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Leonard Stern

Leonard Stern, along with Roger Price, created Mad Libs in the 1950s. The series has been a favorite among kids of all ages ever since. Stern had a colorful and varied history. Before cofounding Price Stern Sloan with Roger Price, Stern was a successful television writer. In addition to his creative involvement with over twenty television series and over ten motion pictures, Stern worked with Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners. He also wrote for the The Phil Silvers ShowThe Steve Allen Show, and wrote and produced the original Get Smart television series. Stern also published A Martian Wouldn't Say That, which compiled weird and wacky memos written by people in the entertainment industry. 

What Students Will Be Reading: Campus Common Reading Roundup, 2025-26

With the fall semester in full swing, colleges and universities around the country have announced their Common Reading books for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year. We’ve compiled a list of over 286 programs and their title selections from publicly available sources, which you can download here: First-Year Reading 2025-26. We will continue to update this

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Register for the 2026 Penguin Random House First-Year Experience® Conference Author Events!

Penguin Random House Author Events at the 45th Annual First-Year Experience® Conference February 15-18, 2026 Seattle, Washington Hyatt Regency Seattle Click Here to RSVP A complimentary meal and a limited number of books will be available to attendees. Each event will also be followed by an author signing. Interested in hosting one of these authors at

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2026 Catalog for First-Year & Common Reading

We are delighted to present our new First-Year & Common Reading Catalog for 2026! From award-winning fiction, poetry, memoir, and biography to new books about the environment, current events, history, public health, science, social justice, student success, and technology, the titles presented in our common reading catalog will have students not only eagerly flipping through

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