Alex Arnold at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro (l.) and Emily Henry, authors of the Charlotte Holmes series and A Million Junes, respectively. Pitched as a YA sendup of Thelma & Louise, the book features a pair of unlikely best friends who run away together to escape their miserable lives at home, and then hatch a plan to exact revenge on the men who have wronged them. Publication is slated for summer 2019; Lana Popovic at Chalberg & Sussman brokered the deal for North American rights.
Kelsey Horton at Delacorte has bought, in a preempt, Kelly Coon's untitled YA fantasy debut. The book is about a kingdom where girls are selected to join fallen Kings as Queens in the Netherworld—a dark tradition that is seen as an honor but is, in actuality, a death sentence— and where one girl is determined to save her sister from this fate. Publication is planned for 2019; Kari Sutherland at Bradford Literary Agency did the two-book, six-figure deal for world English rights.
Barbara Moore at Llewellyn Worldwide has acquired Printz Honor author Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Sea Tarot. The tarot deck and accompanying book tap into the mythology of Stiefvater's The Scorpio Racesand draw on ancient pagan and Celtic traditions. Publication is set for fall 2019; Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has bought, in a preempt, Kheryn Callender's debut YA novel, This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story. The contemporary story follows aspiring screenwriter Nathan Bird, who has seen the demise of too many relationships (most recently with his ex-girlfriend) to believe in romcom-worthy happy endings, but then reconnects with a boy from his past. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Beth Phelan at the Bent Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has acquired Gloria Chao's Misaligned, about a teen outcast who is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of dark family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves to her small, predominantly white Midwestern town. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Laura Schreiber at Disney-Hyperion has bought, in a preempt, What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka. Set in the competitive world of a top art school, the story tells of a talented girl whose troubled background and desire to succeed lead her to make one terrible mistake, ensnaring her in secrets and lies that could cost her everything. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary did the deal for world English rights.
Farrin Jacobs at Little, Brown/Poppy has acquired, in a pre-empt, NYU MFA Shannon Dunlap's debut novel, Izzy + Tristan, a modern retelling of the Tristan and Iseult romantic epic, set in contemporary Brooklyn. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan handled the two-book deal for world English rights.
Tara Weikum at HarperCollins has bought two middle grade novels by Elemental series author Antony John. The first book, Mascot, is about middle schooler Noah Savino, who—after a car accident that took his father's life and paralyzed him from the waist down—must grapple with his new disability as he rediscovers himself, his family, and his place in the world. Publication is set for fall 2018, with a second, as yet untitled novel to follow; Ted Malawer at Upstart Crow Literary brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Katie Cunningham at Candlewick Studios has acquired Little Soldiers: The Good Son by Pierre-Jacques Ober (l.), Julia Ober (center), and Felicity Coonan, a photographic novel in which toy soldiers are used to depict the complexity of WWI. Publication is slated for 2020; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Vanessa Lopez at Insight Editions has bought paper engineer Matthew Reinhart's Harry Potter pop-up book. Hogwarts showcases sections of the famous wizarding school in a format similar to Reinhart's Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management did the deal for world rights.
Donna Bray at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired Tom Sullivan's Out There, a picture book about the possibility of life on other planets—with an unexpected conclusion. Publication is scheduled for summer 2019; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author in the deal for world rights.
Tamar Brazis at Abrams has bought How I Learned to Fall Out of Trees by Vincent X. Kirsch, a picture book about the lessons that friends teach us about growing up. Publication is set for spring 2019; Christa Heschke of McIntosh and Otis represented the author-illustrator in the deal for world English rights.
Taylor Norman at Chronicle has acquired Dave Eggers's (l.) What Can a Citizen Do?, a picture book conceived as a civics primer that contemplates the question of what it means to be a citizen. Shawn Harris will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2018. Steven Malk at Writers House represented both the author and the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Taylor Norman at Chronicle has also bought Dave Eggers's Tomorrow Most Likely, a picture book that muses on all of the magnificent, dreamy, and absurd possibilities that may come the next day. Lane Smith will illustrate; publication is planned for March 2019. Steven Malk at Writers House did the deal for world rights.
Susan Kochan at Putnam has acquired world rights to All Four Stars and The Great Hibernation author Tara Dairman's (l.) debut picture book, Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy, about a boy and a girl who flee opposite environments in India and meet in a safe, welcoming place. Archana Sreenivasan will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2020. Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented the illustrator.
Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has bought, in a preempt, world rights to debut author Tanya Boteju's Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens. The YA novel follows Nima Mehta-Clark, a 17-year-old, biracial, queer girl plunged into the delirious world of drag where she has the chance to explore questions of identity and love. The book is planned for summer 2019; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal.
