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US Middle grade Literary Agents

360 agents · 206 currently open to submissions

Middle grade fiction targets readers aged 8-12, though the category stretches from early chapter books like the Magic Tree House series to sophisticated novels close to young adult territory. 130+ agents represent middle grade across fantasy adventures, contemporary realistic fiction, historical narratives, and the growing graphic novel segment. Publishers distinguish between younger middle grade, usually ages 8-10, and older middle grade, usually ages 10-12, with different expectations for complexity and themes. Contemporary middle grade often explores family changes, school pressure, and identity questions, while fantasy can run from whimsical quests to darker adventures with genuine peril. When preparing submission materials, keep the protagonist, word count, humour, and danger aligned with an 8-12 reader. Romance should not drive the plot; friendship, agency, and a child's-eye view of the problem usually matter more.

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Represents

Middle grade, young adult, picture books, illustration, author-illustrators, children's

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Looking for

Jennifer represents authors, illustrators and author-illustrators with a distinct point of view and layered stories. She is interested in middle grade and YA with mind-expanding premises, survival stories, Dickensian sagas, puzzling plots, and middle grade about resilient kids sorting out messy lives.

How to submit

Jennifer is currently closed to queries. Andrea Brown Literary Agency asks writers to select one agent, check that agent's bio and query status, and not query multiple ABLA agents simultaneously.

Last checked 15 May 2026Via Email
Represents

Adult, young adult, middle grade

Looking for

Final Girls who are also monsters, diaspora stories, horror of any kind, stories that will make her laugh/cry/wonder if something is lurking in the darkness, anything that hints at what might be hiding in the ocean, witches, rom coms, witchy rom coms, women/enby/POC-lead thrillers, queer horror, queer rom coms, queer anything, stories written by and for folks from underrepresented/marginalized identities, ghost stories, weird stories, time loops, heists, and anything speculative/fabulist

How to submit

Query Manager

Last checked 18 Jul 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Middle grade fiction, young adult fiction, adult fantasy, romance, diverse fantasy, rom-coms, historical romance

Looking for

Bethany is seeking middle grade and young adult fiction in all genres, as well as adult fantasy and romance. She is especially interested in diverse fantasy, rom-coms, and historical romance. Bethany is always looking for new voices and diverse perspectives.

How to submit

Check agent's submission page

Last checked 16 Jul 2026
Represents

Ya fiction, middle grade fiction, cookbooks, food writing, memoir, true crime, narrative nonfiction, pop culture

Looking for

Cookbooks, food writing and history, young adult and middle grade fiction, memoir, pop culture, true crime, and narrative nonfiction

How to submit

Submit your query through the contact and submissions form on the Aevitas Creative Management website. Include a cover letter, synopsis, and sample material as appropriate for your project.

Last checked 15 Jul 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Picture books, middle grade, ya, illustrated children's books

Looking for

Children's books across all formats, including picture books, middle grade, and young adult, with a particular interest in diverse voices, nonfiction narratives, and illustrated works for young readers

How to submit

Submissions should be directed through the Aevitas Creative Management contact and submissions form. The agency handles queries for Children's, Middle Grade, and Young Adult categories.

Last checked 15 Jul 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Adult fiction, young adult, crossover, middle grade, genre fiction

Wants: Completed manuscript or proposal, querymanager submission

Looking for

Aiden Siobhan is an associate agent at Laura Dail Literary Agency. They are looking for adult, YA, crossover, and select middle grade genre fiction, especially diverse, heartfelt, beautifully written, trope-filled, high-stakes, fast-paced novels.

How to submit

LDLA accepts queries via QueryManager only and asks writers to submit to one agent at a time with one project at a time. The current official submissions page lists QueryManager links for several LDLA agents but does not publish an Aiden-specific query link, so use the official LDLA submissions page for current availability before querying.

Last checked 13 Jul 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, children's literature

Looking for

Erin Casey Westin is a literary agent at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. She is open to all kidlit age groups, from picture books through YA, and is especially drawn to work that shows world- and character-building ability. She wants to believe in the world of the book, whether familiar or fantastic; she wants authentic, thoughtful representation so every kid can find a book that speaks to them; and she likes dialogue that feels perfectly written for the character.

