Putnam Young Readers Team Archives - Penguin Books

Polo Orozco, Senior Editor

Matthew Phipps — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 23:11:29 +0000

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.

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Gretchen Durning, Editor

Gretchen Durning — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 16:57:06 +0000

Gretchen Durning is an editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers. While at Penguin, she’s worked on titles such as the instant New York Times bestsellers Hotel Magnifique and The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor, the internationally bestselling Threads That Bind duology by Kika Hatzopoulou, and the critically acclaimed novel The Curse of Eelgrass Bog by Mary Averling. Gretchen works primarily on middle grade and young adult fiction, chiefly 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.

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Stephanie Pitts, Executive Editor

Matthew Phipps — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:13:59 +0000

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.

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Christopher Hernandez, Senior Editor

Gretchen Durning — Sat, 26 Jun 2021 16:32:32 +0000

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.

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Rūta Rimas, Senior Executive Editor and Publishing Director

Gretchen Durning — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 16:28:00 +0000

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.

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Susan Kochan, Associate Editorial Director

jaaronson — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 18:12:24 +0000

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.

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Jennifer Klonsky, President & Publisher

jaaronson — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 17:27:10 +0000

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.

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