Ann Kelley at Schwartz & Wade has acquired She the People, compiled by Molly Dillon. The YA anthology features stories from 10 young women, former Obama White House staffers, who came of age in the Obama era and were inspired to enter the world of government by his administration's inclusive, feminist policies. Each story leads the reader through her most unforgettable moment working for Obama; the anthology includes contributions from Jenna Brayton, Eleanor Celeste, Nita Contreras, Kalisha Dessources, Molly Dillon, Andrea Flores, Vivian Graubard, Noemie Levy, Taylor Lustig, and Jaimie Woo. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Wendi Gu at Janklow & Nesbit Associates negotiated the deal for world rights.
Zareen Jaffery at Simon & Schuster has bought world rights to Sarvenaz Tash's Virtually Yours, a futuristic rom-com about a college freshman who tries out a virtual reality dating app, only to be matched up with the high school ex she's still not over. Publication is tentatively set for spring 2019; Victoria Marini at the Irene Goodman Agency brokered the deal.
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired Roseanne Montillo's The Atomic Women. The YA nonfiction book tells the stories of the little-known female scientists who were critical to the invention of the atomic bomb and an examination of the moral implications of their work. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Rob Weisbach at Rob Weisbach Creative Management did the deal for world rights.
Zachary Clark at Scholastic has bought Rated, by Girl at Midnight author Melissa Grey, in which teens navigate a hierarchical ranking system in a Black Mirror-esque future. Publication is slated for 2019; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jenne Abramowitz at Scholastic has acquired, in a preempt, Jess Keating's middle grade series Genius Academy, starting with Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray. Pitched as the X-Men meets Geek Squad, Genius Academy centers around Nikki Tesla, a young inventor on the brink of causing a global meltdown, who must team up with a ragtag group of re-imagined figures of history to outwit a mysterious villain from her past. Publication is set for summer 2019; Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Sonali Fry at Yellow Jacket has bought Ching Yeung Russell's middle grade novel-in-verse, House Without Walls, based on the account of 11-year-old Lam, who escapes from Vietnam with her younger brother during the Boat People Exodus in 1979. Publication is scheduled for summer 2019; Adria Goetz at Martin Literary Management handled the deal for world rights.
Ariane Szu-Tu at National Geographic Kids has bought Michael Cottman's new middle grade nonfiction book, Segregated Skies. Presented against the backdrop of landmark civil rights legislation, race riots, and the racial injustices of the 1960s, the book follows the story of David Harris and his turbulent path to become the first African-American commercial airline pilot, and how he used his success to become an advocate for people of marginalized communities. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Jennifer Herrera at the David Black Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Carol Hinz at Lerner/Millbrook has acquired world English rights to author-illustrator Carlyn Beccia's Ten at Ten, a middle grade nonfiction anthology that presents 10 cultural icons, focusing on their lives at the age of 10. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Abigail Samoun at Red Fox Literary represented Beccia.
Christina Pulles at Sterling has acquired the first two books in authors Katie and Kevin Tsang's Sam Wu chapter book series, Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Ghosts and Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Sharks. The series features a boy facing his many fears in humorous ways. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018 for the first book, and spring 2019 for the second; Tracy Phillips at Egmont U.K. represented the authors in the deal for North American rights.
Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has signed a two-book deal, at auction, for Mike Boldt's Bad Dog and Find Fergus. In Bad Dog, a girl believes her new cat to be a dog and wonders why it doesn't act more doglike; the book is due out in fall 2019. Find Fergus features a giant bear who's really, really bad at hide-and-seek; publication is set for summer 2020. Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented Boldt in the deal for world rights.
Talia Benamy at Philomel has bought author-illustrator Sarah Brannen's picture book, Perfect, about a sea gull and a crab who have differing views on what makes for a perfect day. Publication is planned for summer 2020; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids has acquired Troy Wilson's Little Red Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf, a celebration of the love of reading and a reminder you can't judge a book—er, wolf—by its cover. Ilaria Campana will illustrate; publication is slated for July 2019. Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists brokered the deal for world rights for the author, and Aurora Meyer at Astound Us brokered the deal for the illustrator.
Julia Sooy at Godwin has bought world rights to Cats Are a Liquid by Rebecca Donnelly (l.), a picture book that examines the unusual physical properties of felines. Misa Saburi will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2019. Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Agency represented the illustrator.
Jennifer Newens at Graphic Arts has acquired world rights to Eric A. Kimmel's picture book, Why Worry, the story of two friends, fretful Cricket and easygoing Grasshopper, who accidentally embark on an adventure together. Aiko Ikegami will illustrate; publication is set for May 2019. Jennifer Laughran at the Andrea Brown Agency represented the author, and Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary represented the illustrator.
Mary Colgan at Boyds Mills has bought world rights to Heather Lang's (l.) The Leaf Detective: How Scientist Margaret Lowman Explored and Protected the Treetops, a biography of the trailblazer who climbed trees and pioneered canopy exploration around the world. Jana Christy will illustrate; publication is planned for March 2020. Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
Wendy McClure and Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman have acquired City Street Beat author Nancy Viau's (l.) First Snow, a picture book celebrating the first snowfall of the season. Talitha Shipman (Applesauce Day, Everybody Says Shalom) will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2018; the author represented herself, and Emily Coggins at Astound represented the illustrator.
Julia Maguire at Knopf has acquired The Montague Twins, a YA graphic novel series by Nathan Page (l.) and Drew Shannon, in a two-book deal. Twins and amateur detectives Alastair and Pete encounter supernatural forces in their small town. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Maria Vicente at PS Literary represented both Page and Shannon in the deal for world rights.
