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In the Spotlight
 New E.B. White Picture Book Continues Author’s LegacyA menagerie of animals plays a prominent part in the classic children's stories of White, from Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web to The Trumpet of the Swan. Furthering this tradition is The Duck Can’t Sleep (Quill Tree, Sept. 1), based on one of the writer's original poems about a solo mallard—now reimagined as a posthumous picture book, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Melissa Sweet. more  Book News
 Middle Grade Novels Get a Glow-Up Sprayed edges—better-known as the province of deluxe YA and adult fantasy editions and BookTok collector culture—are making a colorful splash in middle grade. Publishers are giving mysteries, fantasies, and ghost stories patterned page edges and other premium design treatments in an effort to make books feel like objects worth coveting at a moment when the category continues to search for new readers. more In the News
 New Voices New Rooms: Children’s Authors Channel Their Younger Selves A highlight of the recent trade show in Baltimore, a collaboration between the New Atlantic Indie Booksellers Association and the Southern Indie Booksellers Alliance, was the Children’s Luncheon Panel, in which a group of authors conversed about telling meaningful stories for today’s young readers. more  Sales Up, Profits Down at HarperCollins in Fiscal 2026 Parent company News Corp attributed the publisher's strong fourth quarter to good performances in its General Books group, plus higher sales in its children’s publishing division and in the U.K. more  Fable Surpasses 5 Million UsersThe social reading platform has added some 2 million users since last June. Fable’s recent growth, executives say, defies reports that reading is in decline among young people. more
Three on a Theme
 Girls Bite BackClare Edge’s Natural Selection, Rimma Onoseta’s The Revenge Playbook, and Rebecca Stafford’s The Ending You Deserve are part of a slate of summer YA novels in which predators and abusers become unsuspecting prey. Here, the authors reflect on challenging readers to consider the blurred line between justice and revenge. more First Person
 My Small Secret World: Writing About Living with OCD as a Youth Eisner-nominated creator Lily Williams reflects on how she brought parts of her experience living with OCD to her new graphic novel, Exposures (First Second, out now), and how an early diagnosis could have changed her life. more   A.J. Symon Pays Tribute to Beloved Dog in His Middle Grade Debut The film and television writer shares the lessons our pets teach us and how writing his debut novel, Golden Boy (Simon & Schuster, Aug. 25), helped him cope with the loss of his service dog. more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Press: Week of August 17 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about a child’s request to keep a newfound friend, a middle grade adaptation of a nonfiction book on Palestinian history, a dual-timeline YA novel about a teen who’s thrust into a magical war, and more. more In Brief
 In Brief: August 13, 2026Recently, a Freedom to Read Act was signed, an author-illustrator launched their debut middle grade graphic novel, an author met the subject of her award-winning picture book, and a pup was the star of the show at a book launch. more
Rights Report
 Ann Marie Wong and Mark Podesta at Henry Holt have acquired, in a two-book, six-figure deal, Scarier Than the Movies by Trish Lundy (The One That Got Away with Murder) and another untitled YA thriller. In Scarier Than the Movies, budding high school filmmaker June notices that a stranger keeps reappearing in the frames of her short film, and then outside her house. She's determined to find out who the stalker is and what he wants—but doing so may unearth the most painful parts of her past: facing the truth about her missing older brother. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management did the deal for U.S./Canadian rights.  Bria Ragin, David Yoon, and Nicola Yoon at Joy Revolution have bought, in an exclusive submission, Tapestry of Gold by Tasia M.S. (To Dance the Moon and Stars), a YA romance graphic novel inspired by the Kumari tradition of Nepal, in which Orissa the 12th—a young queen chosen at birth to fulfill a prophecy—is tutored by a scholar, unaware that he's set on killing her to avenge his father's death. Publication is set for spring 2029; Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management sold world English rights.  Britt Rubiano at Random House/Disney has acquired Buffy the Vampire by Taylor Hartley, a paranormal YA in which Buffy Summers gets stuck as a vampire after trying to save Sunnydale from doom. Publication is scheduled for summer 2027; Danielle Burby at Mad Woman Literary Agency sold world rights.  Brian Geffen at Henry Holt has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Write Back Soon, an illustrated middle-grade novel by Remy Lai, for fans of When You Reach Me. A grieving 12-year-old girl writes to her best friend who has just died—but, shockingly, a boy with the same name writes her back; she discovers that her letters are traveling through time and the boy is actually her best friend writing from the past. Publication is planned for winter 2028; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for world rights.  Meg Gaertner at North Star Editions has bought four books in a new middle grade series by Tom Phillips (The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves), in partnership with Pastime Pictures, Nickel City Pictures, and Novo Media Group. The books are set in the universe of the movie Monster Summer; each book will feature a different tween on the cusp of young adulthood facing his own unique monster. Book one is a prequel to the film; publication is set for fall 2027. Ann Rose while at the Tobias Literary Agency sold world English rights.  Kate O'Sullivan at Clarion Books has acquired Three Runaway Wolves by author-illustrator Amelia Bothe. In this picture book, three wolves who make it their business to be a pack discover that there are different ways of belonging. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio sold world rights.  Mabel Hsu at Stonefruit Studio has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to The Ants and the Grasshoppers by the inaugural winner of Stonefruit Studio/Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Rising Star Scholarship Katherine Arathoon (l.), illustrated by Vikki Chu (Wake Up, Poppyville!). By reinterpreting this Aesop's fable 13 times over, this picture book examines the very premise of the original story's message. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Kristin Ostby at Salky Literary Management represented the author, and Kait Feldmann at KT Literary represented the illustrator.  