Karen Wojtyla at McElderry Books has acquired North American rights to Running Past Dark by NBA winner Han Nolan. In this YA thriller, high school senior Scottie O'Doul turns to ultra-marathon running after the death of her twin sister Caitlyn, who died in a car crash involving the school's beloved football coach, and begins to piece together the circumstances surrounding the incident as she runs toward a new sense of self and a new set of truths. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Victoria Wells Arms at HG Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Ashley Hearn at Peachtree Teen has bought two novels by Andrew Joseph White (Hell Followed with Us), both featuring transgender, autistic protagonists. In The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead, Silas Bell must expose a power-hungry secret society while confined to a cruel finishing school designed to turn him into the perfect wife; and in Compound Fracture, an Appalachian teen survives an attempted murder with the help of an ancestor who died in the West Virginia coal wars, only to get drawn into a struggle between the rural poor and those who exploit them. Publication is set for fall 2023 and 2024; Zabé Ellor at the Jennifer De Chiara Agency sold world rights.
Ruta Rimas at Razorbill has acquired The Legacies by Jessica Goodman, a YA thriller set in New York City elite social circles, filled with old money and new secrets, backstabbing and blackmail, and a dead body. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Alyssa Reuben at William Morris Endeavor brokered the deal for North American rights.
Kat Brzozowski at Feiwel and Friends has bought Unholy Terrors, a standalone gothic YA fantasy by Lyndall Clipstone (Lakesedge; Forestfall), for publication by Henry Holt. Pitched as Gideon the Ninth meets The Boneless Mercies, the novel follows Everline Blackthorn, a necromantic warrior unable to use magic, who is forced to team up with the monstrous boy who is her sworn enemy in order to stop the rise of a terrible, eldritch power. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management did the deal for North American rights.
Lydia Gregovic at Delacorte, with Beverly Horowitz, has acquired Carnegie-nominated author Melinda Salisbury's Her Dark Wings, a YA Hades x Persephone retelling in which a teen girl coping with the unexpected death of her ex-best friend—whose betrayal ended their friendship for good—finds herself in the Underworld, where she'll have to contend with mythical beasts, her own burgeoning powers, and the arrogant, handsome Lord of the Dead himself. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Bronwen Bennie at David Fickling Books negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Namrata Tripathi at Kokila has bought world English rights to Newbery Honor author Renée Watson's (l.) Black Girl You Are Atlas, a semi-autobiographical YA poetry collection with fine art by Caldecott Honor artist Ekua Holmes that both looks back at the author's childhood and is a letter to young readers urging them to look toward the future with love, understanding, and celebration. Publication is set for spring 2024; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the artist.
Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Gender Rebels by Katherine Locke (l.) (What Are Your Words: A Book About Pronouns), an illustrated middle grade nonfiction history of important trans/nonbinary/gender nonconforming trailblazers, illustrated by Shanee Benjamin. Publication is scheduled for 2023; Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world rights.
Grace Scheipeter at Oni Press has bought Welcome to Dandelion Port, the debut graphic novel by Lily Joiner. It tells the tale of a feline fortune-teller who uses cursed tarot cards on a mysterious canine traveler binding their fates together in the absurd city of Dandelion Port. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Natascha Morris at the Tobias Literary Agency sold world rights.
Greg Hunter at Lerner/Graphic Universe has acquired Anne Lambelet's graphic novel debut I'm a Dumbo! and a second title. In the first of these early middle grade nonfiction books, a dumbo octopus introduces readers to marine wildlife. Publication is slated for spring 2025 and spring 2026; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary handled the two-book deal.
