Caitlyn Dlouhy at S&S/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books has acquired four untitled novels by National Book Award finalist and Coretta Scott King Award–winner Jason Reynolds. Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties negotiated the seven-figure deal for North American rights.
Hali Baumstein at Bloomsbury has bought at auction, in a two-book deal, a debut fantasy series by Mimi Yu. The first book, The Girl King, is set in a world inspired by East and North Asian history, about an exiled princess fighting to reclaim the throne from her younger sister with the reluctant help of a shapeshifting boy whose family was killed by the empire. Publication is slated for spring 2019; Beth Phelan at the Bent Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Daniel Ehrenhaft at Soho Teen has acquired North American rights to Tom Pollock's White Rabbit, Red Wolf, a YA thriller described as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time meets John Le Carré, about a teen math prodigy with an extreme anxiety disorder who finds himself caught in a web of lies and conspiracies after an assassination attempt on his mother. Publication is set for August 2018; Walker Books is publishing the U.K. edition in February 2018. Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary negotiated on behalf of Nancy Miles at Miles Stott Children's Literary Agency.
T.S. Ferguson at Harlequin Teen has bought Belly by Hillary Monahan, writing as Eva Darrows. Pitched as Juno meets Gilmore Girls, the book follows a 16-year-old biracial Hispanic girl who moves to a new town with her mother and must navigate a new school, a new guy, and the tiny human growing inside of her. Publication is planned for summer 2018; Miriam Kriss at the Irene Goodman Agency did the deal for world rights (excluding Italy).
Erica Finkel at Abrams has acquired Rachael Allen's YA novel, A Taxonomy of Love. Pitched as One Day meets I'll Give You the Sun, the book follows a boy with Tourette Syndrome who's in love with the girl next door—only she's dating his older brother. The story is told through snapshots spanning seventh grade to the summer after senior year. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow brokered the deal for world English rights while at the Bent Agency.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has bought These Unclosed Few by Dawn Kurtagich, author of The Dead House. Based on the legend of Faustus and set in the Welsh mountains, the story explores the events that took place in an ancient mill house where a centuries-old evil connects three girls across the centuries. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Sarah Davies and Polly Nolan at Greenhouse Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Maggie Lehrman at Abrams/Amulet has acquired world English rights to Laurie Morrison's solo debut, Up for Air. The novel stars 13-year-old Annabelle, a struggling student and star swimmer, who is thrilled when she gets called up to the high school summer team and attracts the attention of an older boy. But when she finds herself alienated from her closest friends, she has to figure out what her true strengths are and where she really fits. The book is planned for spring 2019; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties did the deal.
Michelle Frey at Knopf has bought world rights to Gwen and the Clan MacDougall by Jeanne Birdsall, a new middle grade novel from the author of the Penderwicks series, in which a girl named Gwen must help beleaguered Scottish fairies find a new home in Boston, leading to a summer of marvels and excitement. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Barbara S. Kouts at Barbara S. Kouts Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Christy Ottaviano has acquired world rights to Underbelly: King of the Mole People, a debut illustrated middle-grade humor series pitched as Troll Hunters meets Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, by Paul Gilligan, creator of the syndicated cartoon Pooch Café. The first book is set for 2019, with the second following in 2020; the author represented himself.
Cassandra Pelham and David Saylor at Scholastic/Graphix have bought, in a five-house auction, Glitch by Sarah Graley, a graphic novel debut pitched as Nimona meets Ready Player One for middle-grade readers. It features a girl who can enter the world of her new video game, where she fights to take down an evil villain who is a threat to both her virtual and real worlds. It's slated for spring 2019; Scholastic UK will publish simultaneously. Steven Salpeter at Curtis Brown Ltd. did the deal for world English rights.
Steve Geck at Sourcebooks has acquired North American rights to The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee and another untitled middle-grade novel by Deborah Abela. The first book is about a shy girl whose family helps her to follow her dreams of being on a televised spelling bee. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Allison Hellegers at Rights People negotiated on behalf of Penguin Random House Australia.
