Kara Grajkowski
3 Seas Literary Agency
My Manuscript Wish List®
As an elementary classroom teacher turned elementary behavioral interventionist, I am always looking to expand my classroom library with high-interest, low-readability books. If I can see my students and their interests in the project, it is a good fit for my classroom and a better fit for my query box. Please send me #OwnVoices stories!
Middle Grade / Young Adult:
MG is my favorite of all types of books! I have a soft spot for contemporary fiction stories that my students can align with, especially if the main character doesn’t have it all figured out yet (I mean, who does anyway?!). I am searching for the best MG and YA fiction stories that have you smiling, crying, and growing right along with the characters. Bonus if the stories take place in urban settings and/or celebrate Black joy! I am not a good fit for fantasy or time travel stories.
Picture Books:
Picture books that highlight the beauty in diversity, community, and childhood are the best – right up there with humorous stories. I love any book that can make you giggle, especially if you can learn a valuable lesson in the meantime. Please send me books that break the fourth wall and/or have non-traditional narration styles like “Press Here” or “The Book With No Pictures”! I love to champion stories about disability, SEL, and/or regulation strategies. Also, educational picture books are up my alley, especially ones that can easily align with curriculum. I’m usually not a good fit for rhyming books (unless they’re funny!).
Fun facts about me:
- I have two corgis – one is like a cat and the other is like a tornado.
- My favorite part of the school day is teaching ELA, but I despise teaching the bossy r syllable type. Gurrrr.
- I love hip hop music. You can never go wrong with a little Sada Baby in the background while you’re working.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions should be emailed to https://querymanager.com/query/2761
Email queries are not accepted and will be deleted! Please use the links to our Query Manager pages. We do our best to read every submission we receive and will be in touch if we are interested in your project.
Thank you for your queries!  We wouldn’t be in business and be able to sell the number of books we have sold without them.
Vital Info
Favorite sub-genres:
#ownvoices, Activism, Adult Rom Com, BIPOC, Beginning Readers, Book Club, Chick Lit, Chicklit, Children's, Children's Nonfiction, Children's and Young Adult Fiction and Nonfiction, Clever picture book, Commercial MG, Commercial Women's Fiction, Commercial YA, Commercial adult fiction, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary YA, Disability, Diverse Protagonists, Educational, Fiction Picture Books, Funny MG, LGBT YA, LGBTQ Contemporary, LGBTQ Romance, LGBTQ+ rom coms, MG, MG Nonfiction, MG contemporary, MG/YA, Mental Health, Middle Grade, Middle Grade Contemporary, Middle Grade Graphic Novels, New Adult, POC, Picture Book, Picture book non-fiction, Racial Justice, Rom-com, RomCom, Romance, Romantic Comedy, SEL, STEM, Self-help for kids, Self-help for teens, Social Emotional Learning, Social Issues, Social Justice, Social Science, Social Sciences, Trauma, YA, YA Contemporary, YA Contemporary Romance, YA Contemporary Romance with layers, YA Crossover, YA Rom-Coms, YA RomCom, YA Romance, YA rom com, YA/MG graphic novel, Young Adult, activity books, bad at feelings, beach reads, board books, book club fiction, chapter books, children's diversity, children's graphic novels, commercial middle grade, commerical, commerical women's fiction, contemporary, contemporary MG, contemporary middle grade, contemporary women's fiction, crossover, crossover adult, diverse, diverse and own voices, diverse heroines, diverse voices, fiction and non-fiction picture books, found family, friendship, friendship stories, invisible disability, mental illness, middle grade non-fiction, picture books, read-alouds, realistic fiction, rom-coms, romantic New Adult
I’d like the next…
I’d like the next middle grade realistic fiction that celebrates Black joy! I’d also like the next picture book that explores SEL in fresh, new ways!
My favorites include…
I love…
- Realistic fiction that 8-12 year olds can relate to (especially those that highlight Black joy and success!)
- Ghost by Jason Reynolds
- From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
- President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sheri Winston
- Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
- Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
- Picture books that celebrate diversity
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
- Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
- The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah
- Picture books that teach SEL skills
- The Big Cheese by Jory John
- We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
- We Are (Not) Friends by Anna Kang
- Picture Books / Chapter Books that make you say whaaaat?!
- Tadpole’s Promise by Jeanne Willis
- Narwhal and Jelly series by Ben Clanton
- Press Here by Herve Tullet
- Â YA Contemporary Fiction with real young adult struggles – especially those with social justice themes woven throughout.
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Dear Martin by Nic Stone
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Books for educators (big bonus points if the book is research-based!)
- For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood… and the Rest of Y’all Too by Dr. Christopher Emdin
- Fostering Resilient Learners by Kristin Souers & Pete Hall
- Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond
Bonus points for…
- Humor
- Quirky, sharp writing styles
- Stories that show kids being kids!
