Ellen Cormier at Dial has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram (Darius the Great Is Not Okay). In this YA rom-com, high school theatre kid Jackson is accustomed to stage-managing his way through life with lists and plans, but finds his script turned inside-out by a new crush—who also just happens to be his sister's ex-boyfriend. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Miriam Newman at Candlewick has bought, at auction, world rights to Dead Space Tells No Tales by spouses Cory McCarthy (l.) and A.R. Capetta, a YA space fantasy about a family of young queer pirates sailing the High Voids, freed from the prisons of older generations and captained by literal star-crossed lovers, pitched as merging vibes from Our Flag Means Death and The Princess Bride with their own novel Once & Future. Publication is set for spring 2025; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented McCarthy, and Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties represented Capetta.
Mary Kate Castellani at Bloomsbury has acquired Katherine Harbour's YA debut, The Dark Fable, a contemporary YA fantasy about an orphan with a dark past who is recruited to join an occult gang of thieves known throughout the centuries for elaborate heists of ancient and powerful artifacts when she discovers the uncanny ability to turn invisible. Publication is slated for wisnter 2024; Thao Le at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Rachel Stark at Disney-Hyperion has bought Isle in the Flood, a YA fantasy by debut author Amanda M. Helander, along with an untitled sequel. Pitched as Uprooted meets a YA Bridgerton, the duology follows a girl who can name anyone's soulmate, but will do anything to avoid being matched with her own—especially when she learns he's the king. Publication of the first book is planned for fall 2024, with the second to follow in fall 2025; Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world rights.
Tamara Grasty at Page Street has acquired Meet Me in the Fourth Dimension, a YA novel-in-verse by debut author Rita Feinstein. When Crosby leaves her insular hometown for college, she encounters pushback to her anti-science, New-Age beliefs for the first time, resulting in a spiral into misinformation that distances herself even further from her best friend. Publication is scheduled for winter 2024; Savannah Brooks at KT Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has bought Ros Demir Is Not the One, a YA debut by Leyla Brittan. The story follows the fiery and outspoken Ros and her singular focus: to do whatever it takes to keep the boy she loves—or thinks she does, in a Turkish-American "Romeo and Juliet" remix that places Rosaline at center stage, dealing with the complexities of multicultural identity and female friendships. It's slated for fall 2024; Alex Slater at Greenburger Kids sold world rights.
Alyson Heller at Aladdin has acquired Sleepaway, the debut middle-grade novel by former neuroscientist and Lambda Literary fellow Naseem Jamnia, developed by Upswell Media, pitched as Ellen Oh's Spirit Hunters meets Katherine Arden's Small Spaces. Pina's first trip to summer camp is a chance to escape her overbearing parents, but Camp Clear Skies hides a secret— a clearing in the deep woods the older kids call "the Glade," which offers campers the ability to make their dreams come true, as well as their nightmares. Publication is set for winter 2025; John Cusick at Folio Literary Management did the deal for world rights on behalf of Upswell Media; Erica Bauman at Aevitas Creative Management represented the author.
Karen Chaplin at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has bought Sisters and Secrets (tentative title) by Naomi Milliner (Super Jake) in an exclusive submission. The middle grade novel centers on a rabbi's daughter who struggles not only with the expectations placed on her upcoming bat mitzvah, but the stress of keeping both her and her sister's secrets, until the unthinkable happens and her world is shattered. Publication is planned for 2024; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Susan Dobinick at Astra Young Readers has acquired True Colors by Abby Cooper, pitched as The Giver meets Turning Red. In this magical realism novel, everyone who lives in the town of Serenity acts happy all the time, but 12-year-old Mackenzie's colorful haze betrays her true feelings. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights.
