Deirdre

Introduce Yourself

Hello NOVL-ers! I’m Deirdre Jones, Senior Editor at LBYR. I’ve worked here since 2010 and still can’t quite believe that my job is making books for kids. I work with authors and illustrators on projects for all ages, from babies to young adults, and I love reading across genres, from realistic fiction to fantasy, from thrillers to romances. (Not horror, though. I do not do horror.)

Favorite Book of All Time

As a kid, I adored From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. I also remember re-reading Little Women just about every summer of my childhood…and teenhood…and adulthood…

Favorite LBYR Book

I’m going to say it’s a tie between Court of Fives by Kate Elliott and Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. But there are probably twenty runners-up I could name if you’d let me.

A signed Book on Your Shelf

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King. This was one of the very first submissions I read when I started at LBYR, and the book has a lot of special meaning to me.

Unexpected Book that You Love

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I read this in college and couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. The characterizations and the way the story is revealed slowly and perfectly felt like a masterclass in writing. I still enjoy going back to this book and savoring the sentence structure (nerd alert!).

Most Worn-Out (but Well-Loved) Book

I have a copy of The Little Prince (written in French) that is barely hanging together. I had to read it in high school and have loved the story and illustrations ever since, even in another language.

Favorite Book Cover

There is nothing like a beautiful, interesting book cover. The first one that comes to mind is Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke.