Kate Meltzer and Emilia Sowersby at Roaring Brook Press have acquired North American rights to Kingdom of Waves, a YA fantasy novel by Melissa de la Cruz (Descendants; Blue Bloods). When two thieves from the brutal kingdom of Lacon go after the same treasure— a mythical prize that could change their lives forever—their worlds and hearts suddenly collide. Publication is scheduled for winter 2026; Richard Abate at 3 Arts Entertainment handled the deal.
Dana Chidiac at Henry Holt has bought, at auction, North American rights to One Word, Six Letters by Adib Khorram (Darius the Great Is Not Okay). Told in two voices, the YA novel explores the repercussions of a ninth-grader's impulsive decision, which changes his classmates' lives and forces a school community to examine the boundaries between mistakes and bad choices, fear and apologies, justice and healing. Publication is set for winter 2026; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The Last Vampire by Romina Garber, a dual-POV romantasy in which Crave meets Pride & Prejudice. When a boarding school opens in an ancient Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world's last vampire. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Tara Weikum at HarperTeen has bought Leaving the Station by Jake Maia Arlow, a YA romance for fans of Before Sunrise and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight that follows 18-year-old Zoe, who runs away from college to embark on a cross-country train trip and finds romance, community, and a deeper understanding of their gender along the way. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kelsey Murphy at Viking has acquired, in a preempt, North American rights for In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann. Pitched as Fargo meets A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, it's a YA mystery about a teen detective gone missing, and her best friend who must finish her investigation in their small South Dakota town. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Catherine Cho at Paper Literary brokered the two-book deal.
Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown has bought, at auction, Never, Ever After, the YA debut by Sue Lynn Tan (Daughter of the Moon Goddess), a fantasy romance inspired by a Chinese fairy tale in which a girl must defy fate to vanquish a villainous Prince Charming. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary Agency did the two-book deal for world rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda has acquired North American English rights to Candy Gourlay's YA historical novel Wild Song, winner of the National Children's Book Award of the Philippines. Adventurous and rebellious 16-year-old Luki leaves her home in the U.S.-occupied Philippines to travel to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, discovering both the wider world and the true value of the home she's left behind. Publication is set for fall 2025; Bronwen Bennie at David Fickling Books brokered the deal.
Dana Leydig at Viking has bought Cassie Miller's debut smalltown summer romance Meet Me Under the Lights. In a farm town run by tradition and baseball, a rich girl with big ambitions and her childhood friend turned star ballplayer find themselves in the middle of a decades-long feud between their families, threatening to tear them—and their dreams—apart. Publication is slated for 2026; Ann Rose at the Tobias Agency sold world English rights.
Meg Gaertner at Flux has acquired debut author Josuee Hernandez's What We Did to Each Other, a YA dual-POV psychological thriller set in the 2010s, in which two Latinx teens grapple with the power and privilege of whiteness. While Yesenia strives to pass as white at her new school, Guillermo settles into a stereotyped version of himself in exchange for being needed by his white peers. But as both teens begin to suffer the mounting cost of what whiteness demands of them, their actions push them on a dangerous collision course. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Jill Grinberg Literary Management did the deal for world American English rights.
Joshua Dean Perry at Tiny Ghost Press has bought Xan van Rooyen's Second Soul, a cyberpunk meets dark academia retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray, following non-binary teen Rian Gray, an orphan living in poverty who must graduate as valedictorian from the elite Curzon Academy to receive an estranged family inheritance. With help from their best friend, they come up with a plan to tear down the corrupt upper echelons of society, a plan that will only work if Rian isn't corrupted by the world they vowed to destroy. Publication is set for winter 2026; Lindsay Leggett at the Rights Factory sold world English, audio, and translation rights.
Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook Press has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale's (l.) new middle grade graphic novel series, illustrated by Marcela Cespedes. The first book, Dream On, follows a girl named Cassie after she receives a magazine sweepstakes letter telling her she's a prizewinner. Cassie dreams how the prizes will fix her problems, but when her dreams don't come true, she learns the real win is finding joy in life's unexpected moments of wonder and making true friends. Publication is slated for August 2025; Jodi Reamer at Writers House represented the author, and Alyssa Jennette at Stonesong Literary represented the illustrator.
Liz Kossnar at Little, Brown has bought Mari Mancusi's Dawn of the Dragons. Set on the precipice of a modern-day fiery dragon apocalypse and told in two POVs, the middle grade novel follows a dragon and a human who become unlikely friends as they struggle to survive and keep their loved ones safe in a world fraught with misunderstandings between their two species. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Katie Gould at Andrews McMeel has acquired All Are Welcome: A Cat's Café Collection by transgender author-illustrator Gwen Tarpley. Based on the Cat's Café webcomic, this middle grade collection features new stories about a cat who runs a cafe, and the daily joys and struggles of the cast of characters that come through the door. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency did the deal for world rights.
