Anne Heltzel at Abrams/Amulet has acquired at auction world rights to The F Word, an anthology of personal essays, prose, poetry, fashion tips, and art edited by Angie Manfredi. The collection features contributors who identify as fat, and will counter the stereotypical narrative of what it means to be fat in the world. The book is scheduled for publication in fall 2019; Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary negotiated the deal.
Melissa Frain at Tor Teen has bought, in a three-book deal, Danielle L. Jensen's Dark Shores, in which a tyrannical ruler forces a feisty pirate and a rigid soldier to work together to expand his kingdom. But the Dark Shores are not so easily conquered, and they will each have to give up parts of themselves in order to survive. Publication is slated for May 2019; Tamar Rydzinski at the Laura Dail Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired Sara Bennett Wealer's Now & When, a romantic dramedy in which a teen girl stumbles upon a website that tells her everything she doesn't want to know about her future, showing her the importance of putting yourself out there, making mistakes—and learning the hard way that life doesn't come with a road map. Publication is planned for summer 2020; Holly Root at Root Literary handled the deal for North American rights.
Catherine Wallace at HarperTeen has bought The Last Hour by Diana Urban, a YA locked-room thriller about six teens who arrive at an invite-only dinner and find themselves trapped in a room with a syringe of poison, a bomb, and a note that if they don't choose one person to kill within 60 minutes, they will all die. Publication is set for winter 2020; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret did the deal for world English rights.
Anna Roberto at Feiwel and Friends has acquired, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, To Kill a Kingdom author Alexandra Christo's Into the Crooked Place. In a world thriving with black magic, four young crooks embark on a quest to take down their criminal leader after they discover the plot behind his dangerous new magic. The book is scheduled for October 2019; Emmanuelle Morgen at Stonesong represented the author in the deal for North American rights.
Julie Rosenberg at Razorbill has bought Andrea Tang's YA debut, Rebelwing. The story of rebellion and resistance features a scholarship student at a prestigious prep school who smuggles black-market media in a near-future North America divided by culture wars. Her life changes drastically when a sentient cybernetic dragon imprints on her as its pilot, forcing her to the forefront of a revolution. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Thao Le at the Dijkstra Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world rights, excluding the U.K.
Sara Bierling at Blink has acquired world English rights to Angelfire author Courtney Allison Moulton's Wardens of Eternity, a YA historical urban fantasy, set in 1933. The book follows a girl whose only wish is to find her identity, and who must outmaneuver the primeval gods of ancient Egypt and resurrect a once revered queen to stop the rising Nazi power from igniting another world war. Publication is set for winter 2020; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal.
Kate Egan at KCP Loft has bought Throwaway Girls, a #PitchWars debut YA novel by Andrea Contos. Told from two points of view, the story is about a girl whose life is upended by the disappearances of her lover and her best friend, two girls from opposite sides of the tracks, and the discovery that she is the only link between them. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Jennifer Greene at Clarion has bought North American rights, at auction, to A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi (l.) and Laura Shovan, a dual narrative contemporary middle-grade novel exploring themes of food, friendship, family, and what it means to truly belong. The novel features Pakistani-American Sara Hameed and half-British Elizabeth Shainmark, who meet in a South Asian cooking club and discover that both their mothers are applying for U.S. citizenship. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Kari Sutherland at Bradford Literary represented Faruqi, and Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management represented Shovan.
Margaret Ferguson at Holiday House/Margaret Ferguson Books has acquired Never Happened, a middle grade novel by Audrey Vernick, in which 12-year-old Army's parents' business focuses on cleaning up after tragedies. Army is grieving over a recent tragedy of her own, and a new neighbor's escape-artist young daughter seems like a tragedy waiting to happen, especially with a hurricane bearing down on their coastal New Jersey town. The book is scheduled for summer 2020; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English and mainland China rights.
Keith Garton at One Elm/Red Chair Press has bought Second Dad Summerby Benjamin Klas, a middle grade novel about a teen's conflicted feelings toward his father's flamboyant boyfriend and his burgeoning friendship with a teen girl. Publication is slated for May 2020; Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency handled the deal for North American rights.
Semareh Al-Hillal and Nan Froman at Groundwood have acquired Dasha Tolstikova's The Bad Chair, from the author-illustrator of A Year Without Mom. It's a story about feeling left out, starring a girl, a monkey, and a jealous piece of furniture. Publication is set for fall 2020; Stephen Barr at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought world rights to The Hospital Book by Lisa Brown. In the book, readers experience what a hospital stay is like when a girl from a diverse family goes in for a minor operation, accompanied by her beloved sock monkey. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Charlotte Sheedy at Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency represented the author.
Ellen Cormier at Dial has bought at auction author-illustrator Zara Gonzalez Hoang's picture book, A Piece of Wild, about Ren, who moves from the forest to the city, and Ava, who takes on the challenge of helping him find magic in his new environment. The story was inspired by the author's father and his move from Puerto Rico to New York City. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Andrea Morrison and Steven Malk at Writers House did the deal for world rights.
Kristen Mohn at Capstone has acquired world rights to My Footprints, the second picture book by Bao Phi, author of A Different Pond, which won a 2018 Caldecott Honor. The story centers on Thuy, a Vietnamese-American girl with two mothers, who is bullied for being different. On a wintry walk home from school, Thuy imagines how various animals might react to being bullied, gaining comfort and courage as she makes each animal's footprints in the snow. Basia Tran will illustrate; publication is set for fall 2019. The author represented himself, and Atlanta Japp at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Tracy Gates at Viking has acquired world rights to Rebecca Colby's (l.) Crocodiles Need Kisses Too, a rhyming picture book that illustrates the importance of a parent's unconditional love, no matter how grumpy or ferocious their offspring appear. Penelope Dullaghan will illustrate; publication is planned for summer 2020. Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Scott Hull at Scott Hull Associates represented the illustrator.
Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook Press has acquired world rights to Lauren DeStefano's (l.) A Unicorn Came to Dinner... Again, illustrated by Gaia Cornwall. The picture book follows the chaos created when a unicorn shows up to dinner without an invite—and a surprise reveal as to why. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Barbara Poelle at Irene Goodman Literary represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee has bought world rights to Grandpa Grumps by Katrina Moore (l.), illustrated by Xindi Yan, a picture book about Daisy and the Chinese grandfather she's meeting for the first time, and how she connects with him across cultures and generations. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Natascha Morris at BookEnds Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Tugeau Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Tristram Coburn at Tilbury House has acquired world rights to the picture book Is Two a Lot? by Annie Watson (l.), illustrated by Rebecca Evans. A child entertains himself in the car by asking many seemingly simple questions, but his mother demonstrated that not everything has a simple answer. Publication is set for summer 2019; the author represented herself, and Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Christina Pulles at Sterling has bought world rights to Like a Girl, a picture book by Lori Degman (l.), illustrated by Mara Penny, that encourages readers to stand up like a girl, create like a girl, change the world like a girl, and more. Publication is planned for fall 2019. The author represented herself, and Susan McCabe at Lilla Rogers Studio represented the illustrator.
Nina Gruener at Cameron Kids has acquired world rights to One Whole Bunch by Mary Meyer (l.), illustrated by Sara Gillingham. The picture book is about a boy gathering flowers—from 10 lavender to one sunflower—to give to his mother. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; the author represented herself, and Amy Rennert at the Amy Rennert Agency represented the illustrator.
