Jenna Lettice at Random House Graphic has acquired world rights to The Princess and the Outlaw by Leslie Vedder (l.), illustrated by Karyn Lee, a swashbuckling, sapphic retelling of the legend of Robin Hood, in which the heroine and her lady love, Maid Marian, secretly work together to save Robin from a curse and solve the mystery behind King Richard's disappearance in order to save Nottingham from the wretched Prince John and his greedy sheriff. Publication is set for summer 2027; Ellen Goff and Carrie Hannigan at HG Literary represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Mark Siegel at First Second has bought world rights to Acorn, a YA graphic novel by J.T. Petty (l.) and Wook-Jin Clark, about a boy who tries to fight parasitic giants that have overrun the world; Tess Banta will also edit. Publication is scheduled for 2026; the authors were unagented.
Kat Brzozowski at Feiwel and Friends has acquired, at auction, She Drinks the Light, the YA debut by Yasmin Angoe, author of thrillers including the Nena Knight series and Not What She Seems. A Black vampire story inspired by Ghanaian folklore and West African mythology, the book follows a teen girl whose investigation after her best friend goes missing uncovers long-buried family secrets and threatens to destroy the way of life of everyone she loves. Publication is planned for winter 2026; Temple Hill Entertainment and Melissa Edwards at Stonesong did the deal for world rights.
Jessica Yang at Quirk Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, You Pierce My Soul, a sapphic dystopian YA romance by audio drama writer Jessica Mary Best, in which two teen girls defy an algorithm that dictates your soulmate. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Michaela Whatnall at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Thompson at Scholastic has acquired A Drop of Color by Elizabeth Ese, which follows the journey of 17-year-old Gabrielle as she grapples with the challenges of fitting into societal expectations while confronting the reality of racism within her social circle as well as her own identity struggles between existing as both a Black American and African. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Lynnette Novak at the Seymour Agency sold world English rights.
Lauren Knowles at Page Street has bought world English rights to If I Can't Have You by Aden Polydoros (The City Beautiful; Wrath Becomes Her). The YA thriller follows a teen girl who must fight to survive when an AI romance simulator develops a mind of its own and begins killing its users. Publication is set for winter 2026; Sam Farkas at Jill Grinberg Literary Management brokered the deal for world English rights.
Kristen Mohn at Capstone has acquired author-illustrator Dustin Resch's debut picture book based on a true diving adventure. Octavio is a tongue-in-cheek imaginary nature documentary that introduces viewers to the "elusive octopus." When Octavio finds himself trapped on a dive boat after hitching a ride, he uses every octopus superpower he has to escape and return to his reef. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Karly Dizon at Fuse Literary sold world rights.
Nicole Fiorica at McElderry Books has bought, in a preempt, world rights to I Need Space by Molly Harris (l.) (The Big Squeeze), illustrated by Jon Corby. To Rocco the rocket ship, space is one gigantic playground, until his day of sliding on Saturn's rings and swinging from the International Space Station gets interrupted by some rowdy meteors, causing him to zoom off to the far reaches of the solar system—the perfect spot to cool his jets. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Sera Rivers at Speilburg Literary Agency represented the author, and Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Anne Schwartz at Random House/Anne Schwartz Books has acquired It Began with a Duck by Deborah Hopkinson (l.), illustrated by debut illustrator Claire Sahara Lemp. In this picture book about taking care of our environment—inspired by Make Way for Ducklings—a family of ducklings is rescued from a polluted creek by some small but intrepid students. Publication is set for spring 2027; Elizabeth Rudnick at Gillian Mackenzie Agency represented the author, and Eve Adler at Red Fox Literary represented the illustrator.
Claudia Zoe Bedrick at Enchanted Lion bought world rights in 2019 to Song of the Dead Sea Scrolls by Lesléa Newman (l.), illustrated by Vesper Stamper, a picture book about the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, told in the poetic voice of the Scrolls themselves. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown represented the author, and Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Naomi Kirsten while at Chronicle acquired world rights to Tov Is Good, a picture book about the many ways to experience goodness in the Jewish tradition by Richard Ho (l.) illustrated by Lynn Scurfield, the Sydney Taylor Award-winning team behind Two New Years. Ariel Richardson will edit, with publication planned for fall 2026. Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt Agency represented the author, and Wendi Gu at HG Literary represented the illustrator.
