Meghan Maria McCullough at Levine Querido has acquired Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian, a semi-autobiographical YA graphic novel that weaves two stories linked by the generational trauma of the Armenian genocide: Armaveni, a girl from the dying Ottoman Empire, struggles to survive vicious persecution; and Nadine, a contemporary first-gen teen in a far-flung diaspora, searches for her true identity and home. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties brokered the deal for world rights.
Sara Schonfeld at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought Rachel Moore's debut novel The Book of Fades, a paranormal romcom pitched as Undead Girl Gang meets Ninth House, which follows Este on a quest to connect to her late father through a mysterious book, leading her to an equally mysterious boy—who is definitely cute, is probably a ghost, and just might be behind a string of disappearances at her school. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management did the two-book deal for world English rights.
Annette Pollert-Morgan at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired Cyn Balog's newest novel, You Won't Believe Me, a genre-bending YA suspense novel in which Willow is being held captive in a remote cabin in the Everglades and will do anything to survive, but first must figure out if the threat is coming from inside or outside of the house. Publication is scheduled for summer 2023; Mandy Hubbard at Emerald City Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Stacey Barney at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought All the Love Under the Vast Sky by Malka Penn Award winner Kip Wilson (The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin), a YA anthology of short stories in verse about different kinds of love, with contributions from Alexandra Alessandri, David Bowles, Melanie Crowder, Margarita Engle, Laura Ruby, Padma Venkatraman, Charles Waters, and Jasmine Warga, among others. Publication is set for fall 2024; Roseanne Wells at Lucinda Literary handled the deal for world rights.
David Linker at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to the first two titles in Anomalies 53, a middle grade fantasy-adventure series by Pura Belpré Honoree Angela Cervantes (Lety Out Loud), about 11-year-old Oliver Robles, the son of the lead researcher at Area 53, the top-secret lab where the government holds what they call "the anomalies"—Earth-born mythical- and magical-creatures. When Oliver accidentally frees seven of the creatures, he must find a way to round them all up while learning a secret about himself that he never suspected. Publication for the first title is slated for winter 2024; Adriana Dominguez, now at Aevitas Creative Management, did the deal while at Full Circle Literary.
Maya Marlette at Scholastic has bought the first two titles in Alyson Gerber's (Taking Up Space) new middle-grade mystery series, The Emmett Society. Pitched as Gossip Girl meets The Baby-Sitters Club, the books feature an unlikely group of kids at an elite New England prep school—a Liar, Thief, Sneak, Fake, and Cheat—who are blackmailed into playing a high-stakes game where failure will cost them everything, but success may destroy what matters most. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal for North American rights.
Rachel Stark at Disney-Hyperion has acquired, at auction, Simon Sort of Says, the latest middle grade novel by Erin Bow (Plain Kate). The novel follows the famed sole survivor of a school shooting as he moves to a small town with no internet—home to giant radio telescopes, unruly emus, unmotivated service puppies, and an indomitable girl who might just become a friend—and decides to tell a new story about his life. Publication is scheduled for winter 2023; Jane Putch at Eyebait Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Stacy Whitman at Lee & Low/Tu Books has bought The Reel Wish by Pura Belpré Award winner Yamile Saied Méndez, a middle grade novel about anxiety, friendship, and forgiveness. When Florencia has a panic attack that prevents her from performing as Clara in The Nutcracker, devastating failure causes her to forge a new path for herself in Irish dance, but she has to come to terms with her ex-best friend along the way. Publication is set for 2024; Linda Camacho at Gallt & Zacker Literary did the deal.
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired J. Anderson Coats's historical middle grade novel, A Season Most Unfair, about a girl in medieval England who is banned from her father's candlemaking workshop when he takes on a proper apprentice; she is determined to prove herself as good as any boy, even if it means doing all the work on the sly. Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights, for publication in summer 2023.
Paula Wiseman at S&S/Paula Wiseman Books has bought world rights to Born Reading: 20 Stories of Women Reading Their Way into History by the late Kathleen Krull (l.) and completed by her friend, author Virginia Loh-Hagan (c.), illustrated by Aura Lewis (r.). Paula Wiseman and Danielle Collins will edit. The nonfiction middle grade anthology features biographies of 20 influential women whose childhood reading habits empowered them to change the world. Publication is slated for summer 2023; Susan Cohen at Writers House represented the authors, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Jess Harold at Henry Holt has acquired three picture books from debut author-illustrator Pavonis Giron: A Rainbow in Brown, which introduces color mixing concepts while celebrating a beautiful, complex hue often left out of color books, will publish in winter 2024; Angel Discovers His Art, about the sometimes frustrating creative process and the joy to be found in practicing a new skill, will follow in winter 2025. A third untitled picture book is planned for winter 2026. Jessica Saint Jean at Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold world rights.
