Joy Peskin at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has acquired, in a four-house auction, choreographer and Artists U founder Andrew Simonet's debut YA novel, The Rubber Room. The novel follows two high schoolers, Jason and Meili, who connect after winding up in detention. Meili, who is from Hong Kong, is hiding from someone who may want to hurt her. As she plots a dangerous path back to her affluent life abroad, Jason dreams of escaping his poverty and isolation. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Rebecca Stead at the Book Group negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights.
Kate Farrell at Henry Holt has bought two contemporary YA novels from Emma Mills. Famous in a Small Town features teenage Sophie, who has a brilliant plan to finance her school marching band's trip to the Rose Parade by bringing her small town's only claim to fame, country singer Megan Pleasant, back to headline a fundraising festival—except Megan has publicly sworn never to return. Publication is set for early 2019, to be followed by a second book in early 2020; Bridget Smith at Dunham Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Emily Easton at Crown and Tara Walker at Tundra have acquired Jeff Zentner's TV Six. Pitched as Wayne's World meets Ghost World, the book stars two best friends who must make some tough decisions about the “creature feature” show they host on their local cable access TV station as they enter their senior year of high school. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019, with an untitled second YA novel to follow in spring 2020. Charlie Olsen at InkWell Management brokered the deal for U.S. and open market rights (for Crown) and Canadian rights (for Tundra).
Emilia Rhodes at HarperTeen has bought at auction The Girls of Cottonwood Hollow, a YA contemporary novel with a twist of magical realism from debut author Miranda Asebedo. After a tornado unearths the century-old diary of the dying woman who cursed the girls of a rural Kansas town with strange talents, brash mechanic Rome and her two best friends discover that the curse and the stories surrounding the town legend aren’t all true. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Kristin Nelson at Nelson Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights.
anine O'Malley at Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Lynne Missen at Penguin Canada have acquired Tanaz Bhathena's Last Days, First Days, the story of two lovestruck teens from very different backgrounds who must find the courage to be who they want to be, in order to be with each other. Publication is slated for winter 2019; Eleanor Jackson at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner negotiated the deal for U.S., U.K., and translation rights (for FSG) and Canadian rights (for Penguin).
Melissa Manlove at Chronicle has bought world rights to Loving vs. Virginia author Patricia Hruby Powell's untitled YA nonfiction profile of seven key female leaders in the suffrage and civil rights movements, who fought for women's voting rights in America. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary represented the author.
Rebecca Davis at Boyds Mills has acquired three historical middle-grade novels from Memento Nora author Angie Smibert. The first, Ghosts of Ordinary Objects, is about 12-year-old Bone, who has inherited her family's Gift that allows her to see the stories in objects around her—a Gift that she believes killed her mother. The next two novels will continue Bone's story. Publication is set for spring 2018; Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary brokered the deal while at the Bent Agency, for world English rights.
Claudia Gabel at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought two middle grade novels from author Maurice Broaddus. The first, The Usual Suspects, pitched as Encyclopedia Brown meets The Wire, follows Thelonius, king of the pranksters at his middle school, who must solve the mystery of who brought a gun to campus before he and his friends are expelled at the end of the week. It's planned for fall 2018; Jennifer Udden at Barry Goldblatt Literary did the deal for world English rights.
Wendy Loggia and Kelsey Horton at Delacorte have acquired Carnegie Medal longlisted author Andrew Prentice's middle grade fantasy debut, The Unlikely Adventures of Oscar Grimstone, about a boy gifted with otherworldly powers who embarks on a journey into the world of ghosts to figure out who he really is. Publication is scheduled for summer 2019; Chris Snowdon at Working Partners negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has bought world rights, at auction, to Goodnight, Veggies, a picture book by Diana Murray and illustrated by Zachariah OHora, about cozy baby veggies in the garden bed and what makes them so sleepy. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Brianne Johnson at Writers House represented the author and Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Laura Godwin at Holt/Godwin has acquired Andy Maxwell's new picture book, How a Boy Became a Ninja, illustrated by Heidi Smith, which follows the journey of a boy in medieval times as his career dreams come true. Publication is set for spring 2019; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions did the two-book deal for world rights.
Rob Broder at Ripple Grove has bought Zakieh Mohammed's (l.) debut picture book, October, in which a girl's awareness is a little brighter than her older sister’s. Andrea Tripke will illustrate; publication is planned for 2019. The author and the illustrator represented themselves in the deal for world rights.
