Congratulations to Abrams, which has a trifecta of milestone anniversaries this year: the company turns 75; Abrams Children's Books is 25; and Abrams ComicArts turns 15. Combined, that represents 115 years of publishing excellence that continues to grow in groundbreaking ways and under dynamic new leadership. With the support of the publisher, Shelf Awareness celebrates the highlights of the company's rich history, its plans for the future, and new titles that will soon enter the marketplace. Enjoy!

Mary McAveney

For Abrams CEO Mary McAveney, the company's three major anniversaries highlight "our enduring commitment to publishing high-quality, visually stunning books that inspire, educate, and entertain," she says. "They are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, the trust and support of our authors and illustrators, and the loyalty of our readers. Celebrating these milestones allows us to reflect on our past achievements, honor our legacy, and look forward to the future with renewed passion and purpose."

Since joining the company in November 2022, McAveney has had several major goals, particularly "to strengthen our position as a leader in illustrated book publishing, expand our reach both domestically and internationally, and innovate in ways that meet the evolving needs of our readers and the industry." She's done so by enhancing the company's digital presence, diversifying its portfolio, and fostering "a culture of creativity and collaboration within the company." The ultimate goal is to "ensure that Abrams continues to produce books that resonate with audiences and make a lasting impact."

McAveney's background in marketing and strategy has been instrumental in working on these goals. (Before joining Abrams, she was Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Open Road Integrated Media and earlier held executive positions at Simon & Schuster, Zondervan, HarperCollins--and, in a nice bit of symmetry, at Abrams, where she worked in marketing and sales 30 years ago.) Key parts of these efforts include using her expertise to help develop "comprehensive performance marketing that puts books in the hands of readers in addition to enhancing our brand visibility and engaging our audiences." The company is also leveraging data-driven insights to better understand reader preferences and tailoring its marketing accordingly. Strategic planning has also helped to identify growth opportunities, optimize operations, and stay ahead of industry trends. Aligning marketing and strategic initiatives helps "ensure that Abrams remains competitive and continues to thrive," McAveney adds.

Since McAveney's arrival, Abrams has made a series of major appointments, bringing in top talent in sales, strategy, and finance that have helped in these efforts. The company also has added more distribution clients, completed several acquisitions, and made Abrams ComicArts a new division, which, as McAveney says, "allows us to explore new genres and markets within the fast-growing comics, manga, and graphic novel industries. It also allows us to really tap into the strength of our sister companies."

Like most companies, Abrams has had to navigate the challenge of a changing economy that post pandemic is fitfully returning to "normal," with occasional supply chain issues and market fluctuations. The other big challenge has been the general digital transformation that has affected the book industry in ways unpredictable a few years ago. Still, McAveney says, "These challenges have also highlighted strengths--the resilience and adaptability of our team, the innovative solutions we've developed, and the strong relationships we've built with our authors, illustrators, and distribution partners."

For the future, Abrams plans to continue refining audience data, expand digital offerings, and leverage its market expertise "to enhance the reading experience and connect with our consumers directly." The company also plans to diversify its catalog, grow into new genres and formats to attract a broader audience, and continue to strengthen relationships with authors and illustrators, increase its visibility, and further its global reach.

Speaking directly to Shelf Awareness readers, McAveney says, "I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your support and enthusiasm for our books. Your passion for reading and appreciation for high-quality publishing inspire us every day. As we celebrate these significant milestones, we remain committed to bringing you books that captivate, educate, and entertain. Thank you for being a part of the Abrams journey, and we look forward to continuing to share our stories with you for many years to come."

As part of its celebration of its anniversaries, Abrams has selected "Essential" titles that have been both instrumental and represent it most memorable and indispensable books that continue to resonate with readers. View them here:

"75 Abrams Essentials"

"25 Abrams Children's Books Essentials"

"15 Abrams ComicArts Essentials"

Abrams also has a timeline called "Abrams Through the Ages: A Visual Retrospective" that shows the company's amazing history.