Kat Brzozowski at Feiwel and Friends has acquired world English rights to Aminah Mae Safi's as-yet-untitled YA novel set in Los Angeles. An ode to romantic comedies, the book follows Sana Khan and Rachel Recht—two girls on opposite sides of the social scale—as they work together to make a movie and try very hard not to fall in love. Publication is scheduled for June 2019; Lauren MacLeod at the Strothman Agency brokered the deal.
Jason Kirk at Skyscape has bought Rebekah Crane's The Beginning of Our Infinite End, a contemporary YA novel. Pitched as The Perks of Being a Wallflower meets A.S. King, the book stars a girl named Esther who finds solace and, for the first time, acceptance with a group of misfit teenagers who fight her religious stepfather's teachings. Publication is set for September 2018; Renee Nyen of KT Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kate Egan at KCP Loft has acquired Ria Voros's new YA novel, The Center of the Universe. The book follows Grace, a young woman desperately trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the sudden disappearance of her celebrity news anchor mother, while being pulled into the orbit of her high school's golden boy. The novel is slated for spring 2019; Alexandra Devlin and Allison Hellegers at Rights People did the deal for world English language rights on behalf of Louise Lamont at Luigi Bonomi Associates.
Georgia McBride at Month9Books has bought Nikki Richard's debut YA novel, Marks, pitched as Let the Right One In meets Into the Forest. The book follows the 16-year-old bastard son of a cleric who ignores warnings to stay away from a captured demon girl, only to form a deep attachment to her. After risking his life to protect her, he realizes he's the one who may need protection. The book will publish in spring 2019; Amy Tipton of Signature Literary Agency handled the deal for North American rights.
Kaylan Adair at Candlewick has acquired two new as-yet-untitled novels by Lindsay Eagar, author of Hour of the Bees and Race to the Bottom of the Sea. The first book, a middle-grade novel, will publish in fall 2020, and the second will be a YA novel, to publish in fall 2021; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has bought, at auction, Finn and the Intergalactic Lunchbox, a new series by Michael Buckley, author of The Sisters Grimm and NERDS series. When Earth is threatened by an invading race of bugs called the Hunger, 11-year-old Finn, his arch-nemesis, his crush, and one pink unicorn lunchbox become Earth's last best hope against destruction. Publication is planned for 2019; Alison Fargis at Stonesong negotiated the six-figure deal for North American rights.
Claudia Bedrick at Enchanted Lion has acquired world rights to Jacob Kramer's debut, Noodlephant, illustrated by K-Fai Steele. The picture book stars an elephant whose love of noodles puts her on the wrong side of the law. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018, with a sequel to follow in fall 2019. Kramer is unagented; Erica Rand Silverman of Stimola Literary Studio represented the illustrator in the two-book deal.
Andrea Tompa at Candlewick has bought Nothing Like a Puffin author Sue Soltis's (l.) The Stars Just Up the Street, illustrated by Christine Davenier, in which Mabel loves the stars and dreams up a way for her neighbors to enjoy them too. Publication is slated for 2020; Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary represented the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Meredith Mundy at Sterling Children's Books has acquired world rights to Lori Degman's (l.) picture book, Just Read!, a love letter to reading and books. Victoria Tentler-Krylov will illustrate; publication is set for spring 2019. The author is unagented; Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator.
Charlotte Wenger at Page Street Kids has bought world rights to Kathleen Cornell Berman's Miles Davis Finds His Sound, a jazz-infused picture book biography about Miles Davis, illustrated by Keith Henry Brown. Publication is planned for spring 2019; the author was unagented, and Kelly Sonnack at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Claudia Bedrick at Enchanted Lion has acquired world rights to The Boy Whose Head Was Filled with Stars, a picture book biography about American astronomer Edwin Hubble by debut author Isabelle Marinov (l.), illustrated by Deborah Marcero. Edwin wonders about many things, including, “How many stars are there in the sky? How did the Universe begin? Where did it come from?” With so many questions teeming in his head, he discovers that the best way to consider them is through a telescope. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; the author represented herself, and Danielle Smith at Lupine Grove Creative represented the illustrator.
Tom Peterson at the Creative Company has bought world rights to the picture book A Wish Is a Seed by Jessica Young (l.), illustrated by Maria Cristina Pritelli. The book is about the journey of a wish from seed to flower to friend. Publication is set for spring 2020; Kelly Sonnack of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Margaret Anastas at HarperCollins has acquired Laurenne Sala's picture book, You Made Me a Daddy, illustrated by Mike Malbrough. The book is a love letter about the journey of fatherhood from father to child. Publication is slated for winter 2019; Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary represented the author, and Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management represented the artist in the deal for world rights.
Kristen Nobles at Page Street Kids has bought Serena: The Littlest Sister, a picture book biography by Karlin Gray(l.), author of Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn't Sit Still. The book is about Serena Williams's rise to becoming a tennis champion surrounded by her close-knit family. Debra Cartwright, who created the jacket art for The Hate U Give, will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2019. The author and illustrator were unagented in the deal for world rights.
