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In the Spotlight
 How Six Bestselling YA Authors and Friends Write a Book TogetherWhat does it take to bring together six successful YA authors to collaborate on a single novel? After collaborating on three books, Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon have cracked the code: a shared vision. The creators of the newly released Breakout discussed what brought them together, how their friendship buoys their work ethic, how they navigated pivoting into a new genre, and crafting stories that showcase the vastness of Black experiences. more  Book News
 What’s the Buzz?: ‘The Secret World of Briar Rose’ A full-time designer and part-time YouTuber with more than half a million followers on her channel, Cindy Pham is a jack of trades. And Pham prepares to add a new role to her list of vocations—debut author—with the release of her YA fantasy, The Secret World of Briar Rose. She said of her inspiration, “I was dealing with a lot of mental health issues at the time, and one day I made the connection of [wanting] to sleep forever to the tale of Sleeping Beauty and her curse.” more  New Middle Grade Novel Centers Accessibility in Story and Format When Stacy Cervenka was interviewed in 2019 for a Parents magazine story about blind parents raising children, the conversation launched a creative partnership that would become Roxie in Color—a book that is breaking new ground in accessible publishing. The novel will be published with text set in a low-vision-friendly font developed by the Braille Institute, in simultaneous Braille and large-print editions, and as an audiobook. more
In the News
 Educational Development Corp. Looks to Bounce BackA record spike in business during the pandemic led the direct sales company to overexpand. It now appears to be poised to operate as a much different, and smaller, company. more  HBG Partners with Little Free Library In honor of Hachette Book Group's 200th anniversary, the publisher has teamed with Little Free Library to install 200 library boxes in book deserts across the United States and Canada. The initiative also coincides with this year's Little Free Library Week. more
Bookselling News
 ABA Celebrates ‘Banner Year’ Despite ‘Existential Threats’At the American Booksellers Association’s annual membership meeting, held virtually last Thursday, CEO Allison Hill celebrated booksellers’ resilience and reported a 19% increase in membership, which now stands at 3,417 bookstores. more   Booksellers Push Back Against Virtual ABA Forum The American Booksellers Association’s switch to a virtual format for its annual community forum on May 28 drew criticism from some booksellers who feel in-person meetings are necessary to hold ABA leadership accountable. more  In Conversation
 Leigh Bardugo and Liz ClimoLeigh Bardugo (l.) is the author behind the Grishaverse, which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, and more. Liz Climo is a cartoonist, animator, and author-illustrator, whose books include the Rory the Dinosaur series, The Little World of Liz Climo, and more. We asked the duo to discuss their new picture book, Better Pets, and their favorite pets, both real and imagined. more Licensing News
 Licensing Hotline: June 2, 2026Moxie & Company has been named the new global licensing agency for The Baby-sitters Club, the iconic middle grade series published by Scholastic that is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Read on for news about a new Who HQ YouTube channel; a young adult Masters of the Universe novel from Mattel Press; Ink Games, a new marketer of book-based collectibles for women and teen girls; and more. more  Four Questions
 Jen St. JudeThe author follows up their debut, If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come, with a new speculative YA outing, Where You’ll Find Us. When Cal and Ramona stumble upon five queer teens living in an isolated farmhouse, the strangers inform the couple that they’ve found Amaranth, a liminal space where time doesn’t pass, and that some of the teens have been there for decades. St. Jude spoke with PW about the pandemic and how it altered their relationship with gender, time, and mortality. Q: What appeals to you about viewing queer identity through a speculative framework? A: Being queer has always felt a little bit like living in a parallel universe. I’m sure this is true of a lot of people with marginalized identities. I love capturing that feeling through the speculative lens because it allows me to bend the world how I want. more  Leo EspinosaEvery single adult male character in Espinosa's new picture book sports a jet-black mustache—except for the protagonist’s Papa, whose reddish whiskers are the source of his young daughter's mortification. Releasing simultaneously in English and Spanish editions, My Papa Has a Red Mustache marks Espinosa’s solo debut after years of illustrating books by other writers. Q: So, for the record: have you or any member of your family ever had a red mustache? A: Well, yeah, my dad—and in Colombia, where I grew up in the ’70s, that was very different from the other mustaches I saw around me. I was just very puzzled by my dad looking different, but it gave me a chance to write a little bit about that embarrassment that kids feel, which, at the same time, is mixed with a lot of love for their parents. more Rights Report
