Karen Chaplin at HarperTeen has acquired The Cerulean and an untitled sequel, a YA fantasy duology by Amy Ewing. The Cerulean tells the story of Sera, who lives in a Sapphic utopia where all women have three mothers and a young woman is chosen every 100 years to be abandoned on the planet below as a sacrifice. Publication is scheduled for 2017; Charlie Olsen at Inkwell did the deal for North American rights.
Nick Eliopulos at Scholastic Press has bought two books from debut British author Lisa Thompson. The first of two stand-alone titles, The Goldfish Boy, tells the story of 13-year-old Matthew, who suffers from severe OCD that renders him a virtual recluse. To pass the time, he observes his neighbors from his bedroom window. When a boy staying next door goes missing, Matthew must turn detective and unravel the mystery of the boy's disappearance. The novel will publish in the U.K., U.S., and Canada in early 2017; Adam Gauntlett at the Peters, Fraser and Dunlop Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Kate Sullivan at Delacorte has acquired at auction Chris Tebbetts's YA novel The Weakness of Gravity, told in alternating chapters of two possible timelines that diverge when graduating senior Chris smashes his face in a parking lot after doing a hit of whip-its. In one timeline, he is shipped off to live with his strict physicist father, and in the other, he stays home to have his perfect last summer – or so he thinks. Publication is tentatively set for fall 2018; Michael Bourret negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Paula Wiseman at S&S/Paula Wiseman Books has bought 25-year-old debut novelist (and daughter of YA author Carol Lynch Williams) Kyra Leigh's YA novel Reaper, about a teen girl who dies but learns that she still has a task to complete. The projected publication date is fall 2017; Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary did the deal for world rights.
Renee Hooker at Grosset & Dunlap has bought the first two books in a new chapter book series, Jada Jones, by Kelly Starling-Lyons, about a science-loving fourth grader making new friends, facing new challenges, and finding her way. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Wendy Lamb at Random House/Wendy Lamb Books has preempted Mae Respicio's debut middle-grade novel, A House Like This. The story is about a Filipina-American girl who sets out to build her own tiny house where she can escape her intrusive family, but her summer DIY project becomes life-changing when her long-lost father suddenly reappears. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Erin Stein at Macmillan/Imprint has acquired husband-and-wife author-illustrator team Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr's first two books in an illustrated middle grade series, called The Real McCoys. It follows the first-person adventures of a self-styled fourth grade detective – the flawed-yet-indomitable Moxie McCoy – and her indispensable foil of a little brother. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Meredith Kaffel Simonoff at DeFiore and Company brokered the deal for world rights.
Charlie Ilgunas and Jenna Pocius at Little Bee Books have acquired an untitled middle grade nonfiction series by Erin Peabody, to be illustrated by Victor Rivas, about mythical creatures and their “appearances” throughout history, starting with the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot. Publication for the first two books is set for summer 2017; Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency represented Peabody and Justin Rucker of Shannon Associates represented Rivas in the deal for world rights.
Mark Siegel at First Second Books has bought world rights to Chasma Knights, a graphic novel written by Kate Reed Petty (l.) and illustrated by Boya Sun. The book tells the story of a world where toys give you superpowers – except for one kid, Beryl, who can't work with toys and becomes an engineer. Publication is scheduled for 2018; the authors were unagented.
Kate Harrison at Dial has acquired at auction Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back?, and a second untitled picture book written by Jory John and illustrated by Liz Climo. The picture book chronicles a day in the life of an elephant with a desperate itch, surrounded by peers who are unable to scratch it. Scratch is slated for publication in spring 2018; Steven Malk of Writers House represented the author and Kathleen Ortiz of New Leaf Literary & Media represented the illustrator in the deal for world English rights.
Celia Lee at Scholastic/Orchard has bought author-illustrator Darren Farrell's latest project, LetterTown, at auction. The book follows Detective D through the jam-packed pages as he chases Robber R through the neighborhoods teeming with funny letter-characters (including a hipster, a Lincoln impersonator, an underwear model, and more). Publication is set for 2018; Heather Alexander at Pippin Properties did the deal for world English rights.
Hannah Lambert at Little Simon has acquired world rights to Lines by Sarvinder Naberhaus (l.), to be illustrated by Melinda Beck. The story follows the many ways a line can shape and grow, smallest scope to the largest. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and the illustrator was unagented.
Tamar Brazis at Abrams has bought at auction Camille Andros's (l.) The Dress and the Girl, to be illustrated by Julie Morstad. The picture book tells a tale of immigration, the value of simple joys, and the power of memory. Publication is planned for fall 2018; world rights for the two-book deal were negotiated by Lori Kilkelly of Rodeen Literary Management for the author and Emily van Beek of Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management for the illustrator.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane Books has acquired world rights to Jennifer Ward's Mama Dug a Little Den, to be illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Steve Jenkins. The book will feature the many kinds of dens and burrows animals make for their little ones. Publication is set for spring 2018; Stefanie Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary represented Ward and Jenkins was unagented.
