Andrew Karre at Dutton has acquired Something Inside Me Knows by National Book Award winner Malinda Lo (Last Night at the Telegraph Club). Incorporating free verse, found poetry, and lyric essay, this debut memoir weaves a nonlinear story of immigration and identity, connecting the author's childhood in small-town Colorado in the 1980s to her grandmother's experiences in wartime China. Publication is scheduled for March 2027; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has bought Where the Girls Are Kept by Mel Hammond, a YA reimagining of Rosemary's Baby. Artist Rowan welcomes the chance to escape her dumpster fire of a junior year when her mom inherits her aunt's Victorian fixer-upper in Arcana Falls, Ohio—but life in this sleepy town gets complicated as Rowan encounters an illegal birth control ban, a possible multi-level marketing cult, and an unexpected crush. Publication is slated for summer 2027; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Tiffany Colón at Scholastic has acquired Yamile Saied Méndez's No Place Like Home, a contemporary YA romance retelling of The Wizard of Oz about a teenage girl from Kansas named Dorothy, whose dream trip to Italy falls apart, and the best friend who refuses to let her give up. When he takes her on an unexpected road trip to Kansas City, friendship grows into something more, and Dorothy discovers that the adventure she needed was closer than she thought. Publication is planned for 2028; Linda Camacho at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency sold world rights.
Ruta Rimas at Putnam has bought, in an exclusive submission, These Twisted Hearts by Ginny Myers Sain, a Midwestern gothic horror novel about a 17-year-old storm chaser and a smooth-talking boy who claims he can control the weather—and the evil they uncover while investigating the killer twisters haunting a small Oklahoma town with a brutal past. Publication is set for spring 2027; Pete Knapp at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has acquired, at auction, Mirrorwoven and its sequel by Bori Cser, a debut YA fantasy duology in a Renaissance Venice-inspired setting, in which a runaway princess playing court bard to a naïve young queen must safeguard both their futures without breaking the spell that hides her identity by falling in love. Publication for the first book is set for fall 2026; John Baker at Bell Lomax Moreton Agency handled the deal for North American rights.
Meghan McCullough at Bloomsbury has bought, in a preempt, Oh So Many Teeth by Lexi Smith McNicholas, a horror-tinged YA paranormal fantasy set in the Wild West, featuring sapphic werewolves hunting for cursed treasure while learning to free their inner monsters. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Dorian Maffei at Kimberley Cameron & Associates negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Arthur Levine at Levine Querido has acquired Traitor's Alchemy by Sacha Lamb, Printz Honor, Stonewall, and Sydney Taylor Award-winning author of When the Angels Left the Old Country, which follows Mirika, a girl desperate to become an alchemist and save her sick mother. Apprenticing herself to the noble Lady Algimanta brings more mystery and danger than she bargained for, and when she finds herself knee deep in royal conspiracies, Mirika must choose: grasp power in both hands, or give up on her lifelong dream. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Rena Rossner at Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Christy Ottaviano at Little Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, Candace Fleming's Carrie Buck and the Eugenics Movement and The Galveston Storm, two works of narrative nonfiction, the first about an at-risk teen locked away as a result of eugenics thinking, and the second a middle grade account following the fatal storm that ravaged Texas. Publication is set for winter 2028 and 2029 respectively; Ethan Ellenberg at Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency did the deal.
Siobhan Ciminera at Simon Spotlight has acquired Rose Cooper's graphic novel chapter book Bear and Other Bear, featuring two hoarder bears who pick up random items left behind in the park they live in and delight in trying to figure out what each object is for. Publication is planned for spring 2028; Natalie Lakosil at Looking Glass Literary & Media negotiated the deal for world rights.
Aimee Friedman at Scholastic has bought world rights to The Luckies, a series by Sarah Mlynowski (l.) and Christina Soontornvat (c.), illustrated by Madi Wong (r.), about two teenage stepsisters who really don't get along, and the drama that ensues when their blended family moves to a gossipy small town, as part of the new NEXT line of middle grade novels. Publication of book one, Rumor Has It, is slated for fall 2026; Laura Dail at Laura Dail Literary Agency represented Mlynowski, Jodi Reamer at Writers House represented Soontornvat, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented Wong.
