Wendy Schmalz Agency
In our first fifteen years in operation, Wendy Schmalz Agency is proud to have represented many award-winning authors, including Edgar Award winner Robin MacCready, National Book Award finalist and NEH Medal recipient Albert Marrin, and National Book Award finalist and Lambda Award winner Julie Anne Peters. Our authors have also received many starred reviews for their work as well as many YALSA Best Books and Quick Picks honors. Member of AAR.
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Contact Information
wendy@schmalzagency.com
Sometime In Summer
Katrina Leno
“From critically acclaimed author Katrina Leno comes a tender love letter to books and summertime, with a touch of magic.“
—Goodreads
June 2022
Two Truths And A Lie
April Henry
“In a room full of liars and performers, the truth is never quite what it seems.“
—Goodreads
May 2022
Spin With Me
Amy Polonsky
“Hopeful and real, this story is electric.“
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Eyes Of The Forest
April Henry
“April Henry weaves another heart-stopping young adult thriller“
—Goodreads
Violet and Daisy
Sarah Miller
“The absorbing and compulsively readable story of Violet and Daisy Hilton, conjoined twins who were the sensation of the US sideshow circuits in the 1920s and 1930s.”
—Goodreads
Playing With Fire
April Henry
An unrelenting teen-vs-nature YA thriller by New York Times bestselling author April Henry.
All You Knead Is Love
Tanya Guerrero
“From the author of How to Make Friends with the Sea comes a heartfelt story of finding one’s chosen family, healing, and baking.”
—Goodreads
Manipulating The Masses
John Maxwell Hamilton
“An instant Classic.”
—Thomas E. Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press, Harvard Kennedy School
Horrid
Katrina Leno
“A haunting contemporary horror novel that explores themes of mental illness, rage, and grief, twisted with spine-chilling elements of Stephen King and Agatha Christie.”
—Goodreads
The Girl In The White Van
April Henry
Another riveting thriller from the master storyteller.
A Time Of Fear
Albert Marrin
A timely book from renowned historian Albert Marrin.
A Light In The Darkness
Albert Marrin
An important book from the NEH Medal-winning historian.
How To Make Friends With The Sea
Tanya Guerrero
“Guerrero touches on many topics—anxiety, fostering, friendship, family, selective mutism, and more—seamlessly weaving them all together to create a strong, moving narrative.”
—Kirkus
The Space Between Before And After
Sue Stauffacher
“Unbearably sad in the best way.”
—Bulletin Of The Center For Children’s Books
Following
Jeffry W. Johnston
“A slow-burn thriller that veers in surprising directions, with a final twist no one will see coming.”
—Booklist
Exoplanets
Seymour Simon
In Exoplanets, Simon examines the planets outside of our solar system and uncovers what makes them habitable, our efforts to discover new life, and more.
Sea Creatures
Seymour Simon
Dive into the wonderful world under the sea with Sea Creatures, a gorgeous informational picture book from award-winning science writer Seymour Simon.
Water
Seymour Simon
Learn all about the water cycle, the effect on our planet of rising ocean temperatures, how essential clean water is around the world, and more.
The Lonely Dead
April Henry
April Henry weaves another edge-of-your-seat murder mystery—this time with a paranormal twist.
The Miracle & Tragedy Of The Dionne Quintuplets
Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller’s in-depth look at an intriguing story.
You Must Not Miss
Katrina Leno
You Must Not Miss is an intoxicating tale of magic, menace, and the monsters that live inside us all.
Kirkus Best Books of 2019 list.
Run, Hide, Fight Back
April Henry
The title alone will grab readers, and the content feels chillingly real.
—Booklist
Devil’s Mile: The Rich, Gritty History Of The Bowery
Alice Sparberg Alexiou
I particularly admire the book’s shrewd narrative approach: The street is used to recount much of the history of New York….
—New York Times
Echo’s Sister
Paul Mosier
Mosier’s much-anticipated second novel.
Summer Of Salt
Katrina Leno
A beautiful foray into Magical Realism.
Caroline: Little House Revisited
Sarah Miller
Sarah Miller’s adult novel about Caroline Ingalls of the Little House books.
Everything All At Once
Katrina Leno
Part mysterious adventure, part love letter to the power of books, this is a brilliantly woven novel about loving, reading, writing, grieving, and finding the strength to take a leap.
Rocks & Minerals
Seymour Simon
Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon explains to readers the different types of rocks and minerals with fascinating facts and stunning full-color photographs.
Insects
Seymour Simon
Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon explores the wonderful world of insects, with staggering facts and stunning full-color photographs.
Frogs
Seymour Simon
Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon takes readers on a journey through a frog’s life cycle, from egg to tadpole to grown frog.
Count All Her Bones
April Henry
The long-awaited sequel to Girl, Stolen by Edgar nominee April Henry.
Very, Very, Very Dreadful
Albert Marrin
NEH Medal recipient Albert Marrin’s take on the 1918 Flu Epidemic.
Snowbirds
Crissa-Jean Chappell
“Snowbirds is a thoughtful young-adult novel about friendship, rebellion, and the consequences of all the little choices we make.”
