Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends has acquired two titles for the publisher's new Remixed Classics series: a retelling of The Great Gatsby written by Anna-Marie McLemore, featuring Gatsby as a transgender young man, amid the glamour and sparkle of the 1920s; and a fresh take on Romeo and Juliet by Caleb Roehrig, bringing a queer perspective to Shakespeare's timeless work. Publication for McLemore's book is set for fall 2022; Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary brokered the deal for world rights. Publication for Roehrig's book is slated for winter 2023; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio did the deal for world rights.
Arthur A. Levine at Levine Querido has bought, in a preempt, When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb, a YA novel with a voice reminiscent of a (queer) Isaac Bashevis Singer story, about Uriel the angel and Little Ash the demon, centuries-long study partners in their small shtetl, who decide to travel to America (a place that turns out to be more complicated than they expect) with two young women who are deeply connected. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Calista Brill at First Second has acquired The 12th House, a YA graphic novel by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, co-author of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, about a young woman named Camille who, following the sudden death of her grandmother, finds herself haunted by the 11 monstrous envoys of a mysterious creature that seems bent on her destruction. As she struggles to outrun what hunts her as well as her own grief, she enlists the aid of an otherworldly stranger who promises to help her look her demons in the eye so she can reclaim her life. Kiara Valdez will also edit. Publication is slated for 2023; Charlie Olsen at Inkwell Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Karen Chaplin at Quill Tree has bought a debut YA novel tentatively titled A Type of Bleeding by Michael Gray Bulla. The coming-of-age story follows Gael, a trans teenager who joins his town’s LGBTQ+ support group and sparks a new friendship with a cute boy he meets there. When Gael’s aloof father returns home at the same time that his new friendship starts to become something more, Gael must decide whether the cost of protecting his heart is greater than the risk of letting the walls around it down. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Peter Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media handled the deal for world English rights.
Alexa Wejko at Soho Teen has acquired What's Coming to Me by debut author Francesca Padilla. After the ice cream stand where she works is robbed, 17-year-old Minerva Gutiérrez plans revenge on her complicit boss, while navigating grief, anger, and the possibility of escape from her dead-end town—as well as secrets and mistakes of her own. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Kate McKean at Howard Morhaim Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
Sarah McCabe at S&S/McElderry has bought at auction, in a six-figure deal, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao, launching a middle grade series in the vein of Yu-Gi-Oh! meets Percy Jackson. It follows 12-year-old Chinese American boy Zack, whose AR gaming headset gets possessed by the First Emperor of China, who compels him to journey across China to heist artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth so he can seal the underworld before its spirits flood out and destroy the mortal realm. Publication is set for summer 2022 and summer 2023; Rachel Brooks at BookEnds Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Tricia Lin at Random House has acquired, at auction, Futureland, a middle grade novel by H.D. Hunter. In the story, pitched as Black Panther meets Westworld by way of Artemis Fowl, the 12-year-old son of the famous creators of the traveling theme park phenomenon Futureland must stop an unknown enemy from stealing their cutting-edge technology and using it for sinister purposes, all while attending public school for the first time. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media did the three-book deal for world English on behalf of Cake Literary.
Connolly Bottum at Inkyard has bought, in an exclusive submission, The Gingerbread Witch by Alexandra Overy (These Feathered Flames), which follows the daughter of the witch from “Hansel and Gretel,” who must find a way to bring her mother back to life after a pair of young witch hunters push her into an oven, or risk all of her mother's animal creations turning back into gingerbread. This middle grade story will kick off a series of Brothers Grimm fairy tale retellings. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Natascha Morris and Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary brokered the two-book deal for world rights; Patrice Caldwell at New Leaf Literary & Media now represents the author.