Michelle Lee at Dial has bought world rights to Seasons by the Lake, written by Naja Lund Aparico (l.) and illustrated by Maja-Lisa Kehlet, both Greenlandic Inuit. This picture book follows the outdoor adventures of two Inuit siblings throughout the year, as neither the short midnight-sun summers nor the long, cold winters where the sun doesn't rise will stop them from creating fun in the Arctic. Publication is set for fall 2024; Charlotte Wenger at Prospect Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has acquired, at auction, I'm Going to Build a Snowman, in which an enthusiastic boy is determined to build the perfect snowman following a simple step-by-step guide, to hilarious and heartwarming results, by PW Flying Start Jashar Awan. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Erica Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for world English rights.
Maria Modugno at Random House Studio has bought world rights to The Jade Bracelet by Hà Dinh (l.), illustrated by Yong Ling Kang, a picture book about a girl who learns to love the jade bracelet given to her as part of family tradition, even though it's so unlike the glitzy jewelry worn by her friends. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Hannah VanVels Ausbury at Belcastro Agency represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Angus Yuen-Killick at Red Comet Press has acquired, at auction, world English rights to 101 Ways to Read a Book by French children's book creators Timothée de Fombelle (l.) and Benjamin Chaud. The 128-page book, pitched for all ages, features illustrations by Chaud of people reading books in various situations featuring short humorous captions by de Fombelle. Karin Snelson and Yuen-Killick will translate. Publication is set for October 2023; Yuen-Killick negotiated the deal with So Taniuchi at Gallimard Jeunesse.
Lee Wade at Random House Studio has bought world rights to Wilder Child by Nicolette Sowder (l.), illustrated by Myo Yim, a picture book poem that celebrates the wild and adventurous spirit of children. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; the author represented herself, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has acquired world rights to To the Top of the World, a nonfiction picture book by Deborah Blumenthal (l.) (Fancy Party Gowns: A Story About Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe), illustrated by Anastasia Magloire Williams. It tells the inspirational true story of Barbara Hillary and her journey as the first Black woman to reach both the North and South Poles. Publication is planned for spring 2025; the author represented herself, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Lauri Hornik at Penguin/Rocky Pond Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Beam of Light: The Story of the First White House Menorah by Elisa Boxer (l.), illustrated by Sofia Moore. This menorah, created from a piece of reclaimed wood salvaged during a President Truman-era renovation, became the first piece of Judaica to be added to the White House holiday collection. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Harold Underdown at Kane Press has acquired world rights to Like No Other: Earth's Coolest One-of-a-Kind Creatures, written by Sneed Collard III (l.) and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. The nonfiction picture book showcases animals that are not only unusual but occupy their own branch of the evolutionary tree. Publication is set for spring 2024; the author represented himself; Stephen Barr at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has bought world rights to Looking for the Eid Moon by Sahtinay Abaza (l.), illustrated by Sandra Eide. Sara takes her little sister out on a nighttime search for the crescent moon, as they wait for Eid to begin. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Lynnette Novak at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Emily Fernandez at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Mara Conlon at Peter Pauper Press has acquired Meg Auchenbach's debut picture book, If You Are an Artist, in which children are encouraged to daydream, wonder, create, imagine, and celebrate all that it means to be an artist. Publication is slated for spring 2024; John Rudolph at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
Michele McAvoy at The Little Press has bought world rights to Duck, Duck, Groove, a picture book by Jeanette Fazarri Jones (l.), illustrated by Merry Miller-Gass. Upton is a stylin' duck who flaps to his own rhythm. In his new raincoat, he can't help but pop his collar and groove along until everyone tells him "ducks don't do that." Publication is planned for spring 2026; Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Krista Marino at Delacorte Press has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The Black Queen author Jumata Emill's next YA thriller, Wander in the Dark, set in contemporary New Orleans during Mardi Gras. When Amir discovers that the most popular girl in his high school has been murdered, he becomes the number one suspect when he is caught on film fleeing the scene of the crime, and his estranged half-brother is the only one to believe in his innocence. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Alec Shane at Writers House negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Feather Flores at Atheneum has bought, in a six-figure preempt, The No-Girlfriend Rule, a queer YA romance by debut author Christen Randall, pitched as Heartstopper meets Fangirl with the fat pride of Dumplin'. When her boyfriend's "no girlfriends at the table" rule excludes her from participating in a roleplaying game, high school senior Hollis Beckwith joins an all-girls group instead. As Hollis starts to believe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost, an in-game crush develops between her character and charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw's—but Hollis wants their romance to be more than just pretend. Publication is set for spring 2024; Becca Langton at Darley Anderson did the two-book deal for North American rights.