Lauri Hornik at Rocky Pond has bought Katie Kordesh's debut author-illustrated picture book, Here's Hotdog!, which follows the exploits of Enola, a precocious girl; Grandma Mimi, who lives at the coolest retirement home ever; Hoagie, Grandma Mimi's dog; and Hotdog, Enola's former lunch and current best friend. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Mary-Kate Gaudet at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to dancer and social media star Mark Kanemura's (l.) picture book debut I Am a Rainbow!, written with Steve Foxe, illustrated by Richard Merritt. Inspired by the author's childhood in Hawaii, it tells the story of a shy, artistic boy who learns to shine with confidence. Publication is set for summer 2023; Lisa Filipelli and Paul Luckenbaugh at Select Management Group with Jessica Marlow at Weintraub Tobin represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Kate O'Sullivan at Clarion has bought world rights to Rain and the Reading Horse by Maria Gianferrari (l.), illustrated by Hannah Salyer, about a girl who is quiet and a horse who understands, in a meditation on the power of animal friendship and the pressures of speaking in front of others. Publication is planned for winter 2024; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to A Mouse Family Christmas, a picture book by Deborah Underwood (l.), illustrated by Leah Hong, in which a mouse family decides to make a lonely Christmas extra-special for the elderly man whose house they share, for publication in fall 2024. Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Paula Wiseman at S&S/Wiseman has bought world rights to Summer: A Solstice Story by Kelsey E. Gross (l.), illustrated by Renata Liwska, a picture book about Owl and friends gathering up gifts of love from the woodlands to honor the shining spirits of new life on the longest day of the year. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Mary Cummings at Great River Literary represented the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.
Alexandra Cooper at Quill Tree has acquired Printz Honor author and National Book Award finalist Kekla Magoon's (l.) picture book biography Ketanji: Justice Jackson's Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court, illustrated by Coretta Scott King Honoree Laura Freeman, which tells the story of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Publication is set for June 2023; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. represented the author, and Janet DeCarlo at Storybook Arts represented the illustrator.
Wesley Adams at FSG has bought world rights to Glenn Burke, Game Changer, a picture book biography of the trailblazing baseball player who invented the high five and was the sport's first openly gay major leaguer, by Phil Bildner (l.) (A High Five for Glenn Burke), illustrated by Daniel J. O'Brien. Publication is scheduled for winter 2024; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has acquired world rights to Happy Friendsgiving by Marcie Colleen (l.), illustrated by Jen Hill, a picture book celebrating the many ways people gather at Thanksgiving, and the many unique forms a family can take, highlighting groups of friends, neighbors, community members, and those who work on the holidays as part of the interconnected web of civic life. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Anna Sargeant at Sourcebooks has bought world rights to The Pumpkin Seed's Secret, a nonfiction picture book by Hannah Barnaby (l.), illustrated by Cedric Abt, about the life cycle of a pumpkin. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency represented the author, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Sarah Fell at Magination Press has acquired world rights to Rhythm by SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner Jackie Azua Kramer (l.) (The Green Umbrella; The Boy and the Gorilla), illustrated by Taia Morley, a picture book about a girl living in a town beleaguered by an economic downturn who finds solace in a beloved tree. Publication is set for February 2024; Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.
Nina Gruener at Cameron Kids has bought world rights to Bird Rehearsal by Jonah Winter (l.), illustrated by Stacy Innerst. The bird rehearsal starts at dawn with the soft "tweedled-dee" of a robin. As the sun moves through the sky, the chatter of chickadees, coos of a doves, and caws of crows rise up to join the choir. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. represented the author, and Susan Cohen at Writers House represented the artist.
Jennifer Adams at Sounds True has acquired world rights to Giraffe and Jackal Are Friends (Again!) by Lisa Robinson (l.) and Mary Mackenzie (c.), cofounder of the NVC Academy, illustrated by Nicole Michels (r.). When Aardvark arrives as the new kid in Savannah School, best friends Giraffe and Jackal work through the feelings of anger, jealousy, and rivalry that arise when Giraffe invites Aardvark to play, a picture book based on the conflict resolution techniques of Marshall Rosenberg and the Center for Nonviolent Communication. Publication is set for fall 2023; Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Birch Path Literary represented Robinson, Mackenzie represented herself, and Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented Michels.
