Christian Trimmer at Simon & Schuster has bought a new trilogy by Michelle Hodkin. The Shaw Confessions will pick up where Hodkin's Mara Dyer trilogy left off, this time from Noah Shaw's point of view, as he is forced to face the fact that the love of his life might turn out to be his worst enemy. The first book will be released in summer 2017; Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Sara Sargent at Harper has acquired Vivi Greene's YA debut Sing, in which the world's most famous, unlucky-in-love pop star flees the spotlight to recover from her latest break-up, only to fall for a local boy and be faced with an impossible decision: her new guy, or her music. Publication is scheduled for June 2016; Joelle Hobeika and Eliza Swift of Alloy Entertainment negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Henry Holt's Christy Ottaviano Books has acquired Geeked Up!, an illustrated middle-grade series by Obert Skye about a band of geeks, set in a post-apocalyptic world. The first book is scheduled for 2017; Laurie Liss at Sterling Lord Literistic negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Jennifer Ung at S&S/Aladdin has preempted on an exclusive submission Kat Zhang's middle-grade debut, Mia and the Emperor's Treasure, in which a Chinese-American girl on a summer trip to China embarks on a hunt for a long-lost treasure while searching for her eccentric aunt who has gone missing. Publication is slated for summer 2017; Emmanuelle Morgen at Stonesong did the two-book deal for North American rights.
Krestyna Lypen at Algonquin has bought at auction Sarah Jean Horwitz's debut middle-grade fantasy adventure Carmer & Grit, about a one-winged fairy and a magician's apprentice who team up to solve a conspiracy that could change both their worlds forever. Publication is set for spring 2017; Victoria Marini of Gelfman Schneider/ICM Partners brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Alyson Heller at S&S/Aladdin has acquired Ronni Arno's tween novelMolly in the Middle, about a girl who feels invisible in the middle of her parents' divorce, her sisters, her class, even the alphabet. As she sets out to be noticed, she must decide exactly how far she's prepared to go to be popular. Publication is planned for summer 2017; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Neal Porter at Roaring Brook's Neal Porter Books has preempted a four-book nonfiction series by Maxwell Eaton III. Mixing humor with facts about animals in the wild, the first book, The Thing About Bears will launch simultaneously with an still-untitled book in winter 2018. Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for world rights.
Carolyn Yoder at Boyds Mills Press/Calkins Creek has bought world rights to Blue Grass Boy, a biography of Bill Monroe, a Kentucky native who grew to become the father of bluegrass music, by Barb Rosenstock. Edwin Fotheringham is set to illustrate. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Rosemary Stimola of Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Pat Hackett of Pat Hackett Artist Representatives represented the illustrator.
Taylor Norman at Chronicle has acquired The Pomegranate Witch by Denise Doyen. The story tells of the friendly battle between a witch who protects her prized pomegranate tree and the group of kids who are determined to taste its fruit. Eliza Wheeler is set to illustrate. The book will publish in fall 2017; Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the world rights deal for both the author and the illustrator.
Arianne Lewin at Putnam has bought Walk Your Dog by debut author Elizabeth Stevens Omlor, to be illustrated by debut illustrator Neesha Hudson. In the story, a girl and her dog discover there's no better place to find the courage to face your fears than beside a loyal friend. Publication is planned for summer 2017; Danielle Smith of Red Fox Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Craig Cohen and Jordan Nielsen at POW! have acquired The Kraken's Rules for Making Friends, a picture book by debut author-illustrator Brittany R. Jacobs. It tells the story of Kraken, a lonely sea monster tired of being alone, who finds hope when another sea beast, Shark, teaches him some rules for making friends. Publication is slated for fall 2016; Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management brokered the deal for world rights.
Brett Duquette at Sterling has bought author-illustrator Marty Kelley's Almost Everybody Farts, a picture book in which kids learn that while mimes fart silently, you don't want to be behind a dragon when it breaks wind. Publication is set for fall 2017; Abigail Samoun at Red Fox Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Emily Easton at Crown has won at auction Scott Reintgen's debut science fiction YA trilogy, beginning with The Black Hole of Broken Things. In the novel, a Detroit teen accepts an interstellar space contract only to realize the promised millions must be won in a brutal competition where winners face the ultimate choice – take the money and become pawns in the corporation's sinister plans or find a way to fight that won't compromise their humanity. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Kristin Nelson at Nelson Literary Agency brokered the mid-six figure deal for North American rights.
