Karen Lotz at Candlewick has acquired world rights to a new novel by Newbery Medalist Katherine Paterson. The as-yet-untitled middle grade novel is set in Cuba, and is scheduled for publication in spring 2018. Allison Cohen at the Gersh Agency negotiated the deal.


Sara Sargent at HarperCollins has bought, at auction, Unfiltered: Shame, No Regrets, Just Me by actress and model Lily Collins, a collection of essays about body image, self-confidence, relationships, family, dating, and more. Publication is planned for March 2017; CAA brokered the deal for North American rights.


Jenny Bak at Little, Brown's Jimmy Patterson imprint has acquired debut author Farrah Penn's 12 Steps to Normal, about a teen who moves back home after her father finishes Sober Living rehabilitation and finds her life upside-down. When she develops her own 12 steps to get back to normal, she has to redefine what “normal” really is. Publication is set for summer 2018; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media sold world English rights.

Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins's Balzer + Bray has bought the debut novel of TV host Angelo Surmelis. The Art of Blending In is a coming-of-age novel about an immigrant teen boy whose extremely religious mother does not approve of his growing attraction to another boy or his artistic endeavors, and becomes increasingly abusive. It's slated for spring 2018; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan did the deal for North American rights.

Aubrey Poole at Little, Brown's Jimmy Patterson imprint has acquired debut author Lyndsay Ely's Gunslinger Girl, a genre-bending Western set in the future. Serendipity "Pity" Jones runs away from home to join the lawless Theater Vespertine as a trick sharpshooter, but there's a dark cost for her freedom. Publication is planned for January 2018; Laura Zats of Red Sofa Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.

Jill Santopolo at Philomel has bought two middle-grade novels from Lisa Graff, the NBA-nominated author of A Tangle of Knots. In the first, Above and Beyond, ever since her mother died, 12-year-old Cara has traveled with her Aunt Sadie, a psychic medium, but when they make an unscheduled stop at Cara's hometown, she is shocked to discover that her mother is still alive. Publication is scheduled for summer 2018, with a second book to follow in summer 2019. Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.

Bethany Buck at Sky Pony Press has acquired world rights to Edgar Award-winner J.W. Ocker's middle grade novel, Death and Douglas, in which a boy whose family runs the local funeral home discovers that there's a killer in his New England town, and is determined to track him down. Publication is set for fall 2017; the author was unagented.

Emilia Rhodes at HarperCollins has bought K.A. Reynolds's debut middle grade novel, pitched as Coraline meets Henry Selick, about a girl who must journey into the Land of Yesterday in order to hunt down the evil haunted house that has kidnapped her family. The book, currently untitled, is planned for summer 2018; a second standalone middle grade novel is slated for 2019. Thao Le of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency sold world English rights.

Alexandra Cooper at HarperCollins has acquired at auction, Where the Watermelons Grow, a debut by Cindy Baldwin. In this middle-grade novel, 12-year-old Della will do anything to cure her mother's schizophrenia and keep her family together – even if it means asking for help from the eccentric Bee Lady, and making up from her worst-ever fight with her best friend. Publication is slated for summer 2018; Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown did the two-book deal for world rights.

Mary-Kate Gaudet at Little, Brown has bought world rights to a new picture book, Dandy, by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Charles Santoso. The story of a girl and her chosen bestie – the lone dandelion on Daddy's otherwise “perfect” lawn – celebrates fathers, daughters, and diverse friendships. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Scott Treimel at Scott Treimel New York represented the author and Justin Rucker of Shannon Associates represented the illustrator.

Joy Peskin at FSG has acquired The Hugely Wugely Spider, written by Ethan T. Berlin (l.), an Emmy Award-nominated writer and performer, and illustrated by Karl Newsom Edwards, author and illustrator of Fly! The story tells of a spider who is anything but itsy-bitsy, and how he uses his large size to his advantage when the rain comes down. Publication is planned for spring 2018; the author and illustrator represented themselves in the deal for world rights.

Neal Porter at Roaring Brook's Neal Porter Books has bought Trevor, a picture book by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Amy Hevron, about a caged canary who forms an unlikely friendship with a bright yellow… lemon. It's set for spring 2018; Deborah Warren at East/West Literary represented the author and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.

Louise May at Lee & Low has acquired Shirley Opens a Door, a picture book by Kathryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Eric Velasquez, a biography of groundbreaking politician and educator Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 became the first African-American congresswoman and in 1972 became the first African-American to become a major party candidate for president. Publication is set for fall 2018; Adriana Domínguez of Full Circle Literary represented the author and Rubin Pfeffer of Rubin Pfeffer Content represented the illustrator.

Rotem Moscovich at Disney-Hyperion has bought Wanted: Women Mathematicians, a picture book co-authored by Tami Lewis Brown (l.) and Debbie Loren Dunn. It tells the story of three women innovators whose pioneering, collaborative work in computer programming helped to win WWII and change the world. Publication is slated for 2019; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.

Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired three books by debut middle-grade author Jessica Townsend. In the story, a girl born with a curse is snatched from the jaws of death by a stranger who invites her to compete in four dangerous trials to join an elite society in a secret city. Ling bought world English rights to the series at auction with Helen Thomas at Orion Children's/Hachette UK and Fiona Hazard at Hachette Australia. Gemma Cooper at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal.

In a two-book deal, Anna Bloom at Scholastic has bought Gaby, Lost and Found author Angela Cervantes's middle grade mystery, Finding Frida, about a girl who accompanies her professor mother on a research fellowship to her father's birth country of Mexico, only to become entangled in a mystery involving an artifact once owned by Frida Kahlo. Publication for the books is slated for spring 2018 and spring 2019, respectively. Adriana Dominguez at Full Circle Literary brokered the deal for world rights.

Lee Wade at Random House/Schwartz & Wade Books has acquired world rights to April Stevens's middle grade debut The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley, about an offbeat girl who struggles to come to terms with her loss after the death of her best friend, her elderly school bus driver. Publication is set for spring 2018; Carrie Hannigan at Hannigan Salky Getzler brokered the deal.


Sarah Dotts Barley at Flatiron Books has bought North American rights to Melissa Albert's debut novel, The Hazel Wood, in a mid-six-figure preempt. Billed as The Magicians for YA readers, the novel follows 17-year-old Alice, who has spent her whole life fleeing the long shadow of her grandmother's cult collection of pitch-dark fairy tales. When Alice's mother is taken by the world behind the stories, Alice must journey there to retrieve her. It's slated for spring 2018; Faye Bender at the Book Group negotiated the deal.

Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to The Leaving author Tara Altebrando's next YA novel, The Opposite of Here, a Hitchcockian thriller about a girl who meets her dream boy on the first night of a Caribbean cruise – only to have him mysteriously vanish – and a second, untitled YA novel. Publication for The Opposite of Here is scheduled for spring 2018. David Dunton at Harvey Klinger brokered the deal.

Michael Strother at Harlequin Teen has bought A.R. Kahler's Runebinder, first in a post-apocalyptic fantasy series following Tenn, a Hunter fighting against the monsters that have overrun the world and those who control them. As he tries to learn more about his magic, he falls into a deadly game of love and power. Publication is planned for fall 2017; Laurie McLean at Fuse Literary did the three-book deal for world rights.

Sarah Dotts Barley at Flatiron Books has acquired If I Was Your Girl author Meredith Russo's new novel, Birthday, following two very different teenagers meeting on their shared 13th birthday, setting into motion a series of events that will shape who they are and who they're destined to become. Publication is set for summer 2018; Hayley Wagreich and Joelle Hobeika at Alloy Entertainment sold North American rights.

Adrienne Szpyrka at Running Press Kids has preempted Douglas Rees's YA novel, Elektra's Adventures in Tragedy, in which a teenage girl is transplanted from Mississippi to Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and drifters sandwiched between San Jose and the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. It's scheduled for fall 2017; Laurie McLean at Fuse Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.

Vicki Lame at St. Martin's/Wednesday Books has bought Gae Polisner's In Sight of Stars. It tells the story of Klee, a teenage artist reeling from the death of his father, who spends time in a psychiatric hospital where he must review the pieces of his life—what was true, what was real, and whether he can learn to function again. Publication is slated for winter 2018; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal for world rights.

Nancy Inteli at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to children's musician and Sunny Side UpTV host Tim Kubart's debut picture book,Oopsie-Do, illustrated by Lori Richmond, which shows kids how to shrug off everyday blunders and turn frustration into giggles. Publication is set for summer 2018; the author represented himself, and Lori Kilkelly at Rodeen Literary Management represented the illustrator.

Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has bought three picture books by author-illustrator Ed Vere, with the first book slated for summer 2018. Barry Goldblatt at Barry Goldblatt Literary sold North American rights.


Jennifer Greene at Clarion Books has acquired at auction the picture book Moon, plus a sequel, by Alison Oliver, illustrator of the Baby Lit books. Moon has a full life that is maybe a little too busy, until one night when she meets a wolf who teaches her to howl, to play, to be still, and to be wild. Publication is planned for spring 2018; Susan Hawk at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.

Jill Davis at HarperCollins has bought author-illustrator Selina Alko's picture book, Before Joni Sang, a biography of Joni Mitchell, inspired by Mitchell's music and lyrics. It's scheduled for fall 2018; Marietta B. Zacker of Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.


Catherine Onder at Bloomsbury has acquired world rights to Monster's Trucks, a picture book by Rebecca Van Slyke, illustrated by Joe Sutphin, about a monster who will not let you touch his trucks – but what happens if you go ahead anyway? Publication is slated for fall 2018; Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author and Edward Maxwell at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the illustrator.

Kate O'Sullivan at HMH has bought Family Trees, a picture book written by Jolene Thompson and illustrated by Justin K. Thompson. This nonfiction title from the husband-wife team behind Faraway Fox showcases diverse trees from around the world and the extended families of flora and fauna they each sustain. Publication is scheduled for spring 2019; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions did the deal for world rights.