Maggie Rosenthal at Viking has acquired Queen of Hearts by Jenna Voris, pitched as a sapphic To All the Boys I've Loved Before, in which a high school senior, after a devastating breakup, decides to interview every boy who's ever broken her heart in an attempt to win back her ex, only to realize she might have feelings for the girl he dumped her for. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management sold North American and Spanish rights.
Alessandra Balzer while at HarperCollins bought, in an exclusive submission, To Our Untamed Core by National Book Award finalist Sonido Reyes. The YA dystopian novel follows a boy who survives by hiding his truth until his boyfriend is sentenced to El Torneo—a brutal, fight-to-the-death game—where he must risk everything to save him. Carolina Mancheno Ortiz will edit; publication under the Versify imprint is set for fall 2026. Alexandra Levick at Writers House did the deal for North American rights.
Alyza Liu at Simon & Schuster and Alison Dougal and Olive Childs at S&S UK have acquired, in a six-figure preempt, author-illustrator Beck Kubric's debut YA graphic novel, Dead Girls, pitched as a campy, feminist love letter to slashers. It follows a foster kid who decides to hunt down a local serial killer, only to stumble upon a much darker conspiracy. Publication is scheduled for September 2026; Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management and Louise Lamont at LBA (UK) sold world rights.
Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has bought, in an exclusive submission, Summer and Winter by Daron Nefcy, Emmy-winning creator of Star vs. the Forces of Evil. In this middle grade graphic novel, 11-year-old Winter is a devoted magical‑creature conservationist who trusts only the monstrously lovable animals she protects—until she moves next door to extroverted Summer, who tags along on a mission to save a rare species and begins to thaw Winter's icy shell. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management sold world rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda has acquired Diamond Girls, a middle grade novel by Heather Murphy Capps (The Rule of Three), in the spirit of Field of Dreams and A League of Their Own. Allie's dreams of playing baseball feel out of reach, until some mysterious figures, including 1950s trailblazer Toni "Tomboy" Stone, emerge from the fog of the local baseball diamond to coach her. Publication is planned for spring 2028; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Elizabeth Barton at Simon Spotlight has bought Pinky Paws Rides the A Train by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (l.) (Biscuit; Katy Duck), illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld (The Rabbit Listened). In this Level 1 Reader, Pinky Paws loves to solve mysteries, and while on a crowded New York City subway, she puts her detective skills to work aided by her curiosity and power of observation, while taking notes on her pink pad. Publication is set for spring 2027; Liza Voges at Eden Street represented the author, and Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the illustrator.
Angela Quezada Padron at Dream Jar/Yellow Brick Books has acquired world rights to Prehistoric Place: Escape from the Tyrant Lizard by debut author Thornton W. Blease (l.), illustrated by Anthony Lewis. This first book in the young middle grade series is about two stepsiblings who move to a new home on Prehistoric Place, where they uncover a secret fossil room and a magic field guide with the power to bring their dinosaur toys to life and send the siblings on adventurous missions back in time. Publication is scheduled for summer 2028; Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator.
Siobhan Ciminera at Simon Spotlight has bought the first two titles in an early reader spinoff series from Alex Willan's Gilbert the Goblin's the Worst picture book series, kicking off with Pigeons Are the Worst, in which using magic to duplicate a pizza seems like a great idea, until he finds himself in a feathery fiasco. Lisa Lauria will edit; publication is slated for fall 2026 and spring 2027. Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Mark Podesta at Henry Holt has acquired DeAnn Wiley's next picture book, Much Too Much, about a girl excited to wear all of her favorite clothing, except that her family keeps telling her it's too over the top, too mature, too everything! Publication is planned for fall 2027; James McGowan at BookEnds Literary Agency sold world rights.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to The Hill by Kyo Maclear (l.), illustrated by Audrey Helen Weber, in which two friends spend a snowy day searching their neighborhood for the tallest hill, not realizing they are already climbing it. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook has acquired world rights to Judy and the Mural Makers by Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book winner Michael Genhart (l.) (Spanish Is the Language of My Family), illustrated by Pura Belpré Award Honor and Robert F. Sibert Honor winner Pablo Leon (Silenced Voices). This picture book reveals how Dr. Judith F. Baca, a Chicana activist and muralist, empowered the youth of L.A., gave voice to the marginalized, and shared their collective history through the world's longest mural: The Great Wall of Los Angeles. Publication is set for fall 2027; Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management represented the illustrator.
Rebekah Lovato Piatte at Collective Book Studio/Tiny Torch Books has bought Little Bee and the Bloom, a picture book by Carly Kremer (l.), illustrated by Katie Hunt, a rhyming journey of discovery exploring the wonders of pollination and the vital role bees play in our world. Publication is slated for September 2026; the author and artist were unagented.
Sarah Mackenzie at Waxwing Books has acquired world rights to Writing Beauty by Katie Wray Schon (Painting Wonder), a picture book biography of Anna Sewell, who, after a childhood injury left her dependent on horses to explore the world, went on to pour her convinctions about equine welfare into the classic children's novel Black Beauty. Publication is planned to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Black Beauty in November 2027; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world rights.
Megan Nicolay at Workman has bought author-illustrator and graphic designer Chiêu Anh Urban's die-cut board book series, in which die-cuts reveal hidden shapes of animals and more when the page is turned. Publication will begin in 2027; Jamie Weiss Chilton at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
