With the support of the publisher, Shelf Awareness celebrates the publishing of Balzer + Bray's inaugural list with Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Donna Bray and Alessandra Balzer are senior vice presidents and co-publishers of the Balzer + Bray imprint, now at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Donna Bray

Donna Bray: We're back, Alessandra! It's exciting to officially relaunch Balzer + Bray at our new home at Macmillan.

Alessandra Balzer: Starting over is daunting, but it's also been energizing to rebuild our publishing program. It's forced us to think deeply about what kind of books we want to put out for children and teens.

Bray: One thing that has always guided us is our trust in the talent of our creators. We have been incredibly lucky to work with some of the best humans and most brilliant authors and illustrators around. 

Balzer: Speaking of... it feels serendipitous to have Sara Pennypacker and Jasmine Warga on our debut list.

Bray: Our relationships with Sara and Jasmine are emblematic of what we strive for--to build careers long-term. And we have some new folks joining us in winter 2026, as well: Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White, Brigette Barrager, and Lars Kenseth.

Alessandra Balzer

Balzer: I love that our debut list has a nice blend of literary and commercial projects, since that mix is one of the hallmarks of our imprint. (That and co-dependence.)

Bray: We've made it work for us!

The new books inspire conversations and reflect a wide breadth of experiences, which is what we are always looking for. 

Balzer: But above all, we're drawn to books that make us feel. We have stories that will move readers to tears--notably Christian Robinson's Dad--and some that are sweet and funny and just a blast to read out loud.

Bray: At the other end of the spectrum, there are the ones that have us on the edge of our seats: we have a spooky middle-grade, and two YA titles in different genres that are propulsive and emotional. 

Balzer: It's also been exciting to experiment in ways we haven't before. Like the new adult college series that we can't talk about yet...

Bray: Definitely our spiciest offering! But in the meantime, we have so many we can talk about.

Balzer: And with that, why don't we let the books and authors speak for themselves?

Sara Pennypacker

Sara Pennypacker is the author of many books for children and is best known for the New York Times bestselling Pax and Pax, Journey Home, and the Clementine series. 

Donna Bray: Sara, can you tell us about your first historical novel for middle-grade readers, The Lions' Run?

Sarah Pennypacker: Late in the Nazi occupation of France, an orphaned 12-year-old boy discovers something upsetting at a secretive Lebensborn. Questioning his courage, he finds he has enough to meet the challenge. 

Bray: You've been incubating this book for as long as we've worked together--more than 20 years! Can you talk about the first seed of the story?

Pennypacker: The first time I heard about the Lebensborn program was from a history-buff friend. What he told me was so appalling it didn't even sound possible. To populate the lands Hitler intended to conquer--and to enlarge the Third Reich's armies--maternity homes were created in Germany and, later, in occupied countries. They were places where women and girls as young as 15 were housed, fed, and cared for until they gave birth--but only those women and girls who met the Nazi's "Aryan" standards, and were carrying the babies of Nazi soldiers. In the occupied countries, these babies were taken from their mothers to be raised in Germany. Pretty soon, I began to think about using this compelling setting in a novel.

Bray: You've written about the impact of war on children and animals in the Pax books. What inspired you to revisit this theme?

Pennypacker: Something like that is never finished; war is always occurring somewhere. What's memorialized in history books focuses on military actions, but there are always innocent civilians, kids, and animals affected. Their stories deserve to be told also. When I was doing school visits for Pax, I learned that kids want to know what they can do about injustice, so in The Lions' Run my characters explore ways they can take a stand against unfair situations. 

Bray: This book manages to touch on complex and difficult topics, while keeping the stakes rising and the plot racing along. Were there any challenges in writing a story like this?  

Pennypacker: Paring down was always the challenge. So many things in the book were story-worthy--What happened to those children taken from their countries and mothers? What happens to families when half the men of a country are missing?--but I had to be strict to keep the story tight.  

Bray: We've been so lucky to have the brilliant Jon Klassen create art for your books! What was your reaction to seeing the cover for the first time? 

Pennypacker: I actually gasped! There is so much energy and tension in that cover! It moved me so much that the next day I went into my studio and began revising, this time with the goal of having the action live up to that amazing cover.

Jasmine Warga

Jasmine Warga is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of A Rover's Story and the Newbery Honor winner Other Words for Home. Her other middle-grade novels include the New York Times bestseller A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall and The Shape of Thunder.

Alessandra Balzer: Tell us a little bit about your new novel, The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan.

Jasmine Warga: It's about the unexpected friendship between Chase, a cheetah cub, and Finnegan, a rescue dog. The story is based on real programs at zoos across the country where rescue dogs are paired with cheetahs to help with the cheetahs' development and reduce their anxiety. This captured my imagination, and I was inspired to think about how two very different animals may end up being perfect companions.

Balzer: It's hard to believe this is your first time writing animal characters! Why was this story the right one?

Warga: I've always been a huge animal lover! I even did my fourth-grade report on Cathryn Hilker, the legendary cheetah trainer from the Cincinnati Zoo. Once I learned about the cheetah-companion dog program, I knew this was a story I had to write. I found a way to explore several themes that are important to me through these animals' journeys.

