Aneeka Kalia at Viking has acquired, in a six-figure, five-house auction, Punk Rock Karaoke, a YA graphic novel by cartoonist Bianca Xunise. Although going to college may be the most traditional path post-high school, for Ariel and her bandmates Michele and Gael that dream seems as impossible as becoming punk rock stars. But at least in becoming famous, they'll finally be able to escape a cycle of poverty that plagues them all. Publication is set for summer 2023; Linda Camacho at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Sophia Jimenez at Atheneum has bought world English rights to debut novel The Vines in the Wall by Lauren Yero, a star-crossed YA love story set in a near-future Chile where walled-in cities protect the world's wealthy few from the outside world's environmental devastation, in which a boy, desperate to save his father, must rely on Paz, a girl working in secret with rebels who want to destroy his whole world. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger negotiated the deal.
Cheryl Klein at Lee & Low/Tu Books has acquired world rights to Boys of The Beast, the debut novel from screenwriter and YA librarian Monica Zepeda. In the book, three cousins who barely know one another—one Jewish and gay, one evangelical Christian and uptight, and one a stoner and dropout—set off for New Mexico in their late Grandma Lupe's 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, with each boy traveling for his own secret reasons. The manuscript won the publisher's New Visions Award. Publication is slated for February 2022; Tricia Lawrence of Erin Murphy Literary represented the author.
Nikki Garcia at Little, Brown/Poppy has bought This Night Is Ours by Ronni Davis, a YA novel that follows a teen girl's uncertainty about the future, familial pressure, and a budding romance with one of her best friends the summer before college. Publication is planned for summer 2023; Caitie Flum at Liza Dawson Associates brokered the deal for world rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab has acquired debut YA novel Funeral Girl by Emma K. Ohland. Georgia has complicated feelings about the funeral home her parents run, especially because she has the ability to revive the souls of the dead. When a newly deceased classmate turns up at the funeral home—and asks for Georgia's help with unfinished business—Georgia must confront her anxieties about mortality head on. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal for world rights.
Hannah Hill at Delacorte has bought North American rights to The 51 Files, a debut middle grade series by YA author Julie Buxbaum (l.) (Tell Me Three Things), illustrated by Lavanya Naidu. What Happens in Area 51…, the first book in this humorous, illustrated series pitched as The Last Kids on Earth meets Men in Black, follows orphan Sky as she goes to live with her enigmatic uncle and discovers that her new hometown of Area 51 is full of aliens. But when several aliens disappear and suspicion falls on Sky and her uncle, Sky must team up with her otherworldly friend Elvis, her pizza-loving pet hedgehog, and Elvis's fluffy pup to solve the case. Publication of book one is set for fall 2022; Jennifer Joel at ICM Partners represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired Squire & Knight and its sequel, by Scott Chantler, a middle-grade graphic novel about a brainy young squire who solves mysteries involving monsters and magic, but the overbearing knight he serves takes the credit every time. Publication is slated for 2023; Samantha Haywood at Transatlantic Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Arthur Levine at Levine Querido has bought Aviva vs. the Dybbuk, a debut middle grade novel by Mari Lowe, about an Orthodox Jewish girl, haunted by a ghostly dybbuk and by the aftermath of tragic events that took her father from her and left her mother in a grief-induced depression. In the context of new anti-Semitic threats, Aviva must find a way to reconnect with her best friend and the close community that surrounds them, if she's to get beyond both the dybbuk and her troubles. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Tamar Rydzinski at Context Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English and Dutch rights.
Tricia Lin at Random House has acquired middle-grade novel Select by Christie Matheson (Tap the Magic Tree; Shelter), which explores one girl's experience playing competitive soccer on a scholarship, from the challenges she faces traveling to practices and games, to the sometimes negative competitive atmosphere and often insulting behavior of her coach. The novel celebrates girl power, standing up for what's right, and the true spirit of soccer. Publication is set for summer 2023; Stacey Glick at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret handled the deal for world rights.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has bought The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni (Eleanor, Alice, & the Roosevelt Ghosts), in which 12-year-old Garnet and her mother are summoned against their will to the ancestral estate where a century-old curse decimated three generations of their family, ghosts romp in the attic, doors open to other times, and the dying patriarch seeks to prolong his life by stealing life from others. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties negotiated the deal for world rights.