Katherine Jacobs at Blink has acquired an untitled YA mystery/suspense novel from Schneider Award Honoree Alison Gervais (The Silence Between Us). In this story, an aspiring teen writer adjusting to hearing loss finds herself caught up in an uncanny mystery in London—one that may involve the most famous detective duo of all time, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Alison Romig at Delacorte Press has bought Love Is in the Hair by Gemma Cary. Pitched as Sex Education meets Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, this feminist comedy follows the endless humiliations, unrequited obsessions, and all-consuming friendships of 15-year-old Evia Birtwhistle as she leads a body-hair positive revolution at her school. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Rachel Hamilton at the Ben Illis Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Rebecca Kuss at Disney-Hyperion has acquired, at auction, When the Sky Is Deepest Blue by Clare Osongco. This YA debut tells the story of Deedee Walters, an insomniac in conflict with her strict Filipino single mom (who won't let her learn to drive). But when Deedee meets the new boy next door, whose home life also keeps him up at night, a series of midnight driving lessons becomes an escape from the pain and secrets they have both inherited. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Amy Elizabeth Bishop at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret handed the two-book deal for world English rights.
Sarah Alpert at Algonquin Young Readers has won at auction Pura Belpré award winner Yamile Saied Méndez's The Beautiful Game. Thirteen-year-old Valeria "Magic" Salomón is a brilliant soccer player, accepted by the all-boys team as their captain for as long as she can remember. When she gets her period in front of everyone during the State Cup final, will she be able to still summon the magic that has always made her a superstar? Publication is set for 2025; Linda Camacho at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American English and Spanish rights.
Tricia Lin at Random House has bought The Princess Swap, a debut middle-grade fantasy series by Kim Bussing. Pitched as The Sisters Grimm meets Freaky Friday, each book follows two fairy tale princesses who get switched into the other's story, with the first book featuring Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Publication will begin in fall 2024; Hilary Harwell at KT Literary negotiated the three-book deal for world rights.
Kara Sargent at Aladdin has acquired Christine Virnig's middle grade fiction debut, A Bite Above the Rest, which finds 11-year-old Angeleno Caleb relocating with his mother to Samhain, Wisc., a tourist trap of a town where every day is Halloween. When Caleb begins to suspect that Samhain's mayor might be an actual vampire, and his English teacher might be an actual werewolf, he needs to work fast to save himself, his mom, and the rest of the town from a terrifying threat, pitched for fans of The Last Kids on Earth and Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal for North American rights.
Katherine Harrison at Knopf has bought Life on the Moon, an illustrated middle grade novel by husband-and-wife team Matthew Swanson (l.) and Robbi Behr, in which a lonely boy in search of his missing father instead encounters moon creatures, community, and complex moral dilemmas while exploring unmapped acres of the moon, probing questions of identity and interdependence while revealing the precarious balance of life on Earth. Publication is tentatively scheduled for spring 2025; Meredith Kaffel Simonoff at the Gernert Company sold world rights.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired, in a two-book deal, at auction, The Enchanted Symphony by mother-daughter duo Julie Andrews (l.) and Emma Walton Hamilton (c.), illustrated by Elly MacKay (r.), a hopeful fairy tale celebrating life's simple pleasures and the power of art, nature, and community. Publication is slated for September 2023; Janine Kamouh at William Morris Endeavor brokered the deal for North American rights. Andrews and Walton Hamilton are managed by Steve Sauer at Media Four, and Emily van Beek at Folio Literary Management represented MacKay.
