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In the Spotlight
 YA Romance Goes GraphicThe romance genre continues to reign supreme, with one particular format growing in popularity: graphic novels for teens. We spoke with the creators of six forthcoming projects that display how the medium might just be the new literary fix for lovers of love. more   2026 YA Graphic Novels for the Romance AficionadoNew romance graphic novels hitting shelves this year feature a necromancer navigating unexpected feelings, a pair of opposites who find attraction, and more. more Cover Reveal
 'Mexikid Dreams' by Pedro MartínThe hilarious and heartful imaginings and experiences of Pedro Martín's childhood are the subject of his upcoming graphic novel memoir, Mexikid Dreams, the follow-up to his Newbery Honor–winning debut graphic novel Mexikid. “This is me. This is my story," he says. Click through for a first look at the new book, which is due from Dial on September 1. more
In the News
 German Publisher Buys NorthSouth Parent Company Ravensburger, a German children’s book publisher and games company, acquired a majority stake in NordSüd, parent company of U.S. children’s book publisher NorthSouth Books, best known for its 1992 picture book The Rainbow Fish. more Licensing News
 Licensing Hotline: February 2026Mad Cave acquired rights in 2024 to produce original Speed Racer stories across its imprints, starting with titles for an older audience. It's now bringing the popular property, first introduced in the 1960s, into its Papercutz imprint for younger readers by way of a middle grade graphic novel. Read on for news about the inaugural Barbie YA novel, by Alex Aster; Bluey joining DK’s Lego publishing program; Bonkers Toys’ new collectibles based on the Warriors fantasy novels; and more. more   Four Questions
 Sara PennypackerAfter more than two dozen middle grade and picture books, Sara Pennypacker has written her first work of historical fiction for children. Set in occupied France in the final months of WWII, The Lions’ Run incorporates the lesser-known history of the Lebensborn, covert residences established by the Nazis to house and care for girls pregnant with Nazi soldiers’ babies. Pennypacker spoke with us about courage and who suffers the most from war. Q: What do you hope readers take away from this story? A: I want them to be filled with questions like: Is it ever okay to commit a crime to correct a crime? What is courage? What kind of bravery could I summon up if needed? I want them to ask these questions and to want to discuss them with others. The job of books is to open up questions. Good books provoke questions and don’t answer them. more
Rights Report
 Andrew Karre at Dutton has acquired Something Inside Me Knows by National Book Award winner Malinda Lo (Last Night at the Telegraph Club). Incorporating free verse, found poetry, and lyric essay, this debut memoir weaves a nonlinear story of immigration and identity, connecting the author's childhood in small-town Colorado in the 1980s to her grandmother's experiences in wartime China. Publication is scheduled for March 2027; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world English rights.  Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has bought Where the Girls Are Kept by Mel Hammond, a YA reimagining of Rosemary's Baby. Artist Rowan welcomes the chance to escape her dumpster fire of a junior year when her mom inherits her aunt's Victorian fixer-upper in Arcana Falls, Ohio—but life in this sleepy town gets complicated as Rowan encounters an illegal birth control ban, a possible multi-level marketing cult, and an unexpected crush. Publication is slated for summer 2027; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary did the deal for North American rights.  Tiffany Colón at Scholastic has acquired Yamile Saied Méndez's No Place Like Home, a contemporary YA romance retelling of The Wizard of Oz about a teenage girl from Kansas named Dorothy, whose dream trip to Italy falls apart, and the best friend who refuses to let her give up. When he takes her on an unexpected road trip to Kansas City, friendship grows into something more, and Dorothy discovers that the adventure she needed was closer than she thought. Publication is planned for 2028; Linda Camacho at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency sold world rights.  Ruta Rimas at Putnam has bought, in an exclusive submission, These Twisted Hearts by Ginny Myers Sain, a Midwestern gothic horror novel about a 17-year-old storm chaser and a smooth-talking boy who claims he can control the weather—and the evil they uncover while investigating the killer twisters haunting a small Oklahoma town with a brutal past. Publication is set for spring 2027; Pete Knapp at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management brokered the two-book deal for North American rights.  Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has acquired, at auction, Mirrorwoven and its sequel by Bori Cser, a debut YA fantasy duology in a Renaissance Venice-inspired setting, in which a runaway princess playing court bard to a naïve young queen must safeguard both their futures without breaking the spell that hides her identity by falling in love. Publication for the first book is set for fall 2026; John Baker at Bell Lomax Moreton Agency handled the deal for North American rights.  Meghan McCullough at Bloomsbury has bought, in a preempt, Oh So Many Teeth by Lexi Smith McNicholas, a horror-tinged YA paranormal fantasy set in the Wild West, featuring sapphic werewolves hunting for cursed treasure while learning to free their inner monsters. