Andrew Karre at Dutton has acquired Stephanie Kuehn's The Pragmatist and an unnamed second YA novel. In the first book, 17-year-old Arman is grasping for any distraction from his terrible health and his disastrous family, and follows charismatic spiritual advisor Beauregard to his wilderness retreat. But things go from strange to bizarre once they arrive at the compound, and Armen's focus switches from self-actualization to self-preservation. It's scheduled for publication in summer 2016; Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich brokered the deal.
Wendy Lamb of Random House imprint Wendy Lamb Books has bought Newbery Honor author Gennifer Choldenko's Chasing Secrets, a middle-grade novel set in the Gilded Age in San Francisco just before the outbreak of the plague, where 13-year-old Lizzie Kennedy must race to save the people she loves. Also acquired is the fourth book in the Al Capone series, Al Capone Does My Dishes, as well as one untitled middle-grade novel. Publication for Chasing Secrets is August 2015 and the Al Capone book is slated for fall 2017; Elizabeth Harding of Curtis Brown negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Kate Sullivan at Delacorte has acquired, via exclusive submission, The Weight of Zero, a debut YA by Karen Fortunati. The story follows Cath, a teenager with bipolar disorder who is contemplating suicide, and her march towards – and struggle to recognize – better mental health, supported by a network of family, doctors, and friends. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Sara Megibow at KT Literary sold world English rights.
Stacy Whitman at Tu Books has bought the rights for a contemporary YA novel by Kimberly Reid, called Justice High, inspired by an actual high school for at-risk students in Colorado. It tells of an overachieving prep school girl from a successful con artist family who gets a tutoring job at a transition school for juvenile delinquents and becomes the leader of a teen crew after she convinces them to use their criminal skills for good. Publication is scheduled for early 2016; Kristin Nelson at Nelson Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired Demitria Lunetta's Bad Blood, about a 16-year-old girl haunted by dreams and compelled to cut herself until she discovers a family secret and a past full of magic that could save her or put her in mortal danger. Publication is set for spring 2017; Maura Kye-Casella at Don Congdon Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Stacey Barney at Putnam has bought at auction Mary G. Thompson's Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee, in which a 16-year-old girl escapes her captor six years after being kidnapped with her cousin. She is too traumatized to say what happened or lead anyone to the scene, but realizes that she might have to go back to go forward. It is slated for publication in spring 2017; Kate McKean at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Joan Powers at Candlewick has acquired Of Jenny and the Aliens the first YA book by author Ryan Gebhart, a girl-meets-boy-meets-alien tale about love, sex, and friendship. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; John M. Cusick of Greenhouse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
Jordan Brown at HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press has bought at auction three books in a middle-grade nonfiction series called Two Truths and a Lie, co-written by Ammi-Joan Paquette (l.) and Laurie Ann Thompson, which combines made-up entries with wacky-but-true stories from science, history, and more. Publication is slated for winter 2017; Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Elise Howard and Krestyna Lypen at Algonquin Young Readers have acquired world rights to former librarian-turned-Book Riot editor Kelly Jensen's Feminism for the Real World, a YA anthology of essays, lists, poems, photos, and illustrations about feminism from a diverse range of well-known voices. Publication is planned for spring 2017; the author was unagented.
Erin Clarke at Knopf has acquired at auction author-illustrator Mark Pett's This Is My Book, which follows an increasingly disgruntled picture book author who loses control when an opinionated panda named Spike takes over the story, as well as an untitled second picture book. Publication is set for fall 2016; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan did the deal for North American rights.
Ginee Seo at Chronicle has bought the Cozy Classics series (previously published by Simply Read Books) by Jack (l.) and Holman Wang. The 12-book deal includes three new titles,Great Expectations, The Nutcracker, and The Wizard of Oz, as well as classics like Moby Dickand Pride and Prejudice written with just 12 words, alongside signature needle-felted photographic illustrations. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Emily van Beek of Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Paula Wiseman at Simon & Schuster's Paula Wiseman Books has acquired world rights to I Don't Draw, a picture book about a young artist who discovers imagination thorough color, written by Adam Lehrhaupt and illustrated by Felicita Sala. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Alexandra Penfold at Upstart Crow Literary represented the author and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Rebecca Davis of Boyds Mills Press/Wordsong has bought North American rights to Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's Read! Read! Read!, a collection of poems that celebrates the joys of reading in all its forms, with Ryan O'Rourke set to illustrate. Publication is slated for 2017; Elizabeth Harding of Curtis Brown represented the author, and Emily Mitchell of Wernick & Pratt Agency represented the illustrator.
