastic.com

Company history

edit
Richard Robinson was the CEO and president from 1975 until his death in 2021

Scholastic was founded in 1920 by Maurice R. Robinson near Pittsburgh as a publisher of youth magazines. Its first publication, The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic, 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 publications followed under Scholastic Magazines.[3][4] In 1948, Scholastic entered the book club business.[5] The company incorporated its first international subsidiary, Scholastic Canada, in 1957.[6] During the 1960s, it established other international publishing locations in England (1964), New Zealand (1964), and Sydney (1968),[7] while also entering the book publishing business. In the 1970s, Scholastic created its TV entertainment division.[3] From 1975 until his death in 2021, Richard Robinson, son of the corporation's founder, served as CEO and president.[8] Scholastic began trading on the Nasdaq on May 12, 1987.

In 2000, Scholastic purchased Grolier for $400 million,[9][10] and it expanded into video collections the following year. Scholastic developed FASTT Math with Tom Snyder in 2005 to improve student proficiency in multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction through a series of games and memorization quizzes gauging the student's progress.[11][12] Partnering with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2011, Scholastic developed READ 180 to help students with their reading skills.[13] In February 2012, Scholastic acquired Weekly Reader Publishing from the Reader's Digest Association. In July 2012, Scholastic announced plans to discontinue separate issues of Weekly Reader after more than a century of publication, co-branding the magazines as Scholastic News/Weekly Reader.[14] In 2013, the company developed System 44 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to further support reading development. Scholastic sold READ 180 to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2015. In December 2015, it launched the Scholastic Reads Podcasts. On October 22, 2020, Scholastic celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Company structure

edit

Scholastic Corporation has three business segments: Children's Book Publishing and Distribution, Education Solutions, and International. Scholastic holds the perpetual US publishing rights to Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.[15][16] It is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, alongside print and digital educational materials for pre-K through grade 12.[17] Scholastic is known for its school book clubs and book fairs, classroom magazines such as Scholastic News and Science World, and popular book series including 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 is the company's official mascot.[18]

Marketing initiatives

edit

Founded in 1923 by Maurice R. Robinson, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards,[19] administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is a competition which recognizes talented young artists and writers from across the United States.[20]

Imprints and corporate divisions

edit
  • Trade Publishing Imprints include:
    • Arthur A. Levine Books, which specializes in fiction and non-fiction books for young readers. The imprint was founded at Scholastic in 1996 by Arthur Levine in New York City. The first book published by Arthur A. Levine Books was When She Was Good by Norma Fox Mazer in autumn 1997. The imprint is most notable as the publisher of the American editions of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.[21][22][23] In March 2019, Levine left Scholastic to form his own new publisher. Scholastic retained Levine's back catalogue.[24]
    • The Chicken House
    • Graphix, a graphic novel imprint started in 2005.[25]
    • Klutz Press
    • Orchard Books
    • Scholastic Australia – made up of Koala Books, Margaret Hamilton Books, Omnibus Books, and Scholastic Corporation.[26]
  • Children's Press (spelled "Childrens Press" from 1945 to 1996) – founded in 1945,[27] and formerly headquartered in 1224 West Van Buren Street, Chicago until it was acquired by Grolier in 1995 moving its operations to New York City and Danbury, Connecticut. It became part of Scholastic Corporation in 2000.[28] It published various publications such as the Rookie Read-About series, A True Book series, Young People's series (Young People's Science Encyclopedia (underwent 10 editions during its 31-year printing from 1962 to 1993 which are 1962, 1964–1966, 1970, 1978, 1982, 1987, 1991, and 1993), and New Frontiers in Science and Young People's Science Dictionary (1964) by the staff of National College of Education (now National Louis University), Young People's World (1966), Young People's Illustrated Encyclopedia (1972), and Young People's Animal Encyclopedia (1980) by Maurice Burton), and the Getting to Know series, and it also has a secondary imprint, Franklin Watts.
  • 9 Story Media Group – founded in 2002, is a media company in Canada. In March 2024, Scholastic announced it would acquire complete economic interest and minority voting rights in the company for $186 million; the transaction closed on June 21, 2024.[29][30][31]
  • Scholastic Reference publishes reference books.[32][33]

Scholastic Entertainment

edit

Scholastic Entertainment (formerly Scholastic Productions and Scholastic Media) is a corporate division[34] 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, Home Movies and WordGirl) from 2001 to 2015 before shutting down.[35]Scholastic has produced audiobooks like the Caldecott/Newbery Collection;[36] Scholastic has been involved with several television programs and feature films based on its books. In 1985, Scholastic Productions teamed 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.[37]

Streaming service

edit

On September 17, 2025, Scholastic launched a free streaming app called Scholastic TV, which contains Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Magic School Bus and other television series created by Scholastic Entertainment. The app is catered towards children aged 2 to 12.[38] It is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, and Android.

