The Drowning Summer by Christine Lynn Herman (Disney Hyperion)
Hannah Allaman at Disney-Hyperion has bought The Drowning Summer by The Devouring Gray author Christine Lynn Herman. The YA contemporary fantasy with shades of The Great Gatsby
follows two Long Island teenagers and fledgling mediums as they
investigate a murder that rocked their small town six years earlier when
three teenagers were found drowned with sand dollars laid over their
eyes.Publication is slated for spring 2021.
The Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim (Delacorte)
In the hidden desert city of Qalia, sixteen-year-old Imani dreams of joining the Council of Al-Zahim— the leaders who harness and protect her tribal nation’s secret tea magic. In neighboring Taeel-Sa, an orphan named Kazi has become an assassin to realize humbler dreams: regular food and a place to sleep. So when he’s offered unimaginable wealth to help a foreigner usurp Taeel-Sa’s throne, he jumps at it. What he doesn’t realize is he’s about to change the continent of Alqibah forever—and turn Imani’s dreams into a nightmare.
Upon seizing the throne, the new King invades Qalia, ruthlessly pursuing the source of the magic: a limitless power sealed in a magical vault beneath the city. The Council entrusts Imani with smuggling the vault’s key far away from the besieged city, thwarting Kazi’s attempts to secure it on behalf of the King. Furious, the King gives Kazi one chance to redeem himself: he must kill Imani and return the key.
But there are others who plot to steal it. If Imani and Kazi are to triumph, they’ll both need help— and maybe magic of their own. Little do they know, the ancient magic that divides them is what ultimately links them.
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (Putnam)
Seventeen-year-old Iris Hollow has always been strange. Something happened to her and her two older sisters when they were children, something they can’t quite remember but that left each of them with an identical half-moon scar at the base of their throats.
Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.
As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.
The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous – and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.
Treasure Island by C.B. Lee (Fiewel and Friends)
Feiwel and Friends has announced the 2021 launch of Reclaimed Classics, a YA series that will offer a fresh perspective on timeless works of literature. Written by various authors, the novels will uphold the core plot points, characters, and themes of the familiar versions of classic novels, yet these key components will be filtered through the lenses of the writers’ diverse experiences. Spearheaded by assistant editor Emily Settle, Reclaimed Classics will debut in spring 2021 with Treasure Island by C.B. Lee and will continue with Little Women by Bethany C. Morrow (fall 2021), Robin Hood by Aminah Mae Safi (winter 2022), and Wuthering Heights by Tasha Suri (spring 2022).
Off the Record by Camryn Garrett (Knopf) - UK/AUS release date set but not US.
What would you sacrifice to expose the truth?
From Camryn Garrett, whose debut Full Disclosure was called "honest, eye-opening and heartful" by Angie Thomas, comes a ripped-from-the-headlines story of a teen journalist who stumbles across the #metoo story of the decade and has to weigh the risks against the need to fight for justice.
Mortal Remains by Mary Ann Fraser (Sterling Teen)
Ardi Alspach at Sterling Children's Books has acquired world English rights to debut novelist Mary Ann Fraser's Mortal Remains, pitched as Six Feet Under meets Edward Scissorhands. The YA gothic romance follows 17-year-old Lily McCrae, the resident cosmetologist at her family's funeral home, and the mysterious boy she rescues from certain death who strangely reminds her of a childhood crush—a boy who died five years before. Publication is set for spring 2021 under the new Sterling Teen imprint; Abigail Samoun at Red Fox Literary handled the deal.
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer (Bloomsbury)
Mary Kate Castellani, executive editor at Bloomsbury in the US, bought world rights from Mandy Hubbard at Emerald City Literary Agency to the first book in a new fantasy series, tentatively titled Defy the Night.
"Her fans are in for another treat with Defy the Night, a heart-pounding story with incredible stakes ....Defy the Night coming in Spring 2021. "
Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn (Wednesday Books)
Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books has acquired world rights to Erin Hahn’s (You'd Be Mine) third and fourth books, starting with YA novel Never Saw You Coming. Raised by extra conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg just found out that her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet the family she never knew existed. While there, she meets 19-year-old former pastor's kid Micah, who has his own complicated relationship with the church. Publication is set for spring 2021; Kate McKean of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency did the deal.
Remember Me by Estelle Laure (Wednesday Books)
Wednesday Books has acquired Estelle Laure's YA novel, Remember Me. Inspired by Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the story follows Remy, who rediscovers herself while on a mission to recover the troubling memories she has had erased in order to avoid her heartbreak. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021.
The Ojja-Wojja: A Teen Horror Mystery or Whatever, You Know? by Magdalene Visaggio and Jenn St-Onge (Balzer + Bray)
Jordan Brown at Balzer + Bray has bought, in a six-publisher auction, The Ojja-Wojja: A Teen Horror Mystery or Whatever, You Know?, a queer-positive graphic novel by Magdalene Visaggio (l.) and Jenn St-Onge. Val Malloy is an autistic kid with two interests: the supernatural and her best friend, Lanie. When Val and Lanie accidentally unleash a mysterious entity known as the Ojja-Wojja, transforming their town into a mind-controlled cult, they must team up with other misfits to stop it. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Charlie Olsen at InkWell Management brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
The Beautiful Struggle: YA Edition by Ta Nehisi (Delacorte)
Beverly Horowitz at Delacorte has acquired adaptation rights to publish a young adult edition of Random House/One World's The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a memoir about growing up in 1980s in inner-city Baltimore with challenges on the streets as well as within his own family, especially the struggle for harmony between himself and his father. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Gloria Loomis at Watkins/Loomis Agency negotiated the deal for U.S., Canadian, and open market rights.
Fix by J. Albert Mann (Little, Brown)
Lisa Yoskowitz at Little, Brown has acquired, in a preempt, J. Albert Mann's next YA novel, Fix. In verse and prose, the novel explores a complicated friendship between two teen girls who were brought together and torn apart by their physical differences as one recovers from a major surgery and becomes increasingly dependent on pain medication. Publication is set for spring 2021; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan brokered the deal for world rights.
An Island Without You by Malulani Moreno (Amulet)
Anne Heltzel and Emily Daluga at Amulet have bought An Island Without You, a YA debut by Malulani Moreno. Set in contemporary Hawaii, this #OwnVoices novel features two boys struggling with identity and loss in their community after other boys in their town go missing. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio did the deal for North American rights.
Every Body Shines by Various YA Authors (Bloomsbury)
Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury has acquired Every Body Shines,
a YA short story anthology that celebrates body diversity and fat
acceptance in contemporary fiction and fantasy. In addition to a story
from editor Cassandra Newbould (of the Fat Like Me
podcast), the contributors are Nafiza Azad, Chris Baron, Sheena
Boekweg, Linda Camacho, Kelly DeVos, Alex Gino, Claire Kann, amanda
lovelace, Hillary Monahan, Francina Simone, Rebecca Sky, Monique Gray
Smith, Renée Watson, Catherine Adel West, and Jennifer Yen. Publication
is set for spring 2021; Jordan Hamessley at New Leaf brokered the deal
for world rights.
Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming of Age Story by Stacey Chomiak (Beaming Books)
Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books has bought Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming of Age Story by author-illustrator Stacey Chomiak. The YA illustrated memoir is about Chomiak’s teenage years of wrestling with her gay Christian identity, trying to become “ex-gay,” and eventually finding peace. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Claire Draper at the Bent Agency represented the author for world English rights.
Ghost Roast by Shawnee Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs (HMH)
Erika Turner at HMH/Versify has bought world rights to Ghost Roast, a YA graphic novel by Shawneé (l.) and Shawnelle Gibbs, sisters and authors of the Kickstarter-funded comic series, The Invention of Ej Whitaker. The book is about the 15-year-old daughter of a renowned paranormal specialist who is drawn into a dangerous romance after she discovers her own knack for communicating with ghosts. Emily Cannon will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2021. The authors and the artist represented themselves.
Naomi Krueger at Beaming Books has bought Still Stace: My Gay Christian Coming of Age Story by author-illustrator Stacey Chomiak. The YA illustrated memoir is about Chomiak’s teenage years of wrestling with her gay Christian identity, trying to become “ex-gay,” and eventually finding peace. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Claire Draper at the Bent Agency represented the author for world English rights.
Ghost Roast by Shawnee Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs (HMH)
Erika Turner at HMH/Versify has bought world rights to Ghost Roast, a YA graphic novel by Shawneé (l.) and Shawnelle Gibbs, sisters and authors of the Kickstarter-funded comic series, The Invention of Ej Whitaker. The book is about the 15-year-old daughter of a renowned paranormal specialist who is drawn into a dangerous romance after she discovers her own knack for communicating with ghosts. Emily Cannon will illustrate; publication is planned for spring 2021. The authors and the artist represented themselves.
Ink by Tori Bovalina (Page Street Kids)
Tess Matheson only wants three things: time to practice her cello, for her sister to be happy, and for everyone else to leave her alone.
Instead, Tess finds herself working all summer at her boarding school library, shelving books and dealing with the intolerable patrons. The worst of them is Eliot Birch: snide, privileged, and constantly requesting forbidden grimoires. After a bargain with Eliot leads to the discovery of an ancient book in the library's grimoire collection, the pair accidentally unleash a book-bound demon.
The demon will stop at nothing to stay free, manipulating ink to threaten those Tess loves and dismantling Eliot’s strange magic. Tess is plagued by terrible dreams of the devil and haunting memories of a boy who wears Eliot's face. All she knows is to stay free, the demon needs her... and he'll have her, dead or alive.
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock (Random House)
Dana Carey at Random House/Lamb has acquired, with Wendy Lamb editing, Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by William C. Morris Award finalist Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock (The Smell of Other People's Houses). The YA collection of interconnected short stories centers on teens across the rural American West whose lives blaze with secrets, rage, and love. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Doomed by Laura Pohl (Sourcebooks Fire)
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired world English rights to Doomed by Laura Pohl (The Last 8), the story of four troubled friends, one murdered girl, and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed. While investigating the murder of their best friend, four reimagined fairytale heroines must uncover connections to their ancient curses and attempt to forge their own paths before it's too late. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Sarah LaPolla at Bradford Literary Agency handled the deal.
The Haunting of Moon Basin by Alison Ames (Page Street Kids)
Ashley Hearn at Page Street has bought world English rights to author Alison Ames's debut, The Haunting of Moon Basin, a queer YA horror with shades of Sawkill Girls. After a mining explosion coated Moon Basin in ash, residents moved just outside the uninhabitable zone and set up a new settlement in the mine's shadow. Years later, the people of the New Basin begin experiencing strange phenomena—sleepwalking, night terrors, voices only they can hear—prompting four teen girls to investigate. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal.
Time Will Tell by Barry Lyga (Disney Hyperion)
Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to Time Will Tell by Barry Lyga (I Hunt Killers), a YA crime thriller ricocheting between the crimes of the past and present, where a group of teens unearth a time capsule buried by their parents when they were in high school, only to find a murder weapon inside. The book is scheduled for spring 2021; Kathleen Anderson at Anderson Literary Management negotiated the deal.
10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston (Disney Hyperion)
Laura Schreiber and Hannah Allaman at Disney-Hyperion have bought 10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston (10 Blind Dates), which has sold in 23 territories and for which Ace Entertainment has optioned film rights. The new story focuses on two different teens from the large Italian-American family of the first novel. When they swap phones—and life challenges—in the party-circuit run-up to high-school graduation, disastrous but transformative consequences unfold. Publication is set for spring 2021; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary brokered the deal for North American rights.
Fadeaway by E.B. Vickers (Knopf)
Michelle Frey at Knopf has preempted world rights to E.B. Vickers's YA debut, Fadeaway. When Jake Mercado goes missing the night after leading his basketball team to the state title, six of the people closest to him hold a piece of the puzzle that could lead to his return. But they each hold part of the blame, too. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.
Wake by Makiia Lucier (HMH)
Young Adult Fiction Makiia Lucier's WAKE, about the aftermath of a devastating plague and a young lord who discovers a terrible secret after he is charged with protecting the queen and discovering who is trying to kill her, to Nicole Sclama at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2021, by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media.
