Welcome to the Pitch Wars Agent Showcase! Middle Grade entries …
For those unfamiliar with Pitch Wars, it’s a contest where published/agented authors, editors, or interns chose mentees and work with them for two months to make their work shine. Our amazing mentors chose one (some cases two) writer to mentor from nearly 2000 entries for this year’s for the agent showcase.
For a list of the amazing agents participating in Pitch Wars 2016, go here and here.
AGENTS: To make requests, simply peruse the following entries and enter what you would like to have the writers’ send you in the comments of the posts. Please include submission guidelines and/or additional instructions.
PLEASE only agent comments. All others save your comments until after the agent round. If you would like to cheer on your friends, go to the Twitter hashtag #PitchWars and show your support there. Thank you!
Here are the links to each entry’s post for your convenience…
PW #201: Middle Grade Magical Realism: DOPPELGÄNGER
Pitch: The vitiligo on Tami’s skin has always made her lonely. When her new classmates mistake her for their missing friend Renee, Tami’s strange connection to her doppelgänger grants instant popularity—along with access to Renee’s dark secret. If Tami sets things straight, she’ll lose her newfound friends. If she doesn’t, she’ll lose herself. READ MORE . . .
PW #202: Middle Grade Contemporary: THE WINDUP
Pitch: After losing his twin brother and his right hand in a car crash, thirteen-year-old Kyle struggles to return to baseball and fulfill the dream he and his brother once shared—winning the Brookhaven Invitational Baseball Tournament. READ MORE . . .
PW #203: Middle Grade Contemporary Adventure/Humor: FRANKENUT
Pitch: When a downtrodden squirrel meets a talking GMO peanut, rumors of a bagel monster no longer seem far-fetched. Armed with a dollhouse fork and a lot of heart, the unlikely duo must work together to uncover the secrets of a biohacker’s lab before a friend-turned-foe destroys their only chance at solving the peanut’s mysterious origins. READ MORE . . .
PW #204: Middle Grade Historical Fantasy: AN IMPOSSIBLE MAGIC
Pitch: Already an expert at manipulating illusions, 13-year-old Verity Ravenwood helps her father’s blackmarket business by stealing a book of impossible spells for a notorious outlaw. But when the book gets stolen from her, she must track it down before the outlaw makes her entire family pay. READ MORE . . .
PW #205: Middle Grade Mystery: THE ORDER OF BLACK HOLLOW LANE
Pitch: When her mom dumps her at boarding school, Ginny figures things can’t get much worse. Then a secret society tries to steal her only link to her missing father: a box of strange medallions. Finding out why might unveil painful secrets…and make her their next target. READ MORE . . .
PW #206: Middle Grade Contemporary: OLD-FASHIONED NEWFANGLED GIRLS
Pitch: When their best friend Clara moves to Argentina, sisters Georgie and Penny hope working together to buy the horse the three amigas always wanted will salvage their own friendship—and maybe bring Clara back. Unfortunately, Georgie’s obsession with old-fashioned living clashes with Penny’s taste for technology, turning their mission into all-out war. READ MORE . . .
PW #207: Middle Grade Fantasy: THE MIDNIGHT FLIGHT OF THE SALEM MAGI
Pitch: Twins, Ark and Swanette, are descendants of the Salem witches. While they admit to causing their share of magical calamities, being chased by the king’s witch hunters seems like an overreaction. When dragons join the hunt, the twins must ally with Abigail Adams, Boston’s Witch-In-Chief, to save the patriots, and themselves. MAGYK meets the American Revolution in this secret history of Paul Revere’s ride. READ MORE . . .
PW #208: Middle Grade Contemporary: SNOW DAY
Pitch: There are 38 kid-rumored ways to make it snow, and D.C. has two weeks to try them all. If one works: the elusive snow day! If not, an avalanche of a bully named Bosley wins a bet that neither can afford to lose. READ MORE . . .
