Ben Schrank at Razorbill and Alex Clarke at Michael Joseph U.K. have bought world rights to a book by Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie via his 40 million subscribers on his videogame-themed YouTube channel. This Book Loves You will include more than 250 illustrated pages of advice and inspirational and comedic quotes. It will publish simultaneously in the U.S. and U.K. this October; Maker Studios negotiated the deal for world rights on behalf of PewDiePie.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired Alexandra Blogier's Virgo in a preempt; it centers on a girl who is the last human left on Earth after an alien race annihilated humanity. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Annie Stone at Alloy Entertainment did the deal for world English rights.
Mark Siegel at First Second has bought world rights to a YA graphic novel from Nidhi Chanani. Pashmina tells the story of an Indian-American girl who struggles to fit in at high school, then discovers more about her family's history with the help of her mother's magical pashmina. Publication is slated for 2017; Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary negotiated the deal.
Erica Zappy at HMH has acquired Nancy Furstinger's Mercy: The Incredible & True Story of Henry Bergh, a picture book biography of the founder of the ASPCA. Publication is planned for spring 2016; John Rudolph at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management brokered the deal for world rights.
Shannon Delany at Leap Books has bought world rights to Alexandra Diaz for her YA novel Good Girls Don't Lie, pitched as a Mexican-American Juno, a realistic coming-of-age story starring good girl Josie Figueroa. Publication is set for spring 2016; the author was unagented.
Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired world English rights to Shark vs. Train author Chris Barton's picture book Book or Bell, in which a boy's unwillingness to stop reading a good book disrupts the entire school; it will be illustrated by Binky artist Ashley Spires. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017. Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Claire Easton of Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Nancy Inteli at HarperCollins has bought, in a preempt, this year's SCBWI Portfolio Showcase winner Mika Song's debut picture book series. The first book, tentatively titled Tea with Oliver, tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a determined mouse and a lonely cat. The first book is slated for summer 2017, with the second to follow in summer 2018. Erica Rand Silverman brokered the deal for world rights.
Meredith Mundy at Sterling has acquired, in a preempt, author-illustrator Jason Kirschner's debut picture book, Mr. Particular, about a boy who is so particular he gets kicked out of the superhero club and must find a way back in. Publication is set for spring 2016; Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Lauri Hornik at Dial has bought Smoot, A Rebellious Shadow by Michelle Cuevas (Confessions of an Imaginary Friend), illustrated by Sydney Smith (Sidewalk Flowers). The book tells the story of Smoot, a shadow gone rogue who abandons his boy and inadvertently inspires a shadow revolution. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the author and the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Marilyn Brigham at Amazon/Two Lions has acquired Jack and the Beanstalk by Josh Funk, about a young Jack who is not keen on climbing any beanstalks and would much prefer to tell his own story. The book is slated for fall 2017; Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Caitlin Dlouhy at S&S's Caitlin Dlouhy Books has acquired Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely's All American Boys, a YA novel that follows two teenage boys – one white, one black – who offer dueling perspectives, told in alternating chapters, on an act of police brutality. The book has been fast-tracked by S&S for release in fall 2015 because of its timely subject matter. Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented Reynolds and Rob Weisbach at Rob Weisbach Literary Management represented Kiely in the deal for North American rights.
David Gale at Simon & Schuster has bought, after a two-day auction, James R. Hannibal's middle-grade thriller The Lost Property Office. In the book, 13-year-old Jack is trying to find his kidnapped father while attempting to stop a villain from recreating the Great Fire of London. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger handled the three-book, world rights deal for Hannibal, a former member of the U.S. Air Force who writes the adult series featuring Nick Baron (which Harvey Klinger himself represents).
Cheryl Klein at Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books has acquired Printz Honor winner A.S. King's (writing as Amy Sarig King) first middle-grade novel, Finding Marvin Gardens, about a boy who encounters an entirely new creature in the woods behind his house – an animal that eats plastic – and the consequences that ensue. Publication is set for spring 2017; Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich brokered the deal for world rights.
Stephen Brown at Knopf has bought debut author-illustrator Whitney Gardner's You’re Welcome, Universe, an illustrated YA novel about a Deaf teen artist who must decide between being painted into obscurity or getting caught after she finds herself locked in a graffiti war with an opponent who takes it a step too far. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Brent Taylor at the TriadaUS Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Jordan Brown at /HarperCollins's Walden Pond Press has acquired Laurel Snyder's next middle grade novel, Orphan Island, pitched as Lord of the Flies meets The Giver. It tells the story of a girl named Jinny, one of nine kids who live on an idyllic island without adults where, every year, a new young child is mysteriously delivered by boat and the oldest is taken away. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Tina Wexler at ICM negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Chelsea Eberly at Random House has bought Julia Walton's debut novel, Words on Bathroom Walls, in a preempt. It's a teen boy's journal to his therapist as he starts an experimental drug trial to treat his schizophrenia. Publication is planned for spring 2017; Heather Flaherty at The Bent Agency brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Annette Pollert-Morgan at Sourcebooks Fire acquired Robin Reul's debut novel, My Kind of Crazy, pitched as Freaks and Geeks meets The Spectacular Now. After his promposal goes up in flames (literally), down-on-his-luck Hank strikes up an unusual friendship with a budding pyromaniac, who is struggling with her own darkness and thinks he may be a kindred spirit. Publication is slated for April 2016; Leigh Feldman at Leigh Feldman Literary did the two-book deal for world rights.
Kelly Delaney at Knopf has bought Alice Pung's Lucy and Linh, a literary Mean Girls meets Fresh Off the Boat that follows Lucy as she tries to balance her life at home surrounded by her Chinese immigrant family, with her life at a pretentious private school. Publication is set for fall 2016; Sophy Williams at Black Inc. Books in Australia sold U.S. rights.
Emma Ledbetter at S&S/Atheneum has acquired Firefighter Duckies, a picture book by Frank W. Dormer, about three brave, strong, and kind duck heroes who solve all kinds of urgent (and unusual) problems. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt represented the author-illustrator for world rights.
Liza Baker at Scholastic/Orchard has bought world rights to Monster's New Undies by Samantha Berger, a rhyming picture book text about a particularly picky monster in dire need of new underwear, illustrated by Tad Carpenter. Publication is set for 2017; Brenda Bowen at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented Berger, and the illustrator represented himself.