Of Sea and Venom by Trinidad Escobar (FSG)
Set in the 1500s Pacific Islands and near-future Oakland, Calif., the Own Voices story is about a teenage Priestess-in-training whose future in the divine sciences is challenged when unexpected conquistadors land on her tribe's beach. Publication is tentatively set for spring 2021
Mimon by Sas Miledge (Boom Box)
Filip Sablik at BOOM! Studios has acquired, for the BOOM! Box imprint, debut author-illustrator Sas Milledge's graphic novel Mimon, about a teen witch who must confront her grandmother's ghost to lift a curse and save her town from ruin. Publication is expected in spring 2021; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis (Delacorte)
Jessica Lewis's untitled witchy story full of black girl magic and black girl horror, in which a 16-year-old girl's dark ability to raise the dead offers a way out of poverty but simultaneously leads to tough choices about her future, to Alexandra Hightower at Delacorte, for publication in spring 2021, by Holly Root at Root Literary (world English).
Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve (Amulet)
Maggie Lehrman at Amulet has bought Between Perfect and Real and a second untitled YA novel by debut novelist Ray Stoeve. Everyone thinks Dean Foster is a lesbian, including the girlfriend he's falling in love with, but when he's cast as Romeo in the school play, he realizes he can't go back to being seen as a girl when he steps off the stage and needs everyone to know he's a trans guy. Publication is set for spring 2021; Lauren Abramo at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did the deal for world English rights. Stoeve is the creator of the YA Trans Ownvoices Masterlist and a contributor to Take the Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance, a forthcoming anthology.
A Season of Sinister Dreams by Tracy Banghart (Little, Brown)
Little, Brown has bought Tracy Banghart's A Season of Sinister Dreams, in which two girls—one an unwilling prophet, the other a vengeful imposter—fight each other for the future of their kingdom, leaving heartbreak, death, and destruction in their wake. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021.
Trouble Girls by Julia Lynn Rubin (Wednesday Books)
Author of BURRO HILLS Julia Lynn Rubin's TROUBLE GIRLS, a queer, modern re-imagining of Thelma & Louise where after stabbing a would-be rapist to death, two best friends go on the run in a journey that grows darker and deadlier with each new disastrous decision they make, to Sylvan Creekmore at Wednesday Books, in a very nice deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2021.
Our Way Back To Always by Nina Moreno (Disney-Hyperion)
Hannah Allaman at Disney-Hyperion has acquired Don't Date Rosa Santosauthor Nina Moreno's new novel, Our Way Back to Always. Pitched as When Harry Met Sally by way of Sarah Dessen, the contemporary YA romance follows two next-door neighbors and ex-best friends—gamer, fanfic-writer Luisa and drummer, golden boy Sam—whose paths collide during senior year of high school when they rediscover their childhood bucket list and set out to complete it before graduation. Publication is planned for spring 2021; Laura Crockett negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Up All Night by Various YA Authors (Algonquin)
Krestyna Lypen at Algonquin has acquired, at auction, Up All Night, edited by Laura Silverman, a YA anthology about what can happen in the hours between sunset and sunrise. Contributors include Brandy Colbert, Kathleen Glasgow, Maurene Goo, Tiffany D. Jackson, Amanda Joy, Nina LaCour, Karen M. McManus, Anna Meriano, Marieke Nijkamp, Kayla Whaley, Julian Winters, and Francesca Zappia. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich and Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau (Delacorte)
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has bought, in a two-book preempt, Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau's Kisses and Croissants, a YA novel about an American girl who travels to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a professional ballerina and along the way finds a cute French boy, an unexpected rival, and the truth behind a family legend. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Sara Shandler, Josh Bank, and Laura Barbiea at Alloy Entertainment represented the author on behalf of Leigh Feldman at Leigh Feldman Literary.
Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu (Roaring Brook Press)
Author of MOXIE and the forthcoming THE LIARS OF MARIPOSA ISLAND Jennifer Mathieu's BAD GIRLS NEVER SAY DIE, pitched as a girl version of The Outsiders, about a gang of Texas tough girls in early 1960s Houston who find friendship and love in unexpected places, all while battling the many obstacles life has thrown at them, to Katherine Jacobs at Roaring Brook Press, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2021.
Daughters of a Dead Empire by Carolyn Tara O' Neil (Roaring Brook Press)
Carolyn Tara O'Neil's debut DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE, pitched as a reimagining of the Anastasia legend, following two young women as they flee from the Red Army at the height of the Russian Revolution—one a peasant and proud member of the Bolshevik party and the other a battered, bourgeoisie girl who's harboring a secret that could cost them their lives, to Mekisha Telfer at Roaring Brook Press, for publication in spring 2021, by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger (NA).
Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin (Candlewick)
Miriam Newman at Candlewick has bought Edgar Award winner and National Book Award finalist Nancy Werlin's Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good, the story of a high school student who finds herself torn between secretly attending sci-fi cons with fellow “Bloodygits”—as fans of her beloved show, Bleeders, are known—and a type-A boyfriend who disdains the show. Publication is set for spring 2021; the author represented herself in the deal for world rights in all languages.
Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield (Wednesday Books)
Wednesday Books has acquired Hurricane Summer, a contemporary YA debut by actress Asha Bromfield. Set in Jamaica in the midst of Hurricane Gustav, a girl visiting her estranged father finds her life unraveling when family secrets are revealed, alongside dealing with colorism, classism, colonialism, sexism, and what it means to discover your own voice in the center of complete destruction. Publication is tentatively slated for spring 2021.
Pinch by Adam Rex (Roaring Brook Press)
Roaring Brook has bought Adam Rex's Pinch, a YA novel that centers on Zelda, who can't seem to wake herself up from the dream she's living in. When she decides to enlist others in the dream to help, she learns that waking up means ending their lives, including her actual “dream guy” Langston's. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021.
Nigeria Jones by Ibi Zoboi (Balzer + Bray)
Balzer + Bray has acquired Ibi Zoboi's Nigeria Jones, about the 16-year-old daughter of a radical separatist movement leader who inadvertently travels back through time to the west coast of Africa in the early 1800s, to inhabit the body of her young ancestor on the brink of being sold into slavery. The book will be published in spring 2021.
Fade In the Bright by Jessica Etting and Alyssa Schwatz (Delacorte)
Fade into the Bright, a YA contemporary novel is pitched as Five Feet Apart meets Tell Me Three Things. The story is about two sisters, one summer, and a diagnosis that changes everything—because while both sisters are at risk of inheriting a fatal genetic disorder, only one tests positive. Publication is slated for spring 2021.
When We Come Home by Brooke Davis (Bloomsbury)
Brooke Davis's debut WHEN WE COME HOME, pitched as SADIE meets THE GLASS CASTLE, following a teen girl who infiltrates a small-town family's life to get revenge on behalf of the only mother she's ever known, who was wronged by the family's patriarch as a teen herself; an exploration of loyalty, betrayal, gender dynamics, and the power of anger, to Allison Moore at Bloomsbury Children's, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2021
Nima On the Other Side by Sagia Ellhillo (Make Me A World)
Chris Myers and Michelle Frey at Random House's new Make Me a World imprint have acquired Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets and Arab American Book Award winner Safia Elhillo's Nima on the Other Side. The YA novel in verse melds the real with the surreal, as teenage Nima struggles to fit into her white suburban town, while grappling with the phantom of a life not chosen and a girl who may be more real than she seems. Publication is set for spring 2021; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency did the deal for North American rights.
Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi (Putnam)
Putnam has acquired Olivia Abtahi's YA novel Perfectly Parvin, pitched as an Iranian-American Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. When Parvin Mohammadi sets out to get Matty Fumero—the cutest boy at school—to ask her to homecoming, she creates a foolproof plan to win him over: 1) Don't talk so much; 2) Act like the heroines in her favorite rom-coms; 3) Basically be everything she's not. But a different boy from Farsi class may derail her plans by liking her just as she is. Publication is set for spring 2021.
Like Her by Nina Laurin (Sourcebooks Fire)
Molly Cusick at Sourcebooks has acquired, in a two-book deal, North American rights to bestselling thriller author Nina Laurin's YA debut, Like Her. The book follows a teen girl whose family moves into a mansion with a tragic history; the girl becomes spellbound by the spirit of a 19th-century socialite who was fatally obsessed with her own image and who now thirsts to enter the digital age of vanity. Publication is scheduled for spring 2021; Rachel Ekstrom at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal on behalf of Ruth Pomerance and Adam Wilson at INKubator Enterprises.
Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton (Page Street Kids)
Ashley Hearn at Page Street has acquired The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly author Jamie Pacton’s sophomore novel, Lucky Girl, which follows Jane Belleweather, who wins the lotto jackpot weeks before her eighteenth birthday, but can’t claim her winnings until then, or else her hoarder mother will get the money. In the days that follow, suspicion and jealousy spread through Jane’s small Wisconsin town, and a witch hunt commences to find the lucky winner. Publication is set for spring 2021; Kate Testerman at KT Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
When You Call My Name by Tucker Shaw (Henry Holt)
Mark Podesta at Henry Holt has acquired world rights, in an exclusive submission, to When You Call My Name by Tucker Shaw, a YA novel set in the 1990s that follows 17-year-olds Adam and Ben as they discover their sexuality, face the devastating loss of first love, and ultimately, discover the power of new love and community. Addressing grief, homophobia, privilege, and HIV/AIDS, the novel sheds light on a pivotal time in American queer history. Publication is slated for spring 2021; Dan Mandel at Sanford J. Greenburger brokered the deal.
Baby & Solo by Lisabeth Posthuma (Candlewick Press)
Sold just before the fair in a hotly contested auction, BABY & SOLO is an absorbing, disarming and searingly honest YA debut—perfect for fans of The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Eleanor & Park.
Seventeen-year-old Joel Teague is in the unique position of having completed seven years of treatment for a mental illness he may have never had. Now he’s got a new prescription from his therapist—a part-time job, which he finds at ROYO Video, a video rental store. He’s lugging around two humongous secrets (“The Bad Thing That Happened” and “What Was Wrong With Me,” as he refers to them) until he encounters, in his closed-off co-worker “Baby,” a remarkable and terrifying opportunity. To open up. To be there for her, and to be there. To choose vulnerability.
It’s a difficult choice. A childhood trauma has left him both more and less erratic than everyone around him (including his perpetually concerned parents and ROYO Video’s motley crew of femme fatales, enigmas and bratty-younger-brothers). And he’s obsessively chasing an elusive “normal life,” while navigating the pitfalls of exactly that.
BABY & SOLO explores urgent issues (LGBTQ+ identity, mental illness, female autonomy) by examining a less-enlightened time (the year 1996), to summon belly laughs and weepy spells almost simultaneously, and to trust its audience with a character and story as complex as the world around us. Joel’s voice is both hilarious and heart-bursting—and completely absorbs the reader as you hope he’ll find what he needs.
The Corpse Queen by Heather Hermann (Putnam)
Orphaned 17-year-old Molly Green goes to live with her affluent aunt in 1850s Philadelphia, only to discover the source of her aunt's secret wealth is from robbing graves and selling the bodies to anatomists. Molly must decide what she will do to claim a place of power in a male-dominated medical society.
Publication is scheduled for spring 2021.
What's Not to Love by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund Broka (Penguin Teen)
Alison and Ethan. The two class over-achievers who only want to beat each other at EVERYTHING. But what happens when they have to work together? What’s Not To Love is an enemies to lovers. Coming Spring 2021.
Heartbreakers and Fakers by Cameron Lund (Razorbill)
From the author: "It’s a fake-dating, hate-to-love romcom with some complicated female friendships + mother/daughter feels, summertime lake parties, and even a bit of fun at Disneyland! But mostly, it’s a story about learning from your mistakes and being true to yourself."
The Serpent's Curse by Lisa Maxwell (Simon and Schuster) - postponed from December 2020 due to COVID-19.
Leigh Bardugo’s Six
of Crows meets Alexandra Bracken’s Passenger in this spellbinding
conclusion the “vivid and compelling” (BCCB), New York Timesbestselling
Last Magician series.Bind the Book.
Stop the Order.
Save the Magic.
