Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books has acquired LGBTQ Reads founder Dahlia Adler's YA novel, Cool for the Summer, about a girl named Lara who finally lands the guy of her dreams, only to have her unexpected(ly female) summer fling transfer to her school for their senior year. Publication is slated for summer 2021; DongWon Song at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Lauren Smulski at Inkyard Press has bought, on exclusive submission, Summer Heacock and Eric Smith's Origin Story, an #OwnVoices YA contemporary about two adoptees from very different backgrounds grappling with the question of what it means to be family. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Brent Taylor and Uwe Stender at TriadaUS represented Heacock, and Dawn Frederick at Red Sofa Literary represented Smith in the deal for world English rights.
Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has acquired world rights to a YA graphic novel memoir from Jasjyot Singh Hans, as yet untitled. This debut follows the artist's life from New Delhi to Baltimore, including growing up Sikh, learning how to catch a cricket ball and not die, learning to love his body, becoming an artist, family traditions while watching TV soaps, coming out, his loving and only the tiniest bit suffocating parents, immigrating to the U.S., navigating dating apps, and more. Publication is planned for spring 2022; the author represented himself.
Mallory Kass at Scholastic has bought, at auction, One Way Or Another by Kara McDowell, pitched as a Sliding Doors YA romantic comedy. Seventeen-year-old Paige has an undiagnosed anxiety disorder and a debilitating fear of making the wrong decision. When faced with an impossible holiday dilemma, she lives out two parallel fates: Christmas at a snowy cabin with her best friend and longtime unrequited crush, and Christmas in New York with exciting new possibilities. Publication is set for fall 2020; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Brian Geffen at Holt has acquired The Plentiful Darkness, a middle-grade fantasy novel by Heather Kassner, author of The Bone Garden and The Forest of Stars. When 12-year-old Rooney de Barra's nemesis—and her prized lunar mirror—are snatched by a magician in the dead of night, Rooney reluctantly embarks on a rescue mission, chasing the magician into the world of Darkness Below, where other children are being held captive. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media did the deal for world English rights.
Amanda Maciel at Scholastic has bought world rights to Lisa Schroeder's new novel, her 14th book for middle grade readers. Tackling the subject of toxic masculinity for a middle grade audience, Don't Judge Me tells the story of 12-year-old Hazel, who finds a notebook that the boys at her middle school have been using to rate the girls on their looks, and how she finds the courage to fight back. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties brokered the deal.
Margaret Raymo at HMH/Versify has acquired Lola StVil's The Summer I Flew Away, in her debut middle grade work written as Marie Arnold, which follows 10-year-old Fabiola on her journey from her native Haiti to America as she reexamines the concepts of family and home and embraces a power all her own. Publication is planned for fall 2020; Adrienne Rosado at Stonesong sold world rights.
Nathaniel Tabachnik at Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to Willis Wallace by Lindsey Leavitt. The younger middle-grade story is about a boy who creates a life-coaching business for kids in an attempt to avoid his mom's cringeworthy “Summer Fun Plan” and win a prize for young entrepreneurs. However, being a business owner turns out to be trickier than Willis thought. Publication is set for summer 2021 with a sequel in 2022; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Tricia Lin at S&S/Aladdin has acquired world rights to Cheese and Quackers, a two-book early graphic chapter book series by author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and illustrator Mike Ciccotello. The series follows the adventures of a lamb and a duck at summer camp. Publication of the first book is scheduled for spring 2022; Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented both the author and the illustrator.
Taylor Norman at Chronicle has bought world rights to two early chapter books, Audrey L. and Audrey W: Best Friends-ish and its sequel, by Carter Higgins (l.). The books are about challenging identities, the complications of second grade when someone new shares your name, and what happens when that stranger turns out to be a little bit “friend-ish.” Jennifer K. Mann will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2021. Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.
Emily Easton at Crown has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Rachel Ignotofsky's What's Inside a Flower? The first in a three-title picture book series by the author-illustrator of Women in Science, it explores the inner workings and life cycle of a flower. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Monica Odom at Odom Media Management sold world rights.
Nancy Mercado at Dial has bought bestselling author Shannon Hale's (l.) debut picture book The Bookmobile, illustrated by Tracy Subisak, in which a boy visits his local bookmobile only to be told he can't check out the books he really wants to read. The book is inspired by Hale's Washington Post piece about the gender bias adults impose on children when it comes to reading preferences. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to Faraway Things by Dave Eggers, a picture book to be illustrated by Kelly Murphy. In the story, a boy becomes attached to a mysterious cutlass he's found that has washed ashore, which he must agree to let go one day in order to discover something greater. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author, and the artist represented herself.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has bought world rights to Nerdycorn by Andrew Root, illustrated by Erin Balzer, in which science and tech-minded Fern finds she has trouble fitting in with the other unicorns at her school who are more concerned with sparkles and rainbows than 3D printers and chemistry. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to The Sock Thief: A Soccer Story author Ana Crespo's (l.) Hello, Tree, a story about the friendship between a girl and a tree, and the fire that threatens it, told through the perspective of the tree and inspired by the 2013 Black Forest Fire in Colorado. Dow Phumiruk (Counting on Katherine), winner of the 2019 Cook Prize, will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the author and the illustrator.
