Elizabeth Bewley at HMH won, in a seven-house auction, world English rights to Bad Babysitters, a debut middle-grade series by Caroline Cala. The series centers on three best friends who start a babysitting club despite the fact that they're 100% unqualified (and kind of grossed out by little kids). Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Lanie Davis at Alloy Entertainment brokered the three-book deal.
Caroline Abbey at Random House has acquired, in a four-house auction, Stacy McAnulty's middle grade debut, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. When math genius Lucy is forced to attend middle school, she knows she'll hate it; she has everything she needs online. But is it possible she's miscalculated? Publication is set for fall 2018; Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management did the six-figure, two-book deal for world English rights.
Margaret Raymo at HMH has bought world rights to Class Action, the second middle grade novel from Steven B. Frank. It tells the story of a group of Los Angeles children who declare war on homework and bring a lawsuit against their school district. Eventually their battle goes all the way to the Supreme Court. Spring 2018 is the pub date; Kevin O'Connor of O'Connor Literary negotiated the deal.
Bethany Buck at Sky Pony Press has acquired world rights to Robert L. Fouch's debut middle grade, Christmas Carol & the Defenders of Claus, about a girl who is obsessed with Christmas, and discovers she’s descended from a long line of protectors whose mission is to protect Santa Claus. Publication is planned for fall 2017; the author was unagented.
Brian Sockin at Persnickety Press has bought Summer on Earth by Peter Thompson, a middle grade novel set in the 1980s about an 11-year-old boy and the stranded extraterrestrial who comes into his life. It's set for September 2017; Anna Olswanger of Olswanger Literary sold world rights.
Kat Brzozowski at Feiwel and Friends has acquired world English rights to We Need Diverse Books Short Story Contest winner Aminah Mae Safi's debut novel Not the Girls You're Looking For, in a preempt. It's a coming-of-age novel, set in Houston, that follows Lulu Saad as she navigates the unpredictable waters of love, friendship, and Ramadan. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Lauren MacLeod at the Strothman Agency brokered the deal.
Susan Chang at Tor Teen has bought Mary Cecilia Jackson's debut novel Sparrow, about a teenage ballerina who must find the courage to recover from an assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend. Publication is tentatively slated for spring 2018; Lindsay Mealing and Mandy Hubbard at Emerald City Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Besser at Putnam has acquired Carmela Full of Wishes, a picture book by Newbery Medalist Matt de la Peña (l.) and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Christian Robinson, the team behind Last Stop on Market Street. The book follows a Mexican American girl and her brother on her birthday as she tries to decide what she wants most. Publication is planned for 2018; Steven Malk at Writers House did the two-book deal for world rights.
Emma Ledbetter at Atheneum has bought world rights to Wings, the debut picture book by children's book editor Cheryl Klein; Tomie dePaola will illustrate. Told in a series of rhyming words, the story follows a little bird's first fall – and flight. Publication is set for spring 2019; Brianne Johnson at Writers House represented the author and Doug Whiteman at the Whiteman Agency represented the illustrator.
Kristin Daly Rens at Balzer + Bray has acquired in a preempt recent SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant Winner Hannah Holt's debut, Diamond/Man, illustrated by Jay Fleck. It's a double-biography picture book, telling the story of natural diamond creation alongside the story of H. Tracy Hall, the author's grandfather, who invented a revolutionary diamond-making machine. Publication is planned for fall 2018. Laura Biagi at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency represented the author for North American rights and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan's Christy Ottaviano Books has bought world rights to Ken Baker's (l.) picture book How to Care for Your T-Rex, to be illustrated by cartoonist Dave Coverly. It answers the age-old question: what do you do with a pet T-Rex? Publication is scheduled for 2018; Melissa Chinchillo at Fletcher & Company negotiated the deal for the illustrator.
Meredith Mundy at Sterling has acquired Rain! author Linda Ashman's (l.) picture book Ella, Who?, about a girl who discovers a baby elephant in her new house, but her parents are too busy unpacking to notice. Sara Sanchez will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2017. Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author and Chloe Morgan at Plum Pudding Illustration represented the illustrator.
Amy Novesky at Cameron + Company has bought Red by author-illustrator Jed Alexander, first in a series of wordless retellings of classic fairy tales for the very young, this one a twist on Little Red Riding Hood. It will be published in spring 2018; Abigail Samoun at Red Fox Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Kathy Dawson of Penguin's Kathy Dawson Books has acquired two YA novels from Graceling author Kristin Cashore. The two-book deal includes Jane, Unlimited, a novel about newly orphaned Jane who accepts an invitation to a mysterious mansion in the wake of her beloved aunt's death, and a second, untitled novel. Publication of Jane, Unlimited is slated for fall 2017; Faye Bender of The Book Group sold North American rights.
