February 2026:
Disney Hyperion: Senior Editor Rachel Stark is leaving for LB Ink, where she will be a Senior Editor.
Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, to help keep track of who's moving where, is back:
This guide to publishers, agents, conferences, and more skipped a year after a change in ownership. It returns with the re-named 33rd or 2022 edition. (No sign yet of the next edition.)
Little, Brown: Little, Brown has announced a round of layoffs. The names I've seen are at adult imprints. If any children's book editors are affected as well, I'll post names.
NEXT: Scholastic's NEXT line launches this fall, with a focus on middle grade fiction.
Simon & Schuster: Layoffs at S&S included some people in the children's division, notably including art director Laurent Linn.
January 2026:
New in 2025: Publishing guru has published her annual list of new publishers, imprints, and agencies. This covers adult publishing as well as children's--it's worth checking to see what you might have missed and for an overview of where publishers are choosing to expand.
Holiday House: Laura Kincaid, Assistant Editor, is no longer at HH. I have no additional information.
LB Ink: Andrea Colvin, head of the children's graphic novel imprint, was laid off by Little, Brown. She is becoming a literary agent.
December 2025:
Little Brown Young Readers: LB becomes the latest large children's publisher to do an administrative reorganization, with Alvina Ling getting her own imprint. Details in PW.
Neal Porter Books: At Holiday House, Neal Porter has now fully retired from his personal imprint.
Random House Children's Books: In a big fish gets bigger story, RHCB has acquired the Cherry Lake Publishing Group, which includes Tilbury House and Sleeping Bear Press, among several imprints.
November 2025:
Chooseco: The publisher of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books has hired Jessica Yang as editor. She was previously at Quirk Books (see July 2025).
Handprint Books: Christopher Franceschelli is retiring from the imprint, which he founded. More information in PW.
Plata Kids: This is a new imprint, with a rather narrow focus.
October 2025:
Candlewick: Emma Ledbetter, formerly of Abrams, is joining Candlewick in the new role of executive editorial director of picture books. More information in PW
Norton: Karen Lotz has left her role at Candlewick as editor-at-large and is now at Norton in the new role of director, children’s books and strategic development, in which she will have both editorial and executive responsibilities. More from PW
Quirk Books: Quirk, which had been mostly shut down earlier in the year (see July 2025), has been bought by Andrews McMeel. More news to come--it sounds like they will be reviving their children's book program. More information in PW
A comment: I notice that hiring over the past few months has been at an administrative level, editorial director or above, as companies reorganize and lay staff off to adjust to changing conditions, with the library market in particular struggling (the closing of wholesaler Baker and Taylor is further evidence of that).
September 2025:
Bloomsbury Children's: There have been several layoffs in the Bloomsbury children's division, including an editor, whose name I do not know. It looks like some titles are being trimmed as well.
Charlesbridge: Editor Julie Bliven was also laid off by Charlesbridge in July, but I didn't have that news at the time that Eileen Robinson was laid off.
FSG BFYR: Nancy Conescu is the new editorial director, returning from Australia (she had worked in NY publishing before going to Australia).
Holiday House and Peachtree: Holiday House has announced a restructuring. Kathy Landwehr, associate publisher for Peachtree, is retiring; Mary Cash has been promoted to associate publisher for Holiday House and Peachtree; and other people are moving around, with no layoffs.
Lee & Low: Layoffs at Lee & Low included editor Stacy Whitman, founder of Tu Books.
Scholastic: Cindy Loh has been named VP and Publisher for Scholastic Press, Orchard, Cartwheel), Spanish, and Little Shepherd. She She was most recently publisher at Ameet Publishing. More information from PW
July 2025:
Abrams: Lori Benton has left Scholastic to become the head of the Abrams children's division, with the title of Senior Vice President. More information in this Publishers Weekly article.
Astra Young Readers: Rebecca Davis, editorial director of AYR, has been laid off. This continues the steady shrinkage of the editorial staff at Astra, which I was caught up in last year (see September 2024 below).
Charlesbridge Moves: Eileen Robinson, who was head of the Charlesbridge Moves imprint, has been downsized. No word yet on the Moves imprint, but this looks like it was due to the economy.
Disney news: Further to the hiring reported in May, this article from PW.
Norton Young Readers: Sarah Alpert has joined as senior editor, reporting to publisher Simon Boughton. She had been at Algonquin Books for Young Readers.
