Leila Sales at Viking has bought a third novel by Caela Carter, Tumbling, set at the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics trials, about the girls vying for spots on the Olympic team. In shifting points of view, Carter examines what each girl wants, needs, and sacrifices for her Olympic dreams. It's scheduled for publication in 2016 to coincide with the Summer Olympics. Kate McKean at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Michelle Frey at Knopf has bought Dave Butler's The Kidnap Plot, a middle-grade action-adventure trilogy. In it, the young hero, Charlie, sets out to rescue his inventor father from kidnappers, and along the way uncovers a dastardly plan he must help to foil – and discovers that he is one of his father’s inventions. The series launch is planned for spring 2016; by Deborah Warren at EastWest brokered the deal for world rights.
Wesley Adams at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has acquired Dead Investigation, Edgar-winner Charlie Price's YA companion to Dead Connection, in which a hapless high-schooler's ability to talk with the dead gets him tangled in another murder mystery against his will. Publication is set for fall 2015; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Press has bought Judy Sheehan's I Woke Up Dead at the Mall, in a pre-empt. It tells of a girl who wakes up dead at the Mall of America only to find she was murdered, and she must work with a group of dead teenagers to finish up the unresolved business of their former lives while preventing her murderer from killing again. Publication is planned for spring 2016; Daniel Lazar at Writers House did the deal for world English rights.
Sarah Landis at HMH Books for Young Readers has acquired at auction Emiko Jean's debut novel We'll Never Be Apart, a psychological YA thriller about a 17-year-old girl who is committed to a mental institution after her boyfriend dies in a fire set by her twin. To cope, she begins writing the story of her past in foster care, and discovers that everything she thought she knew was a lie. It's scheduled for fall 2015; Erin Harris at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management did the two-book deal for North American rights.
Mallory Kass at Scholastic Press has acquired at auction When My Heart Was Wicked by debut author Tricia Stirling. The novel features 16-year-old Lacy, whose unstable mother will stop at nothing, not even dark magic, to keep control of her daughter's heart and soul. Publication is scheduled for 2015; Molly Ker Hawn of the Bent Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Maria Modugno at Random House has bought Fire Station Number 9, written and illustrated by Mike Austin. It's a noisy picture bool that follows the crew of a fire station as they race to a fire and put it out. It will be published in fall 2015; Rubin Pfeffer of Rubin Pfeffer Content was the agent.
Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow Books has acquired, in a pre-empt, The Girl from Everywhere, a debut YA novel by Heidi Heilig, in a three-book deal. The fantasy centers on 16-year-old Nix, who has grown up on a ship that travels through time. Her father Navigates from one map to another—including those of ancient history and even myth and legend – and is determined to journey back to 1868 Honolulu to save her mother's life, despite knowing that changing history risks erasing Nix's very existence. It's scheduled for winter 2016; Molly Ker Hawn of the Bent Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Beverly Horowitz at Delacorte Press has acquired Ninja Timmy by Henrik Tamm, a middle-grade novel with color illustrations. It features Timmy the cat and his animal friends; while peddling their invention in the fantastical city of Elyzandrium, they get mixed up with the wrong crowd, uncover a mystery, and ultimately become a successful crime fighting gang of Ninjas Publication is scheduled for fall 2015; Lina Talgre at Bonnier in Sweden sold open market/English-language rights. Tamm has worked at Dreamworks SKG, where he helped develop the look of such animated films as Shrek, Shark Tale, and Kung Fu Panda.
Antonia Markiet at HarperCollins has acquired, in a two-book deal, North American rights toThe World's Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson. In a city with more sleuths than crimes to be solved, a boy enters his hapless uncle for the World's Greatest Detective competition in hope of avoiding being sent to an orphanage, only to discover his own knack for investigation when the contest host turns up dead. Publication is scheduled for winter 2017, with the second book due in 2018; Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency was the agent.
Liza Kaplan at Philomel has acquired an untitled debut YA novel from Lily Myers, whose performance at the 2013 College Unions Poetry Slam Competition of her poem "Shrinking Women" went viral, garnering over four million YouTube views. The book is tentatively slated for winter 2017; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary did the deal for world rights.
Terry Nantier at Papercutz has acquired author-illustrator Deb Lucke's The Lunch Witch, first in a graphic novel series for young readers about a failed witch-turned-lunch-lady trying very hard to be bad, but tempted instead by a special schoolgirl to use her (questionable) powers for good – to amusing consequence. Publication is scheduled for March 2015; Meredith Kaffel of DeFiore and Company negotiated the deal for world rights.
Allyn Johnston at S&S's Beach Lane Books has bought world rights to Amanda Hollander's debut picture book, Petra the Pirate, the story of a take-no-prisoners captain and her ragtag crew as they compete for dominance of the seven seas (or perhaps just their local playground). It's tentatively scheduled for fall 2016; Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary brokered the deal.
Maria Modugno at Random House has acquired Vlad the Rad by Brigette Barrager, a Halloween story about a little vampire who would rather skateboard than scare people. Publication is set for fall 2016; Vicki Willbren-Lebrecht at the Bright Agency was the agent.
Ken Geist at Scholastic has acquired world rights to Super Bugs by Michelle Meadows, illustrated by Bill Mayer. It's a tale of cape-wearing, crime-fighting superhero bugs that protect other insects from harm and save the day. Publication is scheduled for spring 2016; Rosemary Stimola of the Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Tricia Weber of the Weber Group represented the illustrator.
