Farrin Jacobs at Little, Brown's Poppy imprint has acquired at auction Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel, a YA book by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, creators of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. The book, which will expand upon the story and characters in the show, will simultaneously release in hardcover, audio, and ebook on October 9. The deal for North American rights was done by William Morris Endeavor for Levenson and Creative Artists Agency for Pasek and Paul. Levenson, Pasek, and Paul were represented by Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham LLP.
G. P. Putnam's Sons has bought, in a two-book deal, Melissa de la Cruz's The Queen's Secret, a romantic fantasy series about a deadly assassin and the queen he is sworn to protect. Publication is planned for fall 2019 and fall 2020, with Kate Meltzer editing; Richard Abate at 3 Arts brokered the deal for world rights.
Zareen Jaffery at Simon & Schuster has acquired, in an exclusive submission, North American rights to Siobhan Vivian's We Are the Wildcats. In the same vein as Vivian's The List, her new YA novel is told from seven perspectives and spans 24 hours, following the ultra-competitive Archibald High School's girls' field hockey team. The story begins when the newest varsity roster is announced, and follows an all-night annual tradition of hazing and team bonding, concluding as the girls take the field for their first scrimmage against a rival team. The book is scheduled for summer 2019; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management negotiated the six-figure deal.
Lisa Yoskowitz at Little, Brown has bought Edgar Award-winning author Monica Hesse's The War Outside, about two teenage girls who meet when they are unjustly imprisoned in an internment camp during WWII due to their Japanese and German ancestry. The girls find solace in their secret friendship as everything around them falls apart. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Ginger Clark at Curtis Brown Ltd. brokered the deal for North American rights.
Donna Bray at Balzer + Bray has acquired, in a preempt, North American rights to Katy Loutzenhiser's debut novel, If You're Out There, and a second, untitled book. Pitched as a YA Where'd You Go, Bernadette, the novel features Zan, whose best friend Priya moves away, cuts off contact, and reduces Zan to a follower on Priya's strangely bubbly Instagram feed. With the help of charming new guy Logan, Zan confronts a disturbing possibility: what if Priya isn't just not answering her calls and messages—what if she can't? The book will be published in spring 2019; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the two-book deal.
Sarah Barley at Flatiron has bought Frankie author Shivaun Plozza's new novel, Tin Heart, about Marlowe Jensen, a heart transplant recipient discovering who she is if she's no longer The Dying Girl, while becoming obsessed with learning everything she can about her donor. Publication is set for winter 2019; Cheryl Pientka at Jill Grinberg Literary management negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Katherine Harrison at Knopf has acquired We Are the Perfect Girl, a new novel by A.E. Kaplan, the author of Grendel's Guide to Love and War. The book is a contemporary retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, in which a romantic deception is perpetrated by two contemporary high school girls, one bold but insecure in her appearance, one beautiful but painfully shy. Behind the screen of an anonymous text-messaging app, they attempt to win over the boy they both like. Publication is planned for summer 2019; Hannah Bowman at Liza Dawson Associates brokered the deal for world rights.
Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook has bought nonfiction authors John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro's YA debut, War in the Ring, about one of the most famous fights in boxing history, between America's Joe Louis and Germany's Max Schmeling on the eve of World War II, and the fighters' complicated relationship thereafter. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Jennifer Weltz at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights, excluding audio.
Liz Kossnar at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to Becoming RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Journey to Justice, a middle grade graphic novel biography by the author of I Dissent, Debbie Levy (l.), to be illustrated by Whitney Gardner. The graphic novel follows RBG's evolution as a feminist and legal powerhouse and her path to becoming the second woman on the Supreme Court; Ginsburg just celebrated her 85th birthday on March 15. Publication is set for summer 2019; Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Brent Taylor at TriadaUS represented the illustrator.
Rosemary Brosnan at HarperCollins has bought Cynthia Leitich Smith's untitled contemporary middle grade powwow anthology, featuring a story by Smith and stories, poetry, and art by various Native/First Nation contributors. Brosnan has also acquired two untitled contemporary Native middle grade novels by Smith. The anthology and the first novel will be published in summer 2020, and the second novel will be published in summer 2021. Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. negotiated the deals for world English rights.
Neal Porter, for his imprint at Holiday House, has acquired a new collaboration from the Caldecott-winning author and illustrator of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, Philip C. Steadand Erin E. Stead. A Mule, A Milk Cow, A Miniature Horse follows the adventures of farm animals who dare to be "bigger than they ever thought possible." The book is slated for publication in fall of 2021; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management brokered the deal for world rights.
Janine O'Malley at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought, at auction, debut author-illustrator Charlie Mylie's For You. In the picture book, a mouse searches for the perfect gift, only to learn he's had it all along. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Hannah Mann at Writers House represented Mylie in the two-book deal for world rights.
Lee Wade at Schwartz & Wade has acquired Ged Adamson's Fox Found a Box, a picture book about a fox who finds a radio buried in the snow, and fills the forest with music. Publication is slated for summer 2019; Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. handled the deal for world English rights.
Kate O'Sullivan at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has bought world rights to journalist Beth Ferry's (l.) picture book, Marsha's Magnetic, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez. In the book, Marsha uses the scientific method to try and discover just what makes her classmates popular, until she realizes the best way to attract friends is to be yourself. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Yolanda Scott and Karen Boss at Charlesbridge have acquired world rights to Dog by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Jonathan Nelson. The picture book is about a scared, abused stray dog and the child determined to earn its trust. Publication is set for 2019; Susan Cohen at Writers House represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear has bought world rights to Ann Ingalls (l.) and Sue Lowell Gallion's Tip and Tucker early reader series, the story of two very different hamster friends: one bold and adventurous, the other timid and cautious. But everything changes as the two friends venture out into the larger world at Berrybrook School. Andre Ceolin will illustrate. Book one is planned for March 2019, and book two for fall 2019; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the authors, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator.