PW #209: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy: THE CURIOUS CURSE OF THE LONELY LIBRARY
Pitch: When twelve-year-old Theodore visits a cursed library where book characters come alive, he thinks he’s stumbled into bookworm heaven. But when the curse lands a demolition notice on the door, Theodore must race to outsmart storybook villains before the library is destroyed. READ MORE . . .
PW #210: Middle Grade Contemporary Mystery: THE SECRET OF SAGAMORE HILL
Pitch: Twelve-year-old history fanatic Rebecca Finley is haunted by her Roosevelt historian father’s tarnished reputation and recent death. When Rebecca visits Theodore Roosevelt’s summer home on a class trip, a strange gravestone in the pet cemetery entices her to not only dig into the famous family’s past, but into her own. She ultimately discovers a long-kept secret and must decide what she’s willing to risk to reveal the truth. READ MORE . . .
PW #211: Middle Grade Historical Fiction (Neuro-diverse, Own Voices): PLANET EARTH IS BLUE
Pitch: In ten days, Space Shuttle Challenger skyrockets into orbit. Which means non-verbal, autistic Nova has ten days to reach her missing sister, Bridget, so they can watch together as promised. READ MORE . . .
PW #212: Middle Grade Contemporary Horror: GHOST TRAIN
Pitch: As the only living passengers on the Lost Souls Express, bickering siblings must work together to avoid evil haunts and a Conductor who can’t abide stowaways. It’s a race against time to escape the ghost train—or die trying—before they reach the End of the Line. READ MORE . . .
PW #213: Middle Grade Light Sci-Fi: THE SOCIETY OF FLYERS
Pitch: Twelve-year-old Nicole will do whatever it takes to join the Society of Flyers—a secret club that relies on ancient, mystical science to travel the skies. But passing its impossible entrance exam while balancing her best friends and their poi spinning team proves harder than flying through an electric storm blindfolded. If Nicole can’t navigate through, she’ll end up without friends or wings. READ MORE . . .
PW #214: Middle Grade Contemporary Realistic Fiction: THE SOUND OF BELONG
Pitch: Bitsy was three when her sister dropped her off at Jellicle House, a cross between a boarding home and cat sanctuary. Now, eight years later, Bitsy’s admission ticket—her own cat—goes missing. The search fails, and a fellow resident urges her to combine science and poetry to discover and call Mewy’s “true secret name.” If she can’t, she risks losing her pet, her home, and her chance to change what she fears is her own true name: Abandoned. READ MORE . . .
PW #215: Middle Grade Contemporary Animal Story: CALL ME ALASTAIR
Pitch:
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN meets FLORA & ULYSSES, (mixed format, three POV):
All disgruntled, de-feathered parrot Alastair wants is to fly off with his beloved sister,
retire in a palm tree, and feast on Norton Anthologies. But when that sister goes home
with pre-pre-med student Fritz, and elderly dance-enthusiast Bertie adopts Alastair, the
future looks grim…and full of polkas. Alastair’s keen plotting reunites the two birds
at last, but when one final escape looms large on the horizon, he’ll be forced to
choose between the life he’s always dreamed of and the love that will cost him
everything. READ MORE . . .
PW #216: Middle Grade Contemporary Magical Realism: BREATHING UNDERWATER
Pitch: While on the cross-country road trip of her dreams, Olivia hopes to acquire the perfect shot for the National Geographic Photo Contest, but when her sister Ruth’s depression takes a turn for the worse, Olivia’s determined to do all she can to save her sister—even teaming up with a bearded motorcyclist no one else can see. READ MORE . . .
PW #217: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy: SISTERS OF THE SEA
Pitch: While visiting Faial, twelve-year-old Isabel learns she’s descended from Portuguese mermaids and can transform. But the legacy has a darker side. When her great-grandmother’s prophesies of natural disasters leave her gravely ill, Isabel turns to the mermaids before she loses Vis-Avó forever. READ MORE . . .
