Krista Vitola at Simon & Schuster has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The Legend of Greyhallow, Summer Rachel Short's (Mutant Mushroom Takeover) first middle grade fantasy. Pitched as Jumanji meets Sunset Boulevard, a bed-and-breakfast in a town with a long cinematic history unleashes movie characters intent on wreaking havoc on tourists gathering for a film festival, and it's up to one girl to stop them. Publication is slated for summer 2023; Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Birch Path Literary brokered the deal for North American rights.
Andrew Arnold at Harper Alley has bought, at auction, Maria Capelle Frantz's new middle grade graphic novel, Megrez of the Great Above, plus an untitled work. Pitched as The Witch Boy with a sprinkle of Stardust and a touch of environmentalism, it's the story of a young star spirit that falls to earth to live as a human, only to discover that the isolated village she lands in is fraught with fear of all things unfamiliar. She learns to hide her differences and make friends, until the town finds itsellf on the brink of collapse. To survive, she'll have to learn how to be herself again. Publication is set for winter 2025; Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary did the deal for world rights.
Catherine Laudone at S&S/Paula Wiseman Books has acquired world rights to Penguin Ranch, a standalone middle-grade mystery by Kristin L. Gray (The Amelia Six). Twelve-year-old Nova journeys to McMurdo Station, Antarctica and must unmask the mole trying to sabotage her mother's research before any penguins, or people, go missing. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Jennifer Ung at Quill Tree has bought Elisa Stone Leahy's debut middle grade novel, Tethered to Other Stars. The story follows a girl navigating both seventh grade and the devastating impact of ICE's looming presence on her family and community. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Brent Taylor at Triada US handled the two-book deal for world English rights.
Britny Brooks at Running Press Kids has acquired Girls Make Movies by Mallory O'Meara (l.), illustrated by Jen Vaughn, a middle grade nonfiction, choose-your-own-path-style book centering on Sasha Versus Zombies, a fictitious film about a YouTube makeup artist trying to escape from a hungry horde of the undead. Publication is slated for winter 2023. Brady McReynolds negotiated the deal for North American rights; Amy Elizabeth Bishop at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret now represents the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Maria Modugno at Random House Studio has bought, in a preempt, world rights to Waa Waa Tawà, a picture book by Nigerian author-artist Àlàbá Ònájìn. Set in the author's hometown, the story takes a humorous approach to a common toddler problem—a little girl having a tantrum-filled day. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023; Gillian MacKenzie at the Gillian MacKenzie Agency brokered the deal.
Erin Siu at Feiwel and Friends has acquired world rights to Last Flight Out by debut author-illustrator Kerisa Greene. For nine-year-old Huong, life in Saigon is mostly normal, but when a bomb shakes the earth, her family decides to flee on Pan Am's last flight to America. Huong worries about missing home, but as she settles in, she realizes that the smell of home and taste of love can happen anywhere, as long as she has her family. Publication is set for winter 2024; Analieze Cervantes at Harvey Klinger Literary Agency did the deal.
Winsome Bingham at Reycraft Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, a picture book titled City Feet, written and illustrated by Aixa Perez-Prado, a rhyming tribute to the rhythms and diversity of city streets, shown from a toddler's view. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Joyce Sweeney of the Seymour Agency negotiated the deal.
Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books has acquired world rights to Dear Star Baby by Malcolm Newsome (l.), illustrated by Kamala Nair. In the picture book, which is written as a letter, a boy processes his wonders, wishes, and sadness after the loss of an unborn baby sibling. Publication is slated for April 2023; James McGowan at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and Christina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Peggy Schaefer at WorthyKids has bought world rights to Home Is Calling by Katherine Pryor (l.), illustrated by Ellie Peterson, about the annual months-long southward migration of the monarch butterfly. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Adria Goetz at Martin Literary brokered the deal.
