Puffin Books

Current Puffin Books logo.

Puffin Books, also known as Puffin, is a prestigious publisher that specializes in children's literature. They focus on publishing children's classics in addition to new fiction and nonfiction, and their catalog ranges from picture books to teen novels.

Mission statement

Puffin Books aims to make reading accessible for all children by offering a wide range of inexpensive books. By making books more accessible, they hope to inspire young children "to feel they can be and do anything."

History of Puffin

Allen Lane, founder of Penguin Books, came up with the idea for Puffin Books in 1939 when an editor named Noel Carrington pitched the idea of publishing a series of non-fiction children's books. Lane was inspired and agreed to publish them. Thus, Puffin was born, and ts first picture books were published just a year later. These nonfiction books focused on helping children understand the world around them during World War II, and were also more accessible than most other children's books at the time.

In addition to nonfiction, Puffin began to publish fiction and fantasy titles in the 1950s, including the very popular children's classics The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. By the time the first editor, Eleanor Graham, retired in 1961, Puffin had 151 titles in print.

1960s-1970s

Kaye Weber became the editor for Puffin after Graham's retirement in 1961. She quickly grew Puffin's list of titles to 1,213 in just eight years and also established a new line of picture books, Picture Puffins, which had major success in the 1970s with the publication of titles such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Weber also launched a book club, the Puffin Club, in 1967, with the hopes of turning more children into avid readers.

Puffin expanded to the USA in 1978 when the company acquired Viking Kestrel and their paperback line, Seafarer Books.

1980s-1990s

The 1980s was a time of massive growth for Puffin Books. During this time, the company developed largely into what it is today. They took advantage of film tie-in publishing and created links with major film studios like Disney. They also reprinted Puffin UK titles and acquired new titles for paperback publication. In 1998, Puffin Books merged with two more publishing companies: New American Library and Dutton. Puffin's backlist of titles had massively expanded, so they never had to worry about running out of things to publish. During this time, Puffin Books also collaborated with Puffin UK to publish a new Puffin Classics series.

In 1996, Puffin's parent company, Penguin Books, merged with Putnam Berkley Group. This meant that Puffin Books had now acquired all of the titles from PaperStar, Putnam's children's literature imprint. This final merger for Puffin Books established the imprint as one of the top children's publishers.

Ownership

Puffin Books operates under Penguin Young Readers, which is a division of Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House is fully owned by the private media company Bertlesmann. Bertlesmann is a for-profit company that is owned mostly by foundations, but 19.1 percent of it is owned by the Mohn family.

Company size

Penguin Random House is a massive company with about 9,500 employees across all of its various imprints. The exact amount that work for Penguin Young Readers, and Puffin Books specifically, is unknown.

Puffin in Bloom box set.

Publishing Profile

Catalog

Puffin Books publishes a wide variety of paperback and hardcover books for children, middle grade, and teen audiences. The genres they publish include, but are not limited to, fantasy, mystery, nonfiction, and science fiction. They specialize in children's classics, and have different series like Puffin Classics and Puffin in Bloom series. Puffin Classics are typically more affordable paperback editions of classics that feature a wide variety of titles, while Puffin in Bloom has very few titles, and are expensive hardcover editions that are geared towards collectors.

Formats

Most of the books Puffin publishes are physical paperbacks, but some are hardcover. They also have ebooks and audiobooks. Many of their classic paperbacks are as low as $5.99, while some of the special edition hardcovers are around $20 or more.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Bloom.

Notable titles and authors

Puffin has published and reprinted several well-known children's classics. In addition, they have published many modern middle-grade and teen books in a variety of genres.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

Originally published in 2007, this middle grade book is the first in Blume's Fudge series. The book follows Peter Hatcher as he deals with his mischievous little brother, Fudge. It is a popular, funny book geared towards kids aged 8-12.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

This is a classic children's novel that was originally published in 1911 and has remained popular ever since. It follows a young girl named Mary Lennox who is forced to leave her home in India to live with her uncle in England. She discovers an old key in a flowerbed, which opens the gate to a secret garden on the mansion's grounds. The novel is a magical tale that discusses hope and endurance during hard times.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

After 17-year-old Mia Hall gets into a car accident, she finds herself having an out-of-body experience and watches over her physical body, which is in a comatose state. The novel follows Mia as she decides whether to stay or pass on. Geared towards teen readers, this emotional novel has remained popular for its heart-touching story and narration.

Staff

Amanda Punter is the Publishing Director for Puffin Books UK. The information of the employees who work for Puffin Books US is not publicized, but because Puffin operates under Penguin Young Readers, the managing staff for the division are listed below.

President

The president of the Penguin Young Readers division is Jennifer Loja. She joined the division in 2009.

Executive Vice President and Associate Publisher

The Executive Vice President of the division is Jocelyn Schmidt. She also works as the Associate Publisher and oversees the list of titles for Penguin Young Readers. She joined the division in 2005.

Vice President and Executive Director of Brand & Content Development Strategy

The Vice President and Executive Director of Brand & Content for Penguin Young Readers is Stephanie Sabol. She is in charge of the business strategy for the brands under the division, and is the main contact for authors, agents, and estates of these brands. Sabol joined the division in 2004.

Identity and impact

Puffin Books is one of the largest children's publishers in the entire world. They have remained relevant by re-publishing classic novels and making them affordable, as well as publishing new, modern authors that write in a variety of genres. Young children as well as teens can find something in their vast, ever-expanding catalog. By offering such a diverse selection of titles, Puffin hopes to create a new generation of lifelong readers that believe they can be and do anything.

Puffin Books will continue to grow their list of titles and build on the legacy that Allen Lane created 85 years ago.