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| Arthur A. Levine | |
Arthur A. Levine founded Levine Querido in April 2019, after a 23-year tenure as the President and Publisher of Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic. He founded Arthur A. Levine Books in 1996, coming over from Knopf Books for Young Readers where he had been Editor in Chief. His determination to bring a diverse selection of "The Best of the World's Literature for Young People" to American readers was the guiding principle in all of AALB's publishing since its beginnings and continues to be the guiding light at Levine Querido. In addition to overseeing the company, Arthur edits between eight and ten books annually.
Dear friends,
When you start a new business, the world asks of you: How will your company "disrupt" the industry in which it exists? I'm sure some will see disruption in Levine Querido's mission to find excellence in the incredible diversity of America; writers who are Black, Latinx, LGBTQIA+, Asian, Indigenous, who practice a minority religion, who live with a disability and others. But far more will just see themselves, and they'll see stories of others with whom they can relate. They'll see a vibrancy and richness on your shelves, in stories and artwork, that make for a literary selection that's simply more interesting and beautiful.
Is it disruptive to look for great writing and talent across the globe? You might just as well ask if looking to other cultures for a great meal is disruptive. (If I named the best foods I've ever had, I'd certainly have to list pasta from Italy, croissants from France, Mexican mole poblano, Indian curry...). We're bringing you, on the Em Querido list, a book feast to make your mouth water. In the U.S., we've always found great books from abroad--Pippi Longstocking, Winnie the Pooh, The Rainbow Fish, Pinocchio. At LQ we're letting our passion and excitement for authors and artists in other countries give you a steady stream of great discoveries.
I think that probably our most disruptive quality here at LQ is our lack of cynicism. For instance, we think that making gorgeous, original jacket designs will draw readers' eyes to our books. We're not interested in making copies of copies of covers that were popular recently. We're also looking for books that make their own mark--not ones that are "just like" last month's bestseller with one plot element changed.
And so, my fellow disruptors, I hope that you find our books attractive, interesting and meaningful. Please let us know what you think after you've read them; we're a bunch of book lovers over here and we never tire of unpacking a good story.
All the best,
Arthur