Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired world rights to Banned Together: Authors and Allies on the Fight for Readers' Rights, a YA anthology edited by Printz Honor author Ashley Hope Pérez (l.), illustrated by Debbie Fong. The collection will look at book bans through the lenses of fiction, poetry, graphic narratives, nonfiction, memoir, and other genres, highlighting the transformative power of reading while equipping teens to fight for access to diverse literature in their communities. Contributors include Elana K. Arnold, Trung Lê Capecchi-Nguyễn, Nikki Grimes, Ellen Hopkins, Kelly Jensen, Brendan Kiely, Bill Konigsberg, Kyle Lukoff, MariNaomi, Marieke Nijkamp, Isabel Quintero, Traci Sorell, Robin Stevenson, and Padma Venkatraman. Publication is set for spring 2025; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the editor, and Janna Morishima at Janna Co represented the illustrator.
Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook Press has bought Auntie Q's Golden Claws Nail Salon by Van Hoang (Girl Giant and the Monkey King), a contemporary middle grade novel in which a 12-year-old girl begrudgingly spends her summer working at her aunt's nail salon, but as she gets to know the aunties and uncles that work there, she begins to see them, her parents, and her heritage in a new light. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Mary C. Moore at Aevitas Creative Management sold world English rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Press has acquired Stand by Me by Elly Swartz (Hidden Truths). Take-charge sixth grader Bess Stein brings together friends and a group of rockstar librarians called the Book Warriors to fight a book ban happening at her middle school. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has preempted Gina Nguyen's middle grade graphic novel debut, tentatively titled Dust, and a second book, in which 11-year-old Bao, grieving his father's death, finds a dust bunny behind his bed that doesn't just come to life, but eats Bao's emotional messes for him. Publication of the first book is planned for 2026; Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management did the two-book deal for world rights.
Deeba Zargarpour at Salaam Reads has bought the first two books in Dr. Seema Yasmin's (What the Fact?!) new chapter book series, called Muslim Mavericks. Each book will explore a groundbreaking Muslim who is making their mark on the world. The first book, about comedian and disability activist Maysoon Zayid, will publish in 2025. Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary brokered the world rights deal in an exclusive submission.
Tamar Brazis at Viking has acquired, in a preempt, Outside In and the Inside Out by Emmy Kastner, an illustrated picture book biography of Arnold Lobel that celebrates his prolific career and explores his influences, challenges, and the time it took to forge his own path. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Hannah Mann at Writers House sold world rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought Lisa Desimini's Fire Pups to the Rescue. It's their first day on the job and the Fire Pups must use the skills they've learned at the firehouse to help a family (and their pets) reach safety. Publication is set for spring 2025; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for world rights.
Naomi Kirsten at Chronicle has acquired world rights at auction to Chopsticks Are... by Chloe Ito Ward (l.), illustrated by Lynn Scurfield. This picture book celebrates the versatility and significance of chopsticks, and how they are a powerful way to bring people together at life's great multicultural table. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Wendi Gu at GreenburgerKids represented the illustrator.
Emilia Sowersby and Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook Press have bought world rights to Suuban's First Day by Shugri Said Salh (l.) (The Last Nomad), illustrated by Àlàbá Ònájín, a picture book based on the author's life as a young nomad in the Somali desert who, after finally losing her two front teeth, is deemed old enough to herd her community's goats alone, and finds that with patience comes great rewards. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Gillian MacKenzie at Gillian MacKenzie Agency represented the author and the artist.
Carol Hinz at Lerner/Carolrhoda has acquired world rights to What Sparks a Fire? by Livia Blackburne (l.), illustrated by Nicole Xu. This nonfiction picture book chronicles the forces that brought about the Los Angeles Massacre of 1871, a brutal attack on the city's Chinese immigrant community. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author, and Kelly Pelsue at Morgan Gaynin represented the illustrator.