Esta is no stranger to high-stakes heists; she is a seasoned thief with no reservations about using her time traveling abilities to give her an edge. But saving Harte—and magic itself—will put her skills to the test. The Book of Mysteriesthreatens to tear through the world and change the shape of magic forever, and only Esta and Harte stand in its way.
They race through time and across the country to steal back the remaining elemental stones needed to bind the book’s power, stop the Order, and save the future of the Mageus.
What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge (Balzer + Bray)
Kristin Rens at Balzer + Bray has acquired a YA fantasy novel by Cruel Beauty author Rosamund Hodge. The book, What Monstrous Gods, starts where “Sleeping Beauty” leaves off, as Lia, a girl chosen by the gods of Runakhia, releases the royal family from 500 years of enchanted sleep and kills the heretic sorcerer who trapped them—only to find that the gods are not as benevolent as they appear, and the ghost of the sorcerer she killed may be her only help to protect her life and country.
Publication is planned for early 2021; Hannah Bowman at Liza Dawson Associates did the deal for world rights.
Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate (Disney Hyperion)
SEVEN WAYS WE LIE, NOTEWORTHY, and FINAL DRAFT author Riley Redgate's ALONE OUT HERE, pitched as LORD OF THE FLIES in space, a thriller set in a future in which the first daughter and 53 other teens end up on the only ship escaping a dying Earth and must contend with being the last hope for humanity's survival as they fight to preserve their own humanity, to Laura Schreiber at Disney-Hyperion, in a six-figure deal, for publication in spring/summer 2021, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).
Preferably Paired by Christine Riccio (Wednesday Books)
Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books has bought, in a two-book deal, Preferably Paired by Christine Riccio (Again but Better). Inspired by The Parent Trap, the YA novel is a dramedy following two sisters navigating their way through a broken family and the highs and lows of impending adulthood. Publication is planned for spring/summer 2021; JL Stermer at New Leaf Literary and Media brokered the deal for North American rights.
Where It All Lands by Jennie Wexler (Wednesday Books)
Alexandra Sehulster at Wednesday Books has acquired Jennie Wexler's YA contemporary romance, Where It All Lands, a Sliding Doors-esque love story exploring first love, second chances, and all the paths we take to find our way back to each other. Publication is scheduled for spring/summer 2021; Creative Artists Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Version Zero by David Yoon (Putnam)
“The author of the bestselling YA novel Frankly in Love, sold to G.P. Putnam's Sons for a sum rumored to be in the mid-six-figure range, after an eight-editor auction.”Version Zero, sold to G.P. Putnam's Sons for a sum rumored to be in the mid-six-figure range, after an eight-editor auction.
Three twentysomethings team up with a reclusive tech genius to bring down evil internet companies.
It’ll probably come out in very early 2021, after what will surely be an insane United States presidential election in 2020."
Jake in the Box by Ryan Douglass (Putnam)
It’s hard being the only
Black kid at a conservative prep school, especially when you’re
routinely harassed by the dead. In his junior year of high school,
sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston plans to make real friends, which won’t
happen if he keeps retreating to a world no one else can see.But when Jake meets Sawyer Doon, he discovers a spirit too vengeful to ignore. Six years ago, Sawyer carried out a school shooting and killed himself before finishing the job. His targets are still out there, and he’s determined to possess Jake to finish what he started.
The more Jake tries to ignore Sawyer, the more he feels the ghost boy’s impact on his psyche. And the more he uncovers about who Sawyer was, the more he realizes how similar he is to Sawyer–a boy once bullied relentlessly for his sexuality, now hell-bent on taking power from a world that took it from him. To protect himself from possession, Jake will have to find a voice in a school he feels he has none and discover his own reason to live.
Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Inkyard Press)
No description released.The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley (Simon Pulse)
Simon Pulse has bought Sarah Raughley's new fantasy, The Bones of Ruin. Set in Victorian England, the book follows Iris, an African tightrope walker with a secret: she cannot die. But when Iris gets involved with a mysterious society that's convinced the world is ending, she's drafted in the fight-to-the-death Tournament of Freaks where she learns the terrible truth of who and what she really is. Publication is slated for summer 2021.
The Ivies by Alexa Donne (Crown)
Elizabeth Strahanan at Crown has bought, at auction, Alexa Donne's The Ivies, a YA thriller about a group of prep school elites who would kill to get into the college of their dreams—literally. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Elana Roth Parker at Laura Dail Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
In the Same Boat by Holly Green (Scholastic)
Maya Marlette at Scholastic has acquired In the Same Boat, a debut YA novel by Holly Green.
Teenager Sadie Scofield is on a quest to finish a 260-mile canoe race
one year after a disastrous race with her father. Ditched at the last
minute by her brother, Sadie is stuck paddling with Cully—the boy who
was her childhood best friend, now her worst enemy. It's not an easy
partnership, but over the course of handling rapids, alligators, snakes,
and a host of other dangers, Sadie and Cully discover there's a lot
more pulling them together than keeping them apart. Publication is set
for summer 2021; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret did
the deal for North American rights.
Words Composed of Sea and Sky by Erica George (Running Kids Press)
Running Press Kids has acquired Erica George's debut novel, Words Composed of Sea and Sky, with poetry by Jamie Gelman. The book alternates points of view between Michaela, a teenage girl who uses poetry to escape her home life, and Leta, who lived in the same quaint Cape Cod town during the height of Yankee whaling more than a century before, who also used poetry to escape the social conformities of her time. Publication is planned for summer 2021
Ria & Rani by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua (HarperTeen)
Kristen Pettit at HarperTeen has acquired Sarena (l.) and Sasha Nanua's YA fantasy duology in a two-book deal. The first book, Ria & Rani, follows two twins separated at birth—one now a princess, the other a street thief—who switch places, only to discover that their destinies may be to join together in a bid to stop their kingdom from falling apart. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Peter Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media brokered the deal for world English rights.
The Other Side of Perfect by Mariko Turk (Little, Brown)
Alexandra Hightower at Little, Brown/Poppy has acquired, in a five-house auction, North American rights to Mariko Turk's debut YA novel, The Other Side of Perfect. The story features a 16-year-old ballerina whose life-changing injury thrusts her back into the halls of a normal high school. As she navigates a world without her passion, she discovers friendship and romance, and finally confronts the discrimination in the dance industry that she tried hard to ignore. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Alexandra Levick at Writers House negotiated the two-book deal for North American rights.
After the Ink Dries by Cassie Gustafson (Simon Pulse)
Liesa Abrams at Simon Pulse has acquired Cassie Gustafson's YA contemporary debut, After the Ink Dries. With illustrated graphic novel interstitials, the book features a girl who wakes after a party, half-clothed, with crude words and male names Sharpied in intimate places on her skin. She's convinced her new boyfriend wasn't involved, until she finds his name on her body and must borrow strength from the alter-ego supergirl she draws while searching for her own. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal for North American rights.
From Little Tokyo, with Love by Sarah Khun (Viking)
Jenny Bak at Viking has acquired, at auction, From Little Tokyo, with Love by Sarah Kuhn (I Love You So Mochi). The contemporary YA novel follows an orphaned, half-Japanese teen who doesn't believe in fairy tales until she learns her presumed-dead mother is not only alive but is a famous movie star, and teams up with a charming young actor on a romp through L.A. to find the truth about her past. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Diana Fox at Fox Literary sold world English rights.
The Summer We Found Us by Hannah Reynolds (Razorbill)
Jessica Harriton at Razorbill has bought, at auction, Hannah Reynolds's YA debut The Summer We Found Us, and a second untitled book. The discovery of a box of old letters sends 17-year-old Abby Schoenberg to Nantucket to unravel a family mystery about her grandmother's past during the Holocaust—but things get complicated when she meets the handsome grandson of a prominent family who wants to stop her from investigating. Publication for the first book is slated for summer 2021; Tamar Rydzinski at Context Literary Agency negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Brown Boy Nowhere by Sheeryl Lim (Skyscape)
Carmen Johnson at Amazon/Skyscape acquired world rights to Brown Boy Nowhere by Sheeryl Lim. The #OwnVoices novel follows a 16-year-old Filipino American student who is uprooted from his diverse San Diego community to an all-white Midwest high school, where he is determined to find a way back west until he meets an ex-cheerleader outcast who captures his heart and forever changes the way he views small-town America. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Sharon Belcastro at Belcastro Agency handled the deal.
Sunkissed by Kasie West (Delacorte)
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired Kasie West's Sunkissed, first in a two-book deal. The contemporary YA romance stars a girl who finds that a summer spent at a family resort isn't as bad as she imagined... and that falling in love is filled with heartache, laughter, and surprises. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Michelle Wolfson at Wolfson Literary Agency handled the deal for North American rights.
The Wild Ones: A Broken Anthem for a Girl Nation by Nafiza Azad (McElderry Books)
Karen Wojtyla at S&S/McElderry has bought, at auction, 2020 Morris Award finalist Nafiza Azad's YA novel The Wild Ones: A Broken Anthem for a Girl Nation.
The novel is a multi-perspective feminist narrative about a fierce band
of magic-wielding girls—the Wild Ones—who have survived unspeakable
things, and are determined to save other girls from the cruelties and
tragedies they've had to endure. Publication is set for summer 2021;
Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management did the two-book
deal for world English rights.
The Pack by Lisi Harrison (Delacorte)
Kelsey Horton at Delacorte has acquired world rights to bestselling author Lisi Harrison's new series The Pack. Pitched as Spirit Animals meets Mean Girls, the series features a girl named Sadie, who is sent to a school for girls with animal-like magic. Sadie learns she has the fiercest kind of all and is thrust to the top of the food chain when she is invited to join a group known as The Pack. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Richard Abate at 3 Arts Entertainment negotiated the deal.
Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson (Scholastic)
Maya Marlette at Scholastic has bought Leah Johnson's (You Should See Me in a Crown) new YA romance, Rise to the Sun. Set over the course of four days at a music festival, the novel features strangers Toni and Olivia, who meet and realize that the music is more than just a way out; it's a way through… if they are brave enough to face it together. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Sarah Landis at Sterling Lord Literistic brokered the deal for world rights.
The Witch King by H. E. Edgemon (Inkyard Press)
Natashya Wilson at Inkyard Press has acquired The Witch King plus a sequel from debut author H.E. Edgmon. The fantasy duology tells the story of witch and angry trans boy Wyatt Croft, who wants nothing to do with his mediocre magic or his betrothal to fae prince Emyr North, but his plans to change his fate are shattered when the kingdom is threatened by a coup and Emyr comes to claim him. Publication of book one is planned for summer 2021; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Murder Castle by Bryce Moore (Sourcebooks Fire)
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has bought Murder Castle by Bryce Moore. Pitched as Stalking Jack the Ripper meets a YA Devil in the White City, the book follows 16-year-old Zuretta as she travels to Chicago during the 1893 World's Fair to try and save her sister from a notorious mass murderer and his custom-built death trap. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Eddie Schneider at JABberwocky Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Speak For Yourself by Lana Wood Johnson (Scholastic)
Jody Corbett at Scholastic has acquired world rights to Speak for Yourself, a second book by Lana Wood Johnson (Technically, You Started It). Told partly through chat transcriptions, the novel reimagines Cyrano de Bergerac for the tech era. Aspiring tech genius Skylar tries to keep her academic competition team together by setting up her most valuable teammate with her archnemesis, only to realize she's falling for him herself. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Bridget Smith at JABberwocky Literary Agency handled the deal.
Hello, World by Yvonne Wood (Katherine Tegan)
Katherine Tegen at HarperCollins/Tegen has preempted North American rights for Yvonne Woon's new book, Hello, World, and a second untitled book for six figures. A romantic coming-of-age story, Hello, World follows 16-year-old Xia Chan, a scrappy, self-taught coder who's far more comfortable with computers than people. When she gets selected to attend a prestigious start-up incubator for teen tech prodigies called the Foundry, Xia moves to Silicon Valley and competes against her classmates to score funding for her app. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Ted Malawer at Upstart Crow Literary negotiated the deal.