Jennifer Ung at Quill Tree has acquired, in a two-book preempt, The Queens of New York by E.L. Shen, pseudonym for editor and former Quill Tree intern Elizabeth Lee. This contemporary YA novel, pitched as an Asian American Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, follows three best friends as they navigate first love, grief, racism, and heartbreak during one life-changing summer apart. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Marietta Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Kat Brzozowski at Feiwel and Friends has bought Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore (l.) and Elliott McLemore, a YA fantasy about a transgender prince doubling for his brother, and a bigender boy assassin/lady-in-waiting, who, thanks to their concealed identities, don't realize they're simultaneously falling for and trying to destroy each other. Publication is slated for spring 2023. Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary brokered the deal for North American rights; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret now represents Anna-Marie McLemore, and Elliott McLemore represented himself.
Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired three titles by Kalynn Bayron. The first, Camp Mirror Lake, is a YA horror novel in which 17-year-old Charity plays the "final girl" in a full-contact terror simulation where guests pay to recreate scenes from a slasher film, but when her co-workers start dying for real, Charity and her girlfriend must uncover the camp's connection to a murderous cult and a long-dead serial killer if they hope to survive the night. Publication is set for spring 2023; the other two books, a sequel to The Vanquishers and an untitled middle grade novel, are scheduled for fall 2023 and fall 2024. Jamie Vankirk at Rainbow Nerds Literary did the six-figure deal for world rights.
Polo Orozco at Putnam has bought, at auction, supernatural YA mystery debut Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall, as well as a companion novel. Each member of the James family has been born with an unusual talent—to charm bees, to smell a lie, to speak with the dead—but for 17-year-old Linden James, tasting the emotions of others is more curse than blessing. When a former friend goes missing from their Appalachian town during the hottest summer on record, everything comes to a boil. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media handled the two-book deal for North American rights.
Stephanie Cohen at Inkyard Press has acquired world English and audio rights to Unseelie and an untitled sequel by debut author Ivelisse Housman, a YA fantasy that follows the adventures of changeling Seelie and her human twin as they embark upon the heist of a lifetime for a mystery legacy. As they evade capture by both human and fae forces, Seelie discovers more about her own Autistic identity, her magical powers, and love along the way. Publication is scheduled for winter 2023; Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Karen Chaplin at Quill Tree has bought The Lady's Favor by illustrator Ethan Aldridge. In this middle grade fantasy graphic novel, a girl growing up in a quiet valley town who longs to become a great astronomer attracts the attention of a strange and mysterious being who lives in the surrounding hills, known only as the Lady. She is soon drawn into the Lady's world of magic and danger; but when she meets a new girl who shares her academic ambitions, the Lady's magic turns terrifying. Publication is set for summer 2024; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management did the deal for North American rights.
Peter Phillips and Tara Walker at Tundra have acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Boy vs. Shark, a graphic memoir written and illustrated by Paul Gilligan, about toxic masculinity and the summer that Jaws was released. Ten-year-old Paul is terrified of sharks, but when he forces himself to see the hit movie to keep up with his more daring friends, he is traumatized into imagining a shark living in his bedroom, where it begins to act as a sort of machismo Jiminy Cricket. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Stephen Barr at Writers House negotiated the deal.
Sara Schonfeld at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought world English rights to O&E, Kate Fussner's middle grade debut. A queer in-verse retelling of "Orpheus and Eurydice," Fussner's debut follows the story of two middle school girls learning to love each other and themselves as they fight not to lose one another, pitched as What My Mother Doesn't Know meets Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World. Publication is planned for summer 2023; Eric Smith at P.S. Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.
Alex Arnold at Quirk has acquired A Spoonful of Time by Flora Ahn (Pug Pals), a middle grade novel about 12-year-old Maya who discovers she can travel across time through her halmunee's memories by cooking Korean treats. Publication is scheduled for 2023; Melissa Edwards at Stonesong sold world rights in the two-book deal.
