Kristie Choi Associate Editor Atheneum

Kristie Choi joined Simon & Schuster in 2020 after interning at W. W. Norton & Company, McIntosh & Otis, and previously sleuthing as a private investigator. She’s acquiring for a range of fiction and select nonfiction and loves working on everything from young adult, middle grade, graphic novels (early reader, MG, and YA), to picture books. Kristie is looking for stories that have an original and timeless feel that young readers of all backgrounds can get lost in and feel seen in. Regardless of format, she’s drawn to underrepresented voices (especially Native/Indigenous, BIPOC, queer, ND, and disabled); evocative, immersive prose; lyricism; smart and absurd, silly humor; complex characters; big ideas; twists and turns and an air of the unexpected; literary fantasy; and a standout voice. Kristie has been a lifelong detective of sorts and loves reading about everything from mystery/thrillers written with beautiful prose to coming-of-age tales of characters discovering the secrets of the universe. Her taste tends to run literary or “upmarket” for genre fiction, and she loves when writing doesn’t underestimate the intelligence of young readers. Many of the stories she’s fallen in love with have been quirky or a bit innovative—the kind she would never have thought to ask for with a manuscript wishlist. In her spare time, she loves exploring the hiking trails and hot springs around Denver where she’s based, rock climbing, and listening to true crime podcasts. Find her on Twitter/IG @MinjiPatterson.