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PW #211: Middle Grade Magical Realism (#ownvoices): GOLEM SCIENCE

Wednesday, 1 November 2017  |  Posted by Brenda Drake

Manuscript Status: Finished

Mentor: Caela Carter

Mentee: Stacey Goldstein

Title: GOLEM SCIENCE

Category: Middle Grade

Genre: Magical Realism (#ownvoices)

Word Count: 47,000

Pitch:

Eleven-year-old Rachel Shem thinks life is all about science, not religion. She wants to get nominated for the biggest of all science fairs, the Broadcom MASTERS. But when she creates a Golem – a mud monster who protects the Jewish people – she might have to admit science can’t solve everything. And she’s got to figure out the real theory of evolution quick, because Golem is growing. And becoming dangerous.

Excerpt:

Raising tadpoles in the house wasn’t my best idea. Even the most careful scientific experiments have miscalculations. This project clearly isn’t “the one” because I must have found the mutant ninja frogs of Florida. They completely skipped over the froglet stage of life and sprouted legs overnight. And I have no idea how one got in the fridge.

Once that little green monster jumps out of the butter tray and attacks Mom, I know the jig is up. If that isn’t bad enough, he actually leaps into her coffee. Frog slime instead of cream.

I scoot behind the wall between my room and the kitchen as soon as her screams hit the air. I’d already caught and released four of them and was hopping around to find the others before anyone noticed.

“Stephen!” Mom yells for Dad in the voice she reserves for bugs in the house. Or axe murderers.

The smell of freshly baked muffins fills the air and my stomach lurches. I hope none of my guys accidently made it into the oven. My desire to check is warring with the knowledge that there is nothing I can do for my dearly departed frog brethren. The muffins do smell amazing.
I push my nose into the air. A definite hint of pistachio. And nothing of frog or flesh.

Filed: PW Entries

18 Comments
  • Uwe Stender says:

    Please send the full as an MS word attachment to uwe@triadaus.com

  • This sounds wonderful. I’d love to see your query in the body of an email, along with the full manuscript and a synopsis (both attached). Please also include a link to this entry. You can send your materials to lauren@triadaus.com. I look forward to reading!

  • Laura Crockett says:

    I’m interested in reading more! Please send the query in the body of the email, attach the full manuscript in a Word doc, subject line “Pitch Wars: [MS title],” to laura(at)triadaus(dot)com. Thanks! –Laura (PS Looks like TriadaUS is definitely interested in this pitch ;))

  • Rena Rossner says:

    I’d love to read this! Please send the full manuscript attached as a word document to: rena (at) thedeborahharrisagency (dot) com.

    Thanks!

    – Rena

  • Heather Flaherty says:

    Hi Stacey! Hilarious from the get-go, I would love to read more!

    Please send:
    – Query + 10 pages pasted in the body of the email
    – Attach FULL ms as well!
    – with subject line: PW MG + Title

    to:  flahertyqueries@thebentagency.com

    Thank you so much!

    Heather Flaherty (The Bent Agency)

  • Katie Grimm says:

    Hi Stacey – I love MG concepts where magic meets science, and you have a great voice! Please email your query with full ms attached as a Word doc to dca@doncongdon.com with PitchWars Request + GOLEM SCIENCE in the subject line. Thanks!

    Best,
    Katie Grimm
    Don Congdon Associates

  • Caitie Flum says:

    This looks great! I’d love to take a look.

    Please send the query in the body of the email + full manuscript as a Word attachment to querycaitie@lizadawson.com with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject.

  • Leon Husock says:

    I’d love to read more of this! Please send a query and the full manuscript along with a single-sentence description of your premise to leon@lperkinsagency.com

  • Naomi Davis says:

    This sounds really dynamic. Would you please send me the full manuscript as a word document, plus the pitch and any relevant details you’d like me to have, to naomi@inklingsliterary.com ? Thanks!!!

  • Stacey, I would love to read more of this! Please send the first 50 pages as a Word doc or PDF attachment to melissa@rpcontent.com. Please also include your query letter in the body of the email, and Pitch Wars in the subject line.

    I look forward to reading!

    Thanks,

    Melissa Nasson
    Rubin Pfeffer Content

  • I was super intrigued by your pitch and sample and definitely want to read more of this!! Please send me your query and first 50 pages, with the subject “PITCHWARS REQUEST,” to carrie(at)prospectagency(dot)com. Thank you and excited to see more!

  • beth phelan says:

    Ahhh, this sounds so fun! Can you please email your query, plus the full manuscript as a Word doc attachment, to phelanqueries@thebentagency.com, with “Pitch Wars request” in the subject line? I’m closed to queries except requested submissions, so don’t mind the automated response.

    Beth Phelan
    The Bent Agency

  • Roseanne Wells says:

    Great, hilarious voice, I’d love to read more! Please use the guidelines on jdlit.com to send 30pp (instead of the normal 20), and include #Pitchwars in the subject line. I can’t wait to dive in!

    Roseanne Wells
    The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

  • Jennifer Laughran says:

    Hi – late to the party here, but I’d love to look at the full. Please send as a word doc, with the subject line #Pitchwars, to JennL at andreabrownlit.com!

  • Hi, I would love to read this full manuscript. Please send it as a Word or PDF attachment with Pitch Wars request in the subject line, to andrea@transatlanticagency.com. I look forward to seeing it!

  • I would love to read your manuscript! Please send as a word doc to queries@ldlainc.com, along with your query letter. And put Pitch Wars in the subject line.

    Thanks!

    Tamar

  • Sarah Davies says:

    Hello! I’d like to read more of this. Please send me the query with full manuscript (Word doc) at submissions@greenhouseliterary.com, with PitchWars/Sarah Davies in the email title line. Thanks!
    Sarah

  • Pam Victorio says:

    I am so excited about this book. Please send a ‘query’ through my Query Manager and I’ll request the full through the system. http://QueryMe.Online/QueryPam

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