 Ardyce Alspach at Union Square Kids has acquired Borderline by Lilia Vargas Costello, Tumblr writing prompt creator @deepwaterfiction. Pitched for fans of Stranger Things and Rules for Vanishing, the YA debut novel follows a checkout clerk from Florida's weirdest convenience store, the twin brother of a missing girl, and the traveling paranormal vlogger they adopted uncovering their small town's biggest conspiracy—and breaking reality—to save a lost friend in an examination of bifurcated identity and alternate dimensions. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Sidney Boker and Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management sold world English rights.  Jonah Heller at Peachtree Teen has bought Marc J. Gregson's Below the Black series. In this fantasy trilogy set 450 years before the Above the Black trilogy, two young heroes from opposite sides of the toxic black clouds separating their civilizations must decide where their loyalties lie in a saga containing horrific monsters, deadly competitions, political machanization, creature companions, and blossoming romance. The first title, Bright Sky, is set to publish in fall 2027; Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency sold world rights.  Calista Brill, with Kiara Valdez, while at First Second, acquired Bee's Guide to Applied Romantics by Reimena Yee (l.) and Erica Eng, a YA rom-com graphic novel about Bee, an a-spec teenager and her experience dating her classmate Dev; Kat Vendetti will also edit. Publication is scheduled for 2029; Jennifer Linnan at Linnan Literary Management sold world rights.  Robyn Chapman at First Second has bought Sarah Myer's untitled YA graphic novel adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. Myer breathes new life into this classic, drawing inspiration from shoujo manga and 19th-century illustration. Publication is slated for 2029; Shena Wolf at KO Media Management negotiated the deal for world English rights.  Claire Tattersfield at Viking has acquired Halfway Haunted by Hannah Kates, a middle grade novel about Gwinnett Rooke, a girl who finds herself half-dead after being hit by a Savannah trolley car, and who ends up as apprentice to the local psychopomp amid the mysterious disappearance of many of the ghosts around town. Publication is planned for summer 2027; Lynnette Novak at the Seymour Agency sold world rights.  Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought, in an exclusive submission, All About a Ball by author-illustrator Orit Magia, a story about a child searching for his red ball, and learning about loss, discovery, and friendship along the way. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency brokered the deal for world rights, excluding Hebrew.  Lauri Hornik at Rocky Pond Books acquired world rights to The Carousel of Happiness by Heather Preusser (l.) (Hedgehog Whodunit), illustrated by Naoko Stoop. Focused on Vietnam veteran Scott Harrison's hand-carved wooden carousel, this nonfiction picture book highlights the healing power of imagination and creation as Harrison brings to life his wartime visions of a carousel, and the music box that kept him alive. Publication is set for summer 2028; Janine Le at Janine Le Literary Agency represented the author, and Brenda Bowen at the Book Group represented the illustrator.  Katie Cunningham while at Candlewick Press bought world rights to Henry's First Golf Game by Mina Javaherbin (l.), illustrated by Andrew Joyner. Hilary Van Dusen will edit the picture book, in which Henry attempts his first round of nine with the encouragement of his beloved aunt in a story exploring the joys and pitfalls of learning a new sport. Publication is slated for summer 2027; the author represented herself, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Agency represented the illustrator.  Tracy Mack at Scholastic Press has acquired world rights to Yoga for All Your Feelings by Strala Yoga co-founder Tara Stiles (l.), illustrated by Holly Hatam, a picture book that introduces 10 simple yoga postures and encourages the use of yoga and breathing to gently work with emotions. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Linda Loewenthal at the Loewenthal Company represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Alexandra Hinrichs at Islandport Press has bought world rights to Periwinkle to Portland by Julie Bliven (l.), illustrated by debut artist Brier Marilyn. An ode to persistence, this picture book tells the adventurous tale of an island snail determined to visit the big city. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Erin Murphy at Aevitas Creative Management represented the author, and Rebecca Angus and Ashlee MacCallum at Howland Literary represented the illustrator.  Katie Heit at Scholastic has acquired world rights to When Love Was Born: God's Gift of Christmas by Janna Matthies (l.), illustrated by Alea Marley, a picture book re-envisioning the very first Christmas. Molly Kempf Hodgin will edit; publication is set for fall 2027. Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.  Naomi Shulman at PJ Publishing has bought world rights to No or Yes? It's Fun to Guess!: A Jewish Holiday Book by Barbara Kimmel (l.), illustrated by Aya Gordon-Noy; Sara Eifler will edit. This interactive lift-the-flap board book introduces Jewish holidays to young readers through a guessing game. Publication is slated for fall 2028; Eve Adler at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  Gathering the LightJoy Harjo, illus. by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. Random House Studio, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-59-390155-7 In this reflective narrative, former U.S. poet laureate Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation, and Anishinaabe artist Pawis-Steckley portray an Indigenous custom of going out at sunrise “to greet the day,/ To respect, to honor.” As the sun reaches its highest point, the lilting second-person text shifts to discuss the work of understanding and embracing one’s connection with light and other beings, and, as day transitions toward sundown, of “letting go.” A satisfying warmth illuminates this connective picture book. more  RebeccaKate Beaton, illus. by Sydney Smith. Roaring Brook, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-250-34901-9 In a haunting story that draws great tenderness from luminous gouache and watercolor paintings by Andersen Award winner Smith, Beaton remembers an ancestor whose name echoes throughout her family’s history. Rebecca lives with Father and their four young children in a one-room cabin on an island where there’s always plenty of work to do. Years pass, the family flourishes, and Rebecca, now an old woman, meets Sorrow, coming to know it as not just grief but also the natural counterpart of love. This heart-rending tale overflows with both. more  The Secret to BelongingMegan E. Freeman. Atheneum, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-6659-8840-7 With her parents focused on her older brother and his drug dependency, the unnamed narrator, a high school junior in 1982 California, consistently feels invisible. Hoping to lift the protagonist’s spirits and provide a temporary escape, her friend encourages her to participate in a European exchange program for their senior year. Arriving in Northern Norway, she’s skeptical that her host family is as happy as they seem; she soon clicks with them, though, but the teen’s tentative peace is haunted by thoughts of her impending return to the U.S. more  Traitors’ NestFrances Hardinge. Amulet, $19.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-4197-9414-8 In a rousing, medieval-inspired historical fantasy, castles throughout the kingdom of Thaletal occasionally swap places thanks to a Great Game involving godlike Players. Though 15-year-old Burr understands this conceit, his village’s location is of little strategic value, so no Player has ever displaced their castle and its benevolent resident noble—until now. Witty third-person narration follows Burr as he grieves the death of his father and fights for agency. Wildly inventive worldbuilding, gentle humor, and indomitable, kindhearted characters distinguish this spirited tale. more  Tom Burne Has Left the ChatSeán Farrelly. Faber & Faber, $12.95 paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-5713-8821-9 Gay 17-year-old Jamie Finnerty, foundering following his father’s recent death, stumbles upon the aftermath of another tragedy when he discovers the body of teen influencer Tom Burne, who has died by suicide. Compelled by curiosity and grief, Jamie takes Tom’s phone and begins piecing together fragments of the teen’s online existence. As he dives into Tom’s curated persona, Jamie discovers and becomes increasingly consumed by attempts to decode a cryptic voice note left behind by Tom. more 
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June 2, 2026
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