Brian Geffen at Henry Holt has acquired Up in Smoke by Nick Brooks (Promise Boys). This YA mystery follows Cooper King, a D.C. teen trying to clear his name of a protest shooting where his friend—and murder suspect—roped him into looting. Cooper teams up with Monique, the suspect's sister and his longtime crush, to uncover the truth and maybe get a second chance with her, as long as she never finds out he was part of the riot. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Alec Shane at Writers House negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Krista Marino at Delacorte Press has bought, in an exclusive submission, The Agathas coauthor Liz Lawson's Murder Between Friends, a YA thriller in which three ex-best friends must come together to solve the murder that tore their friendship—and neighborhood—apart after the accused killer is released from jail and returns to the neighborhood. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Andrea Morrison at Writers House did the deal for world rights.
Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends has acquired world rights to Hazelthorn by CG Drews (Don't Let the Forest In), a gothic YA horror novel pitched for fans of Knives Out and Belladonna, in which a teenage orphan inherits a reclusive billionaire's estate and must contend with murderous relatives, dark secrets, and a mysterious garden with a taste for blood. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management brokered the two-book deal.
Mark Siegel and Kiara Valdez at First Second have bought world rights to The Dream Frontier, a shounen-inspired YA graphic novel series written by Tony Weaver Jr. (l.), illustrated by Irene Yeom. The story follows Sygnus, a Black teen who uses a mysterious virtual reality competition game to help understand himself and his place in the world. Publication will begin in 2026; Jennifer Gates and Erica Bauman at Aevitas Creative Management represented the author, and Maeve MacLysaght at Copps Literary Services represented the illustrator.
Cassandra Pelham Fulton at Scholastic/Graphix has acquired Frostbite by Ian Boothby (l.) (Sparks!) and Pia Guerra; Megan Peace will edit. In this YA graphic novel thriller, siblings Jen and Dante make videos of themselves doing extreme sports to post online, and when they jump out of a helicopter to ski down a mountain in an unfamiliar town, they find themselves surrounded by frost vampires and must survive the night. Publication is set for fall 2025; Anna Archer at Lucas Talent Inc. did the deal for world rights.
Kristie Choi at Atheneum has bought, at auction, Unfinished by Nidhi Chanani (Pashmina), a YA graphic novel interweaving a contemporary story of family grief with a historical story in a way that highlights the process of comic book making. In group counseling, 15-year-old Sanjay Lal sets out to finish a historical comic his older brother began before his death about a group of Indian freedom fighters in 1913 San Francisco, in the process uncovering astonishing truths about his brother, his community, and the power in remembering. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Jodi Reamer at Writers House handled the deal for world English rights.
Kate Prosswimmer at McElderry Books has acquired A Bite of Pepper by Balazs Lorinczi, a YA graphic novel. The coming-of-age romance follows Pepper Mint, a born vampire, who would rather focus on skateboarding than finding a bride so that they can become fully immortal. But when the enigmatic and artistic Ana enters the picture, Pepper starts thinking about her future in a new way. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jessica Smith at Aladdin has bought Running Back to You by Sarah Henning, a middle school rom-com pitched as Never Been Kissed meets Tall Girl, about a girl who, after fibbing to her classmates about having had her first kiss, tries to retroactively negate the lie by pursuing a kiss from her brother's friend. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Whitney Ross at Highline Literary Collective brokered the deal for world rights.
Sam Palazzi at Scholastic has acquired, in a two-book deal, rights for Just Like Home, a middle grade series by Erin Soderberg Downing, about a unique animal sanctuary, the full-time family (of both human and animal variety) who live there, and a rotating stable of animal guests who will get a chance to spend time discovering what it feels like to be loved and cared for. Publication will begin in fall 2025; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret handled the deal for world rights.
Joanna Cárdenas at Kokila has won, at auction, K-Fai Steele's (A Normal Pig) debut middle grade graphic novel Best Buds, about a friendship that blooms between two girls over their love of gardening, library books, and crows, while exploring the roles they play in community care. Publication is set for spring 2026; Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio sold world rights.
Carolina Ortiz at HarperCollins has bought Danilo Was Here by Tamika Burgess (Sincerely Sicily), a middle grade novel in which Danilo and his family are left homeless after the U.S. military invasion of Panamá, until his recruitment to an elite baseball program in California gives him a chance to track down his father, the key to saving his family. Publication is scheduled for winter 2025; Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Erin Clarke, while at Knopf, acquired at auction world rights to You're a Winner, Gracie Wei by Kristen Mei Chase (l.) (We Are American, Too), illustrated by Basia Tran, in a three-book deal; Marisa DiNovis will edit. The chapter book series features a mixed-race Chinese American girl with strong opinions and a heart of gold. Publication for the first two books is slated for spring 2026; Annie Bomke at Annie Bomke Literary Agency represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought world rights to Island Storm by Caldecott Medalist Brian Floca (l.), illustrated by Hans Christian Andersen Award winner Sydney Smith, a picture book in which two siblings experience the sheer power of a violent thunderstorm and the calm of its aftermath. Publication is set for summer 2025; the author represented himself, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Zareen Jaffery at Kokila has acquired Bela and Lily, written and illustrated by Natasha Khan Kazi, a picture book about how two kindred spirits forge a bond through smiles, giggles, and creativity, while also learning each other's words. Publication is planned for summer 2025; Tanusri Prasanna at DeFiore and Company brokered the deal for world rights.
Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has acquired world rights to A Festa for Luana by Joana Pastro (l.), illustrated by Duda Oliva. When Luana visits her grandparents in Brazil to celebrate Festa Junina, she explores what it means to belong to both her Brazilian and American identities. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; James McGowan at BookEnds Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Cecily Kaiser at Rise x Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to Let's Rumble: A Rough-and-Tumble Book of Play by Rachel G. Payne (l.), illustrated by Jose Pimienta, a picture book about three siblings learning boundaries and unleashing their imaginations through rambunctious play, for publication in summer 2025. Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency represented the artist.
Kendra Levin at Simon & Schuster has bought world rights to The Zombees, a rhyming picture book by Justin Colón (l.), illustrated by Kaly Quarles. They're mean, they're green, and they're led by a fearsome queen; the Zombees star in a silly and spooky Halloween tale. Publication is set for summer 2025; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author and illustrator.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Press has acquired at auction Thornbird by Elle Kennedy writing as Morgan Leigh. In the author’s YA thriller debut, Thornbird follows the daughter of a serial killer who must return to the town where the murders took place—and unwillingly gets caught up in the search for the missing bodies, pitched as A Good Girl's Guide to Murder with the twists and turns found in One of Us Is Lying. Publication is slated for summer 2026. Kimberly Brower at Brower Literary & Management negotiated the two-book deal for U.S, Canada, and non-exclusive open market and audio rights.
Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has bought, at auction, debut author Andrea Max's The Art of Exile, first in the Academy of Muses series, a YA science fantasy pitched as The Atlas Six meets The Da Vinci Code, in which a teen girl infiltrates a secret school for the descendants of exiled Renaissance masters to steal their long-lost arts and sciences, and must suppress her growing feelings for the mentor she's lying to, while faking a relationship with her nemesis—who is as handsome as he is deadly—to prevent her theft from reigniting a centuries-old inquisition. Publication is set for summer 2025; Ali Lake at O'Connor Literary Agency did the two-book, six-figure deal for world rights.
Maya Marlette at Scholastic has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Elizabeth Eulberg's new YA rom-com, Take a Chance on Me, in which a heartbroken and betrayed Evie flees to London, bringing her face to face with the person who has hurt her the most—her father. She doesn't want to open herself up again, until she meets a British busker who just may be worth taking a chance on, if she doesn't let her past get in the way of her future. Kate Schafer Testerman at KT Literary brokered the deal for world English rights, for publication in May 2025.
Jenny Bak at Viking has bought world rights to Mar Romasco Moore's YA horror novel Deadstream, pitched as Rear Window meets The Ring for the modern era. Told in transcripts of livestreams, comments sections, and internet ephemera, it follows an agoraphopic teen who chances upon a streamer who seems to be literally haunted, calling into question whether it's a hoax or whether there's a ghost in the machine coming to kill more viewers. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal.
Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has bought Freddie and Stella Got Hot by Maggie Horne, pitched as a sapphic Mean Girls meets She Gets the Girl, in which Freddie and Stella plot to destroy their former best friend (and mutual crush), Levi, after she abandons them for the popular crowd. But when Stella gets a little too swept up in their schemes, Freddie must team up with an unlikely ally—Levi herself—to save their friendship before it's too late. Publication is planned for winter 2026; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management sold U.S./Canadian rights.
Rosemary Brosnan and Cynthia Leitich Smith at HarperCollins/Heartdrum have acquired, in a preempt, An Expanse of Blue, a debut YA novel in verse by Kaua Māhoe Adams, about a diasporic Native Hawaiian teenager and her struggle to find herself in the wake of a heartbreaking discovery about her family and first love. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary sold world English rights.
Steve Berman at Lethe Press has bought world English rights to An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys, a debut YA novel by Rob Costello (We Mostly Come Out at Night). In this queer coming-of-age, when "beautiful boy" Toby Ryerson is betrayed by his secret lover Dylan Falcone, the two set off on a dangerous collision course that will change their lives forever. Publication is set for April 2025; Marie Lamba at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency handled the deal.