Nosy Crow: Sad news that Katie Cunningham, who only recently joined Nosy Crow as publisher, has died. Her obituary in Publishers Weekly
Post Wave Children's Books: Allison Moore is the new US publishing director. Previously, she was editorial director at 8th Note Press and editor at Bloomsbury Children's Books.
Quirk: Virtually the entire staff, including children's book editor Jessica Yang, has been laid off. The company is essentially in a state of suspended animation. More fallout from the Trump economy?
Sarah Barley Books/Simon & Schuster: This new eponymous imprint will release its first titles next year, with a focus on YA and middle grade. Article in PW for more information.
Scholastic: Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade Publishing, has retired. More information from PW .
Sourcebooks: Kate Avino has joined Sourcebooks Kids & YA as Developmental Editor.
May 2025:
Albatros: This Czech children's publisher is expanding in the US, and will be publishing American authors starting in 2026. Details in this PW article
Bloomsbury Children’s Books: Camille Kellogg, senior editor, has left to become a freelance editor.
Candlewick: A follow-up to the layoffs last year: editor Carter Hasegawa was one of the laid-off staff, and is now an agent at Tugeau 2 Art and Literary Agency.
National Geographic Kids (PRH): I've seen news of several people being hired at NG Kids, including Vivian Suchman as editorial director, Katie Moore as executive editor, and Emily Fego as associate editor. Other staff were hired too. I've seen no news about the imprint but this suggests they are expanding.
Nosy Crow: Katie Cunningham, formerly of Candlewick, has joined Nosy Crow as publisher, as it continues to grow in the US market. See this PW article for details.
Random House Children's Books: Barbara Marcus, president and publisher of RHCB, has retired, and her position has been filled by Mallory Loehr. More details in PW.
Scholastic: Kieran Viola has joined as executive editor. She had been deputy publisher at Disney Hyperion and National Geographic Kids.
Storytide (HC): This new imprint at HarperCollins will focus on MG and YA fiction. Tara Weikum is the vice president and publisher. More information in this PW article.
Ten Speed Young Readers: This new imprint gives Ten Speed a dedicated children's imprint again, after what had been Tricycle Press was absorbed into Random House when RH bought the company in 2009. See this article for details.
February 2025:
2024 Roundup: From Jane Friedman, this covers new imprints in 2024 (both adult and children's).
The last few months notably brought a number of retirements, and announcements of layoffs at three different companies, but also new imprints:
Anne Schwartz Books/Knopf: Anne Schwartz is retiring from her position as head of her imprint to become editor-at-large at Knopf BFYR.
Candlewick: Candlewick made a number of layoffs late last year. At least one editor was among the layoffs, but no names have been made public.
Entangled Publishing: Entangled is adding two new YA imprints, Mischief Books and Mayhem Books, with different age ranges.
Neal Porter Books/Holiday House: Neal Porter is stepping down to become Publisher Emeritus. Taylor Norman will step up to run the imprint.
Scholastic Press: Dianne Hess, executive editor, has retired.
Scholastic: Scholastic has also made a number of layoffs, not announced or reported in public.
Soaring Kite Books/Lerner: Lerner has acquired Soaring Kite Books.
Stonefruit/Sourcebooks: Sourcebooks has launched the Stonefruit imprint, which will publish books from picture book through YA.
Ten Speed Press: Ten Speed Press has hired Dena Rayess as editor. She was previously associate editor at Chronicle Books.
Tu Books: Publisher and founder of Tu Books Stacy Whitman has stepped aside. She will continue to acquire and edit at Lee & Low.
Union Square: Union Square, the former Sterling, was acquired by Hachette from Barnes and Noble last year. They have now done a round of layoffs. No names announced.
November 2024:
Note: There have been few moves in the past couple of months, as companies and individuals waited to see the results of the election. Now that we know the results, this may change.
Aladdin: Rebecca Kuss has joined the imprint with the title of executive editor. Previously she had been a senior editor at Disney Hyperion.
Scholastic: Executive editor Clarissa Wong has left the company.
September 2024:
Algonquin Young Readers: In a big reorganization and set of layoffs, Little, Brown has shut down the AYR imprint. Editorial director Cheryl Klein has moved to Workman Kids, with other AYR editors and staff laid off. Full details in this PW article.
Chronicle Books: Mary Colgan joins the imprint as senior editor, in charge of chapter books and the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site line. She had previously worked at Boyds Mills Press and Callisto Media. Also, Rebecca Frazer has joined as executive editor.
Disney Hyperion: Assistant Editor Christine Collins at Hyperion reported on LinkedIn that she has been laid off, along with several others. As I learn other names, I'll report them.