Taylor Norman at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought world rights, in a five-house auction, The Table by Winsome Bingham (l.) and Wiley Blevins (c.), a picture book about two families who don't ever meet but who are intimately linked by a kitchen table, illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Jason Griffin (r.). Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the authors, and Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the artist.
Maria Russo at Astra/Minerva has acquired world rights to Pop Goes the Nursery Rhyme! by librarian and blogger Betsy Bird (l.), illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. The picture book features a parent trying to read their child a book of nursery rhymes, only to be continually interrupted by an unruly weasel. Publication is set for fall 2024; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management represented the author, and Stephen Barr at Writers House represented the artist.
Ariel Richardson at Chronicle has bought poet and author Harold Green III's (l.) (Black Roses; Black Oak) picture book Hugged by the Night, a modern folktale about a series of animals who admire the night sky's ebony as it washes over and embraces them, celebrating Black identity, in an exclusive submission. Karabo Poppy will illustrate; publication is planned for fall 2024. Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Savannah Feeke-Fortune represented the illustrator.
Kristin Allard at Norton Young Readers has acquired world rights to debut picture book Leif's Gift by Michael Wang (l.), illustrated by Lenny Wen, about a boy's plant collection that takes over his bedroom. When important belongings start to go missing in the overgrowth, Leif must use his botany skills to find a solution. Publication is tentatively slated for winter 2025; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Carter Hasegawa at Candlewick Press has bought world rights to Harshini Vankineni's (l.) debut picture book What Color Is the Baby?, illustrated by Neha Rawat Battish. The story takes a loaded question steeped in colorism and creates a journey in which one girl finds a new and loving way to welcome a new baby sister. Publication is set for spring 2025; Dara Hyde at the Hill Nadell Literary Agency represented the author, and Tara Gonzalez at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Jonah Heller at Peachtree has acquired Somebody Needs to Do Something About That Monster by Doug Cenko (Viking in Love). In this picture book twist on "The Little Dutch Boy," a lovable blue monster goes on a quest to help the grumpy townsfolk, but when he budges from his favorite spot, unexpected consequences come splashing down. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Laurel Symonds while at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Lauri Hornik at Penguin/Rocky Pond Press has bought, at auction, Blanca Gómez's next picture book, Bookie and Cookie. Bookie, who lives on the left page of the book, always goes to Cookie's (the right page of the book) to hang out until one day when he wants to host, and a trepidatious Cookie refuses to come over. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House did the two-book deal for world English/North American Spanish/open market rights.
Peter Phillips at Tundra has acquired world rights to Shine and a second untitled picture book by debut author-illustrator Bruno Valasse. Shine is a picture book about a moth who is afraid of the dark and embraces his authentic self. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Amy Kitcherside at Pickled Ink brokered the deal.
Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids has bought world rights to Saturday Magic by Nyasha Williams (l.) and Kenda Bell-Spruill (c.), illustrated by Sawyer Cloud (r.), a picture book that celebrates the symbolism and traditions Hoodoo. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024. Lary Rosenblatt and Barbara Stewart at 22MediaWorks represented the authors, and Amanda Hendon at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Elizabeth Lazowski at Chronicle has acquired world rights to Table Full of Food, a picture book biography of Mariam Al-Shaar, the creator of Soufra, by Leila Boukarim, illustrated by Sona Avedikian. Mariam Al-Shaar knows that dreams for people like her don’t come true but she doesn’t let that—or anything—stop her from creating a catering business with the other women in her refugee camp and making the impossible happen. Publication is tentatively set for spring 2025; Hannah VanVels Ausbury at Belcastro Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Sophia Jimenez at Atheneum has bought world rights to Daughter of the Light-Footed People, a nonfiction picture book biography by Belen Medina (l.), illustrated by Nata Rojas Castro. Mexican Indigenous ultra-marathon runner Lorena Ramírez runs in competitions around the world, and races up to 60 miles wearing her traditional Rarárumi brightly colored skirt and huaraches—sandals cut from rubber tires. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the author, and Fiona Kenny at Inkling Illustration represented the illustrator.
