Catherine Onder to Join Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as SVP and Publisher, Books for Young Readers

NEW YORK – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt today announced that on Feb. 6 Catherine Onder will join the organization’s Trade Publishing Group as Senior Vice President and Publisher of HMH Books for Young Readers.

A children’s publishing veteran, Catherine has held roles at HarperCollins, Disney Hyperion, and most recently, served as Editorial Director at Bloomsbury Children’s Books, where she helped grow the business while editing New York Times bestseller Sarah J. Maas. Her passion for books spans both the literary and commercial landscapes. She has worked with a number of prodigious talents in the industry, including Ally Carter, Rachel Hawkins, Geraldine McCaughrean and Elizabeth Wein. She has edited multiple bestsellers and award winners, among them recipients of the Printz Medal and Honor, the Edgar Award, the Schneider Family Book Award and more.

“I am thrilled to have Catherine join the HMH team,” said Ellen Archer, President, HMH Trade Publishing. "She has a wealth of experience and a tremendous track record in middle reader and young adult publishing. Working with our gifted editors, she will direct and grow both our front and backlist business to new levels of excellence.”

In her new role, Catherine will continue to grow and nurture HMH’s celebrated children’s collections and characters, from Curious George to Little Blue Truck. She will also focus on acquiring new franchises and build the division’s young adult program and middle grade series, which includes contemporary classics from award-winning authors like Lois Lowry and Kwame Alexander.

"I’m proud to join HMH with its rich tradition of children’s publishing of the highest caliber,” said Onder. "Together with Ellen’s talented team and HMH’s extraordinary roster of authors and illustrators, I look forward to building on the house’s achievements, and I’m excited for new opportunities to drive further success."

Onder will be based in HMH's New York office.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Publishing

For nearly two centuries, HMH Trade Publishing has published some of the world’s most renowned novels, nonfiction, children’s books, and reference works. As part of a leading global learning company, it is uniquely positioned to offer educational and entertaining content for all audiences. Its distinguished author list includes ten Nobel Prize winners, forty-eight Pulitzer Prize winners, fifteen National Book Award winners, and more than one hundred Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Sibert Medal and Honor recipients. HMH publishes such distinguished authors as Philip Roth, Temple Grandin, Tim O'Brien, and Amos Oz, and a celebrated roster of children’s authors and illustrators including Kwame Alexander, Lois Lowry, and Chris Van Allsburg. HMH is also home to The Best American series®; The Whole30®, Weber Grill, Betty Crocker®, Better Homes and Gardens®, How to Cook Everything®,  and other leading culinary properties; the Peterson Field Guides®; CliffsNotes™; books by J.R.R. Tolkien; and many iconic children’s books and characters, including Curious George®, The Little Prince, and The Polar Express. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com/popular-reading.