Jennifer Rofé is a Chicago-based senior agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency whose career is almost entirely dedicated to children's books, with middle grade as her deepest passion and a tightly structured, calendar-gated approach to picture-book submissions.
In brief
Middle grade is her clear priority — she represents it across every genre and subgenre, from literary to fantastical, and her sales record confirms it is the spine of her list.
Picture-book submissions are calendar-gated: she opens specifically on the 1st of each month, accepts texts only from writers with 3 completed manuscripts ready, and also represents author-illustrators and illustrators year-round.
Her deal record skews toward major houses — Candlewick, Scholastic, Little Brown, and Simon imprints all appear — signaling strong relationships across the big-five and respected independents.
Meg Medina, a Newbery Medalist and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, is among her clients, demonstrating serious commercial and awards-circuit credibility.
She explicitly does not seek YA as a standalone query, but invites writers who work across categories including YA to mention that work when querying in an eligible category — a meaningful nuance for multi-category authors.
Lately
Her agency profile confirms she joined Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2005 and has remained there throughout her career — an unusually long tenure that signals deep institutional roots and a stable, long-term approach to author relationships.
What Jennifer is looking for
Middle grade is her self-described soft spot and the dominant category in her sales record. She welcomes every genre — literary, commercial, contemporary, magical, fantastical, historical — and actively seeks stories that center children finding their footing in the world. Strong-willed underdogs, quirky or overlooked kids who grow into their own strength, and characters whose inner lives will make readers feel seen, understood, or stretched are what she gravitates toward. She wants books that give children a mirror, a window, or a safe door into an experience they would otherwise never have.
For picture-book texts, she looks for three distinct flavors: funny, character-driven stories; beautifully crafted, imaginatively conceived narratives; and milestone moments given a fresh, unexpected angle. In all cases the ending must land — whether with a laugh, a triumphant cheer, or an emotional gut-punch. Writers querying text-only must submit exactly 3 completed manuscripts and may only query on the 1st of each calendar month (time zones respected). Author-illustrators may query on a normal schedule.
She seeks commercial, action-forward series aimed at emerging readers — the kind of propulsive, episodic storytelling that keeps newly independent readers turning pages. She specifically cites The Princess in Black series and The Dragon Masters series as the target register.
She represents illustrators whose visual voice is so distinct and consistent that their work is instantly recognizable as their own. Generic or versatile-but-undifferentiated styles are not what she is after — she wants a singular creative perspective. Query as an illustrator separately from any text submission.
Not the right fit
On Jennifer's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Jennifer
Use the specific query link on her agency profile page — she states she accepts queries ONLY through that form and not by email or any other channel.
If querying a picture-book text, submit only on the 1st day of a calendar month; submitting on any other day is outside her stated window. Have all 3 completed picture-book manuscripts ready before you open that form.
If you are an author-illustrator, you are not bound by the monthly picture-book window — query on a normal rolling schedule.
Lead your pitch for middle grade by foregrounding the protagonist's underdog quality or the specific way the story will make a child feel seen or understood — this is the emotional lens she returns to repeatedly in her own language.
If you write in multiple categories including YA, do NOT query YA alone; instead query your middle-grade or picture-book project and mention your YA work and ambitions within that query.
For chapter-book series, make clear the commercial, episodic momentum of the concept — she benchmarks against action-driven series for emerging readers, so emphasize pace and series potential.
For illustrators, lead with what makes your visual voice unmistakably yours. Generic versatility is not a selling point for her; a singular, recognizable style is.
She came to agenting from classroom teaching, which shapes her instinct for what resonates with real child readers — frame your pitch in terms of the reading experience, not just plot mechanics.