Author of Newbery-winner SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL to Write Boxcar Children Prequel
March 18, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Michelle F. Bayuk
847-232-2811
Author of Newbery-winner Sarah, Plain and Tall
to Write Boxcar Children Prequel
On Tuesday, March 15, Albert Whitman & Company announced that Newbery-winning author Patricia MacLachlan will write the prequel to The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. To be published in September 2012, the prequel brings together two powerhouse brands of children’s literature. The book will be published simultaneously as an e-book by Open Road Integrated Media. The announcement was made at the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum in Putnam, Connecticut.
Excited to be writing the prequel to The Boxcar Children, MacLachlan is particularly interested in the children themselves. “Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are kind to one another and embody the true sense of family. They are resourceful and positive. I find them both true children and true heroes at the same time. It occurs to me that perhaps their parents were the same. I’m looking forward to exploring that idea and more.”
Patricia MacLachlan, the author of over 20 books for children, won the Newbery Medal for her book Sarah, Plain and Tall.
The Boxcar Children, an award-winning series with over 150 titles and more than 50 million copies in print, has been continuously in print since the publication of the first book in 1942. Albert Whitman will celebrate the 70th anniversary of this beloved series in 2012.
Albert Whitman & Company President John Quattrocchi notes, “Young readers have long wondered how the Boxcar Children came to be orphans. We are pleased and honored that an author of Patricia MacLachlan’s talent and understanding of children will reveal the answer to the world.”
Making the announcement for Albert Whitman & Company was Senior Editor Wendy McClure. Rubin Pfeffer (East-West Literary Agency), MacLachlan’s agent, was also on hand. Representing the museum at the announcement were Fred Hedenberg (Founder and Curator), Patricia Hedenberg (Founding Boxcar Committee Member), and Barbara Scalise (Director). Also present were Bill Pearsall (President, Aspinock Historical Society), Sandra Ames (former grade school student of Gertrude Chandler Warner), and Julia Duquette (former student of Gertrude Chandler Warner and a relative of Warner).
About Albert Whitman & Company
Albert Whitman & Company has been publishing children’s books since 1919. Best known for the classic series The Boxcar Children® Mysteries, its highly praised picture books, novels, and nonfiction titles for ages two through twelve succeed in delighting children and reaching out to children of all backgrounds and experiences. Albert Whitman’s special interest and issue titles address subjects such as disease, social issues, and disabilities. Many books deal in a caring and respectful manner with the challenging situations and learning experiences encountered by children, helping them to grow intellectually and emotionally.
About the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum
The Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum pays tribute to the life-long achievements of Putnam (CT) native Gertrude Chandler Warner by collecting and presenting to the public objects and information relating to her life, interests and contributions to society in a unique and appropriate boxcar setting. The museum is housed in a vintage 1920's New Haven Railroad boxcar. The museum was created and is operated by Aspinock Historical Society, Putnam, CT.
About Open Road Integrated Media
Open Road Integrated Media LLC is a digital content company cofounded by Jane Friedman and Jeffrey Sharp that publishes and markets ebooks by creating connections between authors and their audiences. The company’s ebooks offer a 360-degree world of existing and originally produced premium content that is marketed through a new proprietary online platform. Open Road’s Author Brand Program focuses on extensive backlist catalogues, while its Publishing Partner Program is based on co-marketing of ebooks with originating publishers. In addition, Open Road publishes new titles that are “born digital” in the company’s E-riginals Program.