Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Eerdman's Books for Young Readers (EBYR) is the children's imprint of Eerdmans Publishing. They publish 12-18 titles each year, offering board books, picture books, middle readers, novels, nonfiction, and religious titles for children and young adults. EBYR seeks to engage young minds with books that are "honest, wise, and hopeful; books that delight us with their storyline, characters, or good humor; books that inform, inspire, and entertain." They are especially interested in stories that "celebrate diversity, stories of historical significance, and stories that relate to contemporary social issues." (source)

EBYR caught my attention for three reasons. First, because they published the 2015 Sibert Medal Winner and Caldecott Honor Book The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet. Second, because I love the "Coffee Break Confidential" vlog, featuring the super charming duo of Ahna Ziegler and Katherine Gibson. And third, because I also love the EBYR blog, Eerdlings. It's chock full of useful information for authors and illustrators.

EBYR is open to unsolicited submissions. Guidelines are available here. We found that their books tackle serious topics and celebrate diversity; they tell the stories of unsung heroes and the stories of everyday kids; some books focus on religious themes and some don't. They publish quite a few international titles, as well, but we only checked out books that were first published in the US.

Getting to know Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Managing Editor – Kathleen Merz
Tips for Revising Your Picture Book
Lots of tips From the Editor's Desk on Eerdlings

Editorial Assistant – Katherine Gibson
A Day in the Life

Art Director – Gayle Brown
A Day in the Life

Digital Marketing Manager – Ahna Ziegler

Huge thanks to Eerdmans Books for Young Readers for providing us with the name of the editor who worked on the books we read this month!

Books we had on hand (* indicates books we read):

*The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch (2015); Written by Chris Barton; Illustrated by Don Tate; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 2142 words (Blog post: Reconstructing The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch by Kathleen Merz)

*Fur, Fins, and Feathers: Abraham Dee Bartlett and the Invention of the Modern Zoo (2015); Written and illustrated by Cassandre Maxwell; Edited by Kathleen Merz

*The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus (2014); Written by Jen Bryant; Illustrated by Melissa Sweet; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 1227 words (Blog post: Deleted Scenes, Bonus Material, and The Right Word by Kathleen Merz and vlog post on narrative nonfiction: Coffee Break Confidential)

Brother Hugo and the Bear (2014); Written by Katy Beebe; Illustrated by S.D. Schindler; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 1477 words

*Manger (2014); Poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins; Illustrated by Helen Cann; Edited by Kathleen Merz

*Thank You, God (2014); Written by Bradley J. Wigger; Illustrated by Jago; Edited by Kathleen Merz

*Two Little Birds (2014); Written and illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 347 words

Christopher Sat Straight Up in Bed (2013); Written by Kathy Long; Illustrated by Patricia Cantor; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 522 words

*Ready and Waiting for You (2013); Written by Judi Moreillon; Illustrated by Catherine Stock; Edited by Kethleen Merz

*When No One is Watching (2013); Written by Eileen Spinelli; Illustrated by David Johnson; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 362 words

Bow Wow Wiggle Waggle (2012); Written and illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma; Edited by Kathleen Merz

*The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau (2012); Written by Michelle Markel; Illustrated by Amanda Hall; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 1213 words

I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery (2012); Written by Cynthia Grady; Illustrated by Michele Wood; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 2462 words

Jonah's Whale (2012); Written by Eileen Spinelli; Illustrated by Giuliano Ferri; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 578 words

*Mary's Song (2012); Written by Lee Bennett Hopkins; Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn; Edited by Kathleen Merz

*Peter is Just a Baby (2012); Written and illustrated by Marisabina Russo; Edited by Kathleen Merz; 699 words










Last month, our book club was featured on Kite Tales, the SCBWI So Cal blog.