Scholastic Press will publish Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick’s first YA novel—Run Away With Me, a coming-of-age romance set in Rome—on April 1, 2025. It will be released simultaneously in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook, and published in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
Using his signature style, Selznick blends text and illustrations to spin the tale of 16-year-old American Danny who is spending the summer in Rome, where his mother has a position at a mysterious museum. As Danny explores the Eternal City, wandering its ancient streets and neighborhoods, he meets—and quickly falls for—beautiful, strange, and secretive Angelo. Their relationship blossoms, though Danny knows that the end of this special summer will signal his return home to America. Run Away With Me includes more than 100 pages of illustrations and roughly 200 pages of prose.
“This is an astonishing novel not just for teen readers, but for anyone who remembers the intensity, romance, and insecurity of falling in love for the first time,” David Levithan, VP, publisher, and editorial director at Scholastic, said of the release. “Brian has an unparalleled ability to marry widespread scope to the most intimate of details, and the result is a breathtaking love story for the ages.”
In a statement, Selznick spoke of his inspiration for the book. “I lived in Rome for nine months with my husband during the pandemic, where new friends introduced me to their favorite parts of the ancient city,” he recalled. “I marked everything on a map, and quickly imagined two boys connecting the locations while falling in love. Soon, stories about other young men, in other eras, started to appear to me, making a tapestry of love that has been present throughout all of time. I wanted Danny and Angelo—and my readers—to remember that we’ve always existed, and loved, and found moments of joy.”