Kristin Rens at Balzer + Bray has acquired The Crown's Game author Evelyn Skye's new YA duology, beginning with Circle of Shadows. The ninja-inspired fantasy follows Sora, a talented assassin, who is accused of being a spy and must prove her loyalty while her former partner and best friend, Daemon, hunts her across the kingdom to bring her to justice. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Brianne Johnson at Writers House negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Laura Schreiber at Disney-Hyperion has bought, in a multi-house auction, author Zoraida Córdova's YA fantasy duology Hollow Crown, in collaboration with Glasstown Entertainment. In the Kingdom of Selvina, the royal family has set out to destroy magic, and Renata, a thief trained in the art of stealing memories, is exacting revenge against the family. But when a mission goes awry and her first love, Dez, is captured, Ren must kill the leader of the King's Justice, only to discover that he may be the greatest illusion of all, and that the fate of all magic now lies in her hands. Publication for the first book is planned for summer 2019; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Brian Geffen at Philomel has acquired at auction The Boy, the Bird, and the Coffin Maker, a middle-grade novel by debut author Matilda Woods, in the vein of A Snicker of Magic and The Penderwicks. In the story, a kind yet lonely coffin maker and a frightened boy, brought together by a magical bird, learn the power of friendship and trust as they try to escape the shadows of their past. Publication is set for summer 2018, with two untitled stand-alone novels to follow; Antonia Pelari at Scholastic UK did the three-book deal. The book has already sold into 10 territories.
Caroline Abbey at Random House has bought author Niki Lenz's debut middle grade contemporary novel, Bernice Buttman's Guide to Halfway, a story pitched as Honey Boo-Boo meets Sister Act, about a reformed bully sent to live with her nun aunt who has to decide whether to help the convent or fulfill her dream of becoming a stuntperson. The book will publish in spring 2019; Kate Testerman at KT Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Arthur Levine at Scholastic/Levine has acquired world rights to Kristen Mai Giang's (l.) debut picture book, Soy Sisters, the story of two cousins, Ginger and Chrysanthemum, who couldn't be more different, but find a way to work together to make their grandmother's birthday special. Debut artist Shirley Chan will illustrate; publication is scheduled for 2019. Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary represented the author, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Karen Wojtyla at McElderry has bought world rights to Muon Van's picture book, The Most Terrible of All, about a monster who becomes upset when he hears that he's no longer the most terrible one around. Matthew Myers will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2019. Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Liza Baker at Scholastic has acquired world rights to Crankenstein author Samantha Berger's (l.) new picture book, My Glam-Ma!, a celebration of the range of talents, passions, and styles of today's grandmothers and the grandchildren who love them. Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes artist Sujean Rim will illustrate; publication is set for 2019. Brenda Bowen at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.
Anne Schwartz at Schwartz & Wade has bought world rights to Rita Lorraine Hubbard's (l.) The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read, illustrated by Oge Mora, a picture book based on the true story of a former slave who learned to read at the age of 116. Publication is planned for spring 2019; Tracy Marchini at BookEnds Literary Agency represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Meredith Mundy at Sterling has acquired world rights to Whose Story Is This, Anyway? author Mike Flaherty's (l.) picture book, The Party Problem, in which a child's birthday party is taken over by knights, dragons, and ogres. Maxime Lebrun will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; the author is unagented, and Alli Brydon at Bright USA brokered the deal for the illustrator.
Ann Kelley at Schwartz & Wade has bought world rights to Mara Rockliff's Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, a picture book about the woman whose cooking helped feed and fund the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1956. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Julia Maguire at Knopf has bought world rights to debut author Lynn Fulton's (l.) Mary's Monster, with illustrations by Felicita Sala. The picture book tells the true origin story of Frankenstein: how a young Mary Shelley tackled a writing challenge and dreamed up one of the world's most enduring tales. It's scheduled for fall 2018; Larissa Helena at Pippin Properties represented the author, on behalf of Elena Giovinazzo, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Kristen Nobles at Page Street Kids has slated world rights to the tentatively titled Some Animals, a picture book by debut author-illustrator James Weinberg. The book is an exploration of unique animal opposites. Publication is set for fall 2018; the author-illustrator represented himself.
Nina Kooij at Pelican has acquired world rights to Ride, Patriot Guard, Ride! by Connie Heckert, a picture book with photographs taken by the author that shares the story of the grassroots motorcycle organization of the Patriot Guard Riders, created to protect families of fallen soldiers from protesters at funerals. Publication is slated for spring 2018; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented Heckert.
