Pitch Wars Blog Archive

9. THIRTEEN O'CLOCK – Middle Grade Light Science Fiction

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, Emmaline can’t stop him alone. She’ll need her annoying twin brother, and every spare minute she can find, to save her home. Excerpt: Emmaline Fable Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

10. SEE YOU THEN, JOSHUA JACOBS – Middle Grade Contemporary

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 than she bargained for. Time travel experiments, talking with the dead, a mysterious illness—it’s too much! In one short year, she’ll learn more about fear, Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

11. THE ZOOKEEPER’S MACHINE – Middle Grade Adventure

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 talents out of kids. To save her friend and destroy the machine, she joins forces with a scientist Komodo dragon and a juggling jaguar. If Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

11. THE ZOOKEEPER'S MACHINE – Middle Grade Adventure

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 talents out of kids. To save her friend and destroy the machine, she joins forces with a scientist Komodo dragon and a juggling jaguar. If Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

12. SKIDSTER – Middle Grade Futuristic Science Fiction

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 go, Jed is sucked into the scummy underworld of Skid City’s crime lords, where he unravels a plot that will bring the city to its Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

13. FORTUNE IT FORWARD – Middle Grade Magical Realism

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 he tries, the worse things get, and accidentally touching the lunch lady’s butt is only the start of Dom’s troubles. Excerpt: For Dominic Massini, Sundays Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

14. SPARROW – Middle Grade Paranormal

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 the spirit of her lost mother. But death is a perilous ally. Excerpt: They buried Sparrow’s mama the day the gypsies came. A day so Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

15. ROOT BEER CANDY AND OTHER MIRACLES – Middle Grade Contemporary in Verse

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 a driftwood mermaid, mysterious ice-cream vendor, and new best friend, Bailey learns how everyday miracles can change lives. Excerpt: After the storm Felicity Bay is Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

16. THE ADVENTURES OF RATBOY – Middle Grade Adventure

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 team up with the hero, Ratboy and his sidekick, a talking rat, before Dastard Lee turns everyone Ryan loves into mindless slaves. Excerpt: I twirled Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago

17. BEAT – Young Adult Thriller

Mentor Name: Cole Gibsen Mentee Name: Laura DiamondTitle: BEAT   Category: Young Adult Genre: Thriller   Word Count: 77,000 Pitch: Seventeen-year-old heart transplant recipient, Adam Gibson, must pair up with a snarky artist to fight the demons in his mind if he’s to survive the psychological torment of someone dying so he can live.  Excerpt: Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Wind slashes across my body, burrows up my nose, and yanks at my hair. I hook my fingers Read more…

By brendaadmin, ago