Balzer + Bray
Balzer + Bray is a children's and YA imprint founded at HarperCollins in 2008 by Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray, first publisher of The Hate U Give, which moved to Macmillan in 2024.
- Editions tracked
- 39
- First editions
- 33
- Books
- 39
- Years
- 2010 to 2021
About Balzer + Bray
Balzer + Bray is an American children's and young adult imprint founded in 2008 by the editors Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray, and the original publisher of Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give and Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
HarperCollins announced on 9 April 2008 that the pair would join it on 5 May 2008 as co-publishers of a new imprint, first styled Balzer & Bray. Both came from Hyperion Books for Children, where Balzer had been an executive editor and Bray editorial director. Balzer began her career at HarperCollins Children's Books and Bray at Henry Holt.
The list covers picture books, middle-grade fiction, young adult novels and graphic novels. Albertalli's debut, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, came out on 7 April 2015. In February 2016 Balzer + Bray won the rights to Thomas's novel at auction against 13 other houses, and The Hate U Give was published on 28 February 2017. By 2024 the imprint had more than 50 New York Times bestsellers to its name.
In February 2024 it was announced that Balzer + Bray would leave HarperCollins for Macmillan Children's Publishing Group from 15 April 2024, with Balzer and Bray becoming senior vice presidents and co-publishers there.
We have not yet written the guide to Balzer + Bray's first-edition conventions. Until we do, check each book's own page: we list its points where we know them. Know how Balzer + Bray marked its firsts? Tell us.
Published by Balzer + Bray
Frequently asked questions
How many Balzer + Bray books does MyVolumes track?
We track 39 editions published by Balzer + Bray, 33 of them first editions, across 39 books.
Where these facts come from
- Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray to Launch New Imprint at HarperCollins, Cynsations, 2008 (cynthialeitichsmith.com)
- Balzer + Bray Moves to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Shelf Awareness, 2024 (shelf-awareness.com)
- The Hate U Give, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 18 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.