NE-SCBWI 2026 Virtual Agent Editor Day

Abigail is passionate about stories for young people, especially those that are hilarious, weird, poetic, quietly heartbreaking, and/or swoon-worthy. She gravitates towards picture books that feel entirely original, chapter books with big personalities, and novels about unforgettable teens falling in love. She’s actively looking for stories that invite more young readers to recognize themselves in the books they love, and for writing that never underestimates the characters or the audience. She wants to read anything that could make someone think: “I didn’t know books could do that.”

Alex Wolfe is an editor at Penguin Workshop, where she works on picture books, middle grade, graphic novels, young adult, and everything in between. She is particularly passionate about fiction that emphasizes humor, faced-paced plotting, distinctive artwork, and anything weird, whimsical, and absurd! Alex is also the author of Parks and Recreation Mad Libs and Roald Dahl: Phizz-Whizzing Christmas Book. When not editing, you can usually find her listening to a comedy podcast, watching musical theater, or drinking copious amounts of coffee.

"Alli Hellegers is a Foreign Rights Director and Literary Agent at Stimola Literary Studio. After literary scouting, she served as Director of Foreign Rights for Alloy Entertainment and Rights People. She continues to oversee foreign, subsidiary, and film rights for Stimola while supporting her own diverse client list. A generalist at heart, Alli works across all ages, choosing her clients based on her passion and enthusiasm for their voice, topic, and creative vision. Her adult co-agent clients include New York Times bestselling author Lucy Adlington (The Dressmakers of Auschwitz) and Reese Book Club pick Holly Smale (Cassandra in Reverse). She is looking for more fiction and nonfiction, particularly in pop culture, music, comedy, science, journalism, history, and health and wellness. Her YA clients include New York Times bestselling author Michelle Jabes Corpora (The Throne of Khetara series), Rebecca Caprara (Eva to the Max), and graphic novelists Teo Duvall (Brooms) and indie bestseller Mari Costa (Forgive-Me-Not). Middle grade is a particular favorite, especially classic, literary voices with humor and heart and/or a touch of magical realism. Her MG clients include ALA Notable author Elaine Dimopoulos (The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow) and Caroline Carlson (The Tinkerers). Alli attends the Frankfurt and Bologna book fairs and speaks regularly at industry conferences. Outside of work, she’s happiest hiking with her rescue mutt in Prospect Park, watching classic films with her teenage son, and stealthily listening to her husband narrate an audiobook from his studio in their Brooklyn apartment."

Allison Weintraub joined HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2019 and has grown into the role of associate editor. She is thrilled to have worked with many wonderful and award-winning creators. Her favorite books to work on reflect readers’ complexities—both directly and through a genre lens—and center historically marginalized perspectives. She is interested in middle grade and teen novels and graphic novels across all categories.

Andrew Karre is senior executive editor at Dutton Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, a division of Penguin Random House. Over the course of his twenty year career, he's had the pleasure of working with award winning and bestselling authors, including A.S. King, Malinda Lo, Ibi Zoboi, Candice Iloh, Joy McCullough, Ashely Hope Pérez, and Shannon Gibney. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his family.

Brittany Groves is an assistant editor at Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. Born and raised in Georgia, she spent much of her time reading in class, under the covers, and on various forms of transportation. They have assisted on projects such as the If I Were a Fish picture book, Kerri Maniscalco’s Kingdom of the Feared, and Your Local Bisexual Disaster, and have begun co-acquiring select projects. Their first co-acquired project, Ollie In Between, is a 2026 Stonewall Book Award Honor Book. Queer coming-of-age novels, sweet cultural and social-emotional picture books, and fantasy (or anything with at least a hint of magic) are her jam! She is so excited to curate a list that reflects neurodiversity, different cultural heritages, and the myriad of ways that people show up in the world. The South is their home.

Carter Hasegawa (he/him) has been in the children’s book world for over 20 years—as a book seller for various indies across the US, as an editor at Candlewick Press, and now, as a literary agent with Tugeau 2 Art and Literary Agency. “The thing I’ve always loved about children’s literature,” he says, “is that beyond the sheer range of incredible stories, it’s always served as a sort of testing ground for me: of new ideas, of new experiences, of new viewpoints, of emotional extremes.” Some of his favorite books include WATERCRESS, MY PAPI HAS A MOTORCYCLE, BIG, TAR BEACH, WEDNESDAY WARS, ENDER’S GAME, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, THE NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD, and SO MANY others. Originally from Seattle, Carter now lives in Boston with his librarian wife and their two young sons.

Catherine Laudone is a senior editor at Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. She also serves as an editor advisor for The Writing Barn’s Verge program and an advanced workshop leader for Inked Voices. Catherine has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a published children’s book author. Her co-authored picture book debut She Kept Dancing: The True Story of a Professional Dancer with a Limb Difference is an NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Award winner, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, a 2025 WLA Towner Award nominee, and a 2026-2027 Florida Orange Blossom Award nominee. Her debut middle grade novel, Goalball Dreamers, will be published in Fall 2027. When not editing or writing, she enjoys baking, traveling, and playing with her cat. Learn more at catherinelaudone.com.

