Jennifer Laughran

Jennifer comes from a theatrical background, and began her career in agenting after working as a long-time children's bookseller and buyer. She joined the Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2007. Jenn loves quirky, warm illustration, and projects for all ages that have illustrated elements. Always on the lookout for sparkling YA and middle grade fiction with unusual and unforgettable characters and vivid settings, she is drawn to nearly all kinds of books, whether realistic comedies or richly imagined magical adventures. However, the common thread in her favorite stories is an offbeat world-view. Jennifer loves funny books, thrilling books, romantic books, books that make her cry, and all-around un-put-downable books ... and her true favorites are all of the above.

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Molly O’Neill

Molly O’Neill is an agent at Root Literary. Over the course of a career spanning more than two decades, she has been the editor of global publishing phenomenons, the agent of multiple #1 New York Times bestsellers, a publishing/tech start-up executive, and a marketing/publicity expert; combined, these roles have given her a deeply-contextualized lens on the industry that benefits her clients in countless ways as she advocates for their work. Molly loves the creative process and early-stage project development, is invigorated by business strategy and entrepreneurial thinking, and is fascinated by the intersections of art, commerce, creativity, and innovation. She is especially passionate about the people behind books, and takes pride in discovering and evangelizing talented authors and artists, in raising up superb new voices, and in finding ways to build connection and community among creators, readers, stories, and their champions. Molly is drawn to confident, high-caliber writing and artistry, to ambitious creators who constantly challenge themselves, and to bookmakers who have as much enthusiasm for their readers as for their own successes. Clients on her list include emerging, established, and award-winning authors, illustrators, and cartoonists/graphic novelists. Learn more at mollyoneillbooks.com.

Sally M. Kim

Prior to joining Andrea Brown Literary Agency in late 2023, Sally spent more than fifteen years in children’s book marketing and publicity at Macmillan, Penguin, and Chronicle Books. More recently, she has worked as an independent consultant for global children’s book publishers and literacy-related non-profits.

Sally is looking to represent a wide range of children’s book authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators. She is drawn to picture book, chapter book, and middle grade stories with a distinct voice, unexpected wit, aggressive pacing, punchy and/or emotionally resonant endings. When it comes to illustration, she gravitates to traditional mediums and is always on the lookout for versatile artists with a unique take on color, texture, perspective, and thoughtful details. Sally is especially eager to see authentic explorations of underrepresented cultures, relationships, and identities.

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Emily Feinberg

About Emily Feinberg: After earning her master’s degrees in Children’s Literature and English Literature from Simmons College in Boston, Emily joined the editorial team at Roaring Brook Press. She works mostly with picture book, middle grade, and nonfiction titles. She edited Elisha Cooper’s  Caldecott-Honor winning Big Cat, Little Cat,  Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann’s groundbreaking graphic novel Go With the Flow, Jessica Lanan’s Sibert-Honor winning Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider,  and Ann Bausum’s White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War Then Rewrote the History, which has been nominated for the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction award. While she is always looking for solid, voice-driven picture books and middle grade, she also particularly loves nonfiction for young readers of all ages. Emily is not an editor of fantasy. 

Audrey Iocca

Audrey Iocca started working at Candlewick Press in 2022 after graduating from Emerson College with a degree in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. After joining the editorial team, she began assisting on highly commercial fiction like Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness and Skipshock by Caroline O’Donoghue as well as upcoming graphic novels The Moonlit Spiral by Mike Maihack and Seacritters! by Kate Milford and Lucy Bellwood.

Now as an Assistant Editor, she hopes to build a list of middle grade and young adult fiction that is character driven. She enjoys genres across the board including contemporary, romance, fantasy, and dystopia, and is ever-inspired by coming-of-age themes, family stories, as well as stories of difference and resistance.

Grace Kendall

Grace Kendall (she/they) is an Executive Editor at Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books for Young Readers/Macmillan. Grace works on award-winning and bestselling books for children of all ages, including SAINTS OF THE HOUSEHOLD by Ari Tison, which won the Pura Belpre Medal and the Walter Award, and was named a Morris Finalist; A PLACE INSIDE OF ME by Zetta Elliott and Noa Denmon, who won a Caldecott Honor for her illustrations; the New York Times-bestselling YA memoir, ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson, which is also the second most banned book in America; the New York Times-bestselling MG fantasy THE LAST EMBER by debut novelist Lily Berlin Dodd, which also garnered three starred reviews among other accolades; and the Jasmine Toguchi chapter book series by Debbi Michiko Florence, which has over 200,000 copies in print. 

@GraceKendallBooks 

Yolanda Scott

Yolanda Scott is VP, Publisher & Editorial Director at Charlesbridge, where she has edited more than 250 titles since 1995. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in Slavic languages and literature, she was turned down by the CIA for a job as analyst. A desperate search for employment led her to stumble upon children's publishing, and she never looked back. In addition to managing the editorial and design teams, she oversees the foreign rights acquisitions program and recently managed the acquisition of a new middle-grade imprint. She is former adjunct faculty at the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons University; former board chair of the Children’s Book Council, where she also served on the CBC Diversity Committee; a member of the Society of Printers, and a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Top 40 Honoree. www.charlesbridge.com 

Josh Funk

Josh Funk writes silly stories such as the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series (including the five sequels: The Case of the Stinky Stench, Mission Defrostable, Short & Sweet, The Great Caper Caper, Attack of the Scones, and Whodonut? A Holiday Mystery), the How to Code with Pearl and Pascal series (including How to Code a Sandcastle and How to Code a Rollercoaster), The Dino Door, A Celebration of You, Dear Dragon, Dear Unicorn, My Pet Feet, the It's Not a Fairy Tale series (including ​It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk, It's Not Hansel and Gretel, It's Not Little Red Riding Hood, and It's Not the Three Little Pigs), the A Story of Patience & Fortitude series in conjunction with the New York Public Library (including Lost in the Library and Where Is Our Library?), Albie Newton, Pirasaurs!, A Night at the Bookstore: A Barnsie & Noble Adventure, and more coming soon!

 Josh grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes manuscripts. Since the fall of 2015, Josh has presented (or virtually presented) at over 950 schools, classrooms, and libraries and over 300 bookshops, book festivals, and conferences.

Kate Messner

KATE MESSNER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than eighty books for kids. Her titles include award-winning picture books like Over and Under the Snow ,The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story, and Axolotl-Ella; novels like All the Answers, The Trouble with Heroes, and Keep the Ghost Light On; graphic novels like Camp Monster; and the Wildlife Rescue chapter books. Kate also writes the popular History Smashers graphic nonfiction series and leads the multi-author team behind The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class series. She lives on Lake Champlain and spends her free time hiking, kayaking, and listening to way too many Broadway cast recordings. www.katemessner.com

Anne Sibley O’Brien

Anne Sibley O’Brien has published 38 trade books over the past 31 years, some as illustrator, some as author, and some as both. Her titles include the picture books, I’m New Here and Someone New, about three immigrant children and their classmates; and a middle grade novel, In the Shadow of the Sun, a political escape thriller set in North Korea. Current projects are a picture book, a middle grade fantasy, and a graphic memoir of her childhood in South Korea. She lives on Peaks Island in Maine. 

Diane Zahler

Diane Zahler is the author of ten fantasy and historical novels for middle-grade readers. Her books have been listed on Bank Street College of Education's Best Books of the Year and have been Junior Library Guild selections.

Her most recent novel, The Queen's Granddaughter, has received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. It is the story of twelve-year-old Blanca of Castile, the granddaughter of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who must make the perilous journey with her grandmother over the Pyrenees Mountains to marry the dauphin of France.