Karen Wojtyla at S&S/McElderry has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world English rights to Night Shine by Tessa Gratton, pitched as a dark, queer Howl's Moving Castle. When the crown prince is kidnapped, only the orphan called Nothing knows enough of his secrets to seek him in the demon-haunted fortress of the Sorceress Who Eats Girls. Publication is scheduled for fall 2020; Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Whitney Leopard at Random House Graphic has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Myra Rose's debut YA graphic novel, Lovely Recipe. Sofia is determined to learn how to cook her late grandmother's recipes so that she can bring her family together for a giant dinner like they used to have. But the only person with the skill to show her how is Anna Marie, an unapproachable classmate. Sofia's feelings are... complicated. Publication is set for 2022; the author was unagented.
Nicole Fiorica at S&S/McElderry has acquired Bethany Mangle's YA debut, Prepped, about a teen raised in a doomsday community who plots her escape with the boy from the bunker next door. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Jennifer Wills at the Seymour Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Jes Negrón at Boyds Mills Press has bought The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor. This YA debut is about an autistic genderqueer protagonist who leaves an intolerant school for a new high school with the support of their loving father, finding a Rainbow Club and accepting friends, all of whom must come together to solve the decades-old mystery of the murder of a teenage boy and confront Sam's own fears of early death. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Sara Megibow at kt literary did the deal for world English rights.
Ellen Cormier at Dial has acquired, at auction, world rights to Jake Maia Arlow's Almost Flying, which follows 13-year-old Dalia as she takes part in a summer road trip to several amusement parks and celebrates found family, first queer crushes, and the singular delight of roller coasters. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal.
Jordan Brown at HarperCollins/Walden Pond has bought The In-Between by Rebecca K.S. Ansari, author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly. The middle grade story is about two siblings unmoored by their parents' divorce who become obsessed with an unsolved 100-year-old mystery—one that seems to have a connection to the strange girl who just moved in next door. Publication is set for winter 2021; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners sold North American rights.
Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids has acquired world rights to There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Folklore and Facts About Our Favorite Foods by Kim Zachman, a book for middle grade readers that provides fun facts and origin stories of some of America's most popular foods. Peter Donnelly will illustrate. Publication is planned for April 2021; John Rudolph at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author, and John Brewster at Creative Services represented the illustrator.
Lee Wade at Random House/Schwartz & Wade has bought world rights to Stand Up! Speak Up!: A Story Inspired by the Climate Change Revolution by Andrew Joyner (The Pink Hat). In this picture book, a young climate activist makes it her mission to inspire others to help the planet. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions brokered the deal.
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Ottaviano has acquired world rights to Cher Ami: The Fearless Little Pigeon by Melisande Potter (l.), illustrated by Giselle Potter, as well as a second untitled picture book. The creators’ first mother-daughter collaboration, Cher Ami is the story of a heroic animal that changed WWI history forever. The book is scheduled for 2022; the author represented herself, and Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Taylor Norman at Chronicle has bought world rights to Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt? by Derick Wilder, illustrated by K-Fai Steele. The rhyming picture book follows a girl whose constant curiosity reveals an assortment of butts, on storm clouds and ghosts and dinosaurs and more. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Jenna Pocius at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented the illustrator.
Phoebe Yeh at Crown has acquired The Magic Paintbrush from animation studio Baobab Studios. The interactive, intergenerational fantasy adventure is about a 12-year-old Chinese-American aspiring artist from Long Island who meets her immigrant grandmother for the first time and inherits a family heirloom that literally makes her dreams—and, in the wrong hands, her nightmares—come true. The novels will be written by Kat Zhang. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021 and the following year; rights were negotiated by Kane Lee for Baobab Studios, and the author was represented by Emmanuelle Morgen at Stonesong for world rights excluding China.
Kelsey Murphy at Philomel has bought, in a preempt, Sarah Prineas' middle grade novel Trouble in the Stars, pitched as Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Diabolic, in which a young shapeshifter on the run from the law stows away on a ship and befriends its motley crew. But the crew has secrets of their own, and with the evil StarLeague closing in, he must decide what matters more: his quest for answers to his hidden past or the safety of his newfound family. Publication is set for spring 2021; Melanie Castillo at Root Literary brokered the deal for North American rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired, in a preempt, world English rights to Christyne Morrell's middle grade debut fantasy, The Balloonist. When her father is arrested for a crime she unwillingly committed, Prismena will do anything to save him, taking her on a high-flying and shadowy adventure. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink did the deal.
Karen Wojtyla at S&S/McElderry has bought North American rights to author-illustrator Katherine Battersby's graphic novel debut, targeting younger readers. Cranky Chicken is the story of one grumpy bird, and what happens when his path crosses (literally) with a super cheerful worm who is determined to be friends. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette negotiated the two-book deal on behalf of Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Alison Deering at Capstone has acquired world rights to Merriam Saunders' debut middle-grade novel, Trouble with a Tiny t. When Westin, a 12-year-old boy with ADHD, accidentally conjures a tiny T. rex, he thinks that it will impress his friends. Instead, events spiral out of control. Westin must figure out how to control the magic and the chaos growing in his room. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency handled the deal.
Daria Harper at Chronicle has bought world English rights to Slovenian author-illustrator Marta Bartolj's One Small Kindness (previously titled Where Are You? or Kje Si? in Slovenian). This wordless picture book shows the small acts of kindness in a community that lead to bringing a lost dog home again. Publication is set for fall 2021; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal on behalf of Anže Miš at Miš Publishing.
Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben has acquired world rights to Susan Novich's Hello, Hanukkah, which features two of the creatures native to Israel, Badger and a spirited Hoopoe, as they introduce children to the rituals and traditions of Hanukkah, along with numbers and colors. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary represented the author-illustrator.
Chris Krones at HMH has acquired world rights to Cow Says Meow, a picture book filled with wordplay and mixed-up onomatopoeia, written by Kirsti Call and illustrated by Brandon James Scott. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Emma Sector at Prospect Literary Agency represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Carolyn Yoder at Boyds & Kane/Calkins Creek has bought world rights to The Teachers March! by Sandra Neil Wallace (l.) and Rich Wallace (c.) (First Generation). John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Charly Palmer will illustrate. The book focuses on Reverend F.D. Reese and the little-known 1965 civil rights protest where Reese convinced 104 Afro-American teachers to risk their jobs and their lives by marching to demand their right to vote. The Wallaces were able to conduct the last interviews with Reese before his recent death. Publication is slated for September 2020; Liza Voges at Eden Street represented the authors, and the artist represented himself.
Alex Borbolla at Atheneum has acquired world rights to Kira Bigwood's (l.) debut picture book Secret, Secret Agent Guy. When a covert kid embarks on a bedtime mission called Operation Lollipop, he's prepared for every eventuality—except one. Celia Krampien will illustrate; publication is scheduled for summer 2021. Jennie Dunham at Dunham Literary represented the author, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Allison Hunter Hill, formerly at Page Street Kids, has bought world rights to Judith L. Roth's (l.) Venetian Lullaby, illustrated by Kendra Binney, which transports readers on a gondola ride through the canals of Venice. Courtney Burke will edit. Publication is set for winter 2021; the author represented herself, and Susan McCabe at Lilla Rogers Studio represented the illustrator.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has bought world rights to Martha Brockenbrough (l.) and Grace Lin's (c.) I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story, illustrated by Julia Kuo. This picture book biography follows the legal battle that started after Wong Kim Ark was denied re-entry to the United States, which concluded with a landmark Supreme Court ruling protecting citizenship rights. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary represented Brockenbrough, Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented Lin, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented Kuo in the deal.