Karen Greenberg at Knopf has bought world rights to Blue, a picture book by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, illustrated by Coretta Scott King Honor winner Daniel Minter. Blue is an exploration of the history and cultural significance of the color blue through time. Publication is set for spring 2022; John Rudolph at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author, and Rick Margolis at Rising Bear Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Lisa Rosinsky at Barefoot Books has acquired The Tiny Baker by Babymoon author Hayley Barrett (l.), illustrated by Alison Jay (I Took the Moon for a Walk). The story features a miniature baker whose devoted insect clientele help her weather an unexpected disaster at her stylish teashop. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and the artist represented herself in the deal for world rights.
Carter Hasegawa at Candlewick has bought world rights to Beatrice Fixes Everything by Mara Rockliff, a picture book biography about Beatrice Shilling, a World War II engineer, whose brilliance and tenacity not only helped win the war but also helped her flourish at a time when women had few professional opportunities in engineering. Daniel Duncan will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2021. Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Tamar Brazis and Aneeka Kalia have acquired, in a three-book deal, world rights to Diane Adams's (l.) Sports Baby board book series about little athletes who love getting on the field to play. Charlene Chua will illustrate; publication of the first book is scheduled for spring 2021. Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Tracy Marchini at BookEnds Literary represented the illustrator.
Jes Negrón at Boyds Mills & Kane has bought world rights to Merry Witchmas by Petrell Özbay (l.) and Tess LaBella (c.). In a twist on the holiday's traditional "believe" concept, the book is about a witch who believes in Santa, who doesn't deliver to her home... because he doesn't believe in witches. Sonya Abby Soekarno will illustrate. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary Agency represented the authors, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has acquired, in a six-bidder auction, North American rights to Shine, a YA novel by K-Pop star, actress, and fashion mogul Jessica Jung. Pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl and drawing in part on Jung's own experiences, the novel follows a Korean-American teen thrust into the competitive world of K-Pop. Publication is slated for fall 2020, with a sequel to follow in 2021; Albert Lee at UTA and Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management negotiated the two-book deal on behalf of Jung and Glasstown Entertainment.
Ann Kelley at Random House/Schwartz & Wade has bought The Miracle & Tragedy of the Dionne Quintuplets author Sarah Miller's Mary Surratt, a YA narrative nonfiction about the first woman to be executed by the United States government, accused of conspiring in the plot to assassinate not only President Abraham Lincoln, but also the vice president, secretary of state, and General Grant. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Wendy Schmalz at the Wendy Schmalz Agency represented the author in the deal for world rights.
Alexandra Cooper at HarperTeen has acquired, at auction, Laurel Flores Fantauzzo's The Heartbreak of Corazon Tagubio, which brings to mind Lady Bird and Darius the Great Is Not Okay. Cory Tagubio is an outcast at her all-girls Catholic high school. In the wake of an accident, Cory grows close to her history teacher, Ms. Holden, but when the crush turns into something more, Cory is shipped off to her half-brother in the Philippines, leaving her to discover how her family and their country have shaped her past and how they might change her future. Publication is set for winter 2021; Andrea Morrison at Writers House sold world English rights.
Aimee Friedman at Scholastic has bought And She Was author Jess Verdi's latest YA novel, Follow Your Arrow. After breaking up with her long-term girlfriend, openly queer social media influencer CeCe, known for her political beliefs and LGBTQ+ activism, falls for the new guy in town. But when her fans catch wind of her new relationship, the blowback is intense, and CeCe finds herself in the position of defining what it means to be bi—to the world, and to herself. Publication is planned for 2021; Kate McKean at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has acquired North American rights, at auction, to U.K. author Liz Hyder's Bearmouth, a YA novel about one child's struggle in a surreal and labyrinthine subterranean mine on a quest for language and freedom. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Allison Hellegers negotiated the deal in her first deal at Stimola Literary Studio, on behalf of Pushkin Press.
Michelle Frey at Knopf has preempted world rights to E.B. Vickers's YA debut, Fadeaway. When Jake Mercado goes missing the night after leading his basketball team to the state title, six of the people closest to him hold a piece of the puzzle that could lead to his return. But they each hold part of the blame, too. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Daniel Ehrenhaft at Soho Teen has bought Carly Heath's debut YA novel, The Heathens of Muskox Hollow. Set in 1904 Norway, the novel follows a trio of queer teens—two boys and their best friend, Asta—who decide to defy the expectations of their rural Scandinavian village by leaving their families, living on their own, and challenging the town's patriarch in the region's annual winter horse race. Publication is set for fall 2021; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency brokered the deal for North American English rights.
