Kristen Pettit at HarperCollins has acquired, at auction, North American rights to Amie Kaufman (l.) and Meagan Spooner's YA duology The Other Side of the Sky, a genre-bending romance where The 100 meets a Miyazaki-inspired fantasy world, in which the prince of a hi-tech city in the sky falls into a goddess's ancient land ruled by magicians and prophecy. Josh and Tracey Adams at Adams Literary did the three-book deal (including an untitled YA); the first book is scheduled for fall 2020.
Kate Sullivan at Delacorte has bought at auction Rebel Spy 355 by Veronica Rossi, author of the YA series Under the Never Sky. Her new novel, described as "Hamilton meets Code Name Verity," recounts the imagined life of a young woman from history known only by the code number, 355, who was a New York spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Release is set for fall 2019; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners sold North American rights.
Alyson Day at HarperCollins has acquired, in a six-house auction, film and TV writers Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan's YA debut, Unpregnant, a road-trip story about trust, friendship and coming of age on a 1000-mile quest through the Bible Belt to seek out a legal abortion. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Brianne Johnson at Writers House brokered the two-book deal for North American English rights.
Lauren Smulski at Inkyard Press has bought You Too?, a nonfiction collection of #MeToo essays for teens edited by YA author Janet Gurtler. The anthology shines a light on real-life experiences with sexual harassment and assault, and features contributions from authors including Mackenzi Lee, Beth Revis, Kathleen Glasgow, Ellen Hopkins, and Saundra Mitchell. Publication is planned for winter 2020; Jill Corcoran at Jill Corcoran Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Nicole Sclama at HMH has acquired world English rights to a debut novel by Kim Smejkal called Ink in the Blood, a dark fantasy about two friends who escape from a religious temple that they believe serves a false god, only to discover the god is quite real and is bent on revenge. It's scheduled for publication in fall 2019; Daniel Lazar at Writers House did the two-book deal.
Ashley Hearn at Page Street has bought Becky Wallace's YA romance, Stealing Home, in which 17-year-old Ryan's dreams of taking over her family's minor league baseball franchise are dealt a major curveball when her mother decides to sell her shares in the team. To save it, Ryan strikes a deal with their newest player—an uber-talented shortstop with far too much Southern charm—even though it means breaking a few rules. It will publish in spring 2019; Lindsay Mealing at Emerald City Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Paula Wiseman at S&S/Paula Wiseman Books will publish Best Family Ever, the first book in the Baxter Family Children middle-grade series by author Karen Kingsbury, to be cowritten with Kingsbury's son, screenwriter and songwriter Tyler Russell. Wiseman will edit with Sarah Jane Abbott. The book, which tells the story of what it was like to grow up in the Baxter family, will be published in hardcover, ebook, and audio in February 2019; two additional titles in the series will follow. Rick Christian at Alive Literary Agency sold world rights.
Steve Geck at Sourcebooks has bought North American rights for three books in Australian author Tim Harris's middle grade series, Mr Bambuckle's Remarkables (the title will change for U.S. publication). Mr. Bambuckle is unlike any teacher the kids have had before, and it's not long before he helps them realize that every child has something special to offer. Allison Hellegers at Rights People negotiated the deal on behalf of Eleanor Shorne Holden at Random House Australia. Publication for book one is set for spring 2019.
Namrata Tripathi at Kokila has acquired North American rights to Shing Yin Khor's middle grade graphic novel, The Legend of Auntie Po. It reclaims the mythology of early Americana through the lens of a Chinese-American girl and her experiences at a logging camp in the Pacific Northwest, where campfire stories recast Paul Bunyan as an elderly Asian woman in the figure of Auntie Po. Publication is slated for 2020; DongWon Song of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Elise Howard at Algonquin has bought Nicole Melleby's debut middle-grade novel, Hurricane Season, in which Fig searches for ways to see the world as her bipolar father does, so she can save him (and herself). Howard and Krestyna Lypen will edit; publication is planned for spring 2019. Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
Taylor Norman at Chronicle has acquired author and Decemberists lead singer Colin Meloy's (l.) Everyone's Awake, a rambunctious picture book about a houseful of family members who spend the night doing almost everything but sleeping—until their mania catches up with them at dawn. Shawn Harris will illustrate; publication is scheduled for 2020. Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author and the artist in the deal for world rights.
Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has acquired world rights to Full Moon Pups, a picture book by Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Jonathan Bean. The book follows a litter of wolf pups born under a full moon through their first month of life, culminating with their first attempts to howl at the moon. It's planned for fall 2020; Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Elizabeth Harding of Curtis Brown represented the illustrator.
Emma Ledbetter at Atheneum has bought Julie Fogliano's (l.) My Best Friend, a picture book about the very particular bond that exists between best friends of the youngest age, to be illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Jillian Tamaki. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author and illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Jean Feiwel and Anna Roberto at Feiwel and Friends have bought world rights to Our World Is Relative, the joint picture book debut of author/editor Julia Sooy (l.) and illustrator Molly Walsh, which offers a child's-eye view of time, space, and the vast role that relativity plays in comprehending our world. Publication is set for summer 2019. The author was unagented; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary represented the illustrator
Semareh Al-Hillal and Nan Froman at Groundwood have acquired world rights to Treasure by Jon-Erik Lappano (l.), illustrated by Kellen Hatanaka, creators of Tokyo Digs a Garden. The picture book, scheduled for fall 2020, follows a young treasure hunter named Maggie who sees the sparkle in everything and shows her neighbors a new way to look at the things they toss aside. Emily van Beek at Folio Jr. / Folio Literary Management represented the author and illustrator.
Nina Gruener of Cameron Kids has bought world rights to Michelle Markel's (l.) picture book Terrible Times Tables, about a funny and terrible school year that teaches children their multiplication tables in rhymes. Merrilee Liddiard will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2019. Anna Olswanger of Olswanger Literary represented the author, and Justin Rucker of Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.