Sara Bierling at Blink has bought Every Stolen Breath, a YA thriller by debut author Kimberly Gabriel. In suburban Chicago, a rotating cast of teenagers has been attacking their victims in packs. No one knows why the swarm attacks or where they come from; all 16-year-old Lia knows is that the next target is her. The story is inspired by the real-life "flash mob" violence that has been taking place in Chicago since 2011. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Jennifer Herrera at the David Black Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Erin Stein at Macmillan/Imprint has acquired Awful Girl, a YA novel by Barbara Bottner set in the Bronx in 1961. Fourteen-year-old Maisy, left with an abusive mother after her father's abandonment, must protect her brother, survive, and somehow find love. The book is slated for spring 2020; Rick Richter at Aevitas Creative Management negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Kate Meltzer at Putnam has bought Katharyn Blair's speculative YA novel The Breath of Bones and an untitled sequel. In a world where humans' darkest secrets are reborn as Hushed, flesh and blood beings tasked with exposing what should remain hidden, 17-year-old Eerie is swept up in a web of deception as she tries to escape the fatal threat of her secret. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019 and fall 2020; Brianne Johnson at Writers House did the deal for world rights.
Georgia McBride at Month9Books has acquired Clare Di Liscia Baird's debut YA fantasy, Neliem, in which a teen, spurned by her own people, must go from victim to warrior after being given a mysterious dagger as she fights to win her independence and chooses between two suitors. Publication is slated for 2019; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Ken Wright and Sheila Keenan at Viking have bought The Young Pathfinders, a middle-grade graphic novel series by Penguin Workshop publisher Francesco Sedita (l.) and children's video producer and educator Prescott Seraydarian(center). The book will be illustrated by Steve Hamaker, Eisner Award-winning colorist of Bone and creator of the Plox webcomic. The Young Pathfinders is an adventure story featuring a diverse group of kids thrown together in a summer camp project. Researching their town's history leads to a mysterious, abandoned castle that was once home to an eccentric inventor, and may still be home to great treasure. The first book in the series, The Mystery of the Moon Tower, will publish in spring 2020, followed by book two in fall 2020. Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret handled the two-book deal for world rights on behalf of the authors, and the artist represented himself.
Karen Wojtyla at S&S/McElderry has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to the first two graphic novels in the Manifester series, written and illustrated by Brian Alexander Prince. The series is a Mediterranean-inspired action/adventure story about an audacious kid searching for his missing father, while begrudgingly accompanied by a risk-averse courier who hides his mysterious powers and sordid past. Publication is planned for fall 2020 and 2021; Bernadette Baker-Baughman at Victoria Sanders & Associates negotiated the deal.
Shana Corey at Random House has bought books one and two in J.C. Phillipps's illustrated middle-grade graphic novel series, Pacey Packer Unicorn Tracker. The series follows the adventures of Pacey, Pacey's little sister Mina, and Slasher the Unicorn (who, it turns out, is not the innocent stuffed toy Pacey always thought). Publication is slated for spring 2020 and summer 2020; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich and Bourret brokered the deal for world rights.
Calista Brill at First Second has acquired Dungeon Critters by Sara Goetter (l.) and Natalie Riess. The middle grade fantasy/adventure graphic novel is about a tight-knit squad of animal companions investigating a sinister botanical conspiracy among the furry nobility. Publication is scheduled for 2020; the authors represented themselves in the deal for world rights.
Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has bought Aliza Layne's untitled debut middle grade graphic novel, about a young goblin witch named Beetle, her ghost friend who haunts the local mall, and the old childhood friend and crush whose return sparks a mission to save the town from a malevolent force. Publication is set for fall 2020; Susan Graham at Einstein Literary did the deal for world English rights.
Stacey Barney at Putnam has acquired world rights to Caroline Starr Rose's Miraculous, a historical middle grade novel starring Jack and Cora, who learn that it takes more than faith in a charlatan doctor and the magic of his medicine show tonic to fix things that are broken. Publication is set for spring 2020; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary handled the deal.
Keith Garton at Red Chair Press/One Elm has bought world English rights to Trevor Lee and the Big Uh Oh, first in a planned trilogy by Wiley Blevins. The novel follows Trevor and his classmates' plans for third grade Parents Night. Publication is planned for 2019; the author represented himself.
Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has acquired world rights to author-illustrator Jennifer K. Mann's new picture book, about a city girl on her first camping trip, where she shares her excitement and fears with her friend. The book is set for publication in 2019; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal.
Robyn Chapman at First Second has bought the first two volumes in Kitty Sweet Tooth, Abby Denson (l.) and Utomaru's graphic novel series about a cat who manages a movie theater where she serves the audience special desserts. Publication is scheduled for 2020; Seth Fishman brokered the deal for world rights, excluding Japan.
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Paulsen has acquired world rights to Rebecca Kraft Rector's (l.) debut picture book, Squish Squash Squished, a playful look at what happens when there's a bit too much complaining to Mom from the car's backseat. Dana Wulfekotte will illustrate; publication is scheduled for spring 2021. Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Amy Novesky and Tom Peterson at the Creative Company have bought world rights to J. Patrick Lewis's picture book, I Am Polar Bear, a poem centered on the names of polar bears in languages around the world. Miriam Nerlove will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2019. Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown represented the author, and Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary represented the illustrator.
