Hi, I’m Sarah, and I like to tell stories.

Sarah J. Mendonca is the Portuguese-American author of enchanting, endlessly imaginative (Tracy Badua, award-winning author of Freddie vs. the Family Curse), sparkling adventures (Diane Magras, the Mad Wolf's Daughter series).

Raised on her father’s bedtime stories, Sarah started writing about monsters at age eight and hasn’t stopped. You can find her haunting dark forests, lurking in bookshops, or buried underneath her enormous tea collection.

Sarah is a 2021 Pitch Wars alum, and winner of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ A. Orr Fantasy Grant. In 2018 she was a finalist for the PNW Association Middle Grade literary contest. She lives in the Midwest.

She is represented by Emily Forney at the Bookends Literary Agency.

Photo of Sarah J Mendonca

View Sarah’s media kit for bio options and downloadable headshots.

FAQs

  • Men-don-sza

  • Not at all. Growing up I used to think books magically grew on trees and had no idea people could be authors. It was only after an author visited my school that I realized it was a possibility.

  • My ideas come from everywhere. Whether it’s having a dream about cursed lands, or wondering what it would be like to have magical powers. Ideas often pop into my head when I’m bored. I often go on long walks so I can allow my mind to wander and find new ideas.

  • Board games, hiking, and trying new hobbies.

  • Failing is a part of any creative process. Whether it’s needing to throw out a chapter, or having someone turn down your story. I try and remind myself how much I love writing, and if the rejection is particularly bad, I’ll have a chocolate muffin to help me get over it.

  • No, Portuguese people are not considered hispanic or latine.

    https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/12/who-is-hispanic/

    If you’d like to include me on a list, please consider me for Neurodiversity Celebration Month in April or Portuguese Heritage Month in June

  • Unfortunately, I’m not able to control how my books are categorized. I’ve done my best to reach out and request changes, but it doesn’t always work.

Quick Facts about Sarah

Home state: Michigan

Favorite movie: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Favorite season: Fall

If I could be a magical animal: I’d be a griffin

Favorite color: Green

Favorite superpower: Teleportation

Favorite chip flavor: Ketchup

Scariest monster: Man-eating Trees

Press

Take Five: 2025 Middle Grade Debuts, School Library Journal, February 21st, 2025

42 Most-anticipated new fantasy books 2025, Rainbow Reading Nook, February 13th, 2025

Rights Report: Week of June 12th, 2023, Publishers Weekly, June 2023