Dana Leydig at Puffin has acquired two novels by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley. The first, As We Go Forth, is a contemporary romance told in alternating perspectives; it features Juniper and Fitz, two high school seniors with vastly different views about the future, who meet unexpectedly on their respective college tours. Publication is planned for spring 2020; Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Rosemary Brosnan at HarperTeen has bought The Lies They Tell author and Edgar Award finalist Gillian French's new thriller, The Missing Season. The book is set in a fictional town in Maine, where every Halloween another kid goes missing. Though the town's adults offer excuses, the kids know what's behind it: a horrific monster they call The Mumbler. Publication is set for May 2019; Alice Tasman at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks has acquired, at auction, Helene Dunbar's Blood Makes Noise, a YA coming-of-age story set in New York City in 1983 under the looming storm of the AIDS crisis. Sixteen-year-old Michael and his friends must define themselves in a time when information is scarce, rumor is abundant, and sex and fear are becoming intertwined. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Lauren MacLeod at the Strothman Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Lynne Polvino at Clarion has bought Betsy Cornwell's The Circus Rose, pitched as a YA retelling of “Snow White and Rose Red” for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sarah J. Maas. In the book, twin circus performers discover that their beloved dancing bear is a cursed princess, and they must rescue her and the rest of their troupe from an evil priest. It will be published in fall 2019; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Christopher Myers has acquired Gravity by Sarah Deming for his Make Me a World imprint, in partnership with Knopf Books for Young Readers. The YA novel stars an Olympics-caliber female boxer who comes of age physically and emotionally in a neighborhood gym; Jennifer M. Brown will edit. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Trident Media Group did the deal for world rights.
Kathy Dawson has bought for her eponymous imprint at Penguin two middle grade books by debut author Gail Shepherd. The first book, The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins, is a coming-of-age story set in Tennessee about Lyndon Baines Hawkins, daughter of a veteran, whose love of history, especially family history, puts her in direct opposition to her fusspot grandmother, who'd rather keep secrets than get her son the help he needs. Publication is planned for spring 2019; Bob Diforio at D4EO Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Tricia Lin at Aladdin has acquired The Distance to Home author Jenn Bishop's new middle grade novel, Man of the House, in which Drew navigates changing friendships, deceptive first impressions, and constructions of masculinity as he searches for closure three years after his father’s suicide. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020; Katie Grimm at Don Congdon Associates negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Robin Herrera at Oni Press has bought world rights to the middle grade graphic novel A Jaywalker's Journal by Mat Heagerty, illustrated by Natasha Huffstutler. The semi-autobiographical story follows Maty, a junior high school student with dyslexia and low self-esteem. Starting a punk band with his best friends, and with an honors student he initially dislikes, brings Maty out of his shell. Publication is set for 2021; the author and the illustrator were unagented.
Christian Trimmer at Holt has acquired two picture books by Winnieillustrator Jonathan Voss. The first book tells the story of a girl, a bird, and a wish; the second is the sequel to Voss's forthcoming book, Brave Enough for Two. Publication for the first book is slated for summer 2019; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management brokered the deal for world rights.
Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has bought author-illustrator Julie Fortenberry's picture book, Dancing Pearl, about a girl who spends a lot of time in her mother's dance studio and now needs to decide between preschool and dance—or does she? Publication is planned for summer 2020; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency handled the deal for world rights.
Amy Novesky and Tom Peterson at the Creative Company have acquired world rights to Yevgenia Nayberg's picture book, The Adventure of the Russian Typewriter, about a Russian typewriter that discovers a new life in America while managing to preserve its unique voice. Publication is set for fall 2020; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary represented the author-illustrator.
Miranda Gardner at Discovery House has bought the first two board books in Jennifer Grant's Consider series, Consider the Birds of the Air and Consider the Lilies of the Field. The series introduces educational concepts and invites spiritual contemplation. Publication for both books is scheduled for spring 2019; Adria Goetz at Martin Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to Being Edie Is Hard Today by The S.A.H.D. Life blogger and author Ben Brashares, with art by debut illustrator Elizabeth Bergeland. A sensitive girl imagines transforming into different animals to cope with the difficulty of managing her emotions at school. Publication is slated for spring 2019; Jodi Reamer at Writers House represented the author and the illustrator.
Erin Stein at Macmillan/Imprint has bought world rights to Marcie Colleen's (l.) picture book, The Bear's Garden, about an intrepid girl, her beloved stuffed bear, and the garden they create in a forgotten corner of their city. The story is inspired by a community garden in Brooklyn, N.Y. Alison Oliver will illustrate; publication is set for winter 2020. Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary represented both the author and the illustrator.
Tamar Brazis at Abrams has acquired Cloth Lullaby author Amy Novesky's (l.) Girl on a Motorcycle, a picture book biography of Anne-France Dautheville, one of the first women to ride her motorcycle around the world solo. Bloom illustrator Julie Morstad will illustrate; publication is planned for fall 2020. Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.
Krista Marino at Delacorte has acquired, and will edit, Skyward, a new YA series by Brandon Sanderson, bestselling author of fantasy and science-fiction books for both teens and adults. Skyward tells the story of a girl named Spensa, who dreams of becoming a pilot in a world at war with an alien race called the Krell. Spensa's fate is intertwined with that of her father, a pilot killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving his daughter's chances of attending Flight School slim to none. Publication is set for November 6, with a first printing of 250,000 copies; Eddie Schneider and Joshua Bilmes at JABberwocky Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American and open market rights.
