Hannah Hill at Delacorte has acquired Jenny L. Howe's YA debut Love at Full Tilt, as well as a second untitled YA romance. This joyful celebration of fandoms, amusement parks, whirlwind romance, and plus-size girls follows 18-year-old Lia, who secures a coveted spot in a scavenger hunt at world-renowned theme park Fableland. She's determined to win the prize money and secure the golden ticket into her dream world—until fellow competitor Mason upends her plans and sends her heart careening off the tracks. Publication is set for summer 2025; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold world English rights.
Sara Schonfeld at HarperTeen has bought The Night Owls by A.R. Vishny, a myth-filled romantic debut following two Estries—owl-shifting women vampires from Jewish tradition—who break their oaths to never fall in love in order to face Manhattan's monstruous underworld and save the girl one of them loves with help from the crush of the other. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Linda Epstein at Emerald City Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Ashley Hearn at Peachtree Teen has acquired Death's Country by R.M. Romero (The Ghosts of Rose Hill), a queer Orpheus and Eurydice retelling in verse, with a polyamorous triad, following two Miami teens who travel to the underworld to retrieve their girlfriend's soul, so they can reunite it with her body before it's too late. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Stacey Barney at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham by Ryan James Black, a debut middle grade fantasy set during World War II that follows a 12-year-old orphan who accidentally unleashes a shadow monster onto the streets of London and must team up with an unlikely assembly of allies to hunt it down, unraveling a mystery that stretches back hundreds of years. Publication is set for summer 2025; Pete Knapp and Jerome Ellison Murphy at Park & Fine Literary and Media did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Alyssa Miele at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired, in a preempt, world English rights to Murray Out of Water by Taylor Tracy, a middle grade novel-in-verse about 12-year-old Murray whose Jersey shore home is destroyed by a hurricane. Displaced to upstate New York and separated from her beloved ocean, Murray meets a boy named Dylan who introduces her to the magical world of roller skating and drag shows. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Jordan Hamessley at New Leaf Literary & Media negotiated the deal, which includes a second stand-alone novel.
Michael Green at Marble Press has bought world rights to One Alley Summer by Anne Ylvisaker, a middle-grade novel in verse about the growing pains of friendship, the triumph of facing one's deepest fears, and the powerful yearning to expand one's childhood beyond walls that try to contain it. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Kate O'Sullivan at Clarion has acquired world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site author Sherri Duskey Rinker's (l.) Down in the Under, a picture book about the anticipation of spring and the rewards of waiting and patience, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez. Publication is planned for winter 2026; Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to The Best Day, a picture book about a girl's excitement getting to celebrate her and her friends at a Disability Pride Parade with her family, and how the neighborhood's accessibility makes it safe and healthy for all, written by disability activist Adiba Nelson (l.) and illustrated by DeAnn Wiley. Publication is set for winter 2026; Jessica Regel at Helm Literary represented the author, and James McGowan at BookEnds Literary represented the illustrator.
Wendy McClure at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has acquired world rights to Five Words That Are Mine, a picture book by Melissa Seron Richardson (l.), illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda, about Mia, a young skateboarder who is reminded of her own strength and resilience when she comes up with five words to describe herself for a school assignment. Publication is scheduled for March 2024; Amy Jameson at A+B Works represented the author, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Jess Harold at Henry Holt has bought world rights to The Daddy Daughter Dance by Malcolm Newsome (l.), illustrated by Jenin Mohammed. This picture book is about a father and daughter who must find a way to dance together after their event gets canceled. Publication is slated for fall 2025; James McGowan at BookEnds represented the author in the two-book deal, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired world rights to Sharing Shalom by Danielle Sharkan (l.), illustrated by Selina Alko (I Is for Immigrants), a picture book about a proudly Jewish girl whose faith is shaken—but ultimately rebuilt—after her synagogue is vandalized. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Charlotte Wenger at Prospect Agency represented the author, and Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker represented the illustrator.
Katherine Harrison at Knopf has bought world rights to Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera by Deborah Hopkinson (l.), illustrated by Nik Henderson. This nonfiction picture book follows the young doctor who would come to be known as "the father of modern epidemiology," who mapped the spread of cholera during London's Blue Death and traced its source to a water pump. Publication is set for summer 2024; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to Seeker of Truth: Kailash Satyarthi's Fight to End Child Labor by Srividhya Venkat (l.), illustrated by Danica da Silva Pereira, a picture book biography about 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi's lifelong mission to end child labor around the world. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Adria Goetz at P.S. Literary represented the author, and Amy Milligan at Illo Agency represented the illustrator.
Kayla Tostevin at Page Street Kids has bought world rights to Willow Takes on the Weather by Rachel Noble (l.), illustrated by Annabel Tempest, in which a tenacious girl ready for fun in the sun pushes back against the forces of weather itself. Publication is scheduled for winter 2025; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Frederica Dawson at the Bright Group represented the illustrator.
