Philomel - Penguin Books USA

Overview

Philomel was created in the early 1980s as part of World Publishing Books for Young People, by Editor and Publisher Ann Beneduce. The imprint’s name, which literally means “lover of song,” implied that these books would be lyrical, beautiful in concept and form, and fine enough to be celebrated as gifts. The early lists included such future classics as Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide; Virginia Hamilton’s Newbery Honor winning Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush; and Ed Young’s Caldecott Honor winning The Emperor and the Kite.

In 1985 Patricia Lee Gauch took over as Editor-in-Chief of Philomel. Sharing Ms. Beneduce’s vision, she published Caldecott winners Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr, Lon Po Po by Ed Young, and So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George and David Small. She also published the soon-to-be iconic animal fantasy series Redwall by Brian Jacques and the inimitable homespun picture books of Patricia Polacco, including Pink and Say.

Michael Green joined the imprint as Editorial Assistant directly from graduate school in 1991, eventually taking the helm as Publisher in 2003. Under his direction, Philomel continued its tradition of producing quality picture books for the youngest of readers while simultaneously growing as one of the industry’s leaders in commercial fiction for middle grade and young adults. His list included the #1 bestselling blockbuster The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers; Stuck, written and illustrated by Mr. Jeffers; Loren Long’s New York Times bestselling Otis series, about a heroic tractor and his farmyard friends; Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider spy novels, which are #1 bestsellers the world over; Mike Lupica’s sports-centered novels, such as Fantasy League and Heat, that capture the purity of the 12-year-old sports fanatic in all of us; and John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice epic, the worldwide bestselling fantasy/adventure series. Mr. Green’s quest to reach the reluctant reader added to Philomel’s initial mission and expanded the type of books published under the imprint’s name.

With an editorial staff of five, all working to create books that enlighten and inspire, the Philomel list has grown to include Chelsea Clinton and Alexandra Boiger‘s New York Times bestselling picture books She Persisted and She Persisted Around the World; Ruta Sepetys’s internationally acclaimed historical fiction bestsellers Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea; Lisa Graff’s National Book Award nominee A Tangle of Knots; Chelsea Clinton’s New York Times bestselling It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!; Mayim Bialik’s Girling Up: How to be Strong, Smart and Spectacular; Emily Barr’s literary thriller The One Memory of Flora Banks; and many, many more.

Whatever the genre, Philomel strives to foster a love of reading in children and young adults. It is a love of story, of language that captivates, of art that makes both a parent’s and child’s eyes open wide with delight, of books that beckon to be read over and over and yet lose none of their magic, that drives the people of Philomel to make distinguished books.

AWARDS

Caldecott Medal Winner

2001: So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George, illustrated by David Small
1990: Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China, translated and illustrated by Ed Young
1988: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr

Caldecott Honor Book

1993: Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
1968: The Emperor and the Kite by Ed Young

Carnegie Medal Winner

2017: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Newbery Honor Book

1983: Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush by Virginia Hamilton

National Book Award Winner

2010: Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

National Book Award Nominee

2013: A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff

The New York Times Best-Illustrated Books of the Year

2016: The Cat from Hunger Mountain, written and illustrated by Ed Young
2012: The Hueys in: The New Sweater, written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
1993: The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida, illustrated by Joanna Yardley
1993: Gulliver’s Adventures in Lilliput by Jonathan Swift, retold by Ann Kay Beneduce, illustrated by Gennady Spirin
1988: Cats are Cats, compiled by Nancy Larrick, illustrated by Ed Young
1988: Swan Sky by Tejima
1987: Fox’s Dream by Tejima
1982: Anno’s Britain by Mitsumasa Anno

Featured Books

Superheroes Are Everywhere

Kamala Harris
Illustrator: Mechal Renee Roe

Ashes in the Snow (Movie Tie-In)

Ruta Sepetys

Turning Pages

Sonia Sotomayor
Illustrator: Lulu Delacre

Start Now!

Chelsea Clinton

Peanut Butter & Cupcake

Terry Border
Illustrator: Terry Border

The Boy, the Bird & the Coffin Maker

Matilda Woods
Illustrator: Anuska Allepuz

The Day the Crayons Quit

Drew Daywalt
Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

The Cat Who Lived With Anne Frank

David Lee Miller
Steven Jay Rubin
Illustrator: Elizabeth Baddeley

The Fall of Innocence

Jenny Torres Sanchez

No Slam Dunk

Mike Lupica

Meet Philomel

Jill Santopolo

Associate Publisher

Jill Santopolo, the Associate Publisher of Philomel Books, joined Penguin Random House in 2009 before attaining her current position in 2018. She holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University and an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Jill is best known for editing books that empower young readers, including the New York Times bestsellers She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger, Girling Up: How To Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular by neuroscientist and star of The Big Bang Theory Mayim Bialik, Turning Pages: My Life Story by Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Lulu Delacre, and Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like An Inventor by Temple Grandin. She also edited the National Book Award-nominee A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff, the Amelia Bloomer winner The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi, the USA Today bestseller Peanut Butter & Cupcake! by Terry Border, and Superheroes Are Everywhere, a picture book by Kamala Harris, illustrated by Mechal Renee Roe, and many other picture books, novels, and works of non-fiction. Jill loves publishing books that challenge readers to think more deeply about the world around them. When she’s not editing, Jill is a New York Times bestselling novelist herself. You can follow her on Twitter at @jillsantopolo.

