Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has acquired three new fairy tale retellings from Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles). The first, The House Saphir, a darkly humorous and romantic retelling of "Bluebeard," will be published in fall 2025, and the two additional, as-yet-untitled retellings will be published in fall 2026 and 2027. Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Alexa Pastor at S&S has bought, at auction, North American rights to Call Your Boyfriend by Olivia A. Cole (l.) and Ashley Woodfolk. Pitched as for fans of Rachael Lippincott, Ashley Herring Blake, and the movie Bottoms, this YA rom-com follows two unpopular queer girls who get their hearts broken by the most popular girl in school; when they find out she's taking her ex-boyfriend to prom, they team up for revenge. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Patrice Caldwell at New Leaf Literary & Media represented Cole, and Beth Phelan at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency represented Woodfolk.
Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books has acquired Shapes of Love by L.V. Peñalba, a YA contemporary novel about identity and friendship. When 19-year-old Sasha's debut album throws her into stardom, her fans become fixated on discovering who inspired her love songs. Pressured by her label to hide that she's aroace-spec (aromantic, asexual), and that her songs are actually about her favorite fictional love stories, Sasha is forced into a fake relationship with her estranged best friend. Publication is set for summer 2026; Uwe Stender at Triada US brokered the deal for North American rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought, in an exclusive submission, In the Blood by Edgar Award author April Henry. When an adopted teen takes a DNA test to try to find her biological parents, she unknowingly puts herself in the crosshairs of a serial killer known as the Portland Phantom—because she's his daughter. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Wendy Schmalz at Wendy Schmalz Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Stefanie Chin and Suzy Capozzi at Union Square & Co. have acquired The Secret Society of Sacred Heart by Kim DeRose (For Girls Who Walk Through Fire); Stefanie Chin will edit. Caught kissing a girl, Rue is shipped off to the boarding school her mother and grandmother attended. Rue is shocked to find herself dreaming of racing through the forbidden woods as a wolf. Is it her imagination or are her fingernails sharper? Seeing the class rule breaker, Charlotte, heading into the woods one night, Rue follows, and after that, nothing is the same. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Kathryn Green at Kathryn Green Literary Agency sold world rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda has bought Florence Migga's middle grade novel The Summer Scrapbook, in which three lifelong friends spend their first summer apart and wrestle with new experiences that will change their friendship forever. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop has acquired world English rights to The Shark Prince by Malia Maunakea (Lei and the Fire Goddess), which follows Nohea, the 13-year-old descendant of an infamous Hawaiian shark deity known for eating swimmers. When the lonely boy joins a school surfing club, things start looking up—until the other kids start disappearing, and it's up to Nohea to save his friends and rewrite his family history. Publication is set for summer 2026; Suzie Townsend and Sarah Gerton at New Leaf Literary & Media brokered the deal.
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has bought world English rights to Joy McCullough's Kestrel Takes Flight, a middle-grade novel-in-verse about 11-year-old Kestrel, whose mother unexpectedly moves her to Montana for a job working with conservationists to reduce human-bear interactions. They're out from under the oppressive authority of Kestrel's grandpa, but is that better than being surrounded by bears, and are the dogs terrifying enough to deter them? Publication is planned for summer 2026; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal.
Tom Russell at Bright Matter Books has acquired, in a preempt, British-Jamaican activist Mikaela Loach's Climate Is Just the Start, a guide to climate justice for middle graders with equal parts inspiration and practical ideas. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Kemi Ogunsanwo at Seventh Agency sold world rights.
Katie Scott at Kids Can Press has bought Sarah Van Goethem's debut, The Witch of the Dark Wood, a middle grade gothic novel in which a girl ventures into the forbidden Dark Wood behind her farmhouse to save her Nana's lost memories, only to find out the spooky stories her Nana told about a witch in the woodland may actually be true. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Emelie Burl at Susan Schulman Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Ardyce Alspach at Union Square Kids has acquired world rights to the graphic novel adaptation of Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (l.), illustrated by Charlotte Blocker, based on Bowling's middle grade novel. The story follows a spirited girl without arms and a boy with Tourette syndrome as they navigate the challenges of disability and friendship while solving a mystery in a western theme park. Publication is set for fall 2027; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency represented the author, and Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency represented the illustrator.
