Benjamin Rosenthal at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired Front Desk author Kelly Yang's YA debut about “parachutes”: teenagers dropped off to live and study in the U.S. while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Parachutes is a modern story of two immigrant girls on a collision course—one plucked from her privileged life in Shanghai and the other, a scholarship student determined to earn her way into an Ivy League school—as they grapple with life-altering experiences they wish they could erase. Publication is planned for summer 2020; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners sold world English rights in a two-book deal.
Erica Finkel at Abrams has bought The Summer of Impossibilities by Georgia YA Author of the Year Rachael Allen (A Taxonomy of Love). Pitched as Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood for teens, the book follows four girls who must spend the summer together when their mothers reunite at their childhood lake house—one can't wait, two are sisters, three are feuding with their mothers, and all of them are hiding something. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Alex Borbolla at Atheneum has acquired, at auction, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Sweaters and Stars and a second book by Laura Taylor Namey, author of The Library of Lost Things. After her post-graduation plans fall apart, Lila Flores is sent away to spend the summer with family friends in England. But what Lila expects to be a summer devoid of proper Cuban food and sun turns into one of unexpected love when she falls for teashop clerk Orion Maxwell and, most surprising, England itself. Publication is set for fall 2020; Natascha Morris at Bookends did the deal for world English rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has bought Leah Cypess's middle grade debut, Thornwood, the first in a three-book deal of fairy tale retellings that focus on the siblings in the background. Pitched as a retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” Thornwood is about a girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister and the curse that has haunted her from birth. Publication will start in spring 2021; Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger handled the deal for world English rights.
Pam Gruber at Little, Brown has acquired Christiane M. Andrews's Spindlefish and Stars, a middle grade fantasy inspired by Greek mythology, about a girl who journeys across the sea to a mysterious gray island in search of her father and her fate. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties brokered the deal for world rights.
Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben has bought Danielle Joseph's middle grade novel Sydney A. Frankel's Summer Mix-Up. The story follows soon to be sixth grader Sydney, who is looking forward to a summer of fun with her best friend. But her mother has other plans for her, prompting Sydney and her friend to devise a top-secret switcharoo scheme. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Susan Cohen at PearlCo Literary Agency sold world rights.
Bethany Buck at Pixel+Ink has acquired three titles in the new Carlton Crumple Creature Catcher graphic novel series by DreamWorksTV show creator David Fremont. In the first book in the series, Catch the Munchies!, Carlton chases a band of fast-food crazed Munchie monsters. Publication is slated for summer 2020; the author negotiated the deal for world rights.
Erin Clarke at Knopf has bought Madeline Valentine's More Than Fluff, a picture book about personal space and consent told from the point of view of a very fuzzy chick, and an untitled second book. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021 and spring 2022, respectively; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired Sarah Williamson's Cactus and Flower, a picture book about the loss and rebirth of a symbiotic and deeply felt friendship between a cactus and its flower. Publication is set for spring 2020; Steven Malk at Writers House did the deal for world rights.
Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman has bought Chloe Zoe author-illustrator Jane Smith's new picture book, Same Sun, New Ocean, which follows a girl and her family's move to a new place. Spare text and illustrations reveal what makes it feel like home. Publication is planned for fall 2020; Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 handled the deal for world rights.
Andrew DeYoung at Beaming Books has acquired author-illustrator Talitha Shipman's debut picture book, Finding Beauty. The book features a girl who sees the world in a new way when she discovers beauty in things big and small, and in a few unexpected places. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Kate Kendrick at Astound Illustration Agency represented the author-illustrator.
Ann Rider at HMH has bought world rights to Newbery Honor and Sibert Medal-winning author Joyce Sidman's (l.) Dear Treefrog, a picture book that captures the bond between a child newly arrived to a foreign home and a treefrog found in the backyard. Diana Sudyka will illustrate; publication is set for 2021. The author represented herself, and Andrea Morrison and Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Neal Porter at Holiday House/Porter has acquired co-owner of Brooklyn's Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab Maggie Pouncey's The Fort on the Moon, a picture book about sibling adoration and an improvised trip to the moon by two brothers. Larry Day will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2020. Jennifer Carlson at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook has bought world rights to a picture book by Pat Zietlow Miller (l.), illustrated by Suzy Lee. Someday Soon is a celebration of the many means of love and communication between two loved ones far apart, and all the ways to get from here to there. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Talia Benamy at Philomel has acquired North American rights to We Are All Equal, a picture book by author-illustrator team P. Crumble (l.) and Jonathan Bentley, about animals who all recognize their differences but are still adamant about valuing each other. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Claire Pretyman at Scholastic Australia brokered the deal.
Grace Kendall at FSG has bought Now or Neverauthor Ray A. Shepard's (l.) Runaway, a picture-book biography of Oney Judge, who was an enslaved woman in Martha Washington's household until she ran away from the President's House in Philadelphia. Although George Washington freed all of his slaves upon his death, Oney, still considered Martha Washington's slave, was technically a fugitive for the rest of her life. Keith Mallett will illustrate; publication is set for winter 2021. Caryn Wiseman represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself in the deal for world rights.
