Podcast Summary: New Books Network – Interview with Leila Sales, "The Museum of Lost and Found"

Host: Mel Rosenberg
Guest: Leila Sales
Date: February 13, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the New Books Network Children's Literature Channel features Mel Rosenberg in an in-depth conversation with Leila Sales—children's author, editor, and newly-appointed Editorial Director ("chief honcho") at Kar-Ben Publishing, a leading Jewish children's imprint. The discussion ranges from Leila’s editorial philosophies and acquisitions at Kar-Ben, her experiences at major publishers like Viking (Penguin Random House), the interplay between writing for passion and the market, and the inspiration and themes behind her latest middle-grade novel, The Museum of Lost and Found.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Leila Sales' New Role at Kar-Ben Publishing

• Learning the Ropes: Leila shares that her first months at Kar-Ben have involved acclimating to new systems, inheriting a slate of books in various stages of production, and only now beginning to shape her own editorial vision.
  • "I just started at Kar-Ben a few months ago...I inherited about 18 books that were in various forms of reduction." [02:00]
• First Acquisitions: She notes that while much of the upcoming lists were set, she has started picking books for Fall 2027 and Spring 2028, including a Hanukkah picture book, a 'Jewish values' story, and a historical fiction title about the first Jews in America.
  • "I've acquired a small handful of things...We needed a Hanukkah book, so I acquired one...One is Jewish Values Books...the other...is historical fiction." [02:46-04:27]

What Leila Looks for as an Acquirer

• Primary Focus: Kar-Ben mostly publishes picture books (fiction & nonfiction), plus some middle grade and graphic novels. The core: strong narrative, agency-filled main characters, and suspense—even if the stakes are low and playful.
  • “I’m a person who reads for story, and I like character...I want readers to be in some sort of suspense, even if it's very silly and the stakes are very low.” [04:47-08:56]
• Atmosphere Exception: Board books and some picture books may be more experiential, with less focus on full narrative arcs or conflict.
  • “It can be hard to do a full narrative arc in the 12 pages of a board book.” [06:46]

Editorial Career Highlights

• Viking Years: Managed iconic backlists (Corduroy, Madeline, Ferdinand, Ezra Jack Keats) and worked with authors like Viola Davis (on a Corduroy anniversary book), Max Brallier, and Gail Forman.
  • “I was at Viking Children's Books for more than a decade...I managed new publishing for Corduroy and for Angelina Ballerina, Ferdinand and Ezra Jack Keats.” [09:10-11:26]

The Art vs. Commerce Dilemma in Children's Books

• Writing to Market vs. Writing from Passion:
  • Mel raises the classic worry: "The moment you...write to a purpose, a goal...you’re not going to get the story right.” [12:28]
  • Leila agrees:
    “When you go in with something you’re trying to say, I think that often is not going to lead to a great story...It’s far more interesting to go in with rather than, ‘here’s something I know,’ here is a motif or an idea that I want to explore.” [13:40]
• Editorial Role as Translator:
  • Balancing writerly passion and publishing realities: “Editors and agents translate back and forth between the author...and the sales and marketing team...You have to be bringing in books that are going to sell enough copies to justify the expense.” [14:53]

Impact of PJ Library & Market Realities on Jewish Publishing

• PJ Library’s Influence: For Jewish publishers like Kar-Ben, the potential for large PJ Library purchases can make niche topics viable, but also steers acquisition decisions.
  • "At Kar-Ben...whether or not you get a special sale, which is to say PJ Library, becomes a much bigger deal..." [19:41]
• Trade-off: Mel asks whether this pressure restricts editorial risk-taking. Leila acknowledges the limitation:
  • “I do think about what [PJ] are going to want when I am selecting books...It’s part of my process.” [22:44]
  • But she compares it to other market forces (like retailer input on cover and title design).