Joanna Cárdenas at Viking has bought, in a 10-house auction, author-illustrator Anna Kim's Danbi, a debut picture book about an immigrant child's first day at school in a new country and how she navigates between her two cultures with ingenuity and optimism. Publication is planned for summer 2019; Steven Malk at Writers House brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has acquired author-illustrator Hyewon Yum's picture book, Saturday Is Swimming Day, in which a girl learns that when trying something new, a little bravery—and a lot of patience—can be all you need to face your fear. Publication is set for spring 2018; Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency handled the deal for world English rights.
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought world rights to The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra illustrator Ana Aranda's first solo picture book, an as-yet-untitled exploration of the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Adriana Domínguez at Full Circle Literary negotiated the deal.
Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired Sincerely, Buster, a new picture book from author-illustrator Jessica Olien, about a dog who learns to write and starts corresponding with his owner about what he really wants. Publication is scheduled for winter 2020; Molly Jaffa at Folio Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Jessica Echeverria at Lee & Low has bought world rights to Marsha Diane Arnold's (l.) Galápagos Girl, a picture book about a girl who lives on one of the Galápagos islands, and the various species of the island that provide her with friendship and inspiration. Pura Belpré Honor recipient Angela Dominguez will illustrate; publication is planned for fall 2018. Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author and Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency represented the illustrator.
Aubrey Poole at Little, Brown/Jimmy Patterson has acquired at auction North American rights to The 96 Words for Love, a debut YA novel by designer and author Rachel Roy (l.) in collaboration with Ava Dash, her 17-year-old daughter. A modern retelling of the classic Indian legend of Shakuntala and Dushyanta, the novel follows Raya as she leaves her California life behind to visit an ashram in India in an attempt to confront the sources of her anxiety and realize her place in the world—and, maybe, even fall in love. Publication is scheduled for winter 2018; Kirsten Neuhaus at Foundry Literary + Media represented Roy, and Jess Regel at Foundry Literary + Media represented the packager, In This Together Media.
Sarah Barley at Flatiron Books has bought at auction The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue author Mackenzi Lee's Semper Augustus, pitched as a YA The Miniaturist meets Sarah Waters. Set during the height of the Dutch tulipomania, the book tells of a florist who must choose between her family's ruin and playing a part in duping her beloved's father into buying a false Semper Augustus, the most expensive bulb of the time. Publication is planned for winter 2019; Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency handled the deal for world English rights.
Rosemary Brosnan at HarperTeen has acquired in a three-way house bid pre-empt Anica Mrose Rissi's YA debut, Always Forever Maybe, a novel about a controlling relationship, an unraveling best friendship, and the depths and boundaries of platonic and romantic love. Publication for the first book is slated for summer 2018, with a second, untitled stand-alone novel to follow; Meredith Kaffel Simonoff at DeFiore and Company brokered the deal for world rights.
Aimee Friedman at Scholastic has bought, in a two-book deal, world rights to P.S. I Like You author Kasie West's Listen to Your Heart, about a girl who reluctantly agrees to host the school's podcast and finds that doling out advice about love is almost as hard as taking it. The first book is set for summer 2018, and the second book for summer 2019; Michelle Wolfson at Wolfson Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Claudia Gabel at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired at auction, in a six-figure, two-book deal, Claire Legrand's Sawkill Girls. Pitched as Shutter Island meets Bone Gap, it tells the story of three teen girls desperate to unravel the mystery behind the vanished girls of Sawkill Rock—but an ancient evil is at work on the island's privileged shores, and soon the girls realize that nothing and no one can be trusted. The book is scheduled for fall 2018; Victoria Marini at the Irene Goodman Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought Pilgrim Playwright Genie Guard, a YA anthology of short stories featuring disabled teens, written by #OwnVoices disabled authors and edited by author Marieke Nijkamp. The stories reflect a range of genres and disabilities; contributors include bestselling authors Kody Keplinger and Francisco X. Stork, as well as newcomers Fox Benwell, Keah Brown, and more. Publication is slated for 2018; Jennifer Udden at Barry Goldblatt Literary brokered the deal for English-language rights.