Lily Kessinger at HMH has acquired, at auction, Hazel Hayes Is Gonna Win This One by debut author Maggie Horne. This middle grade contemporary novel follows a feisty 12-year-old girl who, after one of her classmates is harassed online, devises a plan to take down the school's golden boy and hopefully win her beloved public speaking competition. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought, in a preempt, a graphic novel series called The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by author Mac Barnett (l.) and illustrator Shawn Harris. The series is based on the live cartoons for the shelter-in-place Instagram show, Mac's Book Club Show, and follows an unlikely trio—a bionic cat, toenail-clipping robot, and moon queen—as they race to save the moon from the rats who want to eat it… and maybe find some pizza along the way. Publication of the first book is set for summer 2022; Steven Malk at Writers House did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Liza Kaplan at Philomel has acquired world rights to I'm an American, written by Darshana Khiani (l.) (How to Wear a Sari) and illustrated by Laura Freeman. The picture book is a celebration of our gloriously diverse country, starting with a classroom of students from many races, cultures, and identities, and showing how each student's past has shaped their own personal American experience. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Janet DeCarlo at Storybook Arts represented the illustrator.
Jessica Garrison at Dial has bought world rights to The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed (l.), illustrated by Hatem Aly. This rhyming picture book, pitched as Interrupting Chicken meets A Squiggly Story, celebrates siblings, storytelling, and collaboration, showing how another person's input can make a project even better. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Connor Eck at Lucinda Literary represented the author and James Burnes at the Bright Agency represented the artist.
Kelly Delaney at Knopf has acquired Nubby by Once Upon a Goat author Dan Richards, illustrated by Shanda McCloskey. The picture book follows an overworked stuffed bunny who strikes out on a quest for glory and appreciation. Publication is slated for spring 2023; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented the illustrator.
Anuoluwapo Ohioma at Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to Mi Ciudad Sings, written by Cynthia Harmony (l.) and illustrated by Teresa Martinez. This debut picture book by the author tells the story of a Mexican girl and her neighbors as they help each other rebuild their once-vibrant city disrupted by a devastating earthquake. Publication is set for summer 2022; Natascha Morris brokered the deal while at BookEnds; James McGowan now represents the author. Christine Hong at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Nancy Inteli at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Gato Guapo, a read-aloud about counting kittens, featuring bilingual text by Anika Aldamuy Denise (l.), illustrated by Zara González Hoang. Publication is scheduled for winter 2023; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the author and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Nicole Fiorica at S&S/McElderry has bought, at auction, world rights to A Stone Is a Story by Leslie Barnard Booth, a nonfiction picture book that answers the question, "Where do rocks come from?," illustrated by Marc Martin, along with a second untitled book. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Claire Draper at the Bent Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Brett Duquette at Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to Books by Horseback, written by Emma Carlson Berne (l.) and illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati, which tells the adventure of a heroic pack horse librarian who braves the harsh but beautiful terrain of rural Kentucky to bring books to children. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to Make Way by Angela Burke Kunkel (l.) (Digging for Words), illustrated by Claire Keane (Paolo, Emperor of Rome). This picture book biography parallels the lives of Robert McCloskey, creator of Make Way for Ducklings, and Nancy Schön, the sculptor of the famous ducks in Boston Garden. Publication is set for spring 2023; Liza Fleissig at the Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids has acquired world rights to A History of Toilet Paper (and Other Potty Tools) by Sophia Gholz (l.), illustrated by Xiana Teimoy. From the great outdoors to an outhouse to bum brushes, this nonfiction picture book is a humorous exploration of the history of human potty practices. Publication is scheduled for August 2022; Liza Fleissig at the Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Mark Mills at Plum Pudding Illustration represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear has bought world rights to Mushroom Rain by debut author Laura K. Zimmermann (l.), illustrated by Jamie Green. This picture book explores the mysterious world of mushrooms from their hidden threads that wander below to spores that soar, seed the clouds, and fall in drops of rain. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Kaitlyn Sanchez at Olswanger Literary represented the author and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Kristin Daly Rens at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired, in a preempt, Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle (l.) and Katherine Webber. This first book in a YA romantic fantasy duology follows Rose Valhart, a princess who is kidnapped and whisked away to a land of forbidden magic, and Wren Greenrock, Rose's sister who was secreted away at birth and raised by a coven of outlawed witches to steal Rose's place on the throne. Rose and Wren find themselves fighting for different versions of their kingdom's future—but who will rise up and get to wear the crown? Publication is set for summer 2022; Peter Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media did the deal for North American rights on behalf of Claire Wilson at RCW.
