Nancy Brennan will join Candlewick as executive art director, starting January 16. She has worked at Viking Children’s for 18 years.
Katherine Wessbecher has joined the Bradford Literary Agency as literary agent. Previously, she was associate editor at Putnam Children’s.
At Severn House, owned by Canongate, publisher Kate Lyall Grant has joined the company’s board.
Ten Speed Press executive editor Lisa Westmoreland has “embarked on a new adventure” and is no longer at the company.
Jason Reynolds will succeed Jacqueline Woodson as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for the next two years, announced jointly by The Library of Congress, the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. He said, “My mission is to take a different approach: Instead of explicitly encouraging young people to read, my goal is to get them to see the value in their own narratives — that they, too, have a story, and that there’s power not just in telling it, but in the opportunity to do so. I’m excited to create spaces around the country for this to happen — spaces where young people can step into their voices and become their own ambassadors.”
In the Works
Bob Woodward is writing another book about the Trump administration — and this time, Trump himself has spoken with Woodward “at least twice.” Josh Dawsey at the Washington Post reported that “Trump has also told skeptical senior aides to cooperate with Woodward this time.” Trump mentioned the book to Laura Ingraham, and White House beat reporters followed up.
Bookselling
Horizon Books in Traverse City, MI says they will close some time this year, after almost 60 years in business.
Paragraphs in South Padre Island, TX will close at the end of February as co-owners Joni Montover and Griff Mangan, 66, plan to retire.