Lauren Smulski at Harlequin Teen has acquired Kaitlyn Sage Patterson's debut YA fantasy duology, The Diminished and its untitled sequel. The books follow two teens, Violet and Ambrose, who lead separate lives in an imperialistic world where everyone is born in pairs, and tells what happens when they join forces against a cruel system that breaks the backs of the indentured. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Brent Taylor at the TriadaUS Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.

Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought North American rights to Gills, a debut novel for middle graders by Josephine Cameron, in a two-book deal at auction. Pitched as A Snicker of Magicmeets Three Times Lucky, Gills follows 11-year old Anthoni Gillis as she searches for a True Blue Friend and a possible mermaid during one summer at the run-down Showboat Resort. Publication is set for spring 2018; John M. Cusick of Folio Jr. / Folio Literary Management brokered the deal.

Alix Reid at Carolrhoda Books has acquired world rights to Sarah McGuire's middle-grade fantasy The Swan Princess, a reimagining of “The Six Swans,” about the power of words, the love between siblings, and a romance stronger than an otherworldly evil. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Tracey Adams of Adams Literary did the deal.

Maria Modugno at Random House has bought world rights to two picture books by actor, author, and activist Alan Cumming, illustrated by Grant Shaffer, illustrator of the forthcomingThree Magic Balloons. The Adventures of Honey and Leon and its companion volume tell about the secret lives of two dogs who travel in disguise to international destinations. They are slated for fall 2017 and fall 2018; Luke Janklow of Janklow and Nesbit negotiated the deal.

Maria Modugno at Random House has acquired L-More's Gift by Holly Hobbie, a picture book about a solitary porcupine who figures out how to make friends by giving away his extra quills so that the other animals can become his pen-pals (quill pals?). It's planned for spring 2018; the author was unagented.


Mara Conlon at Peter Pauper Press has bought Rosie and Crayon by Deborah Marcero, a picture book about what it means to love and eventually experience loss, and how to open one's heart again to love. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017. Danielle Smith of Red Fox Literary represented the deal for world rights.

Taylor Norman at Chronicle has acquired world rights to This Is Not a Valentine by children's librarian and blogger Carter Higgins (l.), a tribute to the tension and tribulation of love and crushes in an elementary school classroom. It will be illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins, art director and author-illustrator of A Hungry Lion. Publication is set for fall 2017; Rubin Pfeffer of RP Content represented Higgins and Emily van Beek of Folio Jr. / Folio Literary Management represented Cummins.

Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury Children's has acquired world rights at auction to A Curse So Dark and Lonely and a second untitled YA novel by Brigid Kemmerer, author of the forthcoming YA novel Letters to the Lost, for which rights have already sold in seven countries. In Curse, Prince Rhen is cursed to relive the autumn of his 18th year after spurning the wrong woman, until he can convince another to love him. When the commander of Rhen's guard abducts tough-as-nails teen Harper from our world, she is pulled into Rhen's cursed land, and the only way out is to fall in love. Global publication is set for spring 2018; Mandy Hubbard at Emerald City Literary negotiated the deal.

Alyson Day at HarperCollins has bought Brenda Rufener's debut YA novel Where I Live, about a homeless teenager who secretly lives in the halls of her high school. Publication is planned for winter 2018; Melissa Edwards at the Aaron Priest Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.

Emilia Rhodes at HarperTeen has acquired Gwen C. Katz's debut historical YA novel, Among the Red Stars, a novel inspired by a real-life regiment of Russian female bomber pilots. It tells the story of a girl willing to risk it all for her dream to be a pilot, and her romance with a boy who becomes trapped behind enemy lines. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.

David Linker at HarperCollins has bought from R.L. Stine, working with the Mystery Writers of America, a middle grade short-story anthology, Scream and Scream Again. It will feature an original story by the Goosebumps creator, along with a dozen other stories by bestselling mystery, horror, and middle grade writers. Scheduled publication is summer 2018; the deal for world rights was negotiated directly with the MWA.

Liz Kossnar at Simon & Schuster has acquired author-illustrator Whitney Gardner's middle grade graphic novel, Fake Blood. The story follows an 11-year-old boy who pretends to be a vampire to impress his vampire-obsessed crush, only to discover that she's not a Bella – she's a Buffy. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Brent Taylor at the TriadaUS Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.

Howard Reeves at Abrams has bought Mary Cronk Farrell's Charity Adams, a nonfiction account of unheralded black women who made a contribution to World War II. Publication is slated for spring 2018; Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.


Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow has preempted debut author-illustrator Daria Peoples's picture book THIS. IS. IT., and an untitled companion book. In the book, a young ballerina, uncertain of her talent, follows the poetically compelling voice of her shadow to discover the courage she needs to audition. Publication is set for 2018; Marietta B. Zacker of the Nancy Gallt Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.

Erin Stein at Macmillan/Imprint has acquired Monique Fields's (l.) Honeysmoke, a picture book about a girl searching for a word to describe herself and her place in a multiracial family. Geneva Benton will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Kevin O'Connor of O'Connor Literary Agency represented Fields in the deal for world rights.

Louise May at Lee & Low Books has bought world rights to Every Month's a New Year, a picture book by Marilyn Singer (l.), to be illustrated by Susan L. Roth. The book is a collection of Singer's original poems about New Year celebrations throughout the year and around the world. Publication is planned for fall 2017; the author represented herself and Victoria Wells Arms of Wells Arms Literary represented the illustrator.

Tara Walker at PRH Canada/Tundra has preempted Kate Gardner's first picture book, Snow, to be illustrated by Justin K. Thompson. The story presents the ways in which snowfall transforms the world around us. Publication is set for fall 2017; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions brokered the deal for North American rights.