Kate Sullivan at Delacorte won at auction two books in a new YA series by AdriAnne Strickland and Michael Miller, pitched in the vein of Joss Whedon's Firefly with elements of Marie Lu's Legend. The first, Shadow Run, follows the orphaned Qole, a young but savvy captain of a ragtag crew on a “fishing” starship, who have just become the focus of a corporate arms race; and Nev, the prince whose mission to exploit them turns into one to save them. The first book is planned for fall 2016; Kirsten Carleton at Waxman Leavell brokered the deal for North American rights.
Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired two YA novels byLeah Thomas: Birds and Other Transdimensional Things, featuring a teen girl coping with her mother's suicide attempt amid the emergence of parallel dimensions; as well as an untitled sequel to Because You'll Never Meet Me, which continues the story of Ollie and Moritz's friendship. The sequel is scheduled for winter 2017, and Birds will be published in winter 2018. Lana Popovic of Chalberg & Sussman negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jacque Alberta at Blink has bought Denise Grover Swank's The Problem with Paris, in which a young pianist heads to Paris to see her father who abruptly abandoned the family months before, and spends the summer repairing their relationship while falling for the son of a local music teacher. Publication is slated for spring 2016; Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management did the deal for world rights.
Sally Doherty at Henry Holt has acquired Darcey Rosenblatt's debut novel, Key to Heaven, set in Iraq and Iran in 1982, which follows a music-loving boy as he joins the Iranian army at the age of 12. It is set to publish in winter 2017; Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Sylvie Frank at S&S/Paula Wiseman Books has bought Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge by Kristin L. Gray, a debut middle-grade novel in which fourth-grader Vilonia must prove that she is responsible enough to get a dog, in order to help her mom get over her grief. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Hali Baumstein at Bloomsbury has acquired at auction the middle-grade fantasy Prisoner of Ice and Stone, as well as its untitled sequel, from debut author Ruth Lauren Steven. In the novel, 13-year-old Valor is accused of attempting to murder the prince and is sent to prison, where she attempts to break out her twin sister. But in the process, they discover that a much thicker plot may lie behind their crimes. The first book is scheduled for global release in winter 2017; Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger brokered the deal for world rights.
Jessica Garrison at Dial has bought Found Dogs at auction, a debut from author-illustrator Erica Sirotich. It's a counting and reverse-counting concept book featuring an assortment of rescue dogs and the families that take them in. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.
Jill Davis at Harper Collins imprint Katherine Tegen Books has bought world English rights to Rebecca Grabill's (l.) picture book, Violet and the Woof, to be illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova. In this mashup of Little Red Riding Hood andWhere the Wild Things Are, a girl and her baby brother travel through her apartment building via elevator and spooky hallway to take soup and cookies to a sick neighbor. Publication is set for winter 2018; Victoria Wells Arms of Wells Arms Literary represented the author, and Sean McCarthy at McCarthy Literary Agency represented the illustrator
Christy Ottaviano at Henry Holt's Christy Ottaviano Books has acquired North American rights to Jane Austen, The Girl Who Wrote, a picture book biography of Jane Austen by Lisa Pliscou (l.), illustrated by Jen Corace. The book is slated for 2017; Cheryl Pientka at Jill Grinberg Literary represented the author and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has preempted a chapter book series by Debbi Michiko Florence, about headstrong eight-year-old Jasmine Toguchi and her Japanese-American family. The first book, Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen, is about yearning to be part of a fun family tradition, even if it's not something girls typically do. Publication begins in spring 2017; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the four-book deal for world rights.
Anne Heltzel at Abrams/Amulet has acquired debut author Riley Redgate's Seven Ways We Lie, told from the perspectives of seven teenagers – each seduced by one of the seven deadly sins – whose paths converge when they accidentally expose a life-altering secret. It's scheduled for publication in spring 2016; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Alyson Heller at S&S/Aladdin has bought Trudi Truiet's American Kestral, in which a U.S. teen battles evil twin sisters and overcomes her own worst fear to prevent the foreclosure of her grandmother's ski lodge. It's slated for spring 2017 publication under the MIX! imprint; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Aubrey Poole at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired Laurie Boyle Crompton's new YA novel, Graffiti Girl, about a girl who is obsessed with painting graffiti lions in out-of-the-way spots, until her secret is discovered by the wrong person, with unexpected consequences. Publication is planned for winter 2017; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Tracy Mack at Scholastic Press has bought world rights to Billy Boo Is Stuck in Goo, a picture book by Jennifer Hamburg, a two-time children's TV Emmy Award winner, in which attempts to rescue a boy stuck in goo go wrong. Ross Burach is set to illustrate. Publication is set for 2017; Jennifer DeChiara of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency represented the author and Lara Perkins of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Penny West and Christianne Jones at Capstone/Curious Fox have acquired Carmen Oliver's picture book, Bears Make the Best Reading Buddies in which a girl attempts to persuade her teacher that her reading buddy choice is nothing to be afraid of because his bear-like qualities make him perfectly equipped for the job. The book, to be illustrated by Jean Claude, will publish in spring 2016 simultaneously in North America under the Capstone imprint and in the U.K. under the Curious Fox imprint. Erzsi Deak of Hen&ink Literary represented the author in the deal for world rights; the illustrator is unagented.
