Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired world rights to The Daughters of Ys by M.T. Anderson and Jo Rioux, a YA graphic novel that tells of two royal sisters with fairy blood in their veins, who must fight the dark magic that threatens to destroy the mythical city of Ys. Publication is scheduled for 2020; David McCormick at McCormick Literary represented Anderson, and Jennie Dunham at Dunham Literary represented Rioux.
Kelsy Thompson at Flux has bought author SA Patel's #OwnVoices debut YA novel, The Knockout, in which 17-year-old Muay Thai fighter Kareena Thakkar's world is turned upside down when she learns she's landed an invitation to the U.S. Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-ever Muay Thai Olympics team. But to make it to the Open, she has to come clean about being a Muay Thai fighter—a sport deemed too rough for girls, especially within the traditional Indian community. Publication is set for fall 2020; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management negotiated the deal for North American English rights.
Jessica Harriton at Razorbill has acquired Nicole Lesperance's YA debut novel, The Wide Starlight, the story of a teen girl whose mother was swept away by the Northern Lights. When her mother returns 10 years later, Eli must piece together her memories, told as Norwegian folktales, and journey back to Svalbard to face what really happened. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Kristin Allard and Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers have bought North American rights to Brightstorm, a middle-grade fantasy adventure novel by debut English author Vashti Hardy. Critically acclaimed in the U.K., Brightstorm follows twins Maudie and Arthur as they join the crew of a cutting-edge sky-ship and race to the frozen wilds of South Polaris to clear the name of their father, a famous explorer who perished under mysterious circumstances. The novel is slated to publish in the U.S. in winter 2020; rights were handled by Antonia Pelari on behalf of Hardy's U.K. publisher, Scholastic.
Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook has acquired debut author Van Hoang's Girl Giant and the Monkey King, a contemporary middle grade fantasy about a Vietnamese-American girl who struggles to fit in at school and to keep her secret super strength under control, so she makes a deal with the Monkey King, the trickster god, only to discover that magic can't cure everything. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Mary C. Moore at Kimberley Cameron & Associates did the deal for world rights.
Gina Gagliano at Random House Graphic has bought Johan Troïanowski's middle-grade graphic novel The Runaway Princess, about a young princess who finds her castle intolerably boring—and runs away to find adventure, to make friends, and to learn more about the fantastical world around her. The graphic novel was originally published in France in three volumes as Rouge: Petite Princess Punk. Publication is set for 2020; Ivanka Hahnenberger at VIP Brands sold North American rights.
Kieran Viola at Disney-Hyperion has acquired, at auction, Wild and Chanceby Allen Zadoff (Boy Nobody). In the middle grade novel, a girl wakes up with no memory of who she is or where she's from, and is shocked to discover that she's actually a dog, but one with uncanny abilities and intelligence, who can understand human speech. Pursued by a menacing and mysterious organization, she goes on the run for her life, along with two children. Publication is planned for spring 2020, with a sequel in 2021; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary brokered the six-figure deal for world English rights.
Talia Benamy at Philomel has bought, at auction, influencer and aspiring astronaut Abigail Harrison's (aka Astronaut Abby) Dream Big! Act Big! Inspire Others! A Guide to Changing the World, an inspirational yet practical interactive guide aimed at helping middle grade readers reach for and achieve their dreams. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Heather Flaherty at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Catherine Laudone at Simon & Schuster has acquired The Dream Weaver, an #OwnVoices Latinx middle grade debut by Reina Luz Alegre. In this coming-of-age story, 12-year-old Zoey navigates the tricky waters of friendship and family while searching for a way to save her grandfather's bowling alley from closing. Publication is scheduled for summer 2020; Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Krista Vitola at Simon & Schuster has bought Blue Skies by Anne S. Bustard (Anywhere but Paradise). The middle grade novel tells of a girl's coming-of-age in a small post-war Texas town, as she learns to accept her father's death in WWII, deal with first crushes, and come to terms with her mother dating again. Publication is set for spring 2020; Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt Agency brokered the deal for North American English rights.
Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has signed the first two books in Caldecott Honor artist Brian Lies's young picture book series Little Bat, spun off from his bestselling Bats books. The series will launch with Night School in spring 2021; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired, at auction, Dorien Brouwers's Sail, a journey of courage and self-discovery, and The Wild Beings, an exploration of the primal nature of childhood, both featuring illustrations by the author. Publication is slated for spring and fall 2021, respectively; Angharad Kowal Stannus at Kowal Stannus Agency did the deal for world rights.
Kait Feldmann at Scholastic Press has bought author-illustrator Isabella Kung's debut picture book in a two-book deal. No Fuzzball! is the story of a pampered and fluffy feline despot who loves creating havoc and having her human subjects do her bidding—but when they leave the kingdom for the weekend, she questions whether she should be a more benevolent ruler. The book is planned for 2020; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has acquired world English rights to author-illustrator Charles Beyl's picture book, Little Lunch Truck, about a little lunch truck on a big adventure. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Elizabeth Bennett at the Transatlantic Literary Agency represented the author.
