PW Children's Bookshelf: Breaking children's and YA publishing news, author interviews, bestsellers lists and reviews.

Cover Reveal

'Blood in the Water'
by Tiffany D. Jackson
Author Tiffany D. Jackson is bringing her signature frights to a new age range with her middle grade debut Blood in the Water, set for release next July from Scholastic Press. Jackson said, “The underlying theme is it’s okay to just be a kid. You’re not responsible for saving the world." Read on for a first look at the murder mystery. more

From the Shanghai Fair

The Chinese Children's Book Market in Brief
Despite recent challenges and shifts, the Chinese children’s book market, which is comprised of 370 million children and young adults, remains a big draw for publishers, making the Shanghai Children's Book Fair, which ran November 15-17 this year, an important stop for companies that are looking to increase their sales in the country. more

Perspectives from Exhibitors at the Shanghai Children's Book Fair
For many, CCBF is fast becoming a venue not just to meet Chinese publishers and distributors on their own turf but also to connect with those from the Asia Pacific region and beyond, including Latin America, Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. PW spoke with several publishers to share their insight on the fair and the market. more

In the News

Hachette Acquires Union Square & Co. from Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble acquired Sterling Publishing Co. in 2003, and rebranded it as Union Square in January 2022, at the direction of B&N CEO James Daunt. Emily Meehan will continue to head Union Square—including children’s imprints Union Square Kids and Boxer Books—which will become part of HBG's Grand Central Publishing Group.
more

Happy Anniversary

'Princess Academy' to Celebrate 20 Years
Still in session after two decades, Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy will have an updated look next year when Bloomsbury releases a 20th-anniversary edition of this 2006 Newbery Honor book on July 1. The story will also get a new life as a graphic novel in April 2026, adapted by Hale and illustrated by Victoria Ying. more

On the Scene

Piglet Ears and Rabbit Holes: Sophie Blackall and Maria Popova on the 'Children’s Books That Endure'
On the evening of November 12, Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall (l.) joined Maria Popova, author and founder of the Marginalian, at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan for a discussion about “Children’s Books as Philosophy for Living.” The duo dove down numerous rabbit holes, exploring the notion of children’s literature as springboard for empathy. more

On the Scene

On Tour with Jason Reynolds
For his new YA novel, Twenty-Four Seconds from Now…: A LOVE Story, author and recent MacArthur “genius grant” recipient Jason Reynolds embarked on a 10-stop national tour last month. Click through for highlights from his tour, which included dramatic readings, a fireside chat, and more.
more

For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more!

Production Editor-Contract Role - Sourcebooks.

Audiobook Post-Production & Project Coordinator - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY.

National Account Manager - The Quarto Group - New York, NY.

Production Specialist - Sourcebooks.

Production Coordinator - Sourcebooks.

Rights Report

Brittany Rubiano and Jocelyn Davies at Disney Hyperion have acquired world rights for Making a Splash and an untitled sequel by Julie Murphy (l.) and Natalie C. Parker. In this upper YA novel set the summer after high school, two girls playing Ariel and Ursula in their community theater's production of The Little Mermaid discover there's as much drama behind the scenes as there is on stage. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; John Cusick at Folio Literary Management represented Murphy, and Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented Parker.

Sarah McCabe at McElderry Books has bought, at auction, Bound by Fury, a YA fantasy by debut author Noelle Monét. After a rage-inducing encounter awakens magical abilities in 16-year-old Harper, she traces them to an elite boarding school in the North Carolina mountains, where she unravels her family's connection to the town's racist past and becomes something she never knew existed—a prophecy incarnate. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Jenissa Graham at BookEnds Literary Agency brokered the two-book, six-figure deal for North American rights.

Rob Valois and Alex Wolfe at Penguin Workshop have acquired The Swans, a darkly comedic YA thriller by Aaron Starmer (Spontaneous; Night Swimming). When a true-crime podcast descends on a small town to investigate their baffling, decades-long history of swan murder, a depressed teen sees it as a chance to make a name for himself... and maybe even fall in love. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Michael Bourret at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for North American rights.

Ardyce Alspach at Union Square Kids has bought All Souls Academy by K.H. Saxton (The A&A Detective Agency). In the author's YA debut, 15-year-old Jane, an amateur ghost hunter and new student at the prestigious All Souls Academy boarding school, is determined to unravel the mystery of the death of a former student, but to do so she has to survive the machinations of her privileged peers and stern administration—and the realization that the mystery is closer to home than she first thought. Publication is set for fall 2026; Erin Clyburn at Howland Literary did the deal for world rights.

