Lauren Smulski at Harlequin Teen has acquired Amanda Foody's debut YA fantasy, Daughter of the Burning City, in which illusion-worker Sorina, who runs the Gomorrah Festival's Freak Show, must solve the mystery of who is murdering her illusions – and how. Smulski has also acquired Foody's Ace of Shades, first in a planned YA fantasy trilogy set in the “City of Sin,” where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets, and giant smokestacks stain the skies black. Daughter will pub in fall 2017, and Ace is planned for spring 2018. Brianne Johnson at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights.
Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook has bought Spinning, a YA competitive figure-skating graphic novel memoir by Eisner-nominated cartoonist Tillie Walden, for First Second Books. It is scheduled for fall 2017; Seth Fishman at the Gernert Company did the deal for world English rights.
Annette Pollert-Morgan at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired Cori McCarthy's contemporary YA novel, Now a Major Motion Picture. It's the story of a teen song-writer who is determined to sabotage the movie adaptation of her grandmother's famous Tolkien-styled high-fantasy trilogy but who, once on set in Ireland, finds herself falling for the story and one of the actors, while beginning to embrace her grandmother's legacy of courage and creativity. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary brokered the deal for North American rights.
Jennifer Letwack at Thomas Dunne Books will publish S. Jae-Jones's YA novel Wintersong in winter 2017, and a companion novel in 2018. The books are set across Europe and the realm of the Goblin King. Publication is set for 2018; Katelyn Detweiler of Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold world English rights. Letwack had acquired Wintersong as an adult title, but decided a few months ago to publish it as YA.
Zaneta Jung at Sterling has bought world rights toFamously Phoebe by Lori Alexander, about a little girl who is always surrounded by her parents' cameras, leading her to believe she must be famous… until a younger co-star arrives on set and she finds a brand new role to play. It will be illustrated by Aurélie Blard-Quintard; publication is slated for spring 2017. Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented Lori Alexander (when she was at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency) and Alli Brydon at Bright USA represented Aurélie Blard-Quintard.
Julie Tibbott at HMH has acquired YA author Sarah Porter's middle-grade debut, Tentacle and Wing, about the secrets inside a quarantined school for children born with human and animal DNA thanks to a genetic experiment gone wrong. Publication is tentatively scheduled for fall 2017; Kent Wolf of The Friedrich Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has bought world English rights to debut novelist Kevin Scott's middle grade novel Frederik Sandwich and the Earthquake That Couldn't Possibly Be. The story follows two young outcasts, foreigners in a town that shuns anyone who is different, as they trek through abandoned train tunnels, into hidden library rooms, and to the shadowy halls of City Hall in the dead of night as they try to figure out what could have caused inexplicable rumblings in their small town. It's planned for September 2017; Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich brokered the two-book deal.
Mark Siegel at First Second Books has acquired Big Bad Fox, a graphic novel for young readers by Oscar-nominated animator Benjamin Renner. The book tells the story of an incompetent fox who steals some chicks so he can raise them to become his dinner – but then they imprint on him. It pubs in spring 2017; Renner was unagented in this deal for world English rights.
Jeffrey Salane at Little Simon has bought the first two titles in the new Daisy Dreamer chapter book series, illustrated by Genevieve Santos. Daisy is a smart, spunky seven-year-old whose vibrant imagination sends her on whimsical adventures full of very real “imaginary” friends, sparkle fairies, unicorns, and rainbows. Publication for both titles is set for spring 2017; Jaida Temperly at New Leaf Literary & Media negotiated the deal for world rights.
Michael Green at Philomel has acquired, in a two-book preempt, debut author-illustrator Mike Malbrough's picture book Marigold, in which a very fancy cat attempts to make a very fancy cake, but discovers baking is for the birds. Publication is scheduled for June 2017; Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management did the deal for world rights.
Margie Markarian at HMH has bought world rights to Jamie A. Swenson's Woof and Quack, an early reader series celebrating friendship between a dog and a duck with humor, to be illustrated by Ryan Sias. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017. Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the author and Judith Hansen at Hansen Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has acquired Andy Maxwell's debut picture book, Once Upon a Slime, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill. The story is a mash-up of several favorite fairy tales in a prank-filled whodunit. It's set to publish in summer 2018; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions negotiated the deal for world rights.
Dinah Stevenson at Clarion Books has acquired a new, as yet untitled picture book by David Wiesner, about the upheaval caused by a new arrival in a robot family, based on the character in Wiesner's app, Spot. Publication is slated for spring 2019; Wiesner was unagented in the deal for world rights.
Jordan Brown at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has preempted Justina Ireland's Dread Nation and an untitled sequel, a YA duology set in a post-Reconstruction America beset by an undead plague that rose from the Civil War battlefields. Publication is set for 2018; Amy Boggs at Donald Maass Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Ruta Rimas at S&S/McElderry has bought You Keep the Sky from Falling, the fourth book by Brendan Kiely, about three friends at a prestigious boarding school who come to depend on each other when a longstanding, sexually predatory tradition at the school threatens to undermine their futures and their friendships. It's tentatively scheduled for fall 2017; Rob Weisbach at Rob Weisbach Creative Management negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Jess Garrison at Dial has acquired a currently untitled YA novel from Jenn Marie Thorne, set over a hot New York City summer. It follows an ungifted daughter of a famous composer as she falls for a teen prodigy and must face down her lost dreams and the classical music establishment to fight for her own chance at happiness. Publication is planned for 2018; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold world English rights.
Katherine Harrison at Knopf and Samantha Swenson at Tundra Books have bought Phoebe Wahl's Backyard Fairies, in which a girl searches for elusive fairies in the woods behind her home and learns to embrace the magic of the unseen. Publication is slated for spring 2018; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Erin Clarke at Knopf has acquired world rights for Here Comes Trouble, a middle grade novel by Kate Hattemer, about a sixth grader whose school year is shaken up when his cooler-than-thou Brooklynite cousin comes to “study abroad” with his family in small-town Minnesota. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Uwe Stender at TriadaUS negotiated the deal.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has bought world rights to art director and debut author Lauren Rille's (l.) I Feel Teal, a picture book that uses colors to explore an array of emotions. Aimee Sicuro will illustrate, and publication is planned for summer 2018. The author was unagented; the artist was represented by Andrea Morrison at Writers House.
Jordan Nielsen and Craig Cohen at Pow! Kids Books have acquired world English rights to Cynthia Leonor Garza's (l.) Lucía the Luchadora, the story of a girl fighting injustices on the playground while disguised as a masked luchadora. The picture book is a contemporary take on the flashy and full-of-heart world of Mexican lucha libre. Alyssa Bermudez will illustrate; publication is set for spring 2017. Marietta B. Zacker at the Nancy Gallt Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Tracy Mack at Scholastic Press has bought world rights to The Little Red Fort, a picture book by debut author Brenda Maier (l.) and illustrator Sonia Sánchez. In this retelling of The Little Red Hen, Ruby proves that little sisters should never be underestimated. Publication is scheduled for 2018; Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Teresa Kietlinski of Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator.
Melissa Manlove at Chronicle has acquired world rights to Kate Messner (l.) and Margaret Powell's first collaboration, Only the Best: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Lowe, a picture book biography of a little-known African-American designer who learned to sew from her grandmother, a former slave, and grew up to become a 20th-century fashion pioneer. Messner is the author of more than 25 books for young readers; Powell is a debut author and decorative arts historian. Publication is tentatively planned for 2018; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for both authors.
Rachel Williams and Jenny Broom at Wide Eyed Editions have bought Kate Siber's National Parks of the U.S.A, to be illustrated by Chris Turnham. The nonfiction picture book partner toThe 50 States presents America's greatest parks and the wildlife that inhabits them. The book is set to publish in summer 2018; the author was unagented; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Rob Broder of Ripple Grove Press has acquired Casey Robinson's (l.) debut picture book, Iver and Ellsworth, in which Iver and his friend, a rooftop bear, learn that the best views are those you share. Melissa Larson will illustrate; publication is slated for 2018. The author and the illustrator represented themselves in the deal for world rights.
