LBYR 100th Anniversary

A Story for Every Reader Since 1926

When I first walked into the charming offices of Little, Brown and Company at 34 Beacon Street in Beacon Hill—the lobby of which featured a black-and-white checkerboard-tiled floor, a brass chandelier, and a stunning N. C. Wyeth painting on the wall—I knew it was the beginning of something special. What I didn’t know is that this company would be my professional home for the next four decades, welcoming me to an exceptional family of colleagues and creators. As one of LB’s longtime authors, poet Ogden Nash once said, “Frankly, I have no use for Messrs. Little and Brown…it’s the ‘and Company’ I’m fond of.”

In 2026, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers celebrates one hundred years of excellence in publishing. Today, we are a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world, and our staff and our list have grown exponentially. Our parent company has changed hands, names, and office locations multiple times. And with the changes in technology, our books are read by more readers, in more ways, and in more countries than ever before. However, one thing has not changed: our commitment to providing a supportive home for all creators and superb stories for all readers.

We are privileged to work in a creative enterprise where all of us are passionately devoted to a singular cause: to instill in children a love of reading. Today our work is more urgent than ever, with the disturbing rise of book banning, the threat to copyright, and the precipitous decline of young people reading for fun. Let us all—publishers, authors, artists, literary agents, critics, librarians, booksellers, teachers, and parents—join in the fight to protect copyright, preserve free expression, and champion the unique value of reading.