Alison Weiss at Sky Pony has acquired in a three-book deal Sangu Mandanna's A Spark of White Fire trilogy, pitched as Red Rising meets An Ember in the Ashes. A multicultural YA space opera inspired by the Mahabharata, the novel follows a cursed and forgotten child of an empire's queen who wants to return to her real family, and finds herself on the wrong side of a war that could destroy kingdoms across the galaxy. Publication for the first book is set for fall 2018; Eric Smith at P.S. Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has bought North American rights to an untitled YA novel co-written by Julie Halpern and Len Vlahos, told from two points of view about a breakup, breakdown, and breakthrough to moving on. It's scheduled for fall 2019; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented Halpern, and Sandra Bond at Bond Literary Agency represented Vlahos.
Ben Rosenthal at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired at auction Opposite of Always, a debut contemporary YA novel by J.A. Reynolds. Pitched as Everything, Everything meets Groundhog Day, the book follows a boy who falls in love with a girl and repeatedly loops back in time at the moment of her death, returning to the moment they first met. Publication is slated for spring 2019; Beth Phelan at the Bent Agency brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Stacey Barney at Putnam has bought world rights to Small Spaces, the middle grade debut of adult author Katherine Arden, pitched as Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead. It's a mystery adventure that follows a girl and her classmates after their bus breaks down on a school trip, forcing them to head out into a dangerous, alternate world where scarecrows are alive and deadly, and ghost stories are true. A projected publication date has not yet been announced; Paul Lucas at Janklow & Nesbit Associates negotiated the deal.
Erica Sussman at HarperCollins has acquired, in a preempt, world English rights to Norton and Nebula nominee Greg van Eekhout's middle grade novel Starward Bound. Pitched as The Martian meets Erin Hunter's Warriors series, Starward Bound tells the story of a diligent team of dogs who accompany their humans on a deep space voyage to establish a new outpost far across the galaxy. When the dogs wake unexpectedly from hypersleep with the ship damaged and their people nowhere to be found, they seek to fulfill the mission the humans began. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Holly Root at Root Literary did the two-book deal while at Waxman Leavell Literary.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has bought Julia Nobel's debut The Order of Black Hollow Lane and a sequel. The middle-grade mystery follows 12-year-old Emmy as she investigates the disappearance of her father nine years earlier and its connection to a secret society when she's shipped away to a remote English boarding school. Publication is set for spring 2019; Melissa Edwards at Stonesong negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Rotem Moscovich at Disney-Hyperion has acquired at auction Anica Mrose Rissi's picture book, Watch Out for Wolf!, in which the "This Little Piggy" nursery rhyme is recast to show five anxious but enterprising little pigs preparing a very big surprise for Wolf. Charles Santoso will illustrate; publication is planned for summer 2019. Meredith Kaffel Simonoff at DeFiore and Company represented the author, and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the artist.
Allyn Johnston at S&S/Beach Lane has bought world rights to What Riley Wore by Elana K. Arnold (l.), a picture book starring gender-creative Riley who knows just what to wear for every occasion during a busy week with family and friends. Linda Davick will illustrate; publication is slated for summer 2018. Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented both the author and illustrator.
Kristen Nobles at Page Street Kids has acquired world rights to Annie Cronin Romano's (l.) debut picture book, tentatively titled Before You Sleep. It's a bedtime story that encompasses all five senses while encouraging children to reflect on the little moments and wonders of the day. Ioana Hobai will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2018. Both the author and the illustrator represented themselves.
Jenna Pocius at Little Bee has bought world rights to Pepe's Pride by Tracey Kyle (l.), a picture book about a boy learning about El Día de la Raza and Latino pride. Mirelle Ortega will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2018. Jennifer Unter at the Unter Agency represented the author, and Alli Brydon at Bright USA represented the illustrator.
Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben has acquired Jane Kohuth's (l.) Who's Got the Etrog?, to be illustrated by Elissambura. The story takes place in a Ugandan Jewish community, where celebration of the harvest holiday Sukkot is interrupted by a four-legged friend who has trouble sharing. Publication is set for fall 2018; Becca Stumpf at Prospect Agency represented the author, and Lisa Musing at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.
