Catherine Laudone is a senior editor at Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. She primarily acquires and edits picture books and middle grade titles (both fiction and nonfiction) with a special interest in underrepresented voices and stories featuring neurodivergent and disabled main characters. She’s also open to select young adult novels and MG/YA graphic novels with a strong hook and narrative voice. Catherine has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a published children’s book author. Her co-authored picture book debut She Kept Dancing: The True Story of a Professional Dancer with a Limb Difference is an NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book Award winner, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, and a WLA Towner Award nominee. Catherine currently serves as an editor advisor for The Writing Barn’s Verge program and an advanced workshop leader for Inked Voices. When not editing or writing, she enjoys baking, traveling, and playing with her cat Biscotti. Learn more at catherinelaudone.com.