[Press Release]
LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS ANNOUNCES A
CREATIVE NEW PUBLISHING PROGRAM BASED ON
POWERHOUSE LEGO® BRANDS
Multi-Book Deal Begins with Graphic Novels and Launches in Fall 2015
New York, NY [Monday, March 16, 2015] — Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will launch a new publishing program based on internationally popular LEGO® brands as part of a multiple book, multi-year agreement with the LEGO Group, it was announced today by Andrew Smith, the division’s Senior Vice President and Deputy Publisher, who made the acquisition for North American rights. Rex Ogle, Senior Editor at Little, Brown, will edit the books.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will launch their LEGO line with graphic novels, each based on three popular, bestselling LEGO properties: LEGO NinjagoTM, LEGO Friends, and LEGO BIONICLE®. Releasing just in time for the holidays, each of the full-color graphic novels – priced at $7.99 – will publish in trade paperback format and be available as ebooks. Geared for readers ages 6 – 11, the books will feature fun adventures and original storytelling that will expand the LEGO universe and build upon the key LEGO themes of creativity, imagination, and humor. In addition, each novel will feature exclusive content designed to enhance the storytelling and further engage young readers.
In anticipation of the first book that will release in September 2015, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will support the launch of the program with an extensive pre-publication campaign including a major presence at San Diego Comic-Con, a wide-spread distribution of teaser chapter samplers, and extensive cross-promotion with the LEGO Group.
“I could not be more thrilled to establish this publishing partnership with the LEGO Group”, says Smith. “I’ve always been inspired by their values and the role that they’ve played in laying the foundation for creativity within children that extends well beyond one’s youth, and I believe that great children’s books do the same thing. We are proud and honored to work with the LEGO Group to build a publishing program that will delight and inspire young readers for years to come!”
The LEGO Group is fully engaged in the development of children’s creativity for play and learning, having begun manufacturing their unique interlocking toy bricks in 1949. Since then a global LEGO subculture has developed, supporting movies, games, competitions, and amusement parks. As of 2014, around 760 billion LEGO elements have been produced.
Little Brown for Young Readers will initially focus on three of the LEGO Group’s core brands: LEGO Ninjago, BIONICLE, and Friends, all of which have garnered a huge popularity in the global community. LEGO BIONICLE had the honor of being named 2015’s Best New Toy in the construction category at the London Toy Fair. One of the newer themes, LEGO Friends has garnered a solid reputation with its empowering themes of friendship. Warner Bros. will be releasing a LEGO Ninjago movie in 2016.
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About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company with headquarters in Billund, Denmark, and main offices in Enfield, USA, London, UK., Shanghai, China, and Singapore. Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, and based on the iconic LEGO® brick, it is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials.
Guided by the company spirit: “Only the best is good enough”, the company is committed to the development of children and aims to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through creative play and learning. LEGO products are sold worldwide and can be virtually explored at www.LEGO.com.
For more news from the LEGO Group, information about our financial performance and responsibility engagement, please visit http://www.LEGO.com/aboutus.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, the brick and knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group.© 2015 the LEGO Group.
ABOUT LITTLE, BROWN BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is a division of Hachette Book Group (HBG), a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the second-largest publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions of Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Books, Orbit, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Digital. For more information, visit hbgusa.com.