Brittany Rubiano and Jocelyn Davies at Disney Hyperion have acquired world rights for Making a Splash and an untitled sequel by Julie Murphy (l.) and Natalie C. Parker. In this upper YA novel set the summer after high school, two girls playing Ariel and Ursula in their community theater's production of The Little Mermaid discover there's as much drama behind the scenes as there is on stage. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; John Cusick at Folio Literary Management represented Murphy, and Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented Parker.
Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has bought, at auction, Bound by Fury, a YA fantasy by debut author Noelle Monét. After a rage-inducing encounter awakens magical abilities in 16-year-old Harper, she traces them to an elite boarding school in the North Carolina mountains, where she unravels her family's connection to the town's racist past and becomes something she never knew existed—a prophecy incarnate. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Jenissa Graham at BookEnds Literary Agency brokered the two-book, six-figure deal for North American rights.
Rob Valois and Alex Wolfe at Penguin Workshop have acquired The Swans, a darkly comedic YA thriller by Aaron Starmer (Spontaneous; Night Swimming). When a true-crime podcast descends on a small town to investigate their baffling, decades-long history of swan murder, a depressed teen sees it as a chance to make a name for himself... and maybe even fall in love. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Ardyce Alspach at Union Square Kids has bought All Souls Academy by K.H. Saxton (The A&A Detective Agency). In the author's YA debut, 15-year-old Jane, an amateur ghost hunter and new student at the prestigious All Souls Academy boarding school, is determined to unravel the mystery of the death of a former student, but to do so she has to survive the machinations of her privileged peers and stern administration—and the realization that the mystery is closer to home than she first thought. Publication is set for fall 2026; Erin Clyburn at Howland Literary did the deal for world rights.
Gretchen Durning at Putnam has acquired To the Death by Andrea Tang, a YA contemporary fantasy set in a world of magical dueling. The book follows a teenage girl plotting revenge for her brother's death in an illegal duel—but her plans get more complicated when she falls for the daughter of her brother's killer. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency sold world English rights.
Alexa Wejko at Soho Teen has bought The Weight of One Pomegranate by Lammy Award finalist Brynne Rebele-Henry (Orpheus Girl), a contemporary YA/crossover novel that follows teen Isadora in the wake of her older sister's death. As grieving Isadora unravels the threads of her sister's hidden life, she embarks on her own journey to discover her authentic self, her sexuality, and first love. Publication is slated for early 2026; Alexandra Franklin at Curtis Brown Ltd. negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Gretchen Durning at Putnam has acquired Moth Dark by Kika Hatzopoulou (Threads That Bind), a YA contemporary fantasy romance that crosses worlds and defies timelines, about a girl obsessed with creatures that crawl out of the darkness, the heir to the dark world she falls in love with, and their fight for peace—and for each other. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Michaela Whatnall at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold world English rights.
Tamara Grasty at Page Street has bought Soul of a Gentleman Witch by David Ferraro (The Alchemy of Moonlight; A Vile Season). Pitched as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by way of Studio Ghibli, this YA historical fantasy follows a witch who must collect 666 souls for Lucifer, and whose ledger will be wiped clean if he delivers a young man safely from London to America, only to fall for his charge and risk Lucifer's wrath, and his own soul, to protect him. Publication is set for spring 2026; Eva Scalzo at Speilburg Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Winsome Bingham and Wiley Blevins at Reycraft Books have signed a trio of short, spine-chilling, contemporary middle grade novels inspired by Mexican folklore by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, author of "La Concha" from the Printz-winning anthology The Collectors. Publication for the first book is scheduled for fall 2026; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English and Spanish rights.
Kelsey Horton at Delacorte has acquired Survive This Safari by Natalie D. Richards, about a 12-year-old girl who must solve a series of puzzles to win the Wildlands Safari Escape Challenge at her local zoo, but when she and the other kids find out the enclosures have been unlocked, the fun competition turns into a wild race to rescue the animals on the loose. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media did the deal for world English rights.
Feather Flores at Atheneum has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Seven: The Courage, Artistry, and Teamwork of BTS by literary scholar Lilly Lu, illustrated by Maja, in their middle grade debut. This retrospective, made by fans for fans, explores the history of the K-Pop group and shows how the dreams of seven boys from Korea became the dreams of millions of fans around the world. Publication is set for 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has acquired, in a preempt, world English and Spanish rights to Wawawiwa Comics creator Andrés Colmenares's Heart and Moonie, an early reader graphic novel series about the out-of-this-world adventures of an Earth-like planet girl, Heart, and her spontaneous little satellite brother as they encounter meteor showers, black holes, celestial bodies, and an infinite number of fantastical things. The first book, Heart and Moonie, will publish in fall 2026; Kathleen Ortiz at KO Media Management did the two-book deal.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has bought My Mother Is a Monster Doctor by Ali Bahrampour, a picture book in which a boy goes on house calls with his mother and helps her tend to an unusual menagerie of sick and suffering monsters who are full of surprises, even for an old hand like him. It's scheduled for spring 2027; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio sold world rights.
