Dial Books for Young Readers
Dial Books for Young Readers is a hardcover division publishing approximately 75 titles a year for children of all ages, from preschool through young adult. Dial traces its roots to 1880 and the founding of The Dial, a monthly literary magazine that was edited over the years by Conrad Aiken, Van Wyck Brooks, and Marianne Moore, and published such literary giants as e.e. cummings, T.S. Eliot, D.H. Lawrence, and Gertrude Stein. The magazine founded a book publisher, The Dial Press, in 1924. The publishing house survived, although the magazine was long gone by 1961 when the children's book division was established. By the 1960's, Dial was jointly owned by Richard Baron and Dell Publishing Company; E. L. Doctorow was editor-in-chief. When Dell was acquired by Doubleday in the late '60s, that company sold the children's division of Dial to E. P. Dutton, and after another few changes in corporate ownership, Dial Books for Young Readers found its current home as a division of the Penguin Young Readers Group.
Through it all, Dial has retained its identity for publishing books of high literary merit, fine design, and kid-relevance. It has pioneered books for the young, including the first quality board books published in the U.S., Rosemary Wells's Very First Books line, and some of the first wordless picture books, Mercer Mayer's A Boy, A Dog, and a Frog titles. Current picture book creators published by Dial include Judy Schachner, Caralyn & Mark Buehner, Kadir Nelson, David Small, and David Soman & Jacky Davis (all New York Times Bestsellers).
In fiction for middle grade and young adult readers, Dial's focus has always been on stylish, genuine, character-driven writing. Recent award-winning authors on Dial's list include Ingrid Law, Richard Peck, Nancy Werlin, Franny Billingsley, and Kristin Cashore.
Download Submission Guidelines for Dial Books for Young Readers
Lauri Hornik
President and Publisher
Lauri Hornik joined Penguin in 1999 as Editorial Director of Dial Books for Young Readers, became Dial's Vice President and Publisher in 2005, and the President and Publisher of both Dial and Dutton Children's Books in 2008. She previously held positions at Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers and Houghton Mifflin Children's Books. In her time at Penguin, Lauri has published such talented authors and illustrators as Richard Peck, Nancy Werlin, Jerry Pinkney, Kadir Nelson, Tedd Arnold, Tao Nyeu, and David Small.
Awards
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
2011 – Fiction Honor: Chime by Franny Billingsley
2008 – Fiction Honor: Savvy by Ingrid Law
1995 – Picture Book Award: John Henry, written by Julius Lester, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
1977 – Fiction Honor: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Caldecott Medal
1977: Ashanti to Zulu, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, written by Margaret Musgrove
1976: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, written by Verna Aardema
Caldecott Honor
1995: John Henry, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, retold by Julius Lester
1990: The Talking Eggs, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, written by Robert D. San Souci
1989: Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall
1977: Fish for Supper by M.B. Goffstein
1975: Jambo Means Hello, illustrated by Tom Feelings, written by Muriel Feelings
1972: Moja Means One, illustrated by Tom Feelings, written by Muriel Feelings
Coretta Scott King Award
2003 – Text: Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
2002 – Text: The Land by Mildred D. Taylor
1997 – Illustration: Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
1994 – Illustration: Soul Looks Back in Wonder illustrated by Tom Feelings
1991 – Text: The Road to Memphis by Mildred D. Taylor
1988 – Text: The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor
1986 – Illustration: The Patchwork Quilt illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
1982 – Text: Let the Circle be Unbroken by Mildred D. Taylor
1979 – Illustration: Something On My Mind illustrated by Tom Feelings
Coretta Scott King Honor Book
2009 – Illustration: Jazmin's Notebook by Nikki Grimes
1983 – Text: This Strange New Feeling by Julius Lester
Edgar Allen Poe Award
2008 – Best Young Adult Mystery: Rat Life by Tedd Arnold
Newbery Medal
2001: A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Newbery Honor
2009: Savvy by Ingrid Law
1999: A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
1975: Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe. by Bette Greene
1969: To Be a Slave by Julius Lester
New York Times Best Illustrated Books
2011: A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2006: The Little Red Hen by Jerry Pinkney
1997: The Hired Hand: An African-American Folktale, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, text retold by Robert San Souci
1994: The Sunday Outing, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, written by Gloria Jean Pinkney
1993: Hue Boy, illustrated by Caroline Binch, written by Rita Phillips Mitchell
1990: The Fool and the Fish, illustrated by Gennady Spirin, written by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev, retold by Lenny Hort
1987: 17 Kings and 42 Elephants, illustrated by Patricia MacCarthy, written by Margaret Mahy
1985: Hazel's Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells
1984: Animal Alphabet by Bert Kitchen
1984: Where the River Begins by Thomas Locker
1977: Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, written by Margaret Musgrove
National Book Award Finalists
2011: Chime by Franny Billingsley
2006: The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
2003: The River Between Us by Richard Peck
1998: A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
Scott O'Dell Award
2004: The River Between Us by Richard Peck
2002: The Land by Mildred D. Taylor