Charlotte Wenger is a literary agent with Prospect Agency and works from her home in Haverhill, north of Boston. Prior to joining Prospect, she was an associate editor at Page Street Kids. She has her Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from Simmons and has since mentored a number of their MFA in Writing for Children students. When she's not working, you can find her occasionally crafting, randomly breaking into song, and most importantly, being a toddler mom. Charlotte represents authors and illustrators of children's books - ranging from board books through YA, but especially picture books. You can find her online at www.charlottewenger.com.

Danielle Carnito is the Sr. Trade Art Director for Lerner Publishing Group in Minneapolis, where she art directs and designs a wide variety of books both photographic and illustrative, picture books through novels. She started her design career in the advertising industry in Omaha, then moved North, changed careers to book publishing, and has now spent many happy years collaborating with iIllustrators, editors, designers, and authors to create thoughtful and award-winning books for kids of all ages. Danielle has had the honor to work with with many illustrators, including Chris Park, Luisa Uribe, R. Gregory Christie, David Cooper, and Selina Alko. When not making books in Minneapolis, Danielle rather enjoys traveling to places with beautiful scenery, beautiful museums, or beautiful new experiences — or, all of the above. Instagram: @carkneetoe

Elizabeth Lazowski is an Editor at Scholastic working on novelty and picture books. Previously she was an Associate Editor in the Children’s group at Chronicle Books where she cultivated a list of picture books and graphic novels. Her list includes The Faraway Forest series by Debbie Fong, Together We Swim by Valerie Bolling & Kaylani Juanita, and Too Many Golems by Jane Yolen & Maya Schleifer. She’s interested in stories that address the overlooked spaces in and outside the US —who has not been, and still is not being, fairly represented in the literary space. In 2021 she was named a PW Star Watch Honoree.

"Faith is an alumna of the Writers House Mentor Initiative and the Sourcebooks Editorial Training Program, and holds a Humanities M.A. (English/Gender and Sexuality Studies) from the University of Chicago and an English BA from Pepperdine University. Faith grew up in Las Vegas and has lived in Malibu, Buenos Aires, and now, Chicago. Faith loves her books authentic, immersive, and precise. Across the board, Faith is looking for punchy atmospheric reads, realistic characters, underrepresented voices, and attention to detail. She is open to literary fiction, upmarket fiction, gothic horror, historical thrillers (especially 19thC), unique twists on tropes, and racial, gender, or neuro- diversity. Faith is not the right person for dystopian stories or science fiction (unless very heart-forward) or books where the dog dies."

Foyinsi Adegbonmire is an Editor at Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. She acquires Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction, and is open to coming-of-age, mystery, romance, and fantasy, while enjoying lighthearted stories with conversational narrative voices. She was named a PW Star Watch Honoree and her acquisitions include Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao, and The Beanstalk Murder by P.G. Bell. When not reading or thinking about her very large TBR, she can be found watching people react to her favorite media, or doomscrolling on TikTok (@Foyinsi_Pub). More info on her tastes can be found at manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/foyinsi-adegbonmire/

Ivan Taurisano is an Associate Editor at First Second Books, where he’s on the lookout for commercial, laugh-out-loud stories with quirky characters that make kids fall in love with reading. He holds an MA in Children’s Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children, and worked across every corner of children’s publishing—from board books and picture books to middle grade and graphic novels. Originally from Rome, Ivan moved to the United States to chase his dream of becoming a children’s book editor. Along the way, he’s had the joy of collaborating with beloved brands and series, including How to Catch, Sesame Street, Disney, Marvel, tokidoki, and Pokémon.

Jessica Anderson (she/her) is a Senior Editor at Christy Ottaviano Books and works on a wide range of middle grade and YA fiction and nonfiction, as well as select picture books. She is the editor of the New York Times-bestsellers Dream by the Shadows and Cursed by the Dawn by Logan Karlie; The Last Immortals Epic Axolotls series by Kit Brooks; the Orbis Pictus Award honoree Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock and Edward Kay; the Morris Award finalist Black Girl Unlimitedby Echo Brown; and Some of Us: A Story of Citizenship and the United States by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Huy Voun Lee, among other titles. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Jessica is a native French speaker. She holds a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Columbia University and is a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree.

Juan Botero (he/they) is an associate editor and the coordinator of Spanish language publishing at Candlewick Press. They love highly illustrated formats including chapter books, illustrated middle grade, graphic novels, and picture books. Juan has a special interest in fantasy, magical realism, horror, and genre fiction that explores anything out of the ordinary. They are also interested in non-fiction about unusual moments, circumstances, animals, and archival holes. Even though Juan enjoys reading longer fiction, they are not the fastest reader and therefore don't always have the capacity to dive into novels. In their free time, Juan is a circus artist who has a special interest in aerial hoop and contortion. This means that stories about the circus do appeal to Juan, but they can be very picky about them.

