Susan Kochan, Associate Editorial Director

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Overview

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers publishes approximately fifty books a year for children, from lively, accessible picture books to some of today’s strongest voices in fiction and nonfiction. We strive to publish a book for every reader (ages 0-18).

In 1838, George Palmer Putnam and John Wiley established the publishing house of Wiley & Putnam, which became known as G. P. Putnam’s Sons in 1872. One of the first children’s titles published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons was the 1925 Newbery Honor book Nicholas by Anne Carroll Moore. In 1936, Putnam merged with Coward McCann, bringing The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Hutchet Bishop, illustrated by Kurt Wiese, and Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág to the list. In 1980, Eric Hill’s classic lift-the flap Where’s Spot? was published and became an international sensation. With the acquisition of Dodd, Mead’s juvenile division in 1989, Putnam welcomed one of its brightest stars—Jan Brett, whose picture books annually climb to the top of the bestseller list. Putnam is also the proud publisher of the beloved Goodnight, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, published in 1994 and continuing to delight readers today.

Some of Putnam’s recent successes include Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson, winner of the Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Honor, and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book; The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham and Karim Shamsi-Basha, illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, winner of the Caldecott Honor; The Beautiful quartet by New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh; Frankly in Love by New York Times bestselling author David Yoon; The Queen’s Assassin by New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz; The Downstairs Girl by New York Times bestselling author Stacey Lee; the Iggy series by New York Times bestselling author Annie Barrows; The 5th Wave series by Rick Yancey; the Legend series by Marie Lu; and the E.B. White Award-winning Apothecary series by Maile Meloy. Celebrated authors Betty G. Birney, Sherri L. Smith, Sheila O’Connor, Greg Howard, Katherine Arden, Deborah Marcero, and Kristin Levine have also garnered tremendous readership and critical praise. We have a steady pipeline of exciting new books so please check back often to see our latest publications!

Meet the Team

Jennifer Klonsky, President & Publisher

Jen joined Penguin Young Readers in 2018 and is the Publisher of G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Dial Books for Young Readers. Her select list includes authors Max Greenfield, Josh Gad, Ben Falcone, Sara Shepard, and Sloan Harlow. She previously held positions at HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Scholastic.

Nancy Mercado, Associate Publisher and Editorial Director

Nancy Mercado (she/her) began her career in the Scholastic Book Clubs in 1999 and has held editorial positions at Dial Books for Young Readers, Roaring Brook Press and Scholastic Press.

Now back at Dial, she manages a team of brilliant editors and edits a select list of picture books, chapter books, middle grade & young adult novels, and graphic novels.

Thrilled to continue in the Dial tradition of publishing books that will have a lasting impact on the canon of children’s literature, Nancy is especially looking for diverse perspectives that remain underrepresented. She’d love to see more first- and second-generation immigrant stories, joyful stories featuring characters with disabilities, a MG or YA novel that explored white privilege or colorism in the Latinx community, a school-based story about an ICT or an ELL classroom, and overall more humorous family and friendship stories with a hopeful quality to them.

Susan Kochan, Associate Editorial Director

Susan Kochan is Associate Editorial Director of G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. She joined Putnam in 1994 after teaching elementary school. She acquires fiction and nonfiction board books, picture books, and middle-grade novels, and loves stories that masterfully mix humor and heart. Susan has edited successful series including the Iggy books by Annie Barrows, the Planet Omar series by Zanib Mian, and Betty G. Birney’s Humphrey series. She has also edited Patty Lovell and David Catrow’s Molly Lou Melon books, Corey Rosen Schwartz and Dan Santat’s beloved ninja fairy tales, starting with The Three Ninja Pigs, and Laura Murray and Mike Lowery’s classroom favorites, the Gingerbread Man on the Loose books, as well as children’s books luminaries Jan Brett, Gennifer Choldenko, and Keiko Kasza.