Origin Story by Eric Smith and Summer Heacock (Inkyard Press)
Lauren Smulski at Inkyard Press has bought, on exclusive submission, Summer Heacock and Eric Smith's Origin Story, an #OwnVoices YA contemporary about two adoptees from very different backgrounds grappling with the question of what it means to be family. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Brent Taylor and Uwe Stender at TriadaUS represented Heacock, and Dawn Frederick at Red Sofa Literary represented Smith in the deal for world English rights.
Cool For the Summer by Dalia Adler (Wednesday Books)
Vicki Lame at Wednesday Books has acquired LGBTQ Reads founder Dahlia Adler's YA novel, Cool for the Summer, about a girl named Lara who finally lands the guy of her dreams, only to have her unexpected(ly female) summer fling transfer to her school for their senior year. Publication is slated for summer 2021; DongWon Song at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Postcards From Summer by Cynthia Platt (Simon Pulse)
Nicole Ellul at Simon Pulse has bought world rights to Cynthia Platt's Postcards from Summer. Hoping to understand a mother she never knew, a teen girl travels to her late mother's summer home to unravel the mystery behind the cryptic postcard that tells of the tragedy—and the forbidden romance—that changed her mother's life forever. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal.
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gold (Wednesday Books)
Jennie Conway at Wednesday Books has acquired, at auction, Courtney Gould's debut novel, The Dead and the Dark. When the daughter of reality TV ghosthunters teams up with a small-town princess to search for a missing teen, they find themselves falling in love as they uncover an evil so terrifying it threatens to destroy everything in its path. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Claire Friedman and Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management brokered the deal for North American rights.
Living Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria (Philmonel)
Liza Kaplan at Philomel has acquired world rights, in a preempt, to Living Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita "Margie" Longoria, librarian at Mission High School and founder of Border Book Bash RGV and Margie's Must Reads. The anthology explores the complexity of the word "border" in all its literal and metaphorical meanings, featuring stories, poetry, and more from Mexican-American creators and influencers such as Celia Pérez, Angela Cervantes, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, René Saldaña Jr., Francisco X. Stork, and others. Publication is set for summer 2021; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency brokered the deal.
Sunny G and a Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon (Dial)
Dana Chidiac at Dial has bought world rights to Navdeep Singh Dhillon's YA debut, Sunny G and a Series of Rash Decisions. When Sunny Gill gets dumped by his prom date, he thinks the night is going to be a disaster—but that's just the beginning. What follows is a 24-hour romp as Sunny chases a pair of mislaid post-prom party tickets and the girl who took them through his hometown of Fresno, Calif., and comes to terms with life after high school. Publication is set for summer 2021; Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency did the deal on behalf of CAKE Literary.
Made in Korea by Sarah Suk (Simon Pulse)
Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has bought Sarah Suk's YA debut, Made in Korea, a romantic comedy about a Korean-American teen who sells Korean beauty products out of her locker and manages the school's most successful student enterprise, until the hot new boy gives her a run for her money—leading her to surprising discoveries about first love, family, and herself. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Linda Epstein at Emerald City Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
The (Un)popular Vote by Jasper Sanchez (Katherine Tegan Books)
Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins/Tegen has bought, at auction, in a two-book deal, The (Un)Popular Vote by debut author Jasper Sanchez. Pitched as Red, White & Royal Blue meets The West Wing, this YA contemporary novel follows a transmasculine teenager who defies his congressman father and runs in a three-way brawl for class president. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management brokered the deal for world English rights.
Girl Warriors by Rachel Sarah (Chicago Review Press)
Kara Rota at Chicago Review Press has bought world rights to Washington Post contributor Rachel Sarah's YA nonfiction book Girl Warriors. Pitched for fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the book tells the stories of 25 girls and women under age 25 who are rising up to reverse the climate crisis, as they inspire hope and motivate change around the world. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Eric Myers at Myers Literary Management negotiated the deal.
Vampires, Hearts and Other Dead Things by Margie Fuston (Simon Pulse)
Simon Pulse has bought Margie Fuston's debut YA novel, Vampires, Hearts, and Other Dead Things, pitched as The Coldest Girl in Coldtown meets The Truth About Forever. When science and faith fail her terminally ill father, Victoria heads to New Orleans in search of a vampire to save him. She meets a mysterious young man who might be what she's looking for, only he won't share the secret to immortality with just anybody. Publication is planned for summer 2021.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter (Simon Pulse)
Jessica Smith at Simon Pulse has bought Lynn Painters's Better Than the Movies, a YA spin on My Best Friend's Wedding, in which rom-com-loving Liz schemes to win over her forever crush, but falls for the infuriating boy next door she enlists to help her. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Kim Lionetti at BookEnds negotiated the deal for world rights.
The Shadow Season by Emily Arsenault (Delacorte)
Delacorte has bought Emily Arsenault's The Shadow Season, a psychological suspense novel for teens about one girl's investigation into her friend's sudden death and the unsettling possibility that “The Winter Girl” is not only real but to blame, proving the old school legend of a vengeful ghost that haunts the senior dorm hall the same time every year. Publication is planned for summer 2021.
Untitled by Liselle Sambury (Simon Pulse)
Sarah McCabe at Simon Pulse has acquired Liselle Sambury's untitled debut YA fantasy novel and its sequel. After failing to come into her powers, 16-year-old Voya—a Black witch living in near-future Toronto—is forced to choose between losing her family's magic forever, a heritage steeped in centuries of blood and survival, or murdering her first love, a boy who is supposedly her genetic match. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021 and summer 2022; Kristy Hunter at the Knight Agency brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Between You, Me and the Honey Bees by Amelia Diane Coombs (Simon Pulse)
Jade Fire Gold by June CL Tan (HarperTeen) - delayed from fall 2020 due to change of publisher from Blink to HarperTeen.
Told
in a dual POV narrative reminiscent of EMBER IN THE ASHES, JADE FIRE
GOLD is a YA fantasy is inspired by Chinese mythology and folk tales.
Epic in scope but intimate in characterization, fans of classic
fantasies by Tamora Pierce and the magical Asiatic setting of AVATAR:
THE LAST AIRBENDER will enjoy this cinematic tale of family, revenge,
and forgiveness.In order to save her grandmother from a cult of dangerous priests, a peasant girl cursed with the power to steal souls enters a tenuous alliance with an exiled prince bent on taking back the Dragon Throne. The pair must learn to trust each other but are haunted by their pasts--and the true nature of her dark magic. A dual-POV YA fantasy inspired by Chinese mythology.
Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sarah Alfageeh (HarperCollins)
Set in a Middle
Eastern-inspired fantasy world, 14-year-old-girl Aiza lives in an Empire
wracked by famine and escalating border wars. Aiza dreams of becoming a
knight, the most prestigious rank in the military, and the only way to
elevate her status since her people, the Ornu, are second-class citizens
in the Bayt-Saji Empire. Hiding her cultural background to train as a
squire, she navigates the rigorous training that all knights undergo to
test their mettle, making both friends and enemies in the process.
However, everything falls apart after her friend gets badly injured
during a raid and she uncovers a military conspiracy that threatens to
keep the Empire in a state of perpetual war. Aiza will have to decide:
turn her back on her morals and heritage, or turn her back on her dream
and possibly, her only chance of freedom?
The Gates of Deep Shadow by Katharyn Blair (Putnam)
No description released.
Graceling: The Graphic Novel by Kristin Cashore and Gareth Hinds (HMH)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt have bought a graphic novel adaptation of Kristin Cashore's YA fantasy novel, Graceling, adapted and illustrated by Gareth Hinds. Publication is planned for fall 2021.
The Meadows by Stephanie Oakes (Dial)
Morris Award finalist Stephanie Oakes's THE MEADOWS, pitched as a YA 'Handmaid's Tale' meets 'Never Let Me Go', the story centers around a queer girl who has pretended to "reform" following years in a government-sanctioned conversion therapy center, but can't forget the girl she left behind, and so resolves to find her, to Jessica Garrison at Dial, for publication in fall 2021.
A Rush of Wings by Laura Weymouth (McElderry Books)
Nicole Fiorica at S&S/McElderry has acquired, in a preempt, North American rights to A Rush of Wings, a YA historical fantasy by Laura Weymouth (The Light Between Worlds). Set in the 18th century in the Scottish Highlands and inspired by “The Wild Swans” fairy tale, the book stars a girl with the strength of saltwater and the heart of a witch. She must master her forbidden craft in order to free her cursed brothers and prevent a charismatic tyrant from destroying all she holds dear. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Lauren Spieller at TriadaUS Literary Agency brokered the deal.
The Jasmine Project by Meredith Ireland (Simon Pulse)
Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has acquired world rights to Meredith Ireland's debut YA, The Jasmine Project, pitched as My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets The Bachelorette by way of Jenny Han, about a Korean-American adoptee who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a competition for her heart, as orchestrated by her overbearing but loving family. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021.
Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid (Knopf)
Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has acquired, in a preempt, Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid (Let's Get Lost). Pitched as The Sun Is Also a Star meets Jumanji,
the YA novel follows James and Michelle, who meet in the Atlanta
airport and, on a dare, press a mysterious green button that unleashes a
blizzard of chaos through the terminals. Publication of the first book
is scheduled for fall 2021; Peter Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and
Media brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Of Blood and Briars by Rebecca Kim Wells (Simon Pulse)
Catherine Laudone at Simon & Schuster has bought Of Blood and Briars, a queer YA fantasy by Rebecca Kim Wells (Shatter the Sky). Cursed to kill all those she touches, Lena endures an isolated life on the run from her fellow humans. But when an enigmatic stranger offers to help her break the curse in exchange for her aid in assassinating a princess hidden in an enchanted forest, Lena embarks on a quest to win her freedom, no matter the cost. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood (Wednesday Books)
Tiffany Shelton at Wednesday Books has acquired, in a preempt, in a two-book deal, debut author Lauren Blackwood's Within These Wicked Walls, an Ethiopian-inspired Jane Eyre retelling in which Andromeda—an unlicensed debtera—is hired to rid a castle of its dangerous curses, only to fall in love with the boy whose life hangs in the balance. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Lauren Spieller at TriadaUS Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
All I Want For Christmas is Drew by Tiffany Schmidt (Amulet)
Anne Heltzel at Amulet has acquired All I Want for Christmas Is Drew, a contemporary YA novel by Tiffany Schmidt (A Date with Darcy and Talk Nerdy to Me).
The rom-com follows Noelle, a ballet student, whose secret crush on the
older brother of her favorite babysitting clients is about to be
exposed when Drew leaves his prestigious dance school to surprise his
family on the ski holiday where she is babysitting. Publication is set
for fall 2021; Kate Testerman at KT Literary handled the deal for world
rights.
Untitled by Brandy Colbert (Balzer + Bray)
Jordan Brown at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has bought North American rights to an untitled YA nonfiction project by Brandy Colbert, examining the causes, aftermath, and legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. Publication is planned for fall 2021, timed to the 100th anniversary of the Massacre; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners brokered the deal.
When the Night Comes by Marieke Nijkamp (Sourcebooks Fire)
Eliza Swift at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired world English rights to When the Night Comes by Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends). Pitched as The Society meets Contagion, the YA novel is about a group of teens in a residential facility who celebrate when their guards abandon them, only to discover that a catastrophic event has occurred outside their walls, and they must work together if they want to survive. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Jennifer Udden at New Leaf Literary & Media negotiated the deal.
City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn (Flux)
Mari Kesselring and Kelsy Thompson at Flux have bought Claire Winn's YA sci-fi debut, City of Shattered Light, a high-stakes adventure pitched as a queer, female-led Guardians of the Galaxy meets Escape from New York. Heiress Asa flees her controlling father to prevent her sister's mind from being wiped—but must ally with Riven, a gunslinging smuggler bent on clawing her way up the criminal hierarchy, to outwit a monstrous AI and save Asa's sister and their city. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Cortney Radocaj at Belcastro Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len (HarperCollins)
In a world hidden within ordinary London, twelve families have monstrous powers that they gain by stealing life from humans.
Sixteen-year-old Joan is half-monster, and has always yearned to be a hero. But when Nick, the boy she loves, turns out to be a legendary monster slayer, Joan must embrace her own monstrousness to stop him.
