Justin Chanda at Simon & Schuster has acquired North American rights to two books by Morgan Matson. Who Dunne It?, pitched as a YA Knives Out, is a murder mystery following college freshman Elliot, who accepts an invitation to spend Thanksgiving with her crush on his family's private island in Maine. But she soon realizes it isn't about getting the guy—it's getting out alive. And Lucky & Gertrude is a sixth-grade adventure highlighting the importance of family, full of magic tricks, long cons, and shortcuts. Publication is set for fall 2027 and spring 2028 respectively; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management did the two-book deal.
Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends has bought Daughters of Misery by Judy I. Lin, a dark fantasy that launches a new duology set in the same world as Song of the Six Realms. It follows three demon sisters who concoct a plot to save themselves from the ambitions of their father's new wife and the intrigue of the demon court, but when their plans go awry, they have to use all of their wits, connections, and magical prowess to survive. Publication is slated for winter 2027 and winter 2028; Rachel Brooks at BookEnds Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Ben Rosenthal at Stonefruit Studio has acquired Born Lucky, a YA memoir by Lucky Karim (l.), written with Jessica Olney, which tells the story of the stateless Rohingya genocide victims of Myanmar, through the author's own story of persecution, survival, and resilience while living in the world's largest refugee camp. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Eric Smith at Neighborhood Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
Kelly Delaney at Crown has bought world rights to Nine Months by Karina Manta (l.), illustrated by Lilith Wu, a YA graphic novel about a young woman's decision to have an abortion and all the different ways a person can change in nine months. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Jessica Regel at Helm Literary represented the author, and Victoria Wells Arms and Wendi Gu at HG Literary represented the illustrator.
Polo Orozco at Putnam has acquired The Great Ramzys by Nedda Lewers (Daughters of the Lamp), a middle grade mystery pitched as The Swifts meets The Westing Game. The story follows an 11-year-old girl who must unmask which of the famed Egyptologists gathered at her grandmother's Luxor mansion has stolen Nefertiti's legendary bust. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Kelly Dyksterhouse at Tobias Literary Agency sold world English rights.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Young Readers has bought world English rights to The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (The Mystery of Locked Rooms). In this middle grade mystery, four close friends are trapped in a book-themed lodge during an ice storm and must use each of their special skills, as well as a few tips from an armchair-detective Grandma, to figure out who killed one of the regular customers. Publication is set for fall 2026, with an untitled second novel to follow in 2027; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency did the two-book deal.
Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired The Acacia Tree by Chamisa Kellogg, a middle grade graphic novel about a trio of girls who form a coven and begin to uncover the long-slumbering secrets of their magical town. Publication is scheduled for fall 2028; Claire Morance at Painted Words sold world rights.
Tom Russell at Bright Matter Books has bought, at auction, American Revolutionaries, a middle-grade narrative nonfiction book by Ilyon Woo, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning adult title Master Slave Husband Wife. It's a retelling of the story of Ellen and William Craft, a married enslaved couple who escaped from Georgia in 1848 in disguise—Ellen as a rich white man and William as "his" slave. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Faye Bender at the Book Group did the deal for North American rights.
Siobhan Ciminera at Simon Spotlight has acquired two Ready-to-Read titles by Michael Rex: Step, Kick, Spin!, about two dancers who spin, slide, and turn together; and Pile of Pizzas, about whether a little monster and a big monster can eat a huge stack of pizzas. Karen Nagel will edit; publication of the first book is slated for fall 2026; Timothy Travaglini at Transatlantic Agency sold world rights.
Caitlyn Dlouhy at Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books has bought North American English rights to a debut picture book by Rocky Callen (l.), illustrated by Eisner Award nominee Sonia Sánchez, tentatively titled Hope Is, which explores in poetic prose how hope finds its way into our lives, even in its darkest moments. Publication is set for spring 2027; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary represented the illustrator.
Kathleen Keenan at Kids Can Press has acquired world rights to Vida Wishes by Paola Santos (l.), illustrated by Marianne Ferrer, a picture book about Vida, whose father has left their country of Venezuela to find a new home for the family, and the wishes Vida has for her family and country. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Jennifer Rofé represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Carolyn Yoder at Astra/Calkins Creek has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to The Forgotten: Patriots of Color at Lexington and Concord by Ray Anthony Shepard (Runaway; A Long Time Coming), illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, an historical fiction picture book that gives voice to the Black and Brown men and women who participated in the events at Lexington and Concord in the first battles of the American Revolution. Publication is planned for 2027; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Brian Hurley while at Little Bigfoot acquired world rights to the picture book Big Fat Bear Fight! by Brooke Hartman (l.), illustrated by Can Tuğrul. It's Fat Bear Week again in Katmai National Park, Alaska, and the whole forest is ready to see which gorged grizzly is burly enough to take home the coveted Fat Bear Week prize. Jill Saginario will edit; publication is slated for September 2026. Sera Rivers at Speilburg Literary Agency sold world rights.
