Beverly Horowitz at Delacorte has acquired adaptation rights to publish a young adult edition of Random House/One World's The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a memoir about growing up in 1980s in inner-city Baltimore with challenges on the streets as well as within his own family, especially the struggle for harmony between himself and his father. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Gloria Loomis at Watkins/Loomis Agency negotiated the deal for U.S., Canadian, and open market rights.
Trisha de Guzman at FSG has bought, in an exclusive submission, This Could Have Been a Love Story by former animation executive Brandon Hoàng. The debut contemporary YA follows a Vietnamese American boy who, in order to gain acceptance from his male peers, befriends the most beautiful girl in school, Gloria Buenrosto. When Gloria finds out about his deception, he is forced to confront how he's allowed his friends' toxic masculinity to sabotage his relationship with the best friend he's ever had. Publication is set for fall 2022; Alyssa Jennette at Stonesong Literary did the deal for world rights.
Maggie Lehrman at Abrams/Amulet has acquired North American English rights to The Roof Over Our Heads, the second YA novel by Nicole Kronzer. Downton Abbey meets Noises Off! in a story about 17-year-old Finn, a wannabe actor in a family of theater people who caretake a Victorian historical mansion. But when the owner threatens to sell due to prohibitive costs, Finn and his family put on a play that is equal parts murder mystery, art heist, and escape room to save the house, all while living with the cast like late Victorians. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties brokered the deal.
Alex Borbolla at Atheneum has bought an untitled YA thriller by Jennifer Moffett (Those Who Prey). Pitched as I Killed Zoe Spanos meets Bone Gap, the novel follows a reluctant teen psychic and an aspiring journalist as they search for the connection between a missing girl and the supernatural events upending their small Ozark town. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has won, in a 10-editor, six-house auction, world rights to The Brinkley Yearbook series, author-illustrator Sarah Sax's debut as a graphic novelist. The middle grade acquisition—which includes Picture Day, School Dance, Tryouts, Class Trip, and an interactive journal—follows four classmates as they navigate inventing and reinventing themselves, experience unanticipated milestones, and embrace the power of community during their seventh grade year at Brinkley Middle School. Publication for the first book is set for fall 2022; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary negotiated the five-book deal.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks has acquired North American rights to The Curses of Eastport by Lindsay Currie (The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street and Scritch Scratch). The middle-grade novel features a 12-year-old girl who must face down the most notorious ghost, "Sweet Molly," a nautical legend celebrated by her East Coast town, to stop a centuries-old curse that threatens to destroy everything. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal.
Kristin Gilson at Aladdin has bought Repairing the World by literary agent Linda Epstein. This debut middle grade novel follows a girl's journey through grief after the death of her best friend, revealing the restorative nature of the Jewish prayer for healing as she opens herself up to making new friends. Publication is slated for summer 2022; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Ruth Linka at Orca has acquired world rights to AWOL (Absent Without Leave) by author-illustrator Marla Lesage, a middle grade graphic novel about a military brat who is left alone (again) after her best friend's family is reassigned, while navigating her father's unpredictable mood swings. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency negotiated the deal.
Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben has bought Not So Shy by Israeli-American debut author Noa Nimrodi, a middle grade novel following Shai, a girl who moves from Israel to the United States, as she faces cultural differences, adjusts to a new language, and fights anti-Semitism at school. Publication is slated for 2022; Melissa Edwards at Stonesong brokered the deal for world rights.
Maria Modugno at Random House Studio has acquired world rights to If You Were a Garbage Truck by Diane Ohanesian, a rhyming picture book where kids are prompted to imagine the ups and downs of being a big-wheeled vehicle, helping them see the rewards of efforts both big and small. Joey Chou will illustrate; publication is set for spring 2022. The author represented herself, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Laura Godwin at Macmillan/Godwin has bought world rights to Loving Wild Things, written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Kenard Pak. The picture book is about the joy and pain of loving things that belong to the wild world, not to people. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Yasemin Uçar at Kids Can has acquired Franz's Phantasmagorical Machine by Beth Anderson (l.), illustrated by Caroline Hamel, a historical fiction picture book about Franz Gsellmann—a little-known European counterpart to America's Rube Goldberg—whose mechanical creation demonstrates the power of wonder and curiosity. Katie Scott will edit. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented in the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Adams at Sounds True has bought world rights to Tumbleweed, a picture book by Haven Iverson, illustrated by Rob Sayegh, about a wild and roaming tumbleweed that learns to slow down and experience the beauty and joy that come from being still in the world. Publication is expected in fall 2021; the author was unagented, and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
John Morgan at Macmillan/ Imprint has acquired world English rights to Miss Rita, Mystery Reader, written by Sam Donovan and Kristen Wixted (c.), and illustrated by Violet Tobacco (r.). The picture book is about a child, their father, and his drag queen alter ego: Miss Rita, who makes reading books fun and is accepting of all points of view. Publication is planned for late 2021; Moe Ferrara at BookEnds Literary represented the authors, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the artist.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte/Underlined has acquired My Epic Spring Break-Up by Kristin Rockaway (How to Hack a Heartbreak). The debut YA rom-com follows a shy high-school coder who realizes she's missed out on her high school experience and is determined to make up for all the fun and romance she neglected during her senior year spring break. Publication is scheduled for April 2021; Jessica Watterson at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Alyson Day at HarperTeen has bought, at auction, North American English rights to Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by debut author Joya Goffney. This #OwnVoices YA romance stars Quinn, a teen who loses her journal and is blackmailed into facing a to-do list of her greatest fears—or risk having her journal exposed on social media. Through facing the blackmailer's to-do list, Quinn unexpectedly finds the courage to change the way she's living her life, and somehow, to fall in love along the way. Brianne Johnson at Writers House brokered the deal.