How to submit

Erin Casey Westin is open to queries from the 1st to the 7th of every month through QueryManager according to the official Gallt and Zacker submissions page. Query only one GZLA agent at a time.

Last checked 10 Jul 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Business, health, politics, history, cookbooks, pop culture, jewish interest, lifestyle, upmarket fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thriller, romance, young adult, middle grade, nonfiction

Wants: Query letter

Looking for

Irene's interests include business, health, politics and history, cookbooks, pop culture, Jewish interest, Francophilia, lifestyle, upmarket fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers, romance, historical fiction, middle grade and young adult fiction.

How to submit

The official site has a contact form and states IGLA represents newcomers, but does not publish explicit current query guidelines.

Last checked 9 Jul 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Mystery, thriller, diversity-focused fiction

Wants: Query letter, synopsis, comps, sample pages

Looking for

Beth is the owner of Ladderbird Literary Agency and works in agenting while looking for new and exciting ways to bring more diversity into publishing. Earlier agency data associates her with mysteries and thrillers across age categories.

How to submit

Use Ladderbird's agent-specific QueryManager routes and do not query more than one Ladderbird agent at a time. Beth's current public profile does not show a direct query link.

Last checked 9 Jul 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Adult commercial fiction, young adult, middle grade, graphic novels, adult nonfiction, picture books, dual-language projects

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, proposal

Looking for

Jenna is seeking adult, YA and MG commercial fiction in most genres, graphic novels from middle grade to YA, adult nonfiction, very selective picture books, and dual-language English/Spanish projects.

How to submit

Follow Jenna Satterthwaite's Storm Literary submission guidelines when available, no current direct query route was confirmed in this pass.

Represents

Fantasy, science fiction, romance, young adult, middle grade, speculative fiction

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Looking for

Kat Kerr is listed as a literary agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency in current agent directories and query databases. Specific wishlist details require a deeper official-page pass.

How to submit

Submit through Kat Kerr's current DMLA query route if open. Follow the agency rule to query one DMLA agent at a time.

Last checked 8 Jul 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Children's books, nonfiction, science, nature, stem, picture books, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, proposal

Looking for

Lisa is a literary agent at Storm with a background in biology, environmental science, educational/trade writing, and children's publishing. Her interests align strongly with children's nonfiction, science, nature, STEM, and kidlit.

How to submit

Follow Lisa Amstutz's Storm Literary submission guidelines when available, no current direct query route was confirmed in this pass.

Represents

Science fiction, fantasy, children's books, middle grade, young adult, picture books

Wants: Query letter, sample pages

Looking for

Michelle is a literary agent at Storm with strong interest in heroic stories, science fiction, fantasy, and children's/young reader projects informed by her school and writing-contest background.

How to submit

Follow Michelle Hauck's Storm Literary submission guidelines when available, no current direct query route was confirmed in this pass.

Last checked 8 Jul 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Children's books, author-illustrators, diverse voices, underrepresented voices

Wants: Query letter, sample pages, portfolio

Looking for

Sheila is an associate literary agent seeking authors and author-illustrators, especially diverse and traditionally underrepresented voices, with a priority on strong writing and career-minded creators.

How to submit

Follow Sheila Fernley's Storm Literary submission guidelines when available, no current direct query route was confirmed in this pass.

Last checked 8 Jul 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Serious nonfiction, literary fiction, children's books, graphic novels, history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, medicine, cultural criticism, popular culture, journalism, african american work, picture books, chapter books, middle grade, young adult

Looking for

Tanya McKinnon is Principal at McKinnon Literary. She represents serious nonfiction, literary fiction, children's books, and graphic novels. She is always looking for work that takes her beyond current boundaries, including history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, medicine, cultural criticism, popular culture, journalism, and sheer whimsy. In fiction she looks for story- and character-driven engrossing work with a strong voice. She has a particular interest in multicultural and African American work, has a passion for graphic novels for adults or young readers, and represents children's books from picture books through chapter books and middle grade readers to young adult.

How to submit

McKinnon Literary's official Tanya McKinnon profile confirms her interests but did not expose stable public submission instructions or a public query route in this run. No third-party submission details were imported.

