Julia Maguire is joining Knopf Books for Young Readers as editor. She was formerly associate editor at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, and worked with Jenny Han and Becca Fitzpatrick, Lynne Berry, Matthew Cordell, Douglas Wood, illustrated by Jennifer Bell, among other authors and artists.
Nina Simoneaux has joined the Knopf Doubleday Dell art group as design assistant.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has one new hire and one promotion. Marcie Lawrence joins the company as designer. She was previously at Wenner Media and The Unlimited magazine. Maggie Edkins has been promoted to assistant designer; she was previously design assistant.
Kallam McKay has joined Macmillan Children's Publishing Group as digital marketing assistant. She recently received an NYU Certificate in Publishing.
Knopf Books for Young Readers has two promotions. Allison Wortche has been promoted to senior editor, from editor. Katherine Harrison has been promoted to associate editor, from assistant editor.
Maria Russo has been named children's books editor of the New York Times Book Review, and will join the paper on August 4. Most recently, she was the editor-in-chief of Pasadena magazine, and has been an editor and a writer at the Los Angeles Times, the New York Observer, and Salon. She was also a frequent contributor to the Book Review.
Jennifer Corcoran, director of publicity at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, is leaving the company to join NBC's preschool TV channel Sprout as director of communications. At Sprout she will join v-p of communications Jennifer Levine; the two worked together for six years at Disney Publishing Worldwide.
Kelli Chipponeri has been promoted to editorial director of children's books at Chronicle Books; she joined the company in 2010 as executive editor, and had been editorial director at Running Press.
Lisa Yoskowitz has joined Little, Brown Books for Young Readers as executive editor. Most recently she was senior editor at Disney-Hyperion; authors she worked with included Michael Fry, Tess Sharpe, Ami Polonsky, Elizabeth Wein, and Cinda Williams Chima.
Colleen AF Venable will join Workman Publishing on August 1 as associate art director of the children's department. She was senior designer at First Second Books, where she worked with Gene Luen Yang, Vera Brosgol, Scott Campbell, and Faith Erin Hicks. Venable has also written books for children, including the Eisner-nominated Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private Eye series.
At Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Sarah Jane Abbott has joined Paula Wiseman Books and Beach Lane Books as editorial assistant; she was previously publicity assistant. Kelsey Dickson has joined the publicity department as publicity assistant. She was previously a bookseller at Barnes & Noble in Texas.
Candlewick Press has realigned its marketing teams and has several promotions. Susan Batcheller has been promoted to senior v-p, commercial operations, in addition to her role of group commercial operations director for the Walker Books Group. Jennifer Roberts has been promoted to v-p of publicity and executive director of marketing campaigns. Sharon Hancock is now executive director of library marketing and outreach. Kathleen Rourke has been promoted to executive director of educational sales and marketing. Tracy Miracle has been promoted to publicity and marketing campaigns director for Candlewick and senior group communications officer for the Walker Books Group. Laura Rivas has been promoted to publicity, brands, and consumer outreach director. Erika Denn has been promoted to senior publicist.
Netta Rabin has been named v-p of product development for Klutz; she was previously associate art director and editor for children's books at Workman Publishing.
Becky Green has been promoted to v-p and director of children's retail sales at Random House Children’s Books. She was previously v-p, national accounts.
T.S. Ferguson has been promoted to editor at Harlequin Teen; he was formerly associate editor, and had previously worked at Random House and Little, Brown.
