Krista Marino at Delacorte has won at auction a YA fantasy trilogy by debut author Laura Sebastian, in a six-figure deal. In the first book, Ash Princess, Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the queen, murdered. Ten years later, she has learned to survive in the invaders' court; when magically-gifted rebels infiltrate, she bands with them to seduce and murder the prince. But in order to save her people, she has to decide how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice along the way. Ash Princess will be released in spring 2018; Laura Biagi at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins has bought at auction North American rights to poet Elizabeth Acevedo's debut YA novel, The Poet X. The story follows Xiomara Santiago –a Dominican-American teenage writer who is struggling with her faith, her family, and her feelings for a boy – as she discovers the power of slam poetry to give voice to her feelings. Publication is set for winter 2018; Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Liesa Abrams at Simon Pulse has acquired Meg Leder's YA novel, Saving Major Tom, the story of valedictorian Parker McCullough, whose anxiety spirals out of control when she begins a summer internship at a children's hospital. Inspired by street art that begins popping up around town, Parker abandons her internship, setting in motion a summer of discovery. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold North American rights.
Amy Stapp at Tor Teen has bought Teri Bailey Black's debut YA Girl at the Grave in a preempt. When murder strikes in a small New England town in the early 1800s, rumors of witchcraft swirl, and Valentine Deluca must find the killer on her own before she's arrested and hanged like her mother. Publication is slated for summer 2018; Barbara Poelle at Irene Goodman Literary did the two-book deal for North American rights.
Kieran Viola at Disney-Hyperion has acquired world English rights to a new middle grade series by Mari Mancusi. The first book, The Pendragon Problem, follows a young King Arthur who accidentally time-travels to the 21st century, Googles himself, realizes his not-so-awesome destiny, and decides he’d rather stay and play football than pull the sword from the stone. Two modern-day kids – with a little help from Merlin – must pull a Camelot-sized caper and right history. It will publish in fall 2018; Mandy Hubbard at Emerald City Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks has bought Jessie Janowitz's debut The Doughnut Fix as well as an untitled sequel, pitched as The Lemonade War meets Fudge. The story follows 11-year-old Tristan as he's forced to move out of the big city and into a small town, where the only thing that can save him from boredom is the greatest doughnut recipe of all time. Publication is set for spring 2018, with the second book to follow in spring 2019. Carrie Hannigan at Hannigan Salky Getzler negotiated the deal for world rights.
Arianne Lewin at Putnam has acquired Melinda Beatty's middle grade debut Heartseeker, about Only Fallow, whose ability to see lies means she must leave everything she's known behind to serve her King, while his enemies aim to make sure she never reaches the castle alive. It's scheduled for publication in 2018; Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management did the two-book deal.
Mark Siegel at First Second Books has bought world rights to Island Book, a middle-grade graphic novel written and illustrated by Evan Dahm. Set on a world of islands, the book tells the story of a girl who leaves her home because of a curse and ventures out to explore the world. Publication is slated for winter 2019; Dahm was unagented.
Tamar Mays at HarperCollins has acquired three books by Sarah Albee for a History Readers I Can Read series: biographies of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Martin Luther King Jr., to be published beginning in fall 2017. Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Callie Metler-Smith of Clear Fork Publishing has bought debut author Sarah Floyd's middle grade novel, Butterfly Girl. Twelve-year-old Meghan, abandoned on her grandfather's farm, stumbles upon an ancestor's magic spell book and sprouts wings. Now Meghan must decide between the mother she longed for, or Grandpa and the farm that almost feels like home. Publication is planned for fall 2017; Essie White of Storm Literary Agency sold world English rights.
Erica Zappy Wainer of HMH has acquired world rights to six books in Kama Einhorn's new chapter book series, Sanctuary Stories, about animal sanctuaries around the world. Text and photographs tell the stories of vulnerable wildlife, threatened species, and the humane humans who provide them with hope and haven. The first title, Welcome, Wombat, celebrates Australian marsupial rescue. Publication is scheduled to begin in fall 2018; the author was unagented.