Kane Press/Astra: I didn't expect to be reporting on myself, but Astra decided to close down the Kane imprint, and I've been laid off. Kane Press books are being added to the Astra Young Readers imprint. After the closure of Maria Russo's Minerva imprint earlier this year, that leaves Astra Young Readers, Calkins Creek, Hippo Park, Toon Books, and Wordsong as the Astra children's group.
Paula Wiseman Books (S&S): Paula Wiseman, VP and publisher for her personal imprint, will be retiring at the end of the year and becoming an editor-at-large. The PWB imprint will close, with the other editors and backlist moving to Beach Lane Books. More information.
Post Wave Children's Books: Post Wave, based in the UK, is launching a US imprint. Krestyna Lypen, formerly at Algonquin YR, will be editorial director. More information in PW.
Random House Studio: Farrin Jacobs, previously VP and editorial director at Little Brown Books for Young Readers, has joined RH Studio as executive editor.
Ten Speed Children's: Kelly Barrales-Saylor has joined Ten Speed as executive editor. She had been editorial director at Sourcebooks eXplore.
June 2024:
Albert Whitman: Publishing director Sue Tarsky has left the company.
Chronicle Books: Emily Daluga has joined the Chronicle staff as a children's book editor.
Clarion: Erin Clarke has joined Clarion as VP and publisher. Previously she was editorial director at Knopf BFYR.
Delacorte/Random House Children's: Senior VP and publisher Beverly Horowitz has retired from Delacorte Press.
Disney Hyperion: Editor-at-Large Stephanie Owens Lurie has retired. More information from PW.
Freedom Fire/Disney Hyperion: Anuoluwapo Ohioma has arrived as editor, from Penguin Workshop.
Harper Children's: Tara Weikum will be leading a new imprint, which does not yet have a name. They plan to publish "fiction that sits at the corner of commercial and literary for middle grade and teen readers." Also on staff: editor Sarah Homer and executive editors Kristin Rens and Amy Cloud.
Inkyard Press: Editor Olivia Valcarce is no longer at Inkyard, and has launched a freelance editorial business.
Kar-Ben Publishing: Fran Greenman-Schmitz will be the new publisher as of July 1, taking over from Joni Sussman, who is retiring.
Nosy Crow: Editor Jennifer Greene has joined the US office of Nosy Crow. She had been at Clarion.
Random House Studio: Maria Modugno has retired from RH Studio, where she had been VP and executive director. More information from PW.
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky: Melissa Manlove has arrived as executive editor after leaving Chronicle (see March below.)
March 2024:
Abrams Children's: Claire Stetzer has joined as editor.
Abrams Fanfare: Abrams is setting up a new children's graphic novel imprint. More information at PW.
Atelier Enfants: Atelier Edition has started this new imprint.
Balzer + Bray: Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray are moving their imprint from HarperCollins to Macmillan Children's, as of April 15. More information at PW.
Chooseco: Shelly Romero has joined Chooseco (the choose-your-own-adventure company) as editor. Previously she had worked at Cake Creative and Scholastic.
Clarion (HarperCollins): Editors Kait Feldmann and Monica Perez have been laid off, says the grapevine. I have no further information.
Chronicle Books: Long-time Chronicle editor Melissa Manlove has left.
Chronicle Books: Jody Mosley has moved from Abram's Children's Books, where she had been vice president and associate publisher, to become the children’s executive publishing director at Chronicle. More on this at PW. She replaces Ginee Seo (see June 2023 below).
Delacorte Romance: Delacorte Press is launching this new YA romance imprint. Wendy Loggia, Delacorte VP and senior executive editor, will lead it.
Electric Postcard: Kristen Pettit has joined as editorial director. Previously she had been an executive editor at Harper Children's.
Freedom Fire/Disney Hyperion: This new imprint at Disney Hyperion, led by Kwame Mbalia, releases its first titles in the fall. Betsy Bird interviews Kwame Mbalia and two authors.
Simon and Schuster BFYR: Sarah Barley is leaving her position as editorial director of YA at Flatiron to start a new imprint at S&S. It does not yet have a name.
Sourcebooks: Jennifer Gonzalez is the new senior vice president and publisher of the children’s division. She had been at Macmillan. More information at PW.
Sourcebooks: Also, Sourcebooks has hired Ben Rosenthal and Mabel Hsu away from Katherine Tegen Books at HarperCollins, where they had remained on staff after Tegen retired. They will be starting a new imprint. More information from PW.