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Dorian Maffei at Kimberley Cameron & Associates negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.  Arthur Levine at Levine Querido has acquired Traitor's Alchemy by Sacha Lamb, Printz Honor, Stonewall, and Sydney Taylor Award-winning author of When the Angels Left the Old Country, which follows Mirika, a girl desperate to become an alchemist and save her sick mother. Apprenticing herself to the noble Lady Algimanta brings more mystery and danger than she bargained for, and when she finds herself knee deep in royal conspiracies, Mirika must choose: grasp power in both hands, or give up on her lifelong dream. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Rena Rossner at Deborah Harris Agency brokered the deal for world rights.  Christy Ottaviano at Little Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, Candace Fleming's Carrie Buck and the Eugenics Movement and The Galveston Storm, two works of narrative nonfiction, the first about an at-risk teen locked away as a result of eugenics thinking, and the second a middle grade account following the fatal storm that ravaged Texas. Publication is set for winter 2028 and 2029 respectively; Ethan Ellenberg at Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency did the deal.  Siobhan Ciminera at Simon Spotlight has acquired Rose Cooper's graphic novel chapter book Bear and Other Bear, featuring two hoarder bears who pick up random items left behind in the park they live in and delight in trying to figure out what each object is for. Publication is planned for spring 2028; Natalie Lakosil at Looking Glass Literary & Media negotiated the deal for world rights.  Aimee Friedman at Scholastic has bought world rights to The Luckies, a series by Sarah Mlynowski (l.) and Christina Soontornvat (c.), illustrated by Madi Wong (r.), about two teenage stepsisters who really don't get along, and the drama that ensues when their blended family moves to a gossipy small town, as part of the new NEXT line of middle grade novels. Publication of book one, Rumor Has It, is slated for fall 2026; Laura Dail at Laura Dail Literary Agency represented Mlynowski, Jodi Reamer at Writers House represented Soontornvat, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented Wong.  Ivan Taurisano at First Second has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Dragon Kid, Lucas Turnbloom's middle grade graphic novel about Dex, a 12-year-old who begins transforming into a dragon just as he's about to start at a new school. Publication is scheduled for 2028; Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary handled the deal for world rights.  Sarah Howden at Orca Books has bought SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner Karen Krossing's Forever Fries, a middle grade novel-in-verse confronting first loves, eating disorders, and the pressures that face today's children, in which 13-year-old Marley must decide whether to honor her promise to her therapist and meet her crush for French fries or follow the strict rules of her No-Eat List, while haunted by memories of her perfectionist best friend, middle-school bully, and overbearing family. Publication is set for March 2027; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. did the deal for world rights.  Kaylan Adair at Candlewick Press has acquired, in a preempt, author-illustrator Maddie Frost's Super Puppy Babies and an untitled sequel, launching an early reader graphic novel series about a group of superhero dogs, turned into babies by an evil magical squirrel, who stick together like "poo on a shoe" to save the day. Publication of book one is planned for spring 2027 and book two in fall 2027; Andrea Morrison at Writers House sold world rights.  Taylor Norman at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought Leona Alone by Jordan Morris, a picture book about a reclusive possum whose immaculate garden and carefully guarded solitude are disrupted by an unruly vine, leading to a battle over boundaries, a theatrical death, and a sweet revelation. Publication is set for spring 2027; Hannah Mann at Writers House sold world rights.  Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop has acquired, in a six-figure deal, The Monster Inside by Cherry Mo (Caldecott Honoree for Home in a Lunchbox), a picture book about sisterhood and a girl who is haunted by an ever-present monster—her OCD—that turns out to be less scary than she thought. Publication is scheduled for spring 2028; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management negotiated the deal for world rights.  Tara Walker at Tundra Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to the Henri and Miko picture book series written and illustrated by Rebecca Green, about the cozy adventures of a mouse-and-bee best friend duo. Each book in the four-volume series focuses on a different season, with comic-style stories, recipes, poems, activities and more. Henri and Miko: Autumn in Bosk Olivette and Henri and Miko: Winter in Bosk Olivette are slated for fall 2026, with spring and summer to follow in the first half of 2028; the author represented herself.  Carina Licon and Brian Geffen at Henry Holt have acquired The Junk Box by Zeke Peña. This contemporary picture book explores empathy and gratitude, celebrates the wonders of a Mexican American flea market, and follows a lost, discarded item's journey of rediscovering joy—and oneself—in unexpected places. Publication is set for winter 2027; Steven Malk at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.  Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought world rights to Wonder Love by National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honoree Derrick Barnes (l.), illustrated by Dan Lish, a praise poem for Stevie Wonder's "classic period" and his enormous global influence on music. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency represented both the author and illustrator.  Claire Tattersfield at Viking has acquired world rights to Cock-a-Doodle-TOOT by Mary Vander Plas (l.), illustrated by Marisa Morea, a rhyming picture book about a flatulent rooster on a farm and the chaos that ensues. Publication is scheduled for spring 2028; Jackie Kruzie at Focused Artists represented the author, and Daisy Bee Butterworth at the Plum Agency represented the illustrator.  Alex Robertson at NorthSouth/NorteSur has bought world rights to Piragua Memories by Jackie Azúa Kramer (l.), illustrated by Sara Palacios, a picture book about a boy named Pablo who moves from Puerto Rico to a big city. Pablo quickly discovers how the many flavors of piraguas, his favorite icy treat, are the perfect way to treasure his memories of home and make new ones, too. A bilingual English-Spanish edition, Piragua de recuerdos, will be available simultaneously. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Stephen Fraser at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency represented the author, and Minju Chang at BookStop Literary Agency represented the illustrator.  Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane has acquired world rights to Hope into Action: How the Endangered Species Act Saves Lives, a picture book about how humans' actions have affected other species… first for the worse, and eventually for the better, by Liz Garton Scanlon (l.), illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Publication is set for spring 2028; Erin Murphy while at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the illustrator.  Yolanda Scott at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to Joy Ride by Gabriele Davis (l.), and Diane Earley has acquired world rights for illustration by Sawyer Cloud, a picture book about a family's creative, mood-lifting trip to the car wash. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.  Sarah Rockett at Tilbury House has acquired world rights to We're Being Discovered by Mel Rosenberg (l.). illustrated by Kaila Gee, a picture book that tells a humorous, fictionalized account of the 1676 discovery of bacteria—told from the perspective of bickering bacteria themselves. Publication is scheduled for 2027; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency represented the author, and Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Naomi Shulman at PJ Publishing has bought world rights to Na'ima's Shavuot Eve by Rinat Hadad Siegel (l.), illustrated by Yinon Ptahia, a picture book set in the Jewish community of Iraq in the 1940s, where a girl makes a valiant attempt to stay up all night long to observe the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  I Am HereKim Hyo-eun, trans. from the Korean by Aerin Park. Scribble US, $12.95 (18p) ISBN 978-1-964992-41-9 Repeated prepositions propel this bright-eyed board book, which movingly presents the world from a baby’s developing perspective. Unfolded downward, accordion pages reference common sights the protagonist perceives from below—“under/ the sun// under/ the clouds”—culminating in the round-cheeked tot, held in a baby carrier: “under/ Mama/ me.” A palette of sky blues forms the backdrop for these items, which are given a simple freshness via screen-printing-like techniques. more  We the People Is All the PeopleHoward W. Reeves, illus. by Duncan Tonatiuh. Abrams, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4197-7649-6 A straightforward and inclusive message distinguishes this powerfully wrought narrative definition of “we” from Reeves, making his picture book debut, and Tonatiuh, which opens with the U.S. Constitution’s Preamble. A clear concept serves as the work’s opening and concluding line, “ ‘We the people’ is all the people,” and unadorned language extrapolates in easy-to-understand descriptions. It’s a clearly rendered tribute to community care and unity that’s anchored in hues of red, white, and blue. more  Lake of SlimeJarrett Lerner. Simon Spotlight, $18.99 hardcover (112p) ISBN 978-1-6659-8296-2; $7.99 paper ISBN 978-1-6659-8295-5 Who left an empty carton of milk in the fridge? That’s what frustrated superhero Blix Blaster, foiled in his pursuit of a cereal breakfast, demands of his super roomies Abby Astro, Captain Kooky Pants, and Wanda Weather. Blix Blaster’s interrogation is interrupted by a call from Big City Mayor Melissa McCorkle, who requests the heroes’ help in stopping supervillain Dr. Slimepeople from replacing Big City Lake’s water with goo. Action-centered onomatopoeia and fourth wall breaks ensure readers’ investment. more  Gods & ComicsKat Cho, illus. by Robin Har. Penguin/Paulsen, $20.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-593-40681-6 Following her grandmother’s death, Grace starts a webcomic based on the Korean myths Halmeoni used to tell her. Under a pseudonym, Grace creates Sun God, a fantasy romance series about Haemosu, a powerful deity cursed to attend mortal high school. When Haemosu one day materializes from the comic, he requests Grace’s help in returning him to his celestial homeworld. As fantasy and reality intertwine, Grace contends with real feelings for her fictional protagonist as well as the arrival of Haemosu’s sworn enemy, and his plot to destroy humankind. | ||||
