Kristie Choi

Wishlist

I acquire for Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster that is known for publishing award-winners and commercial books with outstanding literary merit, as well as commercial books that can be considered “best in show.” The categories I acquire for include fiction and select non-fiction for young adult and middle grade readers; picture books (4-8); and graphic novels.

My Mission: I’m seeking the sort of books that can stand the test of time where readers can get lost and immersed in a refuge, see themselves, be transformed and healed, and experience the world with a new perspective. I’m especially looking to highlight intersectional, marginalized, and traditionally underrepresented voices (BIPOC, queer, disabled, neurodivergent, body type, etc).

My taste in short: high-concept, layered, character-driven, literary and/or upmarket stories that play with genre or highlight the magic within the mundane; evocative stories that are creatively ambitious, have high-stakes (or feel high stakes), inspire emotion and wonder, and provoke discussion and thought; and on the younger end, pure silliness/humor and absurdity galore with plenty of kid-appeal

Broad strokes: Ranging from light and humorous to gritty, edgy, and thought-provoking, the stories I tend to be drawn to are creatively ambitious and can straddle both the commercial and literary line (“upmarket”) or have a literary timeless feel. For novels and graphic novels, I’m seeking voice-driven coming-of-age or genre fiction with a character-focus written with captivating prose; for picture books and early readers, I’m looking for outrageously funny, silly, absurd stories or those that are gorgeous and lyrical and touch upon universal themes like love and family. Regardless of genre or format, I’m drawn to voice-y, cinematic, character-driven stories with a high-concept hook that are immersive, compulsive readable, and evocative–those that can get me invested in the characters and make me laugh or cry (or both at the same time). I enjoy high stakes and stories of young people confronting a little more than the ordinary. I also love slice-of-life that highlights the beauty and humor within the mundane. Even with my favorite cozy stories, though, I enjoy having some weightier threads woven in (think any Hayao Miyazaki film or Howl’s Moving Castle where the wizards turning into monsters is a metaphor for the horrors of war). I have a particular soft spot for offbeat threads and misfits on the fringes of society, nerds, autistic/neurodivergent folks, and the cerebral types thinking big questions about life, relationships, and philosophy from a young age.

Picture Books

  • Funny and absurd premises in the vein of LLAMA DESTROYS THE WORLD
  • Innovative and quirky, wry humor a la Jon Klassen, Ben Clanton, Oliver Jeffers
  • Evocative stories about family and love or profound concepts like WATERCRESS, LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET, OUTSIDE IN
  • Imaginative concepts told with a kid-friendly entry-point that spark wonder and curiosity

Early Readers:

  • Graphic novels with series potential that are super funny and silly like Narwhal and Jelly and Dogman

Middle Grade:

  • gorgeous high-concept literary novels exploring profound themes along the lines of The Last Cuentista, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, When You Trap a Tiger
  • beautifully written and emotionally powerful novels in verse (historical or contemporary) in the vein of Inside Out & Back Again or Jacqueline Woodson
  • grounded graphic novels that combine humor and heart in the vein of Raina Telgemeier, Shannon Hale, Remy Lai
  • voice-y, commercial fantasy/spooky stories that lend themselves well to illustration
  • survival stories ranging from humorous to emotional that offer a fresh spin on the genre

Young Adult/Teen:

  • lyrical, gorgeous angsty romantic coming-of-age in the vein of Nina Lacour, Last Night at the Telegraph Club
  • mysteries/thrillers of all kinds! Think Holly Jackson, Karen McManus, or coming-of-age with a strong mystery plot in the vein of Patron Saints of Nothing, The Firekeeper’s Daughter, We Were Liars, The Astonishing Color of After
  • voice-driven fantasy with immersive writing in the vein of Leigh Bardugo, V.E. Schwab, Margaret Rogerson, Laini Taylor
  • horror that understands the anxieties and frightening experience of growing up, drawing upon real-life emotions and experiences of terror (think GET OUT being about the horrors of systemic and benevolent racism)
  • all kinds of romance such as gothic romance; stories of first love; queer awakening; friends to lovers; enemies-to-lovers, rivals-to-lovers, or lovers-to-enemies trope (I’m a huge sucker for this trope)
  • dark academia that offers a fresh spin on the aesthetic, even better if it’s non-European

I am a bit genre-blind when it comes to fantasy/speculative, contemporary, historical, and whatnot, but.. I am NOT the best fit for:

  • board books–Atheneum only publishes picture books within the ages of 4-8
  • anthologies
  • didactic writing
  • Main characters of AAPI, BIPOC, queer, or other traditionally marginalized identities who are self-hating
  • plot-driven stories where external events drive the action more so than character’s decisions
  • sports stories driven by the sport itself (though I love character-driven stories that aren’t really about the sport a la Ted Lasso)
  • graphic novel pitches with only a script/writer attached; graphic novels must be author-illustrator
  • trauma-driven narratives that are relentlessly heavy (i.e. the main character’s life is defined by their trauma or racism they’ve faced, with no or few threads of levity or love for balance)

I’d like the next:

YA/TEEN

  • Firekeeper’s Daughter
  • We Were Liars
  • Patron Saints of Nothing
  • The Honeys 
  • Sadie
  • Truly Devious
  • Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
  • The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea
  • Six of Crows
  • Strange the Dreamer 
  • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
  • Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
  • Last Night at the Telegraph Club
  • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
  • Looking for Alaska
  • I’ll Give You the Sun
  • Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School
  • Felix Ever After
  • Long Way Down
  • The Poet X 
  • The Darkness Outside Us
  • The 5th Wave
  • Hell Followed With Us 
  • Wilder Girls 

MIDDLE GRADE

  • The Last Kids on Earth
  • Diary of a Wimpy Kid 
  • Captain Underpants
  • The Girl Who Drank the Moon
  • When You Trap a Tiger
  • The Last Cuentista
  • Brown Girl Dreaming
  • Inside Out & Back Again
  • The Night Diary
  • Alone
  • Hatchet
  • The Wild Robot
  • The One and Only Ivan

GRAPHIC NOVELS

  • This One Summer
  • Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me
  • This Was Our Pact
  • Nimona
  • Genderqueer
  • Anything by Raina Telgemeier
  • Dog Man

PICTURE BOOKS

  • Llama Destroys the World
  • The Day the Crayons Quit
  • Here We Are
  • Jon Klassen’s The Hat series
  • Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
  • Watercress
  • We Are Water Protectors
  • Last Stop on Market Street
  • Outside In
  • A Hungry Lion
  • fantasy featuring BIPOC characters in the vein of Where the Wild Things Are or The Polar Express 

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