Mentor Name: Juliana Brandt Mentee Name: Stacy Hackney Title: THIRTEEN O’CLOCK Category: Middle Grade Genre: Light Science Fiction Word Count: 52,000 Pitch: Twelve-year-old Emmaline doesn’t need help, not from anyone. But when a dangerous criminal uncovers a thirteenth hour hidden in each afternoon and uses it to rob the town, Read more…
Mentor Name: Juliana Brandt Mentee Name: Stacy Hackney Title: THIRTEEN O’CLOCK Category: Middle Grade Genre: Light Science Fiction Word Count: 52,000 Pitch: Twelve-year-old Emmaline doesn’t need help, not from anyone. But when a dangerous criminal uncovers a thirteenth hour hidden in each afternoon and uses it to rob the town, Read more…
Mentor Name: Lisa Lewis Tyre Mentee Name: Peggy J. Sheridan Title: SEE YOU THEN, JOSHUA JACOBS Category: Middle Grade Genre: Contemporary Word Count: 40,000 Pitch: When Suzie Martin meets her brainy new neighbor, Joshua, it looks like her year as the Incredible Friendless Wonder is over. But she gets more Read more…
Mentor Name: Michelle Hauck Mentee Name: Jayme Allen Title: THE ZOOKEEPER’S MACHINE Category: Middle Grade Genre: Adventure Word Count: 47,000 Pitch: After a bad prank, twelve-year-old Hannie Bunker’s best friend is kidnapped by talking gorillas. A hairy clue leads Hannie to the zoo, where she discovers a machine that sucks Read more…
Mentor Name: Michelle Hauck Mentee Name: Jayme Allen Title: THE ZOOKEEPER’S MACHINE Category: Middle Grade Genre: Adventure Word Count: 47,000 Pitch: After a bad prank, twelve-year-old Hannie Bunker’s best friend is kidnapped by talking gorillas. A hairy clue leads Hannie to the zoo, where she discovers a machine that sucks Read more…
Mentor: Naomi Hughes Mentee: Lindsey Duga Title: SKIDSTER Category: Middle Grade Genre: Futuristic Science Fiction Word Count: 67,000 Pitch: During an illegal race, futuristic skateboarder Jed Tank crashes into an alley and accidentally witnesses a blackmail transaction—which leads to the murder of his best friend’s grandpa. Unable to let it Read more…
Mentor Name: Ronni Arno Blaisdell Mentee Name: Nicole Mogavero Title: FORTUNE IT FORWARD Category: Middle Grade Genre: Magical Realism Word Count: 43,000 Pitch: Twelve-year-old Dom’s fortune cookies are mysteriously accurate, helping him avoid the spray of cafeteria tuna-fish puke and moldy taco cheese. But they’re tough to decode. The harder Read more…
Mentor Name: Stacey Trombley Mentee Name: Victoria Piontek Title: SPARROW Category: Middle Grade Genre: Paranormal Word Count: 33,000 Pitch: Thirteen-year-old Sparrow is so desperate for a place to belong she will do whatever she can to find her family, even if it means using her forbidden gift to connect with Read more…
Mentor Name: Stefanie Wass Mentee Name: Shari Green Title: ROOT BEER CANDY AND OTHER MIRACLES Category: Middle Grade Genre: Contemporary Word Count: 20,000 Pitch: When her parents enroll in marriage camp, Bailey and her brother spend August on an island with a grandmother they barely know. With the help of Read more…
Mentor Name: Thomas Torre Mentee Name: Andrea Pelleschi Title: THE ADVENTURES OF RATBOY Category: Middle Grade Genre: Adventure Word Count: 57,000 Pitch: When twelve-year-old, Ryan uses a pen from his favorite comic book artist, his own characters come to life right from the page—even the villains. Now Ryan has to Read more…