[1][3] Virginia Kirkus was hired by Harper & Brothers to establish a children's book department in 1926.

However, within a year, Louise Raymond, the secretary Kirkus hired, had the department running again.

[7] BPI Communications, owned by Dutch publisher VNU, bought Kirkus from LeBreton in 1999.

[1] The journal was purchased from VNU (by then renamed The Nielsen Company, or Nielson N.V.) on February 10, 2010, by businessman Herbert Simon.

The company was thereafter renamed Kirkus Media, and book industry veteran Marc Winkelman was made publisher.