LIFE OF A READER

A Pug By Any Other Name

by Judy Newman with Cristy Bertini and Alana Pedalino

As we start returning to work in person at our Scholastic offices in New York City, this is the mural that greets us when we arrive on the ninth floor, which is where the Scholastic Book Clubs team makes its magic happen.

Each floor in the beautiful building that we call our work home has a different work of art from a published Scholastic children’s book that is the first thing you see when you get off the elevator. Harry Potter, Fly Guy, Clifford, and Miskit from the Amulet graphic novels each have a place of honor on their own floor. Every mural represents Scholastic’s mission to inspire all kids to engage with children’s books so that they can develop their imaginations and their literacy. While other floors may have tonier literary characters festooning their entryways, I think Pig the Pug perfectly captures the spirit of Scholastic Book Clubs.

Since 1948, when the Book Club business started as Scholastic Book Services, our mission has been to partner with classroom teachers to help all kids choose and own their own books. We know from quantitative research and from qualitative experience that when kids choose their own books they read more. And that kids love funny books, books in which they can see themselves, and books they feel happy to read.

I went used-book shopping for copies of Scholastic Book Services’ 1960s bestsellers The Saturday Gang by Lee Kingman, illustrated by Burt Silverman, and Double Trouble for Rupert and Triple Trouble for Rupert by Ethelyn M. Parkinson. My friend Stu celebrated his birthday last month, and since he was recently waxing nostalgic about how much joy he felt getting his book order when he was a kid—and how much he identified with Rupert—I figured these would be perfect birthday gifts.

Needless to say, Stu’s thank you note made me so happy:

“Could be the best birthday present I ever got! It immediately brought me back to being 8 years old going downstairs past my bedtime to show my mother how much I read of Double Trouble for Rupert. Then I opened the book you got me and saw that the author dedicated her book “For My Mother.” I am going to carefully re-read all of them.”

Aaron Blabey’s Pig the Pug and his dachshund housemate, Trevor, embody the spirit of today’s Scholastic Book Clubs. Like Rupert did for Stu back in the day, Pig and all of Aaron Blabey’s book series, including Thelma the Unicorn and The Bad Guys (which is about to be a major motion picture) create joy in kids who choose to read and own books they love. Funny, irreverent, over-the-top-dramatic Pig does what all teachers—and all of us at Scholastic—are aiming for every day: inspire kids to read.

Channeling Aaron Blabey and inspired by Pig the Pug, the Scholastic Book Clubs team did some free associating about what Pig brings up for them. For David Vozar, a comparison to his own French bulldog, Yoshi, was obvious:

I hope if you do decide to snag this first book in Blabey’s series about a greedy pug’s misadventures, you’ll learn from Pig and share your copy with a friend. From the Saturday Gang to Rupert to Pig the Pug—our collective goal is to share books that will inspire all kids to enjoy reading.

Happy reading!

XX,

Judy

Judy Newman is President and Reader-in-Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs. For more information, visit judynewmanatscholastic.com.