Sourcebooks has acquired the rights to The Academy, T.Z. Layton’s self-published series of children’s books about 12-year-old Leo, a star athlete who belongs to an elite youth soccer squad known as The Academy. According to Sourcebooks, the five volumes in the series, which target readers ages seven to 13, have sold 350,000 copies total since The Academy I debuted in 2022. Sourcebooks has also acquired the rights to publish three hitherto unpublished volumes that are still in development. Film rights have been optioned by Rubicon Global Media and Bedrock Entertainment.
Layton is also creating a new series for Sourcebooks, scheduled to debut in fall 2026, with a protagonist who is a member of a girls’ volleyball team.
The Sourcebooks editions of The Academy I and The Academy II will be released in September with a 150,000-copy initial print run for each volume. Further books will be released in quick succession: The Academy III and The Academy IV in January 2026; and The Academy V in March 2026. The Academy VI, which has not been published before, will be released on May 5, 2026, a month before the World Cup kicks off in June. The pub dates for books VII and VIII have not been scheduled yet.
In a release, Layton, who writes adult fiction under the name of Layton Green, recalled that he’d started writing the series for his son, an enthusiastic soccer player who could not find a contemporary series set in the soccer world for readers his age, “especially one aimed at boys.” Noting how many letters he’s received from parents and educators telling him that The Academy is “helping to bring reluctant readers into the world of books,” Layton expressed his appreciation to Sourcebooks for reaching out to him “with an innovative and exciting plan to maximize the reach and true potential of the series.”
“We knew immediately that The Academy was something special,” Sourcebooks publisher and CEO Dominique Raccah said in a statement. “Independent booksellers have been among its biggest champions, telling us the series is flying off shelves and captivating young readers. It’s clear that Layton has tapped into a powerful blend of sports, storytelling, and heart.”
