Erin Stein at Macmillan's new Imprint imprint has acquired the first six books in the debut chapter book series The Fix-It Friends from memoirist Nicole Kear. The series stars a well-intentioned but overly enthusiastic second-grader who leads a group of problem-solving elementary-school kids helping other students deal with social issues. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Erin Stein at Imprint also bought two YA novels and a graphic novel adaption in the Freya series from Rovio Entertainment, written by Matthew Laurence. The novels follow the goddess Freya as she comes out of self-imposed exile and gains power in a modern world. It launches in 2017; Elina Ahlback of Elina Ahlback Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Jessica Almon and Marissa Grossman at Razorbill have acquired a debut YA novel by Anna Breslaw, staff writer at Cosmopolitan. In Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here, 16-year-old New Jerseyan Scarlett Epstein finds herself without an outlet for her online writing after her beloved TV show gets canceled, leading her to write fanfiction about the kids in her own high school. Publication is set for spring 2016; Tina Wexler at ICM negotiated the deal for world rights.
Alyson Heller at S&S/Aladdin has bought the middle-grade adaptation of Reyna Grande’s memoir The Distance Between Us, an account of the author's childhood in Mexico – where her parents left her in dire poverty at the age of four to be raised by a resentful grandmother, the author's border crossing at the age of nine, and subsequent life in the U.S. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Adriana Dominguez at Full Circle Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Wendy McClure of Albert Whitman has acquired debut author C.L. Malone's Dario and the Whale. The book tells the story, in parallel points of view, of the friendship between a lonely Portuguese boy and a whale. Publication is slated for spring 2016; Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management did the deal for world rights.
Lee Wade at Random House imprint Schwartz & Wade has bought Laurel Snyder's (l.) The Forever Garden, to be illustrated by Samantha Cotterill, in which a girl helps in her neighbor's garden and is upset when she learns the neighbor will be moving away. It is loosely based on the Talmudic story of “Honi and the Carob Tree.” Publication is scheduled for summer 2017; Tina Dubois Wexler at ICM Partners represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Lisa Sharkey and Margaret Anastas at HarperCollins have bought world rights for Yoga Bunny, a picture book by debut author-illustrator Brian Russo, based on his viral images of a rabbit in yoga poses. The story features a yoga-loving bunny who hopes his skeptical woodland friends will join him in saying "namaste." Publication is set for winter 2017; Russo was represented by Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management.
Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has bought author-illustrator Toni Yuly's as yet untitled torn-tissue-paper picture book, in an exclusive submission. Toni's previous works include ALA Notable picture book Early Bird, the recently released Night Owl, and the forthcoming Cat Nap. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management handled the deal for world rights.
Meredith Mundy at Sterling Children's Books has acquired world rights to Erik Brooks's Later, Gator!, a picture book about how a little alligator copes with a big move as he says goodbye to old friends and hello to new ones. Publication is scheduled for July 2016. The author was unagented.
Ben Schrank at Razorbill has acquired the sequel to An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, which was released in February and has hit national bestseller lists. The second volume takes readers into the heart of the Martial Empire as protagonists Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia's brother from prison. Razorbill has tentatively scheduled the untitled follow-up for April 2016, with an announced first printing of 250,000 copies. Alexandra Machinist at ICM did the deal for world English rights.
Dave Linker at HarperCollins has bought two books in a new middle grade series by TV writer Ron McGee. The first book, Ryan Quinn: Freedom Run; it follows the titular 14-year-old who, after his parents disappear, finds out his family is part of a secret organization dating back to WWII that performs dangerous rescue missions. It's planned for fall 2016; Joy Tutela at the David Black Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired the first two books of the Elementae series, a new YA fantasy by A.C. Gaughen, in which elemental powers are reawakened after a genocide, and a girl realizes she has the power to control the earth on the same day she marries the king who hunted the Elementae to extinction. Terra, the first volume, is slated to publish in 2017; Minju Chang of Bookstop Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury has bought two novels by Renée Watson. The first, Jade, is a YA novel about a teenage girl from a poor neighborhood who must take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way, including a scholarship to a private school on the other side of town and an assigned mentor with whom she doesn't relate; the second is an untitled middle-grade novel. Jade is scheduled to release in winter 2017; Rosemary Stimola of the Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for world rights.
Ben Rosenthal at HarperCollins's Katherine Tegen Books imprint has won at auction Chris Howard's YA novel Night Speed. The story centers on a teen who, in an act of revenge, uses a highly addictive drug that bestows superhuman strength and speed in order to infiltrate a gang using the drug to commit crime. Publication is set for summer 2016; Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency handled the deal for world English rights.
Christy Ottaviano of Henry Holt's Christy Ottaviano Books has acquiredAmerican Road Trip by Patrick Flores-Scott, a YA novel about Teodoro “T” Avila, a 17-year old whose family is affected by the economy and the Iraq War, but when he falls for college-bound Wendy, he fights to overcome family chaos and turn his life around. Publication is slated for winter 2017; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Brian Farrey-Latz at Flux has bought Letters to the Lost, a novel by Kate Bassett. Told from two perspectives, it's a YA novel about a girl and a boy, both running from difficult situations, whose chance encounter leads to a cross-country journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and love. Publication is scheduled for summer 2016; Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick Press has acquired at auction Matylda of the Bright and Tender Skin, the middle-grade debut of literary agent and Pippin Properties president Holly McGhee. It tells the story of two friends, loss, and a leopard gecko named Matylda. Publication is set for spring 2017; the deal for North American English rights was negotiated by Elena Giovinazzo, also of Pippin Properties.
Melissa Manlove at Chronicle Books has boughtSherri Duskey Rinker's It's So Quiet, in which a mouse can't get to sleep because it's just too quiet, with Bink & Gollie artist Tony Fucile signed to illustrate. A pub date has not yet been set; Amy Rennert at the Amy Rennert Agency represented the author and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the artist in the deal for world rights.
Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has acquired world rights to Annie Silvestro's Bunny's Book Club, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss, It tells the story of a book-loving bunny who sneaks into the town library and borrows books for all his forest friends. It will pub in spring 2017. Liza Voges at Eden Street represented the author; the illustrator was unagented.