Zando Young Readers: Tiffany Liao has left Zando, where she had been an executive editor, and is now an executive editor at Random House BFYR.
New imprints in 2023: Here's an end-of-year summary of new imprints from The Hot Sheet. Scroll down for children's and YA. I do include new imprints in these notes, but I miss things--and it's handy to have a list.
November 2023:
HarperCollins Children's Books: Suzanne Murphy, president and publisher, is leaving, and Liate Stehlik has been appointed to replace her. More on this in PW
Little Bee Books: Jeanine Le Ny, who had been a senior category manager at Calisto, is now an executive editor for BuzzPop at Little Bee Books.
Random House Graphic: Alex Lu has arrived as editor. They had been a contributing editor at First Second.
Razorbill/Putnam Children's Books: Tragically, Casey McIntyre vice president and publisher of Razorbill and then Putnam, has died of ovarian cancer. As you may have heard reported, she launched a campaign to retire medical debt that sky-rocketed after her death. Here is the earlier story I had missed of how Razorbill merged into Putnam Children's Books in June.
Sourcebooks: Jenne Abramowitz Vermeulen has moved from Scholastic to become Editorial Director of Sourcebooks’ Jabberwocky, Young Readers, and Fire imprints.
Ten Speed Press: Ginee Seo, who had been executive publishing director of Chronicle's children's group (see also June 2023), is now vice president and editorial director of children's publishing at Ten Speed Press.
September 2023:
Abrams BFYR: Abrams had some layoffs earlier this year. Emily Deluga, Associate Editor, was let go. There may have been other children's book editors, but she's the only one I know.
Inkyard Press/HarperCollins Children's Books: HC has closed the Inkyard Press imprint, which published YA and MG fiction, and laid off the staff, including editors Meghan Maria McCullough, Claire Stetzer, and Olivia Valcarce. HC also laid off Stephanie Guerdan, an associate editor at HC Children's Books and union steward; editorial director Antonia Markiet is retiring.
Page Street Kids/YA: Page Street is shifting the focus of their children's and YA program. They announced in January that they were expanding their YA publishing and creating a dedicated imprint for it. I also understand that they are no longer acquiring for Page Street Kids but will be releasing books already in the pipeline.
Penguin Random House: PRH has been reducing staff. Publishers Weekly has reported a number of names of people who accepted voluntary buyouts. None of them were children's book editors, but there have also been layoffs, and I will report names if/when I learn them.
June 2023:
Bright Light: Australian publisher Hardie Grant will publish this new American children's book imprint's first list in the fall. Staff includes publishing director Marisa Pintado, publisher Chren Byng, and art director Pooja Desai.
Bushel and Peck: The company has launched three new children's book imprints.
ByteDance: Allison Moore recently joined as Acquisitions Editor and is acquiring YA, romance, and fantasy. See June 2022 below for previous news.
Candlewick: Liz Bicknell and Joan Powers, both of whom have been in high-level editorial/management positions at Candlewick for years, have announced their retirements.
Chronicle Children's Books: Ginee Seo left her position as publishing director of Chronicle's children's division in May. She had been there since 2011. More details in PW
HarperCollins Children's: Stephanie Stein has left HC and is now a senior editor at Tor Publishing Group, and will be acquiring adult science fiction and fantasy.
April 2023:
DeFiore and Company: I don't usually report on agency news, but Elise Howard deserves an exception. She left Algonquin Young Readers last year, after having founded it and led it for more than ten years. She is now joining DeFiore and Co. as an agent.
HarperCollins Children's Books: HC cut staff in the aftermath of the strike, including in the children's division. I haven't heard any names yet but will post them when I do.
Nosy Crow: Allison Hunter Hill is joining Nosy Crow as editor. She worked previously at Page Street Kids and Candlewick. See December 2022 below for more on Nosy Crow...
December 2022:
Alfred A. Knopf BFYR: Esther Cajahuaringa has left Union Square Kids to become an Editor at Knopf.
Nosy Crow: I know Nosy Crow as a lively independent UK publisher, so I was intrigued to see they are launching a US division. More information in this interview
November 2022:
Algonquin Young Readers/Workman Kids: News of these imprints working together and of plans for growth in this article in PW.
Astra BFYR: Leonard Marcus, who had been editor-at-large for Astra Young Readers and minedition, has left the company.
Bloomsbury Children's Books: Hannah Rivera has joined as assistant editor.