Sunita Apte at Reycraft has acquired, at auction, world rights to Swish! The Wonders of the Wind by Sophia Gholz (l.) (The Boy Who Grew a Forest), illustrated by Frances Ives, which introduces young readers through free verse to the wind cycle, wind patterns, and the impact wind has on our climate and planet. Publication is planned for 2025; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Robbin Brosterman at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has bought North American rights to Junia: The Book Mule of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson (l.), illustrated by David Gardner. The picture book debut takes young readers on the Kentucky Packhorse librarian route alongside Junia, the beloved, cantankerous mule featured in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, paying tribute to dedicated librarians, and to the rich history of the author's native Kentucky. It's set for March 2024; Stacy Testa and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Ali Fisher at Tor Teen has won, at auction, National Book Award winner Kacen Callender's debut YA fantasy Infinity Alchemist. Featuring a cast of trans and queer characters of color in a polyamorous triad, the story follows a boy who illegally practices alchemy and is blackmailed into helping a college apprentice find the legendary Book of Source, pitting the two against dangerous rivals willing to kill for it. Publication is planned for winter 2024; Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Carolina Ortiz at HarperTeen has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Axie Oh's YA romance ASAP. Set in Seoul, the novel follows the wealthy daughter of a K-pop company owner who must weigh her love for her K-pop star ex-boyfriend against the potential damage to her family and his reputation if the public finds out about their relationship. Publication is scheduled for winter 2024; Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Tamara Grasty at Page Street YA has bought A Prayer for Vengeance author Leanne Schwartz's fantasy To a Darker Shore, featuring a da Vinci-esque teen girl inventor on a Dante-esque passage through the underworld and a demi hero. Plus-size autistic shepherdess Alesta has two weeks to traverse hell, slay the devil who killed her best friend after he was sacrificed in her place, and end her island kingdom's tithings for good—only to find him alive but monstrously transformed. Publication is slated for winter 2024; Lee O'Brien at Irene Goodman Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired Burn the Kingdom Down by Addie Thorley. When Indira's older sister is murdered after being sent to the prince of a rival land as a captive bride, Indira is determined to avenge her—by taking her place as the new bride, in the hopes of destroying the kingdom from within. But everyone around Indira has something to hide, and even her sister had secrets—deadly ones. Publication is set for summer 2024; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold world English rights.
Sarah Fell at Magination Press has bought world rights to Carol Gilligan and the Search for Voice by Bill Cole (l.), illustrated by Sarah Green, a YA biography of the life and work of groundbreaking developmental psychologist Carol Gilligan. Publication is planned for fall 2024; the author represented himself, and Robbin Brosterman at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown has acquired, in a two-book deal, Dust & Grim author Chuck Wendig's Monster Movie!, a spooky middle grade novel about a boy who must face his many fears to save his friends from a cursed videotape. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Stacia Decker at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency sold world rights.
Erica Finkel at Abrams has bought The Right Call by Tommy Greenwald (Game Changer). This upper middle-grade novel shines a light on the enormous pressure in youth sports as a baseball player must face the fallout after his father attacks an umpire during a game. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Amy Thrall Flynn at Rubin Pfeffer Content negotiated the deal for world rights.
Taylor Norman at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has acquired the first two books in Kay Healy's Casey's Cases, a debut graphic novel series about a 10-year-old aspiring detective named Casey and her investigations of the new girl at school, her crush's confiscated love note, the origins of a lost neighborhood cat, and other mysteries in the life of an unintentionally hilarious fourth grader. Publication is set for fall 2024; Hannah Mann at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
Jessica Anderson at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought, at auction, Cramming, a semi-autobiographical debut middle grade graphic novel by Brigitta Blair, about the pressures Ari Sharpe and her friends face in eighth grade, including scoliosis bracing, school, sports, gender exploration, and the gift of learning to be at peace in your body, pitched for readers of Swim Team and The Tryout. Publication is planned for winter 2027; Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins has won, at auction, With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei, a middle grade debut by Justina Chen. Twelve-year-old Dessie Mei Breedlove moves to Seattle and meets a girl who looks exactly like her. The girls learn they were adopted from the same orphanage in Hunan—only Dessie was adopted into a white family, and her twin adopted into a Taiwanese American one. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Steven Malk at Writers House negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired, in a preempt, two graphic novels by Brenna Thummler (Sheets & Delicates). Gumshoe is a contemporary middle-grade graphic novel that follows shy Willa, who dreams of becoming a postal carrier, on her run-in with a traveling girl gang, and the power she ultimately finds in connection and staying true to herself. It’s slated for winter 2026, and book two is slated for winter 2028; Hannah Mann at Writers House sold world rights.
Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook Press has bought world rights to The Fig Tree by Costantia Manoli (l.) (Tomatoes in My Lunchbox), illustrated by Leah Giles. This picture book shares the history of Cyprus's "Green Line," a demilitarized zone that has divided the island's population for nearly 50 years following the violent summer of 1974—from the perspective of a fig tree growing along the line. Publication is set for 2025; Jennifer Weltz at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency represented the author, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Elizabeth Agyemang at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to A Rakhi for Rakesh by Nadia Salomon (l.) (Goodnight Ganesha), illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, a picture book about a brother and sister duo who explore the importance of forgiveness, family, and what it means to be a caring sibling as they celebrate the Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan. Publication is planned for summer 2025; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Jennifer Greene at Clarion has bought world rights to It's Taco Knight! by Megan Maynor (l.) (Helga Makes a Name for Herself), illustrated by Estrela Lourenço (Counting to Bananas). In this picture book, overly enthusiastic Taco Knight crowds out the other Knights of Dinner, making every night a taco night before learning that variety is key to peaceful Dinner Knights—and happy villagers. Publication is slated for 2025; Minju Chang at BookStop Literary Agency represented the author, and James McGowan at BookEnds Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Alyssa Mito Pusey at Charlesbridge has acquired world rights to the first two books in a new picture book series, How to Explain Science to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro (l.), illustrated by Teresa Martínez. The series offers graduates of Spiro's Baby Loves Science books a fresh take on favorite topics, as an enthusiastic kid narrator gives readers the tools and language to walk a grown-up through complicated scientific principles. Publication is set for fall 2023 and fall 2024; Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary represented the author, and Christine Hong at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has bought world rights to The Secret of Fall by John Coy (l.) (Where We Come From), about the way autumn reveals its secret each year, illustrated by Kristen Adam. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
