4. ODDITY – Middle Grade Science Fiction

Mentor Name: Cat Scully

Mentee Name: Sarah Cannon

Title: ODDITY

Category: Middle Grade

Genre: Science Fiction

Word Count: 65,000

Pitch:

Oddity, New Mexico is a haven for everything from evil puppets to tiny aliens, and eleven-year-old Ada Roundtree is its reigning queen of shenanigans. When her twin wins a mysterious grocery store sweepstakes and disappears, Ada must defeat a dark conspiracy at the heart of her hometown, or lose her sister forever.

Excerpt:

Times like now, as I hide behind a stack of gym mats holding Cayden’s head down so he won’t get clawed, I wish you were here. I don’t know why safety drills have to be so realistic. Everyone knows Cayden just moved here from Chicago. Why not prepare him a little before setting angry leopards loose in the gym, instead of letting him drag down our class’s score?

Cayden’s our neighbor, and I know I should help him, but he’s holding me back. Raymond’s going to get more points than me. He dove straight for the weapons locker, like I wanted to do. We’re finally fifth graders, and there’s no one bigger to get there first. On the other hand, I know Cayden hasn’t finished his half of our diorama on “The Three Reasons Science is Risky.” If he gets eaten, I’ll have to do all that homework myself.

A bead of sweat rolls down his forehead. He’s always pale next to Raymond and me, but right now he’s white as a yeti.

“You know what my dad says every time we move, Ada? He says, ‘It’ll be an adventure!’ This time, I told him he was just saying it to make himself feel better. He’s getting back at me, isn’t he?”

“Nope. This is pretty normal for Oddity. Do what I say and you’ll probably live.”

Gosh, kid. Pull it together.