Julie Scheina
Julie Scheina is a former senior editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers with over a decade of experience editing more than 150 titles across a variety of genres, from picture books and poetry collections to middle grade and young adult novels. She loves collaborating with authors and illustrators, and not only does she bring her depth of experience to every project, but she ensures that an author or illustrator’s vision is shining through from start to finish.
Books that Julie has edited have spent more than 125 combined weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and include the #1 New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl; Iron Hearted Violet by Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill; The Imaginary Veterinary series by Suzanne Selfors, illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Dan Santat; New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop; as well as titles by Jennifer Brown, Jackson Pearce, April Lindner, and Jennifer Rush.
Julie loves meeting characters whose voices leap off the page, books in which the setting becomes a character in itself, and stories that take a standard genre or trope and turn it into something completely unexpected. Her interests include realistic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy.
Authors who have worked with Julie have called her “my most valued editorial partner” (Margaret Stohl), “a fantastic resource of editorial wisdom for a first-time novelist” (Kaia Moritz), and “everything I could have hoped for in an editor…her gentle guidance has made me actually love the revision process, something I have never experienced before” (Cheryl Renee Herbsman).
Julie’s select booklist can be found below.
A YALSA 2015 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
"The authors give the story big doses of humor, sensitivity, and sweetness, along with a complex and realistic cast; EB and Lauren's stories amount to two great novels in one." - Publisher's Weekly, starred review
When Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment at the beginning of summer, she shoots off an email to coordinate the basics: TV, microwave, mini-fridge. She can't wait to escape her New Jersey beach town, and her mom, and start life over in California.
That first message comes as a surprise to Lauren in San Francisco; she had requested a single. But if Lauren's learned anything from being the oldest of six, it's that you can't always get what you want, especially when what you want is privacy.
Soon the girls are emailing back and forth, sharing secrets even though they've never met. With childhood friendships and family relationships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives...and each other.
"Edge-of-your-seat paranormal activity keeps this book moving at an astronomical rate...Garcia brings a fresh new take on the supernatural and the world of secret societies." - VOYA, starred review
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn't realize that paranormal forces are responsible - not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her.
Kennedy learns that her mother's death was no accident, and now she has to take her place in the Legion of the Black Dove - a secret society formed to protect the world from a vengeful demon. A society left in the hands of a misfit group of teens with unique skills: Jared, combat trained, with a temper to match; Lukas, rogue hacker and code breaker; Alara, whose attitude is as powerful as her voodoo protections; and Priest, an engineer capable of making a weapon out of a soda can.
As the teens use their individual talents to battle paranormal entities, they earn their rightful places in the Legion- except for Kennedy, who is left wondering if she is truly one of them. Can she stay alive long enough to find out - without losing her heart in the process?
"A rare sequel that surpasses the original." - Random Riggs, New York Times bestselling author
The heart-pounding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Unbreakable, by New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures co-author Kami Garcia.
He is here . . . and he could be anyone.
Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us - a demon she accidentally set free.
Now Kennedy and the other Legion members - Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared - have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?
Everything changed on The Day. The day the Icon appeared in Los Angeles. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting. Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside with fellow survivor Ro - safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.
When the government discovers their secret, they are forced to join faint-hearted Tima and charismatic Lucas in captivity. Called the Icon Children, the four are the only humans on Earth immune to the power of the Icons. Torn between brooding Ro and her evolving feelings for Lucas, between a past and a future, Dol's heart has never been more vulnerable. And as tensions escalate, the Icon Children discover that their explosive emotions - which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses-may actually be their greatest strengths.
An American Library Association Best Fiction for Young Adults
"An elegant novel...Zarr vividly develops the title character, illuminating Lucy's teenage insecurities, her close and fractious friendships and the coming-of-age realization that she can pursue her dreams on her own terms." - The New York Times Book Review
Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. But without music in her life, Lucy's not sure who she is, or who she wants to be. Then she meets Will, her brother's new piano teacher, who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy find her way back to piano - not for an audience, but on her own terms.
National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music, life, and herself in this stunning novel about finding joy in unexpected places.