Ruta Rimas at S&S/McElderry has acquired world rights to a memoir by Chessy Prout (l.), the St. Paul's School assault survivor who shed her anonymity on national TV last August. I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor's Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope is co-written with Jenn Abelson, a journalist on the Boston Globe Spotlight team. Publication is set for March 6, 2018; Carla Glasser at the Betsy Nolan Literary Agency and Katherine Flynn at Kneerim and Williams handled the deal for world rights.
Stacey Barney at Putnam has bought Malla Nunn's When the Ground Is Hard, a novel about being brave, standing against injustice, and the importance of female friendship at a mixed-race boarding school in Swaziland. Publication is planned for spring 2019; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga, author of My Heart and Other Black Holes. The contemporary middle-grade novel follows Jude, a 12-year-old Syrian girl who is forced to move to a suburban American town to live with her uncle and his family, where she experiences the joys and struggles of a new life. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Brenda Bowen at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates brokered the deal for world English rights.
Amy Cloud at S&S/Aladdin has bought Cory Leonardo's debut, Call Me Alastair, a contemporary middle-grade novel in the vein of Flora and Ulysses, about a curmudgeonly parrot who composes poems and dreams of escape, the precocious 12-year-old boy who works at the pet shop where the parrot was born, and an eccentric, lonely old woman who has a penchant for chocolate cherry crumble pie. Publication is slated for summer 2019; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Nancy Mercado at Scholastic has acquired Diana López's Lucky Luna, a middle grade novel about 10-year-old Luna Ramos, whose prima, or cousin, starts attending her same school, which turns out to be unlucky, until the primas discover that blood is thicker than water. Publication is set for 2018; Stefanie Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Rhoda Belleza and John Morgan at Macmillan/Imprint have bought, in a four-book deal, world rights to a new chapter book series called Prince Not-So Charming by Mike Allegra, writing as Roy L. Hinuss (l.). The series introduces a reluctant Prince Charming, who'd much rather grow up to be a court jester, not a prince, to every kid who worries it's hard to live up to the fairy tale. Matt Hunt will illustrate; the first two books, Once Upon a Prank and Her Royal Slyness, will publish in spring 2018. Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary represented the author, and Arabella Stein at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Donna Bray at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired former head writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Elliott Kalan's (l.) Horse Meets Dog, a comedic picture book told entirely in dialogue between a horse who thinks a dog is a very small horse, and a dog who thinks the horse is a very big dog. Tim Miller will illustrate; publication is scheduled for fall 2018. Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author and the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Janine O'Malley at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought world rights to Hello, Fall!, written by Deborah Diesen (l.) and illustrated by Lucy Fleming. The picture book stars a grandparent and child who enjoy the bounty and wonder of fall together. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Diesen represented herself, and Anne Moore Armstrong at Bright USA represented Fleming.
Kelli Chipponeri at Chronicle has acquired world rights to Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug, a two-book series written by Jonathan Stutzman (l.) and illustrated by Jay Fleck. The first book follows Tiny, a diminutive but determined T-Rex in a big world, as he embraces all obstacles against him in his quest to learn how to hug. It's tentatively scheduled for spring 2019; Larissa Helena at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal on behalf of Elena Giovinazzo, who is currently on maternity leave; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.
Sylvie Frank at S&S/Wiseman has bought world rights to In a Garden by Watersong author Tim McCanna, illustrated by Aimée Sicuro, a rhyming celebration of plants and bugs. Publication is set for spring 2020; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Ottaviano has acquired world rights to A Boy with a Dream: From the Pen of Charles Schulz, a picture book biography of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, written by Ginger Wadsworth and illustrated by Craig Orback. The book is scheduled for 2019; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Liz Sanders at the Liz Sanders Agency represented the illustrator.
Talia Benamy at Philomel has bought author-illustrator Sarah Brannen's picture book, Bear Needs Help, which tells the story of a bear whose shoelaces have come undone, and his search for someone to help him and show some kindness. Publication is set for summer 2019; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency handled the deal for world rights.
