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.
