Faculty Bios

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, I left home for college to attend Penn State where I was an English major and Psychology minor. After graduating from Penn State, I went on to receive my Master of Arts in Publishing from Pace University. After working and interning in many areas of publishing I finally found my way to Scholastic in 2021. I now acquire across genres and formats, my favorite being Young Adult novels. Some of my cherished activities include reading (of course!), traveling, going to concerts and music festivals, museums, and binge watching many, many different shows and movies.

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 contemporary, 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 pile, she can be found watching people react to her favorite media, or sucked into Twitter and TikTok (@Foyinsi_Pub).

Jim Averbeck is an award-winning author and author/illustrator of numerous picture books including the Sophia series, introduced with One Word from Sophia (Atheneum Books for Young Readers), and Except If (Atheneum). He is also the author of the middle grade novel, A Hitch at the Fairmont (Atheneum). He has been an SCBWI Regional Advisor (SF/South), a knowledgeable conference and workshop presenter, an SCBWI critique group facilitator, as well as a long-time volunteer for We Need Diverse Books. Averbeck has a decade of experience mentoring new writers. His specialty is editorial feedback to help authors make their stories irresistible to editors. His resume includes a long list of children’s creators who have achieved their goal to become published authors. In picture books, Averbeck is looking for illustrators with a strong, unique illustration style who also have well-developed writing skills and whose stories have a strong emotional core. In middle grade, YA, and graphic novels, Averbeck is interested in science fiction, low or historical fantasy, and literary fiction with memorable, quirky protagonists and steadfast supporting characters who break stereotypes and tropes. All submissions should feature strong, smart protagonists who cleverly overcome obstacles and bring a fresh spin or outlook to the story.

Stephanie Fretwell-Hill joined Red Fox Literary in 2016. She represents authors and illustrators of literary fiction and narrative nonfiction picture books and middle grade. Her clients include New York Times bestselling author Kelly DiPucchio, Paddington Bear illustrator R. W. Alley, Carolyn Crimi, Donna Gephart, Drew Beckmeyer, and Archana Sreenivasan. The books she represents have won numerous awards, including Newbery Honor, Sibert Honor, the Jane Addams Book Award, the Youth Book Prize for Social Justice, YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction, and many starred reviews. Stephanie’s tastes are eclectic, but across all genres she looks for compelling, diverse voices and strong hooks combined with literary merit and classroom value. Most of all, she loves stories and art with the perfect mix of humor and heart. Stephanie lives in Asheville, NC with her polymath husband, two feisty girls, and one perfect border collie. When she isn’t working, she can often be found hiking, sewing, playing the ukulele, or hanging out at the playground.

Courtney Donovan is a junior agent at Writers House, building a list of children's book authors and illustrators. She started at the agency as an intern in 2019, before joining in 2020 as an assistant to Steven Malk. She has had the privilege of working with a range of authors and illustrators, including Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen, Amanda Gorman, and Tui Sutherland, among many others. Courtney is looking for impactful narratives and distinctive voices in all genres, though she feels especially drawn to science fiction and fantasy. Originally from the east coast, she now lives in Southern California.