Jane Winterbotham at Walker Books U.K. has acquired David Almond's (l.) The Tale of Angelino Brown, the story of a tiny angel who appears one day in the bus driver's pocket and touches the lives of everyone in the town. The book will be illustrated by Alex T. Smith (center). It will be followed by a second middle-grade project, still untitled and unscheduled. Candlewick will publish in the U.S. The press also announced that Levi Pinfold (r.) will illustrate Almond's first picture book, The Dam, an evocation of the power of music and community, set in a flooded valley in Northumberland. Publication is slated for 2017; Catherine Clarke at Felicity Bryan Associates did the deal for world rights.
Ken Wright at Viking has boughtThe Sacrifice Box, a second YA novel from Scottish author Martin Stewart, the story of an unlikely group of friends whose long-ago summer adventures come back to haunt them – literally. Publication is set for summer 2017; Camilla Borthwick at Penguin Random House U.K. brokered the deal for North American rights.
Sara Sargent at HarperCollins has acquired Queer, There, and Everywhere by LGBTQ activist Sarah Prager. This debut is a collection of stories celebrating queer figures throughout time who made major contributions to world history but never made it into the history books, from the gender-ambiguous Queen of Sweden to the transgender soldier who risked death fighting in the Civil War, to the former First Lady who had an affair with a woman. Publication is scheduled for summer 2017; Carrie Howland at Donadio & Olson negotiated the deal for world rights.
Lisa Sandell at Scholastic Press has bought world rights to Madelyn Rosenberg (l.) and Wendy Wan-Long Shang's middle-grade novel This Is Just a Test. David Da-Wei Horowitz should be preparing for his bar mitzvah, but instead, he's busy trying to figure out how to survive the Cold War, which is hard when he can't even make peace between friends and his dueling Chinese and Jewish grandmothers. Publication is planned for 2017; Susan Cohen of Writers House represented Madelyn Rosenberg and Tracey Adams of Adams Literary represented Wendy Wan-Long Shang.
Namrata Tripathi at Dial has pre-empted Veera Hiranandani's The Night Diary, a middle grade novel about shy 12-year-old Nisha, who is forced to flee her home with her Hindu family during the 1947 partition of India. She finds a way to heal her broken world by writing raw and honest letters to her deceased Muslim mother. Publication is slated for spring 2018; Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger brokered the deal for world rights.
Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins imprint Balzer + Bray has acquired world rights to the next two picture books by Jessica Olien. Right Nowis a meditative look at the importance of being present, even as many children look forward to growing up. And A Tiger Is Coming for Dinneris an read-aloud about what to do when you're expecting a dinner guest who happens to be a... tiger. The books are scheduled for 2017 and 2018 respectively; Brianne Johnson at Writers House negotiated the deal.
Tamar Brazis at Abrams Books for Young Readers has bought world English rights to Another Mother for Maxine by C.M. Surrisi (l.), to be illustrated by Diane Goode. In the picture book, a girl considers trading her mother for someone “better.” Publication is set for fall 2017; Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt represented the author and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the artist.
Margaret Anastas at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Nikki Ehrlich's (l.)Twindergarten, illustrated by Zoey Abbott Wagner, a picture book about twins who find themselves in separate classes on their first day of school. Publication is scheduled for summer 2017; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the author and Erica Rand Silverman at Sterling Lord Literistic represented the illustrator.
Emily Meehan at Disney-Hyperion has acquired world English rights for the first two books in a middle-grade series by Kirsten Hubbard (l.) and Michelle Schusterman (writing as Kir Fox and M. Shelley Coats). Structured as a collection of linked stories, articles, and vignettes, the books are about a group of fifth graders in a quirky coastal town where nothing is quite what it seems. Both Emily Meehan and Hannah Allaman will edit. Publication is slated for fall 2017, with the second book publishing nine months later. Jaida Temperly of New Leaf Literary & Media represented Hubbard, and Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary represented Schusterman.
Erin Clarke at Knopf has preempted two YA novels by debut writer Jared Reck. The first of two stand-alone titles, You're the Nerds, tells the story of JV basketball player Matthew Wainright and what happens when he falls for his childhood best friend, Tabby. Publication is scheduled for fall 2017; Laura Crockett at TriadaUS negotiated the six-figure deal for world rights and Uwe Stender will handle film rights.
Shannon Delany of Leap Books has bought world rights to Michele Corriel's YA novel Membrane. Sophie lives in Montana with her quantum physicist mother and her mentally unstable stepfather. But when she starts sensing her father's presence – a man who disappeared years ago in a lab experiment – she realizes that answering the questions surrounding his disappearance might save her world. Publication is set for fall 2016; the author was unagented.
Kelly Barrales-Saylor at Albert Whitman has bought Drat That Fat Cat, written and illustrated by Julia Patton, about a very particular man who lives alone and the cat that shows up on his doorstep one day and shakes up his world. Publication is scheduled for fall 2016; Alli Brydon from Bright USA negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kate O'Sullivan at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired world rights to Sy Montgomery's (l.)How to Be a Good Creature. This book is a a personal reflection of defining moments that various animals – pets and otherwise – have taught the author about some of life's most important and universal truths. Rebecca Green will illustrate. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Sarah Jane Freymann at Sarah Jane Freymann represented Montgomery and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented Green.
Kelsey Skea at Amazon/Two Lions has acquired world rights to Margaret Read MacDonald'sTough Tug, the story of a young, newly independent tugboat gathering his courage for a daring rescue – even if it puts him in danger. Rob McClurkan will illustrate. Publication is set for winter 2018; the author was unagented, and Alli Brydon from Bright USA represented the illustrator.