Filmography

edit

Series

edit
Title Year(s) Network Co-production with
Voyagers!1982–83NBCJames D. Parriott Productions & Universal Television (owner)
Charles in Charge1984–85
1987–90		CBS
Syndication		Al Burton Productions & Universal Television (owner)
Scholastic's Blue Ribbon Storybook Video1986Direct-to-videoNelvana & Karl-Lorimar Home Video (owner)
Clifford the Big Red Dog1988Nelvana
My Secret Identity1988–91CTV (Canada)
Syndication (U.S.)		Sunrise Films (owner), MCA TV
Parent Survival Guide1989Lifetime
The Baby-Sitters Club1990–93Direct-to-video
HBO		Amber Films, Ltd.
The Magic School Bus1994–97PBS KidsNelvana & South Carolina ETV
Goosebumps1995–98Fox KidsProtocol Entertainment
Animorphs1998–99Nickelodeon (U.S.)
YTV/Global (Canada)
Dear America1999–2000HBO Family
Clifford the Big Red Dog2000–03PBS KidsMike Young Productions
Horrible Histories2000–01CITVMike Young Productions & Telegael
I Spy2002–03HBO FamilyThe Ink Tank (season 1) & JWL Entertainment Productions (season 2)
Clifford's Puppy Days2003–06PBS KidsMike Young Productions (season 1)
Maya & Miguel2004–07PBS Kids Go!
The Amazing Colossal Adventures of WordGirl (interstitial series)2006–07PBS KidsSoup2Nuts
WordGirl2007–15
Turbo Dogs2008–11Kids' CBC (Canada)
Qubo (U.S.)		Smiley Guy Studios, Huhu Studios, CCI Entertainment (owner)
Sammy's Story Shop2008–09Qubo
The Day My Butt Went Psycho!2013–15Nine Network (Australia)
Teletoon (Canada)		Nelvana
Studio Moshi
Brain Bender Pty Ltd.
Astroblast!2014–15SproutSoup2Nuts
The Magic School Bus Rides Again2017–21Netflix9 Story Media Group and Brown Bag Films
His Dark Materials2019–22BBC One
HBO		BBC Studios, Bad Wolf (owner), New Line Productions
Clifford the Big Red Dog2019–21Prime Video
PBS Kids		9 Story Media Group, Brown Bag Films, 100 Chickens
Stillwater2020–presentApple TV+Gaumont Animation
Puppy Place2021–22
Eva the Owlet2023–25Brown Bag Films
GoosebumpsDisney+/HuluOriginal Film, Stoller Global Solutions, Gifted And Talented Camp and Sony Pictures Television (owner)
Fortune FallsTBATBAGaumont Animation
Rocket Park

Specials

edit
Title Airdate Network Notes
Mystery at Fire IslandNovember 27, 1981CBS
The Haunted Mansion MysteryJanuary 8–15, 1983ABC
The Magic of Herself the ElfJuly 30, 1983SyndicationNelvana, Those Characters from Cleveland (owner)
The Great Love ExperimentFebruary 8, 1984ABC
A Different TwistMarch 10, 1984ABC
The Almost Royal FamilyOctober 24, 1984ABC
The Exchange StudentJanuary 22, 1985CBS
The Adventures of a Two-Minute WerewolfFebruary 23-March 2, 1985ABC
High School NarcDecember 4, 1985ABC
Getting Even: A Wimp's RevengeMarch 19, 1986ABC
The Incredible Ida EarlyMay 29, 1987NBC
Read Between the LinesJune 3, 1987ABC
Song City USA
More Song City USA		September 1989Direct-to-video
Floor Time: Tuning In to Each Child1990Direct-to-video
Riding the Magic School Bus with Joanna Cole and Bruce DegenSeptember 1992Direct-to-video
The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Stories1993Direct-to-videoU.S. version of The World of Eric Carle
Stellaluna2003Direct-to-video

