Graphic Novel: Middle-Grade
Kathryn Ormsbee's TURNING TWELVE, a semi-autobiographical middle grade that tells the story of a homeschooled girl-it's 2004 and turning 12 brings big changes-bras, her period, her first babysitting job…and the realization that she has a crush on a girl, something she knows some members of her community won't approve of, illustrated by Molly Brooks, to Shana Corey at Random House Children's, for publication in fall 2024, by Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency for the author, and by Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties for the illustrator.
Fiction: Young Adult
Bessie Flores Zaldivar's LIBERTAD, set in Honduras, where the protagonist must come into her queerness and to terms with her country's history of violence, heading into an unprecedented presidential election, to Rosie Ahmed at Dial, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2024.
Fiction: Middle-Grade
Kayla Whaley's A to Z Mysteries series, a new spin-off of Ron Roy's original A to Z Mysteries series, following a girl and her friends as they track animal facts and solve mysteries that correspond with each letter of the alphabet, starting with THE ABSENT ALPACAS, illustrated by Chloe Burgett, to Jenna Lettice at Random House Children's, in a four-book deal, for publication in summer 2023, by Beth Phelan at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency for the author, Nancy Gallt at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency for Ron Roy, and by Christy Ewers at The CAT Agency for the illustrator.
Fiction: Picture Book
Ashley Woodfolk's BEACH HAIR, centering around a multiethnic family, and a celebratory exploration of different hair textures and how they can shift and change over the course of a single day spent at the beach, illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel Honoree Nina Mata, to Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster Children's, in a six-figure deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2024.
Fiction: Romance
National Book Award-winning author Kacen Callender's STARS IN YOUR EYES, about a grumpy/sunshine actor pairing forced into a fake relationship when the Hollywood veteran states that the up-and-comer golden boy has “zero talent” and sends their rom-com film's publicity into a nosedive—but as a true romance grows, the two must heal past wounds and traumas while in the spotlight, to Leah Hultenschmidt at Forever, in a good deal, at auction, for publication in fall 2023.
Fiction: Graphic Novel
National Book Award-winning author Kacen Callender's THEO PAGE'S GUIDE TO BEING A GUY, about an 18-year-old transgender teen who, because of struggles with transphobia and misgendering, takes notes on how to be seen as a man as he seeks validation from his cis boyfriend, but learns to battle his own toxic masculinity with the help of a new crush, ultimately realizing that there is an infinite number of ways to be a guy, illustrated by Seth S. Smith, to Charlotte Greenbaum and Mariko Tamaki at Surely, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2023.
Fiction: Young Adult
FULL DISCLOSURE author Camryn Garrett's FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE, about a queer teen determined to throw a lavish coming out party in place of a sweet sixteen, but when her mother is laid off, she's forced to balance saving for the party with keeping her household afloat, all the while navigating her growing feelings for a new girl at school, to Katherine Harrison at Knopf Children's, in a six-figure deal, for publication in spring 2023.
Fiction: Young Adult
Justin Reynolds, ed.'s HOUSE PARTY, told through a series of interconnected stories, in which 10 teens intermingle for one epic, life-changing night at the last house party before high school graduation; contributors include Angeline Boulley, Jerry Craft, Natasha Diaz, Lamar Giles, Christina Hammonds Reed, Ryan La Sala, Justin Reynolds, Randy Ribay, Yamile Saied Mendez, and Jasmine Warga, to Bria Ragin, David Yoon, and Nicola Yoon at Joy Revolution, in a significant deal, at auction, for publication in summer 2023.
Audio Rights
National Book Award finalist Randy Ribay's PROJECT KAWAYAN, a novella about an unnamed teen trying to piece together their situation after waking from suspended animation in a vacant bunker deep underground without memory, to Jessica Almon Galland at Audible Originals, for publication in 2022.
Fiction: Young Adult
National Book Award winner Kacen Callender's LARK & KASIM START A REVOLUTION, about a 17-year-old nonbinary, neurodivergent aspiring writer, who pretends that they are the creator of a viral thread that their ex-best friend accidentally posted onto their Twitter account, declaring his unrequited love; as the writer's lie deepens and they begin a famous relationship with their own crush, the writer searches for the courage to speak the truth and discover how their own self-love can be a revolution, to Maggie Lehrman at Abrams Children's, in a six-figure deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2022.
Fiction: Middle Grade
National Book Award winner Kacen Callender's MOONFLOWER, about a 12-year-old who struggles with depression and travels to the spirit realms every night, hoping never to return to the world of the living again; but when the realm is threatened, it's up to them to save the spirit world, sparking their own healing journey, to Andrea Davis Pinkney at Scholastic, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2022.