Nancy Inteli at HarperCollins has bought Planting Stories author Anika Aldamuy Denise's tentatively titled Rosita Rising, a biography of EGOT winner Rita Moreno. The book will be illustrated by Pura Belpré Honor-winning artist Leo Espinosa. Publication is set for summer 2021; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself in the deal for world rights.
Anne Schwartz at Random House/Schwartz & Wade has acquired world rights to Carpenter's Helper by Sybil Rosen (l.), illustrated by Camille Garoche. The picture book is about a girl who, while helping her father with a bathroom renovation, discovers a nest with eggs on a shelf above the tub, watches them hatch, and helps the hatchlings fly free. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Richard Basch at Buchwald represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Eliza Swift at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky preempted North American rights to the Australian picture book The Ultimate Survival Guide to Bedtime Monsters by Mitch Frost (l.), illustrated by Daron Parton. The story provides tongue-in-cheek tips for surviving an array of dreaded nighttime monsters. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Allison Hellegers at Rights People negotiated the deal on behalf of Affirm Press in Australia; Rights People is also handling U.K. and translation rights.
Christy Cox at Little Bigfoot has bought world rights to Claude: The True Story of the White Alligator of the California Academy of Sciences by Emma Bland Smith (l.), illustrated by Jennifer M. Potter. The book tells the story of the famous albino alligator living at the California Academy of Science. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Essie White at the Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Susan McCabe at the Lilla Rogers Studio represented the illustrator.
Carolyn Yosder at Calkins Creek has acquired Tad Lincoln's Restless Wriggle by Beth Anderson, illustrated by S.D. Schindler, a nonfiction picture book about the relationship of love and mutual support between Abe Lincoln and his overly curious and inventive son. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Tara Weikum at HarperCollins has acquired North American rights, in a two-book deal, to debut author Rebecca Coffindaffer's new YA series, Crownchasers. In the books, which were pitched as Lara Croft meets Star Wars, a wisecracking intergalactic adventurer becomes the odds-on favorite to win a deadly cross-galaxy contest to become the quadrant's next emperor; too bad she has no intention of winning. Publication is planned for fall 2020; Eric Simonoff at William Morris Endeavor sold the series on behalf of Full Fathom Five. Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author.
Ambika Sambasivan at Yali Books has bought The Darkened Lands of the Earth, a debut #OwnVoices YA novel by Leila Siddiqui, pitched as Pan's Labyrinth meets The Night Diary with a dash of Stranger Things. The book stars a modern teenage girl who is coming to terms with her missing brother, and must discover the secrets of her late grandfather's life in colonial India during WWII and Pakistan after the partition if she is to unlock the greenhouse that suddenly appears in her backyard and face the creatures lurking inside. Publication is set for 2021; Cate Hart at Corvisiero Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English print and digital rights.
Claire Stetzer at Bloomsbury has acquired, at auction, Lilliam Rivera's Pheus & Eury, a YA retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice set in the Bronx. Pheus is a bachata-singing dreamer who falls in love with Eury, a girl who lost everything in Hurricane Maria and is haunted by the trauma—and by an evil spirit. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Eddie Schneider at JABberwocky Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Kat Brzozowski at Swoon Reads has bought Dee Garretson's Gone by Nightfall, inspired by The Sound of Music and Anastasia, and set in the world of imperial Russia. Before her mother's death, Charlotte Mason promised she would look after the unruly children in the household of her aristocratic Russian stepfather, putting her own plans to leave the country on hold, until the arrival of Dmitri Sokolov, a young tutor she hopes will be able to wrangle the children. But when the revolution erupts and Petrograd falls into chaos, the entire family finds itself in danger. Publication is slated for January 2020; Moe Ferrara at BookEnds Literary did the deal for world rights.
Benjamin Rosenthal at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired Heretics Anonymous author Katie Henry's new standalone YA novel, Izzy Takes a Stand, pitched as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In the novel, a shy teen accidentally walks on stage at an open mic night and finds herself thrown into the world of stand-up comedy. Publication is planned for winter 2021; Sarah LaPolla at Bradford Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has bought K.L. Walther's debut YA contemporary novel, If We Were Us. The book follows Charlie and Sage, two best friends who everyone thinks are meant to be together, as they confront hard truths about their friendship, identities, and relationships when Sage falls for Charlie's brother and Charlie develops feelings for the new boy at their boarding school. Publication is set for summer 2020; Eva Scalzo at Speilburg Literary brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Jody Corbett at Scholastic has acquired, in an exclusive submission, bestselling author Kody Keplinger's new middle grade novel, Lila and Hadley, a “girl and her dog” story in which Hadley, a 12-year-old girl struggling with the recent arrest of her mother and her own deteriorating vision, befriends Lila, a lonely pit bull. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Brianne Johnson at Writers House handled the deal for North American English rights.
Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook has bought author-illustrator Lily Williams's Exposures, a graphic novel about a 12-year-old girl who must confront her worst fears in exposure therapy so she can learn to manage her Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and accept the uncertainties that life has to offer. The book is slated for spring 2022, and will publish on First Second's list; Minju Chang at Bookstop Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kristin Daly Rens at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired Horace & Bunwinkle by debut author PJ Switzer (writing as PJ Gardner), a middle grade mystery series in which an anxiety-prone Boston Terrier teams up with a cheerful potbellied pig to figure out why the neighborhood farm animals keep disappearing. Publication of the first book is planned for fall 2020; Kari Sutherland at Bradford Literary brokered the three-book deal for world English rights.
John Morgan at Macmillan/Imprint has bought world English rights to The Explorer's Code by Allison K. Hymas. Reminiscent of classic middle-grade mystery-adventures such as The Westing Game, the book invites readers to solve hidden codes and puzzles along with three young guests as they work to uncover the secrets of the legendary Idlewood Manor. The book is set for early 2021; Lauren Abramo at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret did the deal.
Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has bought the middle grade nonfiction title Why Longfellow Lied: The Truth About Paul Revere's Midnight Ride by Jeff Lantos. The author pulls apart Longfellow's famous poem about the night the American Revolutionary War began, looking at how it created a hero in Revere, and revealing why Longfellow twisted the facts. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Steven Rosen at R.M.C. Entertainment brokered the deal for world rights.
Diane Landolf at Random House has acquired Karen Schwabach's Starting from Seneca Falls, a middle-grade historical fiction novel about two girls learning to stand up for their rights at the time of the Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls. Publication is scheduled for summer 2020; Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates negotiated the deal for world rights.
Anne Schwartz at Random House/Schwartz & Wade has acquired world rights to author Emily Jenkins and illustrator Pete Oswald's early chapter book, One Hundred Days of Harry, which follows a first grader through the twists and turns of the first 100 days at school. Publication is planned for summer 2020; Elizabeth Kaplan at Elizabeth Kaplan Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Agency represented the illustrator.
Rachel Matson at Scholastic has bought, in a four-book deal, world rights to Layla and the Bots, a Branches illustrated chapter book series written by Google product designer Vicky Fang (l.), in which a rock star and her band of robots solve problems in their town through deductive reasoning. Christine Nishiyama will illustrate; publication of the first book is set for 2020. Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Megan Tingley at Little, Brown/Tingley has bought How to Potty Train Your Porcupine, the story of a pet porcupine that must be caught and potty trained by its owners, by New Yorker cartoonist Tom Toro. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Julia Eagleton at the Gernert Company brokered the deal for world rights.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has acquired author-illustrator April Pulley Sayre's Happy Sloth Day, a photo-illustrated picture book about the slow-moving rainforest dwellers. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt negotiated the deal for world rights.
Liza Kaplan at Philomel has acquired world rights to Sita Singh's (l.) debut picture book, Birds of a Feather, about a white peacock who learns to love himself in a jungle full of color. Stephanie Fizer Coleman will illustrate; publication is set for spring 2021. Samantha Bagood, in her first deal at Samantha B. Literary, represented the author, and Alexandra Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Renee Hooker at Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to Lisa Katzenberger's (l.) National Regular Average Ordinary Day; Barbara Bakos will illustrate. The book takes place on the day that a young holiday enthusiast, Peter, wakes up to discover a day with no holiday, and he doesn't know how to spend his time. Publication is set for summer 2020; Natascha Morris at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Ariel Richardson at Chronicle has acquired world rights to Katey Howes's (l.) Woven of the World, a picture book that explores weaving as a global art form and celebrates each person as a rich tapestry woven from many cultures and traditions. Dinara Mirtalipova will illustrate. Publication is planned for fall 2020; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Chrystal Falcioni at Magnet Reps represented the illustrator.
Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids has bought world rights to Mary Winn Heider's A Merry Unicorn Christmas, a holiday book in which a troop of unicorns must save Christmas when Santa's reindeer come down with chicken pox. The book will be illustrated by Christian Cornia; publication is scheduled for October 2020. Tina Dubois at ICM Partners represented the author, and Samantha Groff at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Sailaja Joshi at Bharat Babies has acquired world rights to author Rashmi Bismark's (l.) debut #OwnVoices picture book, Finding Om. Weaving together wisdom from yoga and mindfulness, the book follows Anu, an Indian-African girl, as she explores the mantra OM with her Indian-American grandfather. Morgan Huff will illustrate; the book is slated for release in spring 2020. The author represented herself, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Charlotte Wenger at Page Street has bought world rights to Donna Cangelosi's picture book biography of TV icon Fred Rogers, Fred’s Beautiful Neighborhood; Patrick Hulse will illustrate. Publication is set for fall 2020; Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator.
