Namrata Tripathi at Dial has bought world rights to Bedtime for Saya by novelist Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Leslie Staub. In the picture book, a girl and her mother exchanged stories while her mother lingers in immigration jail. Publication is planned for winter 2015; Nicole Aragi of Aragi, Inc. represented the author, and Rubin Pfeffer of RPContent represented the illustrator.


Donna Bray at HarperCollins's Balzer + Bray imprint has acquired U.S. rights to Just a Second, a middle-grade novel by Tricia Springstubb, author of What Happened on Fox Street. Told from multiple perspectives and with a shifting time frame, the story is about a girl who faces choices about love, forgiveness, and the future when her former best friend's brother commits a shocking shooting, a split-second decision with huge consequences in a year when an extra second is due to be added to the official clock. Publication is set for summer 2016; Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency brokered the deal.


Caitlyn Dlouhy at Atheneum has bought, in a two-book deal, debut author Annie Donwerth-Chikamatsu's Somewhere Among, winner of the 2013 Writers' League of Texas Manuscript Contest for middle grade. Eleven-year-old Ema, the daughter of a Japanese father and a white mother, finds herself between two worlds during the summer leading up to and through 9/11 and the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Somewhere Among is scheduled for 2016, and the second book, for 2017. Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties did the deal for North American rights.


Kate O'Sullivan at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired, at auction, Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman, author of the Taken trilogy. Set in 1877 Arizona, the story – pitched as True Grit meets Blood Red Road – follows Kate Thompson as she tracks the gang who hung her father, only to find herself entangled in a bloody search for lost gold in the Superstition Mountains. Publication is scheduled for fall 2015; Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger did the deal for North American rights.


Ann Kelley at Schwartz & Wade has acquired debut author Tamara Ellis Smith's middle-grade novel Marble Boys in a two-book deal at auction. The novel tells the story of two boys who have experienced great trauma and loss – one with the death of his best friend near their home in the mountains of Vermont, and one in losing his home in Hurricane Katrina – and the ways the world pushes them together to find healing. Publication is scheduled to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, in August 2015. Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.


Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Press has acquired world rights to Dead Girls Society by Hexed author Michelle Krys, about a girl who escapes her helicopter parents by joining a high-stakes dare club; she discovers more than thrills: girls are going missing, and she might be next. Publication is slated for 2016; Adriann Ranta at Wolf Literary Services was the agent.


Jill Santopolo at Philomel has acquired A Tiny of Piece of Sky, a middle-grade novel by Shawn Stout, author of the Penelope Crumb series. Set in 1939, the story tells of a girl who decides to prove she is more than just a #3 sister to her older siblings by trying to clear her father of accusations that he's a German spy – with surprising results. It's scheduled for publication in early 2016; Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.


Cecily Kaiser at Abrams Appleseed has acquired world English rights to the numerical companion to Alphablock by Christopher Franceschelli (l.), illustrated by Peskimo. Countablock features thick pages cut into the shape of each numeral, creating a peek-through guessing game around the number form itself. As children interact with the pages, they will familiarize themselves not only with the numbers one to 100, but with each numeral's physicality. Publication is scheduled for August 2014. Luke Wilson at Synergy was the agent for Peskimo and the author represented himself.


Lee Wade at Schwartz & Wade imprint has acquired, on exclusive submission, world rights to The Book of Gold by author-illustrator Bob Staake, which chronicles a boy's relentless search for the world's most magical book. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Gillian MacKenzie at Gillian MacKenzie Agency represented Staake.


Joanna Cardenas at Viking has signed debut illustrator Tim Miller for Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book), to illustrate a previously signed text by debut author Julie Falatko. Snappsy's ordinary day is interrupted by a meddling narrator who insists Snappsy is looking for defenseless forest creatures to eat, while being obsessed with food that starts with the letter P. Publication is slated for fall 2015; Erica Rand Silverman of Sterling Lord Literistic did the deal for world rights.


Frances Gilbert at Doubleday Books for Young Readers has bought world rights to debut author Dev Petty's (l.) picture book I Don't Want to Be a Frog, about a frog who is experiencing an identity crisis. Mike Boldt (123 versus ABC) is slated to illustrate. Publication is set for spring 2015; Sara Sciuto of Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.