The first U.S. publisher focused on creating and distributing high-quality art books, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., launched in 1949 with just two employees--Harry N. Abrams and editor in chief Milton Fox--and $100,000 in capital. Its first list consisted of three titles: Renoir, Van Gogh, and El Greco, which formed the nucleus of the Library of Great Painters series.

Other early titles included History of Art by H.W. Janson (1962), which became required reading in many college and university art classes; Norman Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator (1970), which sold more than 200,000 copies in its first two years; and The Art of Walt Disney (1973), still in print after several editions, a title that heralded the beginning of lavish art books about popular culture.

Other milestones involved partnerships that defined publishing genres. In 1991, Abrams published Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics, the start of a partnership that continues today. In 1992, Abrams published George Lucas: The Creative Impulse, which covered the first 20 years of LucasFilm, with forewords by Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola, the beginning of another ongoing partnership.

The publication of star chef Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food in 2002 spearheaded the growth of Abrams's cookbook program with innovative use of images and a totally fresh approach to cooking. The publication in 2005 of Bunny Williams's landmark interior design book, An Affair with a House, began the company's strong interior design list featuring leading names in the field. Also in 2005, Abrams published Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury, one of the first of many books that highlight fashion designers and their world with the values of traditional art-book publishing.

In 2006, Abrams launched the Abrams Image imprint, focusing on illustrated and non-illustrated books about music, humor, reference, fashion, and pop culture.

In 2009, Abrams released Vanity Fair Portraits by Graydon Carter, one of many titles published in association with Conde Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Architectural Digest, and more. Abrams has had similar programs with the New York Times, Hearst, and other major publications.

In 2017, Abrams launched Abrams Press, which focuses on first-rate narrative nonfiction on a broad range of subjects and issues, including arts and culture, food and drink, style, design, history, current events, science, technology, memoir, and biography. Among the imprint's successes is Caroline Criado Perez's Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, a landmark, prize-winning, bestselling examination of how the gender gap in data perpetuates bias.

In 2018, Abrams acquired The Overlook Press, the acclaimed publisher founded in 1971 by the legendary late publisher Peter Mayer. The Overlook Press has a high-quality and eclectic list, publishing authors including Charles Portis, Mark Helprin, Susan Hill, P.G. Wodehouse, and Walter Brooks, among others.

In 2020, Abrams announced a new partnership with Cernunnos to publish illustrated books that showcase popular art as well as highlight the creative spirit in contemporary art and iconic painters, photographers, fashion influencers, filmmakers, and writers.

Founder Harry N. Abrams retired in 1977, and Andrew Stewart became president. Stewart began an ambitious publishing program with the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, Paul Gottlieb became editor in chief, then chairman and CEO, heading Abrams for 20 years and expanding the company's reach to the mainstream. In 2004, Michael Jacobs became president and CEO and oversaw record growth during his 18-year tenure. In 2014, Michael Sand became publisher of the adult trade division.

Recent New York Times bestsellers include Easy Money by Ben McKenzie, F*ck It, I'll Start Tomorrow by Action Bronson, The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King, Good Eats: The Final Years by Alton Brown, Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett, Home Style Cookery by Matty Matheson, Music Is History by Questlove, The Sopranos Sessions by Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: The Art of the Movie by Ramin Zahed, and What's Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things by Gaby Dalkin.

Among other significant titles:

Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style by Architectural Digest, introduction by Amy Astley, foreword by Anna Wintour (2019)

Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession by Jess Damuck, foreword by Martha Stewart (2022)

Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection by Shawn Waldron, photographs by Slim Aarons and Getty Images, contribution by Lesley Blume, Laura Hawk, and Nick Foulkes, foreword by Maria Cooper Janis (2023)

Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud by Ben McKenzie and Jacob Silverman (2023)

The What's Gaby Cooking series by Gaby Dalkin, which includes What's Gaby Cooking: Everyday California Food (2018), What's Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want (2020), What's Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy, Recipes for Zero Stress and Deliciousness (2022), and What's Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things (2024)

Dalkin said this about working with Abrams: "Being a part of the Abrams family has been more than just a publishing experience; it has been a journey filled with memorable moments and experiences that have left an indelible mark on my career. The collaborative spirit, dedication to quality, and unwavering support from the Abrams team (who has become like family) have made this publishing journey truly special."

