Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers is the Flagship imprint of the S&S Children’s Division. We are committed to publishing a wide range of contemporary, commercial, award-winning fiction and non-fiction that spans every age of children’s publishing. BFYR is constantly looking to the future, supporting our foundation authors and franchises, but always with an eye for breaking new ground with every publication. We are also deeply invested in developing new talent, new formats and new avenues of publication. S&S BFYR’s publishing program’s eclecticism, elasticity and sensibility to the ever changing market place makes it the home for a vast array of blockbuster children’s titles.
Zareen Jaffery, Executive Editor
Zareen joined Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers in February 2011 and will be acquiring commercial and literary young adult and middle grade fiction. Her current list at Books for Young Readers includes New York Times bestselling authors Hilary Duff and Tonya Hurley, as well as a fabulous new series by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. Prior to Simon and Schuster, Zareen worked at HarperCollins Children’s Books editing bestselling novelists Lauren Conrad, Jodi Lynn Anderson, LJ Smith, and Claudia Gray. Zareen is a graduate of New York University.
Kristin Ostby, Editor
Kristin Ostby joined Books for Young Readers in July 2012. Kristin acquires primarily middle grade fiction and picture books, and she is always on the lookout for engaging books for boys—funny ones, especially. In 2004, while she was a student at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), Kristin began her publishing career as a summer intern at Penguin's Grosset & Dunlap/Price Stern Sloan, eventually becoming an editor there. After moving to Chicago in 2010, Kristin worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in 2011 she was hired as a senior editor at Albert Whitman & Company. She is happy to be back in New York and positively thirlled to be working with the wonderful team at S&S.
Navah Wolfe, Associate Editor
Navah Wolfe joined Simon & Schuster in 2007, and assists David Gale. She is the editor of several upcoming titles, including Death Watch, the first book in the Undertaken trilogy by Ari Berk, and The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent, as well as the picture book Chaucer's First Winter by Stephen Krensky, illustrated by Henry Cole, which appeared in Cheerios boxes across the country. She was on the editorial team for titles such as the Printz Honor-winning The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey, Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry, The Skinjacker Trilogy by Neal Shusterman, and Margaret Peter Haddix's The Missing series. Navah seeks strong middle grade and teen novels with compelling characters and fresh voices, as well as engaging commercial picture books. She is especially interested in YA and middle grade science fiction and fantasy.
Julia Maguire, Associate Editor
Julia started with the imprint in September 2008. Prior to BFYR, she interned at Bloomsbury Children's Books. She has worked on several picture books, including the GM Spoonful of Stories winner 1 Zany Zoo and Piggies in the Kitchen illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Ard Hoyt. She is looking for short, snappy picture books and young adult fiction with a strong plot and unique characters that are grounded in reality. She assists Emily Meehan and Alexandra Cooper.
Dani Young, Assistant Editor
Dani spent her time growing up reading just a little too much, but managed to squeeze in an English degree and Classics minor at the University of California: Irvine, internships at Scholastic, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, as well as an M.S. in Publishing at New York University. Assisting Justin Chanda, she’s worked with authors and illustrators such as Mac Barnett, Michael Ian Black, Peter Brown, Jane Chapman, Carter Goodrich, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Loren Long, Patricia MacLachlan, Jeff Newman, Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Kenneth Oppel, Jon Scieszka, Eric Wight, and Karma Wilson. When she’s not busy, she still loves to get lost in a great story with strong, likeable characters, particularly YA and middle grade fiction of the fantasy, dystopian, historical, fairy tale adaptation, and romance variety.
Alexandra Cooper, Senior Editor
Alexandra works on hardcover trade picture books, middle-grade fiction, and young adult novels. She is the editor of the #1 New York Times bestseller Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Bryan Collier, as well as Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin, winner of the 2010 Schneider Family Award. Alexandra is privileged to count Jane Yolen, Kathy Krull, Bagram Ibatoulline, and Heather Vogel Frederick among the talented writers and artists she works with.
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Anne Zafian, Deputy Publisher
As Deputy Publisher, Anne works closely with the Publisher on key aspects of our business. She oversees our marketing team and marketing plans; and works closely with both the sales team and supply chain organization to maximize sales and manage inventory. Anne has been with S&S for more than 5 years, previously as a VP in our sales department responsible for both adult and children’s book sales. Prior to that, she worked at what is now known as Hachette Book Group USA, including Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, where her love of children’s books was first fostered.
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David is especially interested in acquiring middle-grade and teen fiction and has a special affinity for realistic contemporary novels. Novelists he works with include Tony DiTerlizzi, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Pete Hautman (National Book Award), Chris Lynch, Alex Sanchez (Lambda Literary Award), Neal Shusterman, Sonya Sones, Ellen Wittlinger (Lambda Literary Award, ALA Michael L. Printz Honor), and Rick Yancey (ALA Printz Honor). His picture book authors and illustrators include Henry Cole, Emily Gravett (New York Times Best Illustrated), John Lithgow, Barry Moser, and Margie Palatini. Before joining Simon & Schuster in 1993, David worked at HarperCollins, Dell/Delacorte, as a book review editor at School Library Journal, and in textbook publishing. He holds a B.A. degree in English and history from Case Western Reserve University and an M.A. degree in Early Childhood Education with concentrations in children’s literature and in the teaching of reading from New York University.
Justin Chanda, Vice President and Publisher
Justin joined the editorial staff at Simon & Schuster in 2005 after an eight year stint at HarperCollins Children’s Books. A graduate of New York University, Justin was named publisher of the S&S Books for Young Readers imprint in 2007 and McElderry Books and Atheneum Books for Young Readers in 2009. He is keenly interested in publishing books that are equal parts commercial and literary, books that make a contribution to the tradition, while truly entertaining kids. Aside from having the honor of working with the best editorial staff in the industry, he also has the opportunity to edit some of its best talent including the likes of: Jon Scieszka, David Shannon, Loren Long, Kenneth Oppel, Patricia MacLachlan, Mac Barnett, Adam Rex and Michael Ian Black.
Amy Rosenbaum, Editorial Assistant
Amy joined Simon & Schuster in 2011 after completing the Columbia Publishing Course. A graduate of Tufts University, she is delighted to put her English degree to daily good use. As a reader, Amy is partial to books with distinctive voices, big ideas, and an underlying sense of fun. She assists Alexandra Cooper and Anne Zafian.
