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Awards News
 Watson, Chien, Smith Win 2026 Newbery, Caldecott, Printz AwardsRenée Watson has won the 2026 John Newbery Medal for her novel All the Blues in the Sky; Cátia Chien has won this year’s Randolph Caldecott Medal for Fireworks, written by Matthew Burgess; and Legendary Frybread Drive-In, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, has won the Michael L. Printz Award. The Youth Media Awards were announced live from Chicago on Monday morning, January 26, by the American Library Association. more   When They Got the Call: PW Speaks with the Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz WinnersSee our interviews with the winners of the three top prizes—(from l.) Watson, Chien, and Smith—about their initial reactions to the life-changing news. more  ALA’s Inaugural Comics Awards Celebrate Fiction, Nonfiction, and SeriesThe American Library Association’s Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table named its first-ever slate of Outstanding Comics Awards, with winners in the adult, YA, and children’s categories including Briana Loewinsohn, Sophie Escabasse, and Kami Garcia. more  2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award Shortlist AnnouncedThe International Board on Books for Young People has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Awards. Presented every two years, the awards honor international authors and illustrators for their contributions to children’s literature, and are the highest international recognition given to creators in the field. more In the News
 Industry Auction to Support Minnesota, ImmigrantsAmid ICE’s violent crackdown, two publishing professionals will host an online auction January 29–30 to benefit nonprofits providing aid to Minnesotans and immigrants. More than 500 items and services have been donated by authors, editors, agents, and illustrators. more  Fighting Book Bans, Coast to CoastPublishers, libraries, and literary organizations are building a formidable litigation slate to ensure the availability of books in public and school libraries across the U.S. more  Defendants in Colorado Book Removal Case Abandon AppealThree days before oral arguments, defendants in Crookshanks v. Elizabeth School District asked the 10th Circuit to dismiss their own appeal, which had been filed after a federal judge ordered the district to restore 19 censored books. more Publisher News
 Derek Stordahl to Acquire Behrman House The industry veteran—who has held leadership roles at Holiday House and Peachtree, as well as McGraw-Hill and Bloomsbury—will take over the Jewish educational publisher following the retirement of its longtime owners. more  Collective Book Studio Starts Children’s Imprint Rebekah Lovato Piatte has joined California indie publisher the Collective Book Studio as children’s editorial director. In the newly created role, she will oversee Tiny Torch Books, a new imprint aimed at readers ages up to 8 that will launch this summer with a list of picture and board books. MORE   Obituary
 Hudson TalbottAuthor-illustrator Hudson Talbott, widely recognized for the detailed, often humorous, watercolor-and-pencil images in his broad range of picture books, died on January 22 at age 76. Among the accolades he received for his work are a 2006 Newbery Honor for the picture book Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson. Nancy Paulsen, Talbott's longtime editor, said, "Hudson was interested in everything—history, geography, animals, and the human psyche. His artwork helped us all see things differently." more Book News
 Scholastic’s NEXT Line to Start Up This Fall Fast-paced plots with cliffhanger endings, shorter page counts, numerous illustrations, and accelerated publishing schedules are hallmarks of Scholastic’s NEXT line of middle grade fiction, designed to entice kids accustomed to consuming visual and digital content. The line rolls out in September with the debut books of two series, The Luckies by Christina Soontornvat and Sarah Mlynowski, illustrated by Madi Wong; and Rival High by Candace Buford, featuring art by Jamie Green. more Reading Roundup
 Noteworthy Picture Book and Novel Sequels: January 2026It might be a new year, but there’s no need for young readers to leave their favorite series behind. Kids and teens can catch up on series installments including a springtime picture book featuring a holiday mascot, a graphic novel installment about the adventures of superhero sidekicks, a YA fantasy series conclusion following the final decisions to save a kingdom, and more. more Four Questions
 Kelly QuindlenYA romance novel Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen gets a traditional release 12 years after its self-publication in 2014. The novel follows teens Hannah and Baker in Baton Rouge, La., in 2012, best friends who must hide their romantic feelings for each other from their strict religious families and peers. Quindlen spoke with us about revisiting her debut and how it ties into her forthcoming novel This Must Be the Place. Q: Why return to Her Name in the Sky now, more than a decade after its original publication? A: The story wouldn’t let me go. The characters stayed with me. My agent, Marietta B. Zacker, and I thought we should ask Macmillan to reissue it so that it could have a wider reach. I pitched a new epilogue that would have Baker and Hannah in their adult years, perhaps mentoring a younger queer person. My editor, Mekisha Telfer, came back and asked, “Can you say more?" more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Press: Week of February 2 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a modern picture book retelling of a classic fairy tale, a middle grade novel highlighting a tween’s love of the library, a dark academia YA novel about the cutthroat social politics of a magical Ivy League school, and more. more In Brief
