Grupo Santillana publishes books for children
and young readers in Spain and Latin America
under the Alfaguara Infantil y Juvenil and Altea imprints.

The publishing programme for the wide range of publications for children and young readers is
driven by two fundamental premises: literary
quality and service to the users. These, in turn,
are based on the universal principle that reading is essential for academic achievement and all-round personal development.

The main criterion used in developing the Alfaguara Infantil y Juvenil catalogue is to include works by authors who are renowned nationally and internationally in the sphere of literature for children and young readers. Many of these authors have been awarded some of the most prestigious prizes such as the Andersen Prize, the National Literature Prize, and the Lazarillo Prize.

The range of publications for schools is divided into a coloured-coded series of graded readers for students ranging in age from pre-readers to fourteen and above.

The new Infantil series deserves a special mention. It comprises four sub-series: Pictocuentos, Pequepictos, Descrubimos and Masletras, and is designed to help the very youngest children discover reading and learn to read. This collection of more than 200 titles includes our most emblematic works, as well as new titles which are totally in tune with the tastes of today’s readers; it also includes prestigious authors of adult fiction.

The Alfaguara Serie Roja, which many consider the most prestigious collection on the Spanish market, is also for young readers over fourteen. The catalogue includes topics, authors and characters which are firm favourites with young readers, who are also captivated by the Antologías collection with its stories of terror, humour, love, cinema, etc.

Generations of readers continue to discover the world of literature through a living catalogue which includes writers, who need to be mentioned if one is to have clear and overall view of the publisher such as Elsa Bornemann, Ángeles Caso, Roald Dahl, Michael Ende, Joan Manuel Gisbert, Fernando Lalana, Elvira Lindo, Ana Mª Machado, César Mallorquí, Andreu Martín, José María Merino, Rosa Montero, Manuel Rivas, Gianni Rodari, Fernando Savater, Jordi Sierra i Fabra, Suso de Toro, Alejandra Vallejo-Nágera and Mª Elena Walsh, among others.

The catalogue also includes characters who deserve a separate mention: El pequeño Nicolás, El pequeño vampiro, Matilda, Guillermo el travieso, Judy Moody, Vampir and, of course, Manolito Gafotas.

Many of these titles have become genuine best-sellers in recent years: Rebeldes, No pidas sardina fuera de temporada, El topo que quería saber quién se había hecho eso en su cabeza, Donde viven los monstruos, Historia de Babar el elefantito, El oro de los sueños, Momo, La espada y la rosa, Noche de viernes, La historia interminable and the titles in the series Antologías.

Judy Moody
Author: Megan McDonald
Illustrations: Peter H. Reynolds

Who is Judy Moody? Independent, funny, ingenious, a doctor, an ecologist, a fortune teller... such a versatile person, one just has to accompany her on her adventures (Judy Moody se vuelve famosa, Judy Moody salva el planeta...)

Roald Dahl Collection

A beautifully-produced collection in honour of one of our outstanding authors. This new hardcover edition, with illustrations by Quentin Blake, which includes well-known, entertaining and charming works such as Matilda, Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate, and Las brujas, will delight the demanding fans of good, intelligent, and humorous literature.

The Detective Club
Author: Thomas Brezina

Alex, Lilo, Poppi and Dominio specialise in solving the most mysterious cases in any part of the world (La cripta de los Ovnis, El misterio del dragón de jade, etc.)

Fantasy and Mystery

This collection includes novels of both genres which have been great international successes such as Shadowmancer (by G.P. Taylor), La colina de los trolls, Las crónicas de las Tierras Bajas (Gregor, La profecía del Gris y Gregor, La profecía de la Destrucción), El tributo de la corte oscura and El secreto de Montmorency.

Tales of the Otori
Author: Lian Hearn

Thrilling trilogy inspired by an imaginary feudal Japan torn by internal fighting. A literary world where beauty and cruelty are the main characters, and where perhaps, in spite of all, there is a place for love. The titles are: El sueño del ruiseñor, Con la hierba de almohada and El brillo de la luna.

Manolito Gafotas
Author: Elvira Lindo
Illustrations: Emilio Urberuaga

The most popular character for young readers in Spanish literature is also the star of Alfaguara Juvenil. All the titles are included in this collection: Manolito Gafotas, Pobre Manolito, ¡Como molo!, Los trapos sucios de Manolito, Yo y el Imbécil, Manolito on the Road and Manolito tiene un secreto.

Little Nicholas Collection
Author: René Goscinny
Illustrations: Jean-Jacques Sempé

Little Nicholas continues to fascinate each new generation with his adventures. Do not miss the new collection of this ever so popular character which Alfaguara is proud to add to its catalogue and which includes three unpublished books.
Launch: September 2005

Little Vampire Collection
Author: Angela Sommer-Bodenburg
Illustrations: Amelie Glienke

Accompany Anton and his friend Rüdinger (the little vampire, to his friends) in this collection of hair-raising stories full of humour, friendship, and especially, vampires.

The Prydain Chronicles
Author: Lloyd Alexander

In a remote period lost in memory, the unstoppable forces of evil advance and threaten to plunge the fertile and magical lands of Prydain into chaos and darkness. Titles: El libro de los tres, El caldero negro, Taran el errante, El Castillo de Llyr, and El gran rey.

Albums with high-quality illustrations
This collection includes authors and illustrators of considerable stature such as José Saramago, Maurice Sendak, Quentin Blake, Ana Juan, etc.

… and many others.

Apart from the variety of the catalogue, we would like to give priority to the new range of publications for 0-6 years-olds.

This catalogue includes cloth books for very young children, with different textures, materials and sizes, to help them develop sensory awareness. (¿Dónde está osito?, ¡Viaja conmigo!, Los animales, Libros cubos and En la granja).

There are also playbooks, with flaps, cut-outs, spinning wheels to open the book at a particular page, etc. They include titles such as ¿Adónde vamos hoy?, ¿Dónde viven los animales? and El pequeño Valentín.

Collections with very appealing characters such as La Pequeña Princesa (Hora de dormir, Mascotas, Figuras, El tiempo).

Books which combine an interactive design (wings that open out from inside the pages) and books for learning such as the forthcoming collection, Altea Mariposa. Titles: Crezco y me transformo, Colores, Las estaciones, ¿Quién soy?