Tethered to Other Stars
BY elisa stone leahyquill tree2023Query Letter
I heard you speak at the SCBWI Summer Conference and loved how you described your relationship with the authors you represent. I also see that you are interested in smart, heartfelt stories for kids on the cusp of an unwelcoming adult world. My upper middle grade novel TETHERED TO OTHER STARS (57,000 words) is a story of identity, family, community, and social justice set in the immigrant sanctuary community.
Seventh grader Wendy Toledo knows that black holes and immigration police have one thing in common: they can both make things disappear without a trace. When her family moves to a new all-American neighborhood, Wendy knows the plan: keep her head down, build a telescope that will win the science fair, and stay on her family’s safe orbit. But that’s easier said than done when there’s a woman hiding out from ICE agents in the church across the alley—and making Wendy’s parents very nervous.
As racial bullying at school threatens Wendy’s friendships and her hopes for the science fair, and her family’s secrets start to unravel, Wendy finds herself caught in the middle of far too many gravitational pulls. When her brother is detained by ICE, Wendy has to speak up, and she finds that doing what is right has the power to shift the orbits of everyone around her.
FRONT DESK (Kelly Yang) meets A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE (Lisa Moore Ramée) in this contemporary immigrant story of friendship, family secrets and taking on unjust power structures.
As a Peruvian-American documentary filmmaker and children’s librarian, I have been telling stories that explore my own complicated identity for as long as I can remember. I am also an immigration activist, working with the Santuario Colectivo to fight deportation orders for people living in sanctuary. I belong to SCBWI, and have worked with a developmental editor to proactively enhance my craft.
I have included the first 10 pages of my manuscript. Thank you for your valuable time and consideration.
About
Age Range
Middle Grade
Genre
Contemporary Fiction
Book Link
https://linktr.ee/elisastoneleahy
Agent
Brent Taylor
Query Stats
Number of Queries Sent
36
Number of Full Requests Received
12
Number of Offers of Representation
4
Number of Months Spent Querying This Novel
5 months
Number of Manuscripts Queried Before This One
0
Publication Status of The Book Queried
Published (Big 5)