Tara Weikum at HarperTeen has acquired Winterfolk by Janel Kolby, a debut YA novel with magical realism. Set outside of Seattle, the story follows a homeless teen searching for a way to save her encampment when the city threatens to drive them out. Publication is planned for early 2018; Beth Phelan at the Bent Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.
Kieran Viola at Freeform has bought Riverdale writer Britta Lundin's debut YA novel, Ship It, the story of a fanfic writer named Claire who just knows the two male characters on her favorite show are in love, and tries to convince the showrunner to make the relationship happen on screen when she's invited on a Comic Con tour with the cast. Publication is set for spring 2018; Jim Ehrich at Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston did the deal for world rights.
Reka Simonsen at S&S/Atheneum has acquired world rights to J. Albert Mann’s untitled YA biographical novel about Margaret Sanger, early women’s health and rights activist and the founder of what is now Planned Parenthood. The coming-of-age novel follows Margaret through her early years as she struggles to find her way in a large family amid the harsh realities of life in the late 19th century. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan brokered the two-book deal.
Becky Herrick at Sky Pony has bought two middle grade novels by Beth Vrabel. Bringing Me Back is a standalone story about a boy who can't seem to tackle the mess he made with his hardscrabble school's football team, nor shorten his mom's jail time—but when he sees a black bear that needs help, he knows he has to take action, even if it means getting in even more trouble. Publication is set for February 2018. The second book, Super Dorks, continues Vrabel’s Pack of Dorks series, and is planned for summer 2018. Nicole Resciniti at the Seymour Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jenna Pocius at Bonnier USA has acquired in a preempt for the company's new middle grade imprint The Flourishing of Floralie Laurel, a magical realism novel by debut author Fiadhnait Moser. Pitched as The Secret Garden meets Alice Hoffman, the story follows a girl who must use a secret floriography written by Claude Monet's gardener to decode a letter from her long-lost mother and escape the clutches of her wicked grandmother. Publication is slated for summer 2018; Jaida Temperly at New Leaf Literary & Media did the deal for world English rights.
Christian Trimmer at Holt has bought Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience and Fortitude, written by Josh Funk and illustrated by Stevie Lewis, about the two lions who faithfully guard the New York Public Library. When Patience goes missing, Fortitude realizes the secret to Patience's disappearance may be within the Library itself. Lost in the Library is the first picture book that Macmillan plans to publish in partnership with the New York Public Library; it’s scheduled for publication in 2018. Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator is unagented.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has acquired world rights to Nancy Raines Day's (l.) Pirate Jack Gets Dressed: A Colorful Yarrrn, a picture book about a pirate getting dressed, piece by colorful piece. Allison Black will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2019. Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Julia Maguire at Knopf has bought world rights to Building Books by Megan Wagner Lloyd (l.), illustrated by Brianne Farley, a picture book about a pair of siblings who argue over which pastime is best: reading or building? Publication is planned for fall 2018; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author and Paul Rodeen at Rodeen Literary represented the artist.
Sylvie Frank at S&S/Paula Wiseman has acquired world rights to Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy author Susan Vaught's (l.) debut picture book, Together We Grow, a story of community and rebuilding in the wake of disaster. Kelly Murphy will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2019. Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Jaime Schwalb at Sounds True has bought world rights to author Jennifer Adams's (l.) picture book, I Am a Warrior Goddess (l.), about a tiny girl with big aspirations. Trees author-illustrator Carme Lemniscates will illustrate; publication is scheduled for spring 2018. Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author and Adriana Dominguez at Full Circle Literary represented the illustrator.
