Kristin Rens at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired, in a preempt, world English rights to Ghanaian-American Roseanne A. Brown's A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and an untitled sequel. The dual-POV YA fantasy steeped in West and North African folklore was a Pitch Wars 2017 showcase. A 17-year-old refugee, Malik, encounters a vengeful spirit that demands the death of Crown Princess Karina in exchange for the release of his captive sister. He disguises himself as a nobleman and enters a competition where he will be rewarded with Karina's hand in marriage. Meanwhile, after the assassination of her mother, Karina uncovers a forbidden resurrection spell, but it has a steep cost. Publication is set for spring/summer 2020 and 2021; Quressa Robinson at Nelson Literary negotiated the deal.
Andrew Smith at Abrams has bought YA novels set in the universe of the Nickelodeon Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. The books will be authored by F.C. Yee (The Epic Crush of Genie Lo) and written in consultation with Michael Dante DiMartino, the co-creator and executive producer of both TV series; Anne Heltzel will edit. Launching with The Rise of Kyoshi in July 2019, the two novels will unveil the backstory of Kyoshi, the Earth Kingdom-born Avatar. Linda Lee at Nickelodeon negotiated the two-book deal for U.S. and Canadian.
Emilia Rhodes at HMH has acquired, in a two-book deal at auction, All These Monsters, a YA contemporary science fiction novel by Amy Tintera. In an alternate version of our world, a 17-year-old girl runs away from home to join a vigilante monster-fighting squad but soon discovers the most dangerous monsters are where you least expect them to be. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Emmanuelle Morgen at Stonesong brokered the deal for world English rights except Australia.
Laura Schreiber at Disney-Hyperion has bought, in a two-book preempt, author Julia Drake's The Last True Poets of the Sea, a YA debut about a teen who is shipped off to Maine after her brother's hospitalization, where she searches for the lost shipwreck that her great-great-great grandmother survived and for answers about her family's long struggle with mental illness—all while falling in love. The book will publish in fall 2019; Peter Knapp at Park Literary & Media negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has acquired North American rights, at auction, to Raquel Vasquez Gilliland’s debut, Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything. Pitched as a Mexican Jessica Jones racing through a David Arnold novel with a pitstop in Roswell, the novel centers on a Mexican-American girl who discovers that her mother was abducted by aliens. Publication is planned for summer 2020; Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic brokered the two-book deal.
Alyssa Miele at HarperCollins has bought Sarah Tomp's The Easy Part of Impossible, a contemporary YA novel about a girl whose new friendship with a guy on the autism spectrum helps her come to terms with the physically and emotionally abusive relationship she's been in with her high school diving coach. The book is scheduled for publication in winter 2020; Catherine Drayton at Inkwell Management handled the deal for North American rights.
Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books has acquired world English rights to Francesca Flores's debut YA novel, Diamond City. Set in a city full of half-constructed subway tunnels, hidden magical dens, secret weapons markets, and wolf-sized spiders, a young assassin unravels a conspiracy that could rewrite her city's history and—if it isn't stopped—sink her country into a catastrophic war. Publication is set for winter 2020; Pete Knapp at Park Literary & Media negotiated the deal.
Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has bought world rights to Pura Belpré Author Award winner Meg Medina's (l.) new picture book, Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, in which two best friends must say goodbye to each other when one of them moves away. Sonia Sánchez will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2020. Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator.
Candice Keimig at ABDO has acquired world rights to the hi-lo adventure series Gavin McNally's Year Off by Emma Bland Smith (l.), illustrated by Mirelle Ortega. Gavin spends a year traveling the country with his family in an RV, a trip that provides action, adventure, and even danger, including racing from a wildfire, getting lost in a spooky mountain lodge, and saving baby alligators from poachers. Publication for the set of four books is planned for September 2019; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Lucie Luddington at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Kate Meltzer at Putnam has bought The Tiny Mansion by Keir Graff, author of The Matchstick Castle and The Phantom Tower. The middle grade adventure centers on another peculiar piece of architecture—a tiny house—and what happens when 12-year-old Dagmar's family moves into one, uprooting her entire life in the process. Publication is scheduled for summer 2020; Josh Getzler at HSG Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Sonali Fry at Yellow Jacket has acquired R.L. Toalson's middle grade novel, The Woods. The book is about a girl who loses her entire family in the 1947 Texas City disaster and goes to live with her uncle who lost his own son to the dark and enchanted forest on the property of his estate. Together they use the inventions in his laboratory to defeat the dark and rescue his son. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
Mark Siegel at First Second has bought Mike Holmes's middle grade graphic novel, Salmonberry, a memoir-inflected fantasy about loneliness and loss, the exhilaration of a limitless imagination, and the dangers of losing yourself in your own mind. Publication is set for 2021; Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook has acquired world rights to Starla Jean and Opal Egg and two subsequent early chapter books by National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold (l.), in which clever, tenacious Starla Jean finds a loose chicken in the park and is promised she can keep it "if she can catch it." Challenge accepted; antics ensue. Anna Kang will illustrate; publication is planned for fall 2020. Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the author, and Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.
Stacey Barney at Putnam has preempted world rights to The Catman of Aleppo, co-authored by Irene Latham (l.) and Karim Shamsi-Basha, and illustrated by Yuko Shimizu. Based on a true story, the book takes place when war comes to Aleppo and many pets are left behind as residents are forced to flee, leaving hundreds of homeless cats to suffer hunger and fear—until ambulance driver and paramedic Mohammed Alaa Aljaleel creates a safe house in his neighborhood. The book is scheduled for spring 2020; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented Latham, Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency represented Shamsi-Basha, and Yuko Shimizu was unagented.
Rotem Moscovich at Disney-Hyperion has bought The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi (l.), author of Some Bugs and Just Add Glitter. The book is about the special creature that accompanies each child and helps them accomplish the things they haven't been able to accomplish—yet. Lorena Alvarez Gómez will illustrate. Publication is set for summer 2020; by Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator, in the deal for world rights.
Mary-Kate Gaudet at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to That's Life!, a picture book by Ame Dyckman (l.), illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld. The book is an idiom-filled buddy misadventure that begins when Life literally knocks on a child's door. Publication is slated for spring 2020; Scott Treimel at Scott Treimel NY represented the author, and Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the illustrator.
Maria Modugno at Random House has bought, in a multi-house auction, two untitled picture books featuring an underwear dragon in a debut by Scott Rothman (l.), illustrated by Pete Oswald. When a dragon wearing giant underwear threatens the land, who will step up to save the day? Publication is planned for fall 2020; Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented Rothman, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented Oswald, in the deal for world rights.
Nina Gruener at Cameron Kids has acquired world rights to Under the Pier, a picture book by Nell Cross Beckerman(l.), illustrated by Rachell Sumpter, about a super fun day spent up above and down below an urban beach pier, where the real magic happens. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Victoria Wells Arms at Wells Arms Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Anne Schwartz at Random House/Schwartz & Wade has bought at auction, in a two-book deal, Briony May Smith's Margaret's Unicorn, a picture book about the friendship between a girl and the baby unicorn she rescues. Publication is set for fall 2020; Charlie Bowden at Pickled Ink Ltd. handled the deal for world rights.
