There are two types of publishing projects at 826NYC. The first, and most important, is our commitment to giving our students an outlet for the original work they produce. We help them publish and distribute their work, be it in their own zine, in a specially produced book, or in our own Review. The second are books that benefit our center. The royalties and advances from these books are generously donated from all of the writers, editors, and artists who are in them.
826NYC Books publishes the exceptional work written by students in our writing programs. From new novels by high schoolers, to robot stories written by elementary school students, to collaborations between students and acclaimed authors, we are dedicated to putting great student work into beautiful, original books.
We are always looking for work written by students, ages 6–18, from the five boroughs of New York City for The 826NYC Review. Please send us your stories, poems, letters, comics, jokes, plays, screenplays and lyrics. To submit, send an email to Ted, subject "Submission," or mail your work to:
The 826NYC Review
372 5th Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11215
STEW, The Magazine About Et Cetera | The Brooklyn Issue
June 2008
Introducing STEW, The Magazine About Et Cetera.
Our debut issue is a collection of stories written by juniors at the Secondary School for Journalism. These articles, based on interviews and independent reporting, were written in the 2007-2008 academic school year, and examine change in the city in which we live.
The Brooklyn Issue, edited by Kaila Strickland, Janaye Solomon, and Antonia Hope, features 24 articles about changes in Brooklyn. Featured stories include the examination of an abandoned house, a look back at New York City's P-schools, and a close look at recent trends in New York City public schools.
Behind the Uniforms
May 2007
The untold stories from the Academy of College Preparation and Career Exploration.
An anthology of graphic fiction, cartoons & true stories.
Behind the Uniforms is a wildly creative collection of graphic stories by student of Brooklyn's Academy of College Preparation and Career Exploration. These stories, truthful, sincere, at times incredibly funny, showcase the lives and imaginations of students who, at a young age, have something honest to say.
This book features 20 graphic stories written by 9th graders from the Academy of College Preparation and Career Exploration. The stories were created during an in-schools project that took place in February and March 2007.
Sonny Paine: Issue Two
May 2007
Also known as "Sonny Paine Applies To College."
The second issue of a literary journal created by and for writers who happen to be in high school.
From the back cover:
After a brief hiatus, Sonny Paine is back with another jam-packed, daring issue reminiscent of the time you bought steak from Mad Cow Harry's. With a handful of new writers and several returning ones whose talents, in the fashion of cheese, have only increased with age, Issue Two will have you on your knees, aching for the good old days when you couldn't be brought to tears by a single piece of prose.
This issue is available online and also at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.
Trapped: The Encyclopedia of Escape
June 2006
The Encyclopedia of Escape is a glimpse into the lives of the world's best escape artists—seniors at Louis D. Brandeis High School. This collection of personal narratives explores the experiences of young people in New York who've survived the heartbreak, embarrassment, and dangers of childhood. Written during the 2006 school year, these high schoolers worked one-on-one with 826NYC volunteers to complete and edit this anthology.
Seth Mnookin and Zev Borow say in their foreword, "The essays and poems in this book overflow with the kind of raw dynamism and energy all good writing should contain. They are funny, honest, and struggle to convey the peculiarities and complexities of everyday life."
The 826NYC Review: Issue 2
June 2006
The much-anticipated second issue of our literary journal, which collects work written by students in our writing center and around the five boroughs of New York City. This issue includes:
-Detailed plans for three never-before-seen robots
-A fable about Bob, who is a space monkey
-An introduction by Elissa Schappell
-Two full-length plays, one about a firefighter in outer space, the other about the world's oldest pirate
-A history of Led Zeppelin
-"Donkey Kong Vs. Rogue Donkey Kong"
-An interview with Brendan Jacotin, age 10, creator of the comics series "Utencil Boy"
Sonny Paine: Issue One
May 2006
The first issue of a literary journal created by and for writers who happen to be in high school. As the editors say in the introduction:
"Sonny Paine is an attempt to create a high quality collection of writing. The only quirk of the magazine is that it's completely written by high school students. We know your cringe upon reading the words "written by high school students." We agree with most people that it's probably good that we teenagers are writing, even if we are writing nothing but drug monologues about drugs we've never seen. On the other hand, does that make it palatable for the general public to read? Not at all. Sonny Paine, though, is an attempt at being palatable."
Nine Novels by Younger Americans
2006
This anthology collects the nine exceptional novels that were written by high school students in our Young Adult Writers' Colony during the summer of 2005. Ranging from comedic, to fiercly political, to deeply personal, these novels are immensely entertaining and forecast a bright future for this brand new generation of novelists.
As Richard Powers says in his introduction, "There comes a time when we must decide whether we love the world enough to hand it over to its next lover. [This is a book of] nine worlds that nine people could not find and so had to make themselves. Here it is before you: how the story ends this time. And how it starts again."
The 826NYC Review: Issue 1
Released August 2005
Published regularly, this is where we showcase work produced in our writing center, and by students from the five boroughs of New York. Our first issue, which is available exclusively at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co., includes stories about miniature jumping T-Rexes, the rainforests of Pennsylvania, and a choose-your-own adventure involving a cat named Excellent Phil.
The proceeds from the following books directly fund our student programming. These books can be found in most fine bookstores.
Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things That Aren't as Scary...
Edited by Ted Thompson, with Eli Horowitz
Released October 1, 2005
...Maybe, Depending on How You Feel About Lost Lands, Stray Cellphones, Creatures From the Sky, Parents Who Disappear in Peru, a Man Named Lars Farf, and One Other Story We Couldn't Quite Finish So Maybe You Could Help Us Out
A collection of stories for wise young people and immature old people, written by favorites of all ages: Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy), Jon Scieszka (The Stinky Cheese Man), Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods), and many others. Each story features color illustrations by a different artist.
Lemony Snicket adds a non-tedious introduction and a story of his own—at least, he starts one, and then it is up to the reader to finish. The contest works like this: the story appears on the inside of the dust jacket; you write in your own thrilling, joyful, or disgusting ending. The jacket then folds up into a fancy envelope, addressed to us. Our favorite ending will receive a fabulous prize (which is listed below). Order this book here
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
Edited by David Sedaris
Released April 4, 2005
Edited and introduced by David Sedaris, this book is a collection of his most cherished short stories and gives us a glimpse of the work he finds most inspiring. The collection includes masterful stories by Richard Yates, Lorrie Moore, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Munro and 13 others. Be sure to check out Sarah Vowell's short piece about 826NYC in the back. Order it here.
"I hate to break it to you, but by buying this book, you are helping people. Not just people. Even worse: kids! All the proceeds from Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules go to 826NYC. Things don't get any less Patricia Highsmith than that, do they? Though one wonders if Highsmith's most famous character, Tom Ripley, might have turned out less murderous if he had benefited from the one-on-one attention provided by intelligent, encouraging volunteer tutors like the ones at 826NYC." —Sarah Vowell
The Polysyllabic Spree
Nick Hornby
Released December 10, 2004
This book is a hilarious collection of Nick Hornby's essays from The Believer magazine. A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for his music criticism, Hornby now turns his unerring gaze to books as he gives account of what he's read, along with what he's bought and may one day read.
If he occasionally implores a biographer for brevity, or abandons a literary work in favor of an Arsenal soccer match, then all is not lost. His warm and riotous writing, full of all the joy and surprise and despair that books bring him, reveals why we still read, even when there's soccer on TV, a pram in the hall, and a good band playing at our local bar.
Half of the book's proceeds come to 826NYC, and half go to the Treehouse Trust, a U.K. charity that provides an Educational Center of Excellence for children with autism. Order it here