Marian Heath, a leading greeting card publisher based in Wareham, Mass., has announced the acquisition of Life Publishing from Dicksons Inc., effective July 1. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Dicksons acquired Lawson Falle in January 2006, which diversified the company's product offering to include greeting cards and stationery products. Following the acquisition, Lawson Falle's name was changed to Life Publishing.

Dicksons President Jim Potts said the acquisition will be "a great advance" for the greeting card category. "We believe that Marian Heath's service team can take this company to a new level of performance for the Christian bookstore retailer," Potts said.

Rick Tocquigny, who will continue as president of Life Publishing, told Christian Retailing that the sale of the company will "allow for more rapid growth within a greeting card conglomerate. Our customers will get a broader selection of art, verse and focus on messaging with Scripture. ... Our industry needs more card variety and this acquisition will certainly make a difference."

Tocquigny added that Life Publishing's departure from Dicksons was "very amicable and the partnership will continue going forward where we can combine programs to benefit the trade. Our strong licensing programs will continue in partnership with Dicksons where applicable. We will be exhibiting with Dicksons at (the International Christian Retail Show) as planned."

He noted that Life Publishing began working with Marian Heath three years ago "to tap into their strong art. Over the last year, we teamed with their superior service team to revamp our largest greeting card departments across America. We found a natural synergy between our two companies that accelerated to a marriage."

Marian Heath will also acquire two other companies, Portal and Chatterbox, on July 1-catapulting the greeting card publisher among the top five card companies in North America, company officials said.

"We are well positioned to grow the greeting card category for the valued Christian bookstore retailers who are seeking to differentiate themselves with variety and value," Marian Heath CEO Aaron Kushner said.

Author, activist and humanitarian John Perkins has been named the recipient of the 2008 Jordon Lifetime Achievement Award.

Perkins, whose books include Let Justice Roll Down (Regal Books) and Beyond Charity: The Call to Christian Community Development (Baker Books), will be honored during the CBA and Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) joint awards celebration, to be held on Sunday, July 13, the evening prior to the official opening of the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Fla.

Born a sharecropper's son in 1930, Perkins, who grew up in Mississippi in extreme poverty, has devoted his life to helping the poor through evangelism and community development.

"As an industry, we celebrate the miracle of God's redemptive power in Dr. Perkins' life," said ECPA President Mark Kuyper. "Dr. Perkins' example of humility and service has inspired Americans of every color and denomination. His legacy, in print and in deed, will inspire generations of believers to come."

The Jordon Lifetime Achievement Award is named after the late Charles "Kip" Jordon, former publisher of Word Publishing, who died in 1997.

Christian retailers have often been urged to think about their futures-and that means bringing in younger customers-but the question of how much the adults of tomorrow will actually read lingers.

With research suggesting that teens and young adults are reading less often and for shorter durations, some Christian publishers are looking at new ways to connect with them.

Zondervan has made a significant investment in manga titles under its Zonderkidz imprint in an effort to draw in younger readers. In addition, the publisher has developed "I Can Read!" books to engage 4- to 7-year-olds with active illustrations and playful stories.

Meanwhile, Thomas Nelson has introduced more hands-on, interactive products meant to "engage a new generation of readers and help create a lifetime habit of regular reading," according to publicist Jacklyn Johnston. Big brands Hermie & Friends, Bibleman, Gigi and Jack Hanna's new series include peel-and-stick playsets, write-on/wipe-off coloring page books and move-the-pieces magnets that augment text.

Annie Teich, a literacy advocate who co-founded Greensboro, N.C.-based New Day Publishing to produce Christian titles so young children could develop reading skills early, said: "One of the easiest things that publishers can do is to create books that encourage parents and children to read together ... so children can associate reading with warmth and pleasure."

Read the full report in the July 7 issue of Christian Retailing International.

While many traditional Christian retailers have been struggling in recent years, a group of faith-based stores with a twist have been enjoying quiet growth.

Go Fish Clothing & Jewelry Co., whose outlets give away free copies of its own Bible and sell Christian-themed T-shirts in addition to imported gifts and crafts, now has 20 locations in 10 states.

Though the stores, mostly in tourist locations, bear the Ichthus fish symbol as part of their design and support overseas missions efforts, "we don't really consider ourselves a Christian store," said founder Curt Coleman.

He personally selects most of the Go Fish products-including art, jewelry, clothing, bags and shoes-from on-site visits made to scores of family and community groups in countries like Indonesia, India, Thailand, Peru, Mexico and Guatemala.

The stores also carry their own Christian tees and give away copies of a special edition of the New International Version of the Bible produced for them by the International Bible Society.

Typically around 1,200 square feet, the stores give away the Bible edition called God's Stories-several thousand copies a year in all-because "I don't like to sell God's Word." But "there's nothing wrong" with regular Christian retail stores-some close to Go Fish outlets-that do, he said. "We tell people about them. Hopefully, they tell people about us."

Read the full report in the July 7 issue of Christian Retailing International.

VeggieTales videos remain strong at retail, with five of the top 20 sellers according to the latest SoundScan sales charts.

Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (Big Idea) topped the list of sales ending the week of June 25, with Lessons From the Sock Drawer: a Collection of Veggie Shorts and Briefs taking second place. Singalong Songs and More, The Ultimate Silly Song Countdown and LarryBoy and the Bad Apple were 10th, 12th and 14th respectively.

Rounding out the top 10 were: 3. How Great Is Our God (Louie Giglio, Sparrow Records/sixstepsrecords); 4. Love's Unfolding Dream (Fox Faith); 5. The Wager (Pure Flix Entertainment); 6. Indescribable (Louie Giglio, Sparrow Records/sixstepsrecords); 7. Facing the Giants (Provident Films); 8. Flywheel (Provident Films) and 9. The Valley of God (Donnie McClurkin, Camden Music).

Jeremy Camp headed the Christian/Gospel music Christian retail chart for the same period with Beyond Measure (BEC Recordings). He was followed by: 2. Relentless (Natalie Grant, Curb Records); 3. This Moment (Steven Curtis Chapman, Sparrow Records); 4. CrossOver (Pastor Gregg Patrick & The Bridge Project, Tyscot Records); 5. How Can We Be Silent (BarlowGirl, Fervent Records); 6. The Altar and The Door (Casting Crowns, Reunion Records); 7. Wow Hits 1 (Various, Wow Gospel); 8. Change the World (Martha Munizzi, Martha Munizzi Music); 9. Alive and Transported (Toby Mac, Forefront Records) and 10. All That Is Within Me (Mercy Me, INO Records).

The listings for videos, drawn from a national sample of mainstream and Christian store sales, and for music sales solely at Christian stores, are produced for the Christian Music Trade Association by Nielsen SoundScan.

Sigmund Brouwer, author of the novel Broken Angel (WaterBrook Press), was scheduled to appear today on FamilyNet Television's Mornings. Brouwer teaches writing workshops for students and is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan.

Check www.familynet.com/site/c.rwL5KhNXLtH/b.3831681/k.8EC1/WatchListen/apps/kb/cs/contactsearch.asp for stations and airtimes.

Robert Rogers, author of Into the Deep (Tyndale House Publishers), is scheduled to appear tomorrow, July 1, on The Montel Williams Show to discuss the loss of his family in a flash flood.

For more information, visit www.montelshow.com/show/today/Tuesday/.

Edward Welch, author of Running Scared (New Growth Press), is scheduled to appear tomorrow, July 1, on FamilyNet Television's Every Day With Marcus & Lisa.

Check www.familynet.com/site/c.rwL5KhNXLtH/b.3831681/k.8EC1/WatchListen/apps/kb/cs/contactsearch.asp for stations and airtimes.

Dove Award winner for the 2008 New Artist of the Year, Brandon Heath has taken his own advice since the release of his debut album, Don't Get Comfortable (Reunion Records/Provident-Integrity).

In 2007, with his music career just starting to take off, Heath, a Nashville native, accepted a position as worship leader at a United Methodist church near Houston. "I was out there on tour and they asked me to be their worship leader," Heath recalled. "Think of the audacity of that. But I was like, 'yeah.' "

The move wasn't a savvy career decision, but met his desire to be "part of the body of believers" and captured the spirit of the title of his forthcoming sophomore release, What If We, due out in August. "(That phrase) is all about possibilities. And possibilities don't happen without taking risks," he said.

Heath recalled how while working in a coffee bar he had found it easy to make snap judgments about customers based on how they looked or acted or talked. "And that's so unlike Jesus," he said. "We miss something special when we don't get to know someone that isn't like (us). (We're) children of God, but so often we don't look at people like that. Sometimes I see how beautiful people are ...Like a hand. It's so weird, but it's so functional and beautiful."

Read more in the July 7 issue of Christian Retailing International.

Two grandsons of legendary evangelist Billy Graham are offering a vehicle for others to share memories of how their lives were changed by hearing one man's message of God's grace and love. Multnomah Books will release a hardcover tabletop gift book, Invitation: Billy Graham, The Lives God Touched in September.

Compiled and edited by two of Graham's grandsons, Basyle Tchividjian and Aram Tchividjian, the book is an exploration, in pictures and stories, of Graham's profound impact on people's lives through the experience of a crusade. The coffee-table book features more than 50 photographs and the personal stories of individuals whose lives were forever changed by a Billy Graham crusade.

Scheduled to release in time for Graham's 90th birthday celebration in November, Invitation is the culmination of the Tchividjians' desire to capture their rich heritage in one place.

"Our grandfather preached the gospel to more people than anyone in history. Millions of lives were touched," Basyle said. "This is a small way for us to remember and honor what God did through him during those years."

Read more in the July 7 issue of Christian Retailing International.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is seeking an energetic individual for its marketing department. Industry experience is a plus. Applicant must have college degree, be organized and have stellar communication skills. Responsibilities include coordinating marketing campaigns for Revell's nonfiction titles, which vary from practical self-help to inspirational and spiritual growth. To apply, e-mail Twila Bennett at tbennett@revellbooks.com.