(Nashville, Tenn.) – Four-year-old Colton Burpo’s journey to heaven and back has reached over six million people in his story’s various formats. In addition to top rankings on several bestseller lists, the children’s book depicting Colton’s trip, Heaven Is for Real for Kids, has hit a new benchmark: #1 on the children’s picture books list of the New York Times Best Seller List.

“It is a simple and pure message from the experience of a four year old child: ‘Jesus really loves children. And He loves You!’ ” says Laura Minchew, Senior Vice President of Specialty Publishing at Thomas Nelson. “What a delight to see this message resonating with so many families.”

While the original trade book Heaven Is for Real was narrated by Colton’s father Todd, Heaven Is for Real for Kids (Tommy Nelson, ISBN 9781400318704, $14.99, November 2011) shows children what heaven is like through the eyes of young Colton Burpo. When he was nearly four years old, Colton experienced a burst appendix; it was during his emergency surgery that Colton visited heaven.  Aided by illustrator Wilson Ong, Colton vividly shows children what he saw in heaven and shares an important message: Jesus really, really loves children. The book features a letter to parents and a Q&A section that answers questions kids frequently have when they finish Colton’s story. In December 2011, the app Heaven Is for Real for Kids released on all Apple platforms.

The Burpo family is represented by Joel Kneedler of Alive Communications.

Heaven Is for Real for Kids is one of a trio of new products by the Burpo family released by Thomas Nelson. Heaven Is for Real deluxe edition is also available to provide a hardcover, gift-able version of the best-selling trade book. A Heaven is for Real DVD-based Conversation Kit features footage of the Burpo family talking about their experiences while offering discussion questions and suggestions for participants.

About the Authors:

Todd Burpo is pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan, a volunteer fireman, and works with a garage door company. His wife, Sonja, is a children’s minister, busy pastor’s wife, and mom. Colton, an active 12-year-old, has an older sister, Cassie, and a younger brother, Colby.

###

Tommy Nelson, the children’s division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishes a wide variety of high quality, enjoyable products that are consistent with the teachings found in the Bible. Tommy Nelson products are designed to expand children’s imaginations and nurture their faith while pointing them to a personal relationship with God. For more information, visit www.tommynelson.com.

Contact: Amy Kerr

Publicist

615-902-1722

akerr@thomasnelson.com

New York Times Best-Selling Book Engages Children in a Whole New Way

(Nashville, Tenn.) – Four-year-old Colton Burpo’s trip to heaven and back has been read by more than six million people through the New York Times best-seller Heaven Is for Real. Now, his incredible journey is available in an entirely new format: an interactive children’s app. Available on Apple platforms, the $6.99 Heaven Is for Real for Kids app allows children to engage more deeply with Colton’s message: “heaven is for real, and you’re going to like it!”

Created by developer Author Mobile™, the Heaven Is for Real for Kids app is an interactive storybook experience that allows children ages four to eight to read, play and share the messages from Colton’s journey. The app features:

·       Colton Burpo narrating the story

·       Voice recording capability, where multiple voices can be saved reading the book

·       Beautiful artwork crafted by the book’s illustrator, Wilson Ong

·       Whimsical sound elements that bring story pages to life

·       An FAQ section for kids’ most common questions after finishing the book

·       An activity section, featuring coloring pages and jigsaw puzzles

·       Ability to gift the app to others

“This delightful app, with strong messages of faith, comfort and hope, makes a perfect gift for kids,” said Laura Minchew, Senior Vice President of Specialty Publishing at Thomas Nelson. “Parents and grandparents will enjoy the ability to record their own voice reading the story.  How cool it will be for kids to share postcards, coloring sheets and puzzles via email or Facebook.”

“We are honored to partner with Thomas Nelson to produce the Heaven is for Real for Kids application,” remarked Jake Press, founder of Author Mobile™.  “Along with other children’s books and devotional apps, fans will enjoy the collection of applications we have coming in the future.”

