Phoebe Yeh of Crown has acquired both the YA Nordic noir Snow White trilogy and a new middle grade novel by Finnish writer Salla Simukka. The first book of the former, As Red as Blood, has already sold in 50 territories, is slated for an English-language film adaptation, and will publish for Crown in spring 2017 (the books were previously published by Amazon/Skyscape). The latter, entitled Sisterland, is a fantasy adventure that will test the bounds of courage and the bonds of friendship and loyalty, and publishes in fall 2018. Elina Ahlback of Elina Ahlback Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has bought two YA titles by debut novelist Rachel Lynn Solomon. In Fingers Crossed, twin sisters Adina and Tovah navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and opposite results from a genetic test that determines their fate – whether they inherited their mother's Huntington's disease. The second novel examines the aftermath of a kidney transplant between best friends. The first book is scheduled for 2018, with the second to follow in 2019; Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.
Ari Lewin at Putnam has acquired world English rights to a contemporary YA romance from Rachel Hawkins, in a two-book deal. In the first book (currently untitled), an ordinary girl is thrown in with upper-crust rogues who also happen to be permanent fixtures at her soon to be brother-in-law's royal castle. It's slated for spring 2018; Holly Root of Waxman Leavell Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Elizabeth Bewley at HMH has bought Makiia Lucier's Isle of Blood and Stone, a fantasy about three young royals following clues from mysterious maps to find their kingdom's long-lost princes. The story is set in a medieval world populated by scheming members of court, fearless explorers, deadly water serpents, and creepy forest ghosts. Publication is set for spring 2018; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook Press has acquired at auction Ari Goelman's first YA novel The Innocence Treatment. This near-future SF novel, a standalone, follows a girl who undergoes a procedure to “cure” a unique cognitive disability, only to find herself at the epicenter of a conspiracy whose consequences could change the nature of human society. Publication is planned for fall 2017; Lindsay Ribar at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Cheryl Klein at Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine Books will publish a new middle-grade novel by Trent Reedy. Gamer Army tells the story of two friends who sign up for a videogame contest, only to find out the real target is much darker and more dangerous than they could have imagined. Publication is scheduled for spring 2018; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Susan Van Metre at Abrams/Amulet has bought North American rights to Dear You, a middle-grade novel by Joanne Rocklin, in which an Oakland fourth-grader with two moms keeps a diary addressed to her unborn sibling, chronicling the months of her life that happen to coincide with the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage and the Golden State Warriors' victorious season. The book is slated for spring 2018; Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Renee Hooker at Grosset & Dunlap has acquired two books in an early chapter book series by Sheila Greenwald called Bossy Flossie. In the first book, Biz Whiz, a girl named Flossie has great business ideas. But when she puts those ideas into action, she gets called bossy – though she's not sure why that's a bad thing. Both books are set for fall 2017; Jennifer Unter of the Unter Agency did the deal for world rights.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has bought at auction Beck Stanton and Matt Stanton's high-concept series Books That Drive Kids Crazy, pitched as Press Here meets The Book with No Pictures, beginning in spring 2017 with This Is a Ball. Elizabeth O'Donnell at HarperCollins Australia sold world English rights.
Maria Modugno at Random House has acquiredKevin Is Missing! by Barbara Bottner (l.), illustrated by Brooke Boynton Hughes, in which a pet turtle plays hide-and-seek and is finally found once its young owner thinks like a turtle. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Rick Richter of Zachary Shuster Harmsworth represented the author and Marietta B. Zacker of Nancy Gallt Literary Agency represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has bought world rights to When the World Is Dreaming by Rita Gray. The picture book peeks inside the moonlit world of deer, rabbits, and other woodland creatures as they ready for bed, and will be illustrated by Kenard Pak. Publication is set for fall 2016; Fiona Kenshole at Transatlantic Agency represented the author and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Meredith Mundy at Sterling Children's Books has acquired world rights to the next picture book by author Laurie Wallmark (l.), Dare and Do: The Story of Grace Hopper, Queen of Computer Code, about the woman who opened the world of computers to everyone, not just scientists and engineers, with Katy Wu illustrating. Publication is set for spring 2017; Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency brokered the deal for the author, and Jennifer Mattson of Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for the illustrator.
Sally Doherty at Henry Holt has bought world rights to author-illustrator Jonathan D. Voss's picture book Hoot and Olive. Hoot is a brave stuffed owl and Olive is anxious about everything: when they take an balloon ride together, suddenly it is Olive who must find the courage to help Hoot. Publication is slated for spring 2018; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management negotiated the two-book deal.
Kelly Delaney at Knopf has acquired author-illustrator Amanda Driscoll's picture book Klondike, Do Not Eat Those Cupcakes!, in which a seal really, truly wants to wait until his sister's birthday party to eat her cupcakes, but just doesn't know if he'll make it that long. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kelley Barrales-Saylor at Albert Whitman has bought Mr. B's Bees, a picture book written and illustrated by Gerald Kelley, featuring a honey-loving, bee-keeping bear. When the bees decide to go on strike, Mr. B must find a way to make peace with them and get the honey flowing again. Publication is slated for spring 2017; Anne Armstrong of Bright USA represented Kelley in the deal for world rights.
Susan Dobinick at FSG has acquired world rights to a nonfiction picture book written and illustrated by Paul Meisel. Anna and Samia tells the true story of the strong bond between a baby black rhino and Anna Merz, the conservationist who raised the orphaned rhino, then successfully returned her to the wild. Publication date is still to be determined; Jennifer Mattson of Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal.
