Followingformer publisher Howard W. Reeves's move to become editor-at-large earlierthis year,Abrams has announced that Susan Van Metre will become v-p and publisher forAbrams Books for Young Readers and Amulet Books, effective immediately. Senioreditor Tamar Brazis, who has edited books including Laura Numeroff's Jellybeanspicture book series, is being promoted to executive editor.
VanMetre told Publishers Weekly that, aspublisher, she hopes to build on Abrams' strengths, as well as take a fresh lookat the younger end of the list. "We've created a niche for ourselves with novelsthat are highly visual and sort of high design-like the Diary of a Wimpy Kidbooks and also some new books like TheStrange Case of Origami Yoda and Meanwhile.I think nontraditional narrative is something we excel at because of our greatdesign history and production standards," she said, adding, "I am reallyinterested in the younger end of fiction for kids—first chapter books—which havebeen a bit moribund for a while. It would be great to find a way to invigoratethat, and I think we'll be looking to take our picture books a little bityounger, too."
VanMetre joined Abrams in 2002 as senior editor, and was associate publisher priorto her promotion. She helped launch the company's Amulet Books imprint in 2004and has worked with Lauren Myracle on her TTYL series and Luv Ya Bunches, Michael Buckley on the Sisters Grimm books and N.E.R.D.S., and Aidan Chambers, who hastwo forthcoming books with Abrams. Before coming to Abrams, Van Metre was asenior editor at Dutton Children's Books.
