Happy Halloween!

This article originally appeared in PW's Children's Bookshelf. Sign up now!

-- Publishers Weekly, 11/6/2008

As in years past, Halloween brings out creative costumes—and a lot of parties—at the offices of many publishing houses. Here's a sampling of the spooky, the silly and the downright strange from this year's festivities.

In the Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers art department, it was a Paula Deen 
invasion, y’all. Here (l. to r.), Chloe Foglia, Laurent Linn and Krista Vossen donned their 
best aprons and displayed versions of the Food Network star’s new cookbook for kids—
altered to show Lizzy Bromley and Lucy Cummins on the covers. Deep-fried fabulousness!


S&S’s managing editorial department took a political stance, showing off the company’s numerous election-themed books. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John and Cindy McCain, George W. Bush, Doreen Cronin’s Duck—all the heavy hitters turned out.


Over at Random House, Jim Thomas, editorial director 
at RHCB, rocked out as Jennifer and Matt Holm’s 
Babymouse a la the fourth book in the series, 
Babymouse: Rock Star.


Thomas wasn’t the only one wearing mouse ears at Random—the production, copyediting 
and managing editorial department came dressed as the “Random Houseketeers.”


RHCB president Chip Gibson was all smiles as The Joker—Santa, too.


Random House senior v-p of communications and 
marketing Judith Haut took a break with her 10-month-
old daughter, Nina, who had a pretty sweet costume.


At Scholastic, the Rainbow Magic Fairies were out in full force with wings and wands 
aplenty, as imagined by the editors at Scholastic Paperbacks.


A Scholastic publicist as the heroine of
Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.


A few Gossip Girls, and Chuck Bass, also made a showing at Scholastic. (L. to r.):
designers Lillie Mear and Pamela Notarantonio, design assistant Chelsea Donaldson 
and Orchard editorial assistant Michael Joosten.


Abby Ranger, assistant editor at Scholastic
Press, made use of illustrations from Wanda 
Gág's classic picture book to put the "millions" 
in her Millions of Cats costume.


Rotem Moscovich, associate editor 
at Cartwheel Books, was the life of 
the party as Eric Carle’s The Grouchy 
Ladybug.


Members of Scholastic’s publicity team showed off the literary inspirations for their 
costumes, from David Shannon’s Too Many Toys to Jeremy Tankard’s Grumpy Bird.


That's Scholastic trade president Ellie Berger, dressed 
as the Chicken Socks imprint, and Alan Smagler, v-p 
of trade sales, as Slappy the Dummy from R.L. Stine’s 
Goosebumps series.


At Penguin’s party, publicity assistant Julianne Lowell came dressed as a hippie, in honor 
of Lauren Myracle’s forthcoming YA novel with Dutton, Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks.


In an accomplishment worthy of a Project Runway 
contestant, Mardie Cohen, marketing coordinator 
for Penguin Young Readers, constructed a dress 
from a much-used commodity—Jiffy mailers.


Publicity assistant Casey McIntyre dressed as an Oreo 
cookie, in honor of an upcoming Dial YA novel, 
Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne.


Over at Little, Brown, costume themes ranged from publishing to politics. Here, from 
the Books for Young Readers department, Pam Gruber is dressed as a bar code 
(the ISBN is for Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight); Lauren Hodge is—no, not Pippi 
Longstocking, but the perky spokesperson for the Wendy’s fast food chain; and 
Julie Scheina gives a big wink as Sarah Palin.


Clouds! Meatballs! Senior editor Alvina Ling wears 
a costume inspired by Judi and Ron Barrett’s 
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (an animated 
film based on the book is scheduled for fall 2009 release).


Even cowgirls get the blues—but not this one. Poppy editor Elizabeth Bewley smiles 
with Little Red Riding Hood, aka editorial assistant Jill Dembowski.


At Candlewick’s offices in Somerville, Mass., rights coordinator Betsy Strenio (l.) and 
contracts coordinator Melanie Blais dressed up as Catina and Houndsley from the 
chapter-book series by James Howe, illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay.


Clarion and Houghton Mifflin also held a Halloween bash, in their New York City 
offices. Gathered in front of the refreshments were (l. to r.) Christine Kettner, Joann Hill, 
Kate Greene, Kerry Martin, Jennifer Wingertzahn, Sharismar Rodriguez, Dinah Stevenson, 
Jenny Groves and Jenny Kelly.


At Henry Holt, the dogs had their day. Sailor Murphy 
belongs to assistant marketing manager Sean Harrigan.


And Baxter, who belongs to Tim Jones, assistant director 
of marketing, and Charles London, author of One Day 
the Soldiers Came, appeared to be having an animal 
identity crisis. But his lobster costume won the dog 
costume contest in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.