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| Louis Sachar. Photo: Perry Hagopian. |
Random House's Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers imprint has acquired a new YA novel by Louis Sachar called The Cardturner. The title, by the Newbery-winning author of Holes, was sold by Ellen Levine at Trident to Delacorte's Beverly Horowitz, and RH is planning a May 11, 2010, publication. The title was also acquired in the U.K.; Sarah Odedina at Bloomsbury Children's Books bought U.K. and Commonwealth rights to the book.
Sachar, a lover of bridge, brings his passion for the game to The Cardturner, which follows a 17-year-old named Alton Richards, who, the summer after his junior year, is forced to hang out with his uncle at his local bridge club. As Alton discovers this fascinating new game and falls for a cute neighborhood girl, he also becomes embroiled in a bit of mystery, uncovering secrets about his wealthy relative.
The deal continues a longstanding relationship between Sachar and Random House. Knopf editor Frances Foster published a number of the author's early books, including There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, and the Marvin Redpost and Wayside School series. After Foster moved to FSG, she published Holes in a co-publishing arrangement with Random House; that novel won the 1999 Newbery Award.
Random House, which is doing a 250,000-copy first printing of The Cardturner, has sold more than 10 million copies of Sachar's books.