Grace Maccarone at Holiday House has bought I Like Hoops, an I Like to Read title by Juwanda G. Ford (l.), illustrated by Jada Jeni Bennett, which translates the excitement and action of a basketball game into simple, accessible text. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; the author represented herself, and Heather and Ethan Long at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.
Tucker Stone and Françoise Mouly at Astra/Toon Books have acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to David Sedaris's (l.) The Selfish Sister, illustrated by Bob Staake. The picture book, about a little girl who only thinks of ME! ME! ME! and her favorite things that she doesn't share, is slated for publication in spring 2026; Cristina Concepcion at Don Congdon Associates represented the author, and Gillian MacKenzie at Gillian MacKenzie Agency represented the illustrator.
Jill Santopolo at Philomel has bought, at auction, world rights to the picture book Love Stays Strong, the debut picture book by Paula Schneider (l.), president and CEO of Susan G. Komen, and a 17-year survivor of breast cancer; Nicole Wong will illustrate. The book aims to help children prepare for the changes that arise when a caretaker is diagnosed with a serious illness, and help caretakers start the difficult conversation with their families about what to expect, reassuring children that love will always remain strong even though some things might change. It's scheduled for fall 2025; Jess Regel at Helm Literary represented the author, and James McGowan at BookEnds Literary represented the artist.
Luana Kay Horry at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Where There Is Love by Nadine Presley (l.), illustrated by Leanne Hatch. Leena, a Syrian child forced to leave her homeland, longs for days long gone until her teta (grandmother) reveals a secret world of memories hidden within the grape leaves of the land she now calls home. Publication is planned for summer 2026; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Janine Le at Janine Le Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has bought world rights to Camping Is a Terrible Idea by Kirsten Pendreigh (l.), illustrated by Tiffany Everett, a picture book about a routine-loving city kid who goes camping, anticipating chaos and calamity, only to discover that nature has its own reassuring sounds and patterns. Publication is set for spring 2026; Natalie Lakosil at Looking Glass Literary & Media represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.
Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey Press has acquired world rights to Dancing on Memories by Freda Lewkowicz (l.) (I Am Hava), illustrated by Sally Anne Garland, a picture book about a girl who finds that her grandmother with dementia remembers the past most clearly when listening to the music she would dance to in her youth as a ballerina. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; the author represented herself, and Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Sarah Rockett at Tilbury House has bought world rights to 150,000 Trees: Growing a Memorial for Flight 93 by Rebecca Hirsch (l.) (Rise to the Sky: How the World's Tallest Trees Grow Up), illustrated by Jacqueline Tam (Powerful Like a Dragon), a nonfiction picture book that tells the story of September 11th and Flight 93 through the lens of the land, and details the reforestation of strip-mined fields surrounding the national memorial. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Sarah Stephens at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Tracy Marchini at BookEnds Literary represented the illustrator.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has acquired in a preempt, to Claire Keane's Who Are You? This picture book follows a girl's journey of self-discovery as she explores the outdoors and finds simple treasures: a fallen acorn, a towering tree, the sting of raindrops. In doing so, she learns that every moment—even challenging ones—will shape who she is meant to become. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Steven Malk at Writers House sold world rights.
Alexandra McKenzie at Charlesbridge has bought the picture book Sisters All the Time by Angela Quezada Padron. The story follows half-sisters Mari and Luz who have some unexpected extra time together and set out to plan their fun, minute by minute—ultimately realizing that even though they're only together some of the time, they're sisters all the time. Publication is set for fall 2026 as part of the STEAMworks partnership with Count Play Explore; Sera Rivers at Speilburg Literary sold world rights.
Nicholas Magliato and Celina Sun at Penguin Workshop have acquired world rights to I Believe in You by Steph Stilwell, a board book shaped like a flying saucer, which offers space-themed puns of encouragement. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency brokered the deal.