Sonali Fry at Crown has acquired world rights to The Longest Walk by Ginger Reno (l.), illustrated by Steph Littlebird, a picture book that commemorates the 50th anniversary of The Longest Walk, when a group of Native Americans walked from California to Washington, D.C., to oppose federal legislation that threatened Indigenous treaties and rights. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented both the author and illustrator.  Alexandra Merkel at HarperCollins has bought world rights to On the Last Day of Kindergarten by Tish Rabe (l.), illustrated by Summer Macon, a graduation countdown set to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Publication is scheduled for April 2028; the author represented herself, and Georgia Tourney-Godfrey at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.  Courtney Code at Abrams has acquired world rights to Durag: A Legacy Wrapped in Thread by Gary R. Gray Jr. (l.), illustrated by Charly Palmer. This poetic picture book explores legacy, pride, and preservation as a boy has his durag tied by his father for the first time. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author, and Lori Nowicki at Painted Words represented the illustrator.  Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has bought world rights to Moon Flight: How Artemis II Captivated the World by Schneider Family Book Award winner Shannon Stocker (l.) (Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion), illustrated by Dion MBD (Monster Hands). The nonfiction picture book tells the story of the historic Artemis II mission around the moon and the astronauts who united the world with their wonder and joy. Publication is set for fall 2027; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane Books has acquired world rights to Switcheroo, a nonfiction picture book by Melissa Stewart (l.), illustrated by Gordy Wright, about animals that "switcheroo" or transform their bodies as a survival strategy. Publication is planned for spring 2028; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Susan Penny at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.  Rebecca Glaser at Amicus Ink has bought world rights to The Game Must Go On by Joy Pitcairn (l.), illustrated by Pauline Gregory. After their football pops on Thanksgiving Day, a group of cousins pilfer food from the feast to keep the game going in this rhyming picture book. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Jenna Satterthwaite at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Amy Fitzgerald at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.  Elizabeth Patterson at Beaming Books has acquired world rights to Hocus Focus by Sylv Chiang (l.), illustrated by Riddhi Deshpande, a picture book in which a child learns that coping with everyday challenges doesn't require magic. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Amy Tompkins at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Amanda Hendon at Advocate Art represented the illustrator.  Priya Kumari at Eternal Tree Books has bought world rights to Delong and the Forest of Secrets by Sandhya Acharya (l.), illustrated by Rishita Loitongbam, based on a folktale from the northeast hills of India. When a boy enters a forest near his village, he meets a goddess who reveals the forest's treasures to him and entrusts him with keeping them safe, but secrets have a way of getting out. Publication is set for August 2027; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.  Andrea Walker at inbetween books has acquired world rights to Every Word Counts by Rebecca Louick (l.), illustrated by Sinem Kilic Rabito, a picture book that celebrates how just a few words can open up endless possibilities, and how even the smallest ones can make the biggest difference. Publication is slated for spring 2027; the author and illustrator represented themselves. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  I Wonder If I’m GrowingRaffi, illus. by Jon Klassen. Tundra, $19.99 (44p) ISBN 978-1-77488-885-8 In this smartly paced picture book, Caldecott Medalist Klassen gives visual form in his signature style to one of the most plaintive and triumphant songs in musician Raffi’s catalog. “I wonder if I’m growing,” sighs a pale-skinned child across spreads that reveal only the crown of their tousle-haired head and the top half of their eyes. As the pages turn, the child peers over a footboard, out a window, and into a bathroom mirror, while a shifting sun and moon, alongside the tune’s lyrics, hint at the often-dragging speed of childhood change. more  Kiki & MeLeo Timmers, trans. from the Dutch by David Colmer. Gecko, $24.99 (72p) ISBN 979-8-3480-4170-0 Timmers strides into new emotional and visual territory with a luminous horse story about how sharing affection can make it grow. The “Me” of the title is narrator Polly, an eager-eyed black horse who experiences love at first sight upon arriving at the seaside home of young human Kiki. The duo’s bond plays out in two art styles. Meticulously inked black-and-white farm scenes seem to shift the horse’s musculature on the page as Polly becomes Kiki’s charge, confidant, and constant playmate over time. more  The Little Stone BuddhaGrace Lin. Little, Brown/Ling, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-3164-7840-3 A statue’s tumble into a neglected city lot prompts individual and collective action in this artfully told, community-care-focused picture book from Caldecott and Newbery Honoree Lin. Using simple language and repetition, this gentle-hearted book uses a domino effect to model the subtle power of cumulative actions. more  RealmsweepH.E. Edgmon. Feiwel and Friends, $18.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-250-42317-7 In a future fantastical United States, 12-year-old Rowdy Buckner, the prince of the Kingdom of Texas, is desperate to prevent the physical changes that will come with puberty. To that end, he demands from his parents access to a transfiguration tonic that will alchemically transform his body into one that feels like his own. But his parents deny his request. To prove himself worthy of the potion, he enters the Realmsweep, a magical scavenger hunt that promises winners a life-changing monetary prize. more  You’re No BetterAndrew Joseph White. Peachtree, $21.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-68263-822-4 When Morgan Slaughter was 10, he led police to his father’s hidden Washington, D.C., penthouse, where the adult had been torturing and killing young women since before Morgan was born. In a bid to assuage long-suppressed fear about taking after his father, Morgan covertly tries to identify his dad’s final victim. It’s a raw and unflinching look at the impact of traumatic experiences and the sometimes grueling process of healing. more |
August 13, 2026
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