Balzer: Even though this is an animal story, it's one of your most personal. Do you want to speak to that?

Warga: In this story, Chase struggles with the pressure of feeling like she is the only cheetah at the zoo, and that her performance will determine the fate of cheetahs everywhere. I can relate to that. Growing up, I was often the only person from my ethnic and religious background, and I felt so much pressure to represent my community in the most exemplary way. A big part of Chase and Finnegan's story is learning that you don't have to be perfect to be worthy of love and empathy.

Balzer: How has meeting children in schools across the country affected your writing style?

Warga: It's made me more passionate than ever about writing books that are accessible to all kids. I was late to independent reading myself, and I strive to write books that have the thematic depth to engage readers, but enough white space and quick pacing to be welcoming. I'm also more inspired than ever to write books that let kids who feel different know there are people who will love them just as they are.

Balzer: What is your hope for the readers of this book?

Warga: I hope kids are reminded of how special and fortifying friendship can be--how sometimes the strongest friendships are forged with people who are different from us. With so many of our kids dealing with anxiety, I hope this book helps them understand they aren't alone in their struggle. And finally, I hope it encourages readers to think about the beauty of our world, and how we can work together to take better care of our planet and all its living creatures.

Christian Robinson

Christian Robinson is an illustrator, author, animator, and designer. His many awards include a Caldecott Honor for Last Stop on Market Street, as well as three Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honors. His previous solo picture books are You Matter and Another.

Donna Bray: Christian, I'd love for you to talk about the inspiration for Dad.

Christian Robinson: During my book readings, I share a bit about my life--how I grew up, my family, my partner, etc. I show a photo of me as a kid with my mother. I tell the kids that this is one of very few photos I have of my mother, because I wasn't raised by her. My grandmother was my caregiver. I do this because I've learned that kids are as interested in the person talking to them as the book I'm about to read. I also know that families come in all different shapes and sizes, and little Christian would have loved to see an adult share that their family dynamic was non-traditional like mine. Strangely enough, over the decade of doing these presentations, it was only recently that a child asked where my dad was.

I thought, "What is a dad?"

I only saw my father a handful of times as a child, and don't really know anything about that side of my family. After some searching, my partner stumbled across my father's Facebook page. He had posted a link to an interview of mine with the caption, "Looking good, kid. Keep going." This totally disarmed me and took me by surprise, as I always wondered if he ever thought about me. Those two experiences were certainly seeds for this book.

Bray: I love that this book makes space for readers with all kinds of relationships with their fathers. I'd love to hear about your approach to creating the text and art in a way that achieves this.

Robinson: The words for Dad came to me while I was on a long plane ride. I was debating if I should reach out to my father and thinking about that question the kid asked at the school visit, and honestly, it just started to flow. I knew I wanted to focus on animals at the beginning. I felt like showing different father/child relationships in nature could open up the space for human interpretation.

Bray: Dad is one of the few picture books that is truly for all ages. Were you thinking about any particular audience beyond the typical picture book reader when you created it?

Robinson: I knew I wanted to tell a story that was layered. Some kids might just see animals they like and name them. Others might see traits of an animal father that they recognize in their own dad. I wanted every kid to see a relationship in the book that they could identify with, whether it's a dad that exudes strength, a dad's gentle, sweet side, or perhaps a dad who isn't there. Older, more insightful kids (or adults) might pick up on the deeper layers, which allows for conversations between caregivers and kids.

Bray: What do you hope readers will take away from Dad?

Robinson: Parent/child relationships are complex. I wanted to create a picture book that didn't shy away from that complexity, and I hope it makes space for conversation, grace, and understanding.

The four titles below are only a handful of highlights from Balzer + Bray's exciting inaugural list; their Edelweiss catalogue can be found here.

Call Me Moby by Lars Kenseth ($18.99, hardcover, February 10, 2026)

An adorable white whale tries to make new friends with hilarious results in the debut picture book by New Yorker cartoonist Lars Kenseth. Perfect for fans of Jory John and Jon Klassen.

Kitty Caterpillar by Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White, illus. by Brigette Barrager ($18.99, hardcover, February 24, 2026)

Meet Kitty Caterpillar: She is part kitty-cat, part caterpillar, 100% irresistible. This new picture book character, created by an Emmy-nominated writing duo and illustrated by the New York Times bestselling artist of Uni the Unicorn, is perfect for fans of Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn and The Bad Seed.

How to Lose Yourself Completely by Peter Bognanni ($20.99, hardcover, June 2, 2026)

A poignant story about a teen grappling with grief and anxiety who is sent to wilderness "adventure therapy," where he meets a group of friends who will change his life forever. With its captivating voice and dry wit, this novel is perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and John Green.

Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones ($20.99, hardcover, July 7, 2026)

A teen criminal hacker turned secret operative must outwit a band of cyberterrorists in this gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Bone Houses. Augusta Pine Does Not Exist combines the suspense of a thriller and the intrigue of spy fiction to create a totally original novel about identity, connection, and the struggle to build a future on the scars of the past.