Jody Corbett at Scholastic has bought, in an exclusive submission, a YA speculative-fiction horror novel by Lamar Giles. In the wake of a global catastrophe, a teen discovers that the world-famous vacation resort where he lives and works doubles as a luxury doomsday refuge for the cruel billionaires he's now trapped with. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Jamie Weiss Chilton at Andrea Brown Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired, in a preempt, world English rights to Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto. This YA rom-com debut is about a girl whisked from L.A. to her mother's native Indonesia in order to "get back to her roots," who—through a comedy of errors and overzealous parents—finds herself fake-dating the son of one of the wealthiest families in Indonesia, and is surprised when she actually starts to fall in love—with the boy, the country, and the big family she never knew before now. Publication is set for fall 2022; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management brokered the two-book deal.
Sarah McCabe at S&S/McElderry has bought Gone Dark by Amanda Panitch. This YA speculative thriller follows Zara, who, after an attack that kills the electrical grids of North America, forges across the country, leading a growing band of followers to the safety of her estranged father's survivalist compound. But as the country descends into chaos and dark secrets from her past threaten to come forward, safety might be out of reach forever. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House handled the deal for world rights on behalf of Amanda Panitch and Temple Hill.
Megan Peace and David Saylor at Scholastic Graphix have acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Sugar Coated, a debut graphic novel by #OwnVoices creator Amber Padilla. In this coming-of-age YA novel, Latinx protagonist Annabelle Romo is the awkward new girl in school who is trying to fit in and find love… as somebody else. Through the sweet treats she bakes and the sugar-coated online profile she makes, Annabelle soon discovers that finding friends and finding love isn't nearly as challenging as finding herself. Publication is set for 2024; Dara Hyde at Hill Nadell Literary negotiated the deal.
Jennifer Ung at Simon & Schuster has bought Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland. In the author’s second YA rom-com, two rivals for high school valedictorian have 24 hours to win back an ex-best friend and an ex-girlfriend during a road trip to the University of Pennsylvania. Publication is set for fall 2022; Lauren Abramo at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret brokered the deal for world rights.
Stephanie Owens Lurie at Disney/Rick Riordan Presents has acquired Pahua and the Soul Stealer by Lori M. Lee. This middle grade novel follows a Hmong girl who must make her way through the spirit worlds with an arrogant shaman warrior and a snide talking cat to save her little brother's soul from a vengeful ghost. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Megan Ilnitzki at HarperCollins has won, at auction, Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria plus an untitled sequel by George Jreije. This debut #OwnVoices middle grade fantasy follows 12-year-old aspiring baker Shad, whose life is uprooted when he discovers he's descended from a long line of alchemists and sent to the mysterious Alexandria Academy. But Shad's arrival at the school awakens a nefarious force, and he soon learns he holds the key to either stopping—or unleashing—their evil plot. Publication for the first book is slated for 2022, with the second book following in 2023; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Katherine Tegen at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought world English rights to Go Figure, Henri Weldon by Coretta Scott King Honor author Tanita Davis. Henrietta Weldon is a seventh grader who counts on her fingers, but that doesn't mean she's stupid. Henri's got dyscalculia—a learning disability that has to do with math and numbers—and it complicates everything. She plays soccer hoping it'll de-stress her life, but is her mother right? Should Black girls not waste time on anything that isn't about their future? Publication is slated for fall 2022; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency brokered the deal.
Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has acquired world rights to Them Clackity by Lora Senf. In this debut middle grade horror novel, Evie Von Rathe must enter an abandoned abattoir that acts as a gateway to a world of ghosts, witches, and monsters to play a game with deadly consequences in the hopes of rescuing her aunt, the local paranormal expert. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Ali Herring at Spencerhill Associates negotiated the deal.
