Monique Patterson at St. Martin's Press has bought a YA fantasy series called the Dysasters by P.C. Cast (l.) and Kristin Cast, co-authors of the bestselling House of Night series. The books bring together ancient and modern mythology, and the first two titles will be released as hardcovers in 2018. Meredith Bernstein of the Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency sold world rights.
Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has acquired the Arena trilogy by Taran Matharu, author of the bestselling Summoner series. In the new series, a race of aliens has ruled our universe for billions of years and have evolved to become immortal, with god-like levels of technology. They abduct "lesser" life forms and leave them on other planets, forcing them to battle with other races for their twisted entertainment. Publication will begin in spring 2019; Sasha Raskin at United Talent negotiated the deal for North American rights. In the U.K., Emma Goldhawk at Hodder Children's acquired U.K. and Commonwealth rights.
Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury has acquired a three-book series at auction from Paul Noth, New Yorker cartoonist and creator of the Pale Force animated series for Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The illustrated adventure series features Happy Junior, a bearded 10-year-old who wants to be normal but can't, thanks to his family, including his father, a brilliant inventor whose screwball products are trumpeted in TV infomercials, his five unusual sisters, and his despotic grandmother who has relegated the whole family to a basement corner of her grand estate. The first book in the series, How to Sell Your Family to the Aliens, will be published in winter 2018. Gillian MacKenzie of the Gillian MacKenzie Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has acquired two YA fantasy novels by Wink Poppy Midnight author April Tucholke in a six-house, mid-six-figure auction. The Boneless Mercies is a genderbent Beowulfre-imagining in which four mercenary girls chase glory and honor by battling a monster that's been terrorizing a nearby earldom. Publication is slated for 2018; Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media did the two-book deal for North American rights.
Liesa Abrams at Simon Pulse has bought Feral Youth, a novel with 10 authors edited by Shaun David Hutchinson, in a preempt. The book is a YA retelling of The Canterbury Tales, set during the last three days at a survival camp for “troubled youth” with 10 teens trying to win $100 by telling the best story. It includes stories by Brandy Colbert, Tim Floreen, Ellen Hopkins, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Stephanie Kuehn, E.C. Myers, Marieke Nijkamp, and Robin Talley. Publication is planned for fall 2016; Amy Boggs at Donald Maass Literary Agency sold world English rights.
Jordan Brown at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired North American rights to Like Water by Rebecca Podos (The Mystery of Hollow Places), a contemporary LGBTQ YA novel. When Savannah's father is diagnosed with a genetic illness she may inherit, she sets aside her plans to flee her tiny hometown after graduation. She takes a job as a performing mermaid at a water park; when she meets the handsome lifeguard's even more intriguing sister, Vanni learns the difference between sinking and diving in deep. Publication is slated for fall 2017; Lana Popovic of Chalberg & Sussman negotiated the deal.
Taylor Norman at Chronicle has bought Jean Heilprin Diehl's debut novel, tentatively titled Bugfire. While babysitting, Alice hears her mute four-year-old neighbor Piper speak a word for the first time in years, and sets out to prove that Piper really did speak. Publication is planned for 2018; Steven Chudney from the Chudney Agency handled the deal for North American rights.
Carolyn Yoder at Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek has acquired Claire Rudolf Murphy's King and the Kennedys, a nonfiction middle-grade book that examines the complex relationship between the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King Jr. during the turbulent 1960s. It will be published in spring 2018; Abigail Samoun at Red Fox Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Alyson Heller at Aladdin Books has bought world English rights to the first four books in a new series called Thunder Girls by Joan Holub (l.) and Suzanne Williams, co-authors of the Goddess Girls and Heroes in Training series. Their new series puts a new twist on the famous legends for Norse mythology. The first two titles will publish in spring 2018; Liza Voges at Eden Street represented Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams.
Alison Weiss at Sky Pony Press has acquiredHarper and the Scarlet Umbrella, a chapter book by Cerrie Burnell (l.), in which Harper discovers that every cat in the City of Clouds has gone missing and stages a daring rescue with the help of her friends and a magical umbrella, along with a sequel, Harper and the Circus of Dreams. The books are illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson, and are scheduled for spring and fall 2017. Antonia Pelari did the deal on behalf of Scholastic U.K., for North American rights.
Katie Carella at Scholastic Branches has acquired world rights to four books in Katrina Charman's early chapter book fantasy series called The Last Firehawk; Jeremy Norton will illustrate. In the series, a brave barn owl and his squirrel best friend go on an epic adventure with a magical firehawk to find the powerful Ember Stone – the only thing that can save their enchanted world. The first two books will publish in fall 2017. Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency represented the author, and Emily Coggins at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Jill Davis at HarperCollins has bought George and His Shadow, a picture book by Davide Cali (l.) (I Didn't Do My Homework Because), illustrated by Serge Bloch (The Big Adventure of a Little Line). The book tells the story of unsuspecting George, a grown man who awakens one morning to find a stranger having breakfast in his kitchen – it's his shadow. It's scheduled for fall 2017; Debbie Bibo represented the author and Marlena Torzecka of the Marlena Agency represented the illustrator.
Janine O'Malley at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought world rights to Kate Narita's (l.) picture book debut, 100 Bugs Out and About, a story that uses principles of the core curriculum to teach young readers through the beauty of nature how to count to 100 in multiples of 10 using different bugs as examples. Suzanne Kaufman will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2018. Stacey Glick of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management represented the author, and Alexandra Penfold at Upstart Crow Literary represented the illustrator.
Hannah Lambert at Little Simon has bought world rights to When Your Lion Needs a Bath and When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles by Susanna L. Hill, two board books that find the fun in frequently fraught childhood experiences; both will be illustrated by Daniel Wiseman. Both books will be published in summer 2017. Liza Voges at Eden Street represented the author and Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator.
Sally Doherty at Henry Holt has acquired world rights to David Martin's Skelly's Halloween, about a skeleton whose costume idea for Halloween has unexpected results, to be illustrated by A Hop Is Up illustrator Lori Richmond. Publication is slated for August 2018; Helen Sweetland at the Spieler Agency represented the author and Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Andrea Tompa and Chris Paul at Candlewick have acquired world rights to Noah Klocek's debut solo picture book, Slumber, about a girl's nightly search for her favorite dreams. Publication is set for 2018; LeighAnna MacFadden of LAM Creative did the deal.