Leila as an Author: Writing Process & Personal Voice

• Difficulty of Writing Picture Books:
  • Leila, though a prolific author, admits even she hasn’t published her own picture book:
    “Writing picture books is really hard...I can’t get to the end in a way that doesn’t feel preachy, contrived, talking down to kids…” [25:22-27:14]
• Age & Emotional Resonance:
  • The host suggests: "If you have a five-year-old Lila, then you can write picture books,"—an idea Leila playfully agrees with.
  • On writing for personal catharsis: “I don’t write for kids. I write for me. There’s a little Melvin...who is hurt. And I address this hurt.” – Mel Rosenberg [29:22]
• Writing vs. Editing:
  • Leila notes she’s always combined both, finding editing less existentially fraught than writing:
    “With writing, sometimes you feel like this is a problem you’re not able to solve...And I don’t feel that with editing.” [32:35]

"The Museum of Lost and Found": Inspiration & Themes

• Book Premise:
  • Main character Vanessa copes with a broken friendship by curating a makeshift museum of friendship artifacts, which draws in a diverse cast of kids and memories.
    “She discovers an abandoned museum in her town, and she starts filling the museum with artifacts of her friendship with Bailey and categorizing them and organizing them and displaying them…” [34:59]
• Origin Story:
  • The concept came after Leila’s earlier middle-grade on youth civic engagement (The Campaign) and a brainstorming session about “grownup” things for kids to do, with a friend suggesting kids running an abandoned ice cream factory. “I always really liked books… where kids are doing things that you expect only adults get to do…an abandoned rundown museum…and that’s how I came up with The Museum of Lost and Found.” [36:00]
• Resolution/Ambiguity:
  • Rather than restoring her old friendship, Vanessa finds clarity and new connections: “At the end of the book...they mend fences somewhat, but also there’s the understanding of it’s not going to go back to the way it was…” [38:31]

Advice For Aspiring Authors

• Write What Matters to You—Then Switch Hats:
  • “Write things that you care about intensely. And then if you’re very lucky…someone else will say, Oh my goodness, what a story arc. Wow.” – B [40:05]
  • When submitting, treat the process like a business application:
    “The writing part is a passion…But the publishing thing, as soon as you start submitting your work…it’s a business…” [41:00]
• Submission Tips, Especially for Kar-Ben:
  • Open to agented & unagented manuscripts; professionalism matters; classic Jewish holidays are perennially in demand—but fresh takes and stories from lesser-known Jewish experiences/communities are especially welcomed. “I like fun, I like whimsy, I like joy...The holidays are always good for us...I like a good picture book biography, if there's a real story there...” [43:30-45:30]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why picture books are hard:
  “I can’t get to the end in a way that doesn’t feel preachy, contrived, talking down to kids, you know, doesn’t have a full plot arc…maybe someday I’ll publish one, but yeah, it’s hard.” — Leila Sales [25:22]
• On market forces and artistic choices:
  “Whenever you are editing books, you are giving thought to what the market for them is going to be…Barnes and Noble says we don’t like the cover, and if you changed the cover we would take 5,000 copies. If you don’t…we’ll take zero…” — Leila Sales [22:44]
• On writing from the inside out:
  “We actually all have inside of us every version of ourselves who we have ever been or ever will be. Right. It’s just a question of if you can tap into that version of yourself…” — Leila Sales [29:06]
• On writing and editing:
  “With writing, sometimes you feel like this is a problem you’re not able to solve...And I don’t feel that with editing…But I never lose my faith of like, Oh, I’m capable of doing this.” — Leila Sales [32:35]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:58 - Leila Sales discusses her new role at Kar-Ben and inheriting ongoing lists.
• 04:47 - Detailed breakdown of what she looks for in submissions: strong narrative, character agency, suspense.
• 09:10 - Reflections on her editing career at Viking/Penguin Random House.
• 13:40 - Explores the pitfalls of writing to teach a lesson or market vs. writing for discovery.
• 19:41 - The outsized influence of PJ Library on Jewish children’s publishing decisions.
• 25:22 - The challenge and humility required to write good picture books.
• 34:59 - Introduction to The Museum of Lost and Found: plot, inspiration, and approach.
• 38:31 - Discussing the novel's ending—resolutions that aren’t perfect restorations.
• 41:00 - Submission advice: balancing personal passion and professionalism.
• 43:30 - Specific wish list topics and qualities for Kar-Ben submissions.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a rich resource for emerging children's authors, editors, and anyone interested in Jewish publishing. Leila Sales offers candid insight into both the artistic and business sides of kidlit. She encourages writers to lead with passion, then channel professionalism when seeking publication. Her open-door policy at Kar-Ben makes her a rare touchpoint for both new and seasoned voices in children's literature.

For submissions or more about Leila's editorial interests, visit her website, where her current wish list is available.