Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: Elli BErger, scholastic

Ellie Berger, Who Built Scholastic Graphix, Retires After 40 Years

President of Scholastic Trade Publiishing, Ellie Berger, who helped establish Scholastic Graphix, retires after 40 years

Published Fri, 30 May 2025 08:58:07 -0500

by Rich Johnston

Last updated Sat, 31 May 2025 04:51:59 -0500

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Article Summary

Ellie Berger retires after a 40-year career as President of Scholastic Trade Publishing.
She played a key role in US releases of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games book series.
Berger was instrumental in founding Scholastic Graphix, pioneering kids’ graphic novels.
She grew Scholastic into North America's largest publisher of print comics and children’s books.

Ellie Berger, President of Scholastic Trade Publishing and Executive Vice President of Scholastic, will retire on June 11 after forty years at the publisher. She joined in 1985 as an associate managing editor and was made Publisher of the trade division in 2006. The following year, she was promoted to President.

Ellie Berger, Who Built Scholastic Graphix, Retires After 40 Years — Ellie Berger ringing the NASDAQ bell, for Dog Man

Berger was involved in the production and rollout of every Harry Potter title in the USA, which helped build one of the industry's largest trade book publishers, as well as The Hunger Games. But it is for establishing the graphic novel category for young readers, Scholastic Graphix, that she will be most celebrated for at Bleeding Cool, including building the foundation for Dav Pilkey's Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club series, as well as The Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps, Clifford, Animorphs, and I Spy, with new formats such as The 39 Clues. Because of her, in part, Scholastic Graphix is the biggest publisher of print comics in the USA by a league, with many seven-figure print runs and many dozens of six-figure print runs. Ellie Berger was also controversially called upon to apologise for the optional diverse books list offered to Scholastic Book Fairs, described as "segregated" by authors.

Berger states "As a young child, my parents instilled in me a love of reading and a deep appreciation for the world of children's books. I'm honored to have been a part of the publishing industry at Scholastic, and I thank everyone who has shared this journey with me."

Scholastic Corporation is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes comics, books, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Its books are distributed through retail and online sales and through schools via reading clubs and fairs, and its comic book line Scholastic Graphix has helped to make Scholastic the biggest print comic book publisher in North America.

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