Location: Chicago, Illinois
Established: 1934
Website: Childcraft
“Character training, discipline guidance, and habit formation are processes in your child’s development that cause you serious concern. You want your child to develop habits and traits of character that are admirable and worthwhile—habits and traits that will ensure happiness and success in life.”
These are words of introduction from the inaugural 1934 Parent Guide Supplement to Childcraft, a 15-volume annual series launched as a home instructional and educational resource for parents. Childcraft remained a mainstay within American households over 7 decades, sold door-to-door, direct to parents.
As information became more ubiquitous and World Book transitioned from a home sales model to an institutional sales model, including schools and public libraries, Childcraft was succeeded by Discovery and Discovery Science.
Discovery and Discovery Science are multivolume print and digital reference resources for elementary readers. The iconic Childcraft brand remains in the public domain as an Annual Update to owners of an original Childcraft set and is displayed each year at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder’s meeting.