Dianne Hess at Scholastic has acquired world rights to Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney (l.) (Martin Rising), illustrated by Keith Henry Brown. It tells the true story of 10-year-old activist Tybre Faw, who befriends his hero, Congressman John Lewis. Publication is slated for spring 2022; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented the author, and Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Jennifer Greene at Clarion Books has bought world rights to Rani, a picture book by Saadia Faruqi (l.), illustrated by Anoosha Syed, about a modern South Asian princess, living in a bustling castle by the sea, who goes out seeking an adventure and finds a friend instead. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Kari Sutherland at Bradford Literary represented the author, and Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary represented the illustrator.
Esther Cajahuaringa at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to a picture book by Jamie Ofelia (l.) titled Miguel Must Fight!, a bilingual story about challenging social norms, finding common ground with family, and embracing the arts, illustrated by Sara Palacios. Publication is set for summer 2024; Savannah Brooks at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Kendra Marcus and Minju Chang at Bookstop Literary Agency represented the artist.
Lee Wade at Random House Studio has bought The Spot at the End of the Path by Nadine Brun-Cosme (l.), illustrated by Olivier Tallec, a picture book that follows three best friends who do everything together, including coming to the realization that alone time can be equally as important. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the author and the illustrator.
Liza Kaplan at Viking has acquired world rights to Not Too Tired for Justice: Black Women and the Civil Rights Movement by NAACP Image Award winner Katheryn Russell-Brown (l.); Kim Holt will illustrate. This biographical-style picture book highlights 12 sheroes of the civil rights movement, and the contributions they made that helped carry the movement forward. Publication is slated for spring 2023; Adriana Dominguez of Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Claire Easton of Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Mary Lee Donovan at Candlewick has bought world rights to Concrete: From the Ground Up by Larissa Theule (l.) (Kafka and the Doll). It's the first title in Material Marvels, a nonfiction series that walks through the history of common materials while touching on some of their social, scientific, and artistic significance. Steve Light (Road Trip) will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2022. Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency represented the author and illustrator.
Claudia Zoe Bedrick of Enchanted Lion acquired world rights to The Boy Who Became a Parrot: A Foolish Biography of Edward Lear Who Invented Nonsense by Wolverton Hill (l.), illustrated by Laura Carlin. The book explores Lear's storied life, from his forgotten early work as a natural history artist to how he came to enthrall children as "Lord High Bosh and Nonsense Producer." Publication is set for spring 2024; Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Helen Osborne of Heart Agency represented the artist.
Jonah Heller at Peachtree has bought world rights to Hooked on Books by Margaret Chiu Greanias (l.), illustrated by Kristyna Litten. The picture book follows a grumpy anglerfish who wants to read in peace, but she keeps getting interrupted by noisy neighbors, so she swims deeper in search of the perfect, quiet spot. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the author, and Alan Lynch at Arena Illustration represented the illustrator.
Amy Novesky at Cameron Kids has acquired world rights to a new edition of A Rose, a Bridge and a Wild Black Horse by the late Charlotte Zolotow (l.), a picture book about a girl imagining all the things she'll do for her mother when she grows up, to be illustrated by Governor General's Award finalist Julie Morstad. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Edite Kroll at Edite Kroll Literary Agency represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Courtney Fahy at Little Bee Books has bought world rights to Timid, a picture book written and illustrated by Harry Woodgate (Grandad's Camper) about a child who loves to perform, is confronted by their inner cowardly lion, and has to learn to overcome it, or perhaps work with it, to realize their dream of being a performer. Publication is planned for summer 2022; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary represented the author-illustrator.