 In Brief: January 29, 2026Recently, local Minnesotan authors came together in solidarity for a strike, an author gave a reading for her own students, authors discussed book bans at a conference, and an Olympian joined an author for an event. more
Rights Report
 Andrew Karre at Dutton has acquired Black Girl, Jump, a horror YA novel by Charlene Thomas pitched as Bunny meets Get Out, where a popular cosmetic makes all girls sparkle, except Black girls, until Bryn—the only Black girl invited to attend an exclusive summer retreat—makes a discovery that reveals the lengths girls will go to keep their shine and threatens to expose the true source of the sparkle. Publication is slated for summer 2027; Ann Rose at Tobias Literary Agency sold North American English rights.  Grace Kendall at FSG has bought She Comes Out at Night, a YA horromance by Michelle Jing Chan (Somewhere in the Gray), in which a teenage girl takes a summer job as a fire lookout in a national park to escape her conservative hometown and a secret she's never dared to voice, only to find her solitude shattered by eerie phenomena including speaking crows, a persistent presence in the woods, a voice on the radio calling her name, and by the emergence of a doppelganger that threatens to take her place. Publication is set for winter 2029; Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Starling Literary + Media sold world rights.  Jennifer Ung at Quill Tree has acquired If We Could Be Everywhere by Sarah Suk (Meet Me at Blue Hour). This YA speculative novel, set in a world with teleportation technology, follows two exes who find themselves only able to teleport to each other rather than where they are trying to go, leading to long-buried sparks reigniting. Publication is scheduled for winter 2028; Linda Epstein while at Emerald City Literary Agency sold world English rights.  Caitlin O'Connell at Penguin Workshop has bought, at auction, YA graphic novel A True Gentleman by Hari Conner (I Shall Never Fall in Love), a queer historical romance following a trans teen grappling with masculinity, disability, and empire after his dreams of proving himself at sea take a turn—and his sweetheart's secret plans to see him again. Publication is planned for 2028; Jessica Mileo at InkWell Management handled the deal for North American rights.  Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop has bought, in an exclusive submission, The Sisterhood of Southern Peaches, a three-book contemporary middle grade series by Katrina Moore, about three new friends who discover the magic of peaches in Atlanta, alongside the trials and tribulations of crushes, periods, and middle school disasters. Publication is scheduled for spring and summer 2028 and spring 2029, respectively; Andrea Morrison at Writers House sold world rights.  Maggie Lehrman at Abrams has acquired The 99th Street School, a novel-in-verse co-authored by Joy McCullough (l.) and Hannah V. Sawyerr, in which six friends in the now infamous Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls realize that toxic waste dumped under their school may be causing the unusually high rates of illness in the area, and that while home owners are being evacuated, the residents of the low-income housing project could be left behind. Publication is set for fall 2027; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold world English rights.  Suzy Capozzi at Union Square & Co. has bought How to Walk a Dog by Joanne Levy (All the Things We Found). Told using prose, doodles, lists, and footnotes, this middle grade novel features a boy living—and (mostly) thriving—with ADHD whose project to normalize menstruation in an effort to support his best friend goes viral in the best way possible. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists sold world rights.  Brian Geffen at Henry Holt has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Liftoff: The Mercury Seven Astronauts and the Nazi that Took Them to Space by Rebecca Barone, a middle grade narrative nonfiction story that begins at the end of WWII, spans through the Cold War, and chronicles Wernher von Braun and Operation Paperclip, the U.S.'s race against the Soviets to recruit former Nazi scientists, mathematicians, thinkers, and geniuses to launch the U.S. space program. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold world rights.  Dena Neusner at Apples & Honey Press has bought the tentatively titled The Singer of Terezin by Lisa Gerlits, a middle grade novel about life for a girl in the walled city of Terezin in 1944, where thousands of Czech Jews live in poor conditions and fear of transport to the unknown "East," and her part in the cast of a children's opera as a source of happiness and normalcy in such a dark time. This historical fiction tale is based on the true story of the Brundibar opera; it's set for fall 2026. Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency sold world rights.  Sarah Alpert at Norton Young Readers has acquired world rights to Caleb and the Globetrotting Playground Game by Elissa Brent Weissman (l.), illustrated by Nicole Miles. The Amazing Race meets Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in this middle grade graphic novel that follows six kids who travel to the coolest playgrounds on six continents to compete for a phenomenal grand prize. Publication is planned for 2028; Elise Howard at DeFiore & Company represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Mark Siegel at First Second has bought world rights to Brim by T.R. Simon and Nan Mooney (l.), illustrated by Julie Robine (r.), a middle grade graphic novel about a little demon who tries to inject color and joy into purgatory. Publication is scheduled for 2028; Tanya McKinnon represented Simon and Mooney, and Carol Taylor represented Robine, both at McKinnon Literary Agency.  