This piece of news also comes via the Book Standard: HarperCollins Children’s Books has acquired the world rights to eight books from the NAUGHTY MA XIAOTAO series by Yang Hongying, China’s bestselling children’s author, scheduled for publication beginning in Sprin 2008. The series, about a mischievous boy named Chen and his father, has sold more than 10 million copies in China.

“We are thrilled and delighted to be publishing this series and bringing the work of Yang Hongying to the global stage,” said Amanda Ridout, the general books managing director. “These engaging and amusing books will offer our children a window on contemporary Chinese society at a time when the world’s attention will be focused on Beijing as we celebrate the 2008 Olympics. This exciting venture further represents HarperCollins’ strategic commitment to expanding our business with China.”

Following on the success of HarperCollins‘ fan-oriented contest for adults, Avon Fan Lit, the company announced further plans to reach out to teen readers with the help of MySpace (both companies are owned by NewsCorp.) And CNET reports that Diane Naughton, vice president of marketing at HarperCollins Children’s Books, went into more detail at Mashup, the annual conference on teens and tech that’s going on in San Francisco this week. In the fall, the social network plans to build and launch a new “create and share” writing tool in partnership with HarperCollins, Naughton said in an interview at Mashup. Teens and college kids on the site can write prose and then share it with friends on MySpace. People can then vote on the best writing, she said. “Offline and online have very much (merged) the last couple of years in terms of marketing,” she said.

Harry Potter is coming to an end, and the movies are only two books behind, so no wonder Warner Brothers is making sure to line up what it thinks will be its next big franchise. And according to the Hollywood Reporter, the movie studio thinks it has found it after picking up the rights to another seven-book children’s fantasy series, SEPTIMUS HEAP. HarperCollins Childrens Books publishes the internationally bestselling series in the US.

Written by U.K. author Angie Sage, the series revolves around two babies who are switched at birth: one a boy who discovers his birthright as the seventh son of a seventh son, and who is destined to become a powerful wizard; the other a girl who is fated to become a princess. So far, three books have been published — MAGYK, FLYTE and PHYSIK — which have become bestselling books for their clever use of charms and potions as well as for their sense of humor. “Septimus Heap: Magyk” will be produced by Karen Rosenfelt (“The Devil Wears Prada”) with author Sage as executive producer.

The Bookseller reports that HarperCollins Children’s Books has recruited Mario Santos as its new managing director, reporting to HC m.d. Amanda Ridout starting October 1. Santos was previously senior vice president and head of business development at Chorion, the intellectual property development business responsible for the Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton estates and the Mr Men brand. Before that he worked at Marshall Editions and Dorling Kindersley.

Ridout said that HC planned to “substantially grow” its children’s business over the next few years. Santos said: “I am delighted to be joining the talented team at HarperCollins at such an exciting time for children’s publishing, and I look forward to working with them to develop and grow the business in the short and long term.”

HarperCollins Children’s Books is moving into personalized books through a new partnership with Penwizard, which will enable children to star in books alongside well-known children’s characters like Noddy beginning this August, according to the Bookseller’s Alison Bone. HC will then look to develop the Penwizard partnership across its range of children’s properties, with licensor approval. Managing director Amanda Ridout said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to expanding the boundaries of traditional publishing we are proud to be first to market with a leap forward in personalized publishing.”