Atheneum Books was a New York City

publishing house Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

established in 1959 by

Alfred A. Knopf, Jr. Alfred Abraham Knopf Jr. (June 17, 1918 – February 14, 2009) was an American publisher. He was one of the founders of Atheneum Publishers in 1959. Biography He was the only child of publisher Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Wolf. He was born i ...

, Simon Michael Bessie and

Hiram Haydn Hiram Collins Haydn (November 3, 1907 – December 2, 1973)Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...

has owned Atheneum properties since its acquisition of Macmillan in 1994 and it created Atheneum Books for Young Readers as an imprint for

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

in the 2000s.

History

left his family publishing house

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

and created Atheneum Books in 1959 with Simon Michael Bessie (Harpers) and Hiram Haydn (Random House). It became the publisher of Pulitzer Prize winners Edward Albee, Charles Johnson,

James Merrill James Ingram Merrill (March 3, 1926 – February 6, 1995) was an American poet. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1977 for ''Divine Comedies.'' His poetry falls into two distinct bodies of work: the polished and formalist lyri ...

Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. (born June 7, 1943) is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets,Jane M. Barstow, Yolanda Williams Page (eds)"Nikki Giovanni" ''E ...

Mona Van Duyn Mona Jane Van Duyn (May 9, 1921 – December 2, 2004) was an American poet. She was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 1992. Biography Early years Van Duyn was born May 9, 1921 in Waterloo, Iowa."Van Duyn, Mona (1921–2004)." '' Dictio ...

and Theodore H. White. It also published

Ernest Gaines Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor *Ernest, M ...

' first book ''Catherine Carmier'' (1964). Knopf personally recruited editor

Jean E. Karl Jean Edna Karl (July 29, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois – March 30, 2000 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) was an American book editor who specialized in children's and science fiction titles. She founded and led the children's division and young ...

to establish a Children's Book Department in 1961. Jalowitz, Alan (Summer 2006)
"Karl, Jean (Edna)"
. Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Penn State University. Retrieved 2011-10-21. Palmquist, Vicki (July 29 o year
"Birthday Bios: Jean E. Karl"
. Children's literature network. (c) 2002–2008. Retrieved 2011-10-21. Atheneum acquired the reprint house Russell & Russell in 1965. Atheneum merged with

Charles Scribner's Sons Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan R ...

to become The Scribner Book Company in 1978. The acquisition included Rawson Associates. Scribner was acquired by Macmillan in 1984. Macmillan was purchased by Simon & Schuster in 1994. After the merger, the Atheneum adult list was merged into Scribner and the Scribner children's line was merged into Atheneum. In the 2000s, the Simon & Schuster imprint Atheneum Books for Young Readers has published the popular ''May Bird'' fantasy series for young adults, inaugurated by ''

May Bird and the Ever After ''May Bird and the Ever After'' is a fantasy/action young adult novel by Jodi Lynn Anderson. It was released in 2005 and is the first book in the May Bird series. It was published by Atheneum Books. Plot May Bird lives alone with her mother and ...

'' (2005), and the Olivia series of picture books featuring Olivia the pig (from 2000). ''

The Higher Power of Lucky ''The Higher Power of Lucky'' is a children's novel written by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan. Released in 2006 by Simon & Schuster, it was awarded the 2007 Newbery Medal. Plot summary Lucky is a ten-year-old girl who lives in Ha ...

'' won the 2007

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...

. In a 2007 online poll, the

National Education Association The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college stud ...

listed '' Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery'' as one of its Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children.

(2007)
"Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children"
Retrieved 2012-08-19.

Notes

References

External links

Atheneum Books for Young Readers
imprint at publisher Simon & Schuster {{ViacomCBS Book publishing companies based in New York (state) Book publishing company imprints Children's book publishers Fantasy book publishers Simon & Schuster American companies established in 1959 Publishing companies established in 1959 1959 establishments in New York City 1984 mergers and acquisitions 1994 mergers and acquisitions