Ken Wright and Kendra Levin at Viking acquired, in an eight-house auction, YA debut novel Rebel of the Sands by London-based 26-year-old Alwyn Hamilton. Set in a mystical desert nation called Mirahin, Sands follows “a gun-slinging girl desperate to escape her past, and a handsome foreigner who harbors dangerous secrets.” The book has already sold in nine countries and is set for a winter 2016 release. Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency brokered the three-book deal for North American rights.
Emily Meehan at Disney-Hyperion has bought at auction Pretty Little Liars author Sara Shepard's new series The Amateurs – pitched asVeronica Mars meets Gillian Flynn – in which a group of amateur teen sleuths come together to figure out who killed one of their sisters. Andy McNicol at William Morris Endeavor on behalf of Alloy Entertainment negotiated the three-book deal for North American rights. Rights have also sold in Germany, France, Brazil, and the U.K.
Caroline Abbey at Random House has acquired world rights in the four-book series Commander in Cheese by Lindsey Leavitt. The stories are about a family of mice who live in the White House and whose adventures sometimes collide with the President, her family, and their cat. Publication of the first two books is scheduled for summer 2016; Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Joy Peskin at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has preempted world rights to a YA project based on Dashka Slater's New York Times Magazine piece, "The Fire on the 57 Bus in Oakland" about two teenagers – one African-American, one agender – on both sides of an alleged hate crime. The book, entitled The 57 Bus, is slated for fall 2017. Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Phoebe Yeh at Crown Books for Young Readers preempted debut author Nic Stone's Dear Martin, a contemporary novel about race relations in 21st-century America. It's told from different perspectives before and after Justyce McAlister, a black teen, is shot by an off-duty police officer. The first novel is scheduled for publication in January 2017. Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency did the two-book deal for USCPOM rights.
Daniel Ehrenhaft at SoHo Teen has acquired Condemned, the debut YA novel by Amy Brashear, a retelling of Truman Capote's In Cold Bloodfrom the point of view of Carly, best friend to Nancy Clutter. Publication is scheduled for winter 2017. John M. Cusick at Greenhouse Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Michelle Frey at Knopf has acquired Rosalyn Eves's debut novel, The Blood Rose Rebellion. The romantic fantasy adventure set during the political unrest of 19th-century Europe follows a 16-year-old British socialite exiled to Hungary and swept up in a revolution to overturn world order. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Josh Adams at Adams Literary brokered the three-book deal for North American rights.
Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has bought Belpré winner Meg Medina's YA novel Burn, Baby, Burn, which follows a 17-year-old named Nora López through NYC's infamous Son of Sam summer of 1977. It's set for spring 2016; Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary did the deal for world rights.
Amy Cherry at W.W. Norton has bought Cheryl Klein's book on writing children's and young adult fiction. Previously self-published asSecond Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults, Klein will be revising, re-writing, and updating the book. Klein is the executive editor at Arthur A. Levine Books at Scholastic, where she served as the continuity editor for the last two books of the Harry Potter series, and she also teaches in the publishing program at the NYU School of Professional Studies. Publication is planned for September 2016; Brianne Johnson at Writers House negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Kathleen Merz at Eerdmans bought Carmen Oliver's biography of Favio Chavez, about the man who showed impoverished children living in Paraguay how to make music from the instruments he created out of trash, and inspired to dream big. Publication is scheduled for 2016. Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink Literary Studio brokered the deal for world rights.
Andrea Colvin at Andrews McMeel has acquired a middle-grade graphic novel by Nate Evans and his brother, comic book artist Vince Evans.Tyrannosaurus Ralph is the story of fourth-grader Ralph, whose brain is uploaded to a T-Rex body by a mad scientist and then is expected to battle in an alien arena to save Earth. Publication is planned for September 2016; Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Calista Brill at First Second acquired a middle-grade graphic novel from Andy Hirsch entitled Varmints, a western adventure about two siblings and their dealings with the Criminal King of the West. Publication is scheduled for 2017; the author is unagented.
Margaret Anastas at HarperCollins has acquired Peter McCleery's debut picture book Bob and Joss Get Lost, to be illustrated by Vin Vogel. The story follows two boys who are stranded on a desert island in a comedy-duo style recalling Abbott and Costello. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Heather Alexander at Pippin Properties brokered the six-figure deal for North American rights.
