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Bedtime Math Provides Free Party Kit for National Pajama Party Week

Bedtime Math, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping kids maintain interest in mathematics, is coordinating Bedtime Math National Pajama Party Week, from June 24 through June 28, in conjunction with the launch of its new book, Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late (Macmillan).  The event is aimed at children ages three to eight and will focus on making math fun through math-inspired readings, games, and activities.

Stores are invited to participate in Pajama Party Week by signing up for a free party kit by June 12. The kit includes lanyards and keychain animals, large group puzzles, calendars, magnets, brochures, posters, party favor bags, and more.

Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay up Late will be released June 25 through Macmillan Children’s. The book’s author, Laura Overdeck, is appearing at BookExpo America.

IngramSpark to Offer Publish on Demand Platform

Ingram Content Group is launching IngramSpark℠, a new Publish On Demand℠ platform, this July. Ingram said the online publishing tool will provide independent publishers with simple, cost-effective access to the company’s global distribution network for print titles and e-book content.

“Through the IngramSpark platform, independent publishers will now have access to Ingram’s reach, enabling them to affordably print copies, distribute books to global retailers, make titles available to all major e-readers and connect with more customers  worldwide,” said Mark Ouimet, vice president and general manager, Ingram Publisher Services. “We wanted to make it easy for publishers to create an account and start uploading their content in just a few minutes.”

After its initial launch, Ingram plans to expand the reach of its IngramSpark service to include Ingram’s MyiLibrary® academic library platform, wholesale and full-service Ingram Publisher Services options, file conversion services, and sales and marketing programs.

World Book Night Adds University Partners

World Book Night is welcoming the Denver Publishing Institute (DPI) and the Yale Publishing Course as official partners.

WBN Executive Director Carl Lennertz noted that the organization’s existing partnership with the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies’ Center for Publishing has been very successful, with students in the graduate program managing WBN’s social media.

DPI is providing graduate school interns to assist WBN, and Yale has helped establish a reading program in its hometown and a speaking opportunity for Lennertz, as well as a discount on summer tuition for its publishing course (contact Lennertz for more information).

Penguin Group Rolls Out Book Truck and Pushcart

A Penguin Book Truck and a Penguin Book Pushcart will soon be hitting the streets. Following their debut at BookExpo America, the truck and pushcart  will appear at Shakespeare in the Park performances in New York’s Central Park, the American Library Association conference in Chicago, and Tom Sawyer Day at the Mark Twain House in Milford, Connecticut. The truck and pushcart will also visit bookstores, festivals, library events, and author signings. Stock from all Penguin imprints will be featured, but will be customized for each event.

Susan Petersen Kennedy, president of Penguin Group (USA), said, “We think the Penguin Book Truck and Pushcart will allow us to, directly and in partnership with bookstores, connect writers with readers and to spread the iconic Penguin brand in fun and exciting new ways. This will be a movable feast of today’s great books.” 

Ingram Partners With Courier Corporation

Ingram Content Group and Courier Corporation have announced a partnership to broaden the services available to their publisher clients.

The move will allow Courier, a book manufacturer, to use Ingram’s print-on-demand and digital distribution services, for both traditional publishing companies and self-publishers.

Ingram will use Courier’s printing services to streamline workflow and delivery times by providing full-service manufacturing and distribution to publishers through the Life Print℠ program, a global one-stop service program that helps manage and reduce costs.