Joy Peskin at FSG has bought world English rights to Tomorrow Is New Year's Day: Seollal, A Korean Celebration of the Lunar New Year by author-illustrator Aram Kim. The story is about a girl named Mina who is eager to share the traditions of Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year, with her classmates—until her little brother's tantrum threatens to ruin her perfect day. Publication is slated for winter 2023; Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to Soul Step by Jewell Parker Rhodes (l.) (Ghost Boys) and her daughter Kelly McWilliams (c.) (Agnes at the End of the World) in the authors' picture book debut. Briana Mukodiri Uchendu (r.) will illustrate this story celebrating sisterhood and Black culture as a girl learns to step from her mama and mother's friends. Publication is set for summer 2024; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the authors, and Jessica Saint Jean at Jill Grinberg Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Clarissa Wong while at HarperCollins has bought world rights to Pockets of Love by Pura Belpré Award-winning author Yamile Saied Méndez (l.), illustrated by Pura Belpré Award Honor artist Sara Palacios; Megan Ilnitzki will edit. In the picture book, a brother and sister find a way to honor their late grandmother by making empanadas. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Linda Camacho at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the author, and Minju Chang and Kendra Marcus at BookStop Literary represented the illustrator.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has acquired world rights to All of Those Babies by Mylisa Larsen (l.), illustrated by Stephanie Laberis, a picture book that celebrates the fact that all animals start as babies, and then all babies—including humans—grow and grow and grow. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has bought world rights to The Wishing Machine by Jonathan Hillman (l.), illustrated by Nadia Alam, a picture book about a child who makes wishes on the machines at their favorite laundromat, before moving away from the neighborhood and all their friends there. Publication is set for fall 2023; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author and Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired world rights to A Story Is to Share: How Ruth Krauss Found Another Way to Tell a Tale, a picture book that follows the creative journey of legendary children's writer Ruth Krauss, by Carter Higgins (l.), illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. Publication is slated for fall 2022; Rubin Pfeffer at RP Content represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought world rights to Gifts from Georgia's Garden, a picture book biography by Lisa Robinson (l.), illustrated by Hadley Hooper. Inspired by Sotheby's recent auction of Georgia O'Keeffe's handwritten recipe cards, the story pays tribute to O'Keeffe's painting and the way she infused creativity into all aspects of her life—her garden, cooking, and clothing. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Birch Path Literary represented the author, and Marlena Torzecka at the Marlena Agency represented the illustrator.
Jessica Echeverria at Lee & Low has acquired world rights to a bilingual picture book, Marigol: How Maribel Domínguez Proved Soccer Is a Girl's Sport by Angela Quezada Padron (l.), illustrated by Christina Barragan Forshay, about Mexican footballer, Maribel Domínguez who cut her hair short and dressed as Mario to play soccer in her town where she faced poverty, sexism, gender discrimination, and racism to become one of the world's best female soccer players, advocate, and coach. Publication is set for summer 2023; Saritza Hernandez at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Nivair Gabriel at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to The Coolest Beard, a debut picture book by Betty Tekle (l.), illustrated by Nick Alexander. A Black boy sneaks his father's beard oil to try to grow a beard like his, with unexpected results. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the author, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben has acquired world rights to Donia Gracia Saved Worlds by Bonni Goldberg (l.), illustrated by Alida Massari, a picture book biography about unsung Jewish hero Donia Gracia Mendes, who organized an underground railroad, negotiated with pirates, and defied kings to rescue secret Jews during the Inquisition. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Sarah Stephens at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Erin Tisdale at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books has bought world rights to Looking for Happy by Ty Chapman (l.), illus. by Keenon Ferrell. This picture book tells the story of a Black boy who can't shake his sad mood, until an unexpected encounter brings a smile to his face and a dance to his feet. Publication is planned for May 2023; Savannah Brooks at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Amy Milligan at Illo Agency represented the illustrator.
Patricia Stockland at Kind World has acquired world rights to This Art Is for the Birds by debut author-illustrator Susan Bednarski. In the picture book, a group of pigeons rallies to honor the artistic works of a crafty crow. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; the author-illustrator represented herself.