Mabel Hsu at Sourcebooks has acquired, in a large multi-house auction, for a near seven-figure deal, to M.J. Hastings's debut romantasy trilogy Firstborn, set in a world under martial law where siblings are conscripted based on birth order. On the eve of her military academy's deadly final trial, a young woman learns that her little sister will be kidnapped and sold to magical enemies, forcing her to get close to a traitor-born enemy and to choose: her sister's life or her own. Publication of the first book is set for September 2026; Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world English rights.
Feather Flores at Atheneum has won, in a six-figure auction, A Prince Among Pirates, a queer YA romance by debut author Katie Abdou, pitched as Our Flag Means Death for fans of F.T. Lukens and Aiden Thomas, with the irreverent voice of My Lady Jane, in which a foppish nobleman accidentally joins a pirate ship and falls for its debonair captain. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Keir Alekseii at Azantian Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Margaret Raymo at Little, Brown has bought Marie Arnold's Split the Sky. In this YA novel, 15-year-old Lala Russell's gift of foresight becomes a curse when she foresees the racially driven murder of her classmate and learns that his death would spark a national movement. Lala must make an impossible choice: save the boy, or save the revolution. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for world rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Press has acquired Veiled in Shadow by Liz Edelbrock, a YA romantasy debut pitched as Caraval with a dash of Murder on the Orient Express, about a dangerous, forbidden romance between a betrothed princess and the bodyguard who is sworn to protect her as the two race to reveal an assassin before their train arrives in her new kingdom. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse Literary Agency on behalf of Dovetail Fiction/Working Partners sold U.S., Canada, non-exclusive open market, and audio rights.
Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has bought Last to Leave by Teresa Richards (Flippin' Skaters). The contemporary YA novel follows up-and-coming video-game streamer Fallon, who earns a coveted spot in a new 1920s murder mystery reality show where the only thing more important than whodunit is who has the most fans. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Kelly Van Sant at KT Literary sold world rights.
Calista Brill at First Second has acquired world rights to We Hate Wizard School, Austin Grossman (l.) and Savanna Ganucheau's YA duology of graphic novels about two 1980s dirtbag teens who run away from their second-tier wizarding school in the American dust bowl, only to find themselves caught up in a cosmic battle for good and evil. Benjamin Wilgus will also edit; publication is set for 2027. Luke Janklow at Janklow & Nesbit Associates represented Grossman, and Charlie Olsen at InkWell Management represented Ganucheau.
Lynne Polvino at Clarion has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to A Day at the Beach by Newbery Honor author Gary D. Schmidt (l.) and PEN Award winner Ron Koertge. Pitched as Jason Reynolds's Look Both Ways meets Paul Fleischman's Seedfolks, the middle grade novel follows the surprising and often hilarious ways in which kids' lives crisscross. Publication is slated for April 2025; Rick Margolis at Rising Bear Literary brokered the deal.
Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop has acquired Emi and Goro Destroy the World by debut author-illustrator James Yusufi. The middle grade graphic novel follows an undiagnosed autistic girl with a special interest in dinosaurs who befriends a giant monster. Together, they search for acceptance in a world that's not built for either of them. Publication is planned for fall 2028; Jas Perry while at KT Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought The Bionic Boy by Lynn Plourde, a middle grade novel about adopted 11-year-old Benji and his quest to become like the superheroes he looks up to when he gets prosthetic hands. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Susan Cohen at Writers House handled the deal for world rights.
Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow has signed a new picture book by Brian Lies, author-illustrator of the Caldecott Honor book The Rough Patch. In Cat Nap, a kitten leaps through a poster on the wall and into an art museum, where he adventures his way through a variety of artworks from different periods of history before returning safely home. Publication is set for fall 2025; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Tamar Brazis at Viking has acquired world English rights to 1,000 Horses for the King, a picture book by author and SLJ blogger Travis Jonker (l.), illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Gracey Zhang (Lala's Words; Nigel and the Moon). The picture book tells the story of a haughty king who is obsessed with owning a thousand horses, but who learns that possessions mean nothing without friends by his side. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the artist.