Represents

Middle grade, young adult, commercial fiction

Looking for

Commercial novels with exciting premises and lyrical, atmospheric writing; imaginative, genre-blending tales and speculative worlds infused with haunting, quietly wondrous magic. Fresh retellings of mythology, ballet, opera, and classic literature, as well as sharply funny rom-coms and graphic novels for all ages. Fearless storytellers who tackle big ideas and contemporary issues, with a commitment to marginalized authors and stories representing the full spectrum of human experience.

How to submit

Submit your query through Query Manager at the link provided. Erica only accepts submissions through this platform.

Last checked 30 Jun 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Literary fiction, commercial fiction, women's fiction, science fiction, fantasy, narrative nonfiction, history, memoir, biography, psychology, science, parenting, cookbooks, how-to, self-help, business, finance, young adult, children's fiction, children's nonfiction, picture books, illustration

Wants: Query letter, credentials, synopsis, first ten pages

Looking for

Writers House represents adult and juvenile fiction and nonfiction, including literary and commercial fiction, women's fiction, science fiction and fantasy, narrative nonfiction, history, memoir, biography, psychology, science, parenting, cookbooks, how-to, self-help, business, finance, young adult and juvenile work, picture books, and illustration.

How to submit

Email an individual Writers House agent with a query letter, credentials, an explanation of what makes the book unique, a synopsis, and 10 pages in the body of the email. Consult the agent's Publishers Marketplace profile for any agent-specific requirements. Do not query two Writers House agents simultaneously.

Last checked 18 Jun 2026Via Email
Represents

Fiction, non-fiction

Wants: Synopsis, first fifty pages

Looking for

Ameerah looks for writing that explores diverse experiences with elements of intersectionality. She is drawn to stories that take you on a journey through growth and loves a good friendship story. She enjoys contemporary works, writing derived from performing arts, romance, and novels in verse. For nonfiction, she's interested in pop culture, astrology, and discussions of mental health in minority communities.

How to submit

Complete a form available on genre submission pages. Synopsis of the work that details the plot, plus the first fifty pages or first three chapters of manuscript for fiction and proposal for nonfiction.

Last checked 14 Jun 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Picture books, children's fiction, children's nonfiction, ya, illustration

Looking for

Writers and illustrators across children's publishing, from picture books through young adult novels. Beautifully written stories and nonfiction that connect, inspire, and affirm the lives of young people.

How to submit

Submit via the Aevitas Creative Management contact and submissions form on their website.

Last checked 10 Jun 2026Via Online Form
Represents

Adult fiction, ya, grounded speculative stories, contemporary romance, illustrated picture books, middle-grade fiction, nonfiction

Looking for

Grounded, speculative stories, page-turning contemporary romance, non-linear storytelling, and elevated writing across the board. In children's books, Rebecca's looking for illustrated picture books with humor or heart that would work well for story time and middle-grade fiction that discusses big life moments. In the non-fiction space, Rebecca is interested in millennial experiences and perspectives, especially ones that challenge societal norms, or that feel fresh and from underrepresented voices. She's also interested in food, pop culture, psychology, and social commentary with hints of humor

How to submit

Email: rrodd@lgrliterary.com

Last checked 9 Jun 2026Via Email
Represents

Contemporary romance, historical fiction, cozy mysteries, middle grade

Wants: Query letter, book proposal for nonfiction

Looking for

Strong openings, engaging characters, unexpected twists, satisfying endings, lighter contemporary romance, non-WWII historical fiction, cozy mysteries, and heartwarming or entertaining middle grade.

How to submit

Use The Knight Agency submissions page and the relevant QueryManager link, do not query multiple TKA agents simultaneously.

Last checked 8 Jun 2026Via QueryManager
Represents

Middle grade fiction, young adult fiction

Looking for

She is actively building her list in all genres of middle grade and young adult fiction. Her taste can be summed up as 'eclectic,' and she is drawn to high-concept commercial projects with a literary aura, unexpected hooks, strong A/B plots, and distinct voices. She's especially passionate about supporting diverse and underrepresented creators from all backgrounds. A lover of anthropomorphic characters, she dreams of repping the next blockbuster animal novel or series.

How to submit

Check agent's submission page

Represents

Children's fiction, adult fiction, women's fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, debut fiction, young adult, middle grade

Looking for

She loves women's fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, and debut fiction. On the children's side, she is interested in select Young Adult and Middle Grade. She loves strong characters and voice-driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres, and she's always looking for unique new voices in stories.

How to submit

Check agent's submission page

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