Abrams began publishing children's books when Howard Reeves was hired as publisher to establish a children's program, which was based on the company's foundation of artful, high-quality publishing. Reeves set the tone for a list that has been rich in diversity.

Abrams Children's Books has reached many milestones and steadily expanded with new imprints since it officially launched in 1999 as Abrams Books for Young Readers. It began with a focus on picture books and illustrated nonfiction for preschool through middle-grade readers. The first list included Babar and the Succotash Bird by Laurent de Brunhoff.

In 2004, Abrams Children's Books launched the Amulet imprint, focusing on novels and nonfiction for middle-grade readers and young adults. Amulet's first list included ttyl by Lauren Myracle, an innovative novel told entirely in instant messages and texts that became a national bestseller. In 2007, Amulet Books published the first title in Jeff Kinney's beloved and internationally bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The series has sold more than 290 million copies in 70 languages. Book 19, Hot Mess, comes out in October.

Kinney said this about his long collaboration with Abrams: "Abrams is celebrating a huge milestone: Seventy-five years of making wonderful, life-changing books. Books that changed my life and put me on a path to becoming an author. Never could I have imagined that my work would become part of the fabric of Abrams' own story. I'm so proud to have been able to have experienced so many firsts alongside Abrams. Thanks for giving this unknown author a chance. Thanks for believing in me, for supporting me, and for getting my stories out into the wider world. And thanks for doing what you do best--making the most beautiful books in the world. The Art of Books, indeed."

Abrams launched the Abrams Appleseed imprint in 2012, which is devoted to books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

In 2016, Andrew Smith joined as publisher of Abrams Children's Books and has led the group since then in addition to overseeing the company's award-winning calendar program. Also that year Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts became Abrams's first #1 New York Times bestselling picture book. Ada Twist, Scientist was the beginning of the Questioneers publishing program, which expanded to include more picture books, as well as activity and chapter books, selling more than four million copies.

Beaty reflected on working with Abrams on the Questioneers: "Nobody makes more beautiful books than Abrams. Every detail from the first edits to the last touch of varnish on the cover is the best quality possible. And that quality is echoed in everything. From editorial to design to production to marketing to sales to support to distribution to management to the sturdy boxes used to ship finished copies to... EVERYTHING!"

In 2020, Abrams Children's Books welcomed a new imprint, acquiring Magic Cat, a London publishing house that focuses on illustrated nonfiction and gift books that encourage children to dream big and celebrate the art of storytelling in innovative formats.

In 2022, Abrams published Lightlark by social media sensation Alex Aster, an acclaimed YA fantasy novel that was an instant #1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, and stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 53 consecutive weeks. Nightbane (The Lightlark Saga Book 2) came out in 2023, and Abrams has sold more than 1 million copies of the two books. The third in the series, Skyshade (The Lightlark Saga Book 3), will be published this November.

Avatar: The Last Airbender YA publishing program, which began in 2019, includes the most recent New York Times and USA Today bestseller, The Reckoning of Roku. The five titles in the Chronicles of the Avatar series have sold more than a million copies combined.

The Hello!Lucky publishing program consists of more than 20 titles in board book, picture book, and young graphic novel formats by Sabrina and Eunice Moyle, the sisters behind the Hello!Lucky letterpress greeting card and design studio.

Abrams Children's Books titles have won a myriad of awards. In 2001, Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Arts edited by Jan Greenberg was named a Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature Honor book. In 2011, Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus was named a Newbery Honor book, the first Amulet title to receive the prestigious award. In 2015, Amulet published El Deafo by Cece Bell, which was the first graphic novel to be named a Newbery Honor book. Also in 2015, Abrams Books for Young Readers published Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews and illustrated by Bryan Collier, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner and Caldecott Honor winner.

And there's more to come! The Abrams Fanfare imprint, dedicated to comics and graphic novels for young readers, is launching this fall.