Maria Modugno at Random House and Tara Walker at PRH Canada have bought Owls Are Very Good at Keeping Secrets by Sara O'Leary, illustrated by Jacob Grant, an alphabet book featuring 26 animals with commentary on each one's unique personality quirk. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Jackie Kaiser of Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and Steven Chudney of the Chudney Agency represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Sylvie Frank at S&S/Paula Wiseman Books has acquired world rights to Boing! by Tim McCanna (l.), illustrated by Jorge Martin, an onomatopoeic alphabet book about a boy's misadventures as he chases his ball through the city. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong of Bright USA represented the illustrator.
Andrew Harwell at HarperCollins has acquired Madeleine Roux's YA series House of Furies. Featuring a mix of photographs and illustrations, the gothic horror series follows a young woman who begins work as a maid at a 19th-century English boarding house, only to discover that its owner is exacting his own brand of dark justice on its guests. Publication is scheduled for summer 2017; Kate McKean at Howard Morhaim brokered the three-book deal for world rights.
David Levithan at Scholastic has bought Frogkisser! by Garth Nix, author of the Old Kingdom, Seventh Tower, and Keys to the Kingdom series. In the book, Princess Anya, along with her loyal dog, embarks on a quest to acquire the ingredients to a transmogrification reversal lip balm needed to change a frog back to a prince, an otter-girl back into an otter, a newt into a boy, and save her kingdom from her villainous step-stepfather. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Kristin Rens at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has preempted a YA fantasy series, The Glass Spare, by Lauren DeStefano. The two-book series follows Wil, a banished princess who holds the power to crystallize living things – including people – with a touch. She must decide whether to use this power to avenge her banishment or protect her home kingdom as it descends into war. Publication is set for fall 2017; Barbara Poelle of Irene Goodman Literary sold North American rights, and Baror International has foreign rights.
Debra Dorfman at Scholastic in partnership with Ubisoft has acquired two YA historical thrillers by Matthew J. Kirby based on the game franchise Assassin's Creed. The game has sold more than 93 million units globally since they were introduced in 2007. The first book releases in September 2016 in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and the second book will appear in January 2017. The deal was brokered by Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.
Lynne Polvino at Clarion has bought the latest YA novel by Jeff Hirsch. Set in a near-future world on the brink of catastrophe, Unnatural Disasters follows 17-year-old Lucy Weaver, whose plans to spend a year traveling with her boyfriend after graduation are destroyed – along with everything else she thought she could count on – when attacks by an unknown terrorist organization throw the planet into chaos. Publication is planned for fall 2017; Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger negotiated the deal.
Krista Marino at Delacorte has preempted Karen McManus's debut YA novel, One of Us Is Lying, and a second untitled novel. The book tells the story of what happens when the creator of a high school gossip app mysteriously dies in front of four high-profile students and they all become suspects.Each teen has something to hide, and someone is still out there toying with them. Publication is scheduled for summer 2017; Rosemary Stimola with Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the six-figure deal for North American rights; the book is currently at auction in Germany, Spain and France.
Rebecca Weston at Delacorte has acquired at auction Unraveling Lovely, a debut YA novel by Ashley Woodfolk. In alternating voices, and in part through interactions on social media, three diverse teens experience life and love in the wake of tragedy. The first book is set for fall 2017; Beth Phelan at the Bent Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Jean Feiwel at Feiwel and Friends has bought P.S. I Miss You, an epistolary middle grade debut by teen librarian Jen Petro-Roy. The story follows Evie, whose beloved teenage sister disappears after getting pregnant. Evie has to unravel the mystery of where her sister is and what happened to her, while navigating her first crush on a girl, her complicated relationship with her religious parents, and universal growing pains. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Brianne Johnson of Writers House brokered the two-book, six-figure deal, in a three-house auction, for North American English rights.
Ann Rider at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired a middle-grade novel by Terry Lynn Johnson. Sled Dog School tells the story of a lonely 11-year old boy who starts a business teaching dog sledding to fulfill a class assignment, but his lessons don't work out the way he expected. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has bought Dustin Hansen's middle grade nonfiction debut Game On!: Video Game History from Pong and Pac-Man to Mario, Minecraft and More. A veteran of the video game industry, Hansen uses his experience to chart the growth and evolution of video games by focusing on some of the most popular, innovative, and influential games. Publication is planned for March 2017; Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Howard W. Reeves at Abrams has acquired world English rights to two nonfiction books by Coretta Scott Kin Honor winning author Tonya Bolden. In both books, which are set for spring 2018 and spring 2019, Bolden will chronicle a milestone of African-American history. Jennifer Lyons at the Jennifer Lyons Agency brokered the deal.
Emily Feinberg of Roaring Brook Press has bought world rights to Maria Gianferrari's picture book, A Home for Bobcat. The nonfiction text tells the story of a young predator as he makes his way through the suburban landscape seeking a home. Bagram Ibatoulline will illustrate; publication is tentatively slated for 2019, Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Marietta B. Zacker and Nancy Gallt of the Nancy Gallt Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Annie Nybo at S&S/McElderry has acquired world rights to Whobert Whover, Owl Detective by Jason Gallaher, to be illustrated by Jess Pauwels. Whobert is a very curious owl with quite a first case to crack. It is scheduled for summer 2017; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Alli Brydon at Bright USA represented the illustrator.
