Lauri Hornik, president and publisher of Dial Books, has been appointed president and publisher of Dial Books and Dutton Children’s Books. She takes over the Dutton role from Stephanie Owens Lurie, who left last month to become editorial director at Disney-Hyperion and Disney-Jump at the Sun. Hornik will be responsible for the business and publishing strategy and editorial direction of both Dial and Dutton. She joined Dial in 1999 as editorial director, became v-p and publisher in 2005, and was named president of the imprint earlier this fall.

Julie Strauss-Gabel, currently associate editorial director for Dutton Children’s Books, has been named associate publisher. Strauss-Gabel joined Dutton in 2002, and was appointed associate editorial director in 2007. Among her authors are John Green, Lauren Myracle and Gayle Forman, whose novel If I Stay will be published in April 2009.