This season sees an impressive number of titles marking significant anniversaries. Here we take a look at notable books hitting new milestones and how publishers plan to celebrate.
A Golden Trio Turns 75
HarperCollins plans to celebrate the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s fantastical tale following a group of siblings into a new world via their wardrobe. Originally published in the U.K. on October 16, 1950, and in the U.S. on November 6, 1950, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has gone on to become a children’s classic, with worldwide sales of the series reaching more than 115 million copies, editions available in 60 languages around the world, and adaptations to film (including a forthcoming Netflix adaptation from Greta Gerwig expected in 2026), TV, and stage. This fall, the seven original Narnia books will be republished with new cover art, along with two concept board books with illustrations by Joey Chou.
50 Years of Everlasting Youth
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt turns 50 this year, and in honor of the occasion, Macmillan is releasing a new edition of the audiobook, narrated by Alexis Bledel (who played Winnie in the 2002 film), as well as a graphic novel adaptation by K. Woodman-Maynard, and a new edition of the novel with the original cover and a new foreword to the book by Gabrielle Zevin. Natalie Babbitt’s daughter, Lucy, also wrote an afterword for the 50th anniversary edition of Tuck Everlasting, which was exclusively shown by PW.
Everyone’s Favorite Nona
The beloved witch in Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona hits the 50-year milestone this year. The picture book traces the adventure of Big Anthony, who is left watching over a local woman’s magic pasta pot, and casts a spell to disastrous results. The book earned a Caldecott Honor in 1976, has sold 2.6 million copies worldwide since the 1990s, and been translated into more than 13 languages.
40 Frosty Years
Readers can return to the North Pole as The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg celebrates 40 years on shelves. The wintry picture book classic was adapted to film in 2004, garnering a slate of awards including Oscar nominations and Saturn Award wins. The holiday story will be getting an update with a reprint and a deluxe gift set, which features a Christmas countdown calendar and original press-out ornaments.
For the 'Winn'
Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Honor-winning middle grade novel Because of Winn Dixie celebrates 25 years this month. The beloved novel follows tween Opal and the dog that follows her home from the supermarket, as their friendship opens up the town to Opal in new ways. In addition to a Newbery Honor, the novel went on to be adapted to film in 2005, and has sold 14 million copies through the end of 2024. Candlewick will be releasing a special anniversary edition. See our story on DiCamillo’s big year here.
A Homecoming for a Princess
Mia Thermopolis, the star of Meg Cabot’s popular middle grade series The Princess Diaries, has been ruling over the fictional land of Genovia for 25 years. The 15-book series follows the trials and tribulations of young Mia, who is catapulted into royalty when her estranged grandmother arrives to claim her as princess of a foreign nation. In 2001, Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews brought the characters to life in an adaptation produced by Disney, and they will reprise their roles in the forthcoming film Princess Diaries 3, tentatively scheduled for release next year. Readers can look forward to a graphic novel adaptation of the books, to be released in spring 2026.
Barnyard Hijinks
Author Doreen Cronin and illustrator Betsy Lewin’s picture book Click, Clack, Moo turns 25 in October. The story of barnyard animals and their mischief has earned several accolades, including a Caldecott Honor and an Irma S. Black Award Honor. The series spent more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has been sold in more than a dozen countries. A special edition of the classic will hit shelves in October, featuring a sticker sheet with all the favorite characters.
Oh, Olivia!
The precocious piglet celebrates her 25th anniversary this fall. The late Ian Falconer’s Caldecott Honor book, the debut picture book by the New Yorker cover artist, follows Olivia through a litany of activities before she finally heads to bed. The book has sold more than three million copies domestically, has been translated into 10 languages, and garnered a slew of other accolades and honors. A special edition of the picture book with a birthday-wrapping cover and stickers will hit shelves on November 4.
A Love Triangle for the Ages
Stephenie Meyers took the YA scene by storm in 2005 with the release of Twilight, which went on to become a paranormal romance phenomenon. The love triangle between human Bella, werewolf Jacob, and vampire Edward turns 20 this year. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is commemorating the milestone with the release of three special editions of the novel. Fans of the film adaptations can see them back on the big screen as they return to theaters this fall. The author attended the annual Forever Twilight in Forks Festival earlier this month in Forks, Wash., where the books take place, in celebration of the anniversary. The Twilight in Concert Tour kicked off on September 12, bringing the story to life with live music across 60 cities through November.