Julia Ermi probably should have known she would end up in the book world when her fourth-grade teacher had to confiscate the Percy Jackson she was reading under her desk. Instead, it took her over a decade and a degree in journalism from Boston University to reach that predestined conclusion. After a stint at the Columbia Publishing Course, an internship at children's literary review magazine The Horn Book, and two years spent working with agent-extraordinaire and mentor Elena Giovinazzo at their previous literary agency, Pippin Properties, Julia now acts as the agency manager for Elena's boutique literary agency, Heirloom Literary & Media. There, Julia supports powerhouse clients such as NYT bestselling authors Jason Reynolds and Katherine Applegate, and award-winning illustrators like Caldecott honoree Jason Griffin—she also coordinates foreign rights and permissions, creates social media content, evaluates submissions for new clients, and generally facilitates the agency's smooth operation.

Karen Boss is senior editor and manager of foreign rights acquisitions at Charlesbridge where she works on fiction and nonfiction picture books and MG and YA novels and nonfiction. She holds an MA in children's literature from Simmons College. She published Traci Sorell's award-winning debut, We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, and has worked with authors such as Jane Yolen, Sarah Albee, Irene Latham, and Charles Waters.

Kristen Nobles has worked in children’s literature for over twenty-five years as a Publisher, Art Director, and Designer at well-respected, independent publishing houses including Candlewick Press / Walker Books Group, Chronicle Books, and Page Street Publishing. Currently, as an Art Director at Charlesbridge Publishing, she loves to collaborate with debut talent on strong characters, global narratives, or evocative story ideas. Kristen graduated from the University of Buffalo, New York, with degrees in Communication Design and Art History, and has pursued further studies at SVA, Harvard, and Mass Art. At five and six years old, her two emerging readers keep her busy reading piles of picture books and chapter books at her home in Providence, Rhode Island or lakeside at her camp in rural Maine. Visit www.kristennobles.com.

Lindsey is a Junior Literary Manager with Martin Literary Management. She graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Connecticut where she developed a love for books that inspire empathy and foster a deeper understanding of the world in which we live. As an agented kidlit writer herself, she is familiar with the ups and downs of the query trenches and submission process. She is a member of SCBWI, four critique groups, and was a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge for many years before interning with Kristen Terrette at Martin Literary Management. She is open to picture books, middle grade, and young adult with a soft spot for humor with big heart and dark, spooky stories. Residing in Southington, CT with her husband and two girls, Lindsey enjoys borrowing unusually tall stacks of picture books from the local library, snakeboarding in the basement with her family, hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and celebrating all the “wins” with her favorite critique partners.

Lori began her career in books as a school librarian, and moved into teaching writing and freelance editing after receiving an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children and Young Adult Program. In 2012, she began her agenting journey assisting and interning for three literary agencies before founding SteelWorks Literary in 2024, alongside with her talented list of debut and award-winning authors and illustrators. She is a member of ALA, SCBWI, and AALA where she serves on the Illustration and Professional Development Committees. When not engaged in bookish pursuits, you can often find her on long walks with the dog, planning her next travel adventure, or whipping up a new recipe in their Washington DC-area home.

Miloni Vora joined Simon & Schuster in January of 2022, after interning at W. W. Norton, the Feminist Press, and various agencies. She assists Caitlyn Dlouhy on a range of picture books, middle grade, and young adult. Regardless of genre and format, she loves stories with a strong, spunky, characters that make her laugh (and cry). She specifically enjoys multigenerational family stories, stories about language and connection, and stories about healing and hope. Her favorite fantasy books are ones rooted in inclusive worldbuilding, particularly from non-European cultures, and featuring multiple protagonists who use humor as a coping mechanism. For middle grade, she loves reading shenanigans featuring the class nerd and the class clown, and for picture books she loves everything from grumpy toddlers to stories filled with stunning, lyrical prose. On any given Sunday, you can find her at her favorite café, crocheting baby animals, and watching dramas that give her serious second-lead-syndrome. Find her on twitter @Miloni_Vora.

Mina Chung was born and bred in the borough of Queens, and like a true New Yorker, is never not complaining about the weather. She got her start designing children's books at Sterling Publishing, then spent over a decade honing her craft and love for picture books at Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She is currently the Art Director at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and has the privilege of collaborating with so many talented artists on a daily basis.

Natascha joined The Tobias Literary Agency in 2020 after previously working at BookEnds Literary and Simon & Schuster. Natascha’s editorial philosophy stems from the idea that all books should be well written and entertaining, and that all children should see themselves and their lives in books.

Olivia Luchini (she/her) is an associate editor for Penguin Workshop. A member of the team since 2020, Olivia has edited an array of different titles spanning from board books to YA novels. She is part of the Who HQ editorial team and has edited dozens of biographies and nonfiction books about impactful historical events for middle grade readers. As a former comedy writer, Olivia's favorite books are voicey, laugh-out-loud funny, and a bit obscure. She also adores books that center culture and diverse perspectives.

Sally M. Kim represents a wide range of children’s book authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators of picture books through middle grade. Sally is drawn to 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.

Shulokhana Khan is on the 0-8 team at Scholastic with a primary focus on picture books and board books. She is particularly interested in books with strong voices that are funny, empowering, dark, or touching, with special interest in the variety of BIPOC experiences.