Nancy Siscoe at Knopf has acquired Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell (the Impossible Creatures series), a pocket-sized celebration of the joys and vital importance of children's literature for adult readers. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Pete Knapp at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management sold North American rights on behalf of Claire Wilson at RCW Literary.
Phoebe Yeh at Crown Books for Young Readers has bought Jin Young, In Between, Ellen Oh's YA novel about two star-crossed lovers trapped in parallel worlds and the lengths they go to be together, even if it means the undoing of their worlds. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired, at auction, James Trevino (l.) and Elizabeth Sagan's Gravespell and two sequels. The first in a contemporary fantasy series pitched as Netflix's Wednesday at a school for magic, by way of One of Us Is Lying, the book follows four teens accused of murdering the daughter of the American President of Magic, while the world around them teeters on the edge of a brutal civil war between those born with magic and those born without. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Peter Knapp at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management sold North American rights.
Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has bought world English rights to the YA graphic novel Perfect Season by authors and filmmakers Rebekah McKendry (l.) and David Ian McKendry (c.), illustrated by Fern Roberts (r.). Pitched as Friday Night Lights meets Scream, the book follows the new girl in town as she investigates the high school football team that would do anything to maintain their winning streak—including human sacrifice. Publication is tentatively set for spring 2028; Bridget Smith and Valentina Sainato at JABberwocky Literary Agency represented the authors, and Claire Draper at Au Literary Management represented the illustrator.
Tamara Grasty at Page Street has acquired Monica Chin's debut novel Don't Print This, a queer YA mystery about a boy who becomes entangled in the murder investigation of a local reporter in order to rebuild his relationship with his best friend, who also happens to be the reporter's son. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Nicole Eisenbraun at Ginger Clark Literary handled the deal for world rights.
Liz Kossnar at Little, Brown has bought world rights to Too Big to Say, an upper middle grade novel with graphic novel elements, written by Lambda Award-winning author Phil Bildner (l.) and illustrated by Lambda Award-winning creator Mike Curato, about two friends who help each other make tough decisions while on a joint mission to hike up a mountain and climb a fire tower, pitched as an LGBTQ+ Stand by Me for fans of The Trouble with Heroes and Hey, Kiddo. Publication is set for winter 2027; Erin Murphy while at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the illustrator.
Anuoluwapo Ohioma at Disney/Freedom Fire has acquired two books in a new paranormal horror series for middle graders, Monster Hunters of Lost Lake by Damara Allen (The Skeleton Flute). Siblings Charlie and Claire discover that their unassuming grandfather has been secretly protecting the town of Lost Lake from monsters. When something happens to him, it's up to them to step outside their comfort zones and pick up where he left off. Publication will begin in spring 2028; Emily Keyes at Keyes Agency did the deal for world rights.
Margot Blankier at Tundra Books has bought Frogatha's Birthday, a picture book by debut author-illustrator Eva Lou Phillips, winner of the MICA Ezra Jack Keats Collegiate Bookmaking Competition. The story introduces Frogatha, a frog girl living in a human world, who is afraid of the spotlight and must hatch a plan to avoid celebrating her birthday at school. Publication is scheduled for spring 2028, with a second book to follow in spring 2029; Claire Morance and Shadra Strickland at Painted Words sold world rights.
Laura Godwin at Godwin Books has acquired world rights to A Super Definitely True Story of the Great Animal Race by Dane Liu (l.), illustrated by Aki, a cheeky picture book retelling of the zodiac race folktale, in which the winner Rat sets the record straight, featuring an evil Jade Emperor and gutsy Rat, who helped all the animals stand up and fight back. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Wendi Gu at HG Literary represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Agency represented the illustrator.
