Gale Acquires Children's Division of Sleeping Bear Press

Posted on August 23, 2002

Gale, a business unit within the Thomson Learning division of The Thomson Corporation has acquired the Children's Division of Sleeping Bear Press, a Chelsea, MI-based publisher of illustrated books for children in grades K through 6. The acquisition supports Gale's strategy of building product offerings for the K-12 market. Sleeping Bear's publishing operations will remain in Chelsea.

"This is an important acquisition for Gale, as we expand the variety of high-quality resources we currently offer the K-12 market further into K-6," said Allen Paschal, president of Gale.

Launched by publisher Brian Lewis in 1998 with the bestseller The Legend of Sleeping Bear (Michigan's official state children's book), this line of children's series books currently is sold through retail channels. Plans for Sleeping Bear are to grow its product line in the trade market with products that also can be sold into school and public libraries.

"Gale's support allows Sleeping Bear to more quickly complete our state-by-state series Discovering America A to Z, and other special titles in our publishing plan," said Brian Lewis, Sleeping Bear's publisher. "Showcasing the work of some wonderful author/illustrators, these books build on the natural affinity that children feel for their community and expand it nationally. Our increased market reach will help us positively impact on a child's life through reading at home, in the library and in the classroom."

Gale has been strategically growing its K-12 offerings -- also within the Gale family is Greenhaven Press, Blackbirch Press and KidHaven Press. Sleeping Bear's products complete the offering by reaching younger elementary audiences. Mr. Lewis noted that Sleeping Bear's Children's Division titles have never actively been sold into the library market, an opportunity the new relationship with Gale offers.

Gale is a provider of e-reference publishing for libraries, schools and businesses. The company creates and maintains more than 600 databases that are published in electronic form, as well as in print and microform. The Gale Group's brands include Macmillan Reference USA, Charles Scribner's Sons, Primary Source Microfilm, UXL, Greenhaven Press, Lucent Books, Kidhaven Press, Blackbirch Press and Thorndike Press. Gale operating companies include K.G. Saur and Graham & Whiteside.



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