A Lambda Literary Award finalist
A Booklist Top Ten First Novel for Youth
"Easily the best book to date about the complicated condition of being a [transgender] teen...The author brings clarity and charity to a state of being that has too long been misunderstood, ignored, and deplored." - Booklist starred review
A powerful and inspiring story about a transgender teen's struggle to find his own path - and love his true self.
J had always felt different. He was certain that eventually everyone would understand who he really was: a boy mistakenly born as a girl. Yet as he grew up, his body began to betray him; eventually J stopped praying to wake up a "real boy" and started covering up his body, keeping himself invisible - from his parents, from his friends, from the world. But after being deserted by the best friend he thought would always be by his side, J decides that he's done hiding. It's time to be who he really is. And this time he is determined not to give up, no matter the cost.
"Intricately written, this fast-paced story...will enthrall readers. Give this book to readers of Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, and Simone Elkeles." - Library Media Connection starred review
Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad's famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?
Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years - a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn't die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her - starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.
Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine delivers a fresh retelling of the Emily Brontë classic Wuthering Heights, interweaving timeless romance with a captivating modern mystery.
An American Library Association Top Ten Popular Paperback for Young Adults
"Well-written and faithful to the original, Lindner's story imbues Jane with the requisite innocence, stubbornness, and darkness of Brontë's protagonist...A fresh and addictive adaptation." - Publisher's Weekly
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.
But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to
herself mean giving up on true love?
An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.
A William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award Finalist
A NYPL "Book for the Teen Age"
An ALA 2015 Popular Paperbacks Pick
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year
"From the first dragon sighting, readers will be thoroughly entertained with this hijinks-filled adventure story...Santat's illustrations perfectly complement a story that mixes reality with the imaginary." - Library Media Connection starred review
When Ben Silverstein is sent to the rundown town of Buttonville to spend the summer with his grandfather, he's certain it will be the most boring vacation ever. That is, until his grandfather's cat brings home what looks like...a baby dragon?
Amazed, Ben enlists the help of Pearl Petal, a local girl with an eye for adventure. They take the wounded dragon to the only veterinarian's office in town - Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital. But as Ben and Pearl discover once they are inside, Dr. Woo's isn't a worm hospital at all - it's actually a secret hospital
for imaginary creatures.
After Ben accidentally leaves the hospital's front door unlocked, a rather large, rather stinky, and very hairy beast escapes into Buttonville. Ben and Pearl are tasked with retrieving the runaway creature, and what started out as an ordinary summer becomes the story of a lifetime.
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book
"Gorgeously illustrated." - Publisher's Weekly starred review
"A roomy wonderland that welcomes any child's curiosity and sense of adventure." - The New York Times Book Review
'I hope it's not too far away,' says Red Knit Cap Girl. 'Follow the light of the Moon,' calls Owl. In this heartwarming follow-up to Naoko Stoop's debut Red Knit Cap Girl, Red Knit Cap Girl meets a lost Polar Bear Cub. Determined to help him find his way home, to an Arctic land of ice and snow, Red Knit Cap Girl, White Bunny, and Polar Bear Cub set off on an unforgettable voyage.
Gorgeously illustrated on wood grain, Red Knit Cap Girl's curiosity, imagination, and joy will captivate the hearts of readers young and old. Simple prose and luminous pictures will remind readers that even small actions - such as recycling - can help to solve big world problems, in this inspiring story that celebrates friendship, bravery, and the importance of home.
"Gives readers a reason to fall in love with the series all over again...[with] adventures, danger, cleverness, dry wit, and good-hearted characters at the center of the action." - Booklist starred review
Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict. Meet the boy who started it all...
Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but also he has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments. Now he's sent to a new orphanage, where he encounters vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances - and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he has one important thing in his favor: He's a genius.
On his quest to solve the mystery, Nicholas finds enemies around every corner, but also friends in unexpected places - and discovers along the way that the greatest puzzle of all is himself.
A Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner
"Barnhill inverts common fairy-tale notions...[and creates] the most inventive rendition of architecture since J.K. Rowling conjured Hogwarts....Poetic." - The New York Times Book Review
Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden room and find a peculiar book. A forbidden book. It tells a story of an evil being, called the Nybbas, imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true - not really.
But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon - the last dragon in existence, in fact - may hold the key to the Nybbas's triumph or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. After all, stories make their own rules.
Iron Hearted Violet is a story about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed the course of an entire kingdom.