Alexandra McKenzie at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to the picture book Talking to Worms by Sara Levine (l.), and Kristen Nobles has acquired world rights for illustration by Duc Huy An. The story follows two siblings who bypass their apartment's ban on pets by adopting some worms. Through observation and meticulous note-taking, the siblings "talk" to their worms and learn how to make the optimal habitat. Publication is slated for summer 2026 as part of the STEAMworks partnership with Count Play Explore; Ammi-Joan Paquette represented the author and Miranda Paul represented the illustrator, both at Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Nicole Ellul at Simon & Schuster has acquired Paradise Coast by Suzanne Young (The Program; In Nightfall), an Outer Banks meets The White Lotus YA romantic thriller set in the fictional town of Cape Hope, where local teens try to unravel the mystery surrounding the deadly hotel fire decades earlier that tore their community apart, all while trying to navigate love, surfing, and bad decisions. Publication is slated for spring 2026; the author brokered the deal for world rights.
Emilia Sowersby and Kate Meltzer at Roaring Brook Press have bought You're Dead to Me, Reed Walker by Gwenyth Reitz, in a two-book deal. This supernatural YA rom-com follows two academic rivals who die at their high school graduation party, only to discover they've been brought back as ghosts to haunt the same house. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Uwe Stender at Triada US sold world rights.
Andrea Tompa at Candlewick has won, in a six-figure auction, Reasons to Hate Me, a YA debut by Susan Metallo. The contemporary novel follows a witty autistic theatre nerd who attempts to distract slut-shaming high school bullies by publicly posting her own most ridiculous flaws on the Internet, inadvertently shining a light on how the lies other people tell about us can become lies we believe about ourselves. Publication is set for fall 2025; Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary handled the deal for North American rights.
Margaret Raymo at Little, Brown has acquired Love, Sivvy by R.L. Toalson, a historical biography in verse about the young adult years of the exceptionally talented and original tortured poet Sylvia Plath as she casts off all the sexist and limiting expectations of American women and forges her own path. Publication is planned for winter 2026; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency sold world rights.
Clare Vaughn at HarperCollins has bought The Continuation of Summer Dillon, a middle grade novel by Sarah Everett. It follows Summer 2.0, an android created to look and sound exactly like the original—and human—11-year-old Summer Dillon, but when she glitches in public, she must figure out how to fix her programming before she is recycled and replaced with a newer model. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media sold world English rights.
Emma Ledbetter has acquired world rights to author-illustrator Faith Pray's The Woodland Nutcracker, an introduction to the beloved holiday performance that distills Tchaikovsky's fantastical ballet into a read-aloud starring joyful dancing woodland animals in every role, and an untitled companion volume. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026 and spring 2027, respectively; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary did the deal for world rights.
Denene Millner at Simon and Schuster/Denene Millner Books has bought world rights to The Umbrella by Sylvia Walker (Hair to Share), a picture book inspired by The Mitten, about a girl who shares her umbrella with friends on a rainy, windy day. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Elizabeth Bennett at the Transatlantic Agency negotiate the deal.
Ellen Cormier at Dial has acquired Mizu and the Ama by debut author-illustrator Junco Nagano, a picture book that tells the story of Mizu, who spends the summer by the ocean with her grandmother and the community of ama—free diving women in Japan—where she learns to swim and discovers a world beneath the waves and within herself. Publication is set for fall 2026; Sarah Stephens at Red Fox Literary sold world rights.
Ariel Richardson at Chronicle Books has bought world rights to Their Story Is Our Story by Ritu Hemnani (l.), illustrated by Viplov Singh. This historical picture book highlights the resilience and hope of the people displaced by India's Partition in 1947. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Rubin Pfeffer at Aevitas Creative Management represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Bobbie Bensur at Paw Prints Publishing has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Moon Cat by debut author Casi Cole (l.), illustrated by Amanda Romanick (Look Up! Fontaine the Pigeon Starts a Revolution). In this nighttime meditation, a beloved grandfather recounts a folktale from his childhood about the Moon Cat, a physical manifestation of the moon in feline form, that takes sleepy children on a sensory-filled and mindful journey through the world and back to their room, soothed and ready for sleep. Publication is slated for October 2025; Jesse Byrd at Moonbeam Literary & Media sold world rights.
Alexandra McKenzie at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to Manny Matches the Weather by Jenny Lacika (l.), and Kristen Nobles has acquired world rights for illustration by Antonieta Muñoz Estrada. This board book follows along as Manny learns to consider both temperature and precipitation to dress appropriately (with style!) for all kinds of weather. Publication is planned for summer 2026 as part of the STEAMworks partnership with Count Play Explore; the creators represented themselves.
Naomi Shulman at PJ Publishing has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Chesed by Karyn Friedman-Everham (l.) (Otter Oughta Know), illustrated by Gabby Grant; Samara Klein will edit. This board book is about the Hebrew word for kindness and the value of performing loving acts for one another and the community. Publication is set for October 2025; Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Becky Wilson at the Plum Agency represented the illustrator.