League of Liars by Astrid Scholte (Putnam)
Stacey Barney at Putnam has bought Astrid Scholte's next genre-bending fantasy, League of Liars. Pitched as How to Get Away with Murder meets The Breakfast Club set in Azkaban, the story follows 17-year-old legal apprentice Cayder Broduck, who when tasked with helping convict three criminals for their illegal use of magic—including the princess who was arrested for erasing the king's entire existence—finds himself siding with the very people he should be convicting. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Hillary Jacobson at ICM Partners brokered the deal for world English rights.
Act Cool by Tolby McSmith (Harpercollins/Quill Tree)
Andrew Eliopulos at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Act Cool by Tobly McSmith. In the YA novel, a transgender teen is accepted into a prestigious performing arts high school in New York, but when he is cast in a role that hits too close to home—the part of a trans teen whose family is intent on conversion therapy—he must learn how to be true to himself, apart from any role. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Stalking Shadows by Cyla Panin (Amulet Books)
Emily Daluga at Amulet has acquired Stalking Shadows by Cyla Panin in her YA debut. The first novel is a gothic, feminist fantasy retelling of "Beauty and the Beast." To protect her sister, Marie laces perfumes with honeysuckle to mark victims for Ama to hunt when she transforms into a beast at night. But when a child in their town is killed, Marie is forced to acknowledge that she might be losing control of Ama—and must instead find a cure for this curse. Publication is planned for fall 2021, with a second untitled YA novel to follow; Chloe Seager at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Blackheart by Morgan Rhodes (Razorbill)
Jessica Harriton at Razorbill has acquired Blackheart by Morgan Rhodes
(the Falling Kingdoms series). Harriton and Gretchen Durning will edit.
The YA sci-fi/fantasy novel follows snarky, pampered 17-year-old
Josslyn Drake who is accidentally infected by a piece of forbidden
magic. In search of the cure, Joss teams up with an enigmatic criminal
and finds herself on an adventure that will take her across her galaxy
and open her eyes to corruption in her world. Publication is slated for
fall 2021; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich and Bourret brokered the
two-book deal for world rights.
Starling by Isabel Strychacz (Simon Pulse)
Nicole Ellul at Simon & Schuster has acquired Isabel Strychacz's YA debut, Starling. The speculative romance is set in a small town where the extraordinary happens every day, and where two sisters attempt to protect the mysterious stranger who literally fell from the stars—and into their backyard—from those who seek to harm him. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary did the deal for North American rights.
Eleanor Rigby by James Patterson and Valeria Wicker (Little, Brown)
T.S. Ferguson at Little, Brown/Patterson has signed Valeria Wicker (author-illustrator of The Ugly Doodles) to illustrate Eleanor Rigby, a YA graphic novel written by James Patterson, in which a teen girl runs away to Seattle to find her missing sister and must tell stories on the street to survive. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Adria Goetz at Martin Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.
How Not To Fall In Love by Jaqueline Firkins (HMH)
Nicole Sclama at HMH has acquired Jacqueline Firkins's contemporary romantic YA comedy, How Not to Fall in Love, in which a cynical wedding shop worker tries to "cure" a hopelessly romantic LARP-er by teaching him the harsh realities of modern dating, only to realize that he is the one teaching her. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz (Wednesday Books)
Sara Goodman at Wednesday Books has bought Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz (And We're Off). The gothic love story, set against the backdrop of 1830s Edinburgh, is about an aspiring young female surgeon, the resurrection man who brings her bodies to study, and a reclusive aristocrat who tempts them both with immortality. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Dan Mandel at Greenburger Associates negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Spin Me Right Round by David Valdes (Bloomsbury)
Allison Moore at Bloomsbury has acquired author, playwright, and "Modern Love" contributor David Valdes's Spin Me Right Round. Pitched as an #OwnVoices twist on Back to the Future, the YA novel follows an out-and-proud Latinx teen who accidentally time-travels to his parents' era and makes it his mission to save a closeted classmate from a tragic end. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Annie Bomke at Annie Bomke Literary Agency handled the two-book deal for world rights.
A Violent Season by Sara Walters (Sourcebooks Fire)
Annie Berger at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired Sara Walters's debut A Violent Season and a second untitled novel. In the town of Wolf Ridge, November is marked by violence. Last year, Wyatt's mother was murdered, and this year she worries her best friend, Cash, might snap. As she and Cash pull away from one another, and she unexpectedly connects to the town's golden boy, Wyatt has to figure out who to trust. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the two-book deal for world English rights.
Before We Were Blue by E.J. Schwartz (Flux)
Mari Kesselring at Flux has bought E.J. Schwartz's YA contemporary debut, Before We Were Blue, a dual POV pitched as Cheer meets Girl, Interrupted. In a treatment center for their eating disorders, former cheer-lebrity Shoshana and headstrong rebel Rowan develop a bond. Ultimately, they will have to make a choice: be healthy on their own, or stay sick together. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Kaitlyn Johnson at Corvisiero Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Botched by Shannon Gibney (Dutton)
Andrew Karre at Dutton has acquired world English rights to Botched by Shannon Gibney (Dream Country). A blend of speculative fiction and memoir, the book explores Shannon's childhood as a mixed black transracial adoptee while weaving together multiple imagined timelines—if her adoption had never happened; if her children were her parents and if her adoptive parents were her children; if she had met her birth father—in order to make sense of her identity for her teenage self. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners did the deal.
Drawn That Way by Elisa Sussman (Simon and Schuster)
Amanda Ramirez at Simon & Schuster has bought world rights to Drawn That Way by Elissa Sussman (Stray; Burn), a contemporary YA novel in which Hayley Saffitz is chosen to attend the prestigious inaugural summer internship at the BB Gun Films animation studio. As one of only six young women, she's itching to prove herself by claiming one of the coveted director positions, except all four of them go to boys—and one of them is the CEO's son. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic negotiated the deal.
Those Summer Nights by Laura Silverman (Margaret K. McElderry Books)
Kate Prosswimmer at S&S/McElderry has bought Laura Silverman's YA workplace rom-com Those Summer Nights. Reeling from a soccer injury that ended her Olympic dreams, Hannah Klein gets a job at Bonanza, the megaplex entertainment center where everyone works, including her ex-best friend, her younger brother, and her brother's suddenly attractive best friend. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich and Bourret handled the deal for world rights.
The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros (Inkyard Press)
Rebecca Kuss at Inkyard Press has acquired world English rights to The City Beautiful, as well as a second untitled YA, by Aden Polydoros. Set against the backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, this queer Jewish gothic fantasy follows a young immigrant, Alter, who is possessed by the dybbuk of his murdered best friend and is thrust into a deadly hunt for a serial killer. Publication is set for fall 2021; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl (Page Street)
Ashley Hearn at Page Street has acquired The Lost Girls, a paranormal YA romance by Sonia Hartl (Have a Little Faith in Me). When the vampire who turned Holly into the undead in 1987 (leaving her as a 16-year-old with badly crimped hair for all eternity) breaks up with her, she's approached by two girls he also claimed to love, turned, then ditched. But their plan to kill him before he can strike again grows complicated when Holly starts to fall for the mortal girl they're trying to protect. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Always June by Jenn Bennett (Simon Pulse)
Nicole Ellul at Simon Pulse has bought Jenn Bennett's (Alex Approximately and Starry Eyes) new YA romance, Always June. During a lake vacation, a teenage girl falls for a boy who mistakenly believes she's the wealthy daughter of a reclusive California record producer—not the daughter of his chauffeur. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Laura Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Penguin Teen)
Peter Phillips at Penguin Teen Canada has acquired two books in a YA duology by debut author Xiran Jay Zhao, pitched as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid's Tale, and inspired by East Asian myth. The first book, Iron Widow, follows 18-year-old Wu Zetian as she avenges her sister's murder in a patriarchal military system where male pilots of giant magical mecha are treated like celebrities, while female pilots must serve as their concubines. Publication is slated for fall 2021 and fall 2022; Rachel Brooks at BookEnds Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.
Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson (Katherine Tegan Books)
Ben Rosenthal at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired two books by award-winning novelist Tiffany D. Jackson. Smoke, pitched as Get Out meets The Haunting of Hill House, is about a girl and her blended family who move into a newly renovated, picture-perfect home in a dilapidated Midwestern city and are haunted by what she thinks are ghosts, but might be far worse; and The Weight of Blood is a remix of Stephen King's Carrie set at a school's first integrated prom. Publication of Smoke is set for fall 2021; Natalie Lakosil at Bradford Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.
Kneel by Candace Buford (Inkyard Press)
Natashya Wilson at Inkyard Press has acquired, at auction, world English rights to Kneel by debut author Candace Buford. Russell Boudreaux is a black football player who has spent his entire life working toward a singular goal: to be recruited by a Division I football program, and eventually make his way to the NFL, until a series of racial injustices causes Russell to question the price of staying silent. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Viana Siniscalchi, Joelle Hobeika, and Josh Bank at Alloy Entertainment handled the deal, and Carrie Pestritto at Laura Dail Literary Agency represented the author.
You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus (Delacorte)
Krista Marino at Delacorte has acquired North American rights to You'll Be the Death of Me and a second untitled YA novel by Karen M. McManus, author of the bestselling One of Us Is Lying. Pitched as Ferris Bueller's Day Off meets a murder mystery, and told in alternating POVs, You'll Be the Death of Me tells the story of three friends who skip school and witness a crime they can only solve by facing what they've been hiding from one another—and themselves. The two titles are slated for fall 2021 and fall 2022, respectively; Rosemary Stimola and Allison Remcheck of the Stimola Literary Studio did the deal.
The Splendor by Breena Shields (Page Street Kids)
Ashley Hearn at Page Street has acquired world rights to Breeana Shields's The Splendor, a YA novel about a luxury magical hotel that promises to fulfill its guests' wildest fantasies, but when a girl's sister comes back from a visit forever changed, she checks in herself, only to discover the hotel is hiding nefarious secrets. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal.
One Minute There by Anna Priemaza (Amulet)
Maggie Lehrman at Amulet has acquired Anna Priemaza's speculative YA novel One Minute There. When people she loves—and all memory of them—start disappearing from teenager Vera's life, leaving behind only a haunting sorrow, she and her best friend set out to solve a mystery they can't remember. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Lauren Abramo at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
Castles In Their Bones by Laura Sebastian (Delacorte)
The plot: overthrow a kingdom. The goal: world domination. The plan: marriage.
Trained for from birth in espionage and seduction, the triplet princesses of Bessemia must travel to three distant lands to marry three princess and enact their Queen mother's plan to rule from sea to sea. But when they arrive, each sister discovers her task is not so simple, and their mother's motives may not be what they seem
Small Favors by Eric A. Craig (Delacorte)
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired world English rights to Small Favors by Erin A. Craig (House of Salt and Sorrows).
Ellerie Downing lives with her beekeeping family in the secluded
mountain town of Amity Falls. When strange activities plague the town,
all signs point to a group of mystical creatures who promise to fulfill
the residents' deepest desires for a small favor. Publication is slated
for fall 2021; Sarah Landis at Sterling Lord Literistic negotiated the
deal.
Out of the Fire by Andrea Contos (Scholastic)
Mallory Kass at Scholastic has bought Out of the Fire, a YA novel by Andrea Contos (Throwaway Girls), and a second, untitled novel. It wasn't the kidnapping that ruined Cass Adams's life, but the pink envelopes that followed—each a reminder that the man she escaped is always watching. She forms an alliance with three friends who have also been wronged by men, and the quartet sets out on a dangerous quest for justice, until Cass realizes that the man who ruined her life may be the only one who can save it. Publication is set for fall 2021; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
Out of the Fire by Andrea Contos (Scholastic)
Mallory Kass at Scholastic has bought Out of the Fire, a YA novel by Andrea Contos (Throwaway Girls), and a second, untitled novel. It wasn't the kidnapping that ruined Cass Adams's life, but the pink envelopes that followed—each a reminder that the man she escaped is always watching. She forms an alliance with three friends who have also been wronged by men, and the quartet sets out on a dangerous quest for justice, until Cass realizes that the man who ruined her life may be the only one who can save it. Publication is set for fall 2021; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.
