High Interest Publishing publishes novels and other materials that are written, edited and designed for struggling and reluctant readers from age 8 to 18. The company also offers print and online teacher resources to help educators teach reading strategies, boost comprehension and improve students' general reading skill.
Founded in 2001, the Canadian company began with the HIP SR series - now 24 award-winning high-interest, low vocabulary novels for students in junior and senior high school. In 2005 the offering was expanded to include the HIP Junior series aimed at middle-school students with below-grade reading skills. In subsequent years, the company developed HIP Edge titles for senior high students with reading difficulties, HIP Xtreme hi-action titles suitable for a wide range of readers, HIP Fantasy novels, and HIP Professional books and ebooks for teachers. HIP began offering some of its titles as Ebooks in 2013.
The
American company, set up in 2008 in New York State, handles production and distribution in the United States from the historic Tri-Main Building at 2495 Main Street in Buffalo. We're proud to be a New York company and part of the Buffalo renaissance.
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 to 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 teacher training programs all show teachers how to help students build comprehension skills and fluency as they read.
HIP was initially created as a partnership between Terry Durkin (formerly CEO of Listening for Pleasure Talking Books) and author Paul Kropp. Sadly, Terry Durkin - HIP's super salesman - passed away in April, 2012. Direct sales for HIP books are now handled by Jill Richardson who can offer special deals on orders over $500. Jill is always willing to handle questions or expedite orders in both the US and Canada.
The HIP team includes:
- Paul Kropp, President and Editorial Director
- Jill Richardson, Vice President, Sales Director
- Lori Jamison, Educational Director
- Dina DiGiuseppe, Buffalo Office Manager
- Sally Chatfield, Production Coordinator
- Laura Brady, text design
- Bob Corrigan, covers and general design
- and, of course, the various HIP authors
Then there are our background partners, the Canada Book Fund and the Ontario Media Development Corporation whose financial assistance helps us in book production, promotion and distribution. As the official phrase goes, "HIP acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities."
HIP novels are sold by many distributors in the United States including BookSource, Follett and Saddleback. High Interest Publishing is part of the Chestnut Publishing Group in Canada and represented by their sales force. HIP novels are also available in England and Ireland in an adapted version from Robinswood Publishing. 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.
To contact HIP Books by mail: (In Canada) 391 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON M4X 1H5; (In the US) High Interest Publishing, 2495 Main Street, Unite 452, Buffalo, NY 14214.
To contact the editorial offices by email: edit@hip-books.com
To contact the sales office by email: sales@hip-books.com