Audio Rights
National Book Award winner Kacen Callender's SUNSET SPRINGS, a romance novella about a Black trans man who returns to his hometown and falls in love with the beloved-turned-outsider football star from his old high school, to Jessica Almon Galland at Audible Originals, for publication in June 3, 2021.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Ashley Woodfolk's NOTHING BURNS AS BRIGHT AS YOU, a novel-in-verse that tells the story of a tumultuous romance between two girls in nonlinear chapters, anchored by a single day where they set a fire and their relationship spirals out of control, to Margaret Raymo at Versify, in a significant deal, in a pre-empt, for publication in spring 2022.
Fiction: Middle Grade:
Lambda Literary Fellow Lin Thompson's debut THE BEST LIARS IN RIVERVIEW, about a 12-year-old who has been quietly questioning their gender identity, and their search for their missing best friend in the woods that used to be the kids' personal sanctuary, to Nikki Garcia at Little, Brown Children's, in a significant deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2022.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Kat Cho's ONCE UPON A K-PROM, about a Korean American girl whose childhood best friend turned K-Pop star returns to their hometown to make good on their pact to go to prom together, to Kieran Viola at Disney-Hyperion, with Rachel Stark editing, for publication in winter 2022.
Fiction: Middle Grade:
justin a. reynolds's IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AND I'M IN MY BATHING SUIT, a humorous novel about a boy who has nothing left to wear but swim trunks after his plan to avoid doing laundry backfires and he has to endure the probably-apocalypse with the neighborhood's misfits, to Matt Ringler at Scholastic, for publication in spring 2022.
Fiction: Middle Grade:
Kathryn Ormsbee's CANDIDLY CLINE, about a young aspiring country singer/songwriter trying to find her voice as she navigates her family's money troubles, a changing relationship with her grandmother, a difficult friendship breakup, and her first crush on a girl, while dreaming of her big break from her small Kentucky town, to Stephanie Stein at Harper Children's, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2021.
Fiction: Middle Grade:
Former NBA All-Star and author of TUFF JUICE: MY JOURNEY FROM THE STREETS TO THE NBA Caron Butler and author of OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS and EARLY DEPARTURES Justin A. Reynolds's SHOT CLOCK series, about a boy trying to find his place on an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team coached by a former All-Star who returned to his hometown, and the transformative impact playing basketball has on kids growing up in a community struggling with a lack of resources; each book will be told from a different player's perspective as the team strives for victory on the court and characters learn to follow their dreams beyond the backboard, to Ben Rosenthal at Katherine Tegen Books, in a significant deal, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2022 and 2023.
Graphic Novel: Middle Grade:
Kathryn Ormsbee's GROWING PANGS, a memoir-style middle grade graphic novel following twelve-year-old Katie as she navigates life as a homeschooler, forms a better understanding of the anxiety and OCD she experiences, and learns that growing apart from friends is sometimes a part of growing up--and growing strong, to Shana Corey and Polo Orozco at Random House Books for Young Readers, for publication in spring 2022. Illustrated by Molly Brooks who is represented by Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Author of THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS Ashley Woodfolk's Flyy Girls series, following a group of girls who attend an arts high school in Harlem as they navigate family, friendship, and their futures, with the first two books, LUX: THE NEW GIRL and MICAH: THE GOOD GIRL, publishing simultaneously, to Anuoluwapo Ohioma at Penguin Workshop, in a four-book deal, for publication in fall 2020.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Author of TASH HEARTS TOLSTOY Kathryn Ormsbee's THE SULLIVAN SISTERS, about three estranged teenage sisters spending a miserable winter holiday together when a letter arrives, informing them of a family inheritance they knew nothing about, which forces them to band together in the face of a sinister family mystery, again to Zareen Jaffery at Simon & Schuster Children's, for publication in May 2020.
Fiction: Middle Grade:
Lambda Literary and Stonewall Award-winning author of HURRICANE CHILD Kacen Callender's KING AND THE DRAGONFLIES, about a 12-year-old boy who questions his own identity when he helps his gay best friend run away from an abusive household, and they build their own paradise down by the bayou, where he believes his dead older brother has turned into a dragonfly, again to Andrea Davis Pinkney at Scholastic, for publication in February 2020.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Stonewall Book Award-winning author of HURRICANE CHILD and THIS IS KIND OF AN EPIC LOVE STORY Kacen Callender's FELIX EVER AFTER, about a transgender teen who catfishes a rival classmate for revenge, only to fall in love with him online, while struggling with transphobic trolling and questions about his gender identity, again to Alessandra Balzer at Balzer & Bray, for publication in spring 2020.
Fiction: Science-fiction/Fantasy:
Kacen Callender's QUEEN OF THE CONQUERED, set in a Caribbean-inspired fantasy world, about an ambitious young woman with the power to control minds and her quest for revenge against the royals who assassinated her family and enslaved her people, to Sarah Guan at Orbit, in a two-book deal, for publication in November 2019.
