FROM PARENTS TO PUBLISHERS: Pioneering Black Childrens Publisher, JUST US BOOKS, to Celebrate 15th Anniversary

Raising their two children in Northern NJ, parents Wade and Cheryl Hudson found it difficult to find quality Black-interest books for children outside of Black History month. The couple decided to fill the void themselves, and went to work developing their own children's books. But publisher after publisher turned the couple down, some outwardly doubting the viability of the Black children's book market. So the Hudsons founded their own publishing company: Just Us Books, and the company's success quickly proved doubters wrong. This year will celebrate its 15th anniversary and will mark the milestone occasion with "Passing It On," an anniversary gala and a free childrens book fair.

FROM PARENTS TO PUBLISHERS:
Pioneering Black Childrens Publisher, JUST US BOOKS, to Celebrate 15th Anniversary

- PR Guru TERRIE WILLIAMS, Author/Publisher HAKI MADHUBUTI and Author VALERIE WILSON WESLEY to Speak at Gala Celebration -

EAST ORANGE, NJ -- Just Us Books, a leading independent publisher of childrens books that focus on Black experiences, history and culture, will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year. The company began with a pre-anniversary event, "Salute to Black Heroes in Science" held this April. Festivities will continue with "Passing It On," an anniversary gala on Friday, October 10 at the Friar Tuck Inn in Cedar Grove, NJ, and a free childrens book fair featuring award-winning authors and illustrators on Saturday, October 11 in East Orange, NJ.

More than a decade and a half ago, Just Us Books founders Wade and Cheryl Hudson were parents on a desperate search for childrens books that reflected the diversity of Black history, heritage and experiences. Disappointed by the limited number they found, the couple embarked upon a mission: to produce the kind of positive, vibrant Black-interest books that they wanted for their own two children. To fulfill that mission in 1988 the couple founded their own publishing company: Just Us Books.

The success of the first title AFRO-BETS ABC Book and others that followed helped to prove the viability of the Black-interest childrens book market. In the years that followed, mainstream publishers began publishing and widely distributing more of these books as well. The independent press that helped to pioneer the industrys growth has marked a number of milestones. In 1992, the company entered into a production partnership with educational publishing leader Scholastic, Inc. that has resulted in a number of top selling titles. Many of Just Us Books titles have been recognized with prestigious industry honors as well. These include the Publishers Marketing Associations Ben Franklin Award for illustration given to Bright Eyes, Brown Skin in 1991 and From a Childs Heart in 1994; and BlackBoards Childrens Book of the Year awarded to Come By Here, Lord in 2003. The company has also received a number of honors in recognition of its success and contributions to childrens literature. Just Us Books was named "Small Business Pioneer of the Year" in 1997 by Income Opportunities magazine, and was given the New Jersey Small Business Success Award in 1998.

In 1997, Just Us Books brought together some of the most celebrated authors and illustrators in publishing, including Gwendolyn Brooks, Virginia Hamilton, Walter Dean Myers, Jeanne Moutousammy-Ashe, Leo and Diane Dillon, Fred and Patricia McKissack, for a celebration of the Black family. The result was the award-winning anthology, In Praise of Our Fathers and Our Mothers.
Fifteen years after its founding, Just Us Books remains one of the nations few Black-owned book publishers and the only one exclusively dedicated to producing Black-interest books for children. The independent press continues to make strides in publishing, this February releasing the third book in its best-selling Black Heroes series: Scientists, Healers and Inventors by Wade Hudson. Fall 2003 will see the release of five new titles: Follow up Letters to Santa From Kids Who Never Got a Response by celebrated poet and writer Tony Medina, with images by R. Gregory Christie; The March on Washington, by award-winning author James Haskins; Kid Caramel Book 3: Mess at Loch Ness, by Dwayne Ferguson; Poetry from the Masters: The Pioneers by Wade Hudson; and Dear Corinne, Tell Somebody! Love, Annie by Mari Evans in paperback. Just Us Books also announced this year that it will be expanding its list of books for young adults.

"Just Us Books 15th anniversary is not just a celebration of our success as a company," says Wade Hudson, president and CEO of Just Us Books. "Its a celebration of 15 years of Black children and all children reading, learning, growing, and affirming African-American heritage."

Based in East Orange, New Jersey, Just Us Books titles range from concept books for the Pre-Kindergarten age to novels for middle readers and young adults. Its books can be purchased at bookstores, specialty shops across the nation, or via the companys web site, www.justusbooks.com. For more information about Just Us Books or its upcoming anniversary celebrations, call (973) 672-7701.