Films

edit
Release date Title Notes
July 14, 1995The Indian in the Cupboardco-production with Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and The Kennedy/Marshall Company
August 18, 1995The Baby-Sitters Clubco-production with Columbia Pictures and Beacon Pictures
October 9, 1998The Mightyco-production with Miramax Films
October 11, 2002Tuck Everlastingco-production with Walt Disney Pictures and Beacon Pictures
February 20, 2004Clifford's Really Big Movieco-production with Warner Bros. Pictures and Big Red Dog Productions
December 5, 2007The Golden Compassco-production with New Line Cinema and Ingenious Film Partners
October 16, 2015Goosebumpsco-production with Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, LStar Capital, Village Roadshow Pictures, and Original Film
June 2, 2017Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movieco-production with 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks Animation, Mikros Image, and Technicolor Animation Productions
October 12, 2018Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloweenco-production with Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Original Film, and Silvertongue Films
December 6, 2018Mortal Enginesco-production with Universal Pictures, MRC, Silvertongue Films, Perfect World Pictures, and WingNut Films
April 4, 2020You're Bacon Me Crazytelevision movie; co-production with Bar None Productions
November 10, 2021Clifford the Big Red Dogco-production with Paramount Pictures, Entertainment One, New Republic Pictures, and The Kerner Entertainment Company
April 22, 2022The Bad Guysco-production with Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Jellyfish Pictures
May 17, 2024Thelma the Unicornco-production with Netflix Animation and Netflix Studios
January 31, 2025Dog Manco-production with Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Jellyfish Pictures
August 1, 2025The Bad Guys 2co-production with Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Animation, and Sony Pictures Imageworks

Book fairs

edit
A trailer advertising the Scholastic Book Fair in Denver, July 2025

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.[39]

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),[40] and schools earned over $200 million in proceeds in cash and incentive credits.[41]

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.[42] 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".[43][44] Scholastic Book Fairs have been criticized for spurring unnecessary purchases, highlighting economic inequality among students, and disruption of school activities and facilities.[45][46]

Book clubs

edit

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.[47] Book club operators receive "Classroom Funds" redeemable only for Scholastic Corporation products.[48][49][50]