Abrams ComicArts was launched in 2009 by editor Charles Kochman. Abrams ComicArts has published groundbreaking, award-winning graphic novels and illustrated books about the creators and the history of comics art, animation, and cartoons, including Daniel Clowes, Will Eisner, Jules Feiffer, Rube Goldberg, Jaime Hernandez, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, Patrick McDonnell, and Charles M. Schulz. This list was built on such earlier, seminal Abrams titles as The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics, Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman, and Mom's Cancer by Brian Fies.

Fies added this about being an Abrams author: "I love Abrams books, even ones I didn't write. An Abrams book doesn't just read well, it looks and feels and even smells just right. In my experience, the company culture focuses on what's best for the book. Abrams ComicArts helps my books--and by extension, me--be the best they can be."

One of the first and groundbreaking Abrams ComicArts titles was The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui, published in 2017, portraying one family's journey as immigrants from war-torn Vietnam. It was an American Book Award winner, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC).

Other notable titles include Nat Turner by Kyle Baker; Economix: How and Why Our Economy Works (and Doesn't Work), in Words and Pictures by Michael Goodwin and Dan E. Burr (2012), which was a New York Times and international bestseller; Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy, and John Jennings (2017), which was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, and Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy, and John Jennings (2020), which won the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story; and My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf, which was also a national bestseller and made into an award-winning movie in 2017.

Over the past 15 years, Abrams ComicArts has won 14 Eisner Awards and received 48 nominations; won 10 Harvey Awards and received 47 nominations; and had 6 New York Times bestsellers.

In 2021, Abrams established Megascope, a graphic novel line curated by comics creator John Jennings showcasing work by and about people of color with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism, as well as creative nonfiction narratives centered on social justice.

Also in 2021, Abrams launched Surely Books, a line of fiction and nonfiction graphic novels by LGBTQIA creators celebrating queer stories curated by Eisner-award winning author Mariko Tamaki.

In addition, in 2022, Abrams ComicArts began a line of books with Marvel called Marvel Arts. The first title, Fantastic Four: Full Circle: A Graphic Novel by legendary comics artist Alex Ross, was a national bestseller and won multiple awards, including the prestigious Reuben Award for Graphic Novel of the Year.

Abrams ComicArts has also published three graphic novel adaptations of the widely popular Dune books by Frank Herbert. The adaptations, written by Brian Herbert (Frank Herbert's son) and Kevin J. Anderson, are illustrated by Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín, with covers by Bill Sienkiewicz: Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 1: Dune (2020), Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 2: Muad'dib (2022), and Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 3: The Prophet (2024).

Last year, the Abrams ComicArts imprint became a new division of the company, overseen by publisher Rodolphe LaChat, that will have its first list as a division this fall. As part of that, Abrams ComicArts is publishing manga for the first time under the new Kana imprint whose titles include Frank Miller's Ronin Rising Manga Edition and Leviathan, Volume 1 by Shiro Kuroi. In addition, for the first time, Abrams ComicArts will publish single-issue comics, beginning in November with Human Nature from Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel and Jeff Welch, illustrated by Martín Morazzo; legendary comics creator Frank Miller also joins the list with Pandora and Invasive Species.

Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous by Gillian Anderson (Abrams Press, $28, 9781419777295, September 17, 2024).

Want is a revelatory exploration of women's sexuality that asks: How do women feel about sex when they have the freedom to be totally anonymous? Gillian Anderson collects and introduces the anonymous letters of hundreds of self-identifying women from around the world (along with her own anonymous letter). From a Sikh woman who writes about her secret lust for her brother-in-law, an Apache American woman who wants to be worshipped like a divine creature, and a white British woman who just wants to be properly kissed one last time, Want reveals how women really feel about sex.

The Slow Down: For the Love of Home by Leanne Ford (Abrams Books, $50, 9781419771071, October 1, 2024).

Designer and HGTV personality Leanne Ford shares design secrets and personal reflections on how she creates her warm, chic, and easy-going aesthetic. Ford's imperfectly perfect designs inspire more than half a million social media fans daily. In this very personal design book, she shares her decorating philosophy, wry humor, and advice to live by. The Slow Down offers readers an inside look at how Leanne found her "wow does this need work" dream house and then moved across the country to turn it into a welcoming home.

Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry, with a foreword by Kevin Feige (Abrams Books, $65, 9781419738647, October 1, 2024).

Marvel Studios' Head of Visual Development Ryan Meinerding has been a key creative force in designing the look of the beloved Super Heroes and villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the early stages of Iron Man (2008). Marvel Studios: The Art of Ryan Meinerding showcases the artist's iconic vision, from his work-in-progress sketches to his finished pieces. The book includes 500 illustrations and provides unprecedented insight into Meinerding's creative process.

Skyshade: The Lightlark Saga Book 3 by Alex Aster (‎Amulet Books, $22.99, 9781419773785, November 12, 2024).

Skyshade is the third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Lightlark Saga by acclaimed author and BookTok sensation Alex Aster. Back in Grim's castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future--and the fate of the world--now hinge on a heart split in two. As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle's final prophecy and change her heartrending fate. With the clock ticking on her destiny and the survival of two warring kingdoms hinging on her own shattered heart, Isla Crown will either save the world or destroy it.

Baby Dunks-a-Lot: A Picture Book by Jayson Tatum and Sam Apple, illus. by Parker-Nia Gordon (Abrams Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9781419771460, September 10, 2024).

Inspired by Jayson Tatum's life as both an NBA superstar and a loving dad, this laugh-out-loud picture book is the story of what happens when a tot becomes an NBA teammate. When a big kid teaches his little brother how to play basketball, something unusual happens... baby bro flies through the air for a monster dunk! Before long, every professional team wants the incredible dunking baby on their roster. Baby Dunks-A-Lot is poised to become a basketball legend--that is, until he misses his bedtime.

Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet by Geo Rutherford (Abrams Books for Young Readers, $24.99, 9781419770531, September 24, 2024).

From Geo Rutherford, the creator of the hit series Spooky Lake Month (with more than 65 million likes), comes this thrilling nonfiction book that plumbs the depths of 25 unusual lakes around the world. Backed by extensive research and packed with all-new content--including eerie and eye-popping watercolor illustrations in full color--Spooky Lakes takes readers on an adventure through weird and wild waters. Explore Lake Natron, a Tanzanian lake so briny that its waters can mummify any creature that touches its surface; Lake Maracaibo, a Venezuelan tidal bay where a constantly brewing storm sends an average of 28 lightning bolts per second into the water, and many more.

The Road: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Cormac McCarthy, illus. by Manu Larcenet (Abrams ComicArts, $26.99, 9781419776779, September 17, 2024).

This first official graphic novel adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize-winning postapocalyptic classic is illustrated by acclaimed French cartoonist Manu Larcenet, who transforms the world depicted by McCarthy's spare and brutal prose into stark ink drawings that add an additional layer to this haunting tale of family love and human perseverance. Cormac McCarthy personally approved the making of this book before his death.

Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story by Patrick McDonnell (Abrams ComicArts, $22.99, 9781419779084, September 3, 2024).

From the award-winning syndicated comic strip Mutts, the long-awaited "Guard Dog" story is now collected and presented in full color along with supplementary material, timed for the 30th anniversary of Guard Dog's debut in Mutts--when he quickly became one of the strip's most beloved characters. As a chained dog longing for freedom, he's played an important role in raising awareness about the cruelty of tethering and has inspired countless Mutts readers to become involved in animal welfare.

Frank Miller's Ronin Rising Manga Edition by Frank Miller, illus. by Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques (Kana, $12.99, 9781419776625, October 8, 2024).

A cursed Ronin. Psychological manipulation by a sentient AI. A security commander turned savior. And a postapocalyptic biotech war in the demon-teeming pits of a twenty-first century New York inadvertently started by the once benevolent Aquarius Corporation. Eisner Hall of Famer Frank Miller's Ronin is cited as the inspiration for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Samurai Jack. Now--40 years later--Miller, with the team Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques, returns to the world of Ronin, continuing his story for a new generation in Frank Miller's Ronin Rising.