5/ Animals. I have worked with and studied animals from childhood to present, including my PhD. My favourites are bees, bears, and kākāpōs, and I am highly interested in birding in general. @KellyOhlert nailed this interest of mine in her forthcoming TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE!

#MSWL Nature fighting back. Especially if it's in an extreme environment and you add in very angry animals/ insects.

My son has asked me to "make more books with talking animals" so, here's my official request to agents on his behalf. I'm interested in picture books with strong SEL hooks and would love to see more humor too. Must connect to our mission of helping kids thrive. #MSWL

🌟Middle grade stories about (non-speaking) animals, human-animal bonds, nature, & high-stakes survival
▫️Think: A Wolf Called Wander, today’s My Side of the Mountain #MSWL

And of course I forgot to add my anti-#MSWL Most of this hasn't changed but things I'm not a good fit for:
Pandemic stories
YA Fantasy
Science fiction set in space
Talking animals
Angels, demons, zombies, mermaids, or pirates
Military or Medical-based stories
#WritingCommunity

“Middle Grade: an animal story (not talking animals).” @agentvicente #MSWL mariavicente.com/representation

What we're NOT a fit for:

-Rhyming work

-Generally, we're not right for talking animals outside of PBs

-Heavily religious, preaching texts and parables

Thanks, everyone! We're excited to read your stories!

Middle Grade #MSWL

🐅 animal stories*
🐅 folklore inspired fantasy
🐅 ~ best friends forever ~
🐅 creepy horror

*Not talking animals; realistic stories about animals.

MG/YA #MSWL cont:
☑️ Queer ballet (if you caught #QueertheBallet's ANIMALS & ANGELS last month, I WANT THEIR STORY!!)
☑️ Found families
☑️ Stories where race, gender, sexuality aren't the center. They can just be bad-ass characters!

Picture Books #MSWL

Wants:
☑️ STEM-based
☑️ break down gender stereotypes
☑️ variety of family structures

Nos:
🚫 Sports
🚫 Anthropomorphism (objects/animals)
🚫 Issue books, saviorism, or "inspirational" (written to center the dominant narrative of "overcoming" an identity

• Stories about (non-anthropomorphic) animals, human-animal bonds, nature & high-stakes survival
• Select author-driven nonfiction, primarily with a radical, social justice–oriented focus—think prison abolition, open borders, union organizing, anarchy, socialism
#MSWL 16/?

I like witches, vampires, and some fairies. I am not the right agent for talking animals, dragons, or anything with a portal #MSWL

#MSWL = romance with a dash of awkward.

Her: I love animals
Him: I work with animals
Her: Are you a vet?
Him: No, I’m a butcher.

“Middle Grade: a protagonist with immigrant parents, an animal story (NOT talking animals), anything with an environmental theme, inventive chapter book series.” @msmariavicente #MSWL mariavicente.com/representation

“Middle Grade: a protagonist with immigrant parents, an animal story (NOT talking animals), anything with an environmental theme, inventive chapter book series.” @msmariavicente #MSWL mariavicente.com/representation

“Middle Grade: a protagonist with immigrant parents, an animal story (NOT talking animals), anything with an environmental theme, inventive chapter book series.” @msmariavicente mariavicente.com/representation #MSWL

Anything about language, whether that's visual (I once saw an internet thing where the animals were made out of Arabic script 🤯) or a plot thing (about an English language learner? About... spelling???? 👀) or a nonfiction thing (hello emojis). #mswl

Mongrels (@SGJ72), A Head Full of Ghosts (@paulGtremblay), When We Were Animals (Joshua Gaylord): Coming of age stories with monsters as metaphors, monsters inside of us, cleverly subverted horror tropes with contemporary twists. #mswl

Picture books with murder pls. I like it when animals eat other animals. But it can be people too. 👹 #mswl

#MSWL I'd love to see more timely and topical MG nonfiction! Climate, immigration, women's rights, sexual identity, economics, as well as books on role models. Plus fun nonfiction on topics kids love, like animals and weird science and history!