Emily Easton at Crown has bought a coming-of-age debut novel from screenwriting duo and long-time best friends Amy Andelson (l.) and Emily Meyer. Layover focuses on three siblings in a blended family from the Upper East Side whose relationships are tested during a flight layover that turns into a journey of romance, heartbreak, and adventure on the streets of Los Angeles. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Lacy Lynch and Dabney Rice at Dupree Miller sold world rights.
Elayne Becker at Tor Teen has acquired world English rights to Dark of the West, a debut novel by Joanna Hathaway, in a preempt. The YA fantasy is the first in a planned series; set in a realm similar to 20th-century Europe, it tells of two star-crossed lovers: an idealistic princess, who must manipulate her country in order to protect her royal family from an uprising, and a young fighter pilot, the son of a bellicose dictator who has been given the job of spying on her. It's scheduled for summer 2018; Steven Salpeter at Curtis Brown did the three-book deal.
Arthur Levine at Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books has bought Unidentified Suburban Object author Mike Jung's The Boys in the Back Row, a story of comic nerds, band geeks, and one grand misadventure in the name of friendship. It will release in fall 2018; Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency sold North American rights.
Amy Stapp at Tor Teen has acquired world rights to urban fantasy author Amber Lynn Natusch's Hometown Antihero series. The first book, Dare to Tell a Lie, is the author's debut YA. Pitched in the vein of Veronica Mars, a teen sleuth returns to her old hometown after her father's recent incarceration, confronts the scandal she left behind, and pairs with a hotshot FBI agent to clear her father's name. The first book is set for 2018, with a sequel in 2019; Jessica Watterson of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Adrienne Szpyrka at Running Press has bought Vicki Grant's YA novel, 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You, in which two strangers answer 36 questions to see if they can fall in love. The book was inspired by a Modern Love column in the New York Times. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Fiona Kenshole of Transatlantic Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Cassandra Pelham at Scholastic/Graphix has acquired world rights to Pearl, a graphic novel for teens by Sherri L. Smith (l.), illustrated by Christine Norrie. Set in 1941, the book follows a 13-year-old Japanese-American girl visiting family in Japan when Pearl Harbor is attacked. After the attack she is enlisted as a “monitor girl” to translate radio transmissions for the Japanese army, and has to adjust to her new life in a foreign, war-torn land. Publication is planned for 2018; Kirby Kim at Janklow & Nesbit represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Tracy Mack at Scholastic Press has bought a debut novel from Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award winner Meira Drazin, called Honey and Me. Set in a North American Orthodox Jewish community, the novel follows a girl as she navigates sixth grade in the shadow of her fearless best friend. Publication is slated for 2018; Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Jean Feiwel and Christine Barcellona at Feiwel and Friends have acquired Jen Petro-Roy's middle grade nonfiction debut You Are Enough, a guide to eating disorder recovery, self-confidence, and body image. Publication is set for winter 2019 along with the author's second middle grade novel, which will also be about eating disorder recovery. Brianne Johnson of Writers House negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook Press has bought world rights to Lisl H. Detlefsen's (l.) Your (Unofficial) Guide to Swim Lessons, a story about facing first swimming lessons with confidence, to be illustrated by Madeline Valentine. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author and Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented the artist.
Barbara McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has acquired world rights to Seed Man, a picture book by Aiko Ikegami, about a gift-bearing tree and the fairies who change the life of a lonely man. It's slated for spring 2018; Anna Olswanger of Olswanger Literary represented the author-illustrator.
Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has bought Michael J. Rosen's In the Quiet, Noisy Woods, a cumulative caper through the woods with a feisty pair of wolf pups and many other forest creatures, illustrated by Annie Won. It's set for spring 2019; Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content sold world rights.
Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben has acquired world rights to A Heart Just Like My Mother's, a picture book written by Lela Nargi (l.) and illustrated by Valeria Cis. In the story, a girl relishes stories of her past and discovers that the bonds of love and compassion that connect her to her family connect her to other members of her community as well. Publication is planned for 2018; Essie White of Storm Literary Agency represented the author and Mela Bolineo of MB Artists represented the illustrator.
