Carter Hasegawa is a literary agent at Tugeau 2. He has been in the childrenÕs book world for nearly 20 yearsÑas a book seller for various indies across the US, as an editor at Candlewick Press, and now, as a literary agent. Why kidsÕ books? It began in the late-90s with Andrew ClementÕs Frindle, became a solid go-to genre with Jerry SpinelliÕs Maniac Magee, and finally, it became a wished-for career with Markus ZusakÕs The Book Thief. ÒThe thing IÕve always loved about childrenÕs literature,Ó he says, Òis that beyond the sheer range of incredible stories, itÕs always served as a sort of testing ground for me: of new ideas, of new experiences, of new viewpoints, of emotional extremes.ÓCarter is incredibly proud of the work he did while at Candlewick, but heÕs especially looking forward to finding and developing new talent Ð authors, author-illustrators, illustrators Ð and having a hand in crafting some of the best books out there.When asked what heÕs looking for in a book, he compares it to a particular scene from the movie version of The NeverEnding Story: ÒThe main character, Bastian, is so drawn to a book he finds at a used bookstore that he steals away with it and hides out in his schoolÕs attic and begins to read. In that moment, all that matters is thebook. To hold it, turn its pages, fall into its story . . . itÕs magic.ÓIn addition to the already-mentioned titles, some of his favorite books include Watercress, My Papi Has a Motorcycle, Big, Tar Beach, Wednesday Wars, EnderÕs Game, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Notorious Benedict Arnold, and SO MANY others. Carter is also an active mentor/speaker for SCBWI, The Writing Barn, Inked Voices, and more.Originally from Seattle, he now lives in Boston with his librarian wife and their two young sons.