What a Gift
Patrick McDonnell’s picture book classic The Gift of Nothing starring Mooch and Earl from the beloved comic strip Mutts, continues to show readers a lesson in appreciation as it turns 20. Along with an anniversary edition of the picture book, Little, Brown will also be releasing a brand-new companion title, The Gift of Everything in October, bringing the beloved characters back for a holiday story. Readers hoping to meet the creator, who has earned seven Harvey Awards along with the Eisner Humanitarian Award for his work, can find him celebrating the anniversary at public appearances later this year.
Twenty Years of Grimm
Michael Buckley’s haunted fairy tale spin-off, The Sisters Grimm, is celebrating 20 years on shelves in October. The nine-book children’s fantasy series imagines Sabrina and Daphne, the daughters of the Brothers Grimm, encountering many characters across the fairy tale canon. This fall, AppleTV+ will release an animated series adaptation starring Modern Family actor Ariel Winter, voice actor Leah Newman, SNL alum Laraine Newman, and House of the Dragon actor Abubakar Salim. The show is set to premiere globally on October 3.
How Fancy, Nancy
Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser created the precocious Fancy Nancy character 20 years ago. And following up on the bestselling books, a TV series, two musicals, and two decades of tea parties, they’re returning to the Nancy universe with a new addition to the series: Fancy Nancy: Besties for Eternity is out this month from HarperCollins. The duo also plans to meet their fans on tour, with 20 stops scheduled across the country.
Building a Legacy
Chris van Dusen made his way into young readers’ hearts 20 years ago with his E.B. White Award-winning picture book If I Built a Car, kicking off the If I Built series which encourages readers to imagine constructing their own unique projects. Van Dusen marks his return to the series after five years with If I Built a Town, the fifth installment in the series. This fall, Van Dusen will hit the road in a 15-city tour to commemorate the series and its continuation.
A Decade with Demigods
Rick Riordan celebrates two decades since the beginning of his middle grade series starter Percy Jackson: The Lighting Thief and its whirlwind of success. The series started with seven books, and there have been several spin-offs to the original series: The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, The Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series, The Trials of Apollo, and The Senior Year Adventures. The most recent spin-off title is The Sun and the Star, a collaboration with author Mark Oshiro, which centers around series regular Nico di Angelo, and which has a sequel out this month, called The Court of the Dead. Percy Jackson first hit screens in 2010 in a film adaptation from 20th Century Fox that featured Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, and Alexandra Daddario. A new live-action adaptation from Disney+ has earned several awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Young Teen Series. The second season, featuring Walker Scobell, Leah Jefferies, and Aryan Smhadri, is set to release this winter, with production on season three underway. And the titular tween will war with the Greek gods in a new collector’s edition, to be released in January.
A Red Decade
Red Queen, the first title of Victoria Aveyard’s quartet of the same name, marks 10 years since hitting shelves and introducing readers to a cast of vicious characters set in a world where the color of one’s blood dictates their class. The book became a favorite of teen readers, earning Aveyard the Goodreads Choice Award in 2015 for Debut Author and a Goodreads Choice Award nomination for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction. In 2021, Peacock announced a series adaptation to be co-produced by Universal Television and Warner Bros.
The Last Kids Keep Fighting
Max Brallier kicked off his monster apocalypse book series a decade ago with The Last Kids on Earth: Zombie Parade, and the squad of teens fighting to survive are still kicking. Brallier’s books were adapted by Netflix into an animated series, which debuted in 2019, featuring such stars as Catherine O’Hara, Bruce Campbell, and Rosario Dawson. The show had a three-season run that ended in 2020. The series was also adapted into a graphic novel format, illustrated by Brian Churilla, the first of which hit shelves last year. With the anniversary approaching in October, Brallier will add a 10th installment to the series, The Last Kids on Earth and the Destructor’s Lair. Brallier will be launching an anniversary tour in November, visiting schools and bookstores.
A ‘Wonderful Time’ to Turn 10
Emily Winfield Martin’s picture book The Wonderful Things You Will Be turns 10 in October and Random House Children’s Books will honor the occasion with a new edition of the picture book, featuring extra pages for readers to note their own special occasions. The beloved story highlighting the many exciting moments to come in a child’s life has sold 3.2 million copies and spent 433 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
A Crash Landing
Hilo, the alien star of Judd Winick’s middle grade novel series starter, found his way to Earth, and bookshelves, 10 years ago. The Hilo series has gone on to sell 1.4 million copies. To commemorate a decade of Hilo’s coexistence with humans, Random House plans to release a special edition boxed set, which will contain the 10 books of the series with new wrap-around original art. The story will continue with Hilo Presents: The Mighty (A Graphic Novel), set for next spring, and Winick will be heading on a school tour to celebrate.
