Caryn has been an Agent with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. since early 2003. She handles children’s books only: young adult and middle-grade fiction and non-fiction, chapter books, and picture books. Caryn holds an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA, and a BS from the University of Virginia. Caryn’s fifteen years of business experience prior to joining the Agency emphasized editing and writing as well as sales, negotiation and client management.
Caryn’s particular interests include: sports; humorous chapter books and middle-grade fiction; “boy” books; YA that falls at the intersection of commercial and literary; YA that is edgy without being gratuitous; magical realism and reality-based fantasy; biography for kids of all ages; unique nonfiction; and African-American and Latino-themed literature in all age groups. She is always open to terrific children’s work that doesn’t fit these categories, however. For fiction, a fresh, unique voice is paramount, but the story must have great characterization and plot as well. She loves nonfiction that reads like fiction; that has a great “story behind the story”. She does not represent adult projects. Please do not query her regarding adult work.
Caryn’s recent deals include middle-grade fiction to Dial (2-book deal), middle-grade fiction to HarperCollins (4-book deal), YA fiction to Clarion, Dutton, Delacorte and Atheneum, chapter book series to Hyperion (6-book deal) and Sourcebooks/ Jabberwocky (3-book deal), picture books to Abrams, Clarion and HarperCollins, and non-fiction to Chronicle, Charlesbridge, FSG, Millbrook, Walker and Houghton Mifflin. Some recent and forthcoming titles include: THE QWIKPICK ADVENTURE SOCIETY (Dial), BENEATH MY MOTHER’S FEET (McElderry), FLYING BENEATH THE RADAR (Delacorte), BEANBALL (Clarion), THE GREAT WALLOPER series (HarperCollins), LIFE IN THE WILD: THE GEORGE SCHALLER STORY (FSG), SUGAR PLUM BALLERINAS (Hyperion), THE JELLYBEANS (Abrams), and THE MAN WHO FLIES WITH BIRDS (Millbrook). Caryn is a member of SCBWI and WNBA, and a frequent speaker at writer’s conferences.