Charlesbridge: Eileen Robinson has left Reycraft Books for Charlesbridge, where she will be acquiring for the main Charlesbridge imprint as executive editor. She is also bringing her company Move Books to Charlesbridge, where it will become the imprint Charlesbridge Moves, led by her as editorial director. Eileen is my friend and colleague at Kid's Book Revisions and this is fantastic news.
Freedom Fire/Disney: Disney-Hyperion is launching a new middle-grade imprint, to be led by author Kwame Mbalia. Full story in PW.
Inkyard Press: Meghan Maria McCullough has left Levine Querido to become an editor Inkyard. Olivia Valcarce left Scholastic to do the same.
Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins: Katherine Tegen is retiring. More details in this PW article. Ben Rosenthal will take over as editorial director for a new imprint that will replace Katherine Tegen Books. Mabel Hsu will report to him.
Knopf: Kelly Delaney has left Knopf for Crown BFYR.
LB Ink: Little Brown BFYR becomes the latest publisher to set up an imprint dedicated to graphic novels. Full details in this PW article.
Random House Children’s Books: Courtney Carbone has left Scholastic to return to RHCB.
Scholastic: Cindy Kim has moved to Scholastic from Little Simon. And Talia Seidenfeld has left Callisto to rejoin Scholastic.
Ten Speed Press: Vedika Khanna has left HarperCollins to become Senior Editor and Graphic Novel Editor at Ten Speed.
Workman Kids: Karen Smith has joined Workman from Knopf BFYR.
June 2022:
Algonquin Young Readers: Cheryl Klein has been appointed the new editorial director. She leaves Lee and Low, where she had been editorial director. Details in PW Elise Howard had retired from her position as publisher of Algonquin YR on May 1st.
Allida (Clarion): This new imprint led by author Linda Sue Park and editor Anne Hoppe (editorial director at Clarion) has just been announced.
Bloomsbury Children's Books: Allison Moore has left her position as editor.
Chronicle: Editor Feather Flores has left for Atheneum BFYR.
Crown BFYR (PRH): Emily Easton, vice president and publisher of Crown Books for Young Readers, left the company earlier this year.
duopress to Sourcebooks Kids: duopress has been acquired by Sourcebooks, and plans to publish 15 titles per year. Founder Mauricio Velázquez de León has joined Sourcebooks as founder and editorial director of the duopress imprint.
Marble Press: This new children's publisher, with three imprints, was created by a group of authors and illustrators, funded by venture capital money. Michael Green, formerly at Philomel as president and publisher, has been hired as editor. I expect to hear of more hires soon. Press release with more information
Margaret Quinlin Books: Margaret Quinlin has launched this eponymous imprint at Peachtree. Interview with MQ by Roger Sutton
Neal Porter Books (Holiday House): Taylor Norman is leaving Chronicle Books and joining Neal Porter Books in July. PW article with more details
Random House Children's Books: Diane Landolf has left her position as editor at RHCB. She can be reached at Diane Landolf Editorial
Random House Children's Books: Angela Song has left her position as Assistant Editor at Clarion Books to become an Associate Editor at RHCB.
Razorbill: Tiara Kittrell is now an editor at Razorbill. She had been an associate editor at Balzer + Bray (HC).
TOON Books (Astra BFYR): Tucker Stone has joined as executive editor.
Union Square Kids (formerly Sterling): Eve Adler has left Union Square, where she had been an executive editor, to join Red Fox Literary as an agent.
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Most recent update February 2026.
Maintained by Harold Underdown.
About this page: It's difficult to keep track of who is where at the major publishers, with editors coming and going every month of the year. Books get out of date and magazines and newsletters may be a few months behind in reporting.
Here I maintain a chronological list of these moves, both incomplete and infrequently updated, along with news of imprints closing, opening, or expanding, and other nuggets of relevant industry news. Please do not take it as the final word, and do not assume that it is completely accurate: it is not all based on first-hand information. I base it on information I've obtained from news I see on the Internet, articles in various sources, and messages from my contacts in the industry. The latest information is added at the top. Companies losing or laying off staff are coded in red, while those adding staff or filling vacancies are in green; unless I state otherwise, this coding does not mean growth or shrinkage in their publishing program. Please send additions and corrections by email to me. Thanks.
Additional resources: For addresses and other basic information about children's publishers, you should have a copy of Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, or the SCBWI's Essential Guide, which is free to members. Online, you can find some publisher's addresses in the CBC Member's list from the Children's Book Council WWW site. That is not a list of all children's publishers, however. Publishing news can be found on the Publishers Weekly web site.
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