Rosemary Brosnan and Cynthia Leitich Smith at HarperCollins/Heartdrum have bought world rights to Until We Meet Again: Donadagohvi, a debut picture book from Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee) (l.), illustrated by Morgan Thompson (Cherokee). Millie connects with her grandfather, who died before she was born, through the Cherokee language he passed down, the family stories shared by their community, and their culture. Publication is slated for winter 2027; Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary represented the author, and Linda Camacho at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the artist.
Joy Bean at Arctis Books USA has acquired The Wound, a picture book written and illustrated by Emma AdBåge (l.), translated from the Swedish by Melissa Bowers. Recess on the playground is all smiles until a boy falls and gets hurt. He ends up with a wound that requires a visit to the nurse and a bandage that brings him some wonderful attention. But what happens when the wound heals and he no longer feels special? Publication is set for fall 2025; Maria Åhlin at Rabén & Sjögren Agency did the deal for U.S. English rights.
Margaret Anastas at Penguin/Flamingo has bought world rights to two picture books by Dude B. Nice, inspired by the project dude. be nice, a national organization bringing gratitude to communities since 2014. In the first book, Dude Be Nice, illustrated by Alex MacNaughton (far r.), Dude saunters through a read-aloud of surprises and positivity, as he (hopefully) learns to be nice. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; the second book will follow in fall 2026. Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the DBN team; the illustrator represented herself.
Aneeka Kalia at Viking has acquired North American rights to Papilio, written and illustrated by Ben Clanton (l.), Andy Chou Musser (c.), and Corey R. Tabor (r.). Told in three parts by the three friends, the picture book follows the journey of a caterpillar as she learns to fall, feed, and eventually fly, and most importantly believe in herself as she transforms into a Black Swallowtail Butterfly. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency represented Clanton and Musser, and Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented Tabor.
Yolanda Scott at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to A Place to Dance, coauthored by Stonewall Honor–winning author Eric Rosswood (l.) and world champion ballroom dancer Richard Lamberty (c.), and Diane Earley has acquired world rights for illustrations by Vincent Chen (r.). The picture book tells the autobiographical story of how Lamberty stepped outside of the rigidly heteronormative rules of traditional ballroom and created his own place of belonging by co-founding the largest and longest running same-sex ballroom competition in North America. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Meg Gaertner at Jolly Fish Press has acquired When You're a Boy, a picture book by author-illustrator Blake Nuto, in which a father-son hiking trip through forests, over rivers, and up mountains turns into a moving exploration of what it means to be a boy. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Gwen Bennett at the Rights Solution brokered the deal for North American rights.
Wiley Blevins at Reycraft Books has bought author-illustrator Judith Henderson's picture book, Counting Poems, a story that demonstrates how poetry can begin with just one word, and how the growing number of words in each poem eventually connect two creatures who find one another. Publication is set for fall 2026; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary sold world rights.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired world rights to When Old Becomes New by Cook Prize Silver Medalist Jessica Stremer (l.), illustrated by Nicole Wong. Imagination meets sustainability and engineering in this picture book about repurposed objects, demonstrating how fabric, rubber, cardboard, plastic, and metal can be transformed in creative ways. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Natascha Morris at Tobias Literary Agency represented the author, and James McGowan at BookEnds Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Wendy McClure at Sourcebooks has bought world rights, in a two-book deal, to Just Keep Going! by former CNN anchor, host of parenting podcast StrollerCoaster, and debut author Lynn Smith (l.), illustrated by Lauren Gallegos. In this picture book about the power of resilience, when Mouse has big feelings, his friends show him ways to believe in himself and just keep going. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Deborah Warren at East/West Literary represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey Press has acquired world rights to A Place Called Galveston by Andrea Shapiro (l.) (Two Thousand Miles to Happy), illustrated by Valerya Milovanova. This picture book is about the journey of 20th-century Jewish immigrants through the lesser-known port of Galveston, Texas. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Leslie Zampetti at Open Book Literary represented the author, and Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
