Editor and publisher Lauri Hornik at her home office in New Jersey in October 2023. COURTESY LAURI HORNIK
Lauri Hornik saw firsthand as her daughter struggled with anxiety and depression and reached for books she could relate to that chronicled mental illness. This experience set Hornik out to find literature aimed at young children and teenagers that centers mental health, and inspired her to launch Rocky Pond Books, an imprint at Penguin Young Readers committed to publishing books that shows kids they’re not alone.