Ellen Cormier at Dial has bought world rights to The Explorers, a picture book by Dee Hahn (l.), illustrated by Ashlyn Anstee. No one loves exploring quite like Etta and Grandma Maisie—but with Etta off to school and Grandma Maisie off to the retirement home, their adventures seem worlds apart. Publication is planned for summer 2026; Naomi Davis at BookEnds represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Brian Geffen and Carina Licon at Holt Books for Young Readers preempted world rights in a six-figure, two-book deal to MS Duirham's YA debut, The Only, pitched as The Hunger Games and The Selection. In a corporate theocracy, a child is chosen every 10 years to be the living embodiment of the Goddess, worshiped until she turns 17, and then is ritually beheaded. As the current Only begins to question her duty to sacrifice herself, she crosses paths with a commoner who refuses to accept the corporation's lies, and the two girls team up to take on the men in power and burn it all down. Publication is set for winter 2028; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal.
Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has acquired, at auction, The Murder at the End of This Book by E.K. Johnston, a speculative YA novel in which an apprentice time traveler finds a dead boy in her hotel room bathtub and is thrown into a complicated paradox where she must work with him to solve his murder in order to prevent it. Publication is scheduled for 2027; Josh Adams at Adams Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Jennifer Ung at Quill Tree has bought Foreigners, the next YA novel by E.L. Shen (The Queens of New York), a multigenerational family saga in which a young immigrant woman's secrets in the 1960s have shocking and reverberating effects in the present day. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency sold North American rights.
Margot Blankier at Tundra Books has acquired Anna Abudi's debut novel, Clockwork Souls, a YA-crossover steampunk romantasy pitched as Red, White, and Royal Blue meets Gideon the Ninth. Set in an alternate Napoleonic Paris powered by reanimated corpses and riddled with demons, a magical bureaucrat and his long-time rival reluctantly team up to find Frankenstein's lost research, but each is hiding dangerous secrets. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Jamie Vankirk at Rainbow Nerds Literary did the six-figure, two-book deal for world rights.
Cindy Harris at Andrews McMeel has bought world rights to Alex Kahler (l.) and Meghan Boehman 's YA graphic novel, The Cursebreakers. The story follows a group of young teens who seek refuge in a manor of curious artifacts, unleashing an ancient evil that threatens to destroy their entire town, unless they can hunt down and break the curses on the haunted artifacts. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal.
Gráinne Clear and Emily McDonnell at Walker Books, with Sarah Ketchersid and Audrey Iocca at Candlewick Press, have acquired world rights to The Unchosen One by Amy Sparkes, a middle grade trilogy opener that takes common fantasy tropes and spins them on their head. Unhappy with being proclaimed the Chosen One, Tassie must set out with her best friend, a griffin called Spin, on a quest through magical lands to find a new Chosen One before it's too late. Simultaneous publication is set for summer 2026; Julia Churchill at AM Heath handled the deal.
Laura Whitaker-Jones at Moon + Bird has bought, in a two-book deal, world rights to the History Channel's The Curse of Oak Island research team Corjan Mol (l.) and Christopher Morford's new middle grade fiction series The Sandbar Six, meant to transform young readers into detectives, placing them in the center of real mysteries and treasure hunts throughout history. Publication of book one, tentatively titled The Secret of Morris Island, is planned for June 2027, with book two releasing in February 2028; the authors represented themselves.
Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to Beauty Emergency! by Maggie Smith (l.) (You Could Make This Place Beautiful), illustrated by Sarah Gonzales (winner of the Ezra Jack Keats illustrator award), a picture book based on the phrase and call to action Maggie coined to describe the beautiful but fleeting things we must stop and marvel at before they're gone. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Joy Tutela at David Black Literary represented the author, and Alexandra Levick at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Emily Duffy at Union Square Kids has bought world rights to The Resident Ghost by Anne Marie Pace (l.), illustrated by Leanne Hatch, a picture book about a friendly ghost who wants to go on vacation and must find a housesitter to fill in for him. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the author, and Janine Le at Janine Le Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Natalia Vázquez Torres at Charlesbridge has acquired Abuelito and I Go Fish by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, a picture book about a girl struggling to express and handle frustration, boredom, and other big emotions while on a fishing trip with her grandfather. A spring 2028 publication is planned; Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt sold world rights.
