An Agent's Inbox #16

Dear Ms. Sciuto:

My agent and I parted ways earlier this year when she decided to pursue her own writing, and so I am seeking new representation.  In an online interview, you said that you are very hands-on, and that Full Circle supports authors through the entire publication process. This is exactly the kind of representation I am looking for, and so my picture book, FLOODED: THE TRUE STORY OF A GIRL AND HER DOGS, is pasted below for your consideration.

Six-year old Cadence and her family face a devastating flood. As Cadence fears for the fate of her dogs, she must also accept the destruction of her town and home. When she finally reconnects with her beloved pups, Cadence realizes just how much she still has, and is flooded with gratitude.

There are only a few picture books about floods, and I couldn't find any that focus on the worry a child feels about pets that are left behind. After Sandy struck the East Coast, it became clear that FLOODED would be meaningful to many children. At 704 words, this story will appeal to fans of Jacqueline Woodson’s EACH KINDNESS and Alvaro Villa's FLOOD.

I am an active member of the SCBWI, and my article, “Flopping Frogs” is in Highlights’s September issue. Recently, I received a fellowship to attend the Vermont Studio Center for my adult non-fiction writing. I have been an elementary school teacher and an instructor in Early Childhood and Adolescent Education at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Please note that FLOODED is on multiple submission.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
P.B.

FLOODED: THE TRUE STORY OF A GIRL AND HER DOGS

I want to play fetch with my dogs.           

Sierra jumps with her ball, and Freud’s got a hopeful grin.

But it’s raining. Again. And the creek looks mean.

“We’ll play after school,” I tell them.  “Promise.”

When Mom says it’s time to go, I grab my backpack.

I don’t want to close the doggie gate, but I do…house rules.

Like always, Sierra leaps at the gate and Freud whines.  

“I’ll be back soon,” I say, wishing I could take them with me. Then Mom and I walk out to the bus. 

The ground squishes beneath our feet.

---

At school, Lily asks, “Is the creek gonna flood again?”

Ms. Weiss can’t stop talking about the weather.

I twist my bracelets into figure eights. Sierra and Freud like to hide under my bed during storms, but they’re locked in the mudroom. 

It rains during math. 

It rains harder during spelling.

During gym, Ms. Weiss announces early dismissal. I bite my nails until Dad comes to take me home to my dogs.

---

It’s colder now, and I shiver under my raincoat. We drive slowly past Lily’s house, the gas station, the corner store that sells Freud’s favorite treats.

Suddenly, Dad stops. Water gushes across the road. 

“Sierra! Freud!”

I try to open the door, but Dad stops me. I can barely hear him. “There’s nothing we can do, Cadence.” 

I hug my backpack all the way to Grammy’s.