Esther Cajahuaringa at Union Square Kids has bought Jesse White's debut picture book, Brave Like Fireweed, which takes readers on an affirmational journey exploring how the characteristics of plants mirror their own changing emotions. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023; Paige Terlip at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Marjory's River of Grass, written and illustrated by Josie James (Marie's Ocean). This mixed-format picture book biography follows the life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the conservationist, journalist, and activist who worked tirelessly to preserve the Florida Everglades. Publication is set for summer 2024; the author represented herself.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to Newbery Honor and Sydney Taylor Book Award-winning author Veera Hiranandani's (l.) The Greatest, illustrated by Sydney Taylor Book Award winner and National Jewish Book Award finalist Vesper Stamper, about how a grandfather's special relationship with his grandchildren turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary represented the illustrator.
Shannon Marchese and Adria Haley at HarperCollins/Tommy Nelson has acquired A Very Dinosaur Birthday Party by Adam Wallace (l.), illustrated by Christopher Nielsen, a picture book that shows all the things that can go wrong when a dinosaur shows up at your birthday party. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group sold world rights in a six-figure deal.
Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has bought world rights to Kristen Tracy's (l.) picture book, Cat's Very Good Day, about a mischievous cat's action-packed day, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist David Small. Publication is scheduled for April 2023; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the artist.
Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has acquired world rights to Cheryl B. Klein's (l.) It's Hard to Be a Baby, a picture book in which the narrator reassures a beloved newcomer to the family that while everyone thinks their life seems so easy, we know the truth… it's hard to be a baby. Pura Belpré Award winner Juana Medina will illustrate. Publication is set for fall 2024; Brianne Johnson at HG Literary represented the author, and Gillian MacKenzie at Gillian MacKenzie Agency represented the artist.
Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought, in a nine-house, six-figure auction, Tokyo Night Parade by debut author and literary agent Jas Perry writing as J.P. Takahashi (l.), illustrated by Minako Tomigahara. Pitched as Spirited Away meets Where the Wild Things Are steeped in yōkai mythology, this picture book follows a Black Japanese girl returning to Tokyo to visit her grandfather and celebrate the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. Publication is set for fall 2023; Kathleen Ortiz, who did the deal while at New Leaf Literary & Media, now at KO Media Management, and Jordan Hamessley at New Leaf Literary & Media represented the author, and Kathleen Ortiz represented the illustrator, for world English rights in the two-book deal.
Lee Wade at Random House Studio has acquired, in a preempt, Sometimes We Fall by Randall de Sève (l.), illustrated by Kate Gardiner, a picture book about a mama bear gently reassuring her baby bear about the importance of taking risks. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author and illustrator for world rights.
Beth Trrill at NorthSouth Books and Elena Rittinghausen at NordSüd Verlag have bought world rights to There Are No Dragons in This Book, a debut picture book by Donna Weidner (l.), illustrated by Carla Haslbauer, about a dragon explaining to readers that there are no actual dragons in the book... except for him. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Stephen Fraser at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Jenny Bak at Viking has acquired world rights to Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All by Maia Shibutani (l.) and Alex Shibutani (second from l.), written with Dane Liu (second from r.) and illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel (r.). This picture book is an inclusive, nonfiction exploration of 36 changemakers who made important differences in the country. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Albert Lee at United Talent Agency represented the Shibutanis, Wendi Gu at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented Liu, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented Jaleel.
Stacey Barney at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought Nothing to Give but Light: The Story of Rafael and Celestina Cordero by Zoraida Rivera Morales (l.), illustrated by Pura Belpré Award winner Raúl Colón. This nonfiction picture book tells the true story of a brother and sister who created a school for enslaved and free children in Puerto Rico during the 1800s. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Amy Thrall Flynn at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the illustrator.
Thalia Leaf at Astra/Calkins Creek has acquired world rights to One Girl's Voice: How Lucy Stone Changed the Law of the Land by Vivian Kirkfield (l.) (Making Their Voices Heard), illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon. In this nonfiction picture book, Lucy Stone, one of the first women in the nation to receive a college degree, worked with abolitionists and women's rights advocates, using her speaking skills to inspire contemporaries and those who followed her to "make the world better" by guaranteeing equal rights for all. Publication is set for spring 2025; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Maria Dismondy and Adam Blackman at Cardinal Rule Press have bought world rights to the currently untitled debut picture book by actor, writer, and producer Donn Swaby (l.), illustrated by Alejandra Barajas. This immigrant story about embracing one's heritage depicts an exuberant Jamaican boy's comically misguided attempts to act American when he moves to Queens. Publication is scheduled for fall 2023; the author was unagented, and Erin Tisdel at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
