Franklin Watts started in New York City in 1942. In 1944, the company started publishing children's books. Watts became a subsidiary of Grolier Company in 1957. Watts retired and moved to London where he founded Franklin Watts. Despite attempts to increase its adult list, the company remains known for its children's fiction. An imprint of British publishing house Watts Publishing, Franklin Watts have been publishing information books since 1972.
As of 2000, the US branch of Franklin Watts is maintained by Scholastic, and the British branch is maintained as an imprint of Hachette UK.
