Scholastic, the world's largest publisher of children's books, has acquired Kazu Kibuishi's 2-volume graphic novel series Amulet.  The first volume in the series is slated for release in spring 2007 under Scholastic's Graphix imprint -- the graphic novel line Scholastic created for the publication of Jeff Smith's Bone graphic novels.  Scholastic won the rights to the Amulet graphic novels in a hotly contested auction arranged by Kibuishi's agent, Judith Hansen of the Hansen Literary Agency.

 

The 27-year-old Kazu Kibuishi, who was born in Tokyo and moved to the U.S. in 1982 with his mother and brother, is one of the most dazzling young talents working in American comics today.  His debut graphic novel, Daisy Kutter: The Last Train was nominated as an American Library association Best Book for Young Adults, and Kibuishi is the editor and art director for the critically acclaimed Flight anthologies, the first two volumes of which were published by Image Comics.