Scholastic Corporation
Maurice R. Robinson stood near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1920 to launch a small publishing venture. The first publication was The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic magazine. It debuted on the 22nd of October 1920 with just four pages of content. This initial issue covered high school sports and social activities for local students. Fifty high schools received copies of the new magazine that month. More magazines followed for Scholastic Magazines over the next few years. The company focused entirely on youth publications during these early days.
Scholastic entered the book club business in 1948 after nearly three decades of magazine publishing. Richard Robinson became CEO and president in 1975 following his father's death. He held both titles until his own passing in 2021. International expansion began in 1957 when they incorporated Scholastic Canada. England and New Zealand gained publishing locations in 1964 while Sydney opened in 1968. The company purchased Grolier for US$400 million in 2000. They acquired Weekly Reader Publishing from Reader's Digest Association in February 2012. Scholastic sold READ 180 to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2015. The company celebrated its centennial anniversary on the 22nd of October 2020.
Arthur A. Levine founded an imprint at Scholastic in 1996 within New York City. When She Was Good by Norma Fox Mazer was the first book published under this new label in autumn 1997. This imprint became famous for American editions of Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Arthur Levine left Scholastic in March 2019 to start his own publisher. Graphix started as a graphic novel imprint in 2005. Klutz Press and Orchard Books joined the list of trade imprints. Children's Press operated from 1224 West Van Buren Street in Chicago until 1995. That press published Rookie Read-About series and Young People's Science Encyclopedia over thirty-one years. Clifford the Big Red Dog remains the official mascot created by Norman Bridwell in 1963.
Scholastic Productions teamed with Karl-Lorimar Home Video in 1985 to create made-for-video programming. The Magic School Bus aired on PBS Kids between 1994 and 1997. Deborah Forte has led Scholastic Entertainment since 1995 overseeing all media divisions. Weston Woods production studio was acquired in 1996 while Soup2Nuts ran from 2001 to 2015. The Indian in the Cupboard film released the 14th of July 1995 through Paramount Pictures. The Baby-Sitters Club movie came out the 18th of August 1995 via Columbia Pictures. Goosebumps film arrived the 16th of October 2015 co-produced with Sony Pictures Animation. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie opened the 2nd of June 2017 with DreamWorks Animation. The Bad Guys film released the 22nd of April 2022 alongside Universal Pictures. A free streaming app called Scholastic TV launched the 17th of September 2025 for children aged two to twelve years old.
Scholastic Book Fairs began operations in 1981 across American schools. Schools could elect to receive books or keep a portion of proceeds from these events. Fiscal year 2024 saw revenue reach $541.6 million from book fair channels alone. That figure represented more than half of total Children's Book Publishing and Distribution segment income. Schools earned over $200 million in cash and incentive credits during that same period. Teachers administer reading club programs within their own classes typically. Book club operators receive Classroom Funds redeemable only for Scholastic Corporation products. Reading clubs arrange materials by age or grade level throughout many countries.
October 2023 brought controversy when Scholastic created a separate category for race and LGBTQ related books. Educators and authors protested the move allowing schools to opt out of carrying such titles. Public backlash forced Scholastic to reverse course and discontinue the new category entirely. The company stated it was unsettling that divisive landscapes could deny children access to stories. January 2025 saw claims of a data breach affecting an estimated eight million customers. A furry hacker identified as Parasocial provided names, email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses to Have I Been Pwned? This incident exposed personal information belonging to millions of families who use Scholastic services.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did Scholastic Corporation launch its first publication?
Scholastic Corporation launched its first publication on the 22nd of October 1920. The initial issue was The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic magazine which contained four pages of content.
Who became CEO and president of Scholastic in 1975?
Richard Robinson became CEO and president of Scholastic in 1975 following his father's death. He held both titles until his own passing in 2021.
What year did Scholastic enter the book club business?
Scholastic entered the book club business in 1948 after nearly three decades of magazine publishing. This move marked a significant shift from their early focus on youth magazines to books.
Which imprint published American editions of Harry Potter series at Scholastic?
Arthur A. Levine founded an imprint at Scholastic in 1996 that became famous for American editions of Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The first book under this label was When She Was Good by Norma Fox Mazer in autumn 1997.
When did Scholastic Book Fairs begin operations across American schools?
Scholastic Book Fairs began operations in 1981 across American schools. Fiscal year 2024 saw revenue reach $541.6 million from these book fair channels alone.