Caroline Abbey at Random House has bought at auction bestselling author Katharine McGee's American Royals and a sequel. A reimagining of modern-day America as a monarchy, the book tells the tale of the American royal family: the most famous family in the world, who play out their dramas on the greatest stage of all. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019, followed by a sequel in 2020; Josh Bank, Sara Shandler, and Joelle Hobeika at Alloy Entertainment negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights.
Erin Stein at Macmillan/Imprint has acquired The Backups, a YA graphic novel by Alex de Campi, illustrated by Lara Kane. Jenni, Lauren, and Maggie are three talented teens from a big-city performing arts high school, who get dream summer jobs as backup singers in pop star Nika Nitro's giant tour. When Jenni starts to realize that her crush on Nika's boyfriend and bandmate might be mutual, and that the all-girl indie-metal band that is touring with them might have it in for her, things get complicated. Publication is slated for winter 2020; Charlie Olsen at InkWell Management did the deal for world English rights.
Liesa Abrams at Simon Pulse has bought This May Hurt a Bit, the YA debut for Doogie Horner, art director at Quirk Books. Pitched in the vein of Mosquitoland and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, the book is about a seriously bad day in the life of Kirby Burns, in which he faces dangerous classmates, discovers that a friend is hiding a terrible secret, and grapples with the one-year anniversary of his sister's death. Publication is planned for summer 2019; Daniel Lazar at Writers House handled the deal for North American rights.
Daniel Ehrenhaft at Soho Teen has acquired Katherine Field Rothschild's debut novel, Hope and Other Feathered Things. The book follows the dual stories of twin sisters, coping with the aftermath of their father's sudden death. When their mother moves them to a ramshackle mansion in California, the twins discover that both parents were hiding secrets about their sexual identities. Publication is set for spring 2020; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for USCPOM rights.
Christian Trimmer and Brian Geffen at Henry Holt have bought Yahoo Sports columnist and bestselling author Dan Wetzel's Epic Athletes, a series of middle-grade sports biographies that focuses on today's superstars. The series, which will include comic-style interior art from Cory Thomas, Zeke Peña, and others, kicks off with Stephen Curry, Alex Morgan, Serena Williams, and Tom Brady. Publication of the first four books is scheduled for spring 2019; Jay Mandel at WME negotiated the eight-book deal for North American rights.
Emily Seife at Scholastic has acquired India Hill's untitled debut middle-grade novel, about a girl who accidentally summons a ghost on a snowy night. With the help of her best friend, family, and neighbors, she must solve a mystery to help the spirit bring justice to an abandoned segregated graveyard and finally find peace. Publication is planned for 2019; Holly Root represented the author in the world rights deal.
Michael Strother at Little, Brown has bought Kurt Kirchmeier's debut, The Absence of Sparrows, in a preempt. Pitched as The Age of Miraclesmeets The Thing About Jellyfish with a Stranger Things twist, the middle grade novel stars 11-year-old bird watcher Ben Cameron who must stand against his own brother to keep his father in one piece after the Glass Plague sweeps through his town and a voice on the radio calls for the simultaneous shattering of all victims. Publication is slated for spring 2019; Ali Herring at Spencerhill Associates did the deal for world rights.
Julie Bliven at Charlesbridge has acquired, at auction, Abby Cooper's middle grade novel, How to Build a Best Friend, a magical realism story about Jade's imaginary friend Zoe who, once contained within the made-up pages of Jade's notebook, materializes as a real person in Jade's transient hometown. Publication is set for fall 2019; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House represented the author in the deal for North American rights.
Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Carolrhoda has bought Nicole Valentine's debut middle grade novel, A Time Traveler's Theory of Relativity, about a science-loving boy who finds out the women in his family are time travelers and who must learn to trust in the implausible if he wants to find his missing mother. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Linda Epstein at Emerald City Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Kristen Nobles at Page Street has acquired Misty Schroe's debut picture book, Jumping Mouse, a retelling of a classic tale that follows the journey of one small mouse with a big dream, illustrated through ceramic sculptures and photography. Publication is slated for fall 2019; the author-illustrator represented herself in the deal for world rights.
Lee Wade at Schwartz & Wade has bought world rights to Andrea Pippins's Hey, Baby!, a photographic board book about a baby's day, and How to Be You, a picture book about community, family, and the joy of discovering beauty, strength, and love in the people around you. Publication is planned for fall 2019 and spring 2020; the author was unagented.
Charlotte Wenger at Page Street has acquired world rights to Danielle Davison's (l.) debut picture book, The Traveler, illustrated by Anne Lambelet. The book tells the tale of Liam, a lonely boy who spends his days in the harbor, longing for companionship and adventure. When a mysterious man with a magical tapestry arrives at the harbor, he and Liam embark on a journey, finding friendship and magic that neither wants to end. Publication is scheduled for fall 2019; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary brokered the deal for the author and the illustrator.
Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow has bought A Tree, a Star, and a Bear by Lola Schaefer (l.), illustrated by Bethanne Anderson. Early one December morning, a little bear sees a star, and knows it is time to call animals, men, women and children to come to the stable. Each carries a gift, only to find that the finest treasure awaits. The book is set for fall 2019; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has acquired world rights to Carrie Finison's (l.) picture book debut, Dozens of Doughnuts, illustrated by Brianne Farley, in which a generous but increasingly put-upon bear makes batch after batch of doughnuts for her woodland friends without saving any for herself. Publication is slated for summer 2020; Linda Epstein at Emerald City Literary Agency represented the author, and Paul Rodeen at Rodeen Literary Management represented the illustrator.
