Jennie Kendrick is a San Francisco–based children's-only literary agent at Red Fox Literary whose sweet spot is dark, historically rich, and emotionally charged fiction for middle grade and young adult readers — with a particular hunger for the uncanny, the macabre, and the romantically charged.
In brief
Children's books only — no adult fiction, no adult nonfiction. If your project isn't squarely for young readers, don't query.
Currently closed to unsolicited queries (confirmed June 2026); the only paths in are a direct industry referral, a conference introduction, or a qualifying pitch contest — she explicitly notes that not everyone can afford those routes, which is why she participates in pitch contests when her schedule allows.
Her taste leans heavily toward the atmospheric and historically grounded: paranormal, magical realism, and richly researched historical fiction dominate her wishlist, with classic 90s-era teen horror (think LJ Smith's original novels) as a declared obsession.
She actively courts marginalized creators and Own Voices projects across every category she represents — and emphasizes that those manuscripts do not need to address social justice themes to be of interest to her.
She describes herself as disliking high fantasy and hard sci-fi in principle, but will override that aversion for character-driven, myth- or history-inflected work in either genre — think the Megan Whalen Turner end of the spectrum, not epic quest fantasy.
Lately
Her own website reaffirms the closed status and explains her reasoning directly to writers: she has prioritized her existing client list and acknowledges the inequity of conference/referral-only access — which is why she makes a point of joining pitch contests when her schedule permits as an alternative entry point.
What Jennie is looking for
Deeply researched stories that surface lesser-known histories, especially those centering women and marginalized communities. She wants the kind of rigorous detail that makes a period feel viscerally real, paired with complex, emotionally compelling protagonists. Lesser-told angles and subverted expectations are particularly welcome.
This is arguably her deepest passion. She wants paranormal fiction that leans into genuine dread and complexity — think modern vampires, witches, and supernatural creatures with high emotional and narrative stakes, strong romance, and an atmosphere that doesn't flinch from the dark. Her background in medieval history with a thesis focus on death symbolism, alchemy, and execution directly feeds this appetite. Classic 90s-era teen horror sensibility is a stated priority.
Stories where the fantastical is firmly rooted in the real world and delivered through gorgeous, literary prose. She gravitates toward work that feels grounded in place and character rather than world-building for its own sake. Mythology woven into contemporary or near-contemporary settings is especially appealing.
Timely, emotionally charged fiction exploring the legal system, racial justice, feminism, and the struggles of marginalized young people — but she is equally interested in contemporary stories from marginalized creators that have nothing to do with social issues. Angry, unlikable heroines are explicitly welcomed. Strong romantic arcs and first-kiss moments are a plus.
Retellings that genuinely interrogate or subvert the source material rather than simply retelling it. She's drawn to work that challenges the traditional literary canon and re-centers voices that were sidelined in the originals.
She represents middle grade across genres, with the same emphases that govern her YA list: plucky protagonists, historical richness, paranormal/magical threads, and emotional authenticity. Plucky underdogs and stories with genuine stakes are welcome.
She represents picture books and is noted as currently closed to unsolicited submissions across the board. When her list is open, picture books are part of her portfolio, but there is no specific wishlist emphasis suggesting this is an active priority over her fiction focus.
Graphic novels for young readers fall within her scope, though she doesn't foreground them in her wishlist the way she does prose fiction. Projects that align with her taste in historical, paranormal, or emotionally resonant storytelling are the strongest candidates.
She includes nonfiction in her stated scope — biography, history, memoir, illustrated, and social-issue–driven journalism among them — but her wishlist energy is overwhelmingly pointed at fiction. Nonfiction proposals in history or marginalized-community narratives are the most likely fit.
She explicitly dislikes high fantasy and science fiction as default modes, but will engage with work in those genres if it prioritizes character interiority, historical or mythological grounding, and emotional depth over world-building spectacle. Query only if your work genuinely sits at the literary, character-first end of the spectrum.
Not the right fit
On Jennie's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jennie
Do not send an unsolicited cold query — she is explicitly closed and will not consider them. Your only paths in are: a referral from someone already in the industry who knows Jennie, a direct meeting at a conference she is attending, or a pitch contest she has joined. Watch her social presence for pitch contest announcements.
State your access point clearly and immediately at the top of your query: 'I am querying following our meeting at [conference]' or 'I was referred by [name].' This is not optional — it is the filter that gets your query read.
Children's books only. If your project is not for young readers, do not query under any circumstances.
Lead with the darkness, the history, or the emotional stakes — whichever is most pronounced in your manuscript. She responds to the macabre, the atmospheric, and the historically grounded. A flat, plot-summary opening will not serve you as well as one that conveys mood and voice.
If your protagonist is an angry, difficult, or 'unlikable' young woman, say so. She explicitly invites these characters — don't soften your pitch to make the heroine seem more palatable.
If you are a marginalized creator or writing an Own Voices story, note it in your query. She asks for this directly and considers it across every category she represents.
If your fantasy or sci-fi leans character-driven and myth- or history-inflected rather than world-build-heavy, make that explicit and lead with the comparison that demonstrates it (e.g., the Megan Whalen Turner end of the spectrum). Without that framing, she is likely to pass on genre-coded submissions.
Avoid describing your manuscript as 'high fantasy' or 'hard sci-fi' even if those labels technically apply — reframe toward the character and historical/mythological dimensions if those are genuinely the center of gravity.