Canada helped drive stronger international results for Scholastic as blockbuster children’s franchises generated demand across bookstores, online channels and school-based sales programs despite growing pressure on discretionary consumer spending.
During its fiscal 2025 third-quarter earnings call, Scholastic identified Canada as one of its strongest international markets, pointing to exceptional demand for Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man: Big Jim Begins. The company said sales in Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand helped improve the performance of its international division during the quarter.
Subsequent Canadian market data reinforced that momentum. BookNet Canada ranked three Scholastic titles as the country’s top-selling Juvenile and Young Adult books in 2025: Suzanne Collins’ Sunrise on the Reaping, followed by Dog Man: Big Jim Believes and Dog Man: Big Jim Begins.
The performance reflects the continued strength of children’s publishing in Canada. BookNet Canada reported that approximately 47.9 million physical books were sold nationally during 2025, representing roughly $1.15 billion in sales. Juvenile and Young Adult books accounted for 39 per cent of Canada’s print market, underscoring the importance of younger readers to the country’s bookselling industry.
“International revenues and profits increased, driven by our major markets including Canada, the U.K. and New Zealand, all of which benefited from strong sales of Dog Man: Big Jim Begins,” Scholastic President and CEO Peter Warwick told analysts.
Canada Strengthens International Results
Scholastic’s international division generated revenue of US$59.3 million during the quarter. Excluding foreign exchange impacts, revenue increased by US$2.9 million year over year.
Chief Financial Officer Haji Glover said higher revenue in Canada and the United Kingdom helped improve the segment’s performance. The international division also reduced its adjusted operating loss to US$2 million from US$5.9 million a year earlier.
The company did not disclose Canadian revenue or profitability separately, making it impossible to determine Canada’s exact contribution. Nevertheless, management’s repeated references to Canada during the earnings call suggest the market played an important role in the division’s improved performance.
Scholastic reaches Canadian readers through bookstores, mass retailers, online channels, Book Clubs and school Book Fairs, giving the publisher multiple opportunities to connect with families throughout the year.
Dog Man Continues to Deliver
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins became the top-selling book across all categories in both Canada and the United States following its release and had sold nearly 2.5 million copies globally by the time Scholastic reported quarterly results.
Scholastic supported the release with an extensive campaign that included retail merchandising, author appearances, school Book Fair promotions and the release of the animated Dog Man feature film.
The attention surrounding the newest title also lifted demand for earlier Dog Man books as well as Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club series.
The company later reported that combined English- and French-language Canadian sales of the Dog Man series increased 73 per cent year over year, making it Canada’s top-selling children’s book series.
For retailers, that illustrates the long-term value of established publishing franchises. A successful new release often generates sales well beyond a single title by encouraging readers to discover or revisit earlier books in the series.
Warwick noted that successful frontlist publishing remains one of the strongest drivers of backlist sales, extending the commercial life of established properties.
Graphic Novels Continue to Shape Children’s Publishing
Scholastic said graphic novels remain one of the strongest areas of children’s publishing and are particularly effective at engaging developing and reluctant readers.
At the time of the earnings call, the publisher held 12 of the top 15 positions on The New York Times graphic novel bestseller list.
Canadian data supports the trend. BookNet Canada reported that graphic novels represented 15 per cent of Juvenile Fiction sales during the first quarter of 2026, making them the largest category within Juvenile Fiction. The format also accounted for roughly one-third of juvenile-fiction library loans and renewals.
Dog Man was the most-circulated Juvenile and Young Adult property in Canadian public libraries during 2025, illustrating demand that extends beyond retail sales.
The combination of highly recognizable characters, frequent new releases and strong merchandising opportunities has made graphic novels one of the most important categories in children’s bookselling.
Hunger Games Builds New Momentum
Scholastic followed the success of Dog Man with another major franchise release. Sunrise on the Reaping, the fifth novel in Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series, launched simultaneously in Canada and several other English-language markets in March 2025.
The publisher said print preorders exceeded those of the previous novel by more than 65 per cent. The title later sold more than 1.5 million English-language copies during its first week and ultimately became Canada’s top-selling Juvenile and Young Adult book of 2025.
Scholastic expects the release to support demand across the broader Hunger Games catalogue, demonstrating how major launches can generate sustained sales across an entire franchise rather than a single title.
School Book Fairs Continue to Perform
Scholastic’s school-based channels also delivered solid results.
Book Fair revenue increased eight per cent to US$110.7 million during the quarter, while Book Club revenue rose 14 per cent to US$15.2 million.
Although these figures represent the company’s overall School Reading Events division rather than Canada specifically, they illustrate the importance of school-based retail channels within Scholastic’s business.
Management acknowledged that families were becoming more cautious about discretionary spending, resulting in slightly lower transaction volumes. However, larger average purchases kept revenue per fair close to record levels.
Canadian Book Fairs continue to emphasize accessible pricing, including selections promoted at $3, $5 and $10, while programs such as Share the Fair allow school communities to help students purchase books who might otherwise miss the opportunity.
Children’s Books Offset Weaker Education Sales
Company-wide revenue increased four per cent to US$335.4 million during the quarter.
Children’s Book Publishing and Distribution revenue rose five per cent to US$203.3 million, supported by Book Fairs and Book Clubs. Those gains helped offset weaker results in Education Solutions, where schools—primarily in the United States—continued delaying purchases of supplemental curriculum materials.
Scholastic also continued integrating Toronto-based 9 Story Media Group, expanding its ability to develop and distribute children’s intellectual property across streaming, digital video and traditional publishing.
For Canadian booksellers, Scholastic’s results reinforce an important trend. Families may be approaching discretionary purchases more carefully, but highly anticipated releases, recognizable characters and well-established publishing franchises continue to generate meaningful demand. As Dog Man and The Hunger Games demonstrated throughout 2025, compelling children’s content remains one of the strongest drivers of traffic and sales across Canada’s book retail sector.
