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As a kid, I remember having the impression that a lot of middle class families in my town were divided in a very easy to understand way.  You either subscribed to Newsweek or you subscribed to TIME.  This is one of those perceptions that you look back on in later years and just kinda sigh over.  In any case, my family was a Newsweek family, which suited me as a kid because each issue had a page of three comics and a lot of quotes I didn’t understand.  I didn’t understand the comics either, but that’s neither here nor there.

Now the years have passed.  Magazine subscriptions have fallen.  Newsweek trundles along its merry way, but TIME has looked at the marketplace and seen a need.  So for the past 17 years TIME has created TIME for Kids.  It’s an imprint that produces books for the educational/school market so if you haven’t heard of it, that’s why.  I certainly hadn’t.  As a public librarian, if you asked me what major periodical had a children’s book imprint that served non-fiction fare my answer would be “National Geographic” (which is true) or maybe “I dunno . . . Sports Illustrated?” (also, as it happens, true).

This year, for the first time, TIME for Kids is publishing books for the trade book marketplace as well.  Since I knew next to nothing about this imprint anyway I sat down with Bob Der, Editorial Director of TIME for Kids.  Fun Fact: He also overseas some aspects of Sports Illustrated for Kids as well.  Small world/big corporation.  I sat down with him at Lily O’Brien’s Cafe, which is a chocolate shop next to my library.  I did this because I’ve always wanted to meet someone there.  I mean, come on!  I’ve got a high end chocolateria next to me and I NEVER go in?  Crazytalk.

The sharp eyed amongst you will notice that I didn’t call this post a “librarian preview”.  That’s because it’s hard to justify calling something a preview when the books presented to you are all of two.  Yup.  Two little books.  TIME, as I say, is starting slow and so they’ve just come out with two books for starters. 

First up, you’ve got your The BIG Book of Why.  It’s one of those fun fact books, but with a twist.  Advertising that it, “answers the biggest questions kids commonly ask and adults can rarely answer” the book reminds me quite a bit of Stephen Law’s Really, Really Big Questions.  The difference (aside from the fact that this book doesn’t deal with some of the more philosophical aspects of Law’s title) is the size.   There are 1,001 facts inside and the page count rounds out to a cool 192.  Here’s something for the organized amongst you as well.  Says its press: “Divided by subject area – humans, animals, environment/nature, technology, science, and space – and written in an exciting and engaging manner, each answer is accompanied by either a photo or an illustration to prove the reasons why.”