Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins imprint Balzer + Bray has bought Mac Barnett's The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown. A tribute to Brown's own The Important Book, this picture book biography aims to shed light on the impact she had on children's literature, while remaining true to her style and also giving children (and adults) a glimpse of her eccentric, glamorous, and rebellious nature. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Steven Malk of Writers House did the deal for world rights.
Alessandra Balzer also acquired Mac Barnett's The Magic Word, to be illustrated by Elise Parsley. When Paxton Heymeyer asks his babysitter for a cookie, she asks him for the magic word. But instead of saying "please," Paxton chooses another magic word: one that gives him the supernatural power of unlimited wishes. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Steven Malk at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
Regina Griffin at Egmont USA has bought Project Droid, a beginning chapter book series by Nancy Krulik and her daughter, Amanda Elizabeth Burwasser. The series launches in early 2016 withScience No Fair!, and features eight-year-old Logan, a normal kid forced to live and go to school with his cousin. It wouldn't be so bad if his cousin weren't an android with a knack for misinterpreting the English language. Kenneth Weinrib of Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell and Vasallo P.C. negotiated the deal for world rights.
Janine O'Malley of Farrar, Straus & Giroux has acquired world rights forWish, a novel by Barbara O'Connor. Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has made the same wish since fourth grade, hoping that someday it will come true. When her irresponsible parents cause her to be sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains to live with family members she doesn't know, she needs that wish to come true more than ever. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Barbara Markowitz of Barbara Markowitz Literary Agency did the deal.
Sylvie Frank at S&S's Paula Wiseman Books has bought world rights to debut author Julie Segal Walters's untitled animal picture book, which gets derailed by the illustrator's rant over the author's choice of fish. Brian Biggs will illustrate. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Danielle Smith of Red Fox Literary represented the author and Steven Malk of Writers House represented the artist.
Emily Easton at Crown Books for Young Readers has acquired Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and William Muñoz's Made for Each Other: The Bond Between Humans and Dogs, a nonfiction photo essay that explores the partnership that has allowed both species to thrive. Publication is set for fall 2016; Susan Schulman at Susan Schulman Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jenna Pocius at Little Bee Books has bought Douglas Florian's picture book The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits, following a day in the life of a young rabbit. Sonia Sánchez will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2016; Rubin Pfeffer of Rubin Pfeffer Content represented Florian and Teresa Kietlinski at Prospect Agency represented Sánchez for world rights.
Margaret Raymo at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired a YA nonfiction title about drugs, drug abuse, and addiction co-written by David Sheff (Beautiful Boy) and his son, Nic Sheff (Tweak). Drawing on the Sheffs' personal experiences with Nic's addiction and subsequent rehab, and using the latest drug and drug addiction research, the book is meant to give teens and tweens the tools they need to make informed decisions about drugs. Both David and Nic travel the country to speak about addiction and recovery. It's scheduled for fall 2016; Amanda Urban at ICM brokered the deal.
Julie Strauss-Gabel at Dutton has bought Lauren Wolk's Wolf Hollow in a two-book deal, after a six-house auction. The middle-grade novel is set in 1943 and follows an 11-year-old who lives in a Pennsylvania farming community; the second book in the deal is currently untitled. Wolk, an award-winning poet, is author of the adult novel Those Who Favor Fire. The publisher compared Wolf Hollow to To Kill a Mockingbird, saying it "explores a resilient young woman's coming of age as she risks herself for what's right at a tortured crossroads in American history." Wolf Hollow is slated for publication in 2016; the second book in the deal is not yet scheduled. Jodi Reamer at Writers House negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Tiffany Liao and Abby Ranger at HarperCollins have acquired rights to Leven Thumps author Obert Skye's new trilogy Mutant Bunny Island, in which geeky 10-year-old Perry Owens travels to off-the-grid Bunny Island in search of his missing uncle only to make a hare-raising discovery. Publication of the first book is set for fall 2016; Laurie Liss of Sterling Lord Literistic did the deal for world rights.
Sara Sargent at Simon Pulse has bought two YA novels, Escaping Perfect and an untitled sequel by Emma Harrison. In the story, a girl fakes her own death to escape from her high-pressure political family and moves to Tennessee where she starts a new life. Publication is scheduled for spring 2016 and spring 2017; Sarah Burnes at The Gernert Company brokered the deal for world rights.
Katherine Harrison of Knopf has acquired Peter Brown Hoffmeister's YA novel This Is the Part Where You Laugh, in a pre-empt. The book follows a boy "navigating friendship, love, and basketball under the specter of crime, low expectations, and a family history of drug abuse." Hoffmeister, once a homeless teen, is now a high school teacher. It's slated for fall 2016; Adriann Ranta at Wolf Literary Services negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
David Levithan and Emily Seife at Scholastic have bought Christina Diaz Gonzalez's new middle-grade novel, Moving Target, pitched as "Percy Jackson meets The Da Vinci Code." In the story, a 12-year-old girl studying in Rome discovers she is a member of an ancient bloodline enabling her to use a legendary object that can alter the future. Publication is planned for 2015; Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Michelle Frey at Knopf has acquired Kathryn Siebel's debut novel Missing Arabella, a comic novel about twin sisters in the tradition of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl's Matilda, about how a little bit of mischief is sometimes the only viable option. Publication is set for summer 2016; Miriam Altshuler at Miriam Altshuler Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal in a pre-empt.
Navah Wolfe at Simon & Schuster Books has bought Stefanie Gaither's currently untitled second book following Falls the Shadow. In her new story, a violent clone and a human boy reveal a conspiracy within the world's only cloning corporation and decide whether to fight for humans or machines – even if choosing sides means saying good-bye to their loved ones. It’s scheduled for spring/summer 2016; Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Maria Modugno at Random House has acquired world rights for A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Ben Mantle. In this fractured fairy tale, a well-meaning chef accidentally cooks with ingredients essential to famous stories (Jack's magic beans, Snow White's apple, Cinderella's pumpkin). Publication is set for summer 2016; Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Brett Wright at Bloomsbury has bought world rights to a new picture book text by Kristy Dempsey, author of Mini Racer and A Dance Like Starlight, among others. A Hop Is Up is a whimsical exploration in verse of hops, skips and other childhood games. Lori Richmond will illustrate. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Kendra Marcus at BookStop Literary Agency negotiated for the author and Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management negotiated for the illustrator.