David A. Robertson at Tundra/Swift Water Books has acquired world rights to Duncan McCue's (l.) graphic novel Indians Do Cry, illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. It tells the true story of a residential school survivor named George, his son Mike, and the shared love of hockey that reunites them, an account of the devastating legacy of residential schools, and an inspiring father-son story that highlights the healing power of a game. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Jackie Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author and illustrator.  Krista Vitola at Simon & Schuster has bought world rights to The Spaw Day by Heather Ferranti Kinser (l.), illustrated by Scott Magoon, a light-hearted romp following George —a boy too busy for his pets—on a rare free day, which quickly turns into a Spaw Day for all (every boy, hamster, dog, and turtle needs a relaxing spa day sometimes!). Publication is set for summer 2027. Sarah Stephens at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator.  Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has acquired world rights to Nobody Notices Ghost by Lisa Wheeler (l.), illustrated by Christopher Thornock, a humorous picture book about a lonely ghost who goes unnoticed by everyone in his human family until a puppy comes along. Publication is planned for summer 2028; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author, and Lori Steel at SteelWorks Literary represented the illustrator.  Taylor Norman at Neal Porter Books has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Move Books founder Eileen Whitehead Robinson's (l.) debut picture book, Double Dutch, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist C.G. Esperanza, in which the reader is immersed into the speed, flex, and focus of one jumper, as competing teams jump, flip, fly, and flow to victory. Publication is scheduled for summer 2028; Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency represented the author, and Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the illustrator.  Jenne Abramowitz at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has acquired world rights to A Together Place, a picture book by Dara Henry (l.) (Hanukkah Pajamakkas), illustrated by Sam Kallis, creative director at Disney TV Animation, in which newly built Synagogue spends her first year discovering the many varied and beautiful things she means to her community. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.  Jessica Echeverria at Lee & Low has bought world rights to The Journey of Rebecca Crumpler, First African American Female Doctor by Glenda Armand (l.) illustrated by Jenis Littles. This picture book recounts the journey of Rebecca Crumpler from practitioner of folk medicine to nurse, to becoming the first Black doctor to write a book of medical advice. Publication is set for spring 2028; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Chad W. Beckerman at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Nicole Fox at Rise x Penguin Workshop has acquired world rights, in a three-book deal, to Let's Get Ready by Kat Chen (l.), illustrated by Lorraine Nam. The board book series centers on everyday transitions, inviting young readers to navigate getting ready to go with fun and ease. The first title, Let's Get Ready for Bed, is scheduled for publication in summer 2027, followed by Let's Get Ready for School in spring 2028, and a third title in fall 2028. Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Alexandra Levick at Writers House represented the illustrator.  Megan Nicolay at Workman has bought world rights to Heartfelt by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough (l.) (Embarrassed Ferret; Letters to Live By), illustrated by Abbey Bryant; Deanna Cook will edit. This touch-and-feel board book celebrating love and friendship uses rebuses to tell a simple story in a few compound words. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented themselves.  Rebecca Frazer at Chronicle Books has acquired a debut picture book by author-illustrator Suzanne Dore. I Promise is a celebration of love, set in the natural world and narrated to a young hare on the brink of independence. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Rubin Pfeffer and Amy Thrall Flynn at Aevitas Creative Management negotiated the deal for world rights.  Courtney Code at Abrams has bought Footprints in Snow by author-illustrator Keiko Hayner. In the picture book, a girl spots too-big footprints in the snow and wonders who they could possibly belong to. Drawing on her imagination, she crafts a snowy explanation and sets off with her dad for a magical night. Publication is set for fall 2027; Sophie Sheumaker at BookEnds Literary Agency sold world rights.  Mabel Hsu at Sourcebooks/Stonefruit Studio has acquired, at auction, author-illustrator Jess Hannigan's Words That Go board book series, a book for baby's first sounds: ooo, eee, and ahh. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Hannah Mann at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.  Hannah Lambert at Little Simon has bought Let's Call the Plumbers and Let's Call the Electricians, the first two books in the Little Trade Experts board book series by author-illustrator Breanna Carzoo. In Plumbers, two otter plumbers troubleshoot an overflowing bathtub, and in Electricians, two squirrel electricians install lighting on a treehouse. Publication will begin in spring 2027; Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world rights. IN THE MEDIA | ||
