Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired world rights to Jennifer Lee and LeUyen Pham's YA graphic novel As I Dream of You, a supernatural romance that involves lucid dreaming; Tess Banta will also edit. Publication is scheduled for 2026; Liz Parker at Verve Publishing represented Lee, and Holly M. McGhee at Pippin Properties represented Pham.
Hoda Agharazi at Entangled Teen has bought The Ground That Devours Us by Kalla Harris, a post-apocalyptic YA paranormal romance pitched as The Coldest Girl in Coldtown meets The Last of Us, in which a sharp-tongued teenage vampire hunter desperate to save her newly turned sister makes a deal with a deadly (and, unfortunately, hot) vampire to get the cure for vampirism in exchange for freeing vamp hostages from a human compound. Publication is set for summer 2025; Jenna Satterthwaite at Storm Literary Agency did the two-book deal for world rights.
Alex Lu at Random House Graphic has acquired, at auction, Casper Manning's debut YA graphic novel Flying Out, a story about a teenager named Mac who, while spending a summer in their old hometown, realizes they do not identify with the gender they were born as. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.
Arabella Stein at DK has bought adult author Elodie Harper's first historical fiction trilogy for children. The as yet untitled middle grade series is set in Roman times with a smart 10-year-old hero at its heart, Pliny. Publication of the first title is slated for fall 2026, with titles following at nine-month intervals. Her Wolf Den trilogy for adults is an award-winning series about the lives of women in ancient Pompeii. Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment sold world English and audio rights.
Katherine Harrison at Knopf has acquired Joslin Brorsen's middle grade debut Wilderness Hacks, pitched as dual POV Hatchet meets Survivor, a humor-filled adventure about two kids stranded in the wilderness whose battle for survival will only be won if they can stop fighting each other. Publication is set for spring 2026; a second untitled middle grade novel will follow. Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency brokered the six-figure deal at auction for North American English rights.
Dainese Santos at Simon & Schuster has bought producer Priya Swaminathan's debut middle grade novel, Deepa, MD, and a sequel, about a girl who dives into the world of solving others' medical mysteries even as she comes to terms with her own chronic illness. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Brian Geffen at Henry Holt has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Double Crossed: The WWII Spies Who Saved D-Day by Rebecca Barone, a middle-grade narrative nonfiction story about Operation Bodyguard, in which the Allied forces used disinformation—including the creation of fake armies, decoy landings, double agents, and spies—to confuse the Nazis about the plans for D-Day, which ultimately won them the war. Publication is planned for winter 2026; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
Siobhan Ciminera at Simon Spotlight has bought world rights to the Dog Meets Dog early middle grade graphic novel series by Dan Yaccarino (l.), illustrated by Ethan Long. Canine siblings Betsy (the practical one) and Bones (the impractical one) love globetrotting—and they're never short on misadventures. Publication for book one is slated for 2026; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented the author, and Timothy Travaglini at Transatlantic Agency represented the illustrator.
Michael Petranek at Scholastic has acquired Max a Little Axolotl by Joey Spiotto (Little Troublemaker Makes a Mess); Lori Wieczorek will edit. On Max the Axolotl's first day at the aquarium's elementary school, none of the other underwater students have ever seen an axolotl before and their curiosity makes shy little Max very nervous, Will he adjust to his new school? Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Deborah Warren at East West Literary sold world rights.
Ariel Richardson at Chronicle has bought, at auction, world rights to James Serafino's humorous picture book There's a Dragon in the Well, where townsfolk are scared and panic sets in when they find a fiery dragon in their well. They think that the dragon will eat them or stomp on their homes with his big crusty feet, until a girl uses evidence and critical thinking skills to quell their fears. Publication is set for 2026; Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal.
Anne Schwartz at Random House/Anne Schwartz Books has acquired world rights to Little Bat and the Queens of the Night by debut author Katherine Pew (l.), illustrated by Charles Santoso. In this informational picture book, a young bat, accompanied by her mama, pays her first visit to the "Queens of the Night"—colorful flowers that bloom for only one night each year. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has bought, in a multi-house auction, Nighty Knight by Caroline L. Perry (l.) (The Corgi and the Queen), illustrated by Scott Magoon, a humorous rhyming picture book about Sir Gallant, an increasingly exhausted knight whose attempts to sleep are thwarted by misbehaving members of his kingdom. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights for the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Daria Harper, while at Chronicle Books, acquired world rights to Around the Wheel of the Year: Festivities for Every Season by Phoebe Wahl (l.) and Danica Boyce, illustrated by Wahl. From whirls around the Maypole to welcoming Yule with glowing lanterns and warming treats, this picture books provides an introduction to four traditional Northern European holidays. Publication is set for spring 2026; Daria Harper will co-edit with Ariel Richardson. Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented both Wahl and Boyce.
