GENRE: Lyrical, Informational Fiction
WORDS: 613
Query:
Dear Judges, Agents, and Editors,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit my picture book manuscript, THE VIOLINIST OF 9/11, for your consideration. It is 613 words long.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, young violinist Theo feels helpless as he watches first responders work tirelessly at Ground Zero while the rest of the city springs into action. Too young to donate blood and unable to assist in the rescue efforts, he searches for a way to contribute. Then, outside the 69th Regiment Armory, he encounters soldiers returning from their grueling shifts—and finds his way to help.
Inspired by actual events and written by a composer and native New Yorker who lived there through the attacks, THE VIOLINIST OF 9/11 captures a powerful moment of connection during one of America’s darkest days. Like Sean Rubin’s THIS VERY TREE, Carmen Agra Deedy’s 14 COWS FOR AMERICA, and Amanda Davis’s 30,000 STITCHES, this book offers young readers a gentle way into the history of 9/11 while celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. These stories all highlight how simple gestures—whether planting a tree, organizing a community gift, displaying a flag, or playing a violin—can bring hope in the wake of tragedy. Selected optional back matter includes information on the “Wall of Prayers” at Bellevue Hospital, St. Paul’s Chapel, the 69th Regiment, and violinist William Harvey.
In 2024, I was a PB Party Finalist and grand prize winner in the SunWriteFun Challenge. I am an active member of SCBWI Florida, a participant in Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 challenge, and a graduate of Renée LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab. With a PhD in music composition and a BFA in creative writing for entertainment, I recently signed my first picture book contract with Bushel & Peck Books.
Many thanks for your consideration.
Excerpt:
Theo loved mornings in the orchestra room.
The hum of tuning strings,
warming his violin with the coaxing rhythms of a day beginning.
The door banged open.
Principal White switched on the TV news.
Everyone hushed.
Something awful happened at the Twin Towers, just a short subway ride away.
Theo remembered the long elevator ride up the South Tower with his dad.
The unforgettable view…
[Magnificent view]
Home.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
I wrote THE VIOLINIST OF 9/11 to process my experiences around 9/11 for myself and my kids and attempt to turn trauma into something uplifting: a tribute to beauty in the face of tragedy. Like Theo, I was a native New Yorker panicking as my city suffered. I scrambled to check on loved ones. I watched the smoke from my Queens rooftop. I tasted the awful air in Central Park. I cried with neighbors. I was moved by countless loving acts, including musicians who played their hearts out for whoever needed it, like William Harvey and many others.
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