Margaret Raymo at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired world rights to On the Horizon, a nonfiction work written in verse by two-time Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry, author of The Giver, Number the Stars, The Willoughbys, and numerous other books for children and teens. Drawn from Lowry's memories as a child in Hawaii and Japan, as well as from historical research, the book tells the story of soldiers and civilians whose lives were lost or forever altered by the twin tragedies of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. Artist Kenard Pak will illustrate. Publication is planned for April 7, 2020; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Agency represented the illustrator.
Meghan Maria McCullough and Arthur Levine at Levine Querido have bought two YA novels by debut author André-Naquian Wheeler. Set in the near future, Second Coming follows Ebb, a teen with a traumatic romantic past; that is, until he meets Manny, an immigrant from Nicaragua who loves him openly—and might also be the son of God. The second book, Like and Subscribe, is a contemporary novel about Hunter, a queer black boy struggling to manage his anxiety, fame, and love life in the face of viral stardom. Publication will begin in 2021; the author represented himself in the deal for world rights.
Samantha Gentry at Little, Brown/Poppy has acquired world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Erica George's contemporary YA novel The Edge of Summer. An aspiring marine biologist must navigate first love and the loss of a friend, all while saving humpback whales from entanglement during her summer on Cape Cod. Publication is scheduled for summer 2022; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency negotiated the deal.
Erin Clarke at Knopf and Ruth Knowles at Puffin U.K. have bought Gavriel Savit's young adult novel The Way Back, a historical fantasy that follows two Eastern European teens on a journey through the Far Country, the Jewish Land of the Dead. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management brokered the deal for world English rights.
Jocelyn Davies at Disney-Hyperion has acquired a new middle grade series, Mischief Makers, by Jen Calonita (Fairy Tale Reform School; Royal Academy Rebels), which imagines the origins and youthful misadventures of Disney's most infamous rogue boys: Flynn Rider, Aladdin, Kristoff, and Peter Pan. The first book, The Rise of Flynnigan Rider, is set for spring 2021; Dan Mandel at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates did the deal for world rights.
Gina Gagliano at Random House Graphic has bought world rights to a graphic novel adaptation of Jennifer L. Holm's (l.) Newbery Honor-winning middle-grade novel Turtle in Paradise. The book tells the story of Turtle, who goes to live with her aunt and cousins in Florida and finds her life opening up in new and unexpected ways. Savanna Ganucheau will collaborate with Holm on the adaptation, and illustrate. Publication is planned for 2021; Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management represented Holm, and Charlie Olsen at Inkwell represented Ganucheau.
Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has acquired world rights, in a three-book deal, to bestselling author Mo O'Hara's (l.) first graphic novel series, Agent Moose, illustrated by Jess Bradley. Anonymoose, a master of disguise, and his trusty sidekick Owlfred foil crimes and crack cases all over the forest, including a suspicious turtle-napping. Book one is scheduled for summer 2020; Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought Shawn Harris's Bad Business, a picture book pitched as a 2019 version of Everyone Poops, framed as a funny whodunit mystery. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Steven Malk at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights.
Doris Kutschbach at Prestel has acquired Yevgenia Nayberg's picture book Mona Lisa in New York, the love story of Mona, the 500-year-old condescending snob, and Tag, a street-wise New York graffiti. Publication is planned for September 2020; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
Liza Kaplan at Philomel has bought North American rights to Australian author-illustrator Jess McGeachin's debut picture book Fly, about a girl named Lucy who has always been good at fixing things, and becomes determined to help when she finds a bird with a broken wing. Publication is set for summer 2021; Allison Hellegers at Rights People negotiated the deal on behalf of Nerrilee Weir at Penguin Random House Australia.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired, at auction, Bird House and an untitled picture book by Blanca Gómez. The author-illustrator's debut, inspired by a formative childhood experience, is about a girl and her grandmother who find an injured bird and nurse it back to health with a lot of love for the animal and each other. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021, with the second book to follow in spring 2022; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House did the deal for world rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Ottaviano has bought author-illustrator Julie Fortenberry's picture book Darcy's First Sleepover, in a two-book deal. Darcy is very excited about her first sleepover, but soon becomes anxious when she discovers things aren't the way they are at home. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has acquired world rights to Kate Banks's (l.) as-yet-untitled picture book. When a group of woodland animals searches for clues about where a forgotten doll came from, they discover more unfamiliar things—and are reminded of the one true thing that everyone has in common. Galia Bernstein will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2021. Rick Margolis at Rising Bear Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Christian Trimmer at Holt has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Your Future Is Bright by Corey Finkle, with art by Shelley Couvillion. The picture book in rhyming verse celebrates the accomplishments of a group of children and explores the exciting paths the future might hold for them. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Christina Pulles at Albert Whitman has acquired world rights to Queen of Physics author Teresa Robeson's (l.) new picture book, Bicycles in Beijing, with Junyi Wu illustrating. Side by side, two bikes, Lunzi and Huangche, watch the city from their shop window. But when Huangche is bought, Lunzi begins an epic race around the city to find her friend, introducing readers to the sights of Beijing along the way. Publication is set for spring 2020; Natascha Morris at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Julia Sooy at Holt/Godwin has bought world rights to Super Spaghetti, a picture book written by Rebecca Donnelly (l.) and illustrated by Bonnie Lui, about a boy named Fred who acquires superpowers after a mishap with his mother's latest pasta-based mechanical invention. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.
Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has acquired, in a six-figure deal, the Secret Blade duology by Daughter of the Pirate King and Warrior of the Wild author Tricia Levenseller. The novels follow a blacksmith with social anxiety who can forge magical blades. When she accidentally builds an all-powerful sword with the ability to extract secrets from those it cuts, she has to protect it at all costs. Publication is set for February 2021 and 2022; Rachel Brooks at BookEnds negotiated the deal for world rights.
Joy Peskin has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The 57 Bus author Dashka Slater's new work of YA nonfiction. In the as-yet-untitled book, Slater will explore hate crimes and free speech through events that unfolded at one high school (and the community surrounding it) when a group of students created a racist social media account, with lasting repercussions for both the account's followers and its targets. Publication is planned for winter 2022; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired world rights to Ghost Notes, a YA graphic novel by Antoine Revoy about three ghosts stuck in limbo who have to tell each other spooky stories so that one of them can move on to the afterworld. Publication is scheduled for 2021; the author was unagented.
Kelsey Murphy at Philomel has bought, at auction, Love Sugar Magic author Anna Meriano's YA debut Brooms Up. The novel follows an introverted teen girl who joins a Quidditch team to spend time with her best friend before they both leave for college, but family tensions, changing friendships, and an unexpected romance threaten to turn her last summer at home into a disastrous one. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Hannah VanVels at Blink has acquired June CL Tan's debut, Jade Fire Gold, a dual-POV YA fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology. In order to save her grandmother from a cult of dangerous priests, a peasant girl cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous alliance with an exiled prince bent on taking back the Dragon Throne. The pair must learn to trust each other but are haunted by their pasts—and the true nature of her dark magic. Publication is set for fall 2020; Elana Roth Parker at Laura Dail Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Jenny Bak at Little, Brown/Patterson has bought Kylie Schachte's debut, You're Next, following a girl's investigation into the murder of her friend/ex, which sees her uncovering a violent conspiracy that someone is determined to keep hidden even at the cost of more lives. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Margaret Sutherland Brown at the Emma Sweeney Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Ashley Hearn at Page Street has acquired The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly author Jamie Pacton's sophomore novel, Lucky Girl, which follows Jane Belleweather, who wins the lotto jackpot weeks before her 18th birthday, but can't claim her winnings until then, or else her hoarder mother will get the money. In the days that follow, suspicion and jealousy spread through Jane's small Wisconsin town, and a witch hunt commences to find the lucky winner. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Kate Testerman at KT Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Megan Logan at Marvel Press has signed Sam Maggs to write an original YA novel inspired by the world of the Unstoppable Wasp Marvel comics series, following Nadia van Dyne (the Unstoppable Wasp) and her group of genius friends as they work together to save the world (again). Publication is scheduled for May 2020; Maria Vicente at P.S. Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Ardi Alspach at Sterling Children's Books has bought North American rights to Song of the Court by Katy Farina, adapter of Ann M. Martin's Baby-Sitters Little Sisters series. Song of the Court is a graphic novel about a cat and a princess and their shared love of music, aimed to help children struggling with anxiety and encourage them to pursue what they love. Publication is set for April 2020; Steven Salpeter at Curtis Brown did the deal for North American rights.
Stacy Whitman at Tu Books has acquired Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu, a debut middle grade novel of friendship, family, and belonging. The story chronicles the harrowing journey taken by 14-year-old Sami and his family, who are forced to flee a privileged life in Syria for the struggles of an immigrant life they could barely have imagined in the U.K. Publication is planned for fall 2020 or spring 2021; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown brokered the deal for North American rights.
Donnie Lemke at Capstone has bought world English rights to Smash Life, a middle-grade novel by Kurtis Scaletta about Lucas, whose online gaming obsession frustrates his parents. They strike a deal that requires him to volunteer with elderly people, and in return Lucas can enter a national gaming tournament—but then he becomes the target of trolling. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Kristen Mohn will edit. Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author.
Mari Kesselring at Jolly Fish Press has acquired world rights to Laurel Gale's middle grade novel, Story Magic, pitched as a fantasy adventure in which storytelling is the source of all magic. Twelve-year-old Kaya must harness the power of story magic—ignoring her society's bias against female magic wielders and her own internalized fear that her magic will cause bad luck—to save her brother and find herself. Publication is set for fall 2020; the author represented herself.
Kait Feldmann at Scholastic/Orchard has bought, in a six-house auction, Gracey Zhang’s debut picture book, Lala's Words, about an energetic and compassionate girl and the fantastical splendor that grows from her quiet, kind words. Publication is slated for 2021; Hannah Mann at Writers House negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Luana Horry at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Let's Say, a board book series that introduces toddlers to common phrases and words in various languages. The two board books will be illustrated by Erica Sirotich. The first one, Let's Say I Love You!, is planned for fall 2020; Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Jennifer Adams at Sounds True has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Julie Berry's (l.) Cranky Right Now, on owning your own "crankiness" and how to get back to happy, illustrated by Holly Hatam. Adams also acquired a second untitled picture book by Berry. Publication for Cranky Right Now is set for winter 2021; Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Trident Media Group represented the author, and Christy T. Ewers at the Cat Agency represented the artist.
Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook has bought Louise Trapeze author Micol Ostow's debut picture book, Sullivan, Who Is Always Too Loud, illustrated by Brian Biggs. Sullivan, a little boy with a big voice, discovers that even though he often gets in trouble, sometimes there are perfect times to be loud. The book is scheduled for fall 2020; Jodi Reamer and Steve Malk at Writers House represented the author and the illustrator respectively.
