Essie White is a literary agent with the Storm Literary Agency. She started her literary career by focusing on those for whom the literature was written: Children. She received her BA in Education with her primary focus in Special Education. When working with special needs children, struggling with language, she discovered the beauty of words, and the rhythm of a well composed story, engaged them. She later went on to teach traditional elementary students and found that reading was best achieved, when a good book was the focus, not the specific skillset.

Essie later completed her MA in Education, specializing in Curriculum and Instruction for Early Childhood Education. ThatÕs when her real journey with books began. Using quality childrenÕs literature as the foundation, she began creating curricula for local and national homeschool groups as well as independent preschool organizations. For each subject, each topic, each thematic unit, she used a book as the starting point.

Essie used this combination of skills and passions, to start her own early childhood development program. Still in operation today, after 20 + years, the school serves young children in Seattle. Although Essie is no longer managing the school on site, each lesson, each day, still begins with a quality childrenÕs book.

After relocating to Minneapolis, Minnesota, Essie entrenched herself in the local childrenÕs book community. She started receiving inquiries from local authors, asking about the path to publication. A lot of research later, as well as a lot of work, Essie opened her small agency with the hope of ensuring capable artists and authors, could eventually get their work seen by editors and publishers. Storm Literary Agency was subsequently launched in 2014.

Essie loves strong writing that hits an emotional core. For her, the writing must be unforgettable, as should the characters and the place. Whether a snippet of life, or a full life, the story should not be easily forgotten. She wants to represent literature that leave an impact on childrenÕs lives, and she wants to represent artists who know how to speak to the child, with their art.

Essie is fond of many authors and artists, some of whom she feels fortunate to call clients. But some of her favorite classic publications include Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak, Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. More recent favorites include: I talk Like a River by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, The Funeral by Matt James and Once, a Bird (Orca Books) Essie currently lives in Southern California where sheÕs blessed to be near family and an ocean that provides endless inspiration.