All the Things I've Kept from Myself by Karina Manta (Knopf)
Kelly Delaney at Knopf has acquired, in a preempt, All the Things I've Kept from Myself by Karina Manta. This YA memoir tells of the champion figure skater's experiences as a professional athlete, coming out as bisexual in a hyper-feminine sport, and her continually evolving body image. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Jess Regel at Foundry Literary + Media brokered the deal for North American rights.
How to Love by Alex Norris (Walker Books US)
Susan Van Metre at Walker Books US has acquired North American rights to How to Love, based on cartoonist Alex Norris's advice column of the same name. The first title in a two-book deal, How to Love is a humorous and heartfelt collection of comics aimed at young people who are experiencing falling in love for the first time. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Christopher Schelling at Selectric Artists brokered the deal.
A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell (HMH)
Nicole Sclama at HMH has bought world English rights to Sarah Hollowell's debut contemporary YA fantasy, A Dark and Starless Forest, about nine magical siblings who live in a secluded house cut off from the rest of the world by a sinister forest with their enigmatic caretaker, who is grooming them for a dark and mysterious purpose. Publication is set for fall 2021; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency handled the deal.
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker (Inkyard Press)
Natashya Wilson at Inkyard Press has acquired, at auction, The Keeper of Night plus a sequel by debut author Kylie Lee Baker. The dark fantasy stars a half-Reaper, half-Shinigami, caught between her two worlds and belonging to neither, who fights monsters and struggles for acceptance in a 19th-century Japan that is haunted by the Goddess of Death. Publication is set for fall 2021; Mary C. Moore at Kimberley Cameron & Associates did the deal for world English rights.
For All We Know by Shanna Miles (Simon and Schuster)
Krista Vitola at Simon & Schuster has bought, in a preempt, Shanna Miles's debut YA novel, For All We Know. Pitched as Cloud Atlas meets The Sun Is Also a Star, the story follows two teens fated to repeat their love story across hundreds of lifetimes, from 14th-century Mali to the distant future, as they struggle to break the cycle. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; John Cusick at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management brokered the deal for world rights.
Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe (Wednesday Books)
Jennie Conway at Wednesday Books has acquired Bright Ruined Things, a historical fantasy by Samantha Cohoe (the forthcoming Golden Fury). This 1920s retelling of The Tempest is set during the Prosper family's annual bash, when their teenage ward Mae realizes this powerful family is not what they seem, and seizes her chance to take the magic that's always been denied to her. Publication is set for fall 2021; Bridget Smith at JABberwocky Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Gap Mountain by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez (Delacorte)
Wendy Loggia at Delacorte has acquired, in a two-book preempt, world English rights to Jennifer Lynn Alvarez's YA debut, Gap Mountain. In the vein of Karen McManus and E. Lockhart, the novel features six friends and one secret. When a group of teens accidentally spark an enormous and deadly wildfire, one of them threatens to tell the truth about what happened—and goes missing, and the other five become suspects in her disappearance. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021.
These Precious Stones by Michael Barakiva (FSG)
Trisha de Guzman at FSG has acquired world English rights to These Precious Stones by Michael Barakiva (Hold My Hand). Pitched as Sailor Moon meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the contemporary YA fantasy features an eclectic group of queer and international teens who learn that they must bear the magical gems that will save the universe from an ancient galactic threat. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Josh Adams at Adams Literary handled the deal.
The Battle of the Bands by Various YA Authors (Candlewick)
Lauren Gibaldi and Eric Smith's BATTLE OF THE BANDS, an anthology of interconnected stories that take place at a high school's Battle of the Bands, from the perspective of teens running the show, cheering in the audience, and playing in the bands, featuring Jenny Torres-Sanchez, Sarvenaz Tash, Jenn Marie-Thorne, Ashley Woodfolk, Katie Cotugno, Jeff Zentner, Brittany Cavallaro, Shaun David Hutchinson, Ashley Poston, Preeti Chhibber, Sarah Smetana, Jay Coles, Jasmine Warga, and singer/songwriter Justin Courtney Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack, to Kaylan Adair at Candlewick, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2021, by Dawn Frederick at Red Sofa Literary (world).
Kind of Sort of Fine by Spencer Hall (Anthenum)
Alex Borbolla at Atheneum has bought world rights to Spencer Hall's debut YA Kind of Sort of Fine. The book is about two high-school seniors looking to reinvent themselves: Hayley, a former overachiever recovering from a public breakdown, and Lewis, a self-described “fat, funny sidekick” on a mission to become a leading man. But when the two are thrown together in film class, they begin to question their own identities—and who they really want to become. Publication is set for summer 2021; Claire Friedman at InkWell Management handled the deal.
Indescructible Object by Mary McCoy (Simon Pulse)
Kendra Levin at Simon & Schuster has acquired Indestructible Object by Printz Honor author Mary McCoy (I, Claudia). The YA novel follows a queer teen girl who hosts a podcast about the love stories of great artists. When she finds her life falling apart after her parents announce they're divorcing and her boyfriend breaks up with her right after graduation, it inspires her to set out on a summer podcast project about whether love even exists at all. Publication is set for summer 2021; Patricia Nelson at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.
Smoke by Darcy Woods (Crown)
Emily Easton at Crown has acquired Smoke by Darcy Woods (Summer of Supernovas). In the book, pitched as a YA Weeds, straight-A student Honor begins growing marijuana to save her family from bankruptcy. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management did the deal for world English rights.
You and Me at the End of the World by Brianna Bourne (Scholastic)
Jody Corbett at Scholastic has acquired, at auction, North American rights to Brianna Bourne's YA debut You and Me at the End of the World
and a second untitled novel. The former is a love story following
teenagers Hannah and Leo as they discover they are the last two people
left on Earth. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Alice
Sutherland-Hawes at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency handled the deal.
Curse of the Spector Queen by Jenny Elder Moke (Disney Hyperion)
Kieran Viola at Disney-Hyperion has bought world rights to Curse of the Specter Queen by Jenny Elder Moke. The YA novel follows rare-book-lover-turned-adventurer Samantha "Sam" Knox, who must embark on a globetrotting mission to save the universe from a centuries-old Celtic curse. Publication is planned for summer 2021; Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic negotiated the deal.
The Mythic Koda Rose by Jennifer Nissley (Simon and Schuster)
Liesa Abrams at Simon & Schuster has acquired Jennifer Nissley's contemporary YA novel, The Mythic Koda Rose. For fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson, this debut features a queer teen exploring the enigmatic legacy left behind by her rock star father, who finds herself navigating an emotionally charged bond with his mercurial ex-girlfriend. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Danielle Burby at Nelson Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.
Some Girls Do by Jennifer Dugan (Putnam)
Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has acquired Some Girls Do, a YA contemporary queer romance by Jennifer Dugan (Hot Dog Girl and Verona Comics). The story follows an openly gay track star who falls for a closeted, bisexual local beauty queen with a penchant for fixing up old cars. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; Brooks Sherman at Janklow & Nesbit Associates negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Six Crimson Cranes #1 by Elizabeth Lim (Knopf)
Katherine Harrison at Knopf has bought Elizabeth Lim's YA fantasy duology Six Crimson Cranes, a reimagining of the Wild Swans fairytale, and a third untitled work. Set in the same world as Spin the Dawn, Six Crimson Cranes centers an exiled princess who must unweave the curse that turned her brothers into cranes, assisted by her spurned betrothed, a mercurial dragon, and a paper bird brought to life by her own magic. Publication of the first book is scheduled for summer 2021; Gina Maccoby at Gina Maccoby Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun by Jonny Garza Villa (Skyscape)
An #OwnVoices debut pitched as SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA meets ONE DAY AT A TIME, in a home where social conservatism, machismo, and masculine identity run deep, Corpus Christi, Texas high school senior Julián Luna is forced to keep his gay identity a secret. Jules' only focus is laying low the next ten months and enjoying every moment he has left with his friends before college takes them on separate paths.
Completely doable.
Until Jules wakes up hungover and discovers he came out on Twitter in between tequila shots. In an instant, his entire life is thrown—literally—out the closet.
Helping him navigate the life that is openly gay Jules is Mat, a Twitter mutual from Los Angeles who slides into Jules’ DMs. He’s friendly, supportive, funny, and so attractive. He’s the first person Jules says the words “I’m gay” to. And, if he weren’t three states away, could definitely be Jules’ first boyfriend.
But a cute boy living halfway across the country can’t fix all Jules’ problems. There’s one thing he’ll have to face on his own: coming out to his homophobic father.
The Sea Tithe by Regina M. Hansen (Anthenum)
Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Regina M. Hansen's debut YA novel The Sea Tithe. The romantic fantasy, set on Prince Edward Island, features 15-year-old apprentice fiddle player Beet MacNeill, the handsome newcomer who catches her eye, and their best friend, who join forces to save her baby cousin from a supernatural menace that has been preying upon their town for centuries. Publication is scheduled for summer 2021; David Dunton at the Harvey Klinger Agency brokered the deal.
In Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts (Little Brown/Patterson)
Laura Schreiber at Little, Brown/Patterson has bought, in an exclusive submission, world English rights to It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts (Royal Bastards series). Pitched as “Red Rising at Evil Hogwarts,” the YA fantasy features 16-year-old rebel Alka, who must infiltrate the prestigious Blackwater Academy of Magic to destroy it from within. Publication is slated for summer 2021; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties handled the deal.
Luminous by Mara Rutherford (Inkyard Press)
Bess Braswell at Inkyard Press has bought world English rights to Luminous by Mara Rutherford (Crown of Coral and Pearl). Connolly Bottum will edit. This YA fantasy follows a young witch who must remain hidden to avoid discovery by other witches who would seek to drain her power. But when her sister is taken by the kingdom's chief warlock, she'll have to step out of the shadows to save her family. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Uwe Stender at TriadaUS brokered the deal.
Champion of Cities, Champion of People by Rebecca Pitts (Seven Stories)
Lauren Hooker at Seven Stories/Triangle Square has acquired Jane Jacobs: Champion of Cities, Champion of People, by debut author Rebecca Pitts. This YA biography of Jane Jacobs, the visionary urbanist and thinker who transformed the way we inhabit and develop our cities, emphasizes how today's teens can promote change in part by focusing on local issues and community organizing. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Bibi Lewis at the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Punching Bag by Rex Ogle (Norton Books For Young Readers)
Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has acquired YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award winner Rex Ogle's YA memoir, Punching Bag. The story is centered on the author's experience with domestic violence. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Little Women by Bethany C. Morrow (Feiwel and Friends)
Feiwel and Friends has announced the 2021 launch of Reclaimed Classics, a YA series that will offer a fresh perspective on timeless works of literature. Written by various authors, the novels will uphold the core plot points, characters, and themes of the familiar versions of classic novels, yet these key components will be filtered through the lenses of the writers’ diverse experiences. Spearheaded by assistant editor Emily Settle, Reclaimed Classics will debut in spring 2021 with Treasure Island by C.B. Lee and will continue with Little Women by Bethany C. Morrow (fall 2021), Robin Hood by Aminah Mae Safi (winter 2022), and Wuthering Heights by Tasha Suri (spring 2022).
The Last Words We Said by Leah Scheier (Simon Pulse)
Liesa Abrams at Simon Pulse has acquired Leah Scheier's The Last Words We Said, a YA contemporary novel in the vein of We Were Liars set in an Orthodox Jewish community, about four best friends and what happens when one of them disappears and they all blame themselves. Publication is scheduled for fall 2021; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
The Ashes of Cruiser Island by Court Stevens (Thomas Nelson)
Becky Monds at Thomas Nelson has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to The Ashes of Cruiser Island by Court Stevens. The YA novel features Ben, bent on proving the innocence of his childhood friend, Frankie, who was charged with murdering her best friend and who stands to be executed under the Accelerated Death Penalty Act of 2020. The book is set for fall 2021; Kelly Sonnack at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal
Sanctuary by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (Kokila)
Namrata Tripathi at Kokila has acquired, on exclusive submission, Sanctuary by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, author of the forthcoming Undocumented America. The YA novel follows Marcela, a 16-year-old New Yorker and budding journalist whose world comes crashing down when she finds out her father is scheduled for immediate deportation. When he seeks sanctuary at a local church, Marcela finds herself fighting for her father's rights and fending off exploitative media outlets she once hoped to join. Publication is set for fall 2021; Peter Steinberg at Foundry Literary + Media negotiated the deal for North American English and Spanish rights.