Ivan Taurisano at First Second has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Dragon Kid, Lucas Turnbloom's middle grade graphic novel about Dex, a 12-year-old who begins transforming into a dragon just as he's about to start at a new school. Publication is scheduled for 2028; Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Sarah Howden at Orca Books has bought SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner Karen Krossing's Forever Fries, a middle grade novel-in-verse confronting first loves, eating disorders, and the pressures that face today's children, in which 13-year-old Marley must decide whether to honor her promise to her therapist and meet her crush for French fries or follow the strict rules of her No-Eat List, while haunted by memories of her perfectionist best friend, middle-school bully, and overbearing family. Publication is set for March 2027; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. did the deal for world rights.
Kaylan Adair at Candlewick Press has acquired, in a preempt, author-illustrator Maddie Frost's Super Puppy Babies and an untitled sequel, launching an early reader graphic novel series about a group of superhero dogs, turned into babies by an evil magical squirrel, who stick together like "poo on a shoe" to save the day. Publication of book one is planned for spring 2027 and book two in fall 2027; Andrea Morrison at Writers House sold world rights.
Taylor Norman at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought Leona Alone by Jordan Morris, a picture book about a reclusive possum whose immaculate garden and carefully guarded solitude are disrupted by an unruly vine, leading to a battle over boundaries, a theatrical death, and a sweet revelation. Publication is set for spring 2027; Hannah Mann at Writers House sold world rights.
Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop has acquired, in a six-figure deal, The Monster Inside by Cherry Mo (Caldecott Honoree for Home in a Lunchbox), a picture book about sisterhood and a girl who is haunted by an ever-present monster—her OCD—that turns out to be less scary than she thought. Publication is scheduled for spring 2028; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Tara Walker at Tundra Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to the Henri and Miko picture book series written and illustrated by Rebecca Green, about the cozy adventures of a mouse-and-bee best friend duo. Each book in the four-volume series focuses on a different season, with comic-style stories, recipes, poems, activities and more. Henri and Miko: Autumn in Bosk Olivette and Henri and Miko: Winter in Bosk Olivette are slated for fall 2026, with spring and summer to follow in the first half of 2028; the author represented herself.
Carina Licon and Brian Geffen at Henry Holt have acquired The Junk Box by Zeke Peña. This contemporary picture book explores empathy and gratitude, celebrates the wonders of a Mexican American flea market, and follows a lost, discarded item's journey of rediscovering joy—and oneself—in unexpected places. Publication is set for winter 2027; Steven Malk at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.
Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought world rights to Wonder Love by National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honoree Derrick Barnes (l.), illustrated by Dan Lish, a praise poem for Stevie Wonder's "classic period" and his enormous global influence on music. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency represented both the author and illustrator.
Claire Tattersfield at Viking has acquired world rights to Cock-a-Doodle-TOOT by Mary Vander Plas (l.), illustrated by Marisa Morea, a rhyming picture book about a flatulent rooster on a farm and the chaos that ensues. Publication is scheduled for spring 2028; Jackie Kruzie at Focused Artists represented the author, and Daisy Bee Butterworth at the Plum Agency represented the illustrator.
Alex Robertson at NorthSouth/NorteSur has bought world rights to Piragua Memories by Jackie Azúa Kramer (l.), illustrated by Sara Palacios, a picture book about a boy named Pablo who moves from Puerto Rico to a big city. Pablo quickly discovers how the many flavors of piraguas, his favorite icy treat, are the perfect way to treasure his memories of home and make new ones, too. A bilingual English-Spanish edition, Piragua de recuerdos, will be available simultaneously. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Stephen Fraser at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Minju Chang at BookStop Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has acquired world rights to Hope into Action: How the Endangered Species Act Saves Lives, a picture book about how humans' actions have affected other species… first for the worse, and eventually for the better, by Liz Garton Scanlon (l.), illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Publication is set for spring 2028; Erin Murphy while at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the illustrator.