PW #218: Middle Grade Light Sci-fi/Humor: MISHAPS OF A SIXTH GRADE SCIENTIST
Pitch: Eliana’s sixth grade to-do list includes winning the science fair, defeating her nemesis, and resurrecting her pet turtle. Perfecting the formula for a home-grown zombie should cover all three. But when her best friend goes rogue and drinks her zombie juice, she’ll have to find a cure before he transforms their school of geniuses into a horde of the undead. READ MORE . . .
PW #219: Middle Grade Contemporary: STEPPING UP
Pitch: When twelve-year-old Nate’s dad deploys to Afghanistan, Nate’s Xbox, a gift from Dad, is stolen and he feels responsible. Father/son emails gloss over the dangers and hardships each face while Nate is determined to make Dad proud by catching the thief and holding their family together. READ MORE . . .
PW #220: Middle Grade Contemporary: HOLD ME UP
Pitch: Eleven-year-old Nat’s got aching knees she’d like to trade in—and a busted friendship she only wishes physical therapy could cure. When Nat’s paired with the girl who started the whole BFF mess for a one-take video project, she’s got to find a way to heal her bones and her broken friendship problems. READ MORE . . .
PW #221: Middle Grade Paranormal Mystery: GHOSTBESTIES
Pitch: Winnie Birchwood lives for the dead. Sadly, her principal doesn’t, and demands Winnie’s ghost-hunting club prove spooks exist in thirty days or else be disbanded. Consumed with chasing ghosts, Winnie neglects her flesh-and-blood friends and realizes her biggest challenge just may be communicating with the living rather than the dead. READ MORE . . .
PW #222: Middle Grade Mystery-Twist of Magical Realism: HEARST’S GREATEST TREASURE
Pitch: When thirteen-year-old Amelia’s parents ship her off to her Grandpa’s in California, she discovers a clue to Hearst’s greatest treasure and her boring summer turns into a treasure hunt. But when artifacts go missing, Grandpa’s job is in jeopardy. The treasure and the artifacts are linked, but if Amelia doesn’t find out how, Hearst Castle is going down, and taking her Grandpa with it. READ MORE . . .
PW #223: Middle Grade Contemporary: OPERATION: NORMAL
Pitch: When ten-year-old Avery Lawson learns she has ADHD, she launches Operation: Normal—a plan to prove she’s (mostly) like every other kid in class. Because if she can’t stop staring at her teacher’s furry eyebrows or resist her unrelenting need to doodle, she’ll never prove she’s more than a diagnosis. RAMONA QUIMBY meets FISH IN A TREE. READ MORE . . .
PW #224: Middle Grade Contemporary Mystery: THE CAROUSEL KEEPER
Pitch: Following a family tragedy, Maggie makes a secret wish on the rumored-to-be-magic carousel at her uncle’s island amusement park. When mysterious sabotage endangers the wooden horses and her wish, Maggie must race to unmask the culprits. The carousel’s fate, the park’s destiny, and even Maggie’s future will depend on finding her courage. READ MORE . . .
PW #225: Middle Grade Contemporary: RUBY IN THE SKY
Pitch: Ruby Moon Hayes (12) is as silent and invisible as a new moon in the frozen Vermont sky. She doesn’t want kids at her new school to ask about her past or find out her outspoken mother has been arrested. Ruby’s only friend is the town’s reclusive Bird Lady. There is more to the Bird Lady’s story than people know — as there is to Mom’s and Ruby’s. As Mom’s trial draws near, Ruby must break her silence or risk losing everyone she loves. READ MORE . . .
PW #226: Middle Grade Science Fiction: THE ADVENTURES OF KIRBY DARING
Pitch: Kirby Daring is such a nerd. Action and adventure? So not his thing. But when evil aliens threaten the Space Station he calls home, Kirby must hero-up big time to save everything he cares about. READ MORE . . .
PW #227: Middle Grade Contemporary Humorous Fantasy: SAMTO DIES AGAIN
Pitch: When Samto bounces back to life after a tragic hot dog incident, he and his best friend Max decide Samto’s the hero their Cursed swamp town needs. Braving gators, snakes, fires and floods, it’s all heroic training for a boy who’s gonna save his town and break an ancient Curse—even if he dies a hundred times trying. Gordon Korman’s UNGIFTED touched by SAVVY. READ MORE . . .