Phoebe Yeh at Crown has acquired, in a two-book deal, The Notes by debut novelist Catherine Con Morse. This contemporary YA novel follows Claire Wu, a Chinese American pianist at a performing arts boarding school whose dedication to music is rekindled by a glamorous new music teacher, but is challenged by warning notes, her first love and the pressure to succeed. Publication is planned for summer 2024 and a second standalone book for summer 2025 respectively. Roma Panganiban and Chad Luibl at Janklow & Nesbit Associates negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kate Proswimmer at McElderry Books has bought And Don't Look Back, a mystery by Rebecca Barrow. Harlow Ford has been on the run her whole life, evading a nameless villain and always looking forward. But when her mother Cora is killed in a car accident, Harlow is thrust into the past, where long-hidden family secrets begin to reveal themselves—and there's no running from them now. Publication is slated for fall 2023; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media sold North American rights.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Bring Me Your Midnight, a romantic fantasy by Rachel Griffin (The Nature of Witches). When Tana Fairchild's coven is unable to calm the waters around her island home, she must choose between loyalty to her family and the life they've laid out for her, or the outcast boy who owns her heart and the wild magic that could tame the seas but cost her everything. Publication is set for summer 2023; Elana Roth Parker at Laura Dail Agency did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda Lab has bought All the Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman. The YA novel, originally published in the U.K., follows three struggling girls who meet through a suicide-pact website. As they become friends and realize that the right support systems can make life worth living after all, they decide to back out of the pact—if the website will let them. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023; Ruth Logan at Bonnier Books UK bought North American rights.
Alison Romig at Delacorte has acquired We Are the Beasts by Gigi Griffis. When a series of mysterious deaths start to plague the countryside and whispers of a beast in the mountains reach the little French hamlet of Mende, most people think it's a curse—but 16-year-old Joséphine and her best friend Clara see it as their chance to escape their brutal lives, in a story based on the unsolved mystery of the Beast of Gevaudan. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Alyson Day at HarperCollins has bought world rights to Glass by Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky. The upper middle-grade fantasy tells the backstory of Cinderella's teenage godmother Bess, who is trapped by her vicious family in a glass palace until she shatters their evil spell and becomes a force for good. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Brenda Bowen at the Book Group handled the deal.
Irene Vázquez at Levine Querido has acquired Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice by debut author Anna Lapera. The upper middle grade novel follows Manuela "Mani" Semilla, a 12-year old Filipina-Guatemalan girl who just wants two things: to get her period, and to thwart her mother's plan of taking her to Guatemala on her birthday. But when she discovers letters between her mother and her disappeared-journalist aunt, Mani is transformed from quiet bystander into budding activist. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Ellen Goff at HG Literary did the deal for North American English and world Spanish and Dutch rights.
Allison Moore, while at Bloomsbury, bought world English rights to Secrets We Tell the Sea by Martha Riva Palacio Obón (l.), winner of Mexico's Premio Barco de Vapor prize; Lourdes Heuer (r.) will translate, and Alex Borbolla will edit. Originally published in Mexico, the middle grade novel follows Sofía, whose mother has sent her to live with her abuela in a mystical seaside town. When hard truths come out after a tragedy, Sofía must learn how to forgive herself and others. Publication is set for fall 2023; Laura Gross and Will Morningstar at Laura Gross Literary Agency represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown LIterary Agency represented the translator.
Nancy Siscoe at Knopf has acquired The Wrong Way Home, a contemporary middle grade novel by Kate O'Shaughnessy (The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane). Twelve-year-old Fern has lived half her life at The Ranch, an isolated, off-the-grid community, so when her mother moves them across the country, she wants nothing more than to go back. The novel explores the power of lies we want to believe and one girl's slow embrace of a messy, flawed reality. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media handled the two-book deal for world English rights.
Erica Finkel at Abrams/Amulet has bought Rosalyn Ransaw's middle grade debut, Smoke & Mirrors, pitched as From the Desk of Zoe Washington meets The Parker Inheritance. A Black boy is forced to spend his summer refurbishing an old mansion and in the process is pulled into the unsolved mystery of the previous owner, a famous magician who disappeared without a trace. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world rights.
Caitlyn Dlouhy at Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books has acquired world rights to The Expets by cartoonist Mark Tatulli. The chapter book graphic novel is about Bosco, an ordinary dog with super-stinky powers who upends his cushy suburban existence when he joins a league of super-eXtreme housepets to save the earth's kittens. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023; Daniel Lazar at Writers House negotiated the deal.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has bought at auction two picture books by Caldecott Honor author-illustrator Brendan Wenzel. Every Dreaming Creature explores the senses and experiences of different animals through dream, and Good Golden Sun demonstrates the interconnectedness of nature through the power of the sun. Publication is set for fall 2023 and fall 2024, respectively; Steven Malk at Writers House sold world rights.