Anne Heltzel at Abrams/Amulet has preempted Leah Rowan's The Romantics, a YA romantic comedy told from the perspective of Love as a character, about a teenage boy who is hapless in love until Love steps in to help him, only to find that her meddling yields unexpected results. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Annie Stone and Josh Bank at Alloy Entertainment negotiated the deal for world rights.
Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has won at auction Mitali Perkins's YA novel Borderlines. The book links 15 stories about a Bengali family in Queens. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Agency did the two-book, six-figure deal for world rights.
Tiffany Liao at Razorbill has acquired The Valiant by Lesley Livingston. The book tells the story of 17-year-old Fallon's journey from fierce Celtic princess to female gladiator and the darling of the Roman Empire. Publication is set for spring 2017; Jessica Regel at Foundry Literary + Media brokered the deal for North American rights.
Vicki Lame at St. Martin's has bought The Memory of Things by Gae Polisner, a YA novel about two teenagers finding friendship, comfort, and first love as their fractured city tries to put itself back together in the days following 9/11. It is slated for publication in fall 2016; Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Michelle Nagler and Shana Corey at Random House have preempted Andrew Clements's The Loser's Club, plus two additional untitled stand-alone middle-grade novels. The Loser's Club tells of a resourceful boy figuring out how to survive sixth grade and bullying by using what he's learned from books to become the hero of his own story. Publication of the first book is planned for fall 2017; Amy Berkower at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
Jill Santopolo at Philomel has acquired Amy Ephron's first work for children, The Castle in the Mist. The middle-grade novel follows siblings Tessa and Max, who discover a magical key that gives them access to the ancient castle, and gives the indecisive Tessa a chance to have a single wish granted. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Kari Stuart at ICM and attorney Robert Myman at Myman Greenspan did the deal for world rights.
Melanie Cecka Nolan at Knopf has signed Flora and Ulysses illustrator K.G. Campbell's debut middle-grade series, A Small Zombie Problem, which he will also illustrate. The story follows the adventures of a boy who accidentally unearths a family curse – and raises a lot of zombies in the process. Publication will begin in summer 2017; Lori Nowicki at Painted Words represented the author for world rights.
Diane Landolf at Random House has bought a debut middle-grade novel from TV producer/director Doreen Spicer-Dannelly. For the Love of Double Dutch tells the story of a girl who must salvage her double Dutch dreams after her parents' rocky relationship takes her away from Brooklyn – and her beloved team – to spend the summer in North Carolina. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has acquired Jake Burt's debut middle-grade novel, We Are (So Not) the Trevors. The book is about a 13-year-old pickpocket in the foster-care system who longs for her own family. When a clan called the Trevors offers to take her in, it seems like she's gotten exactly what she wanted – until she learns that the family is being pursued by a killer and is about to enter the witness-protection program. The book is set for spring 2017; Rebecca Stead at the Book Group brokered the deal for world English rights.
Amy Cloud at S&S/Aladdin has bought world rights to The Art of the Swap, a middle-grade novel by Jen Malone (l.) and Kristine Carlson Asselin. When two teen girls living in the same Newport, R.I., mansion, but in different centuries, accidentally switch places, they must solve a 100-year-old art heist in order to return to their proper time periods. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Holly Root at Waxman Leavell Literary represented Malone and Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon represented Asselin.
Neal Porter of Roaring Brook's Neal Porter Books imprint has acquired Jan Greenberg (l.) and Sandra Jordan's middle-grade biography of Cindy Sherman, widely celebrated as one of the world's most significant contemporary artists. It will be illustrated with the artist's work. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Erica Rand Silverman at Sterling Lord Literistic negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Christian Trimmer at Simon & Schuster has bought world English rights to Hannah Barnaby's (l.) Bad Guy, illustrated by Mike Yamada, about a boy who relishes playing the villain and his kid sister, who must endure his antics. Publication is planned for summer 2017; Linda Pratt at Wernick Pratt Agency represented the author and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Agency represented the illustrator.
Mary Colgan at Boyds Mills Press has boughtCrawly School for Bugs by David Harrison (l.), illustrated by Julie Bayless, a book of funny poetry written from the point of view of different insect students. Publication is set for spring 2018; John M. Cusick of Folio Jr. / Folio Literary Management brokered the deal for world rights.