PW #228: Middle Grade Contemporary: LIGHTS! CAMERA! BRAINS?
Pitch: When Marty, a squeamish seventh-grader, takes a role in a zombie sitcom to earn money for space camp, his biggest headache is eating brains–until his parents face foreclosure. Now Marty must summon his inner corpse to save his home, even though being undead just may kill him. READ MORE . . .
PW #229: Middle Grade Fantasy, illuminated MS w/excerpts from scientific field journal: IN THE NARROWS
Pitch: Tween scientist Riley has been classified and labeled: she has autism spectrum disorder, and that’s all the world sees. But when a botched interview for science camp lands Riley and her family in Pangaea, an alternate Earth where science is magic, Riley discovers her quirks are strengths. Now, Riley must use her out-of-the-box reasoning to save her family from an evil Scientist and his dangerous experiments before he destroys Earth and the magical world that’s taught her to love her differences. READ MORE . . .
PW #230: Middle Grade Contemporary: THE WILDCATS
Pitch: Ten-year-old Hailey dominates the Wildcats soccer team with her fierce footwork. But when a new player shows up who thinks she’s all that and a jelly doughnut, Hailey has to decide how much she’s willing to give up to preserve her all-star status. READ MORE . . .
PW #231: Middle Grade Contemporary (with a dash of magic): EIGHT TIMES CRAZY
Pitch: When twelve-year-old Orville receives a clue to his long-lost dad’s whereabouts, he’s determined to drive cross-country and bring him home. But after discovering Dad in a psychiatric-care facility, Orville’s convinced his own kernels of ‘crazy’ are destined to pop, dooming him to the same fate. Following the instructions of a magical new friend, Orville embarks on one last journey. If he’s successful, he’ll heal himself––and his broken family. READ MORE . . .
PW #232: Middle Grade Contemporary: HOLE IN THE ROCK
Pitch: Eleven-year-old Lizza, a dedicated vegan, thinks nothing can be worse than her dad’s taxidermy business – until she sabotages it and Dad moves the family into a tourist trap cave. Now, she needs to get her family back home before they’re split apart for good. READ MORE . . .
PW #233: Middle Grade Mystery: A TALE OF TWO ROLFS
Pitch: Two years ago, twelve-year-old Rolf Malus was imprisoned inside a book by his aunt. Since then, he’s been forced to relive her tale as an insufferably boring boy, whose only friends are three obnoxious kids next door. Now, Rolf has one chance to tell his real story. He needs your help to escape, or he’ll be trapped in her story forever. READ MORE . . .
PW #234: Middle Grade Science Fiction: SHIFTING GEARS
Pitch: When 12-year-old mechanical genius Edie accidentally hitches a ride to a parallel world, she discovers a secret organization that keeps thousands of Earths safe from dimensional cross-contamination. She’s determined to join up, but first she must prove herself on a mission to a world where people have tails, gravity doesn’t work right, and failure means never making it home. READ MORE . . .
PW #235: Middle Grade Fantasy: THE WITCH CATCHER
Pitch: When thirteen-year-old Evie accidentally smashes a bottle from Mom’s secret cabinet, Mom’s demands for music practice become the least of her troubles. Ferocious storms, fires, falling trees—and now Mom’s sick. Called by a malevolent force she doesn’t understand, Evie must put Dad’s science aside and become a witch catcher to save her family. READ MORE . . .
PW #236: Middle Grade Horror: DEVASURA
Pitch: Stranger Things meets Singaporean mythology when twelve-year-old Zhen Yu, with the help of his best friend, his younger sister, and fickle and friendly spirits, must defeat an ancient creature before it possesses his soul and makes his loved ones’ worst fears come true. Perfect for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and Doll Bones by Holly Black. READ MORE . . .