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In the Spotlight
 Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month 2025: Creators on Bringing Their Culture to Their WorkIn honor of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked the authors of five books for young readers about highlighting different aspects of their culture and history. more  In the News
 How Grassroots Activists Are Fighting for the Right to ReadPW profiled 10 advocates who are taking action and mobilizing their communities against book banning. "This fight is everyone’s—it belongs to every individual American,” says Laney Hawes, codirector of the Texas Freedom to Read Project. more
In Conversation
 Tami Charles and Bryan Collier Tami Charles and illustrator Bryan Collier discussed their third picture book collaboration, Together, United—wrapping up the trilogy that includes All Because You Matter and We Are Here—and the themes of community and Black joy that run throughout their books. more Book News
 Picture Book Hit 'Strictly No Elephants' Gets a Sequel a Decade Later Ten years since the release of Lisa Mantchev's debut picture book, Strictly No Elephants, featuring art by Taeeun Yoo, the duo is back with The Trouble with Giraffes. We spoke with the author and illustrator about following up on the success of the first book, and spreading a message of inclusion. more   On the Scene
 2025 National Book Festival in PhotosThe 25th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival took place on Saturday, September 6, in Washington, D.C. As always, children’s authors and programming to promote reading were major attractions. Click through to see the highlights. more 
Rights Report
 Anna Parsons and Rebecca Kuss at Simon Pulse have acquired The Beautiful Heir and The Wild Heir, the first two books in the Heirs of Westemere series by Vanessa Montalban. Bridgerton meets Succession in this series of YA romantic fantasy novels as the heirs to the kingdom of Westemere navigate their love lives while competing for control of their ancestral throne. Publication is set for summer 2027; Danielle Burby at Mad Woman Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.  Nancy Siscoe at Knopf has bought North American English rights for Rainsong by Lila Riesen. In this speculative YA thriller, a teen with a secret power moves to a small seaside town haunted by unsolved disappearances and must unravel a dark mystery—before she becomes the next victim. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Mollie Glick at CAA represented the author.  Carolina Mancheno Ortiz at HarperCollins/Avon A has acquired world rights to Should Have Bens by Elle Gonzalez Rose. The YA romance follows a girl who has sworn off love, as she revisits missed connections with different boys in her past, all sharing the same first name of Ben, to find her way back to her very first "should-have-Ben." Publication is planned for winter 2027; Uwe Stender at Triada US brokered the deal.  Andrea Davis Pinkney at Scholastic has bought, in a preempt, world rights to Max Fischer's debut YA novel in verse. The Unpoetic Life of August Grey tells the story of August, a 17-year-old trans boy, as he grapples with issues of identity, loss, and the terrible cost of keeping secrets—even from yourself. Ammi-Joan Paquette while at Erin Murphy Literary Agency did the deal, for publication in summer 2026.  Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has acquired Audrey Meeker's (Swing; Last One Picked) first YA graphic novel, Home Ground, featuring Quinn, who is back home in rural Ohio after a disastrous first year of college and an even worse internship, working at the same coffee shop she worked at in high school and wondering whether this gap year is just a small blip in her plans or if she can carve out a space of her own in a town she's always rejected. Publication is slated for fall 2028; Jessica Mileo at InkWell Mangement handled the deal for world rights.  Joshua Dean Perry at Tiny Ghost Press has bought Zachary Sergi's urban fantasy So Superb It's Killing Me. An elite athlete at a school for teens with magical abilities (called Superbs), Sam is one of the most promising students in the Superb Battle League, a new sport in which Superbs face off in magic-fueled arena battles. He dreams of going pro but recurring nightmares haunt him in the arena, plus he fears that his wish to express his gender fluidity publicly could hamper his chances of winning. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Moe Ferrera at Triada US did the deal for world English rights while at BookEnds.  Maya Marlette at Scholastic has acquired North American rights to The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia, an illustrated debut middle grade novel by Leia Ham, in which a young mage faces up to society's high expectations when she joins the highly competitive Zenith Academy, a school for gifted children in a world where magic diminishes with age and some people will go to terrifying lengths to keep it. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Becca Langton at Darley Anderson Children's Books negotiated the three-book deal.  Della Farrell at Holiday House has bought, in an exclusive submission, Sly Foxes: Tales of Cunning, Curiosity, and Courage by Dana Alison Levy. This illustrated middle grade book provides a nonfiction overview of the science, folklore, and pop culture obsession with these clever canids. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.  Kathleen Keenan at Kids Can Press has acquired world rights to Pluffy & Borb Catch a Friend by Deborah Kerbel (l.), illustrated by Naomi Fong. The graphic novel for young readers celebrates the portmanteau with an unlikely animal friendship between one very fluffy puppy (Pluffy) and an orb-shaped bird (Borb). Publication is set for fall 2027; Emelie Burl at Susan Schulman Literary Agency represented the author, and Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the illustrator.  Calista Brill at First Second has bought Nut & Hop, Shelley Hampe's young reader graphic novel about the adventures of Nut and Hop, a squirrel and rabbit duo, as they explore idioms and other features of language. Ari Yarwood will also edit; publication is planned for 2028. Elizabeth Rudnick at Gillian MacKenzie Agency sold North American English rights excluding the Philippines.  Jessica Garrison at Dial has acquired, at auction, the first two books in the Do You Really Know picture book series, starting with Do You Really Know Flamingos? by Brandon Todd (Tou-Can't!). Frank E. Armadillo is proud to share everything he knows about flamingos (a.k.a. "pretty princess birds") until he meets a real flamingo, whose raucous honk promises to set the record straight. It turns out that the animal kingdom is even weirder and more wonderful than imagined—and that it's okay to be wrong sometimes. Publication will begin in summer 2026; Rebecca Sherman at Writers House did the deal for world rights.  Farrin Jacobs at Random House Studio has bought, in a preempt, Lisa Chow's debut author-illustrated picture book Bear Wakes Up, about a bear who awakes early from hibernation, sees a world that looks nothing like the one he knows, and does what anyone does when confronted with a new and shocking situation: he panics. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.  Jessica Levine at Little, Brown has acquired Braaains! by author-illustrator Kimberly Shrack (Spooky Scouts), in which a young zombie causes a misunderstanding among his human neighbors while searching for his missing dog, Brains, delivering a lesson about community and first impressions. Publication is set for summer 2027; Laurel Symonds at KT Literary handled the deal for world rights.  Claire Tattersfield at Viking has bought Skunk in Love by Ashley Quach, a picture book about a skunk who falls head-over-heels in love with a chocolate bunny on display in Mr. Giancarlo's chocolate shop window, and goes to extreme lengths to prove his love. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Hannah Mann at Writers House sold world rights.  Kendra Levin at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to the first two books in the Puppet & George picture book series by Dev Petty (l.), The All Nite Diner and The Magic Show, featuring two bored alligators who use logs as decoys to escape the zoo and embark on exciting adventures. Andrea Tsurumi will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2027 and fall 2028, respectively. Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Stephen Barr at Writers House represented the illustrator.  Mabel Hsu at Sourcebooks/Stonefruit Studio has bought, in a preempt, Will There Be Cake?, a picture book by Michelle Sumovich (l.), illustrated by Jess Hannigan, about the chaos that unfolds after a child's birthday party invitation is accidentally dropped into an octopus's tank at the aquarium. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the author and illustrator for world rights.  Danielle Collins at Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane Books has acquired world rights to How to Befriend a Vampire by Rose Marie Walano (l.), illustrated by Leanne Hatch. A girl thinks the only explanation for the odd behavior of her classmate is that he must be a vampire, so she sets out to plan the perfect fang-friendly playdate. Publication is set for summer 2028; Christie Megill at the CAT Agency represented the author, and Janine Le at Janine Le Literary Agency represented the illustrator.  Tamar Brazis at Viking has bought world rights to Beautiful You, a picture book by debut author Tara Baldridge (l.), illustrated by Talia Skyles, a poetic ode to the beauty and nuance of skin tones across cultures and the many stories they contain. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Celeste Fine and Charlotte Sunderland at Park, Fine & Brower Literary Management represented the author, and Shadra Strickland at Painted Words represented the illustrator.  