Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a commercial book club devoted to juvenile literature. It was created in 1929 as one of the enterprises of the

Literary Guild The Literary Guild of America is a mail order book club selling low-cost editions of selected current books to its members. Established in 1927 to compete with the Book of the Month Club, it is currently owned by Bookspan. It was a way to encourag ...

, an adult book club created in 1927 by Samuel W. Craig and Harold K. Guinzburg. Book clubs often marketed books to libraries as well, and by the 1950s the majority of the Junior Literary Guild's sales were to libraries. In 1988, the name was changed to the Junior Library Guild to reflect this change in the company's business. The Junior Library Guild is operated by Media Source Inc., which is based in

Plain City, Ohio Plain City is a village in Madison and Union counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, along Big Darby Creek. The population was 4,225 at the 2010 census. According to the official website, their mission statement is "to govern with integrity and fi ...

. The editorial department is in New York City.

Selection of works

Selection of a children's book by the editors of the Junior Literary Guild (or latterly the Junior Library Guild) is a distinction used for publicity by publishers and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

s of children's books. At present, 492 books are selected each year. The position of

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of the Junior Literary Guild has been held by only a few individuals over the years.

Carl Van Doren Carl Clinton Van Doren (September 10, 1885 – July 18, 1950) was an American critic and biographer. He was the brother of critic and teacher Mark Van Doren and the uncle of Charles Van Doren. He won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autob ...

was the first editor. He was followed by Helen Ferris, who served from August 1929 until 1960. Ferris was a close associate of

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, who served on the editorial board of the Junior Literary Guild from 1929 through her death in 1962. Roosevelt's involvement in the Guild was fairly active; for example, in a ''My Day'' column from 1938 she wrote, "One of the stories I thought interesting about these books was the fact related by the postmaster in a mining town — that two miners' families had often gone without food, but had never cancelled their subscriptions to the Junior Literary Guild books". Ann Durell served until 1962, Thérèse Doumenjou served until 1970, and Marjorie Jones served until 1994, which included the transition from the Junior Literary Guild to the Junior Library Guild. Susan Marston is the current editorial director.

2004 selection

In 2004 the Junior Library Guild posted a webpage indicating four classics of children's literature that had been Junior Literary Guild selections. They were: *''

Make Way for Ducklings ''Make Way for Ducklings'' is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. First published in 1941 by the Viking Press, the book tells the story of a pair of mallards who raise their brood of ducklings on an island in t ...

'', by

Robert McCloskey John Robert McCloskey (September 15, 1914 – June 30, 2003) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He both wrote and illustrated eight picture books, and won two Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association for t ...

*''

Horton Hears a Who! ''Horton Hears a Who!'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss. It was published in 1954 by Random House. This book tells the story of Horton the Elephant and his adventures saving Whovi ...

'', by

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Little House in the Big Woods ''Little House in the Big Woods'' is an autobiographical children's novel written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and published by Harper in 1932 (reviewed in June). It was Wilder's first book published and it inaugurated her ''Little House'' series. It ...

'', by

Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the '' Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...

*'' From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler'', by

E.L. Konigsburg Elaine Lobl Konigsburg (February 10, 1930 – April 19, 2013) was an American writer and illustrator of children's literature, children's books and young adult fiction. She is one of six writers to win two Newbery Medals, the venerable American ...

. Another book published by the Guild was ''

All Aboard We Are Off ''All Aboard, We Are Off'' is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Nura – the American artist Nura Woodson Ulreich. It was published by the Junior Literary Guild Junior Library Guild, formerly the Junior Literary Guild, is a c ...

'', Nura (1944).

2006 selection

*''

Free Baseball ''Free Baseball'' is a children's novel by Sue Corbett, first published in 2006. Plot summary Felix is a Cuban boy who came to the USA with his mother when he was three years old. He has a passion for baseball and wins two tickets to a minor ...

Magazines

The Junior Literary Guild published a monthly magazine, ''Young Wings'', from 1929 through 1955. Media Source Inc. purchased ''

The Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

'' in 2009, and '' Library Journal'' and ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

'' in 2010.

References

External links

*The company's website: {{Authority control American children's literary awards Book clubs Publishing companies established in 1929 1929 establishments in New York (state)