Lisa Rosinsky at Barefoot Books has acquired the #OwnVoices picture book A Gift for Amma: Market Day in India by Meera Sriram (l.) (The Yellow Suitcase). Barcelona-based artist Mariona Cabassa will illustrate. In this story inspired by the author's hometown marketplace in Chennai, India, a girl searches for the perfect gift for her mother at a colorful outdoor market. Publication is planned for fall 2020; Tracy Marchini at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Jocelyn Davies at Disney-Hyperion has acquired Estelle Laure's three-book YA series City of Villains, the first title announced in a new program that reimagines classic Disney stories with unexpected twists. Set in a fictional Gotham-esque city, the fairy tale-inspired crime series follows a troubled teenage detective as she discovers the reenvisioned origins of Maleficent, Ursula, Captain Hook, and other infamous Disney Villains. Publication is planned for winter 2021; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books has bought Ashley Schumacher's Amelia Unabridged, a debut contemporary YA novel with a hint of magic, about a bookish girl who is sent a rare edition of a beloved book when her best friend dies. Convinced it is a message from her friend, she traces the book back to a strange bookstore where she encounters the alluring young author. Publication is slated for winter 2021; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra & Associates did the deal for world
Annette Pollert-Morgan at Bloomsbury has acquired, at auction, Steven Salvatore's tentatively titled YA debut, The Other Side of Silence. The novel is about a genderqueer student who dreams of being a diva like their hero Mariah Carey, but when they are cast in the lead female role in the school musical, they must fight against the school administration's closed-mindedness. Publication is scheduled for winter 2021; Jessica Regel at Foundry Literary + Media brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Andrea Tompa at Candlewick has bought, in an exclusive submission, three-time Coretta Scott King Honoree Kekla Magoon's Until All Are Free: The Black Panther Party's Call for Revolution, a nonfiction account of the history and legacy of the Black Panthers for a young YA audience. Publication is set for fall 2021; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown represented the author in the deal for world rights.
Michelle Nagler at Random House has acquired Kate Messner's (l.) middle grade nonfiction series History Smashers in a six-book deal, with Diane Landolf editing. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis, the series will bust myths about popular topics in history, from the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock (they didn't) to the real deal with the suffragettes. Publication of the first book is slated for summer 2020; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Barry Goldblatt at BG Literary represented the illustrator.
Margaret Ferguson at Holiday House has bought two new middle grade novels by Canadian Governor General's Award-winner Iain Lawrence (Gemini Summer) for her eponymous imprint. Deadman's Castle is a thriller about 12-year-old Igor, who has grown up in the witness protection program, and what happens when he's forced to face what has kept his family on the run for so many years. The second book, Ashes to Ashes, is a survival story in the vein of Hatchet, starring a 10-year-old boy separated from his family on a camping trip and set against the backdrop of an advancing wildfire. Publication is planned beginning in 2021; Danielle Egan-Miller at Browne & Miller Literary Associates did the deal for world English, Chinese, and audio rights.
Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Ken Lamug's Mischief & Mayhem series, two humorous graphic novels pitched as Dog Man meets Despicable Me, where young villainess Mischief and her side-cat Mayhem must battle their former best friend from superhero camp. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021 and summer 2022; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Dinah Stevenson at Clarion has bought The League of Picky Eaters, a middle-grade debut novel by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic. In a town full of foodies where Eating is a required subject in school, Minerva tests into Remedial Eating To Change Habits (RETCH), where not only is she separated from her best friends but is also supposed to learn to love foods like savory oatmeal with pickled shrimp tails—but she finds support in the top-secret League of Picky Eaters. Publication is set for spring 2021; Jordan Hamessley at New Leaf Literary handled the deal for world English rights.
Liz Bicknell at Candlewick has acquired bestselling author Mac Barnett's (l.) 20 Questions, a picture book consisting of 20 fanciful, answerless questions, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Christian Robinson. Publication is projected for spring 2023; Steven Malk at Writers House represented both the author and the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Anne Schwartz at Random House/Schwartz & Wade has bought world rights for The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken, written by debut picture book author Jennifer Frank and illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist David Ezra Stein. It tells the story of a young worm who, embarrassed by her family’s appearance, disguises them for a family photo, but ultimately comes to appreciate them for who they are. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Jennifer Cohen represented the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.
Elizabeth Lee and Joy Peskin at Farrar, Straus and Giroux have acquired debut author Lydia Margaret Sigwarth's (l.) picture book, Dear Librarian, illustrated by Romina Galotta. The picture book tells the true story of Lydia's homelessness as a five-year-old child, and the library that offered her a safe haven and a future beyond her wildest dreams. Lydia's story was first told on This American Life. Publication is slated for spring 2021; the author represented herself, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Megan Ilnitzki at HarperCollins has bought, at auction, world rights to debut author M.O. Yuksel's In My Mosque, a picture book celebrating the traditions and joys found in mosques around the world. Hatem Aly will illustrate; publication is scheduled for summer 2021. Jenna Pocius at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Julia Maguire at Knopf has acquired world rights to the picture book The Fastest Girl on Earth by Dean Robbins and illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley. The book tells the true story of Kitty O'Neil, a deaf daredevil who broke the land speed record in her rocket-powered car. Publication is set for summer 2021; Marietta Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency represented the author, and Alexandra Penfold at Upstart Crow Literary represented the illustrator.
Naomi Kirsten at Chronicle has bought world rights to Karen Jameson's (l.) picture book, Where Wee Ones Go, illustrated by Zosienska, a lullaby celebrating the unique ways that endangered animal babies drift off to sleep. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Debbie Bibo at the Debbie Bibo Agency represented the illustrator.
Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman has acquired world rights to You Are Your Strong author Danielle Dufayet's picture book, All Kinds of Waits, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani. The book takes readers on a sense-filled journey of all the different times we wait in sweet anticipation. But the best kind of waiting is with and for a friend. Publication is slated for September 2020; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Emily Coggins at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Luana Horry at HarperCollins has bought world rights to Lulu the Llamacorn, illustrated by Morgan Huff. Lulu is a charming and quirky llamacorn—half llama, half unicorn—who is on a quest to own everything glam, until she finds that being herself is the most glamorous look of all. Publication is scheduled for summer 2020; Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Mora Couch at Holiday House has acquired Rich Lo's Chinese Kite Festival, a picture book that teaches children about Chinese animals in two languages. Publication is set for fall 2021; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