Nicole Sclama at HMH has bought A Reluctant Witch's Guide to Magic by Shivaun Plozza; Amy Cloud will edit. This middle grade novel is about an ordinary girl, Willa Birdwhistle, who discovers she's actually a witch prized by two warring covens. She must master her magic and choose a coven before her 13th birthday—or explode. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management did the deal for North American rights.
Nancy Cleary at Wyatt-MacKenzie has acquired By the Light of Fireflies by Jenni L. Walsh (I Am Defiance). This middle grade novel, based on the true story of a hidden Revolutionary War hero, Sybil Ludington, dubbed the "female Paul Revere," follows a girl who braves a perilous midnight ride to warn the troops, with the believed magic of the fireflies to light her way. Publication is scheduled for November 2021; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary handled the deal for world English rights.
Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook has bought, in a two-book deal, world rights to tentatively titled Quiet Time and an untitled second book, written and illustrated by Dinalie Dabarera. Her debut picture book is about a girl spending time with her Seeya (grandfather) and how their loving bond transcends their language barrier. Publication is scheduled for winter 2023; Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the author-illustrator.
Arthur A. Levine at Levine Querido has acquired Big Dreams, Small Fish by Paula Cohen, a picture book about Shirley, the daughter of immigrants who live above their grocery store. Shirley knows she has the smarts to help run the shop, but her parents and relatives think she's too little. When the opportunity arises, Shirley turns some slowselling gefilte fish into a marketing strategy that changes the flavor of the neighborhood. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Christy Ewers of the CAT Agency did the deal for world rights.
Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has bought world rights for My Friend, LeVar by debut author-illustrator-animator Ezra Edmond. This picture book features a book-loving boy who imagines adventures alongside LeVar Burton and has an actual in-person meeting with the celebrity. Publication is planned for summer 2023; the author-illustrator represented himself.
Namrata Tripathi at Kokila has acquired Being Home by Traci Sorell (l.) (Cherokee; At the Mountain's Base), illustrated by 2021 Caldecott Medalist Michaela Goade (Tlingit/Haida; We Are Water Protectors), a picture book about a child who's excited to move closer to friends and family in their ancestral lands. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the artist for world English rights.
Katie Heit at Scholastic has bought world rights to the first two titles in You Are a Star!, a new picture book series celebrating important trailblazers with an combination of text, comic panels, and essential facts, written by Dean Robbins (l.) (The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon). Sarah Green (Anna Strong) will illustrate the first title, You Are a Star, Ruth Bader Ginsburg! and Hatem Aly (r.) (The Proudest Blue) will illustrate the second title, You Are a Star, Jane Goodall! Publication is set for fall 2021 and fall 2022, respectively; Marietta Zacker at Gallt & Zacker represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrators.
Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has acquired world rights to Everything in Its Place, written by Pauline David-Sax (l.) and illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow. In this picture book about identity and connecting, a shy girl who enjoys the solitary of her school library gains the courage to extend herself to others when she encounters a group of unique, diverse, inspiring women at the diner where her mother works. Publication is scheduled for summer 2022; the author was unagented, and Lori Nowicki at Painted Words represented the artist.
Brett Duquette at Little Bee has bought world rights to I Want My Book Back, written by Viviane Elbee (l.) and illustrated by Nicole Miles, in which a dinosaur-loving boy is on a mission to reclaim his favorite book after he is forced to return it to the library. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Naomi Davis and Natascha Morris at Book Ends Literary represented the author, and Chad Beckerman at the Cat Agency represented the illustrator.
Wendy McClure at Albert Whitman has acquired world rights to The Supreme Court and Us by Christy Mihaly (l.), illustrated by Neely Daggett, with Christina Pulles to edit. This informational picture book takes readers through Washington, D.C., to chronicle the court's history and how the court touches everyone, both big and small. Publication is set for spring 2022; Erzsi Deak of Hen&Ink Literary Studio represented the author, and Kate Kendrick at Astound US represented the illustrator.
