The new TV series Smallville, about the teen years of Clark Kent/Superman, scored a big success with viewers in its recent launch on the WB Network—good news for Little, Brown Children's Books, which has a tie-in series of YA paperbacks set to launch next October.... Kelley Ragland at St. Martin's Minotaur signed American-in-Italy Olen Steinhauer for a couple of books that will launch a noir series about an East European police precinct during the Cold War decades; the world English rights sale was made by Matt Williams at the Gernert Company, with the first book, The Bridge of Sighs, expected to appear in winter 2003... Henry Holt's George Hodgman has signed journalist and filmmaker Tom Downey for a book on his uncle, New York Fire Chief Raymond Downey, who died in the WTC collapse, and the elite fire department rescue team he led for many years; the world rights deal was signed with Heather Schroeder at ICM, and part of the book's proceeds will go to a fund established in Downey's memory.... Perri O'Shaughnessy (actually sisters Pam and Mary) will continue their bestselling association with Bantam Dell for their legal thrillers starring Tahoe lawyer Nina Reilly; senior editor Danielle Perez made a substantial deal (U.S., Canada, open market) with agent Nancy Yost at Barbara Lowenstein Associates for two more.... A Chinese author's YA novel that's characterized as "Harry Potter meets Kung Fu" was sold to Beverly Horowitz at Random House by agent Elaine Koster, who reports strong interest in the U.K., Hollywood and overseas; it's Wandering Warrior, the 19th-century tale of a boy raised by a monk, who battles his father. The author is Da Chen, whose memoir, Colors of the Mountain, was also a Random title and whose forthcoming Sounds of the River is a February lead for HarperCollins.... Wiley is launching a new series called Turning Points next fall, in which noted authors write about momentous events. First up: William Least Heat-Moon on Columbus's discovery of America (via agent Lois Wallace) and Scott Simon on Jackie Robinson's first year in major league ball (via Jonathon Lazear).