Lisa Sandell at Scholastic Focus has bought world rights to Sylvie and Monsieur Marcel, a narrative nonfiction middle grade by National Jewish Book Award-winning author Susan Wider, about a French Jewish doctor and a Syrian Jewish actor and philosopher who created a clandestine network in the south of France to save hundreds of Jewish children during the Holocaust. Publication is set for 2026; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal.
Deanna Cook at Storey Publishing has acquired world rights to the nonfiction graphic novel, Ask the Doctor: 75 Wacky and Wise Health Questions from Curious Kids by Betty Choi (l.), illustrated by Jannie Ho. A pediatrician answers kids' most pressing questions about the weird stuff their bodies do and what happens when they get sick in this Q&A with comic explanations. Publication is planned for winter 2026; the author was unagented, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane Books has bought world rights to Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discoveries by Jane Kurtz (l.) (The Bone Wars), illustrated by Giselle Potter. The picture book biography explores Morland's unconventional life and how she made some of the earliest paleontological discoveries. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Marie Lamba at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Kelly Delaney at Crown has acquired, in collaboration with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino, My Sister's Quinceañera by Delia Ruiz (l.), illustrated by Elisa Chavarri, about Natalia's excitement for her big sister's quinceañera and her worries that the big day means they won't be kids together anymore. Publication is set for summer 2026; Sera Rivers at Speilburg Literary represented the author, Claire Morance at Painted Words represented the illustrator, and Jill Corcoran represented the Smithsonian for world rights.
Mark Podesta at Henry Holt has bought A Mystery, A Wonder, a picture book by author-illustrator Roz MacLean. A journey through night, shadows, eyes closed tight, and the deepest depths reveals the surprises and shifts in perspective that can be found in the darkness. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary Agency sold world rights.
Sarah Howden at Orca Book Publishers has acquired The Fallen Tree, a picture book by Hayley Lowe. Juni's closest friend, a fallen tree in the school playground, has always been there for her, so when the tree is in danger, Juni knows she must do everything in her power to save it. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency sold world rights.
Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey Press has bought world rights to Paint My World by Esther Novak (l.), illustrated by Susan Gal (illustrator of The Tower of Life and Joyful Song), a picture book about the way attitude affects how children see and experience the world around them. Publication is slated for fall 2025; the author represented herself, and Kelly Pelsue at Morgan Gaynin represented the illustrator.
Jenny Bak at Viking has acquired world English rights to Right Where We Belong by Farrah Penn. When an overachieving high school senior accidentally brings back a devastatingly attractive 1850s British lord to her present-day boarding school, she must team up with her infuriatingly charming academic rival to figure out how to send this Bridgerton-esque heartthrob back to the correct timeline before disastrous consequences arise. Publication is set for fall 2025; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media did the deal.
David Levithan at Scholastic has bought Your Final Moments by Jay Coles (Things We Couldn't Say), a YA novel about 17-year-old Hakeem, who is struggling to stick to his sobriety after the unexpected death of his best friend Miles, when he meets a mysterious girl at his NA meeting who encourages him to investigate all the secrets that are spilling out about Miles's death. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Lauren Abramo at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold North American rights.
Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books has acquired, in a preempt, J.D. Myall's Heart's Gambit and its sequel. This romantasy centers two time-traveling Black families who are cursed to put forth competitors in a magical duel once a generation—and the star-crossed lovers destined to break the cursed blood feud between their families once and for all. Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media represents Electric Postcard Entertainment and negotiated the deal for North American rights, with publication planned for winter 2026.
Dana Leydig at Viking has bought Most Valuable Player by Amanda Woody (They Hate Each Other), a queer YA rom-com in which a cocky quarterback gets benched for low grades, and finds his tutor to be none other than the elusive waterboy who just ruthlessly rejected him. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.
Lauren Knowles at Page Street YA has acquired world English rights to This Is How We Roll, edited by Rosiee Thor (l.) and Colby Wilkens, a YA anthology exploring the crossroads between queerness and beloved tabletop role-playing games, featuring Akemi Dawn Bowman, DeAndra Davis, M.K. England, Jonny Garza Villa, Anna Meriano, Linsey Miller, Margaret Owen, Marieke Nijkamp, Jamie Pacton, Rebecca Podos, Tara Sim, and Andrew Joseph White. Publication is set for fall 2025; Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch Literary Services represented Thor, and Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency represented Wilkens.