Stacy Whitman at Tu Books has acquired Echoes of Grace by Pura Belpré Award-winning author Guadalupe García McCall. In this YA gothic mystery set on the border, Grace's relationship with her younger sister, Mercy, is fractured when Mercy's two-year-old son is accidentally killed, bringing to the surface old traumas and literal ghosts as the family flounders to heal. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Anne Heltzel at Amulet has acquired debut novelist Diana Ma's YA novel, Heiress Apparently, in which a Chinese-American actress living in L.A. lands her dream role set to film in Beijing, a city she was forbidden to enter, and discovers that she's descended from Chinese nobility; and an untitled second book in the Daughters of the Dynasty series, which follows the fictionalized descendants of a powerful Chinese empress. Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis handled the deal for world rights.
Ashley Hearn at Page Street has bought Amparo Ortiz's YA debut, Blazewrath, a contemporary fantasy pitched as How to Train Your Dragon meets Quidditch Through the Ages, about 17-year-old Lana Torres, who after rescuing a prized dragon from an attacker is awarded a spot on her native Puerto Rico's Blazewrath World Cup team. But the return of the Sire, an ancient dragon who's cursed to remain in human form, threatens to compromise this year's tournament. Publication is set for fall 2020; Linda Camacho at Gallt & Zacker brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired world rights to Re: Constitutions, a nonfiction YA graphic novel written by Beka Feathers (l.) with art by Kasia Babis that covers everything about constitutions, from how they work and why they are made to the way they've shaped our world throughout history. Publication is scheduled for 2021; both the author and the illustrator were unagented.
Emily Seife at Scholastic has bought middle grade Friend Me, a thriller debut from Sheila M. Averbuch. Roisin is an Irish transplant to America who is mercilessly bullied at school and pours her heart out to her online BFF Haley. But when the bully suffers a gruesome accident, Roisin begins to wonder if Haley is responsible... or hiding even darker secrets. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Stacey Barney at Putnam has acquired The Whispers author Greg Howard's The Visitors, a ghost story that follows an 11-year-old boy who died mysteriously at a deserted rice plantation in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. When a group of present-day kids arrive to explore the haunted plantation, they befriend the boy and help him uncover the dark secrets of his past that have kept his spirit trapped there. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Brianne Johnson at Writers House did the six-figure, two-book deal for world English rights.
Yasemin Uçar at Kids Can Press has bought, in a three-book deal, Joan Axelrod-Contrada (l.) and Ann Malaspina's Zeke the Weather Geek, a series of illustrated early chapter books in which a boy and his pet lizard, along with his STEM nerd friends, save the day during severe weather events. Publication of the first book, There's a Lizard in My Blizzard, is set for spring 2022; Michelle Witte at Mansion Street Literary Management handled the deal for world rights.
Lee Wade at Random House/Schwartz & Wade has acquired The Fishbowl by debut author-illustrator Nicolò Carozzi, in a two-book deal at auction. In this picture book, a mouse befriends a goldfish—but when a few cats want to play, Mouse and Goldfish must find a way to escape. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Abigail Samoun of Red Fox Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has bought The Great Whipplethorp Bug Collection, written by Ben Brashares and illustrated by Elizabeth Bergeland, co-creators of Being Edie Is Hard Today. The picture book examines perceptions of masculinity as a boy tries to live up to the legacy of his ancestors and ultimately learns that "greatness" has many meanings. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Jodi Reamer at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights on behalf of both the author and the artist.
Jen Besser at Roaring Brook Press has acquired, in an exclusive submission, No Nibbling by Beth Ferry (l.), illustrated by A.N. Kang, a vegetable-pun filled picture book in which Derwood Deer attempts to protect his garden from hungry Tabitha Rabbit. Publication is slated for winter 2022; Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties sold North American English-language rights on behalf of both the author and illustrator.
Tamar Brazis at Viking has bought world rights to Bethany Hegedus's Huddle Up! Cuddle Up! illustrated by Mike Deas, about a football-loving family running through the bedtime playbook before the clock runs out. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Alexandra Penfold at Upstart Crow Literary represented the author, and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
Karen Nagel at Aladdin has acquired world rights to Sarah Grace Tuttle's (l.) You Are Powerful, a picture book that encourages children to get involved in activism. Natalie Andrewson will illustrate; publication is set for spring 2021. Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary represented the author, and Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management represented the artist.
Christina Pulles, formerly at Sterling Children's Books, has bought world rights to Rob Sanders's Bling Blaine, illustrated by Letizia Rizzo; Eve Adler will edit. Blaine is all about bling and glitter until complaints pour in and bling is banned from school, but then allies come to the rescue. Publication is planned for fall 2020; Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the author, and Emily Coggins at Astound US represented the illustrator.