—Foreword Reviews
A Lie For A Lie
Robin Merrow MacReady
The second YA novel from the Edgar Award winner.
Uprooted
Albert Marrin
The Japanese-American Experience During WWII.
Booklist (starred review)
Kirkus (starred review)
Train I Ride
Paul Mosier
Paul Mosier’s debut middle grade novel.
Kirkus (starred review)
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Booklist (starred review)
Chicken Story Time
Sandy Asher
Illustrated by Mark Fearing
Sandy Asher’s zany picture book.
FDR And The American Crisis
Albert Marrin
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Kirkus (starred review)
School Library Journal (starred review)
Borb
Jason Little
“It is an early contender for book of the year.”
—mentalfloss.com
Threads
Ami Polonsky
The second novel from the author of Gracefully Grayson.
Indie First Winter 2016–2017 pick
The Girl I Used To Be
April Henry
The latest thriller from the NY Times best-selling author.
Anthony Award winner 2017
2017 Edgar Award nominee
VOYA (starred review)
The Truth
Jeffry W. Johnston
The second novel from the Edgar Award finalist.
The Borden Murders
Sarah Miller
Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century.
School Library Journal (starred review)
The Lost & Found
Katrina Leno
Katrina Leno’s second novel.
Booklist (starred review)
Blood Will Tell
April Henry
The second book in the Point Last Seen series.
The Stellow Project
Shari Becker
“This speculative fiction/thriller is not only an intelligent pulse-racer, it’s also a fun read … a great addition to any dystopian collection that will appeal to fans of adventures and scientific thrillers, as well as reluctant readers.”
—School Library Journal
Diamond Boy
Michael Williams
“A haunting, harrowing tale guaranteed to give ‘bling’ a whole new meaning.”
—Kirkus
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
VOYA (starred review)
Gracefully Grayson
Ami Polonsky
“It will leave you cheering.”—Dean Pitchford,
Award-winning author and Academy Award-winning songwriter
KidsRead Reviewers Choice 2014
Indie First Winter 2014–2015 pick
Disaster Strikes Series—Earthquake Shock
Marlane Kennedy
“First in a new series of disaster stories, this holds strong appeal for both girls and boys and features a diverse cast of characters.”
—Booklist
Disaster Strikes Series—Tornado Alley
Marlane Kennedy
When the old barn is battered by the tornadoes’ ferocious winds, the animals that live inside are in danger.
The Thunder of Giants
Joel Fishbane
“Take equal parts Peter Carey, Michael Chabon and Erin Morgenstern, throw them in a blender, and serve in a glass with a seven-foot, five-and-a-half-inch Krazy Straw. The colossally entertaining result is Joel Fishbane’s The Thunder of Giants.”
—Myla Goldberg
The Half Life of Molly Pierce
Katrina Leno
“Possibly … the most thrilling, suspenseful and mysterious book of 2014.”
—Teenreads
Isabel’s War
Lila Perl
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The Body in the Woods
April Henry
“A quick, thrilling read that doesn’t skimp on characterization.”
—Kirkus
The Volcano Beneath the Snow: John Brown’s War on Slavery
Albert Marrin
“One of the best books of 2014.”
—School Library Journal
Five starred reviews: Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Booklist, VOYA, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Booklist’s Editors’ Choice 2014
Thomas Paine, Crusader for Liberty
Albert Marrin
“…celebrates the power of words and how ideas can change the world.”
—Booklist
Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy
Albert Marrin
“Marrin’s message that protecting human dignity is our shared responsibility is vitally resonant.”
—Publishers Weekly
2011 National Book Award finalist
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me
Julie Anne Peters
“Peters has written another insightful, absorbing novel of relationships that is both emotionally and intellectually satisfying.”
—Booklist
The Mirk and Midnight Hour
Jane Nickerson
“Far from the typical Civil War romance … with rich imagery and imaginative subplots driving the storyline.”
—Kirkus
Cassidy’s Guide to Everyday Manners and Obfuscation
Sue Stauffacher
Veteran middle-grade author Sue Stauffacher returns with a cranky, pranky, laugh-out-loud tomboy heroine who might just learn the hard way that manners do matter, and that people can change.
Obi—Gerbil on the Loose!
Michael Delaney
“An entertaining romp.”
—Kirkus
2011 Florida Sunshine State Children’s Choice Award
Obi—Gerbil on a Mission!
Michael Delaney
Obi’s on a mission to go where no gerbil has gone before—outside the house!
Obi—Gerbil on a School Trip
Michael Delaney
Obi the Jedi gerbil’s humorous adventures continue, peppered with the same comical cartoon illustrations that make each page a delight.
2011 Florida Sunshine State Children’s Choice Award
Tales from My Closet
Jennifer Anne Moses
“Reminiscent of Ann Brashares’s The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”
—School Library Journal
Nickel Bay Nick
Dean Pitchford
“This fast-paced novel will appeal to fans of Holes and Okay for Now.”
