The first book in the Girl Scouts publishing program, Maven Takes the Lead, hits shelves this fall
HarperCollins Children’s Books today announced a new publishing program with Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the largest girl-serving organization in the world. The program, which includes eight books, will focus on themes central to Girl Scouts, including friendship, leadership, and taking action, with the goal of inspiring readers everywhere to make the world a better place. The first book, Maven Takes the Lead, will go on sale September 24, 2024. Two nonfiction titles, Take Action: You Can Make the World a Better Place and The Ultimate Friendship Journal: An Interactive Guide to Making New Friends & Treasuring the Ones You’ve Got, will follow in 2025.
Written by Pura Belpré Award–winning author Yamile Saied Méndez, Maven Takes the Lead introduces Maven, a Latina fifth grader who is determined to win her school robotics competition with the support of her friends and Girl Scout troop. Subsequent books in the middle grade paperback series will star diverse members of Maven’s Girl Scout troop and celebrate their unique strengths, passions, and cultures.
Take Action: You Can Make the World a Better Place, an inspiring nonfiction guidebook, and The Ultimate Friendship Journal: An Interactive Guide to Making New Friends & Treasuring the Ones You’ve Got, a guided journal, will follow in January and April 2025, respectively. Both middle grade titles are full of quizzes, journaling prompts, and activities. Future Girl Scout titles, scheduled through 2026, will include another middle grade novel, a picture book, and three “I Can Read!” leveled readers.
Wendy Lou, chief revenue officer of GSUSA, said: “We are so excited for these books. Girl Scouts live our values every day—these books are a great way for all girls and their families to learn more about what it means to be a Girl Scout, from forming long-lasting friendships to having the courage, confidence, and character to take on new and exciting challenges.”
Nancy Inteli, VP, publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books, said: “Girl Scouts of the USA has positively influenced its members’ lives and communities since 1912, and now these books will expand their mission’s reach to young readers everywhere. We are so proud and honored to be a part of this effort to build young readers of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”
World rights for the GSUSA publishing program were licensed to VP, publisher, Nancy Inteli and editor Erika DiPasquale at HarperCollins Children’s Books by Cait Hoyt at CAA.
For more information, visit www.girlscouts.org/Read.