Lia and Beckett's Abracadabra by Amy Noelle Parks (Abrams)
Maggie Lehrman at Abrams has bought, in an exclusive submission, world English rights to Lia and Beckett's Abracadabra by Amy Noelle Parks (The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss). This YA romantic comedy, set in a magic-themed resort town, is a Romeo and Juliet
love story, with illusions instead of duels and a happy ending instead
of death. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Elizabeth Bennett at
Transatlantic Agency handled the deal.
The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling (Razorbill)
Julie Rosenberg at Razorbill has acquired North American rights to The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling (These Witches Don't Burn). The contemporary fantasy follows Elise, a mortal girl who feels the death of anyone she touches, and Claire, the vampire assigned to recruit her for the Order, as they team up to stop a paranormal killer and realize they might be falling in love. Publication is set for fall 2021; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Passport by Sofia Glock (Little, Brown)
Susan Rich at Little, Brown has bought, in a six-house auction, debut graphic novelist Sophia Glock's Passport, a YA graphic memoir of secrets, spies, and double lives, in which a teen's emerging sense of self is shaped by her discovery that her "foreign diplomat" parents are actually spies. The book will publish in fall 2021, with a second, standalone, untitled graphic novel to follow; Molly O'Neill at Root Literary brokered the deal for world rights.
All These Bodies by Kendare Blake (HarperTeen)
Alexandra Cooper at HarperTeen has acquired North American rights to three novels from Kendare Blake, author of the bestselling Three Dark Crowns series. All These Bodies, in the vein of Anna Dressed in Blood, features a 15-year-old girl who is the surviving victim-turned-suspect of a Midwestern murder spree in a standalone that unspools like a speculative YA version of In Cold Blood. The first two books of Blake's untitled fantasy series follow a mystical order of female warriors. Publication for All These Bodies is scheduled for fall 2021; the first fantasy novel is scheduled for fall 2022. Adriann Ranta Zurhellen at Foundry Literary + Media negotiated the deal.
The Heartbreak Bakery by Amy Rose Capetta (Candlewick)
Miriam Newman at Candlewick has bought The Heartbreak Bakery, a new YA novel by Amy Rose Capetta (The Lost Coast; Once & Future) in an exclusive submission, in which agender teen baker Syd deals with first heartbreak by whipping up brownies—which break up everyone who eats them, including the owners of LGBTQIAP+ institution The Proud Muffin. With the help of magical baking and a cute transmasc bike messenger, Syd must save relationships and defend the bakery from disappearing in a fast-changing Austin, Texas. Publication is set for fall 2021; Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties did the deal for North American rights.
The Art of Undoing by Kate Norris (Philmonel)
Kate Norris's THE ART OF UNDOING, pitched as Sliding Doors meets CODE NAME VERITY, in which a 16-year-old aspiring physicist witnesses a tragedy and is accidentally pulled into another universe—one that already has another version of herself in it, to Liza Kaplan at Philomel, in a pre-empt, for publication in fall 2021.
Major Detours by Zackary Sergi (Running Press Kids)
Britny Brooks at Running Press Kids, in an exclusive submission, has bought Heroes Rise and Verses interactive fiction series author Zackary Sergi's Major Detours, a YA novel following four college-bound teens on a tarot card road trip that turns into a haunted scavenger hunt where the reader chooses the paths forward using a new interactive format, for publication in fall 2021. Lucy Carson at Friedrich Agency represented the author for world rights.
Linney by Lucy Knisley (Random House Graphic)
Random House Graphic has acquired Lucy Knisley's YA graphic novel Linney, a collection of Knisley's online cat cartoons in print for the first time, along with original material. Publication is slated for fall 2021.
The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman (HMH)
Nicole Sclama at HMH has acquired, at auction, Akshaya Raman's epic YA fantasy debut, The Ivory Key, first in a duology. Set in an Indian-inspired world where magic is a physical resource, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source of magic to save their country. Publication is planned for fall 2021; Hillary Jacobson at ICM Partners brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle (Greenwillow)
Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow has bought North American rights to Squad, a darkly comedic YA graphic novel by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (l.), illustrated by Lisa Sterle. It's about a clique of teen girls whose favorite pastime is to "get dressed up, go to parties, target entitled, date-rapey Bros, turn into wolves, and eat them." Publication is slated for fall 2021. Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.
Everything Within and Between by Nicki Barthelmess (HarperCollins)
Carolina Ortiz at HarperCollins has acquired The Quiet You Carry author Nikki Barthelmess's Everything Within and in Between, an #OwnVoices contemporary YA novel about the convergence of family, identity, and assimilation. In the novel, Ri Fernandez, a biracial Mexican-American teenager, fights to reclaim her Latinx heritage and her connection with her absent mother from her strict immigrant grandmother, who has kept her from both. Publication is set for fall 2021.
Mysterious Ways by Wendy Wunder (Wednesday Books)
Sara Goodman at Wednesday Books has bought, in a preempt, Mysterious Ways by Wendy Wunder. When 18-year-old Maya looks at someone, she instantly knows everything about them, which makes starting at a new school and meeting a guy she actually wants to be around more than a little challenging. No one would ever believe her superpower—so what happens when someone does, and challenges her to use it for good? Publication is set for fall 2021; Sara Shandler, Joelle Hobeika, and Josh Bank at Alloy Entertainment brokered the deal for world English rights.
Once More With Chutzpah by Haley Neil (Bloomsbury)
Allison Moore at Bloomsbury has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Once More with Chutzpah by debut author Haley Neil. Pitched as “Becky Albertalli meets Birthright,” the YA novel explores cultural, religious, and sexual identity as an anxious high school senior and her twin set off on a whirlwind trip through Israel. Publication is slated for fall 2021; Lauren Spieller at Triada did the two-book deal for world rights.
Until All Are Free by Kekla Magoon (Candlewick)
Andrea Tompa at Candlewick has bought, in an exclusive submission, three-time Coretta Scott King Honoree Kekla Magoon's Until All Are Free: The Black Panther Party's Call for Revolution, a nonfiction account of the history and legacy of the Black Panthers for a young YA audience. Publication is set for fall 2021; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown represented the author in the deal for world rights.
Dark Rise by C. S. Pacat (HarperCollins)
Andrew Eliopulos at HarperCollins acquired, at auction, bestselling adult author C.S. Pacat's (Captive Prince) YA debut, Dark Rise, a fantasy trilogy set in an alternate London. In the books, the heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war are reborn, ushering in a dangerous new age of magic. The first title, Dark Rise, will be published in fall 2021; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
The Queen's Council by Livia Blackburne (Disney Hyperion) - see below in Undated 2021 section.
Jocelyn Davies at Disney-Hyperion has signed Livia Blackburne to write the second book in The Queen's Council, a YA historical fantasy series that reimagines the Disney Princesses as rulers coming into power, aided by a mysterious force that weaves between their individual stories. Blackburne will twist the story of Mulan: named Empress of a people who do not want her, forbidden from marrying the man she loves, and facing a potential coup, she brings mysticism to the battlefield to fight for her right to rule. Publication is set for fall 2021; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.
The Babysitter's Coven #3 by Kate Williams (Delacorte)
"Krista Marino at Delacorte has bought North American rights, in a two-book deal, to ... a third book in the Babysitters Coven series. Publication is set for .. fall 2021 ...Kerry Sparks at Levine, Greenberg, Rostan Literary Agency brokered the deal. "
No Releases Currently Scheduled
Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye (HarperCollins)
Kristin Pettit at
HarperCollins has acquired world rights to #PitchWars alum Deborah
Falaye's YA fantasy Blood Scion. Inspired by Africa's child soldier
crisis and set in a West African fantasy world, the novel follows a
young Scion—the all but extinct descendants of the ancient Orisha
gods—who is drafted into the very military that has hunted her kind for
centuries. Stealing the opportunity to uncover what happened the night
her mother disappeared, she will do anything to learn the truth—even if
it means becoming the killer the army demands. Publication is
tentatively slated for winter 2021; Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman
Literary Agency did the deal.
The Scientific Method of Getting Lucky by Heather Truett (Swoon Reads)
When Stephen kisses a girl at a party, he discovers that his tics caused by Tourette’s Syndrome stop immediately. Using the scientific method drilled into him by his scientist father, Stephen begins an experiment to see if kissing could be a very pleasant treatment for his Tourette’s Syndrome.
The experiment leads him to Pilar, who quickly thinks Stephen is her boyfriend, but Stephen isn’t sure he’s ready for that, not now that Joan has dropped back into his life after a deep conversation in a dark projection room. Stephen will have to be honest with Pilar if he wants to win Joan’s heart, and the kissing experiment will have to end before it spirals out of control.
The Book of Living Secrets by Madeline Roux (HarperTeen)
HarperTeen has acquired The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux. In this standalone YA novel, a girl follows her missing best friend into the world of their favorite dark fantasy novel, only to discover that the novel's heroine hasn't been telling the full story—and now she doesn't want to let the friends go. Publication is slated for winter 2021.
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee (Delacorte)
Krista Marino at
Delacorte Press has acquired, at auction, Victoria Lee’s (The Fever King
and The Electric Heir), A Lesson in Vengeance. Pitched as The Secret
History meets Genuine Fraud and The Craft, it’s the story of Felicity
Morrow, a senior returning to school after her girlfriend’s tragic
death, only to meet a new student and teenage literary prodigy who
transferred to research the school’s bloody history, and recruits
Felicity into a murderous experiment of their own. For publication in
2021; Holly Root and Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary represented the
author in the deal for North American rights. Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell (Wednesday Books)
No description released.
The Dust Alphabet by Rebecca Podos (Balzer + Bray)
Jordan Brown at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired North American rights to The Dust Alphabet by Lambda Literary Award-winning author Rebecca Podos, a contemporary YA fantasy about identity, faith, and fate. On her 17th birthday, Hannah is cursed by a sheyd (a Jewish demon) as the price for a desperate bargain that her mother made long ago. To break the spell, she and her brother must track down their mother's estranged family and discover a legacy they never dreamed of—one that traces back to the famous Golem of Prague. Publication is set for 2021.
The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver (Scholastic)
From the author:
“THE GHOSTS WE KEEP is the story of Liam Cooper who is a non-binary kid still trying to figure things out. So they’re still in the closet, but mostly because that’s where they’re most comfortable right now. They have a crush on their best friend Joel, and they’re desperately hoping that something will come of it and they’re trying to get the nerve to ask Joel out.
Things come crashing to a halt when Liam’s twin brother is killed in a tragic accident. Suddenly Liam sees their brother’s face in the mirror, and they have to contend with being half of a whole. The book is about grief, rejection, fear, dealing with PTSD. It comes from my own experience of losing my father in 2017 (in the exact way Liam loses their brother).
The book is dark, I’m not going to lie it may be difficult for a lot of readers. Liam goes through a lot, they deal with their own gender, losing the person they love the most, rejection from people around them. There is a scene (so far at least who knows what edits may do) where Liam considers taking their own life.
These are things both I and my mother experienced after my father was killed. And this is my way of getting through that.”
Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor (Scholastic)
Orlando Dos Reis at Scholastic has bought world rights to Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor (Tarnished Are the Stars). This queer YA fantasy with a Jazz Age spark follows a politically savvy girl from the wrong side of the tracks as her drive for self-advancement comes into conflict with her heart during an election year where magic buys votes. Publication is slated for 2021; Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch Literary Services negotiated the deal.
Untitled by Debbie Rigaud (Scholastic) - now superceded by a different title, suspect this entry will be deleted from Goodreads with time.
Aimee Friedman at Scholastic has bought, in a two-book deal, an untitled YA novel by Debbie Rigaud (Truly Madly Royally), co-author (with Alyssa Milano) of the bestselling Hope series. The #OwnVoices novel follows Simone, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, who, when faced with an arranged prom date set up by her strict parents, decides to create a senior year “bucket list” of all the things she and her friends haven't done yet. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Laura Dail at Laura Dail Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.
