Jody Corbett at Scholastic has acquired Lana Wood Johnson's debut novel, Technically, You Started It, a story of mistaken identity told entirely in text messages. When Haley gets a text from Martin Nathaniel Munroe II, she's pretty sure she knows who she's talking to—but there are two of them in her class, and she's got the wrong one. Publication is scheduled for summer 2019; Bridget Smith at Dunham Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Marissa Grossman at Razorbill has bought Lisa Fiedler's We Walked the Sky, a multi-generational YA novel following two teenagers: Victoria, who joins the circus in 1965, and her granddaughter, Callie, who leaves the circus 50 years later. Publication is slated for summer 2019; Susan Cohen at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights.
Krista Marino at Delacorte has acquired, in a preempt, world English rights to debut author Maria Romasco Moore's Some Kind of Animal. The YA novel stars a teenager who believes she has a secret twin who lives in the woods, but is forced to prove her own innocence when her sister attacks a boy, revealing dark truths about her life. Publication is set for spring 2020; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal for world English rights.
Kate Brauning at Entangled Teen has bought Joshua David Bellin's Skaldi City¸ a post-apocalyptic thriller pitched as 10 Cloverfield Lane meets The Fifth Wave. Publication is planned for 2019; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Christian Trimmer at Holt has acquired, in an exclusive submission, two middle grade nonfiction projects by activist and lawyer Hana Bajramovic. Whose Right Is It Anyway?: The Second Amendment and the Fight Over Guns examines the history of the Second Amendment—from its conception through the #MarchforOurLives movement—alongside its influence on American culture and the rise and evolution of the National Rifle Association. The second book will explore the history and impact of the 14th Amendment. Book one is scheduled for spring 2020, followed by book two in spring 2021; Wendi Gu at Janklow Nesbit sold world rights.
Liesa Abrams at Aladdin has bought in a preempt Emma Steinkellner's middle grade graphic novel, The Okay Witch, in which 13-year-old Moth Hush learns that magic is to be expected when you're a Hush, in an adventure that spans centuries, generations, and even worlds as Moth unravels the complicated legacy of witches at the heart of her town, her family, and herself. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Daniel Lazar at Writers House negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Greg Hunter at Lerner has acquired Owl's Outstanding Donuts, a middle grade novel by The Midnight War of Mateo Martinez author Robin Yardi. Ten-year-old Mattie believes that an owl is trying to warn her that someone is secretly polluting the land near her aunt's gourmet donut shop in Big Sur. When her aunt is wrongly suspected, Mattie sets out to save the shop, the only place on earth she has left after her mom's death. Publication is set for fall 2019; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids has bought scientist Synte Peacock's middle grade nonfiction book, Extinct, which explains past mass-extinction events, the status of life on the planet today, and the science of bringing back extinct creatures. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Jodell Sadler and Jill Corcoran at Jill Corcoran Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Katherine Harrison at Knopf has acquired Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing illustrator Robert Neubecker's Little Smokey, about a small airplane who puts her courage and ingenuity to the test to stop a blazing forest fire. The book is based on true accounts of firefighting airplanes at the National Interagency Fire Center. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kait Feldmann at Scholastic/Levine has bought Sarah Jung's debut picture book, When Father Comes Home, about June's relationship with his father who, like a goose, flies abroad for long stretches of time. The story is based on the term “Goose Dad,” which is used to describe Korean fathers who live and work in South Korea so their kids can receive an education in an English-speaking country. Publication is slated for 2021; Shadra Strickland at Painted Words did the deal for world rights.
Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook has acquired world rights to Can I Touch Your Hair? co-author Irene Latham's Wild Peace, a picture book inspired by Wendell Berry's poem “The Peace of Wild Things,” in which siblings escape a hectic world by stepping into the forest where woodland creatures teach them about peace. Il Sung Na (A Book of Sleep) will illustrate; the book is set for winter 2021. Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Lori Nowiki at Painted Words represented the illustrator.
Beverly Horowitz and Kelsey Horton at Delacorte have bought in a preempt Girls Who Run the World, a biography and business how-to by Diana Kapp (l.), illustrated by Bijou Karman. The book features the success stories of 25 women who started their own companies, including Rent the Runway, PopSugar, and ClassPass, and offers tips for future entrepreneurs. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Danielle Svetcov at Levine Greenberg Rostan brokered the deal for world rights.
Courtney Fahy at Little Bee has acquired world rights to Vivian Kirkfield's (l.) Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, illustrated by Alleanna Harris. The picture book is about the friendship between two strong women who helped each other find their voices. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Kristen Nobles at Page Street Kids has bought world rights to Josh Crute's Jonas Hanway's Shockingly Sensational Umbrella, illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen. The true story introduces readers to the curmudgeonly Jonas Hanway, an unlikely trailblazer who helped bring the umbrella into use in London in the 1750s. It's slated for winter 2020; Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.
Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has acquired at auction world rights to Ava in Code Land, a picture book by Jess Hitchman (l.) and Gavin Cullen that introduces readers to the concept of coding. In the book, a girl and her pixellated cat use code to make their world a better place. Leire Martin will illustrate; publication is planned for early 2020. Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency represented the authors, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