Allyn Johnston at S&S/Beach Lane Books has acquired world rights to The Tiny Thing by Ellen Tarlow (l.), illustrated by Lauren Stringer (previous collaborators on Looking for Smile), about a shy mole and the "tiny thing" that helps him to find his confidence and his place in the world. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the author, and Victoria Wells Arms at HG Literary represented the illustrator.
Karen Boersma and Jennifer Stokes at Owlkids have bought world rights to Patty Dream by Malaika series author Nadia Hohn (l.), illustrated by Sahle Robinson, a picture book about a child who emigrates from Jamaica and helps his parents launch a business selling the savory pastries to remind them of their southern home and build a bridge to their new one. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented Hohn, and the illustrator represented himself.
Grace Kendall at FSG has acquired world rights to the picture book Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark by Allen R. Wells (l.), illustrated by DeAndra Hodge. The book tells the story of Yvonne Clark, who went from a girl fixing things in her family's home to becoming a pioneer in the field of engineering and solving problems for NASA. Publication is set for winter 2025; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Megan Tingley at Little, Brown has bought world rights to How Elegant the Elephant, a collection of poems about animals and insects by former children's poet laureate Mary Ann Hoberman (l.), illustrated by two-time Caldecott Honor artist Marla Frazee. Publication is tentatively scheduled for winter 2024; Gina Maccoby at Gina Maccoby Literary Agency represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the artist.
Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends has acquired world rights to Waiting to Welcome by Samantha Cleaver (l.) and Reuben Nantogmah (c.), in which a girl in West Africa shares the excitement and anticipation of preparing for a traditional Outdooring Ceremony, welcoming the "stranger"—a new baby—to the community; Bri Marie McNish (r.) will illustrate. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Naomi Davis at BookEnds represented the author, and Moe Ferrara at BookEnds represented the illustrator.
Naomi Kirsten at Chronicle has bought world rights to You Are Home, a picture book from debut author Bex Tobin Fine (l.) and illustrator Andrés Landazábal (r.). Inspired by the author's own childhood experience, the book follows three children as their paths cross and they redefine what "home" means after a house fire, a long-distance move, and living in a motorhome. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg Literary Management represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Kate O'Sullivan at Clarion has acquired world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Sleepy Snuggles, a picture book by Diana Murray (l.), illustrated by Charles Santoso, that is a bedtime chant full of kisses to help get snuggle-lambs, snuggle-piglets, and even snuggle-babies tucked in and ready for sleep. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink Literary Studio represented the author, and Tamara Shannon at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
Sylvie Frank at Disney-Hyperion has bought world rights to I Am Because We Are and another untitled picture book by attorney and DEI reform activist Allison Matulli (l.), illustrated by Talia Skyles. This picture book is grounded in the African Ubuntu philosophy and invites children to reflect on their own role and power with respect to acceptance, belonging, and community. Publication is set for spring 2024; Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Shadra Strickland at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Michael Green at Marble Press has acquired world rights to My Big Embarrassing Elephant, a picture book by Angie Lucas (l.), illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby, about how one girl goes about hiding a very literal elephant in the room, only to discover she may not need to disguise it at all. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Winsome Bingham at Reycraft has bought world rights to Zamzam: A Tale of Two Cities by Karen Leggett Abouraya (l.) and Susan L. Roth, illustrated by Roth, about a boy with both Egyptian and American grandparents, and the differences—and similarities—he finds in the two cultures. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Victoria Wells Arms at HG Literary represented the author and illustrator.
Lisa Rosinsky at Barefoot Books has acquired world rights to By Myself! and Too Green!, two board books by Sumana Seeboruth (l.), illustrated by Maribel Castells. In By Myself!, a toddler struggles with a desire for independence until she realizes she and her older sister can help each other; in Too Green!, a picky toddler finds that it's fun to help Mum and Mama cook (and taste) a new food. Publication in English and bilingual Spanish/English is set for fall 2023; Lorna Hemingway at Bell Lomax Moreton represented the author, and Christa Heschke and Daniele Hunter at McIntosh and Otis represented the illustrator.