The Darkened Lands of the Earth by Leila Siddiqui (Yali Books)
Yali Books has bought The Darkened Lands of the Earth, a debut #OwnVoices YA novel by Leila Siddiqui, pitched as Pan's Labyrinth meets The Night Diary with a dash of Stranger Things. The book stars a modern teenage girl who is coming to terms with her missing brother, and must discover the secrets of her late grandfather's life in colonial India during WWII and Pakistan after the partition if she is to unlock the greenhouse that suddenly appears in her backyard and face the creatures lurking inside. Publication is set for 2021.
The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlow by Hannah Moskowitz (Entangled Teen)
Lydia Sharp at Entangled Teen has acquired The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe, a YA novel by Hannah Moskowitz (Sick Kids in Love). When Andie's gorgeous, lifelong best friend (and secret obsession) Ivy develops feelings for another girl, Andie grapples with the bitter fact that the great love story of Ivy's life might not include her. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Rebecca Podos at Rees Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
Himawari Share by Harmony Becker (First Second)
Kiara Valdez at First Second has acquired Himawari Share by Harmony Becker, a YA graphic novel about three foreign exchange students who live together in a “sharehouse” in Tokyo. Publication is scheduled for 2021; DongWon Song at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights.
In Silent Seas We Drown by Liz Lawson (Delacorte)
Krista Marino at Delacorte has acquired world rights to Liz Lawson's (The Lucky Ones) second YA novel. In Silent Seas We Drown is the story of three teens whose lives are sent into a tailspin when one overdoses at another's home and her parents decide to press charges. Told in dual POVs, the novel is about addiction, the ripple effects it causes, and the secrets we all have. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Andrea Morrison at Writers House brokered the deal.
Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos (Razorbill)
Julie Rosenberg at Razorbill has bought Kelly deVos's YA thriller Eat Your Heart Out, which follows six disgruntled teens forced to spend two weeks at fat camp during the worst blizzard in a century, only to find that camp is even worse than they expected because it's crawling with zombies. Publication is planned for 2021; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at Madeleine Milburn Ltd. brokered the two-book deal for world English rights.
Climate Change by Danica Novgordoff (First Second)
Mark Siegel at First Second has bought Climate Change, Danica Norvgorodoff's YA graphic novel, which ranges from the tsunamis and hurricanes that devastate entire populations to the scrim of pollution and the warming weather that has changed our ecosystems gradually. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Tanya McKinnon at McKinnon Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.
The Many Half-Lived Lifes of Sam Sylvester by Maya McGregor (Boyd Mills Press)
Jes Negrón at Boyds Mills Press has bought The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor. This YA debut is about an autistic genderqueer protagonist who leaves an intolerant school for a new high school with the support of their loving father, finding a Rainbow Club and accepting friends, all of whom must come together to solve the decades-old mystery of the murder of a teenage boy and confront Sam's own fears of early death.
Publication is slated for 2021.
Seperate No More by Lawrence Goldstone (Scholastic)
Lisa Sandell at Scholastic Focus has bought Lawrence Goldstone's Separate No More, a YA non-fiction title about the Supreme Court's impact on segregation in America, from Plessy v. Ferguson, when racial separation became fixed in the Constitution, to the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, when a team of African-American lawyers persuaded nine white justices that “separate but equal is inherently unequal.” Publication is slated for 2021; Charlie Olsen at InkWell Management did the deal for world English rights.
The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons (Dial)
Ellen Cormier at Dial has acquired, at auction, debut author Isaac Fitzsimons's The Passing Playbook, and an untitled second project. The #OwnVoices YA contemporary novel features a queer, biracial, transgender protagonist fighting for his rights and falling in love for the first time on the soccer field. When Spencer is benched due to the "F" on his birth certificate, he has to make a choice: cheer from the sidelines or fight the ruling even though it would mean coming out to everyone, including the conservative Christian teammate he's falling for. Jordan Hamessley at New Leaf Literary negotiated the deal for North American rights.
You've Reached Me by Dustin Thao (Wednesday Books)
Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books has acquired North American rights to You've Reached Me and a second book by debut author Dustin Thao. You've Reached Me is a contemporary story with a dash of magic, about a teen girl who, heartbroken after her boyfriend's death, calls him to hear his voicemail—but he picks up. In a miraculous turn of events, they have a second chance at good-bye. Publication is scheduled for 2021; Thao Le at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal.
The Salt Is Sea and So Am I by Cassandra Hartt (Roaring Brook Press)
Cassandra Hartt's debut THE SEA IS SALT AND SO AM I, pitched as I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN meets Dawson's Creek, in this multi-POV story that follows three teens in the aftermath of a suicide attempt that shatters the delicate balance that has always existed between them, to Kate Meltzer at Roaring Brook Press, for publication in winter 2021.
Untitled by Tammi Lawson and Marilyn Nelson (Macmillan/Ottaviano)
Christy Ottaviano at Macmillan/Ottaviano has acquired world rights to a YA biography in verse of sculptor Augusta Savage by award-winning poet Marilyn Nelson (l.) and Tammi Lawson, curator of the Arts and Artifacts Division at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The book, set for 2021, will include archival materials and chronicle Savage's life and legacy as one of the most important artists and leaders of the Harlem Renaissance; Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency negotiated the deal.
Second Coming by Andre-Naquiane Wheeler (Levine Querido)
Meghan Maria McCullough and Arthur Levine at Levine Querido have bought two YA novels by debut author André-Naquian Wheeler. Set in the near future, Second Coming follows Ebb, a teen with a traumatic romantic past; that is, until he meets Manny, an immigrant from Nicaragua who loves him openly—and might also be the son of God. The second book, Like and Subscribe, is a contemporary novel about Hunter, a queer black boy struggling to manage his anxiety, fame, and love life in the face of viral stardom. Publication will begin in 2021; the author represented himself in the deal for world rights.
Re: Constitutions by Beka Feathers and Kasia Babis (First Second)
Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired world rights to Re: Constitutions, a nonfiction YA graphic novel written by Beka Feathers (l.) with art by Kasia Babis that covers everything about constitutions, from how they work and why they are made to the way they've shaped our world throughout history. Publication is scheduled for 2021; both the author and the illustrator were unagented.
Win! by Cynthia Yuan Cheng (First Second)
First Second has bought world rights to Win!, debut author Cynthia Yuan Cheng's YA graphic memoir about a shy and geeky Taiwanese-American teenage girl who joins her high school's boys' football team. Publication is scheduled for 2021.
Beyond the Mapped Stars by Rosalyn Eves (Knopf)
The novel is about a 19th century Mormon girl who unwittingly becomes involved in a railway heist, and— if she can't return the stolen device to its rightful owner before the 1878 total solar eclipse— might lose not only her own life, but might alter the future of American science and magic.
Eyes of the Forest by April Henry (Macmillan/Ottaviano)
A mystery with a triple twist pitched as Games of Thrones meets Misery, scheduled for 2021.
Untitled by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Simon and Schuster)
A romcom about a wedding harpist disillusioned with love and a cater-waiter who's a hopeless romantic forced to work the same weddings over the course of one summer.
Tabby Charon by Amy Kim Kimbuishi (Scholastic)
A YA graphic novel series by Amy Kim Kibuishi. They recount the story of Tabby Charon, who, after her father dies, travels to a distant world of magic and beauty where she meets a handsome boy and learns of her destiny.
Ghost Notes by Antoine Revoy (First Second)
Mark Siegel at First Second has acquired world rights to Ghost Notes, a YA graphic novel by Antoine Revoy about three ghosts stuck in limbo who have to tell each other spooky stories so that one of them can move on to the afterworld. Publication is scheduled for 2021; the author was unagented.
Girls At the Edge of the World by Laura Brooke Robson (Kathy Dawson Books)
Stanford senior Laura Brooke Robson's debut stand-alone apocalyptic fantasy told in alternating POVs about the leader of a band of female elite royal aerialists whose plan for survival depends on marrying the prince—until she meets the alluring new recruit who secretly plans to kill him, to Kathy Dawson at Kathy Dawson Books, in a good deal, at auction, in a two book deal.
Skyward #3 by Brandon Sanderson (Delacorte)
"Stormlight Four taking all of my 2019 will likely mean that Skyward Three won’t be written until 2020, for a spring 2021 release. (At least, that would be my best guess at this point.) So you’ll have a larger-than-usual wait between Books Two and Three, unless something happens to let me squeeze Book Three in early."
Untitled by Margot Woods (Abrams)
"One of my life goals was to one day update my Twitter bio to say that I'm an author.
Today is that day.
I'm very casually stoked to announce that I sold my very first novel at auction!!!!!!!
It'll go on sale in 2021....so until then, join me for this wild ride."
The Queen's Council #2 by Emma Theriault (Disney Hyperion) - suspect this title will not release since Livia Blackburne has now been drafted in to write this book.
Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed by Various YA Authors (Publisher TBA)
A collection of essays and poems subverting different myths and stereotypes about the Latinx community.
The Black Volume of the Dead by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu (Saga Press)
If We Were Us by K.L. Walther (Sourcebooks Fire)
Radha's Recipe for Bollywood Beats by Nisha Sharma (Crown)
The Perfect Escape #2 by Suzanne Park (Sourcebooks Fire)
The Dark Tide #2 by Alicia Jasinska (Sourcebooks Fire)
Little Creeping Things #2 by Chelsea Ichaso (Sourcebooks Fire)
Hollow Crown #2 by Zoraida Cordova (Disney Hyperion)
Loveboat Taipei #2 by Abigail Hing Wen (HarperTeen)
The Prison Healer #2 by Lynette Noni (HMH)
A Court of Miracles #2 by Kester Grant (Knopf)
Suns Will Rise by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell (Simon Pulse)
Untitled by Laura Taylor Namey (Anthenum)
Crownchasers #2 by Rebecca Coffindaffer (HarperTeen)
Untitled by Lilliam Rivera (Bloomsbury YA)
Kingdom of Cards #2 by Janelle Angeles (Wednesday Books)
Kingdom of the Wicked #2 by Kerri Maniscalco (Jimmy Paterson)
Muse #2 by Brittany Cavallaro (Katherine Tegan Books)
What If It's Us #2 by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli (HarperTeen)
Inheritance Games #2 by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Freeform)
Misadventures of Johnathon Lambshead by Jeff Vandermeer #2 (FSG)
Smash It #2 by Franscina Simone (Inkyard Press)
Hush #2 by Dylan Farrow (Wednesday Books)
Blood Heir #3 by Amelie Wen Zhao (Delacorte)
Serpent & Dove #3 by Shelby Mahurin (HarperTeen)
Camelot Rising #3 by Kiersten White (Delacorte)
Crown of Feathers #3 by Nicki Pau Preto (Simon Pulse)
The Midnight Lie #2 by Marie Rutkoski (FSG)
Untitled by Joan He (Roaring Brook Press)
The Aurelian Cycle #3 by Rosaria Munda (Putnam)
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (Simon Pulse)
A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy #2 by Jeff Bishop (Putnam)
The Princess Will Save You #2 by Sarah Henning (Tor Teen)
The Notorious Virtues #2 by Alwyn Hamilton (Viking)
Untitled by Maria Kanter (Simon and Schuster)
Untitled by Lyla Lee (HarperTeen)
These Violent Delights #2 by Chloe Gong (Simon Pulse)
Untitled by Meredith Tate (Putnam)
Untitled by Natalie D. Richards (Sourcebooks Fire)
Shamanborn #2 by Lori Lee (Page Street)
The Player's Table #2 by Jessica Goodman (Razorbill)
A Hundred Names for Magic #2 by Rin Chupeco (Sourcebooks Fire)
Untitled by Hannah Capin (Wednesday Books)
The Age of Darkness #3 by Katy Rose Pool (Henry Holt)
Wolves of New World by Romina Russell and Romina Garber (Wednesday Books)
Every Reason We Shouldn't #2 by Sara Fujimura (Tor Teen)
The Stepping Off Place #2 by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum (HarperTeen)
The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (HarperCollins)
Set Fire to the Gods #2 by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons (Balzer + Bray)
The Aurora Cycle #3 by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Knopf)
The Gilded Wolves #3 by Roshani Chokshi (Wednesday Books)
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