Phoebe Yeh at Random House has preempted Soman Chainani's first YA novel, Young World, a geo-political thriller with two-color visuals, pitched as House of Cards meets The Hunger Games. It follows Benton Young, an average 17-year-old who is elected president of the U.S. When Benton is accused of murdering another leader at the G-8 summit, he goes rogue to clear his name and stop a plot that puts the world in danger. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media brokered the deal for North American rights.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed (Internment; This Book Won't Burn), about a science-minded teenage girl who gets a second chance at love when she falls through the multiverse one fateful day. Publication is set for summer 2025; Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media sold world rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Romance has bought Stars, Stripes, and Summer Nights by Celeste Dador, pitched as Aaron Sorkin meets Gilmore Girls, about a headstrong Filipino American First Daughter who desires a normal teen life away from her mother's Presidency, and a small-town boy, who prefers to be behind the camera not in front of it, who find fireworks when they work to revive a Fourth of July festival to redeem her image and save his family's business. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Ann Rose at the Tobias Agency sold world rights.
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired Knocking on Windows, a YA memoir by Jeannine Atkins, in which the author explores the silencing common after sexual assault and how what first stifled her voice comes to make her a writer, including poem-letters to Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, and Emily Dickinson. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary sold world rights.
Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown Ink has bought From Alex to Zoey by Kathy MacLeod, a YA graphic novel that follows 16-year-old Alex Windley after the heart-sinking discovery that her first love has not only become internet famous but is now dating an indie-pop star. Publication is planned for winter 2027; Chad Luibl at Janklow & Nesbit Associates negotiated the deal for world rights.
Shaina Olmanson, while at Zest Books, acquired Lullabies for the Insomniacs, a debut YA memoir-in-verse by Ella Grace Foutz; Amy Fitzgerald will edit. The book chronicles the experience of a teenage girl coming to terms with her diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which ultimately requires her to reconcile mental illness with identity. Publication is set for fall 2025; Liz Nealon at Great Dog Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Patty Rice at Andrews McMeel has bought, in an exclusive submission, the second YA graphic novel by Jonah Newman (Out of Left Field), currently titled Aiden and Lillie's Totally Normal, Drama-Free Senior Year. As queer best friends Aiden and Lillie begin their senior year, college admissions mania is out of control. Everyone wants to get into an elite college—including them. How will Aiden and Lillie cope with the pressure from their peers, their families, and themselves? Publication is scheduled for 2028; Amy Berkower at Writers House brokered the deal for world English rights.
Alex Antone at Skybound Comet has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Family Force V, pitched as The Incredibles meets Power Rangers, the debut YA graphic novel from writer Matt Braly (creator and showrunner of Disney's Amphibia) and artist Ainsworth Lin. This super sentai coming-of-age story follows 15-year-old Maise Shiraki as she struggles to confront her family legacy (and alien kaiju) without losing herself in the process. Publication is slated for June 2025.
Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury has bought world rights, in a two-book deal, to Matteo L. Cerilli's (Lockjaw) new young YA series, Call2Arms, pitched as The Maze Runner meets Fortnite, about a boy who finds out that the monsters from his favorite video game are real—and it might be up to him to stop them. Publication is planned for winter 2026 and 2027; Ali McDonald at 5 Otter Literary did the deal.
Deeba Zargarpur at Salaam Reads has acquired debut author Raidah Shah Idil's How to Free a Jinn, a middle grade fantasy novel about a curious girl named Insyirah who is forced to move from Australia to her birthplace of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take care of her ailing grandmother, only to discover that not only can see jinn, but she's about to inherit one. Publication is set for fall 2025; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio sold world English rights excluding ANZ, Oceania, and Asia.
Jordan Brown at Clarion has bought Zed Moonstein Makes a Friend, the middle grade debut by Lance Rubin. Zed Moonstein has never been great at making friends, and when middle school starts and his best and only friend, Rishti, starts hanging out with someone new, Zed decides to test out an experimental A.I. best friend app—to hilarious and horrific results. Publication is slated for August 2025; Mollie Glick at CAA brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Anna Parsons at Aladdin has acquired I.M. Eerie's middle grade horror novel Open Wide, about a boy's encounter with a strange new dentist who's stealing healthy teeth. Publication is scheduled for August 2025; Lynnette Novak at the Seymour Agency sold world English rights.
Mark Siegel at First Second has bought world rights to Creative Writing with Miss Mary Mac by Mary McInerney (l.), illustrated by Rivkah LaFille, a middle grade graphic novel in which Mary Mac introduces a new perspective on how to approach creative writing. Javi Bosket and Tim Stout will also edit. Publication is planned for 2025, Eddie Gamarra while at the Gotham Group represented McInerney, and Rivkah LaFille was unagented.
Kristen Mohn at Capstone has acquired world rights to four titles in Bucket and Friends, a debut chapter book series by Tom Rademacher (l.), illustrated by Esther Hernando, about a non-binary kid named Bucket with big worries, big ideas, and a mission to tackle the world's problems—starting at school. In the first book, Bucket and Friends Save (Part of) the World with a Wall, there's a wall in Bucket's school where kids go when they're feeling down. Bucket and their friends know they can't stop sadness, but they can do something about that wall. Publication is set for fall 2025; the author was unagented, and Erin Tisdel at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has bought world English rights to Okchundang Candy by Jung-soon Go (l.), translated from Korean by Aerin Park. The graphic novel/picture book hybrid traces a girl's relationship with her beloved grandparents across several decades. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Amo Noh at the Amo Agency negotiated the deal on behalf of Gilbut Children's Publishing Co.; the translator represented herself.
Alessandra Preziosi at Clarion has acquired world rights to What Dogs Don't Know by James Preller (l.), illustrated by Laura Sandoval Herrera, a humorous picture book that celebrates man's best friend in all their wisdom, skill, and shortcomings. Publication is scheduled for late 2026; Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has bought world rights to If My Sister Were a Worm by Julie Hauswirth (l.), illustrated by Jessica Goecke, a picture book about a girl who imagines turning her sister into a worm and the humorous consequences. Publication is planned for fall 2026; CoCo Freeman at Linda Chester Literary Agency represented the author, and Christie Megill at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook Press has acquired world rights to Puffins!, a graphic-style picture book by Maria Gianferrari (l.), illustrated by Maris Wicks, creators of You and the Bowerbird. This picture book tells a dramatic story of an Atlantic Puffin family on Maine's Eastern Egg Rock Island as they raise their puffling during nesting season. Publication is slated for winter 2026; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Bernadette Baker-Baughman at Victoria Sanders & Associates represented the illustrator.
Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to Sticky Hermana by Ana Siqueira (l.), illustrated by Olivia de Castro, which will pub simultaneously in English and Spanish, about a girl dealing with her annoying younger sister who wants to do everything with her. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has acquired world rights to Hide, Fish, Hide! by Derick Wilder (l.) (Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt?) illustrated by Monika Filipina (Taco Falls Apart). Great White Shark is on the prowl, and poor Puffer can't find a hiding place or employ cunning camouflage like her sea mates, but she has her own clever trick to escape the prickly situation. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Sarah Stephens at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Emily Fernandez at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