Non-fiction: Young Adult:
Ashley Woodfolk's untitled biography of Michelle and Barack Obama, covering their historic impact and enduring legacy, to Jean Feiwel at Feiwel and Friends, for publication in fall 2020.
Fiction Anthology: Young Adult:
Bethany Morrow's TAKE THE MIC: FICTIONAL STORIES OF EVERYDAY RESISTANCE, a YA mixed-media anthology, including contemporary pieces from Samira Ahmed, Jason Reynolds, Darcie Little Badger, Keah Brown, and LeKesha Lewis, to Weslie Turner at Arthur A. Levine Books, with Kait Feldmann editing, for publication in October 2019.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Randy Ribay's PATRON SAINTS OF NOTHING, about a teen who visits his father's family in the Philippines, seeking the truth of his cousin's untimely death at the hands of President Duterte's war on drugs, but instead of answers, he faces more questions of identity, faith, and family, to Namrata Tripathi at Kokila, at auction, for publication in June 2019.
Fiction: Middle Grade:
Author of THE WATER & THE WILD, K.E. Ormsbee's MIDNIGHT ON STRANGE STREET, about a tight-knit group of friends on a glowboarding team who discover that they have burgeoning powers of telekinesis and telepathy, which—despite the team's best efforts to stay inconspicuous—catch the attention of a mysterious, powerful man in their city…and maybe even forces beyond the earth's atmosphere, to Hannah Allaman at Disney-Hyperion, for publication in Fall 2019.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Author of THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS, Ashley Woodfolk's WHEN YOU WERE EVERYTHING, the story of how two best friends fall apart, told in alternating "Before" and "After" chapters, to Kate Sullivan at Delacorte.
Fiction: Young Adult:
Kat Cho's debut WICKED FOX, a Korean mythology-inspired contemporary fantasy set in modern-day Seoul about a girl who is half-mortal and half-gumiho, and falls for a boy that changes the course of her immortal life, to Stacey Barney at Putnam Children's, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2019 (world English).
Fiction: Young Adult:
Kacen Callender's THIS IS KIND OF AN EPIC LOVE STORY, about an aspiring screenwriter, who has seen the demise of too many relationships (most recently with his ex-girlfriend) to believe in romcom-worthy happy endings, but then reconnects with a boy from his past, to Alessandra Balzer at Balzer & Bray, in a good deal, in a pre-empt (NA).
Fiction: Young Adult:
justin a. reynolds' debut, OPPOSITE OF ALWAYS, about a boy who falls in love with a girl and repeatedly loops back in time at the moment of her death, returning to the moment they first met, to Ben Rosenthal at Katherine Tegen Books, in a major deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2019 (NA).
Film/TV: Dana Spector at Paradigm
Fiction: Young Adult:
Kathryn Ormsbee's THE GREAT UNKNOWABLE END, set in 1970s Kansas, in which a NASA-loving girl and commune-dwelling boy form an unlikely bond during a series of increasingly peculiar events—including mysterious animal deaths, weather disturbances, and the appearance of a doomsday clock over town hall—that stir up speculation and panic in their small town, to Zareen Jaffery at Simon & Schuster Children's, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2018 (World English).
Fiction: Young Adult:
Mimi Yu's debut THE GIRL KING, pitched as inspired by East and North Asian histories, about an exiled princess fighting to reclaim the throne from her younger sister with the reluctant help of a shapeshifting boy whose family was killed by the empire, to Hali Baumstein at Bloomsbury Children's, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in Spring 2019, and to Rachel Winterbottom at Gollancz for UK rights, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Molly Ker Hawn on behalf of Beth Phelan.
Film/TV: Mary Pender-Coplan at UTA
Fiction: Middle Grade:
Kacen Callender's debut HURRICANE CHILD, a work of magical realism set in the US Virgin Islands, about a twelve-year-old's search for her mother; a lonely child who sees spirits no one else can—except the new girl, and crush, at school; and with this new companion, she sets out in a hurricane to search for her mother, and finds the healing power of love, to Andrea Davis Pinkney at Scholastic, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal (NA).
Fiction: Young Adult:
Ashley Woodfolk's debut THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS, revealed in alternating voices, and in part through interactions on social media, in which three diverse teens experience life and love in the wake of tragedy, to Rebecca Weston at Delacorte, in a significant deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in Fall 2017 (World).
Film/TV: Alice Lawson at Gersh
Fiction: Young Adult:
Kathryn Ormsbee's TASH HEARTS TOLSTOY, about a teen dealing with sudden internet fame after her web series adaptation of Anna Karenina is nominated for an amateur web series award, bringing out the critics and her own self-doubt, while she better acquaints herself and those around her with her asexuality and prepares for the award ceremony where she'll meet her long-term internet crush, to Zareen Jaffery at Simon & Schuster Children's (World English).