Krista Marino at Delacorte Press has acquired, at auction, in a two-book deal, A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson (Pink), a standalone YA fantasy set in a world in which magic is patented by corporations and potions are produced in factories and sweatshops. In the story, a teenage girl’s best friend goes missing; to find her she must enter the long-forgotten nuclear power plant on the edge of town, and try not to set free the wild magic that has long been trapped there. Publication is slated for spring 2023; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold North American rights.
Sylvan Creekmore at Wednesday Books has bought, at auction, a YA contemporary fantasy duology called Godly Heathens, plus one more book, by H.E. Edgmon (The Witch King), pitched as American Gods meets All Of Us Villains, in which a nonbinary Seminole teen from a southern town discovers they are the reincarnated god of magic and must hunt down and destroy the one weapon capable of permanently killing a god, before the lives—and loves—they've had through the centuries catch up to them. Publication of the first book is set for winter 2024; Lee O'Brien and Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency did the three-book deal for world rights.
Alexandra Cooper at Quill Tree has acquired Café Con Lychee by Meet Cute Diary author Emery Lee, a dual POV enemies-to-lovers contemporary rom-com following rival sons of competing family businesses—a Puerto Rican bakery and an Asian American cafe—who form an unlikely alliance running an underground coffee and boba shop at school after a new fusion cafe threatens their parents' stores. Publication is slated for 2022; Claire Draper at the Bent Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Mark Podesta at Henry Holt has acquired the YA graphic novel Walker by Clive Hawken. A transgender teenager hits the road in search of a monster in this debut that explores the complexities of otherness and connection. Though it doesn't attract the same attention as Mothman or Sasquatch, the "Plains Walker" is a legendary cryptid, feared and beloved in its own right; the question is, does it actually exist? Publication is scheduled for 2024; Alex Slater at Trident Media Group negotiated the deal for world rights.
Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has bought Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston, a contemporary YA fantasy pitched as Caraval meets Buffy. When Ava joins a troupe of stage magicians who moonlight as vampire hunters, she believes she finally has her chance to find the vampire who killed her mother. But if she wants to keep her newfound family and the power they offer, she must put on the performance of her life in a competition where the magic is real and the stakes are deadly. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency sold world rights.
Tamara Grasty at Page Street has bought Direwood, a debut by Catherine Yu. In the YA gothic horror novel, 16-year-old Aja, whose sister Fiona disappears when a strange weather event isolates their town, must put her trust in a vicious but alluring vampire if she wants to see her sister again. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Erin Clyburn at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Debra Dorfman at Scholastic has acquired world rights to the first two books in a new middle grade series by James Preller, Exit 13, described as Schitt's Creek meets Stranger Things; Conor Lloyd will edit. Two young teens, their dog, and their parents become trapped in a mysterious—and creepy—motel. Publication is set to begin in fall 2022; Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency handled the deal in an exclusive submission.
Allison Moore at Bloomsbury has acquired middle grade novel The Science of Sisters by Edith Cohn (Birdie's Billions), about a meteor that lands in a small town and causes two sisters to question everything. Publication is slated for spring 2023; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Shana Corey at Random House has bought world rights to Lo and Behold, a middle grade graphic novel by Wendy Mass (l.) (The Candymakers), illustrated by Gabi Mendez. With her life recently turned upside down, 12-year-old Addie is uncomfortable in her own skin until the world of virtual reality sparks her imagination and leads to an exciting new project, a new friend, and to reconnecting with who she's always been. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Melissa Rhodes Zahorsky at Andrews McMeel has bought Wheel of the Year by Fiona Cook (l.), illustrated by Jessica Roux (Floriography). The illustrated encyclopedia explores the eight holidays in the pagan calendar, complete with ideas on how to engage children with the magic of nature as it changes throughout the year. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Alyssa Jennette at Stonesong negotiated the deal for world rights.
Megan Abbate, while at Roaring Brook, acquired Nowhere Better Than Here by Sarah Guillory; Kate Meltzer will edit. The middle-grade novel follows 12-year-old Jillian Robichaux as she fights to save her Louisiana hometown and keep its spirit alive after a devastating storm. Publication is set for spring 2022. Chloe Seager at Madeleine Milburn brokered the deal for world rights; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary represented the author.
Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow has bought Hey Otter! Hey Beaver! by Caldecott Honor artist Brian Pinkney. The picture book explores the differences between work-driven Beaver and play-oriented Otter as they discuss what to do with sticks in a river. Publication is planned for 2022; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House did the two-book deal for world rights.
Nancy Mercado at Dial has acquired world rights to A Maleta Full of Treasures, a picture book by International Latino Book Award-winning author Natalia Sylvester (l.) (Running; Everyone Knows You Go Home), illustrated by Pura Belpré Award-winning artist Juana Medina (Juana & Lucas). In the book, a girl anticipates a visit from her grandmother and wonders what she will pack in her suitcase. Abuela brings candies and pictures, but she also brings connection to family and a home far away, and a grandmother's wisdom. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Laura Dail at Laura Dail Literary Agency represented the author, and Gillian MacKenzie at Gillian MacKenzie Agency represented the artist.
Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has bought world rights to the picture book At the Window by Hope Lim (l.), illustrated by Qin Leng. A special connection forged between a girl and her neighbor shifts the child's perspective, allowing her to see things she had not previously discovered. Publication is set for spring 2025; Tanusri Prasanna at DeFiore and Company represented the author, and Tamara Shannon at Shannon Associates represented the artist.
Rotem Moscovich at Knopf has acquired world rights to The More You Give by Marcy Campbell (l.) (Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse), illustrated by Francesca Sanna. A modern-day response to The Giving Tree, this picture book explores the familial love that is passed down from generation to generation. Publication is scheduled for summer 2022; Steven Malk of Writers House represented the author, and Andrea Morrison of Writers House represented the illustrator.
Anna Roberto at Feiwel and Friends has bought at auction world rights to Annie's Cat Is Sad by Heather Smith (l.), illustrated by Karen Obuhanych, about a girl and her cat as they navigate the difficulties of feeling sad after having a bad day. Publication is planned for spring 2022; Amy Tompkins at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams will edit Peaches, acquired by Russ Busse in a preempt for world rights, written by Gabriele Davis (l.) and illustrated by Kim Holt. In this picture book, a Black girl brings solace to her family through a treasured family recipe. Publication is slated for August 2023; Joyce Sweeney of the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the artist.
Alyza Liu at Atheneum has bought world rights to The Moon from Dehradun by Shirin Shamsi (l.), illustrated by Tarun Lak, a picture book about a girl who leaves her beloved doll behind as her family migrates to Pakistan in the aftermath of the partitioning of British India in 1947. Publication is scheduled for fall 2022; Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills, an autobiographical picture book by Billy Mills (l.) and co-authored by Donna Janell Bowman (c.); Lakota artist S.D. Nelson (r.) will illustrate. The book recounts Mills's experience as an Oglala Lakota orphan growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation who achieved his dream of winning a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics despite racism, poverty, and debilitating health challenges, and who went on to found charitable organizations such as Running Strong that improve the lives of Native people. Publication is set for summer 2024; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the authors, and the artist represented himself.
Samantha Gentry at Little, Brown has bought world rights to two picture books by Raakhee Mirchandani (l.). The first, My Diwali Light, follows one girl's family tradition as they celebrate Diwali, to be illustrated by Supriya Kelkar (c.); publication is set for fall 2022. The second, Mama's Roti, focuses on the life-giving force of roti, where it comes from, the farmers who make it happen, and what it symbolizes to a family in America and India, to be illustrated by Shreya Gupta (r.); publication is planned for winter 2023. Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented Mirchandani, Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented Kelkar, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented Gupta.
Amy Novesky at Cameron Books has acquired world rights to Poems About Animals in Pants by debut author Suzy Levinson (l.), illustrated by husband-and-wife team Kristen Howdeshell (c.) and Kevin Howdeshell (r.). This picture book features a plethora of creatures donning britches, from squirrels in tracksuits to flamingos in capris. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the author, and Illustration Online represented the illustrators.