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has bought Romina Galotta's debut author-illustrated work, Orchard House, a picture book biography of American author Louisa May Alcott, told from the point of view of the home she lived in during the era that inspired her seminal work, Little Women. Publication is set for fall 2027; Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Jaime Gelman at Little Bee Books has acquired the picture book Nibbles vs. the Universe, written and illustrated by Kathryn Rammell. Nibbles is a class pet with a mission to keep the world spinning, by running on her hamster wheel. But when Nibbles collapses, her concerned friends help her see that she cannot protect the world alone. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Christie Megill at the CAT Agency sold world rights.
Nick Magliato and Celina Sun at Grosset & Dunlap have bought Un Día at Home and Un Día at the Park by Ariela Rudy Zaltzman (l.), illustrated by Peruvian-born illustration team Cocoretto. These two lift-the-flap board books introduce Spanish first words to the youngest readers. Publication is planned for summer 2027; the author and illustrators represented themselves.
Cecily Kaiser at Rise x Penguin Workshop has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Friends Belong, Friends Can, and Friends Grow, a set of three board books by Dan Saks (l.), illustrated by Delphine Lee, which explores the budding friendships of preschoolers. Publication of the first book is slated for fall 2026; Kevin O'Connor at O'Connor Literary Agency represented the author, and Aliza Hoover at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Wendy McClure at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has bought world rights to Baby Truck by JD Davis (l.), illustrated by Erica Sirotich, first in a board book series about an infant truck whose days are filled with exciting activities and fun routines as he learns how to be a big boy truck. Publication is set for fall 2026; Jennifer Newens at Martin Literary Management represented the author, and Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator in the three-book deal.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired The Murder Party, a YA thriller by Cindy R. X. He (Perfect Little Monsters). When her sister is killed at a party thrown by a secret murder mystery games club, it's up to June Chan to catch the killer by hosting the deadliest game of all. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold North American rights.
Jenny Bak at Viking has bought, in an exclusive submission, Queensmage by Robyn Schneider, a YA romantasy pitched as Kingsman meets Throne of Glass, set in an 1800s French-inspired kingdom, in which two former magic school rivals, one a rakish noble, and one a convicted thief, enter a competition to become the new royal mage that unexpectedly turns deadly. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Barbara Poelle at Word One Literary sold world rights.
Emilia Sowersby at Roaring Brook Press has acquired Garden Girls by Amanda Linsmeier (Starlings; Six of Sorrow), an original YA fairy tale about a haunting magic, and what happens when dark family secrets are unburied. The story is told in dual points of view of two girls, both seeking escape from oppressive households, where the reader is unsure who to trust. Publication is scheduled for winter 2027; Juliana McBride at Rebecca Friedman Literary did the deal for world rights.
Kade Dishmon at Holiday House has bought, in an exclusive submission, A Death Kissed Song by De Elizabeth (This Raging Sea), a YA dark fantasy in which an ambitious but struggling senior at a prestigious music conservatory joins a secret society led by her cutthroat childhood-friend-turned-academic-rival, where she discovers his group is using dangerously alluring magic to enhance their craft—magic that may claim the life of the boy she still can't help but love. Publication is set for summer 2027; Samantha Fabien at Root Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Karen Sargent at Simon Pulse has acquired Most Accomplished Liars by Jenni Howell (l.) (Boys with Sharp Teeth) and Jamie Howard, pitched as for fans of If We Were Villains and One of Us Is Lying, in which a senior drama troupe still reeling from the unexpected death of their star performer goes on an acting retreat at a former summer camp, but as dark secrets start coming to light, they realize they're not all innocent—and they're not alone. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management sold U.S. and Canadian rights.
