Bertha Mahony Miller

founder of Horn Book, editor from 1924 to 1951

Bertha Everett Mahony Miller was born in 1882. She joined the staff of the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union which protected and promoted the status of Boston’s working women, in 1906. Ten years later, under the auspices of her employer, she opened the Bookshop for Boys and Girls. In 1924, when she and colleague Elinor Whitney decided the shop should publish a booklist of recommended titles, they called their new journal The Horn Book.

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Jennie D. Lindquist

editor from 1951 to 1958

When Jennie Lindquist, formerly managing editor of The Horn Book, became editor in 1951, she was face to face with a children’s book publishing industry creating a greater variety of books than ever before. She skillfully kept the magazine on course under this onslaught of titles — plumping up the issues, and allowing the reviews to grow a bit longer and occasionally more controversial.

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Ruth Hill Viguers

editor from 1958 to 1967

As the third editor, Ruth Hill Viguers, took over the magazine in 1958, The Horn Book — which had been sailing right along with the stable, dependable breezes generated by the publishing and library communities — hit stormy seas. Social realism in books for the young was here, as were the heated arguments concerning it, and the magazine reflected the tempest. In addition to writing provocative editorials on that and other subjects, Ruth Viguers stirred up the readership by publishing Frances Clarke Sayers’s passionate “Walt Disney Accused.”

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Paul Heins

editor from 1967 to 1974

Paul Heins, Horn Book editor between 1967 and 1974, brought an extensive literary background and substantial teaching experience to an editorship rich in both intellectual and international concerns. He also refereed what was possibly the most heated controversy ever to appear in the pages of the magazine: a knock-down, drag-out verbal duel between critic Eleanor Cameron and author Roald Dahl. (Photo: Fred Staples)

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Ethel L. Heins

editor from 1974 to 1985

Immediately after the bulging, bountiful fiftieth anniversary issue, Ethel L. Heins, a long-time reviewer and an experienced librarian, took over the magazine. Her emphasis on the importance of looking both forward to the best new books and backward to the gems of the past, through features such as “A Second Look” and “Out of Print — But Look in Your Library,” added yet another dimension to the magazine.

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Anita Silvey

editor from 1985 to 1995

In 1985, when Anita Silvey became the sixth editor of the magazine, she came armed with years of valuable publishing experience, and her keen perception of the children’s book world sent varied flags up the masthead. “It is my hope,” she stated, “that the pages of this magazine . . . will reflect the entire children’s book community.” New columns and features included “A Publisher’s Perspective,” “Young Adult Books,” and “Books in the Classroom,” to name a few. In 1989, Ms. Silvey launched a new publication, The Horn Book Guide.

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Roger Sutton

editor from 1996 to 2021

Roger Sutton became editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc. in 1996. In each issue, his provocative editorials kept readers abreast of what’s good, what’s bad, and what might be a little bit of both in the field of children’s books. Intent on keeping the Magazine up-to-date, Mr. Sutton added columns on the paperback field, non-print media, and expanded coverage of international children’s books. With a dash of humor and controversy, Mr. Sutton brought new readers to the Magazine while giving longtime subscribers food for thought.

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Elissa Gershowitz

editor from 2023 to present

Elissa Gershowitz became editor in chief of The Horn Book, Inc., in 2023. Her work with The Horn Book began when she started reviewing for the Horn Book Guide (now the Guide/Reviews Database) in 2001. She joined the staff as Managing Editor of the Guide in 2006, after working for several book and magazine publishers. She has since served in progressive roles, including Online Content Editor for the Horn Book, Inc., and Senior Editor of the Horn Book Magazine, before becoming Executive Editor in 2017. Her deep knowledge of the field includes a Master’s in Children's Literature from the Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons University.

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