Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is launching a new imprint, Alvina Ling Books, that will be headed by longtime LBYR editor Alvina Ling. The imprint will publish 15 to 20 titles annually, from board books to young adult, with an emphasis on fiction. In close collaboration with authors and illustrators, titles will be created with care and love, prioritizing representation, imagination, and story. The logo for Alvina Ling Books features Ling's last name in Chinese, meaning "forest," and represented by the symbol of two trees standing side by side. The mission of Alvina Ling Books is to publish books at the intersection of entertainment and art, offering a favorite book for every young reader.
Ling began her tenure with LBYR in 1999 and served as editor-in-chief starting in 2014. Late last year she became v-p and publisher of her eponymous imprint. Award-winning titles she published include Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Newbery Honor); A Big Mooncake for Little Star (Caldecott Honor); When the Sea Turns to Silver (National Book Award finalist); Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris, illustrated by LeUyen Pham (Caldecott Honor); Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan Collier (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, Caldecott Honor); and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (Printz Honor). She has also launched bestselling series, including the Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, Holly Black's Folk of the Air and Novels of Elfame, and the Wild Robot by Peter Brown, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film in 2024 and has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide.
Ling said, "I'm thrilled to officially launch my imprint this fall, with a list that reflects the full range of categories I'm planning to publish--from board books to crossover young adult. Returning my focus to acquiring and shaping books as an editor and publisher feels like coming home. And, my guiding goal remains the same: to publish books that I love and care for deeply, in the hopes that each becomes some child's favorite book."
LBYR president & publisher Megan Tingley said, "Alvina is a brilliant tastemaker who has a remarkable gift for attracting and developing literary and artistic talent, championing underrepresented voices, and bringing life-changing works of literature to young people. I expect there will be a long line of authors and illustrators at her door hoping to be part of her new imprint."
Alvina Ling Books' Fall list:
The Little Stone Buddha by Grace Lin (on sale 9/15, picture book)
A Book for Everyone by Hayley and John Rocco (on sale 9/29, picture book)
The Jungle of Carabanana by Kate McKinnon (on sale 9/29, middle grade)
A Big Bed for Little Snow by Grace Lin (on sale 10/6, board book)
The Gate, The Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin (on sale 10/6, trade paperback reprint)
A Conspiracy of Charming Monsters by Holly Black, illustrated by Solenne Songer (Frostbite Studios) (on sale 11/3, YA)
The Winter 2027 list:
It Begins with the End by Samira Ahmed (on sale 3/9/2027, young adult)
Dragon Boat Race by Tracy Subisak (on sale 3/30/2027, picture book)
House That Feels Like Me by Sasha Allen, illustrated by Julian Plum (on sale 3/16/2027, picture book)
Village Made of Rainbows by Jo Wu, illustrated by Alina Chau (on sale 4/13/2027, picture book)