Looking to conquer bookstores as it has multiplexes, Marvel Entertainment has forged a multi-year deal with Scholastic for new original stories introducing their iconic superheroes to young readers. Scholastic will publish two new Marvel prose middle grade novels, kicking off in 2020 with Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, by New York Times-bestselling author Nic Stone, followed by an original middle grade series, Avengers Assembly, by Preeti Chhibber.
“Marvel is always looking for best-in-class partners to develop new and exciting ways to experience the Marvel Universe, and Scholastic is the perfect partner to do this. We couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Sven Larsen, Director, Licensed Publishing, Marvel. “As two brands dedicated to storytelling for every kind of reader and fan, the combined strength of this collaboration will be truly one of a kind – with a super power to bring together the next generation of fans through the joy of reading and Marvel.”
“Marvel’s characters mean so much to our fans because they inspire us to embrace our individual power,” said Sana Amanat, Vice President of Content & Character Development, Marvel. “As the first title we’re launching with Scholastic, Shuri is the perfect character to highlight this message. She may be a Wakandan princess, but what makes Shuri the ultimate hero is her unique sense of intelligence, responsibility, and determination, ideals that resonate with all of us.”
“The Marvel Universe is vast, inclusive, and iconic with a great range of multi-faceted characters, and Scholastic and Marvel share a commitment to bringing diverse characters to life,” said Debra Dorfman, Vice President and Publisher, Global Licensing, Brands and Media, Scholastic. “Shuri, Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales, Squirrel Girl, etc. are all ‘ordinary’ characters with extraordinary powers – and there are a lot of stories to be told!”
Marvel is no stranger to publishing prose, having launched the Marvel Press imprint in 2003 with Mary Jane by Judith O’Brien. Since then they’ve released acclaimed novels featuring Marvel characters by such renowned authors as Peter David, Alisa Kwitney, and Margaret Stohl.
