Sara Axelbaum (she/her)

Gotta enter and spread the word about this free contest for writers of Middle Grade Fiction — tinyurl.com/wdwcontest4 — Judged by Agent Morgan Hughes of Fineprint Literary, via @writingdaywksp.bsky.social. Winners get an agent critique of their work. 🤞

If you're here, let's meet! #scbwiNY26

Thank you!

Aww thank you 🥰

I love this so much!

Jack is based on my IRL son who was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. His favorite coping mechanisms are woven through the book. Readers go on a magical adventure with their favorite mythical creatures, while learning to trust themselves & their own courage. #BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

Thank you!!!

This rings so true for me! I also feel so fortunate that I now have coping mechanisms I can teach my son so he doesn't have to suffer silently like I did!

Graphic of cork board with 9 images tacked to it with post-it notes shown that have hand written messages on them. 1st row: From left to right, the images are a magical old book in turquoise and yellows, a vibrantly colored (blue, purple, pink, red) landscape with trees and the setting sun, a meadow filled with colorful flowers with a setting sun. In the top left corner the notes says "Breathe", then "Choose calm", then "Do it scared". 2nd row: image of a colorful meadow in the foreground with a foggy building behind it, then a stone building with a tall central turret on a bright green field and a setting sun over water behind the building, then a purple, blue, and pink cloudy sunset. The notes say "what if it all works out?" And then "make it a great day" and "don't let anything get in your way." 3rd (bottom) row: a fire with rainbow flames, then a river in a green meadow with a tree and sunset in tht back with bright pink clouds in the sky, then a green hilly meadow with mountains in the background. All of the images have an ethereal feel somewhere between photography and art.

10yo Jack’s anxiety is so bad that he can’t even make it through gym class without puking. So when the very existence of mythological creatures depends on him, he has to learn that bravery is not about being fearless; it’s about being scared and doing it anyway. #BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

Can't wait to read more!

This is so fun! I love the reimagining of the classic monsters. So much to work with.

Thank you! It's based on my real life 10yo. <3

What happens when the survival of mythological creatures is in the hands of the most anxious kid in 5th grade? Can he stop poachers at the gates, unite segregated worlds, and save a collapsing ecosystem before multicultural legends are lost forever?
#BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

Thank you! ❤️

I still can't post. Which tag is censored? Critiq**?

Thank you! <3

Thank you! <3

Intrigued!

It's the book I needed when I was a kid. And I hope others will feel the same!

Child's drawing. On the top are hand drawn letters the say "The Mythical Creature Conservatory" and they are colored from red to purple through the rainbow in ombre. Below that on the left is a pencil sketch of a phoenix soaring upwards. In the middle is a pencil drawing of a young boy in a uniform wearing a cross-body bag. To the right is a pencil drawing of a (rainbow) serpent curled around a bubble with a baby serpent in it.

#hopepit : if you like a story about a misfit kid with a huge heart, combined with magical worlds and mythical creatures, with hopeful environmental and science-as-the-solution themes, plus tools to help with anxiety, this will be the book for you. Join me on my journey to get it published! #q #mg 🤞

I wrote this book for every anxious kid out there who needs to know that their empathy is a super power. And it all started with this kid. Hear it right from the source!
#hopepit #q #mg

In honor of #hopepit, my why:
At the beginning of 4th grade, Hudson came home from school and said that he didn’t really like writing. As someone who has written dozens of first chapters, opening scenes, and poem drafts over the years, I set out to show him just how amazing writing could be. #mg #q

Ha! I hope so!

Good to know!

It's a book! I'm trying to get it traditionally published, and that's a long journey. But hopefully someday soon!