Ann Rider, while at HMH, bought world rights to Awesome Earth: Concrete Poems Celebrate Caves, Canyons and Other Fascinating Landforms by Joan Bransfield Graham (l.) (The Poem That Will Not End), illustrated by Tania García; Lynne Polvino will edit for Clarion. This picture book combines poetry, science, and the art of words to explore and explain what creates landforms from "Mountain," "Glacier," and "Volcano" to "Island," "Hills," and "Hoodoos"—artistic wonders that cover the Earth's surface. Publication is set for winter 2025; the author represented herself, and Robyn Newton at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Anna Sargeant at Sourcebooks has acquired world rights to What Fish Are Saying, a nonfiction picture book by Kirsten Pendreigh (l.), illustrated by Katie Melrose, in which kids discover how and why fish talk to each other. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Natalie Lakosil at Looking Glass Literary & Media represented the author, and Atlanta Japp at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books has bought world English rights to Two-List Thanksgiving by Christine Whan (l.), illustrated by Sienna Kim, a picture book about the ingredients, tastes, smells, and traditions at a mixed Korean American family's Thanksgiving meal. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Lynnette Novak at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Becky Wilson at the Plum Agency represented the illustrator.
Ben Rosenthal at HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books has acquired The Scammer plus a second untitled book by Tiffany D. Jackson. In the YA novel, a girl entering her freshman year's life is turned upside down when her roommate's ex-convict brother secretly moves into their dorm and starts controlling their every move. Publication is scheduled for winter 2025; Jenny Bent at the Bent Agency sold North American rights.
Vanessa Aguirre at Wednesday Books has bought A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford (A Multitude of Dreams), a YA fantasy about a teenage conwoman who sells fake magical items—until a girl cursed to turn everything she touches into magic walks into her shop, looking for a cure. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Uwe Stender at Triada US negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.
Alexandra Aceves at Holiday House has acquired S.R. Appavu's debut young adult horror graphic novel, The Ghost Key, in which a trans high school senior haunted by grief and prophetic dreams of death after the loss of their sister must fight the ghost of their guilt and come to terms with themself to prevent the imminent tragedy in their new recurring nightmare. Publication is set for summer 2026; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Chris Fernandez at Mad Cave Studios/Maverick has bought The Three Beasts, a YA action-adventure graphic novel set in a fantastical Philippines-inspired land, by debut author-illustrator Gillian Pascasio. A sword-wielding trio of lesbian and trans friends risk facing a deadly hydra—and losing each other—to succeed their legendary dragon-tamer fathers. Publication is slated for 2025; Jas Perry at KT Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
Susan Van Metre at Walker Books US and Denise Johnstone-Burt at Walker Books UK have jointly acquired the first two books in a middle grade fiction series, Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody, by Patrick Ness (l.), illustrated by Tim Miller. The first book, due out in fall 2024 and also called Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody, follows a mismatched group of animals attending school together, including Zeke and Daniel, who have just been made hall monitors by Principal Wombat—a selection that has nothing to do with the fact that they are monitor lizards. Michelle Kass at MK Associates represented the author in the deal for world English rights, plus Chinese rights; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Deeba Zargarpur at Simon & Schuster has bought, at auction, in a six-figure deal, The Storm Singer and a second book in a new middle grade fantasy series by Sarwat Chadda (City of the Plague God). Set in a world ruled by fierce winged warriors from Indian mythology, the story features a girl who can't fly, but who has the power to enchant the elements into aiding her, as she sets off on an unlikely journey to save her enemy—the dethroned prince of the sky. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Anne Hoppe at HarperCollins/Allida has acquired Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park's Gracie Under the Waves, a middle grade novel starring a young snorkeling enthusiast who draws inspiration for fighting climate change from interacting with her pesty little brother. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. brokered the deal for North American English rights.
Karen Chaplin at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has bought world English rights to The Chronicles of Viktor Valentine by Z Brewer, set in the same world as the author's Vladimir Tod series. The middle grade novel follows Viktor, whose typical kid problems get a lot more complicated when he realizes that his parents are none other than the most famous vampires of all time: Elizabeth Bathory and Dracula. Publication is set for fall 2024; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the two-book deal.