—School Library Journal
The Secret of Ferrell Savage
J. Duddy Gill
“Offer this fine first novel to fans of Janet Tashjian’s My Life series or the Big Nate books by Lincoln Peirce.”
—Booklist
The Flatiron
Alice Sparberg Alexiou
“Alexiou … has written an engaging and informative account of the building’s construction and its lasting place in New York’s lore.”
—Washington Post
Captain Nobody
Dean Pitchford
“Captain Nobody is truly somebody you will love spending time with.”
—Henry Winkler
Nominated Book of the Year or Named to Best Books Lists in: Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee.
The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die
April Henry
A Scholastic Book Club Bestseller.
YALSA Quick Pick
YALSA Top 10 nominee
Lightning
Seymour Simon
With clear, simple text and stunning full-color photographs, readers will learn all about lightning in this informative picture book.
Extreme Earth Records
Seymour Simon
“An artful blend of text and image.”
—Kirkus
Sharks
Seymour Simon
“Combines seamless description with excellent photos to describe creatures that never fail to fascinate.”
—School Library Journal
The Universe
Seymour Simon
Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon brings you deep into the universe to explore this immense topic.
Wickett’s Remedy
Myla Goldberg
“Brilliant.”
—Newsday
“Remarkable.”
—Salon
Motel Art Improvement Service
Jason Little
Sequel to the Ignatz Award–winning Shutterbug Follies.
You Know What You Have to Do
Bonnie Shimko
“I wish—oh, how I wish—that I’d written this myself.”
—Lois Duncan
Now Is the Time for Running
Michael Williams
“This book should be required reading for humanity.”
—Chris Crutcher
Kirkus Best Book of the Year
ALA Best Fiction for the Young Adult
By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead
Julie Anne Peters
YALSA 2011 Quick Pick
Strands of Bronze and Gold
Jane Nickerson
“The writing is excellent, and the setting is very Gothic and dark. Just my style!”
—USA Today
Kids’ Indie Next List
The Big One-Oh
Dean Pitchford
“The book is captivating, hilarious, and occasionally heartbreaking. What fun!”
—John Lithgow
“Mix some birthday anxiety with a little movie-monster magic and it equals a funny and triumphant journey of self-discovery.”
—Jamie Lee Curtis
Luna
Julie Anne Peters
National Book Award finalist
The Night She Disappeared
April Henry
NY Times Bestselling Author April Henry shows a dark part of the world, but also the lengths to which good people will go to make things right…even if it means risking their own lives.
YALSA Quick Pick
YALSA Teens Top 10 finalist
International Reading Association’s Young Adult Choice’s List
The Lost Crown
Sarah Miller
Kirkus (starred review)
The False Friend
Myla Goldberg
“Goldberg uses beautiful, emotionally descriptive language to keep us with one ear to the ground, listening for the slow, quiet footsteps of creeping tragedy.”
—Booklist
Donuthead
Sue Stauffacher
“Sue Stauffacher has crafted characters full of wit and sensitivity, with a little anti-bacterial soap thrown in for good measure.”
—Goodreads
Buried
Robin Merrow MacCready
Edgar Award winner
Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
Sarah Miller
“Miss Spitfire is everything a historical novel should be—richly imagined, true to its period, and providing an engaging story that will feel completely relevant to modern readers.”
—Teen Reads Too
Between Mom and Jo
Julie Anne Peters
Lambda Award winner
Carolina Clay: The Life and Legend of the Slave Potter Dave
Leonard Todd
“Todd studied each of Dave’s poems for biographical clues, which he pieced together with local records and family letters to create this moving and dramatic chronicle of Dave’s life—a story of creative triumph in the midst of slavery.”
—Goodreads
Girl Stolen
April Henry
YALSA Quick Pick
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
Barnes & Noble Top Teen Pick
Journalism’s Roving Eye
John Maxwell Hamilton
“It is rare that a study appears that sets a new standard in its field. Journalism’s Roving Eye is such a book.”
—James D. Startt, Valparaiso University
Harvard Goldsmith Award
Tankard Book Award
American Journalism Historians Association Book of the Year Award
Jane Jacobs, Urban Visionary
Alice Sparberg Alexiou
“Jacobs’s legacy can be seen in the New Urbanism, in the landmark-preservation movement and in the brain cells of architecture and city-planning students everywhere.”
—New York Times
It’s Our Prom (So Deal With It)
Julie Anne Peters
It’s Our Prom shines with National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters’s unmistakable wit and insight
She Loves You, She Loves You Not …
Julie Anne Peters
Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson
Sue Stauffacher
Illustrated by Greg Couch
NAACP Image Award winner
Devoured
Amanda Marrone
“… the book will be devoured by fans of the supernatural.”
—School Library Journal
Tillie the Terrible Swede
Sue Stauffacher
Illustrated by Sarah McMenemy
“Sue Stauffacher’s lively text and Sarah McMenemy’s charming illustrations capture the energy of America’s bicycle craze and tell the story of one woman who wouldn’t let society’s expectations stop her from achieving her dream.”
—Goodreads