Yolanda Scott at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to Joy Ride by Gabriele Davis (l.), and Diane Earley has acquired world rights for illustration by Sawyer Cloud, a picture book about a family's creative, mood-lifting trip to the car wash. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Sarah Rockett at Tilbury House has acquired world rights to We're Being Discovered by Mel Rosenberg (l.). illustrated by Kaila Gee, a picture book that tells a humorous, fictionalized account of the 1676 discovery of bacteria—told from the perspective of bickering bacteria themselves. Publication is scheduled for 2027; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Naomi Shulman at PJ Publishing has bought world rights to Na'ima's Shavuot Eve by Rinat Hadad Siegel (l.), illustrated by Yinon Ptahia, a picture book set in the Jewish community of Iraq in the 1940s, where a girl makes a valiant attempt to stay up all night long to observe the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Regan Winter and Cassandra Merlee Phan at Disney-Hyperion have acquired world rights to two YA thrillers by Maggie Auffarth. In Dead Swans Don't Sing, Natalie Dee has a mission to join the beautiful, elite lifeguard crew at a wealthy lake club. But when bodies of her fellow lifeguards start to wash up on the club's shores, outsider Natalie is suspect number one. In Ice Queens Don't Bleed, an elite ice dancer dreams of getting gold, but soon finds beneath the glitter and grace there is cutthroat competition—literally. Publication of the first book is set for spring 2027; Jessica Regel at Helm Literary Agency represented the author.
Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought Absent by Rex Ogle, a middle grade novel about three very different boys who form an unlikely friendship in detention after repeatedly skipping school for reasons rooted in poverty, told through a blend of prose, verse, and comics from each boy's point of view. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US sold world English rights.
Rosemary Brosnan at Quill Tree has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Bean by Bree Paulsen (Garlic & the Vampire). In this middle grade graphic novel, tiny (and agoraphobic) forest creature Bean is forced to face their greatest fears when the last remaining piece of their family is stolen, leaving them no choice but to confront the monsters they're most afraid of. Publication is planned for winter 2029; Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management sold world English rights.
Krista Vitola at Simon & Schuster has bought North American rights to middle grade novel Jitty and the Machine by Mitali Banerjee Ruths (l.), illustrated by Iacopo Bruno, a steampunk adventure set in Victorian India driven by a young inventor who gets caught up in a wild scheme and races to outwit forces far more powerful than she ever imagined. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Victoria Wells Arms at HG Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.
Samia Garcia-Fakih at First Second has acquired world rights to Wipe Out, a middle grade graphic novel by Saadia Faruqi (l.), illustrated by Karen De la Vega, about a Pakistani American boy who is obsessed with skateboarding, but learns the importance of family during a summer reunion. Publication is set for 2028; Kari Sutherland at KT Literary represented the author, and Alice Jin Zhang at Astound US represented the illustrator.
Joy Peskin at FSG has bought, in an exclusive submission, four books in an illustrated middle-grade chapter book series called The Bestie Book by Tiffany Everett, which follows three best friends who end up in different middle schools but come up with a plan to stay close: mail a diary back and forth. Publication of the first book is scheduled for winter 2028; Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 sold world rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda has acquired world rights to Stephanie Rondeau's debut middle grade novel Tiny Purple Threads. Years after her beloved sister McKenna's death, 12-year-old Sophie finds what she thinks are messages from McKenna, encouraging Sophie to pursue her dreams. But her efforts are complicated by competition from her archenemy, her mother's conflicting plans for her future, and the struggle to balance living for herself with honoring McKenna's memory. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Ann Rose at Tobias Literary Agency brokered the deal.
