Query Letter:The Story of Small Things | MG Fantasy | 60k

Themes: environmental, found family, first crush, subverted trope

Abandoned as a baby at the edge of the Underling Forest, Aurelia’s life is saved by a loving mouse named Lilyfield. By feeding Aurelia an herb that shrinks her to the size of a mouseling, Lilyfield is able to raise her as her own in Underling—a place where all small things are safe.

Except for her curiosity about what it means to be human, at age twelve, Aurelia is at home in the Forest. But the peaceful community of small animals is suddenly threatened when poison from a nearby Kingdom enters the Forest’s river.

To save those she loves, Aurelia chooses to grow big enough to enter the human world where she encounters a selfish King, the son he’s locked in a tower, and the King’s corrupt advisor, soon realizing her quest may not only be to save Underling but the boy in the tower too…if she can.

Readers who loved the ecological themes and magical realism in Katherine Applegate’s WILLODEEN (2021) and Katherine Rundell’s THE IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES (2023) will connect with this story and its young protagonist, whose heart keeps pushing her forward even when the world pushes back.

I have a doctorate in naturopathic medicine and am passionate about the healing impact a middle grade story can have for decades to come. This is my debut novel. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

V.N. McIrvin