Dana Leydig at Viking has bought Emily Wibberley (r.) and Austin Siegemund-Broka's (authors of Reese's YA Book Club pick Heiress Takes All) YA Regency romance murder-mystery To Court a Killer. A debutante with a tarnished reputation seeks to turn her prospects around by competing in a competition to solve a murder for a mysterious and wealthy bachelor in exchange for his hand in marriage. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Lisa Mangum at Shadow Mountain has acquired Janette Rallison's We Are Never Getting Together, a reverse Parent Trap in which two feuding teenagers pretend to be in love in order to keep their single parents apart, but the longer their fake-relationship continues, the more they discover that there may be things they actually like about each other. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Timothy Travaglini at Transatlantic Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Hannah Hill at Delacorte Press has bought Sweet Disaster, the middle grade debut by Julian Winters (Right Where I Left You). Twelve-year-old Jevon Lawrence is going to be a world class chef—if he can ace his apprenticeship at his grandmother's bakery this summer. But when a developer threatens to shut the place down and G'Ma's health takes a turn, Jevon must whip up a plan to save the shop with the help of a cute boy from the neighboring bubble tea café. Publication is set for spring 2027; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Jen Besser and Hana Tzou at FSG Books for Young Readers have acquired Berserkers, the next middle-grade novel by M.A. Larson. Pitched as The Goonies meets Holes, this adventure follows a group of kids on a hunt for Viking treasure in the caves of small-town Minnesota, with an evil Spanish conquistador and his school-principal sidekick hot on their heels. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Alexandra Machinist at CAA sold world rights.
Andrew Karre at Dutton has bought, in an exclusive submission, North American rights to E.K. Johnston's middle grade debut, The Third Period Comeback, about an aspiring Canadian hockey player who must break her family curse if she wants to play professional hockey, for publication in summer 2026. Josh Adams at Adams Literary handled the two-book deal.
Alyson Heller at Aladdin has acquired Lambda finalist Isaac Fitzsimons's middle grade debut Astra Fox and the Wonderworkers Rebellion, set in an alternate Gilded Age where an aspiring wonderworker gains a once-in-a-lifetime apprenticeship, only to discover the illusions she creates uphold the very system that exploits her people and conceals the city's rotten core, in a magical take on Newsies. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Jordan Hamessley at JABberwocky Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Emma Hintzen and Anna Luketic at Sourcebooks eXplore have bought world rights to Silly Science and Scary Science, a two-book middle grade collection by Chris Ferrie (l.) (Quantum Physics for Babies) and Kari Lavelle (c.) (Butt or Face?), in which kids discover hard-to-believe yet fascinating facts about a variety of STEM topics; Daniel Sulzberg (r.) will illustrate. Publication of the first book is set for fall 2027; Elizabeth Bennett at Transatlantic Agency represented Lavelle, Ferrie represented himself, and Lauren Ashleigh at Illustrator X represented the illustrator.
Jaime Gelman at Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to the first four books in Jenna Elyse Johnson's (l.) Mae and Malibu chapter book series, illustrated by Anuki Lopez, about a girl and her service dog. Publication for books one and two is scheduled for fall 2026, with book three in spring 2027 and book four in summer 2027; Christie Megill at the CAT Agency represented the author, and Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown has bought world rights to Round and Round, a celebration of the world's natural rhythms and cycles—from changing seasons and shifting tides, to the life cycles of plants and the stages of our own lives—by Megan Litwin (l.) (Gather Grateful), illustrated by Melissa Castrillon (If I Had a Little Dream). Publication is slated for fall 2027; Lindsay Auld at Writers House represented the author, and Helen Boyle at Pickled Ink represented the illustrator.
Lawrence Schimel while at NorthSouth acquired world rights to The Crowded Crib by Bruce Coville (l.) (My Teacher Is an Alien),a bedtime picture book about a girl who must sleep with all of her stuffies, illustrated by German artist Miriam Zedelius in her first book for the U.S. market. Alisha Niehaus Berger and Alex Robertson will edit; publication is planned for summer 2027, simultaneously in Spanish, English, and German. Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary represented the author, and Diana Steinbrede at Peretti Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to My Barrio Sings in Spanglish by Mónica Mancillas (l.), illustrated by Gabby Zapata. This picture book follows Liliana who loves to sing along to the natural music and movement of her Los Angeles barrio. Publication is set for fall 2027; Melissa Edwards at Stonesong Press represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Sarah Soldano at Barefoot Books has acquired Look at the City and Look at the Farm, illustrated by Juliana Eigner (Mari and the Great Market Swap); Elizabeth Jayasekera will edit. These concertina books explore the sights of the city and the farm. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art sold world rights.
Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has bought world rights to the picture book Penny's Pages by Jenna Elyse Johnson (l.), illustrated by Janna Mattia. Penny is a bookstore dog who reigns over the neighborhood. When a new mail carrier takes on the bookstore route, Penny is eager to make another best friend, until she learns this mail carrier is afraid of dogs. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Christie Megill at the CAT Agency represented the author, and Emily Fernandez at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books has acquired world rights to Naming the Moon by Kristen Witte (l.) (The Children's Illustrated Book of Tarot), illustrated by Vũ Thủy Ngọc Hà. This picture book takes readers on a journey through the seasons to learn about the lore behind the name of each month's full moon. Publication is planned for January 2027; Kelly Bergh at Lucinda Literary represented the author, and Christina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.
