World of Warcraft gets its first children's book series later this year

World of Warcraft might be the biggest MMO in history, but it's trying to capture new audiences this year. In the summer we'll have our fist chance to see heroes from the Warcraft franchise on the big screen. And by the end of the year, we'll see a line of...children's books?

That's right, Blizzard has teamed up with Scholastic Books to release their very first children's book series, based on the popular video game. The first book is dubbed World of Warcraft: Traveler. It's aimed at children ages 8-12, which is interesting, considering that the MMO has earned a T for Teen rating, meaning that it's designed for ages 13 and up. Perhaps they're just trying to hook them extra early now.

Traveler is said to follow the tale of a "young cast of Warcraft characters discovering the mysteries and majesty of the world around them." I do find it interesting that they specify "Warcraft" rather than "World of Warcraft." Perhaps this means that they're looking to expand the lore beyond the current MMO, and reaching further back into the original games.

The first book in the series is set to be released in November, with another following sometime next year. It will be penned by Greg Weisman, whose work is featured in Young Justice and The Spectacular Spider-Man. Illustrations will be done by Blizzard's own Samwise Didier, and the cover will be by another Blizzard artist, Stephane Belin.

Personally, I think it would be interesting to follow a young character set in the Warcraft world. After all, when you start playing WoW, you start off with an inexperienced character, and stay with them as they grow more powerful over time. While your character is always an adult, I think it makes more sense to think of them as a person going through the stages of life. From childhood when you're just trying to learn how to swing a sword, to adulthood, when you're fighting dragons and other fearsome creatures.

VIA: GameSpot