Margaret Anastas of HarperCollins has bought world rights to two picture books by Ged Adamson, Ava and the Rainbow Who Stayed and an untitled book. The first book is about a girl who is entranced by a beautiful rainbow and wishes he could stay forever; the next morning, she is astonished to find that her wish has come true, and the rainbow quickly becomes famous. How long will his fame last? Publication is slated for February 2018; Isabel Atherton of Creative Authors Ltd. did the deal.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has acquired world rights to What Do They Do With All That Poo? written by Jane Kurtz (l.), a picture book that explores zoo poop and what zoos do with it. Allison Black will illustrate; publication is set for summer 2018. Barry Goldblatt of Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency represented the author and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Meredith Mundy at Sterling has bought world rights to How to Become a Knight (in Ten Easy Lessons), written by Todd Tarpley and illustrated by Jenn Harney, about a boy who ends up teaching his foolish instructor the correct responsibilities of knighthood. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the author and illustrator.
Erica Sussman at HarperTeen has acquired Erin Bowman's YA sci-fi duology, consisting of Contagion and an untitled sequel, about two teens working internships for a drilling conglomerate who are coerced into investigating a distress call from a research crew light years away, and about the sole survivor they find when landing on the supposedly uninhabitable planet. Pitched as Alien meets The Thing, the novels are scheduled for spring 2018 and spring 2019. Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal for North American rights while at Harvey Klinger.
Andrew Karre at Dutton has acquired playwright Joy McCullough's YA novel-in-verse Blood/Water/Paint, based on the true story of teenage Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Publication is slated for 2018; Jim McCarthy of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold world English rights.
Jill Santopolo at Philomel has bought a YA novel from The Secret Sky author Atia Abawi, a journalist and former foreign correspondent. A Land of Permanent Goodbyes follows Tareq, a Syrian teenager who, after losing most of his family in an airstrike, begins a harrowing journey with his sister to Europe while dealing with the aftermath of tragic loss. Publication is planned for 2018; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management did the deal for world English rights.
Susan Van Metre at Abrams has acquired in a pre-empt to Olivia Kidney author Ellen Potter's new chapter book series, Big Foot & Little Foot, in a three-book deal. In the series, Hugo, a young Sasquatch looking for adventure, and Boone, a boy looking for a Sasquatch, team up to search for mythical beasts while learning about each other's very different worlds. The first book is slated for spring 2018; Alice Tasman of Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Michelle Frey at Knopf has bought Sneak Thief by Faith Harkey, about a girl from a damaged family whose mysterious gift for taking away others' pain helps her build a new life for herself. Publication is set for spring 2018; Liza Voges at Eden Street sold world rights.
Calista Brill at First Second has bought world English rights to the graphic novel Cici's Journal by Joris Chamblain and Aurelie Neyret. It tells the story of an aspiring writer honing her craft by investigating mysteries in her town, then writing about them in the process. The story won the Prix Jeunesse at Angouleme when it was first published by Soleil in France; First Second will combine the first two volumes into a single book and publish it in fall 2017. Soleil represented the authors.
Liza Baker at Scholastic has acquired world rights to a picture book written by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine (l.), and illustrated by Marc Brown, creator of the Arthur Adventure picture book series. Mary McScary, their second picture book collaboration, will be published by Orchard Books in September 2017. The author and illustrators were unagented.
Kelly Delaney at Knopf has bought Dan Richards's (l.) Once Upon a Goat, the tale of one royal family and how the most innocent of wishes can sometimes go awry. Eric Barclay will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2018. Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Lori Nowicki at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Karen Wojtyla at McElderry Books has acquired world rights to Clever Little Witch, a picture book by Muon Van (l.), illustrated by Hyewon Yum, about a witch who comes up with innovative ways to get rid of her baby brother, only to realize she's drastically underestimated him and her appreciation for him. Publication is set for summer 2019; Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has bought world rights to The Skydiving Beavers of Idaho: A True Tale by Susan Wood (formerly Susan vanHecke), about a beaver who endured countless hours of skydiving practice and led the way as a colony of beavers was relocated by airdropping them into the wilderness in the wake of WWII. Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen will illustrate, and publication is planned for spring 2017. Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author; the illustrator was unagented.
