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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 22h

What happens when the survival of mythological creatures is in the hands of the most anxious kid in 5th grade? Can he stop poachers at the gates, unite segregated worlds, and save a collapsing ecosystem before multicultural legends are lost forever? #DVpit #MG #F #ND #MH

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 23h

Mythical creatures from every culture are vanishing. Poachers are at the gates of their Conservatory while the ecosystem is collapsing. And the one kid who can help, 10yo Jack Allen, is scared of everything. Courage starts with acting even when afraid. #DVpit #MG #F #ND #MH

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Jack is an anxious 10yo who escapes into his dreams and drawings of mythological creatures. When he’s recruited to save them from extinction, he must face poachers, segregated Undercreatures, and most of all, his own fears. (Drawing by my own anxious son who inspired the story) #DVpit #MG #F #ND #MH

Hand drawn sketch by a 10yo boy. "The Mythical Creature Conservatory" is written in rainbow letters and below are black and white sketches. On the left is a phoenix rising up from the round, then is a boy with a suit and a bag over his shoulder, then a big serpent cradling a smaller serpent in a bubble.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

BENEDICT SOCIETY x IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES Kids are tested to see if they have what it takes to save mythological creatures from extinction. 10yo Jack’s empathy gets him in, but will his anxiety force him out? Or is it his superpower to stop the poachers & save multicultural legends? #DVpit #MG #F #ND

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Mythical creatures from every culture are going extinct and only 10yo Jack Allen, who is tormented by anxiety, can save them. When poachers raid the creatures’ Conservatory, triggering an ecosystem collapse, Jack must finally face all he fears to save the creatures he loves. #DVpit #MG #F #ND #MH

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Reposted by Sara Axelbaum (she/her)

#DVpit - Diverse Voices Pitch @dvpit.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Welcome to #DVpit 2026! Now until 8:00PM Eastern unagented marginalized creators can pitch their unpublished project in 300 characters to participating literary agents & editors! Remember ❤️ are for agents & 🔁 are for editors! Good luck! Have fun & please be respectful! More info dvpit.carrd.co

#DVpit 2026
September 30, 2026
8:00AM - 8:00PM Eastern Time
A bluesky pitch event for creators from marginalized communities
Follow Up @dvpit.bsky.social
find rules & more info at dvpit.carrd.co

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#DVpit - Diverse Voices Pitch @dvpit.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

#Giveaway Time to prepare for #DVpit! Enter from July 13-18, 2026 to win query and/or first pages critiques from agents! TO ENTER: • repost this post • AND reply with your category & genre! (e.g. YA Fantasy) • Entries must be for completed, unpublished work. Full rules: dvpit.carrd.co#giveaway

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Shout out to @cullerpictures.bsky.social for her camp counseling and fun activities! Sad my first #CampRevPit is nearly over. Camp never lasts long enough.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

Always on the lookout for beta readers and critique partners for my #MG #F ! #ABCPit 🔥

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

#MoodboardTwist was a tough one without spoilers! But here ya go. Thanks for the challenge, #CampRevPit! #CRPFantasyFoxes

An ethereal composite of a few colorful images that look to be in watercolor/ink blot style. On the bottom left there is a face with their mouth wide open and blue and purple hair blowing around then. Int he bottom right is a fire with a faded blue spiral at the bottom. In the upper middle is a silhouette of a person with wings falling from the sky in blues and oranges. The background is dark with an abstract cloud-like top. There are random hoof prints in the background.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES + VANYA & THE WILD HUNT + GREEKING OUT= THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY Courage isn't the absence of fear. My debut MG fantasy explores what it means to act while afraid through an anxious kid, a hidden conservatory, and the very last mythical creatures. #QuestPit #MG #F #Q

Hand drawn sketch of a family in front of an arched door. At the top it says "2025" and on the bottom it says "Happy Holidays! The Allens".

Hand-drawn crest page showing three emblems: a starry unicorn on a banner reading LAND, a Loch Ness sea creature on a banner reading WATER, and a spread-winged phoenix for AIR.

A hand drawing of a framed portrait of a woman. Her name "Rhea" is below. She has dark hair in a braid that is over one shoulder, a necklace, and is wearing a dress.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Meet some of the endangered residents and staff of THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY as drawn by 10yo Hudson (co-imaginer). A Middle Grade Fantasy that turns anxiety into a super power, eco-fiction into hopeful action for kids, and a sketchbook into a gateway to magic. #QuestPit #MG #F #Q

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Three Sanctuaries. Creatures from folklore around the globe. A hidden Conservatory most people will never know exists. And a 5th grader trying trying not to barf so he can stop the ecosystem from crumbling. What could go wrong? Find out in THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY #QuestPit #MG #F #Q

Atrium map shaped like a hexagon. In the middle, The Atrium. Around that: The Supply Room, Library, Wellness Clinic, and Nourishment room. On the bottom, the entrance from the Courtyard. On the top, the three Sanctuaries where the creatures live: Land, Water, and Air.