Stephanie Pitts, Executive Editor

Stephanie Pitts is an Executive Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. She acquires a healthy mix of picture books, middle grade, YA, nonfiction, and graphic novels for young readers. She edited the instant New York Times Bestseller Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson, the #1 Indie Bestseller In a Jar by Deborah Marcero, Gladys the Magic Chicken by Adam Rubin and Adam Rex, and The Octopus Escapes by Maile Meloy and Felicita Sala, among other picture books. Stephanie has also edited many novels for young readers, including the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Ice Cream Machine by Adam Rubin, the New York Times Bestseller and Reese’s Book Club YA Pick The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan, and Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone.

Polo Orozco, Senior Editor

Polo Orozco is a Senior Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. He acquires YA, middle grade, and graphic novels, and he’s drawn to stories that are highly entertaining, remarkably imaginative, and wholly human. At Putnam, Polo works with authors including Aislinn Brophy, Kyla Zhao, and #1 New York Times bestselling novelist Melissa de la Cruz. Prior to joining Penguin, Polo was at Random House Children’s Books, where he edited books by authors including Julia Walton, Kevin van Whye, Molly Brooks, David A. Kelly, and Gavin Aung Than.

Rūta Rimas, Senior Executive Editor and Publishing Director

Rūta Rimas is a senior executive editor and publishing director for GP Putnam’s Books for Young Readers, acquiring and editing middle grade and young adult, fiction and non, and graphic novels. At Penguin Random House, she has the honor and privilege of working with the most talented authors and illustrators in the industry, including Sabaa Tahir, J. Elle, Jessica Goodman, Diana Urban, Ginny Myers Sain, Shifa Saltagi Safadi, and more. Her tastes are quirky and sharp, boundary-pushing, with a dash of darkness and a whole lot of heart.

Christopher Hernandez, Senior Editor

Chris Hernandez is a senior editor, acquiring picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. Chris especially enjoys working on illustrated books as well as stories with heart, multi-layered humor, well-crafted mystery, thrilling adventure, a witty voice, and/or a unique twist on something familiar. Prior to joining Penguin, he was an editor at HarperCollins, where he had the pleasure of working with such bestselling and award-winning creators as Katherine Applegate, Thanhhà Lai, Lisa McMann, Tahereh Mafi, and Cori Doerrfeld. When he’s not editing children’s books, Chris goes home to write them—whenever his dog and cats give him a moment of peace. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisMakesBooks.

Matt Phipps, Associate Editor

Matt Phipps is an Associate Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, acquiring picture books, middle grade, and YA, including graphic novels for all ages. Prior to joining Putnam in 2020, he spent several years in Penguin’s School and Library Marketing department. He was an Editor Mentor with The Word: A Storytelling Sanctuary and volunteered with the Representation Matters Mentorship Program, in addition to serving on the board of the Penguin Random House LGBTQ+ Network. He has also worked as a bookseller, a Spanish-English translator, and a teacher.

Gretchen Durning, Editor

Gretchen Durning is an Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group. She works primarily on young adult and middle grade fiction. She’s edited titles such as the New York Times bestseller Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor, the internationally bestselling Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou, and These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang. Gretchen is looking for middle grade and young adult titles, primarily in the fantasy, mystery/thriller, or horror genres. She’s especially drawn to stories with a strong hook, an immersive voice, and an escapist plot. When not reading, you can probably find her planning a trip to somewhere new or watching a BBC nature documentary. Follow her on Twitter: @gretchendurning.

Simone Roberts-Payne, Assistant Editor

Simone Roberts-Payne (she/her) is an Assistant Editor at G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. She came to PYR in 2021, after previously working for Jacqueline Woodson as a research assistant. Simone has assisted on YA projects by Sabaa Tahir, J. Elle, Jessica Goodman, and Sloan Harlow. She has always loved books from a teen perspective and feels like young voices and concerns tell us so much about the current state of the world. She is currently looking to build a list that includes commercial and literary young adult fiction and picture books from BIPOC voices.  She is drawn to dynamic and diverse fiction, with complicated familial or romantic relationships, a hint of mystery, a touch of heartbreak and all things adorable.