Heaven Is for Real for Kids is one of a trio of new products by the Burpo family released by Thomas Nelson. Heaven Is for Real deluxe edition is also available to provide a hardcover, gift-able version of the best-selling trade book. A Heaven is for Real DVD-based Conversation Kit features footage of the Burpo family talking about their experiences while offering discussion questions and suggestions for participants.

LAURA MINCHEW FOR THOMAS NELSON AND JAKE PRESS FOR AUTHOR MOBILE

ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS.

###

Author Mobile™, a brand that provides electronic mobile platforms for the world’s leading book publishers, develops for many categories of books including children’s books and devotional applications. The brand is owned and operated by Jake Press Agency, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is one of the leading trade publishers in the United States. The Company is the world’s leading provider of Bibles, inspirational books and digital content, with product distribution in over 100 countries. Live Event Management, Inc., a Thomas Nelson company, is a national leading producer of live events. For more information, please visit http://www.thomasnelson.com.

For more information, please contact:

Amy Kerr

Publicist, Thomas Nelson

615-902-1722

akerr@thomasnelson.com

Max Lucado’s Bestselling Brand to Have Fresh Design, Packaging and New DVD Pricing

(Nashville, Tenn.) – With more than 5.5 million units sold in the Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends™ line, Max Lucado’s beloved book and DVD brand is planning to refresh and re-launch in the fall of 2011. The re-launch that includes board books, a hardcover level two reader, and DVD’s, will release on October 4th, 2011 with the new everyday value DVD pricing starting in September. A second new hardcover level two reader is set to release in spring of 2012.

The new Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends™ will include a fresh design with bright, colorful new art, and will feature a mix of classic and new stories for kids of all ages. The hardcover Level Two Readers have been designed for kids starting to read on their own. They will feature basic vocabulary words and simple sentences. The Little Hermie board books will include sweet, soft art and simple rhyming text that explains basic Christian concepts for toddlers. New design, packaging, brand new books, and lower DVD pricing all help busy families bring faith into their daily lives affordably.

The beloved DVD line, produced by GlueWorks Animation, will have a new lower retail price and a larger emphasis on felt needs for children. The new DVD pricing for the Hermie brand will include $12.99 for a two-episode classic DVD pack and $9.99 for a classic single episode package, adding more value for the consumers than the previous $15 single episode packages. The two-episode DVD packs will include two classic Hermie episodes based on a Christian felt-need message.

“The Hermie brand is very special to me”, says author Max Lucado about Hermie & Friends™. “We’ve all come to love this little caterpillar and consider him our friend in helping us give parents tools for teaching the importance of prayer and for learning how to live as Jesus would. The relaunch is the beginning of a new era for Hermie—the illustrations are warmer, more inviting and childlike. I think Hermie lovers and new fans of Hermie will be as happy as I am with the latest design.”

The Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends™ relaunch will include upcoming releases of DVD and book titles including:

DVDs
• I Won’t Be Afraid, God Is Always With Me (DVD)
• A Fruitcake Christmas (DVD)
• I am Special, God Loves Me (DVD)

BOOKS
• Thank You, God, For Loving Me (brand new board book introducing Little Hermie)
• Thank You, God, For Blessing Me (Little Hermie board book #2)
• Hermie, a Common Caterpillar (level 2 reader)

“Hermie has helped so many children come to know the love of God”, says Laura Minchew, Vice President & Publisher Children and Gift Books. “How exciting that Max can share these faith messages so that kids can read for themselves the Level 2 Reader and through the precious Little Hermie board books.”