Clarissa Wong, while at Scholastic, acquired world rights in a two-book deal, to Mac & Cheese: The Origin Story by debut author Michael Benner (l.), illustrated by Alison Hawkins, a humorous, punny tale about Mac and Cheese, two lonely souls looking for a friend. Shulokhana Khan will edit; publication is slated for summer 2026. Stacey Glick at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Margaret Raymo at Little, Brown has bought world rights to If You Want to See a Narwhal, a picture book by Rhonda Gowler Greene (l.), illustrated by Xin Li, which encourages readers to celebrate the majesty of the Arctic while they journey to find a narwhal. Publication is set for winter 2027; Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown Ltd. represented the author, and Angharad Kowal Stannus at Kowal Stannus Agency represented the illustrator.
Alexandra Hightower at Little, Brown has acquired, in a six-figure, multi-house auction, Wicked Endeavors by Kamilah Cole, a YA romantasy duology set in a Spanish Renaissance-inspired kingdom, about a vengeful teen who cons her way into a high society of elite witches, only for her revenge to be threatened by her warring feelings for both a manipulative enemy prince and the stoic childhood friend who betrayed her, pitched as a love letter to the power of Black women's anger. Publication for the first book is set for summer 2026; Emily Forney at Bookends Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Rachel Stark at Disney-Hyperion has bought, in a six-figure deal, in an exclusive submission, Body Count by Codie Crowley (Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch). In this sapphic slasher novel, the last time Sundae Valentine was in Wildwood, N.J., she made a deal with a monster and barely escaped with her life. Six years later, she's braving Wildwood again, this time for a beach party to celebrate prom with her fellow cheerleaders and the football team. But this time, the monster is determined to make her pay her debts. Publication is slated for June 2026; Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Jill Grinberg Literary Management did the deal for world English rights.
Courtney Stevenson at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired world rights to How to Talk to an Alien, an illustrated middle grade guide to the astrobiology, linguistics, physics, and technology that will be required to speak to an alien (should you ever meet one), by Up Periscope! author and science communicator Jennifer Swanson. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Caroline Abbey at Random House has bought world rights to What If? by Chris Grabenstein (l.), author of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series, illustrated by David Roberts, a picture book in which a child learns about all the wonderful things they might do as they grow up. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Carrie Hannigan and Josh Getzler at HG Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to My Love Grows by Ashley Woodfolk (l.), illustrated by Naoko Stoop. This rhyming picture book compares the unpredictable beauty of early parenthood (and babies) to a blossoming, everchanging garden. Publication is set for fall 2026; Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the artist.
Catherine Laudone at S&S/Beach Lane Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Haunted by History: How President Harry Truman Saved the White House by Brittany Richman (l.), illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, a nonfiction picture book in which a new president moves into the White House and faces some spooky surprises that transform into a heartfelt mission to save the house from ruin and preserve its history. Publication is slated for summer 2027; Alexander Slater at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Alice Curry at Lantana Publishing has acquired What Makes a Family by Eric Ruiz Roxas (l.), illustrated by Aldy Aguirre. In this picture book set during Undas, the Filipino Day of the Dead, a brother and sister learn that families aren't defined by their size, wealth, gender or distance from one another, but by the love they share in life and beyond. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; the creators were unagented.
Kristine Enderle has bought world rights to S'More Is Enough by Brenda Miles (l.), illustrated by Monika Filipina, a picture book about Graham, a s'more with an ooey-gooey middle and a square of sweetness who wonders what more could he be? Publication is planned for fall 2025; the author represented herself, and Robbin Brosterman at Bright Group US represented the illustrator.
Autumn Allen at Barefoot Books has acquired world rights to Every Body Move! by debut author Jenna Elyse Johnson (l.), illustrated by Ananya Rao Middleton (I Am, You Are), a sing-along picture book that celebrates kids with disabilities and the tools that help them access their world. Publication is set for fall 2025; Christie Megill at the CAT Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Lauri Hornik at Rocky Pond Books has bought Seeing Crocodiles Everywhere by Estelí Meza (Finding Home), a picture book in which sadness and anger sneak up on a child and follow her wherever she goes, until she accepts and confronts her difficult emotions. Publication is slated for fall 2025, in simultaneous English and Spanish-language editions; Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
David Behrman at Apples & Honey Press has acquired world English language rights to Aren't You a Strange Bird? by Rocio Bonilla. This picture book tells the story of a boy who undertakes a series of goofy experiments to try and understand why someone would call him "a strange bird," ultimately coming to embrace his uniqueness. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Carol Borràs at Edicions Bromera did the deal.