2025 data breach

edit

In January 2025, claims of a data breach affecting Scholastic came from a "furry" hacker identified as "Parasocial."[51] The breach affected an estimated 8 million customers consisting of names, email addresses, phone numbers, and home addresses. The breach was provided to Have I Been Pwned? in an effort to inform customers.[52]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ↑ "Scholastic Form 10-K Annual Report". Scholastic Corporation. Archived from the original on April 18, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Annual Report 2019" (PDF). Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Neary, Lynn (July 15, 2013). "How Scholastic Sells Literacy to Generations Of New Readers". NPR. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Scholastic Magazines enjoys golden jubilee". Jefferson City Post-Tribune. October 20, 1970. p. 4. Retrieved October 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Our History". scholastic.com.
  6. ↑ "Scholastic Canada". Scholastic Canada. Scholastic Canada Ltd. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  7. ↑ "United States Securities and Exchange Commission Form 10-K Annual Report pursuant to section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities exchange Act of 1934, For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2002, Commission File No. 0-19860: Scholastic Corporation". 2002. pp. 6, 7. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Richard Robinson". Scholastic.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  9. ↑ "French Plan to Sell Grolier", Publishers Weekly, 11/29/1999
  10. ↑ "Scholastic to Acquire Grolier", press release, Scholastic Inc., 4/13/2000.
  11. ↑ Grodd, Wolfgang. ABSTRACT MATHEMATICAL COGNITION EDITED BY : Philippe Chassy and Wolfgang Grodd PUBLISHED IN : Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
  12. ↑ "Tom Snyder Products Announces FASTT Math". PR Newswire. April 7, 2005. ProQuest 451492696.
  13. ↑ "READ 180: Evidence and Efficacy for Students with Disabilities and English Learners". www.hmhco.com. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Scholastic to End Independent Publication of Weekly Reader". Bloomberg. July 23, 2012. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Scholastic profit rises on Hunger Games sales". Reuters. July 19, 2012. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  16. ↑ Reaney, Patricia (July 31, 2012). "J.K. Rowling launches Harry Potter book club online". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Global Publishing Leaders 2018: Scholastic". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  18. ↑ Croot, James (December 29, 2021). "Clifford the Big Red Dog: Doggone it - this predictable canine caper disappoints". Stuff. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  19. ↑ Williams, John (September 20, 2017). "Richard Robinson of Scholastic Honored for Lifetime of Work in Children's Publishing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts". www.promotionandarts.org. Archived from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Welcome To Arthur A. Levine Books!". Arthur A. Levine Books!. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  22. ↑ Adler, Margot (July 14, 2007). "Potter Publisher Predicted Literary Magic". NPR. Archived from the original on May 31, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  23. ↑ Thompson, Bob (July 11, 2007). "The Wizardly Editor Who Caught the Golden Snitch". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 31, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  24. ↑ Whyte, Alexandra (March 13, 2019). "Harry Potter publisher leaves Scholastic". Kidscreen. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  25. ↑ "Graphix".
  26. ↑ "Publishing Channel". www.scholastic.com.au. Scholastic Australia. Archived from the original on June 25, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Children's Press". Archived from the original on June 17, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Acquisition activity in the education market heats up". www.allbusiness.com. May 1, 2000. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Scholastic to Invest in 9 Story Media Group, Expanding Opportunities for Production and Global Licensing of Scholastic IP". Scholastic, Inc. (Press release). March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  30. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (March 12, 2024). "Scholastic to Invest $186M in Animation Studio 9 Story Media". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  31. ↑ "Scholastic Closes Investment in 9 Story Media Group, Award-Winning Creator, Producer and Distributor of Premium Children's Content". 9 Story Media Group. June 21, 2024.
  32. ↑ Hobbs, Nancy (December 27, 1996). "Under The Covers; Reviews Of Children's Books". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 13, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  33. ↑ Bookman, Julie (September 11, 1999). "Books for Kids: 'Wow' facts give young historians frame of reference – Family Pages". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  34. ↑ "Welcome". About Scholastic. Scholastic Corporation. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Media & The Mission". About Scholastic. Scholastic Corporation. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  36. ↑ "Weston Woods Caldecott/Newbery Collection". English language teaching: listening practice. Scholastic Corporation. Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  37. ↑ "Kidvid Forces Link To Attack Market". Variety. August 19, 1987. p. 47.
  38. ↑ "Scholastic Launches First Branded Streaming App Featuring Clifford, Goosebumps, and More". www.scholastic.com. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
  39. ↑ "2023 Annual Report, page 9". investor.scholastic.com. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  40. ↑ "2024 Annual Report, page 54". investor.scholastic.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  41. ↑ "2024 Annual Report, page 14". investor.scholastic.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  42. ↑ Picchi, Aimee (October 17, 2023). "Scholastic book fairs, a staple at U.S. schools, accused of excluding diverse books". CBS News. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  43. ↑ Treisman, Rachel (October 25, 2023). "Scholastic backtracks, saying it will stop separating diverse books for fairs in 2024". NPR. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  44. ↑ Horton, Adrian (October 25, 2023). "Scholastic reverses decision to separate books on race, gender and sexuality". The Guardian. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  45. ↑ Bogan, Kelsey (October 26, 2023). "Book Fairs & Their Equity Issues". Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  46. ↑ Kennedy, Meghan (December 6, 2021). "Scholastic Book Fairs: how the inequalities outweigh nostalgia". Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  47. ↑ "Our Businesses". scholastic.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Terms & Services". scholastic.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Raise Classroom Funds". scholastic.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  50. ↑ "FAQ: Raising Money for Your Classroom". Scholastic Corporation. Salesforce. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021. Where can classroom funds be spent? Classroom Funds can be spent online only at Scholastic Book Clubs (clubs.scholastic.com)
  51. ↑ Thalen, Mikael (January 10, 2025). "EXCLUSIVE: Scholastic, education giant and 'Harry Potter' publisher, breached by 'furry' hacker". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  52. ↑ "Have I Been Pwned: Pwned websites". haveibeenpwned.com. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scholastic_Corporation&oldid=1360119857#Imprints_and_corporate_divisions"