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In the Spotlight
 Independent Publishers Are Fed Up with Barnes & Noble’s Buying PracticesWhile presses of all stripes are glad that James Daunt has put the largest bricks-and-mortar bookstore chain in the U.S. back on its financial feet, many indies feel deliberately left out of the retailer’s revival. The reduction in frontlist and national buyers has limited independent presses’ ability to pitch books to the company, causing their sales through the outlet to plummet. more  In the News
 Lori Benton to Head Children’s Publishing Program at Abrams Benton has left Scholastic after 14 years as VP and group publisher to head the children’s publishing program at Abrams, the publisher of Jeff Kinney’s bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. more
Pride Month
 These YA Novelists Celebrate Queer, Fat CharactersCrystal Maldonado, Christen Randall, Adiba Jaigirdar, and other authors discuss the importance of joyful representation. more  6 Inclusive Nonfiction Books for Kids and TeensNew titles explore LGBTQ+ history and activism and offer nonjudgmental guidance. more First Person
 Longtime Teacher Shares a Lesson in Inclusion in Debut Picture Book Dan Gill taught middle school social studies for more than five decades. In his picture book debut, illustrated by Susan Gal, Gill draws from a childhood encounter with racism that inspired him to set aside an empty chair in his classroom as a sign of welcoming everyone. Here, the author reflects on how his story and this symbolic gesture have helped spread a message of inclusion. more 
Book News
 Sourcebooks Inks Deal with Indie Author Diane Alber An Arizona author-illustrator, who has self-published dozens of children’s books that use humor to ignite kids’ interest in making art and to help them develop life skills, has partnered with Sourcebooks on a multi-pronged publishing deal. more  Licensing News
 Licensing Hotline: June 26, 2025Reality star and influencer Paris Hilton is no stranger to licensing, having driven more than $4 billion in retail sales across product categories from beauty to home goods. Now, thanks to her new animated series, Paris & Pups, inspired by her life and her real-life pets, she is entering children’s publishing through a licensing deal with Scholastic. Read on for news about publishing programs for two PBS Kids shows focused on computational thinking, MIT Kids’ Work It Out Wombats! and Paw Prints’ Lyla in the Loop; a STEM-based graphic novel introducing the Spark Universe, from Andrews & McMeel; Michaelson Entertainment’s pro sports-licensed board books; a look at Random House’s Richard Scarry licensing program five years in; and more. more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Press: Week of June 30 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about a girl’s transformation into a walking garden, a middle grade mystery debut from a YA writer, a teen fantasy about a wedding to a god gone wrong, and more. more  In Brief
 In Brief: June 26, 2025Recently an author celebrated a book launch, middle grade fantasy writers came together for a release, an author-illustrator attended an exhibition opening showcasing her work, an author’s team showed up in support of a launch, an author donned a costume for her release event, and an author attended a luncheon. more
Rights Report
 Angelica Busanet at Abrams/Fanfare has acquired world rights to Pok-ta-Pok by Printz Award-winning author of Brownstone Samuel Teer (l.), illustrated by Devaun Dowdy. Haikyuu!! meets Blue Lock in this YA sports manga trilogy following the Green Shoots, a ragtag team of Mesoamerican ballgame players who must come together to make a name for themselves as they try to break into the pok-ta-pok major leagues. Publication is slated for spring 2029; Jas Perry at Looking Glass Literary & Media brokered the six-figure, three-book deal.  Sally Hosokawa at Little Simon has bought, in a four-book deal, a chapter book series called Fairy Scouts by Hannah Fay, illustrated by Mag Takac, in which a group of misfit fairies must work together to earn their magic, learning fairy-sized lessons about life along the way. The first title, No Rain, No Rainbow, will publish in spring 2026 and the second, The Flutterfly Effect, will publish in summer 2026. Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary represented the illustrator in the deal for world rights.  Frances Gilbert at Doubleday has acquired Two Artists, Grandad and Me, written and illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow. Based on her memories of time with her grandfather—Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney—this intergenerational story follows a girl spending a magical, creative day in her grandad's painting studio. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Shadra Strickland and Lori Nowicki at Painted Words sold world rights.  Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has bought world rights to Bears by Sibert Honor author-illustrator Katherine Roy (Neighborhood Sharks). The book, based on research conducted at the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaska, follows a brown bear and her cubs, exploring how their survival—and the health of the broader ecosystem—depends on the bears' unique behavior and biology, as well as their essential relationship with salmon. Publication is set for spring 2027; Stephen Barr at Writers House negotiated the deal.  Tara Walker at Tundra Books has acquired, at auction, Now I See Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter by Mac Barnett (l.), National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen. This quartet of board books playfully shows the changing seasons through a child's eyes. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author and illustrator for world rights.  Erin Clarke, in her first acquisition at Clarion, has bought, at auction, world rights to Old Friends at auction, a picture book debut by Lindsay Eland (l.), illustrated by Neesha Hudson (Turtle in a Tree), about an old dog up for adoption, afraid he'll be left behind, and an old veterinarian who is afraid to fall for another dog after his beloved canine died. Publication is slated for 2027; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House did the two-book deal for world rights.  Justin Krasner at Sourcebooks eXplore has acquired world rights to How to Train Your Evil Robot by Joy McCullough (l.), illustrated by Eduardo Medeiros. When a child's starter robot is bent on world domination, the child introduces it to the world, explaining what AI can be useful for, and what is best left to human creativity. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author, and Ethan and Heather Long at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.  Mekisha Telfer and Eleonore Fisher at Roaring Brook Press have bought world rights to The Boy Who Saved Lives with a Pen by Deborah Blumenthal (l.), illustrated by Matt Schu, a nonfiction picture book about Adolfo Kaminsky, a young master forger whose skill with a pen and fascination with chemistry helped tens of thousands of Jewish people—mostly children—survive Nazi-occupied France. Publication is set for fall 2026; the author represented herself, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Jonah Heller at Peachtree has acquired world rights to Yuki's Special Delivery by Chloe Ito Ward (l.), illustrated by debut illustrator Jiangshan Lyu. In this picture book set on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, a delivery girl receives her first bicycle through upcycling while helping her neighbors at her grandfather's service station. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.  Jenne Abramowitz at Sourcebooks has bought world rights to My One Wish Was You: A Christmas Miracle at the Animal Shelter, a picture book by Mary Wagley Copp (l.), illustrated by Jaimie MacGibbon. In this read-aloud reminiscent of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, Santa Paws, a former shelter dog, along with a diverse array of "elves," returns to his previous home on Christmas Eve where he delivers a holiday miracle to each animal. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Charlotte Wenger at Prospect Agency represented the author, and Molly O'Neill at Root Literary represented the illustrator.  Stacey Barney at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Flash! by Heidi Tyline King (l.) (Saving American Beach), illustrated by Laura Ramos, a picture book that chronicles the firefly research of John Bonner Buck and his groundbreaking discoveries in bioluminescence. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.  Rebecca Davis while at Astra Young Readers bought world rights to Meet the Mighty Helpers by Laura Purdie Salas (l.), illustrated by Julia Patton. This collection of poems is written from the point of view of tools that help people—from eyeglasses, braces, and fidget toys to walkers, Smartpens, and cochlear implants—who are auditioning to be superheroes. Publication is planned for fall 2026. the author represented herself, and Claire Morance at Painted Words represented the illustrator.  Alisha Niehaus Berger at NorthSouth Books/Ediciones NorteSur has acquired world rights to The Passover Pet Surprise by Ana María Shua (l.), illustrated by Ángeles Ruiz, a picture book about a girl named Jordanita, who, when celebrating Passover with her family in Argentina, decides that animals deserve to celebrate freedom just as much as humans do. A Spanish edition, La gran sorpresa de Pésaj, will be published simultaneously, edited by Alex Robertson. Publication is set for spring 2026; Nicole Witt at Literarische Agentur MertinWitt represented the author, and Justin Rucker at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  Bud Finds Her GiftRobin Wall Kimmerer, illus. by Naoko Stoop. Allida, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06332-442-8 Noticing that “everyone always had something important” going on, young Bud tells Nokomis that she, too, wants to do something “big and important.” But her grandmother’s invitation to head outside at sunrise, where Nokomis gives thanks for the day’s many gifts, yields confusion: “Will we do the important thing soon?” Bud asks. “Nokomis laughed. This is the important thing, taking time for noticing and saying ‘thank you’ for all the gifts of the earth.” more  CeeCee: Underground Railroad CinderellaShana Keller, illus. by Laura Freeman. Charlesbridge, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-623-54389-1 When the cruel, pale-skinned daughters of CeeCee’s enslavers begin tutoring, brown-skinned CeeCee is beaten and locked away for even staring at a book’s pages. But household cook Binty encourages the girl and shares a tale of “an underground, secret savior who helped free enslaved people—a knight named Moses.” The story melds in CeeCee’s dreams with “Cinderella,” and she awakens with a plan to head north, for which she’ll need a gown, a pair of gloves, and a fitting coat, objects she painstakingly acquires. more  I Am We: How Crows Come Together to SurviveLeslie Barnard Booth, illus. by Alexandra Finkelday. Chronicle, $18.99 (44p) ISBN 978-1-79722-615-6 Assonant, rhythmic prose from Barnard Booth and gothic paintings by Finkelday work hand-in-hand to create a hypnotic group portrait of crows. Dramatic, smudgy renderings of the charcoal-colored subjects contrasted against twilit skies echo high-stakes descriptions of nighttime dangers and communal roosting. Remarkably effective in transforming a murder of crows from a fearsome- to fearful-seeming grouping, the creators also underscore the uniquely effective manner in which the birds work collectively to endure. more  The Tear CollectorR.M. Romero. Little, Brown, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-316-57804-2 Siblings Malka and Ezra are nine and seven when a flood engulfs the world, setting them adrift. They wash ashore on an island with castaway Jonas and for three years pass without word from the mainland. Then young pilot Olivia crash-lands on the beach and insists that the mainland is rebuilding and offers to arrange rescue upon repairing her plane, but Jonas forbids his charges from helping, asserting that staying realistic about their circumstances. more  Wolf ClubJames Bird. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (272p) ISBN 978-1-25036-240-7 Ojibwe 13-year-old Okan finds comfort in his grand- mother’s deck of cards, which depict “the strength, skills, or power of each animal.” Following a physical altercation at school, Okan, bully Marcus, and classmate Sarah become inextricably linked. When a white wolf is spotted in the Sawtooth Mountain woods surrounding his Minnesota town, Okan receives a message from the spirit world suggesting that major challenges in Okan’s, Sarah’s, and Marcus’s lives will be resolved if they protect the wolf together. more |
June 26, 2025
  
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