Hannah Smith at Owl Hollow Press has bought, in an exclusive four-book submission, Kolila the Ice Pirate by Lauren Nicolle Taylor (The Woodlands), a middle grade environmental fantasy in which Kolila, next in line to become chief of her Arctic tribe, embarks on her first solo raid only to discover that some threats have teeth—ones that consume more than flesh and that challenge everything she believes about leadership, strength, and survival. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Jessica Schmeidler at Golden Wheat Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired two books in the Tales of Mineral County early graphic novel series, written and illustrated by Alice Feagan. The series features a child's rock collection that comes to life, with book one starring Pattie Pyrite, a.k.a. fool's gold, who tries to disguise herself as the real thing. Publication will begin in spring 2028; Heather and Ethan Long negotiated the deal for world rights.
AZ Hackett at Viking has bought world rights to Hoopily Ever After: A Basketball Fairy Tale, a picture book by WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart (l.) with Megan Lacera (c.), illustrated by Ashley Evans (r.). In this comedic retelling of Cinderella, the goal isn't the heart of a prince, but a spot on the best basketball team in the kingdom. Publication is set for spring 2027; Lindsay Colas at Wasserman represented Stewart, John Cusick at Folio Literary represented Lacera, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented Evans.
Maria Russo at Union Square Kids has acquired world rights to The Moat by Gideon Sterer (l.) (If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone), illustrated by (The Snail), a picture book about a boy king facing an encroaching army who spurns his advisers' suggestion to construct a deadly moat and builds something a bit more welcoming instead. Publication is scheduled for winter 2028; Stephen Barr at Writers House represented the author and illustrator.
Gianna Lakenauth at Knopf has bought Mateo's Alebrije by Mariana Ríos Ramírez (l.) (Abuelita's Gift), illustrated by Rocío Arreola Mendoza. A boy spends the summer at his Abuelo's workshop where he discovers the magic and tradition of making alebrijes. Publication is planned for spring 2028; Natascha Morris at Tobias Literary Agency represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights to The Hand-Me-Down Queen by Emily Barth Isler (l.), illustrated by Paige Keiser, a picture book starring a fashionable girl whose pre-owned clothing gives her a connection to her family and helps save the environment. Publication is slated for summer 2028; Emily Keyes at Keyes Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear Press has bought world rights to No Hats Allowed by Christina Shawn (l.), illustrated by Amy Jindra Hodgson. A town has a strict rule restricting hats, until Suzie Q makes the cutest matching hats for herself and her cat, which prompts the entire town to want to change the rule so they can have one, too. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Liz Nealon at Great Dog Literary represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.
Bonnie Bader at Marble Press has acquired world rights to Ms. Swirly's Compliment Machine by Jana Mattern (l.), illustrated by Judit Orosz, a picture book about the power of a kind word that empowers young readers to use their voice for good, for publication in fall 2026. Jennifer Newens at Martin Literary Management represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Courtney Code at Abrams has bought world rights to Desert Cantos: The Story of Linda Ronstadt by Nydia Armendia-Sánchez (l.), illustrated by Mirelle Ortega, a dual narrative picture book biography following the life of singer-songwriter Linda Ronstadt weaving Spanish and English languages where the Desert encourages Linda to explore her Sonoran Desert homeland and true identity, while the musicality of her family ignites a passion for song that creates a lifelong bond with her Mexican heritage. Publication is set for spring 2028; Lori Steel at SteelWorks Literary represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Alexandra Hinrichs at Islandport Press has acquired world rights to The Cosmic Journey of Jessica Meir by Jamie Hogan, a picture book biography of American astronaut Jessica Meir, who made history as part of the first all-woman spacewalk in 2019 and is scheduled to return to space in February 2026. Publication is planned for fall 2026; the author represented herself.
Rebecca Glaser at Amicus Ink has bought world rights to Little Octopus and Little Shark by Julie Abery (l.), illustrated by Ivy Traszi. These two titles launch a board book series called Little Ocean Friends, rhyming books that follow the young creatures' adventures as they grow and learn about their ocean habitat. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Essie White at Essie White Literary represented the author, and Lucie Luddington at Luddington Creative represented the illustrator.