Hand-drawn map of the Air Sanctuary, a rounded enclosure containing cloud islands, a phoenix enclosure, a light barrier, a pixie dragon area, and cloud lifts at the entrance. A small 3D vertical view sketch appears in the upper left corner.

Hand-drawn map of the Land Sanctuary showing distinct biome zones: jungle, forest, mountains, desert, tundra, and a central grassland. All are connected by a great river and bridge, with an entrance at the bottom.

Hand-drawn map of the Water Sanctuary, a circular enclosure containing a lake, pond, ocean, swamp, travel streams, a mountain, and a main river, with a boat docking area and entrance at the bottom.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Jack Allen has spent his whole life being told his anxiety makes him a wimp. Then he's recruited to protect the last mythical creatures alive. He's sure he'll fail. The poachers are counting on it. Welcome to THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY #QuestPit #MG #Q #F

Hand-drawn, black and white illustration of a boy in a gem uniform standing between a phoenix with spread wings and a coiled rainbow serpent. Above them, colorful hand-lettered text reads: The Mythical Creature Conservatory.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

One of the best parts of getting to write this was creating the world of the Conservatory. From elevator clouds, to rainbow ivy climbing up stone walls, to trees woven together like Celtic knots, my imagination was set free. It even smells like baking brownies & cookies. I would visit in a heartbeat

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

1. An aboriginal Rainbow Serpent sneeze sparks and lights the Conservatory on fire 2. A medieval Cockatrice has breath so bad that Jack nearly passes out 3. A Brazilian Encantado (which is like a pink dolphin) is saved by a puppet show Which one is the lie? #crpfantadyfoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Hmm. RomCom. For kids. I'll try to put it into a middle school romance: Jack has his first crush, and it's on his best friend. Good thing they are both recruited as Keepers to save mythological creatures together. Can their bond withstand the adventure, or will their friendship go extinct instead?

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Common tropes: Hidden World ✨🚪 Reluctant Hero 🙈🦸‍♂️ Found Family 👫👫🏾👾 Uncommon tropes (are they even tropes?): Knowledge🧠>Magic🔮 Ecological Interdependence 🌳+🐝 Institutional Injustice 👹⚖️🧒🏻 #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Story: 🤢👫🏼🐉 🧚🏿‍♂️ 📖🐈🥚🐝👾🕊💐🛌 MC: 🤒🙅😱🐲😅🤯📚 👨‍🔬🦋🎢 ☮️🦸 #CRPCabinRaids #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Jack's #CharacterFlaw is catastrophizing anxiety. And no one believes him. Why? 🧵1/5 #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

This scene always makes me laugh no matter how many times I read it. #CampRevPit #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

I love to crochet and making amigurumis is my favorite! I also love making crochet mandalas, including one that is 4 feet in diameter. 🧶 Jack's hobby is sketching. His hand always has pencil smudges on it from leaning on his sketchbook whenever he has free time. ✍️ #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

From the actual villain: "This story is about stupid kids who think that creatures are worth saving. They think that we not only caused the collapse of the ecosystem, but that we can actually DO something about it. They will believe anything science tells them!" #VillainVoices #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Reposted by Sara Axelbaum (she/her)

Revise & Resub @reviseresub.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Good morning, #CampRevPit! 🏕️ Today, we give your villains a moment in the spotlight. What would they say your story is about? Pitch it from your villain's perspective. #VillainVoices

On a grassy green hill beneath a starry night sky, the caterpillar nibbles on a tree while the mantis and the firefly work on their stories. The mantis lays in the grass writing in her journal with a fountain pen and her very tall stack of papers beside her. The firefly sits in the branches of the tree with a laptop. The firefly’s butt is glowing brightly so the mantis can see to write. Day 4: #Villain Voices

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Step right up, kids! Do you love: Multicultural myth mashups? Science geekery like symbiosis and pollinators? Kaleidoscope meadows? Neurotic anxiety cures? And sarcastic cats? Well then THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY may be just what you're craving. ✨ #CRPFantasyFoxes #DiscussionDen

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

"Jack Allen was pretty good at everything he tried—the problem was that he tried very few things." Opening line of the book tells you most of what you need to know about where he starts the story. And then the fun begins! #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Discussion Den: I like it! I love creating something that didn't exist before. And writing my way out of problems I made for myself. The eureka moment when I figure it out is the best. #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

In my novel, the MC sketches as he learns about the Conservatory, and my son is actually making them, like this map of the Atrium. It well represents where I am: I have everything labeled, I know what direction everything is in, and I am oriented. But none of it is real yet. #CRPFantasyFoxes

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

My camp dreams: find more awesome people to share stories with (one of the bonus benefits of writing this story is connecting with other writers, who are curious and creative by their very nature), find more critique partners, and cheer each other on. Let's go #CRPFantasyFoxes !