Jessica Almon at Razorbill has acquired an untitled personal essay collection by comedy writer and YouTube star Akilah Hughes. The essays explore Hughes's unique journey to adulthood, from entering college as a 16-year-old freshman, to her summer job as a princess in a theme park, to her current starring role on laptop screens everywhere. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Tina Wexler of ICM negotiated the deal for world English rights.
David Linker at HarperCollins has bought three photographic picture books from Dave Engledow, The Girl Who Wouldn't Go to Bed and two untitled works. Engledow's humorous photographs went viral, leading to major media outlets appearances, a pending television deal, a bestselling calendar series, an adult humor book, and a multi-platform social media presence. His first picture book is planned for summer 2017; Steve Ross at Abrams Artists Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Alyson Day at HarperCollins acquired world rights to More Caps for Sale: Another Tale of Mischievous Monkeys by Esphyr Slobodkina and Ann Marie Mulhearn Sayer, a sequel to the classic picture book Caps for Sale, which was originally published in 1940. Publication is slated for this fall, timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the original; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented Sayer and the Slobodkina Foundation in the deal.
Kieran Viola at Disney-Hyperion has bought Saving Hamlet, a debut YA novel by Molly Booth, featuring a 15-year-old stage manager running her high school's production of Hamlet, who falls through the stage trapdoor and lands in the basement of the Globe Theatre in 1601, during Shakespeare's original debut of the play. Publication of the first book is set for winter 2016, with the second to follow in winter 2017. Alexander Slater at Trident Media Group negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights.
Sara Sargent at Simon Pulse has acquired a debut YA novel by Lindsey Rosin, under the working title Cherry, pitched as American Pie for girls. It's a funny look at sex, love, and friendship during four best girlfriends' last year of high school. Publication is scheduled for spring 2016; Jessica Regel at Foundry Literary + Media brokered the deal for North American rights.
Eileen Rothschild at St. Martin's Griffin has bought The Bride of Dusk and Glass by Roshani Chokshi, pitched as a Hades and Persephone-style romance infused with Indian mythology, about an unlikely princess who must overcome her sinister horoscope but instead embarks on a quest to unravel her true identity and find the one she loves. Publication is slated for spring/summer 2016; Thao Le at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights.
Matt Ringler at Scholastic won at auction Goldy Moldavsky's debut novel, Kill the Boy Band. The book follows a group of girls who accidentally kidnap their least-favorite member of their most favorite boy band and then have to deal with the aftermath when he winds up dead. Publication is planned for spring 2016; Jenny Bent at the Bent Agency handled the two-book deal for North American rights.
Sylvie Frank of Simon & Schuster's Paula Wiseman Books has acquired Drawing on Hope by Alexandra Diaz. In this contemporary middle-grade novel about illegal immigration, a boy flees his home in Guatemala to seek a new, safer life in the U.S. Publication is set for fall 2016; Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Laura Godwin at Henry Holt has bought world rights, in a two-book preempt, to author-illustrator Aki's Weather Girls, a picture book starring a group of determined girls on a journey that takes them through a world of changing conditions. Publication is scheduled for spring 2017; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions negotiated the deal.
Sonali Fry at Little Bee has bought world rights to Erica Silverman's (l.) Wake Up, City!, a celebration of the beauty and excitement of the city, told through the eyes of a child walking to school with her father greeting the day. Laure Fournier will illustrate. Publication is planned for summer 2017; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Richard Merritt at the Organisation Illustration Agency represented the illustrator.
Kristine Enderle at APA/Magination Press has acquired world rights to a picture book by Jeanie Franz Ransom (l.), illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin, called Bi3g Red and the Little Bitty Wolf. It's a modern twist on the classic tale, wherein a little wolf's unexpected solution to the class bully is met with surprising success. Publication is slated for spring 2016; Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management represented the author, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator.