About Max Lucado:
Max Lucado’s works have appeared on every major national bestseller list including Publishers Weekly, USA Today, The New York Times, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and Christian Booksellers Association. He has been featured in countless media outlets and national broadcasts. Max’s writings have been published in a wide array of formats including adult books, gift books, children’s titles, Bibles, commentaries, calendars and devotionals. Max Lucado is the Minister of Preaching at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, where he has served since 1988. He has been married to Denalyn Lucado since 1981, and they have three grown daughters—Jenna, Andrea and Sara—and one son-in-law, Brett. More on Max Lucado can be found at http://www.MaxLucado.com.

About GlueWorks Animation:
GlueWorks Animation has been a leader in all aspects of animation since 1999 including entertainment production, corporate branding, intellectual property development and feature film special effects. Its management team has worked with the leaders in the entertainment field including NBC, Twentieth Century Fox, universal and Disney as well as major Fortune 500 companies such as Bank of America, General Electric and Microsoft. GlueWorks Animation has Co-Executive Produced each Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends™ DVD title to date. More on GlueWorks Animation can be found at http://www.glueworksanimation.com/.

###

Tommy Nelson, the children’s division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., was created to place into the hands of children a wide variety of high quality, enjoyable products that are consistent with the teachings found in the Bible. For more information, visit our website www.tommynelson.com.

For more on Tommy Nelson – find us online at
Facebook.com/TommyNelsonKids
Twitter.com/TommyNelson

For More information please contact:

Julie Solomon Backman
Publicist, Thomas Nelson
615-902-1722
jbackman@thomasnelson.com

Rick Eldridge
GlueWorks Animation
704-375-4321
rick@reelworks.net

A New Resource From International Best-Selling Author Exposes The Common Myths That Are Undermining Youth’s Faith

(Nashville, Tenn.) – Recent polls illustrate what Christian parents have feared: kids are dropping out of church early and for good. Age 16 is the average age at which teens are dropping out, says one poll, and 70% of Protestants ages 18 to 30 quit church by age 23, says another. Authors Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler have written Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door (Thomas Nelson, August 2011, ISBN: 1400317202, $12.99) to stem a troubling tide among Christian youth.

Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door answers many of the faith-related questions Christian youth face. It challenges young readers to test gospel truths found in the Bible so they can learn to give an answer for their faith as they mature into thinking adults.

“We receive all kinds of messages, myths, and misconceptions in the course of our lives,” says co-author Bob Hostetler. “One of those messages is the idea that following Jesus requires us to check our brains at the door—that reason and faith are incompatible. And that mistaken idea leads to others. That’s why this book exists: to help a young man or woman weigh the evidence and lay a firm foundation for a strong faith in Christ. READ MORE »

(Nashville, Tenn.)  Thomas Nelson Gift and Childrens Division announced today the hiring and promotion of four team members. The new hires will take on their roles in the editorial and marketing departments effective immediately.

Jennifer Barrow joins the team as Editor, Children and Gift Books. Barrow previously worked as a freelance editor under the business name Now Edit This. From 2000 to 2006, Barrow worked for Multnomah Publishers in Sisters, Oregon. A talented professional, Jennifer has worked with multiple bestselling authors including Francis Chan, John Piper and Bruce Wilkinson.

Micah Walker has been promoted from Administrative Assistant to Assistant Editor. Walker graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in English from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she served as poetry editor for the Belmont Literary Journal. As an Assistant Editor, Walker will be working on a variety of projects with a primary focus on middle-grade fiction.

Jessica Ward has been hired as Administrative Assistant. Ward graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in English and a Business minor. She has previously worked at Thomas Nelson in the role of Corporate Communications Intern.

Kristen Baird will take on the role of Marketing Coordinator for the Specialty Division. Baird is a recent graduate of Belmont University with her Bachelors in Business Administration. Baird has been an intern at Thomas Nelson for 18 months, serving the Specialty marketing division.

“Jennifer, Micah, Jessica and Kristen are tremendous assets to an amazing team,” says Laura Minchew, Children and Gift Books Publisher. “Our Gift books and Children’s books are in great hands!”

For more information, contact Julie Solomon at jsolomon@thomasnelson.com.