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Hello fellow campers! I am querying THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY, a MG fantasy mythology mash-up. What if mythological creatures ceased to exist when we stop telling their stories? A very anxious kid named Jack must prevent their extinction at a magical Conservatory. #CRPFantasyFoxes 🦊

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Today was a big day! (Not an April Fool's joke 🙃) I sent FIVE requests to agents who requested to see more. 🤞🙏🤞#amquerying

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

My book title made it to the next round! Please cast your vote (today, March 31: voting is open for 24 hours) for The Mythical Creature Conservatory. Thank you so much for supporting our novel! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

docs.google.com

RevPit Bracket - Round 24

Vote for your favourite novel title! Winner moves forward in the bracket. This poll is open until Apr 1 @ 11:59 PM CST.

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Reposted by Sara Axelbaum (she/her)

Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Moving on in the bracket from rounds 13–16: The Peculiar Love of Eccentric Creatures One Night at the Bottom of the Lake The Mythical Creature Conservatory The Tide Calls for Traitors #RevPit #RevPitWaiting #RevPitBracket2026

A bracket with room for 32 entries. RevPit Title Bracket: 2026 Edition. www.reviseresub.com

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

TMW you are giving one last skim of your full manuscript to submit to @revpit.bsky.social and you stumble on these three terrifying words. But I still made it by deadline! 😅 #RevPit ftw

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

#UnhingedPit finally allows me to comp the aspirational comps! Neurodivergent MC meets mythical creature mashup like PERCY JACKSON + empathy is the super power to save the creatures in HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON + your-closet-is-a-portal delight of THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. #mg #f

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Now for something totally #UnhingedPit, when I was reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, I thought about how much my elementary school aged child would love the story if not for all the sexy bits and jaw ticking. So I wrote The Mythical Creature Conservatory for him. #mg #f #querying

Book cover that is made to resemble the Fourth Wing cover (in black and gold), but for kids. The dragons are cartoony, the title is "Fourth Grade Wing", the series is called "THE ELEMENTYREAN SERIES" (instead of "the empyrean series"), and the tag line is "Graduate or cry" (instead of "graduate or die").

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Happy #unhingedpit. Let's get a little unhinged, shall we? Here are the top three reasons you might not like my book: #mg #fantasy

Background: pale rainbow colored flowers and fantastical creatures
Text: "1 Anxiety is so normalized that you might realize that you are like so many other people"

Background: pale rainbow colored flowers and fantastical creatures
Text: "2 Characters with neurodiversities and physical differences are part of the story, but the story is not about their differences”

Background: pale rainbow colored flowers and fantastical creatures
Text: "3 All the kids and creatures come from all over the world and all heritages and cultures are celebrated”

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Jack Allen was pretty great at everything he tried, the problem was that he tried very few things. He was trapped in an endless loop of one thought: "What if something terrible happens?"... But, what if something magical happened? Like saving mythical creatures from extinction. 🐉 #questpit #q #mg

Child's sketches of unicorn, Loch Ness monster, and phoenix trophies with stars to show they are magical.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY is a #MG #F, co-imagined with my 10yo son. Like The Mysterious Benedict Society, it tests exceptional children for entry into a secret institution, set within an endangered magical world like Impossible Creatures, with nods to the Greeking Out podcast. #Q #questpit

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Mythical creatures are going extinct, & the only one who can save them is known as the biggest wimp in 5th grade. 10yo Jack must outsmart poachers, unite segregated worlds, & stop a collapsing ecosystem. He learns courage is not fearlessness, it’s being scared & still doing it. #Q #MG #F #questpit

"Jack's Journal": locked leather journal with stickers and items taped to it, including:
Stickers ("dream big" in a smiling cloud, "you got this", a dragon, and a guitar), a kneeling boy in a red shirt, sunglasses, and a red streak in his long wavy brown hair, a piece of tape with the words "KEEP OUT", and a hand drawn dragon.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

Jack is based on my IRL son who was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. His favorite coping mechanisms are woven through the book. Readers go on a magical adventure with their favorite mythical creatures, while learning to trust themselves & their own courage. #BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

10yo Jack’s anxiety is so bad that he can’t even make it through gym class without puking. So when the very existence of mythological creatures depends on him, he has to learn that bravery is not about being fearless; it’s about being scared and doing it anyway. #BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

Graphic of cork board with 9 images tacked to it with post-it notes shown that have hand written messages on them.
1st row: From left to right, the images are a magical old book in turquoise and yellows, a vibrantly colored (blue, purple, pink, red) landscape with trees and the setting sun, a meadow filled with colorful flowers with a setting sun. In the top left corner the notes says "Breathe", then "Choose calm", then "Do it scared".
2nd row: image of a colorful meadow in the foreground with a foggy building behind it, then a stone building with a tall central turret on a bright green field and a setting sun over water behind the building, then a purple, blue, and pink cloudy sunset. The notes say "what if it all works out?" And then "make it a great day" and "don't let anything get in your way."
3rd (bottom) row: a fire with rainbow flames, then a river in a green meadow with a tree and sunset in tht back with bright pink clouds in the sky, then a green hilly meadow with mountains in the background.
All of the images have an ethereal feel somewhere between photography and art.

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Sara Axelbaum (she/her) @bysaraaxelbaum.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

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