Erinn Pascal at Andrew McMeel has bought world English rights, in a two-book deal, to Emmy Award-winning writer Joshua Pruett's (l.) Gyro and the Argonauts, a middle grade revisionist take on classical mythology pitched as the "Hitchhiker's Guide to Greek Mythology," illustrated by Amanda Castillo. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; the second book will follow in summer 2026. Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the author, and Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Chris Fernandez at Papercutz has acquired Eisner Award-winning author-illustrator Franco Aureliani’s (l.) (Tiny Titans) middle-grade graphic novel Chase Speedington, illustrated by Mike Hartigan. Pitched as Agent 007 meets Spy Kids, it's about a resourceful boy on a worldwide quest to find his missing parents, all while battling his arch-nemeses and fighting against an ancient curse that brings rampaging dragons to life. Publication is planned for November 2025; Marie Lamba at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency sold world rights.
Stacey Barney at Nancy Paulsen Books has bought Song of the Raven by Caroline Starr Rose, a middle grade coming of age novel-in-verse about a raven named Tumble, who is finding her place in the beautiful and brutal raven world with her siblings Muddle and Bone. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Siobhan Ciminera at Simon Spotlight has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Olive and Oscar: The Favorite Hat, an early reader for the Ready-to-Read line by Ariel Bernstein (l.), illustrated by Marc Rosenthal; Beth Barton will edit. Best friends Olive and Oscar find many creative uses for Oscar's new hat, from making sandcastles to using it as a grocery bag, but their day is nearly ruined when it takes too much of a beating. Publication is set for spring 2026; Sean McCarthy at Sean McCarthy Literary Agency represented the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the artist.
Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook Press has bought, in an exclusive submission, Caldecott Honoree Janelle Washington's author-illustrator debut, The Heart of Our Home, an ode to the special place where families share some of the most memorable moments in their lives: the kitchen table. Publication is scheduled for winter 2026; Adriana Dominguez at Aevitas Creative Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Mabel Hsu, while at Katherine Tegen Books, acquired Don't Eat Eustace by author-illustrator Lian Cho; Alyson Day at HarperCollins will edit. A hungry bear, fishing for dinner, reels in a particularly talkative fish named Eustace—and Eustace has much bigger entrepreneurial plans for Bear than a fish dinner. Publication is planned for 2025; a second book, The Pizza Brothers, will follow. Rebecca Sherman at Writers House did the two-book deal for world rights.
Kristie Choi at Atheneum has won, at auction, Alexandra Millarhouse's (l.) debut The Animal Queendom, illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey, a trans-inclusive STEM-inist nonfiction picture book containing facts about various animal species who prove there's no one way to be a female animal. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Natalie Lakosil at Looking Glass Literary & Media represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Jenny Broom at Magic Cat Publishing has bought world rights to the Night Creatures trilogy by Robert Macfarlane (l.), recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters' E.M. Forster Award for Literature (The Lost Words: A Spell Book), illustrated by Luke Adam Hawker (Together). The first book, Glow Worm, is set for release in October 2025. Written in verse, the book follows a light-seeking child who one winter night discovers a meadow illuminated by glow-worms. Jessica Woollard at David Higham Associates brokered the deal.
Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has acquired, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Black Barbie: The Story of Kitty Black Perkins by Dinah Johnson (l.), illustrated by Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honoree Laura Freeman. This picture book biography celebrates the creator of the world's first Black Barbie in this story about Kitty Black Perkins, the visionary toy designer who helped define the course of toy history. Publication is scheduled for winter 2027; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Janet DeCarlo at StoryBook Arts represented the illustrator.
Liza Baker at Scholastic has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to That Beautiful Mind by Tami Charles (l.) and her 14-year-old son Chris Charles (c.), illustrated by Nikkolas Smith (r.), which celebrates the joy and creativity of beautiful, unique, neurodivergent minds like Chris's. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the authors, and the illustrator represented himself.
Sara Sproull at Abrams has acquired world rights to What Kind of Queen?: A Royal Biography of José Sarria by Drag Story Hour founding queen Kyle Casey Chu (l.) and LGBTQ+ historian Andrew W. Shaffer (c.), illustrated by Cindy Lozito (r.), celebrating the pioneering Latine political activist, drag queen, and first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the U.S., who paved the way for Harvey Milk, among many others. Publication is set for spring 2026; Kristin Ostby at Greenhouse Literary Agency represented the authors, and Saritza Hernández at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
