KCU Pitchfest Showcase 2023 (Top 50)

Dr. Malbourne's Dental Infirmary for Children

Twelve-year-old Chloe isn’t scared of anything. So when her ex-best friend, Diana, dares her to open a door marked No Entrance on a field trip to the Museum of Dentistry - of course she opens it! But opening the door reawakens the spirit of evil dentist, Dr. Malbourne, and Chloe’s tough girl shell begins to crack.

As the others fall under Dr. Malbourne’s spell, Chloe hides in an old laboratory – and finds Diana, who has made a horrible discovery. When he was alive, Dr. Malbourne conducted occult dental experiments in search of the secrets of regeneration and immortality: now he’s using their classmates to complete his plan. Chloe finally admits she’s terrified: she must reunite with Diana to defeat Dr. Malbourne and free his victims.

My Why:

I grew up with undiagnosed ADHD at a time when no one even knew girls could be neurodiverse. I didn’t know why my brain ran so fast or why my imagination and feelings were so big; I just felt different. In middle school, the books my teachers gave me were too small in scope to contain my experience: I saw myself in books about dragons and monsters but rarely as a real person.

I write the books I wish I had then. Books about real kids with real problems, but where the scale of the emotions and imagination matches how I experience the world. I think of my style as American Girl meets Alien: hero kids fighting monsters from the past and present. I’m looking for kids who sees themselves in Matilda: smart, strong, brave, and larger than life.