Anne Heltzel at Amulet has acquired All I Want for Christmas Is Drew, a contemporary YA novel by Tiffany Schmidt (A Date with Darcy and Talk Nerdy to Me). The rom-com follows Noelle, a ballet student, whose secret crush on the older brother of her favorite babysitting clients is about to be exposed when Drew leaves his prestigious dance school to surprise his family on the ski holiday where she is babysitting. Publication is set for fall 2021; Kate Testerman at KT Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Hannah Smith at Owl Hollow has bought Lauren Nicolle Taylor's The Girl with the Hickory Heart, an #OwnVoices novel set over an island nation akin to a wooden Hong Kong. Pitched as Mulan meets The Last Airbender, the YA fantasy follows two Asian women from warring tribes who learn the price of peace in a time of war, testing the limits of a wooden heart to trust those they've been taught to hate and are destined to destroy. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Rebecca Angus at Golden Wheat Literary did the three-book deal for world rights.
Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has acquired world rights to Freedom! The Story of the Black Panther Party, a narrative nonfiction book for young readers from debut author Jetta Grace Martin and American Book Award-winning co-authors Joshua Bloom (c.) and Waldo E. Martin Jr. (r.) (Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party). Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; the authors represented themselves.
Emily Seife and David Levithan at Scholastic have bought Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (the Moving Target duology). The middle grade novel features a 12-year-old girl who discovers that her family's constant moving and ever-changing names as part of the Witness Protection Program are actually an elaborate hoax covering up the truth about her real identity. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Trisha de Guzman at FSG has acquired Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas (The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez). The middle grade historical novel, based on the author's father, follows a 12-year-old boy as he immigrates to Miami by himself, leaving his family behind in Cuba as he adjusts to life in the U.S. with only a small reminder of his home ever-present in his pocket. Publication is set for fall 2021; Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has bought The Mirrorwood, the third middle grade novel by Deva Fagan. Twelve-year-old Fable is cursed to steal the faces of others, and when she finds herself on the run from a hunter whose mission is to kill anyone who has fallen under the curse, she decides to break her enchantment by going to the source of the spells: the Mirrorwood, where she must face the demon-prince who has held the forest captive for decades. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Hannah Fergesen at KT Literary did the deal for world rights.
John Morgan at Macmillan/Imprint has acquired world rights to Snot Goblins and Other Tasteless Tales, a middle-grade graphic novel anthology written by Rob Kutner (l.), illustrated by David DeGrand. The collection includes horror-spoof comics about the world's clumsiest vampire, an attempted global takeover by the snot from kids' noses, internet trolls battling real trolls, and other tales intended to gross out. Publication is scheduled for summer 2022; Michael Goodman at the MLGPC Licensing Agency negotiated the deal.
Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has bought world rights to Out of a Jar by Deborah Marcero. Overwhelmed by his emotions, a young bunny hides away his feelings in glass jars, until he discovers life is more colorful when he sets his emotions free. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Ellen Cormier at Dial has acquired, in a house offer preempt, world rights to Katrina Moore's (l.) picture book, Sometimes Love, as well as a second untitled picture book manuscript. The story is an exploration of love—how it changes, how it grows, and how it knows to let go, through the lens of a girl in a military family and her beloved dog. Joy Hwang Ruiz will illustrate. Publication of the first book is set for summer 2022; Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the author, and Molly O'Neill at Root Literary represented the illustrator.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to Donut by Laura Gehl (Except When They Don't) (l.), illustrated by Andrea Zuill (Cat Dog Dog). This picture book introduces Donut, a shaggy unicorn who can't fly—but who is determined to find a way to become airborne. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink represented the author and illustrator.
Wendy McClure at Albert Whitman has acquired world rights to Rose Viña's (l.) Dancing Through Darkness: The Alicia Alonso Story, a picture book biography about Alicia Alonso, the Cuban ballerina and choreographer who became one of the greatest dance legends of all time, despite an eye condition that caused her to become partially blind. Gloria Félix will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2021. Alexandra Weiss at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Emily Coggins at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Sonali Fry at Random House has bought, for Random House Studio, world rights to The Faith of Elijah Cummings: Champion of Truth, Justice, & Equality by Carole Boston Weatherford (l.), illustrated by Laura Freeman. The picture book biography details the politician and civil rights advocate's humble beginnings and unwavering faith. Publication is set for fall 2021; Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the author, and Janet DeCarlo at StoryBook Arts represented the illustrator.
