About HIP Books
High Interest Publishing is really two companies - one in Toronto, Ontario and one in Buffalo, New York. Both companies produce novels that are specifically written, edited and designed for reluctant readers from age 8 to 18.
Founded in 2001, the Canadian company began with updating and reissuing titles from the old Series Canada/Encounter Series (US) for high-school students. Now it develops entirely new titles, including the HIP Junior series aimed at middle-school students with below-grade reading skills, HIP Edge titles for senior high students, HIP Fantasy novels, and HIP Professional Books for teachers.
The
American company, set up in 2008 in New York State, handles production and distribution in the United States from the Tri-Main Building at 2495 Main Street. We're proud to be a New York company and part of the Buffalo renaissance. Dina DiGiuseppe handles orders and shipping to all American customers.
Both companies have a simple mission: producing excellent books for reluctant readers, levelled to match student reading ability with appropriate supports to encourage further reading development.
There are two components in this mission. The first is publishing high-interest, low-vocabulary books that carefully match student reading ability. One aspect of producing such books is readability, another is student testing. These work together to ensure that each title has real appeal for students, and never exceeds their level of reading skill.
The second component is to provide supports so teachers can use these books to build student reading skills. Our teacher's guides, reader's theatre plays, and HIP Seminar programs all show teachers how to help students build comprehension skills and fluency as they read.
Sales for HIP books are handled by sales reps and wholesalers across North America, but direct sales (and the HIP phone) should go directly to Terry Durkin, our President and Salesman-in-Chief. Terry (formerly CEO of Listening for Pleasure Talking Books) is the man who can offer special deals on orders over $500, and he's always ready to handle questions and to expedite orders of any size.
The rest of our HIP team includes:
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Stanley Starkman, Canadian Sales Director
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Paul Kropp, Editorial Director
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Lori Jamison, Educational Director
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Ruth Peterson, HIP Seminars Administrator
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Dina DiGiuseppe, Buffalo Office Manager
- Laura Brady, text design
- Bob Corrigan, cover design
HIP novels are also available in England and Ireland in an adapted version from Robinswood Press. In Australia, HIP novels are distributed by INT Books. In Sweden, some of our novels are available in book form and on audio tape from RoseHip. In the United States, HIP novels can be ordered directly from HIP or from Follett Library Services, Broddart, Saddleback Education, Knowledge Industries and the Phoenix Book Company.
To contact HIP Books by mail: (In Canada) 391 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON M4X 1H5; (In the US) High Interest Publishing,
To contact the editorial offices by email: hip-books@sympatico.ca
To contact the sales office by email: info@hip-books.com
In Canada, HIP is distributed by the Chestnut Publishing Group. High Interest Publishing acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities.