Carol Hinz at Lerner/Carolrhoda has bought world rights to The New Cat by Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic (l.), illustrated by Chris Park, the creators of Touch the Sky. Their new picture book is about a cat, a baby, and how one teaches the other to be gentle. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Mary-Kate Gaudet at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to To the Actual Moon and Back, a picture book by Ame Dyckman (l.), illustrated by author-illustrator team Dan & Jason (c. and r.), a humorous story about a parent and child's trip to the moon and the lengths parents go to show their love. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Scott Treimel at Scott Treimel NY represented the author, and Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented the artists.
Christopher Robbins at Familius has bought world rights to A Quilt of Stars, a picture book about how astronaut Karen Nyberg united the world with a sewing project started in space, co-written by Karen Nyberg (l.) and Ann McCallum Staats (c.), illustrated by Alida Massari (r.). Publication is planned for early 2026; Marsha Lewis at the Hipsetter Group represented Nyberg, McCallum Staats represented herself, and Atlanta Japp at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired You've Goth My Heart by L.C. Rosen, a queer YA spin on classics like The Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail, in which two goth teens don't know they're in love while also competing in the town Halloween decorating contest. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Joy Tutela at David Black Literary Agency sold world rights.
Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has bought Birdie Schae's debut YA novel, Smash or Pass. The sapphic romance follows 16-year-old Ellie, an autistic people-pleaser whose plan to reinvent herself at beach volleyball summer camp takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself falling for her grumpy teammate. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Erin Clarke at Clarion has acquired City of Wonders, a middle grade novel by Anne Ursu (Not Quite a Ghost), in which Marie, an orphan girl growing up in a storybook city filled with light and magic, makes a dangerous journey to discover the city's mysterious source of power and stop the evil forces that aim to control it. Jordan Brown will edit; publication is planned for fall 2026. Elise Howard at DeFiore & Company did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Sarah Ketchersid at Candlewick Press, for Walker Books US, and Frances Taffinder at Walker Books UK have jointly bought three titles in Fear Files, a horror fiction series by Christopher Edge, a series of standalone titles for lower middle grade readers. Each fictional first-person account, drawn from a mysterious database called the Darkive, will relate the eerie experiences of a young person's encounter with the unexplainable and share "evidence" in the form of audio transcripts, video descriptions, screenshots and drawings. The first book is set for spring 2026 publication in North America; Lucy Juckes at Jenny Brown Associates sold world rights.
Anna Parsons at Aladdin has acquired The Monster Never Dies, a middle grade novel by Juliana Brandt, in which a 12-year-old girl relives the same terrifying day over and over when she attends an overnight campout at a wildlife center with a group of kids from school and, perhaps, a deadly cryptid, and must figure out how to break the loop—with everyone still alive. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Natalie Lakosil at Looking Glass Literary & Media sold world rights.
Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick/MIT Kids Press has bought world rights to Extreme Bird-Watching by Loree Griffin Burns (l.), illustrated by Jamie Green, creators of One Long Line. This nonfiction chapter book follows the team who proved, through 40 years of observations of finches in the Galapagos, that natural selection occurs in the wild, and more quickly than previously thought. Publication is planned for March 2026; Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Kate Harrison at Dial has acquired, at auction, One Small Spark illustrator Victoria Tentler-Krylov's author-illustrated picture book Look! When a boy and his father head to a museum only to find it closed, they learn to find art in everything the city has to offer, from graffiti to pastries to trees to people; they just need to look. Publication is tentatively slated for fall 2027; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House did the two-book deal for world rights.
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought world rights to Snow on Summer Street, artist Tamisha Anthony's author-illustrator debut, in a picture book that captures the joy of experiencing snow for the first time in the south and the family rituals that ensue. Publication is set for fall 2026; Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency brokered the deal.
Jessica Levine at Little, Brown has acquired Dim Sum Battle by debut author Tony Tong (l.), illustrated by Caldecott Honoree LeUyen Pham, about two Chinese American grandmothers who fight to be the "super-nicest" at dim sum lunch with their granddaughter. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency sold world rights for the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties sold North American rights for the artist.
Jaime Schwalb at Sounds True has bought world rights to The Highly Sensitive Rabbit by author and psychiatrist Judith Orloff (l.) co-written with Jennifer Adams (c.), illustrated by Katy Tanis (r.), a picture book based on Orloff's teachings about highly sensitive individuals and strategies for coping, set in the Sonoran Desert. Publication is set for fall 2025; Richard Pine at Inkwell Management represented Orloff, Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Birch Path Literary represented Adams, and Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented Tanis.