Jill Santopolo's Featured Titles

She Persisted

Chelsea Clinton
Illustrator: Alexandra Boiger

Turning Pages

Sonia Sotomayor
Illustrator: Lulu Delacre

Girling Up

Mayim Bialik

A Tangle of Knots

Lisa Graff

The Secret Sky

Atia Abawi

Liza Kaplan

Senior Editor

Liza Kaplan, Senior Editor at Philomel Books, joined Penguin Random House in 2007 before attaining her current position in 2013. She holds a BFA in Musical Theater, and English and American Literature, from New York University. Liza is best known for editing emotionally compelling literary novels that explore the complexities of being human through risky subjects—in both YA and middle grade—including #1 New York Times and international bestseller, Carnegie Medal winner Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, National Jewish Book Award finalist and Amelia Bloomer Award winner Audacity by Melanie Crowder, The Fall of Innocence by Pushcart Prize nominee Jenny Torres Sanchez, We Are All That’s Left by National Book Award finalist Carrie Arcos, The One Memory of Flora Banks by acclaimed author Emily Barr, This Impossible Light by YouTube slam poetry sensation Lily Myers, and Carnegie Medal finalist Fire Color One by Jenny Valentine. Liza is always on the lookout for superbly written realistic fiction, underrepresented stories, and those with a slight touch of magical realism—across both contemporary and historical. When she’s not editing, Liza can be found sharing picture books at home with her own little readers. You can follow her on Twitter @lizajkaplan.

Liza Kaplan's Featured Titles

Salt to the Sea

Ruta Sepetys

Ashes in the Snow (Movie Tie-In)

Ruta Sepetys

The Fall of Innocence

Jenny Torres Sanchez

We Are All That's Left

Carrie Arcos

Kelsey Murphy

Editor

Kelsey Murphy, Editor at Philomel Books, joined Penguin Random House as an Editor in 2018. She graduated from New York University with a degree in Dramatic Literature, Film Studies, and Theater History, and a minor in Creative Writing. Kelsey edits picture books, middle grade, and young adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as select graphic novels. She is particularly interested in middle grade and young adult fantasy, science-fiction, and genre projects—thrillers, mysteries, magical realism, historical fantasy, and more—with a blend of literary and commercial appeal. She’s a particular fan of non-fiction picture book biographies and smart, sophisticated, humorous picture books. Kelsey’s always looking for projects by diverse creators and featuring diverse and LGBTQIA characters—from fantasy and genre projects, to contemporary, romance, and humor—she’s looking to support and champion exciting new talent. When not reading or writing, Kelsey is performing long-form improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, or watching every movie in the Criterion Collection. You can follow her on Twitter at @kelseybmurphy.

Kelsey Murphy's Featured Titles

The Royal Ranger: The Red Fox Clan

John Flanagan

Alex Rider: Secret Weapon

Anthony Horowitz

Meet More

Talia Benamy

Associate Editor

Talia Benamy, Associate Editor at Philomel Books, joined Penguin Random House as an Editorial Assistant in 2013. She graduated with a BA in English from Cornell University. Talia is the editor of Speak of Me As I Am by Sonia Belasco, a “stirring account of the trials of adolescence,” and of several upcoming picture books, including The Cat Who Lived with Anne Frank (written by David Lee Miller and Steven Jay Rubin, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley) and Bear Needs Help (written and illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen). She is constantly on the lookout for books that have global significance and will help readers understand the world around them, as well as books that embrace feminism, celebrate wordplay, and focus on Judaism, politics, or space. When she’s not editing books, Talia can be found engaging in political activism, winning bar trivia nights, eating all the pizza, and planning her next trip. Follow her on Twitter at @taliabenamy.

Talia Benamy's Featured Titles

Speak of Me As I Am

Sonia Belasco

Bear Needs Help

Sarah S. Brannen
Illustrator: Sarah S. Brannen

The Cat Who Lived With Anne Frank

David Lee Miller
Steven Jay Rubin
Illustrator: Elizabeth Baddeley

Cheryl Eissing

Assistant Editor

Cheryl Eissing, Assistant Editor at Philomel Books, holds a BA in English from Rutgers University. She is always looking for fresh YA fiction, whether it be contemporary, thriller, romance, horror, or fantasy, silly yet profound picture books, and stories that expose their readers to diverse experiences that the children’s book world hasn’t seen before and, above all, stories that entertain, educate, and inspire. When she is not editing books, Cheryl can be found walking her English bulldog around Brooklyn, watching slam poems on YouTube, tailgating a Rutgers football game, and eating too much ice cream.