Pam Gruber at Little, Brown has acquired, in a preempt, Light Years, the start of a new sci-fi drama series from The 100 author Kass Morgan, plus an untitled sequel. In the series, which is set in a secret, interstellar military boarding school, cadets from very different planets are thrown together for the first time. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Joelle Hobeika and Eliza Swift at Alloy Entertainment negotiated the deal for world English rights.

Ruta Rimas at McElderry Books has bought Amber Smith's next YA novel, The Last to Let Go, tells the story of a teenage girl who must confront the shadow of domestic violence in her family, as she struggles to embrace her identity and find her place in the world. It's scheduled for fall 2017; Jessica Regel at Foundry Literary + Media did the deal for North American rights.

Daniel Ehrenhaft at Soho Teen has acquired world English rights to Amy Brashear's second YA novel, The Incredible True Story of the Making of the Eve of Destruction. The story follows the lives of several teens in Reagan-era Arkansas, when a film crew invades their small town to film a movie about a nuclear disaster. Publication is set for fall 2018. John M. Cusick of Folio Jr. / Folio Literary Management brokered the deal.

Ali Fisher at Tor has bought Where Futures End author Parker Peevyhouse's new YA thriller, Scatterling, in a two-book deal. Scatterling tells the story of a teen who wakes to find he is trapped in a mysterious shelter and stuck in a time loop with a girl who is either sabotaging his every escape or holds the key to his freedom. The first book is expected in spring 2019; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency sold world English rights.

Alyssa Raymond and William Kiester at Page Street have acquired The Haunting Sea, a debut fantasy novel by Joanna Meyer, for their new YA fiction list. The book tells of a girl, born to be Empress, who is banished to a distant mansion and lured deep into the ocean where a powerful sea-goddess holds the Dead captive. Publication is slated for winter 2018; Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary did the deal for world rights.

Laura Schreiber at Disney-Hyperion has bought The Preacher Woods by Ashley Elston, author of This Is Our Story. The dual-perspective, dual-timeline YA novel is about a boy whose privileged, prep school life comes crashing down when his father commits a crime which can only be fully understood and mended by disentangling the secrets of the past. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.

Krestyna Lypen and Elise Howard at Algonquin Young Readers have acquired a second anthology from Kelly Jensen titled (Don't) Call Me Crazy, which will explore, through essays, artwork, poetry, and other ephemera, the ways that mental illness impacts individuals, family and friends, with contributions from Victoria Schwab, Adam Silvera, Libba Bray, Esmé Wang, Yumi Sakugawa, Mike Jung, se smith, Meredith Russo, and Stephanie Kuehn, among others. A publication date has not been announced; Tina Wexler at ICM Partners sold world rights.

Erin Stein at Macmillan/Imprint has bought debut author Kat Shepherd's middle-grade series Babysitting Nightmares, pitched as Goosebumps meets Baby-Sitters Club, in a four-book deal, for twice-a-year publication starting fall 2018. Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.

Abigail McAden and Patrice Caldwell at Scholastic have won a six-house auction for a debut middle-grade novel, Kiranmala and the Kingdom of Serpents by Sayantani DasGupta, plus a sequel. The books draw from the traditional folktales of West Bengal, India, and follow the interdimensional adventures of a 12-year-old girl who finds out she's an Indian princess destined to slay blood-thirsty rakkhosh demons. Publication will begin in spring 2018; Brent Taylor at the TriadaUS Literary Agency sold North American rights.

Rachel Stark at Sky Pony Press has acquired Kersten Hamilton's middle-grade novel, Los Dias de los Muertos. In a border town steeped in magic, a Mexican-American girl faces prejudice, ignorance, and the immigration police as she struggles to keep a promise to her dead mother. It is scheduled for spring 2018; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.

Calista Brill at First Second Books has bought world rights to a graphic novel adaptation of The Nutcracker, which will pull from both the ballet and the original E.T.A. Hoffman story. The Nutcracker and The Mouse King will be written and illustrated by Natalie Andrewson, and published in 2019; Jen Linnan at Linnan Literary Management did the deal.

Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow has preempted three picture books by author-illustrator Joyce Hesselberth in a six-figure deal. The first, Mapping Sam, is a narrative nonfiction that explores the STEAM concept of mapping, through the night travels of Sam the cat. It is slated for fall 2018; Erica Rand Silverman of Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for world rights.

Andrea Tompa at Candlewick has acquired world rights for Coretta Scott King Award honoree G. Neri's (l.) When Paulie Met Artie, an illustrated biography in verse of Simon & Garfunkel's childhood friendship and their musical adventures before they became famous, to be illustrated by Waterstones Prize-winner David Litchfield. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Edward Necarsulmer IV of Dunow, Carlson & Lerner represented the author and Anne Moore Armstrong of Bright USA represented the artist.


Tamar Brazis at Abrams has bought world rights to I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness, by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds, which follows the mindful journey of a child connecting to himself and the world around him with compassion and empathy. It's scheduled for fall 2017; Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the artist.