Publishing

"Told by the people who lived it and made it happen, this is the story of the independent publishing firm of Houghton Mifflin from World War II through 1990. The book pays particular attention to the educational divisions, and therefore it is a primer for all who would like to gain an understanding of the basic issues of how learning occurs. Houghton was an author-centered house, recruiting authors who were experts in their fields to develop textbooks that delivered the best learning programs for such subjects as reading, mathematics, and language arts. Houghton was also prominent in developing and publishing standardized tests - the tools to examine, analyze, and prescribe what each student, school, and system needs to achieve success." "Of special interest to many readers will be the chapter on children's literature in which Houghton Mifflin editor Walter Lorraine shares his ideas on what a good children's book should contain. His thoughts are augmented by those of author/illustrators Chris Van Allsburg (Polar Express) and David Macaulay (Cathedral) and how they approach developing their books." "Running through the book is a tribute to the traditions created by Henry Oscar Houghton, the young man from Vermont who came to Boston to learn the printing business and who in 1864 went on to establish the house of Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Churchill, Carson, Auchincloss, McCullers, Dickey, McKee, Needles, Galbraith, and many others."--BOOK JACKET.