Kathleen Rushall is a Senior Agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency whose list spans picture books through adult fiction, with a growing commercial muscle in NYT-bestselling YA and adult contemporary romance, literary fantasy, and a deep-rooted commitment to nonfiction picture books on environmental and social justice themes.
In brief
Her sales record reveals that she punches well above her stated emphasis on children's books: multiple NYT and USA TODAY bestsellers in YA and adult fiction — including breakout titles by Ann Liang and Gloria Chao — make her one of the more commercially powerful agents in the children's/crossover space.
Ann Liang and Gloria Chao are confirmed repeat clients, each with multi-book deals across both YA and adult fiction; if your work shares their voice-driven, high-concept contemporary-with-wit DNA, you are writing directly into her wheelhouse.
She has real relationships with Abrams Children's, Disney-Hyperion, and Hanover Square Press based on recent confirmed deals, and a long track record with award imprints that back literary picture books.
Her current agency page has expanded her stated scope beyond the older wishlist: she now explicitly includes adult fiction and board books, and has added 'matrilineal magic' and 'high-concept contemporary romance' as active interests — treat these as current priorities, not additions to an old list.
She is currently closed to queries per her own agency page; always verify the live form before submitting.
Lately
Her current agency bio has expanded noticeably beyond earlier wishlist snapshots: adult fiction — including book-club reads and contemporary romance — is now an explicit, named category on her roster, signaling a deliberate broadening of her list beyond children's publishing.
What Kathleen is looking for
Voice is everything. She wants contemporary YA that is either light and funny or emotionally weighty — ideally both at once. Fresh, diverse rom-coms with real depth are a top priority. Her confirmed sales to Ann Liang and Gloria Chao define the target: sharp, high-concept premises with protagonists whose interiority crackles on the page.
An area of genuine recent growth on her list. She handles high-concept contemporary, book-club fiction, and cozy-adjacent mystery series. Her confirmed deals suggest she is especially interested in witty, plot-driven stories with a strong female protagonist. This is a newer stated interest — writers should confirm it is still open when querying.
She wants contemporary fantasy with secretive, clever characters and an undertow of atmosphere — not sprawling epic fantasy but grounded, voice-first speculative fiction. YA horror is also a stated priority, especially when it carries genuine social commentary beneath the scares. Unreliable narrators and characters who subvert type are a particular draw.
She describes herself as especially hungry for MG and her sales reflect it. She wants heartfelt contemporary coming-of-age, voice-driven literary MG (including novels in verse), spooky/atmospheric MG mysteries, and high-stakes adventure. Family relationships — with parents and grandparents present and active on the page, not sidelined — are a recurring signal across her wish and her list. Cultural identity, friendship, and conservation/wildlife themes all resonate. A dash of magic in otherwise contemporary settings is welcome.
She has a soft spot for historical settings, with a stated preference for periods well before the 1940s. The further back in time, the more it aligns with her taste. Voice and atmosphere remain the deciding factors here as in all her fiction.
A signature area of her list. She seeks STEM, environmental, conservation, and biography-focused picture books, especially when the approach is fresh, funny, or emotionally engaging rather than didactic. She is actively looking for books about climate change and plastic pollution. Biographies of young climate activists are a specific stated gap she wants to fill. She also works in what the industry calls 'ficinformational' books — fictional narratives with real-world factual grounding and back matter.
She loves irreverent, character-driven humor with a twist, and equally loves quiet, lyrical stories that build emotional intelligence without being preachy. Board books and younger stories are explicitly welcome on her current page — a newer addition to her stated interests. She has also noted an appetite for fresh vehicle/construction books for the youngest readers.
Her current agency page flags 'matrilineal magic' as a distinct personal interest — a niche not present in older wishlist materials. Multi-generational stories and settings that feel like a character in their own right also appear as current priorities. This appears to span both YA and adult fiction.
Not the right fit
On Kathleen's list
Taste fingerprint
How to query Kathleen
She is currently closed to queries — check her live agency page before doing anything else, as this is the single most important step.
When she reopens, her form appears to be category-specific; confirm which categories she is accepting at that moment, as she may open selectively (e.g. picture books only, or all categories).
Lead with voice and character above all else — across every category and in every interview, she returns to voice as the deciding factor. Your query letter should demonstrate the narrator's personality, not just summarize the plot.
If you are writing nonfiction picture books about climate change, plastic pollution, or young activists, name that directly in your first paragraph — these are explicitly stated gaps she wants to fill, and flagging the topic upfront signals you have done your homework.
For MG, show that your adult characters — parents, grandparents — are active participants in the story, not absent or sidelined. This is an unusually specific and consistent signal from her wishlist.
Her repeat clients (Ann Liang, Gloria Chao, Supriya Kelkar, Aimee Lucido, Jess Keating, Josh Funk) define her taste more precisely than any wishlist language. If your book genuinely resembles their work in tone and ambition, say so specifically — but only if the comp is honest.
For adult fiction, she is newer to this space on her list; be precise about your subgenre (book-club fiction, contemporary romance, cozy mystery) and avoid pitching her epic or literary fiction with no commercial hook.
Historical fiction writers: specify the period in your query. Pre-WWII, and the further back the better — she has stated this preference explicitly and you should demonstrate you know it.