Kristie Choi at Atheneum has acquired Helga the Fair, a middle grade fantasy by S.J. Taylor (Madsi the True), a reimagining of several classic Icelandic sagas. Thirteen-year-old Helga the Fair, who was found as a baby in the highlands, must confront her inner demons to save the land and everyone she loves from an invasion of vengeful undead. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for world English rights.
Ardyce Alspach at Union Square Kids has bought Laura Lavoie's debut middle grade novel The Thirteen Doors of Black House. When a girl convinces her family to take vacation at her (deceased) favorite mystery author's mansion, she and her cousins discover 13 ominous yet magical doors, and a mystery only they can solve. Publication is planned for spring 2025; James McGowan at BookEnds Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Jennifer Stokes at Owlkids Books has acquired world rights to Burst Your Bubble: How to Break Out of Your Information Silo by Joyce Grant (l.), illustrated by Jan Dolby, a middle grade nonfiction book meant to help kids think critically about how a person gets inside an online filter bubble and how and why they should break out of it. Publication is set for fall 2025; the author and illustrator represented themselves.
Margaret Ferguson at Holiday House has bought world rights to The Smallest Bird by debut author Joy Belin (l.), illustrated by Sarah Hwang (Toasty), which tells young readers how to befriend a bird. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Stephen Fraser at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Shadra Strickland at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Sarah Alpert at Algonquin Young Readers has acquired world rights to Knightly by Sara Holly Ackerman (l.), illustrated by Mape, a picture book told in rhyming text about a rambunctious young knight who would rather keep jousting and run around the castle than tuck in and go to sleep. Publication is scheduled for 2025; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane Books has bought world rights to Flight of the Bats by Evan Griffith (l.) (Secrets of the Sea), illustrated by Hannah Salyer (This Wolf Was Different), a nonfiction picture book about the world's largest urban bat colony that lives under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, and how the bats have become beloved and deeply appreciated neighbors to the city's residents. Publication is planned for summer 2026; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author, and Stephen Barr at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has acquired world rights to Sharks in Kansas by Melissa Stewart (l.) (Whale Fall), illustrated by Becca Stadtlander (World More Beautiful), a science picture book about the prehistoric creatures who roamed an inland sea that submerged the middle of North America 85 million years ago. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Mark Podesta at Henry Holt has bought world rights to How a Bear Became a Book by Annette Bay Pimentel (l.) (Before Colors: Where Pigments and Dyes Come From), illustrated by Faith Pray (The Day We Got Lost; Finding Grateful). This picture book follows one of the earliest publishing collaborations that created Winnie the Pooh as we know him today, giving young readers an inside look into how a picture book (and iconic character) comes to be while celebrating the art of storytelling. Publication is set for winter 2026; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Molly O'Neill at Root Literary represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has acquired world rights to The Lonely Lighthouse, a picture book by Stephanie Owen (l.), illustrated by Sona Avedikian, which tells the true story of Little Sable Point Lighthouse in Mears, Michigan, told from the perspective of the lighthouse. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Andrea Comparato at Inscriptions Literary represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Carol Hinz at Lerner/Millbrook has bought The Black Mambas by author and photographer Kelly Crull (Washed Ashore), a nonfiction photo book featuring the first all-woman anti-poaching unit in the world, the Black Mambas, who patrol a nature reserve within a national park in South Africa, as well as educate schoolchildren about wildlife and conservation. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Deborah Warren at East West Literary sold world rights.
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights to Three Kings Day, a picture book about a special holiday celebration and the magic of giving, by Carmen Tafolla (l.) and illustrated by Magaly Morales, creators of Charlotte Zolotow Award-winning What Can You Do with a Paleta? Publication is slated for 2026 in English and Spanish editions; Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Kevin O'Connor at O'Connor Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Karen Greenberg Smith, while at Knopf, bought world rights to A Flame Burns On by Sydney Taylor Award winner Richard Ho (l.) (Two New Years), illustrated by Carmel Ben-Ami, a picture book that explains through a child's eyes the concept of yahrzeit and a yahrzeit candle in the Jewish tradition; Rotem Moscovich will edit. A summer 2026 publication is set; Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Joy Peskin at FSG has acquired Looking for Light: A Shabbat Story by Rebecca Gardyn Levington (l.) (Whatever Comes Tomorrow; Brainstorm!), illustrated by Gillian Eilidh O'Mara. With the Jewish holiday of Shabbat as a backdrop, this picture book is about a child finding gratitude for life's small joyful moments. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary Agency represented the author, and Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Naomi Shulman at PJ Library has bought world rights to Purim Possibilities by Barbara Kimmel (l.), illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich, a rhyming board book about finding just the right costume for Purim, with reusable stickers, inspiring many dress-up possibilities; Samara Klein will edit. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Eve Adler at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Alex Bushell at the Plum Agency represented the illustrator.
