Karen Lotz at Candlewick has acquired world rights to a new book by Kate DiCamillo called La La La: A Story of Hope, illustrated by Jaime Kim, to be published in September 2017. A nearly wordless picture book, La La La follows a lonely girl as she journeys from one fantastical world to another, sharing her unique song in a quest for friendship and connection. Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the author and Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Beverly Horowitz at Delacorte has bought Genuine Fraud, a new YA novel by We Were Liars author E. Lockhart. It tells the story of two girls, one a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat, and the other a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete – and poses the question: who is genuine and who is a fraud? Publication is set for September 2017; Elizabeth Kaplan of the Elizabeth Kaplan Agency sold world rights.
T.S. Ferguson at Harlequin Teen has acquired two more novels from YA author Adi Alsaid. The first, Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak, follows a teen relationship columnist as she struggles with writers' block in the wake of a devastating breakup, and her decision to chronicle the planned breakup of another couple in the summer after they graduate from high school. Publication is slated for summer 2018; Peter Knapp at Park Literary & Media brokered the deal for world English rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan's Christy Ottaviano Books has bought world rights to two new YA novels by April Henry. The first book, The Lonely Dead, is a murder-mystery with a paranormal twist pitched as The Sixth Sense meets The Girl on the Train, and is scheduled for 2018. The second, The White Van, is a thriller inspired by the Jaycee Dugard story, and is scheduled for 2019. Wendy Schmalz at the Wendy Schmalz Agency negotiated the deal.
Sarah McCabe at Simon Pulse acquired, in a preempt, Emily Suvada's debut YA novel, This Mortal Coil, in which the daughter of the world's leading geneticist must use her biohacking skills to unravel the mystery he left behind to save the world from a lethal plague that has devastated humanity. Publication is planned for November 2017; DongWon Song at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency sold North American rights.
Tiffany Liao at Razorbill has bought Simon Van Booy's debut children's series Gertie Milk, about a girl who discovers she is the next Keeper of Lost Things and, with the help of a time machine disguised as a vintage sports car, races through time from a 1920s flapper party to a hidden mountain village in 770 B.C. China to return lost objects to famous historical figures. Publication of the first book, Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things, is set for fall 2017; Carrie Kania at Conville & Walsh did the two-book deal for world rights.
Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook has acquired Alyssa Hollingsworth's debut middle grade novel, The Eleventh Trade, at auction, together with a second title. The book is a powerful story of love, loss, friendship and hope, centered around Sami, a young refugee from Afghanistan now building a new life with his grandfather in Boston. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Amber Caravéo at Skylark Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Susan Dobinick at Bloomsbury has purchased world rights for Jennifer Swanson's Top Secret Ops: Sneaky Tricks and Daring Deeds That Won World War II, an illustrated middle grade book that describes the classified and covert operations executed by both the Allies and Axis powers during World War II. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management brokered the deal.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has bought Veritable Hokum blogger Korwin Briggs' informational picture book series The Inventioneers, which he is both writing and illustrating. Pitched as The Magic School Bus meets The Way Things Work for the K–2 set, the books will feature a blundering bunch of scientists seeking great “inventions” for their museum who mistake simple, real-world machines for objects to be used for everything but their actual purpose — until a child intervenes and explains all. Publication of the first two titles is scheduled for spring 2019; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions negotiated the four-book deal for world rights.
Wendy McClure at Albert Whitman has acquired two projects by author-illustrator Anne Kennedy: a board book, Go Baby Go Dog, featuring an on-again off-again chase between a toddler and his wary four-legged friend; and a picture book, Fred Pudding, about a grandmother who cooks bread pudding while her messy dog cooks up trouble in the living room. Publication for both books is set for 2018. Mela Boilnao of MB Artists did the deal for world rights.
Susan Kochan at Putnam has bought Hedgehog Needs a Hug, Jen Betton's debut as an author-illustrator. In the book, Hedgehog searches for a forest friend who is willing to give him a hug despite his prickly spines (besides Fox). Publication is planned for summer 2018; Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Russ Busse at Little, Brown has acquired CatStronauts creator Drew Brockington's Hangry, a picture book about a hungry monster lashing out at a city while in search of food. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties sold world rights.
Rob Broder of Ripple Grove Press has bought world rights to a debut picture book called Cat Eyes by Laura Lee, in which a girl becomes obsessed with seeing cats wherever she goes. Publication is set for fall 2018; the author was unagented.
Lee Wade at Random House's Schwartz & Wade Books has acquired world rights to Affectionately, Eliza by Margaret McNamara (l.) and illustrated by Esmé Shapiro, a picture book written as a letter from Eliza Hamilton, wife of Alexander Hamilton, to her great-granddaughter, with a foreword by Phillipa Soo. Publication is scheduled for summer 2018; Faith Hamlin at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the author and Charlotte Sheedy of the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Andrea Welch at S&S's Beach Lane Books has acquired One Dark Bird, a picture book by Liz Garton Scanlon (l.) with illustrations by Frann Preston-Gannon, described as “a counting book gone wild,” featuring a murmuration of starlings. It's slated for spring 2019; Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Kirsten Hall of Catbird Productions represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Alyssa Mito Pusey at Charlesbridge has acquired Did You Burp? How to Ask Questions (Or Not), a picture book about questions and answers—how to form them and when to ask them—by April Pulley Sayre (l.), for publication in fall 2018. Charlie Eve Ryan will illustrate, marking her picture-book debut. Emily Mitchell of Wernick & Pratt represented the author and Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the artist for world rights.
