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2022 Mentors
(5 OF 5)
2024 Mentors will be revealed later
We like the suspense!

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Brent Taylor, Senior Agent, TriadaUS Literary

Senior Literary Agent  Brent Taylor's tastes can best be described as upmarket: stories that are extremely well-written, robust with emotion, and appeal to a wide, commercial audience. He is seeking smart, fun, and heartfelt books in the following categories: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels for kids and teens. His favorite books include: Charlotte's Web, The Thing About Jellyfish, The Vast Fields of Ordinary, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, and The Westing Game. Pronouns - he/him

Find out more: https://www.btaylorbooks.com/

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 Alexandra Aceves, Associate Editor, Holiday House Publishing

Alexandra Aceves is a Latine writer and editor originally from Mexico City, now based in Brooklyn. She oversees the expansion of the Spanish language publishing program while also acquiring YA and MG fiction and elementary STEM nonfiction for Holiday House's English language list. Alex is a sucker for summer camp stories, unexpected Shakespeare mashups, and MCs who love the performing arts (fun fact: before working in publishing, Alex had a short career as a professional ballerina). She was the 2015 Honor winner of Lee & Low's New Visions Award for previously unpublished YA fiction writers whose work centers characters from marginalized communities; her debut novel is forthcoming from Lee & Low's Tu Books imprintPronouns - she/her

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Chris Krones – Editor, Clarion Books

Chris Krones is a writer who has been a children’s book editor for more than a decade. They hold an MFA in Writing for Children from Simmons University. Chris has edited a wide variety of books – from board books and picture books to middle grade novels and graphic novels. They are the author of Chill, Chomp, Chill and The Pronoun Book.  In their spare time, they love to travel—Paris and Provincetown are two of their favorite places in the world. They also enjoy participating in weightlifting competitions. Chris lives with their partner, two cats, and one dog in Jamaica Plain, MA. Pronouns – they/them
Follow Chris – Twitter  Instagram

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Sera Rivers, Senior Agent, Martin Literary
Sera Rivers is a Senior Literary Manager at Martin Literary & Media Management and is currently accepting queries for middle grade and young adult fiction and graphic novels, as well as the occasional picture book. Sera has volunteered for the New England chapter since 2012, co-directing NESCBWI’s 2017 and 2018 annual spring conferences. Sera earned her bachelor of arts degree in Creative Writing and Journalism Studies from the University of Massachusetts and her master of fine arts degree in Writing for Children from Simmons University. 
 Pronouns – she/her  

Find out more: https://serarivers.com/

Follow Sera -  @writeloudly

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 Jessica Anderson, Editor, Christy Ottaviano Books, an imprint of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

As an editor at Christy Ottaviano Books Jessica Anderson primarily contributes to the older end of our publishing, with a focus on middle grade and young adult fiction, innovative nonfiction, and select author-illustrated graphic novels. Originally from Montreal, Canada, she is especially drawn to intersections of language, culture, and storytelling genres across all categories of books for young readers and teens. 

Prior to joining LBYR in December 2020, Jessica worked at Macmillan Children’s Group under Christy Ottaviano Books. A sample of books Jessica edited include_the Morris Award Finalist Black Girl Unlimited; Flying High: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles; The Night Before Eid: A Muslim Family Story. Pronouns - she/her

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