Talia Seidenfeld at Scholastic has acquired Outfoxed by Elise McMullen-Ciotti, a middle grade novel about a Cherokee girl who finds a wounded baby fox and tracks down the poacher who hurt him. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Linda Camacho at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda has bought world rights to Zeyna Lost and Found, a middle grade adventure/mystery by debut author Shafaq Khan. In the early 1970s, Zeyna's search for an elusive treasure—and for her recently vanished parents—takes her from her London home to her parents' native Pakistan and across the Middle East's famous Hippie Trail. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; John Rudolph at Dystel, Goderich and Bourret brokered the deal.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Cordelia Jensen's Lilac Lost and Found, a novel in verse about 12-year-old Lilac, who lives with her extended family and feels like an "extra" member of a family that doesn't have enough money or space. But when she reconnects with her estranged father, she learns that unearthing the complicated truth about your past can lead you to a more grounded, hopeful future. Publication is planned for summer 2025; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kei Nakatsuka at Bloomsbury has bought, in a preempt, The Serpent Rider by Yxavel Magno Diño, a middle-grade fantasy inspired by Filipino folklore in which a spunky warrior-in-training must battle a treacherous sorcerer, a legendary sea serpent, and her own insecurities to save her sister. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Penny Moore at Aevitas Creative Management handled the two-book deal for world rights.
Alison Deering at Capstone has acquired Divya Far from Home, first in a debut chapter book series from Indian-Canadian author Sita Jit (l.), illustrated by Abhilasha Khatri. The series will follow Divya Dubey, a fun-loving, independent fourth grader, as she adjusts to life in a new home far from where she grew up in Delhi, India. Publication is set for fall 2024; Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author in a two-book deal for world rights; Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Christine Collins at Disney-Hyperion has bought world rights to Laan Cham's picture books What a Weirdo! and What a World! When a girl looks for friends and they call her weird, "It" shows up. “It” won't go away—and worse, "It" gets bigger and bigger until she realizes that there might be something special about her and "It," and friendship can come from the most unlikely places. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026 and 2027; Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.
Alyssa Miele and Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books have acquired, in a preempt, Home and a second untitled picture book by Anca Sandu Budisan (Outside Amelia's Window). Home is a picture book that captures a family's profound connection with the house they built themselves—a place of refuge, reflection, and connection. Publication is planned for 2025 and 2026; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary did the two-book deal for world rights.
Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins, in partnership with Farshore UK has won, at auction, Lost and Found at the Gurdwara by author-illustrator Baljinder Kaur. This search-and-find picture book follows a girl as she helps her friends and family at the Gurdwara locate items as they prepare to celebrate the Nagar Kirtan—until she gets lost in the crowd and must find her way back. Publication is slated for winter 2026; Wendi Gu at GreenburgerKids negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Howard W. Reeves at Abrams has bought world rights to The Summer of the Bone Horses by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (l.) (Sicangu Lakota), illustrated by Steph Littlebird (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde), a chapter book about a contemporary Lakota boy who spends a summer with his grandparents on Rosebud Reservation. Publication is set for spring 2025; the author represented herself, and Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Stacey Barney at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights to The Golden Voice of Africa: The Salif Keita Story by Karen Ehrhardt (This Jazz Man), illustrated by Colin Bootman, telling the true story of a West African child with albinism, who overcame extreme physical, psychological and societal obstacles to become an international superstar, and the power of music to change lives. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Carolyn Yoder at Astra/Calkins Creek has bought world rights to The Bad Man's Town—and the Women Who Ran It, a nonfiction picture book by Sarah Jane Marsh (l.), illustrated by Jenn Harney, about the unprecedented all-women government that revitalized the rustic town of Jackson, Wyoming in 1920—and the media storm that followed. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Rachel Orr at the Prospect Agency represented the illustrator.
Peggy Schaefer at WorthyKids has acquired Hope and the Sea by Andrew Hacket (l.), illustrated by Svelta Radivoeva. Hope, a girl who is feeling lonely, finds a friend in Sea, who helps Hope open her heart to those around her. Publication is set for summer 2024. Dan Cramer at Page Turner Literary Agency represented the author, and Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
Sandra Sutter at Gnome Road has bought world rights to Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart by Melissa Stoller (l.), illustrated by Anita Bagdi, a picture book about two forest friends who find it hard to reconnect after one moves away until they discover new ways to get the heart of their friendship beating again. Publication is slated for fall 2025; the author and illustrator represented themselves.