Liesa Abrams at Simon Pulse has acquired We Are the Ants author Shaun David Hutchinson's memoir, Brave Face. Hutchinson, who is known for his fiction relating to mental health issues, will explore his personal struggles with depression and suicide in the memoir for teens. The book is set for summer 2019; Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Kate Sullivan at Delacorte has bought Ashley Woodfolk's new YA novel, When You Were Everything, the story of how two best friends fall apart, told in alternating "before" and "after" chapters. Publication is scheduled for summer 2019; Beth Phelan at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights while at the Bent Agency.
David Gale at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to Peter Stone's debut YA novel, The Perfect Candidate, a political thriller that follows Cameron Carter as he lands in D.C., eager to start his much coveted internship with the Speaker of the House. But when a fellow staffer mysteriously dies and rumors and accusations swirl about Capitol Hill, Cameron is recruited to join an FBI investigation he wants no part of. Publication is slated for fall 2018; Rachel Kim and Richard Abate at 3 Arts Entertainment represented the author.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has bought, in a preempt, Beauty for Ashes, a debut novel by Erin Stewart, about a teenage girl heading back to school one year after a fire left her severely disfigured, pitched as Alessia Cara's Scars to Your Beautiful meets Girl in Pieces, along with a second, untitled book. It will be published in fall 2019; Brianne Johnson at Writers House did the deal for North American rights.
Jessica Garrison at Dial has acquired Jack Cheng's untitled middle grade novel, following his award-winning debut, See You in the Cosmos. Taking place in a near-future Detroit and set partly inside a video game, the book follows Chinese-American seventh-grader Octavia Lu and her burgeoning friendship with Dante, an African-American boy newly "bussed in" to her suburban school in a self-driving car. Publication is set for spring 2020; Jessica Craig at Craig Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Justin Chanda at Simon & Schuster has bought world English rights to an as-yet-untitled Broken Crayon picture book by Newbery Medalist Linda Sue Park (l.) and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi. "You never know what will come out of a broken crayon" is the motto that accompanies Ohi's Broken Crayon doodle series, which combines photography and line drawings. The book is an intergalactic adventure featuring determined robots, intrepid kids, and a wild assortment of items all emerging from crayons. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown brokered the deal.
Steve Geck at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has acquired Thinker: My Puppy Poet and Me, a new collection of poems by Eloise Greenfield, the 2018 recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Seven-year-old Jace and his puppy Thinker put everything they do into verse, from going to the park to playing ball. Ehsan Abdollahi will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2019. Petula Chaplin did the deal for North American rights on behalf of U.K. publisher Tiny Owl.
Reka Simonsen and Julia McCarthy at Atheneum have bought Circus Galacticus author Deva Fagan's new middle grade fantasy, A Rival Magic. The story features book-smart Antonia and her rival Moppe, two apprentice magicians who must learn to embrace their strengths and forge a powerful friendship while facing enchanted creatures, voice-stealing forests, and sea monsters in order to save their imprisoned teacher and help the rightful queen retake her throne. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Hannah Fergesen at KT Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook has acquired world rights to Jason Pratt's (l.) debut picture book, Three Squeezes, in which a family communicates their love to each other through the simple hand gesture of three squeezes. Chris Sheban will illustrate; publication is set for winter 2020. Erica Rand Silverman represented the author, and Rosemary Stimola represented the illustrator, both at Stimola Literary Studio.
Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has bought, in a four-house auction, E.B. Goodale's author-illustrator debut, Under the Lilac Bush. The picture book is about the comfort and chaos of home and finding one's independence. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020, with a second untitled book to follow in 2021; Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management did the two-book deal for world rights.
Kristine Enderle at Magination Press has acquired world rights to My Whirling Twirling Motor, a picture book by debut author Merriam Saunders (l.), about a boy with ADHD whose behaviors seems to be driven by a nonstop motor. Tammie Lyons will illustrate, and Katie Ten Hagen will edit. Publication is planned for March 2019; Caryn Wiseman represented the author, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator.
Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee has bought world rights to Laura Gehl's Except When They Don't, illustrated by Joshua Heinsz, a rhyming picture book that encourages children to examine and question the gender roles and stereotypes that they experience. Publication is set for summer 2019; Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink Literary represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Group International represented the illustrator.
Elizabeth Kribs at Tundra has acquired world rights to Jess Keating's (l.) picture book biography, Ocean Speaks, a story of oceanographic cartographer Marie Tharp, the woman who mapped the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which caused a paradigm shift in earth sciences and paved the way for our understanding of continental drift. Katie Hickey will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2020. Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Helen Boyle at Pickled Ink represented the illustrator.
Alexis Orgera and Chad Reynolds at Penny Candy have acquired world rights to Thank You, Crow by Michael Minkovitz (l.), illustrated by Jose Medina. Their debut picture book stars a boy whose act of kindness toward an injured crow leads to friendship and adventure. Publication is slated for fall 2018; the authors were unagented.
Charlotte Wenger at Page Street Kids has bought world rights to My Shape Is Sam by Amanda Jackson (l.), illustrated by Lydia Nichols. In the debut picture book, Sam, a square who longs to roll like a circle, takes a risk and discovers his truest shape. Publication is planned for fall 2019; the author and the illustrator were unagented.