Eileen Robinson while at Charlesbridge acquired world rights to Baby Hair by Alliah L. Agostini (l.), and Diane Earley has acquired world rights for illustration by Sawyer Cloud. From "no hair to 'fro hair to just got my first-haircut-hair," it is an inclusive and rhythmic celebration of babies and their ever-evolving hair. Publication is planned for spring 2026. The author, now represented by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, was represented by Miranda Paul while at Erin Murphy Literary Agency, and the illustrator was represented by Vickie Savanella at Advocate Art.  Maria Russo at Union Square Kids has bought world rights to Fox Sees Rabbit by Kristen Tracy (l.) (I Quit!), illustrated by debut illustrator Andy Malpica, a picture book exploring the dual points of view of a predator and its prey during a chase through the forest, introducing the concept of perspective and how there are two sides to every story. Publication is slated for summer 2027; Carrie Hannigan at HG Literary represented the author, and Jessica Saint Jean at Root Literary represented the illustrator.  Andrea Walker at inbetween books has acquired Into the Small Kitchen by Suhasini Gupta (l.), illustrated by Pranami Bora, a picture book inspired by the author's family in India, following a big family in their small kitchen, where a symphony of crackles, sizzles, and laughter fills the air, until chaos erupts and even more family members arrive, leaving them to wonder how their small kitchen can hold them all. Publication is set for fall 2026; the author was unagented, and Imogen Holmes at Astound US represented the illustrator.  Alexandra McKenzie at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to the board book Sebastian Needs a Stage by Ellen Mayer (l.), and Kristen Nobles has acquired world rights for illustration by Udayana Lugo. Sebastian needs a stage for his performance, but things keep getting in his way, so he makes changes to his room to allow himself the space he needs for a show-stopping performance. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027 as part of Steamworks; Mary Cummings at Great River Literary represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  Meet the SmushkinsClaudia Rueda. Candlewick, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5362-3658-3 Rueda kicks off a new series starring a charismatic crew of critters as they act out a wish list for the perfect home. Starting with pencils in paws, they begin sketching, then, as the pages turn, move through a room with light streaming through a large window, stare out the panes at an apple tree, and enjoy proximity to a playground, picnic spot, ice cream cart, and library. Oh-so-squishable character design aside, this remarkably respectful work mirrors young children’s natural curiosity about creating spaces where they feel happy and safe. more  Imogen: The Life and Work of Imogen CunninghamElizabeth Partridge, illus. by Yuko Shimizu. Viking, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-984835-18-5 An artist’s joy for photography resounds in this absorbing picture book biography of Imogen Cunningham (1883–1976), penned by granddaughter Partridge. Throughout digitally colored ink illustrations, Shimizu includes throwback textures such as Ben Day–like dots. Scenes of Cunningham draw on the artist’s actual photographs, some reproduced in back matter, while pensive text persuasively expresses how “people stood and stared and felt all the joy and longing and wonder that Imogen had captured.” more  The Stolen SongbirdJudith Eagle, illus. by Jo Rioux. Walker US, $18.99 hardcover (336p) ISBN 978-1-536242-68-3 In a 1959-set adventure novel by previous collaborators Eagle and Rioux, aspiring gymnast Caro adores traipsing through Waterloo with her beloved rabbit, His Nibs, and her fashion maven best friend Horace. A meticulously drawn historical setting and layered depictions of the comfort of animal companionship and the benefits of free play further enliven this zesty, expertly paced caper. more  Fade into YouSam Gellar and Amber Smith. McElderry, $21.99 (448p) ISBN 978-1-6659-6610-8 When aspiring poet Bird returns from a summer writing workshop—during which she tentatively embraced her bisexuality—she’s shocked to learn that her best friend Kayla experienced dramatic weight loss and is now dating gamer Dade. Meanwhile, music-obsessed lesbian Jessa feels that her bestie Dade has abandoned her since entering the relationship. Convinced that the romance is bad news for all involved, Jessa and Bird team up to sabotage their friends’ love lives. At the same time, the girls fall for each other, taking comfort in their bond as they contend with personal challenges. more  Reasons We BreakJesmeen Kaur Deo. Disney Hyperion, $18.99 (416p) ISBN 978-1-368-11374-8 Punjabi teens find love while navigating gang politics in this dazzling contemporary drama from Deo. After his release from juvenile detention in Vancouver, 18-year-old Rajan Randhawa moves back home to Kelowna, hoping his former gang, the Vancouver-based Lion’s Share, will let him be. The gang’s godfathers won’t do that until Rajan works off what he owes, however, and send Nick, the Lion who recruited Rajan, to Kelowna to deliver their message. more | ||||
