Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to debut author Amber Hamilton's Seven Deadly Thorns, a YA dark academia romantic fantasy featuring a girl with forbidden magic and the Huntsman—her fellow student and also a prince—tasked to hunt her down lest he be the one to die. Forced to work together, the two will discover terrible secrets, sinister threats, and an irresistible attraction. Publication is planned for October 2025; Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates brokered the two-book deal.
Jess Harold at Henry Holt has bought, in an exclusive submission, Roar of the Lambs, a speculative YA thriller by Jamison Shea, in which a clairvoyant 16-year-old girl discovers a mysterious box that triggers a vision of the apocalypse and must partner with the irresistible heir of a powerful local family to stop them from unleashing an evil that could destroy the world. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the six-figure deal for world English rights.
Tiffany Colón at Scholastic has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Should Tomorrow Come by Charlene Thomas (Seton Girls). Sydney Michaels bumps into cute boy stranger Marcus Burke in NYC during an impromptu morning trip. They spend the rest of the day together, and Sydney can’t believe that after all the loss she's faced in the past two years, this perfect day gets to be hers—until an accident at the end of the night, quite literally, leaves her stuck in it. Publication is set for summer 2025; Ann Rose at the Tobias Literary Agency sold world rights.
Charlotte Greenbaum and Mariko Tamaki at Abrams/Surely Books have bought world rights to a YA graphic novel by Jeremy Holt (l.), illustrated by Dave Cole, in an exclusive submission. The Gravestone Sessions follows Ezra, a nonbinary high school student and sculptor struggling with their senior art thesis of identity. When they find a way to communicate with the dead, they become obsessed with exploring their lineage to try to lend context to their present in order to graduate. Publication is slated for 2027; Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management represented the author and illustrator.
Samia Fakih at First Second has acquired world rights to Quiet Appetites, a YA graphic novel by Casey Gilly (l.) and Morgan Beem, about a family who moves to the rural English countryside and is haunted by something ancient. Publication is scheduled for 2026; the authors were unagented.
Grace Scheipeter at Oni Press has bought world rights to The Autism Journals, a YA graphic novel by Daniel Bowman Jr. (l.), illustrated by Rinnah Shaw. Told partly through journal entries and social media exchanges, this coming-of-age story follows a brilliant and sensitive autistic teenager through his senior year of high school. Publication date has not been set; Keely Boeving at WordServe Literary negotiated the deal.
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired Goodbye, French Fry by journalist Rin-rin Yu, a middle grade novel about a Chinese American girl dealing with all the taunts and teasing that grade school can bring, loosely based on the author's own life. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency handled the deal for world English rights.
Nicholas Magliato and Celina Sun at Penguin Workshop have bought Happy Birthday and a untitled Valentine's Day companion book, by author-illustrator Steph Stilwell. In these novelty board books, each page presents a new party item, cheering on the reader with punny positivity and celebration. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency brokered the deal.
Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to Three Little Witches and the Spooky Old House by Peggy Archer (l.) (A Hippy-Hoppy Toad), illustrated by Gaia Bordicchia, about three not-so-scary witches who stir up a cozy Halloween surprise. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Kristina Sutton Lennon at Focused Artists represented the author, and Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the artist.
Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has bought the picture book Marabella's Moment, written and illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler (Don't Ask Cat). No one notices Marabella, but Marabella notices everything. When she fills up the blank wall in the schoolyard with spectacular chalk drawings of what she sees, Marabella inspires others to notice the world around them. Publication is planned for spring 2025; the author-illustrator represented herself.
Aneeka Kalia at Viking has acquired world rights to Music of the Bells by Anitha Rao-Robinson (l.), creator of the Kindness Is Everything podcast, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. A South Indian girl finds a way to blend parts of her old life from India with her new life in a new country through her love of dance. Publication is set for spring 2026; Tanusri Prasanna at DeFiore and Company represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Harold Underdown at Astra Young Readers has bought world rights to How We Fly by Sara Levine (l.), illustrated by Diana Mayo, a look at the many methods of flight, across nature and beyond. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the illustrator.
