In the Country I Love by Alaa Al-Barkawi (Peachtree Teen)
Zoie Konneker at Peachtree Teen has bought In the Country I Love by debut author Alaa Al-Barkawi, a multi-POV contemporary YA novel that explores the complexities of friendship, grief, and family through the story of two Iraqi American best friends—a teen single father whose Shia Muslim faith has lapsed and the community's devout golden boy—before, during, and after a crime that will alter their lives and unearth dark truths their families have worked to keep hidden. Publication is set for summer 2026; Jenissa Graham at BookEnds Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Victoria Dare and the Blood of Kings by Josh Roberts (Owl Hollow Press)
Hannah Smith at Owl Hollow Press has acquired world English rights to Victoria Dare and the Blood of Kings, a historical YA fantasy pitched as Indiana Jones meets The Diviners, by Josh Roberts (The Witches of Willow Cove). In 1939, when the world is on the brink of war, 16-year-old Victoria Dare accompanies her father on an excavation to uncover a lost Egyptian tomb, where she is drawn into a plot involving Nazi occultists, Bolshevik assassins, and a mysterious figure her psychic friend calls "The Shrouded Man." Publication is set for spring 2026; Becky LeJeune at Bond Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.
The Game of Oaths by S.C. Bandreddi (Candlewick) - not yet added to Goodreads.
S.C. Bandreddi's debut THE GAME OF OATHS, set in a Belle Epoque Paris magical circus led by a ruthless enchanteur, where each year, 12 members must participate in a brutal tournament watched by the city's elite; following a young trapeze artist whose sister died in the previous year's games, and this year, she is out for revenge, to Lindsay Warren at Candlewick, and to Emily McDonnell at Walker UK, for publication in May 2026, by Catherine Cho at Paper Literary (world).
May 5th
Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb (Scholastic) - moved from April 2026.
Embark on a thrilling journey with Goldenborn, where a teen girl must navigate a hidden realm of Ghanaian gods and supernatural crimes in San Francisco's AfricaTown to save her father and uncover her true power.
Ever since an unexplained orb of blazing light left her father in a coma, seventeen-year-old Akoma Addo's secret job investigating supernatural crimes in San Francisco's AfricaTown has served as a distraction from her grief. But when a dead body is discovered in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma is drawn into a hidden world of Ghanaian gods and mages led by the trickster, storytelling god himself, Anansi. Soon, Anansi reels Akoma in with a proposition-one that promises to revive her father and snare the serial killer she's been hunting-as long as she agrees to lie to everyone she loves and awaken her ancestral magic... becoming the very type of supernatural being she's dedicated herself to fighting.
All of which complicates things with Xander, the new boy in town who's seriously gorgeous and vying for her attention. Lying has never come easily to Akoma. But in a world of assassins and double agents, she'll learn to spin her own stories-and discover whether she can trust a god famous for his duplicity.
Fear of Falling by Suzanne Samin and Amalas Rosa (G.P. Putnam and Sons) - YA graphic novel.
Ruta Rimas at Putnam has bought, in a six-figure auction, Fear of Falling, a co-created YA graphic novel with text by Suzanne Samin and art by Amalas Rosa. The book follows two former best friends from the Bronx: Aran, a Syrian American teen grappling with his mother's death, and Tao, a college basketball star with ADHD. When Tao moves back home after getting injured, both must confront the love they thought they'd left behind. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights.
May 12th
Smash or Pass by Birdie Schae (Knopf)
Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has bought Birdie Schae's debut YA novel, Smash or Pass. The sapphic romance follows 16-year-old Ellie, an autistic people-pleaser whose plan to reinvent herself at beach volleyball summer camp takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself falling for her grumpy teammate. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal for North American rights.
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