Gretchen Durning at Putnam has acquired To the Death by Andrea Tang, a YA contemporary fantasy set in a world of magical dueling. The book follows a teenage girl plotting revenge for her brother's death in an illegal duel—but her plans get more complicated when she falls for the daughter of her brother's killer. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Thao Le at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency sold world English rights.

Alexa Wejko at Soho Teen has bought The Weight of One Pomegranate by Lammy Award finalist Brynne Rebele-Henry (Orpheus Girl), a contemporary YA/crossover novel that follows teen Isadora in the wake of her older sister's death. As grieving Isadora unravels the threads of her sister's hidden life, she embarks on her own journey to discover her authentic self, her sexuality, and first love. Publication is slated for early 2026; Alexandra Franklin at Curtis Brown Ltd. negotiated the deal for North American rights.

Gretchen Durning at Putnam has acquired Moth Dark by Kika Hatzopoulou (Threads That Bind), a YA contemporary fantasy romance that crosses worlds and defies timelines, about a girl obsessed with creatures that crawl out of the darkness, the heir to the dark world she falls in love with, and their fight for peace—and for each other. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Michaela Whatnall at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold world English rights.

Tamara Grasty at Page Street has bought Soul of a Gentleman Witch by David Ferraro (The Alchemy of Moonlight; A Vile Season). Pitched as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by way of Studio Ghibli, this YA historical fantasy follows a witch who must collect 666 souls for Lucifer, and whose ledger will be wiped clean if he delivers a young man safely from London to America, only to fall for his charge and risk Lucifer's wrath, and his own soul, to protect him. Publication is set for spring 2026; Eva Scalzo at Speilburg Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.

Winsome Bingham and Wiley Blevins at Reycraft Books have signed a trio of short, spine-chilling, contemporary middle grade novels inspired by Mexican folklore by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, author of "La Concha" from the Printz-winning anthology The Collectors. Publication for the first book is scheduled for fall 2026; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English and Spanish rights.

Kelsey Horton at Delacorte has acquired Survive This Safari by Natalie D. Richards, about a 12-year-old girl who must solve a series of puzzles to win the Wildlands Safari Escape Challenge at her local zoo, but when she and the other kids find out the enclosures have been unlocked, the fun competition turns into a wild race to rescue the animals on the loose. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media did the deal for world English rights.

Feather Flores at Atheneum has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Seven: The Courage, Artistry, and Teamwork of BTS by literary scholar Lilly Lu, illustrated by Maja, in their middle grade debut. This retrospective, made by fans for fans, explores the history of the K-Pop group and shows how the dreams of seven boys from Korea became the dreams of millions of fans around the world. Publication is set for 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.

Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has acquired, in a preempt, world English and Spanish rights to Wawawiwa Comics creator Andrés Colmenares's Heart and Moonie, an early reader graphic novel series about the out-of-this-world adventures of an Earth-like planet girl, Heart, and her spontaneous little satellite brother as they encounter meteor showers, black holes, celestial bodies, and an infinite number of fantastical things. The first book, Heart and Moonie, will publish in fall 2026; Kathleen Ortiz at KO Media Management did the two-book deal.

Emma Ledbetter at Abrams has bought My Mother Is a Monster Doctor by Ali Bahrampour, a picture book in which a boy goes on house calls with his mother and helps her tend to an unusual menagerie of sick and suffering monsters who are full of surprises, even for an old hand like him. It's scheduled for spring 2027; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio sold world rights.

Clarissa Wong, while at Scholastic, acquired world rights in a two-book deal, to Mac & Cheese: The Origin Story by debut author Michael Benner (l.), illustrated by Alison Hawkins, a humorous, punny tale about Mac and Cheese, two lonely souls looking for a friend. Shulokhana Khan will edit; publication is slated for summer 2026. Stacey Glick at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented the author, and Hannah Mann at Writers House represented the illustrator.

Margaret Raymo at Little, Brown has bought world rights to If You Want to See a Narwhal, a picture book by Rhonda Gowler Greene (l.), illustrated by Xin Li, which encourages readers to celebrate the majesty of the Arctic while they journey to find a narwhal. Publication is set for winter 2027; Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown Ltd. represented the author, and Angharad Kowal Stannus at Kowal Stannus Agency represented the illustrator.

To see all of this week's deals, click here.

IN THE MEDIA

From Forbes: The pervasive literacy crisis among school-age children. CLICK HERE
From the Tennessean: Tennessee public school district removes 425 book titles to comply with state law on sex, violence. CLICK HERE
From AL.com: In deep red Alabama, libraries gain trust of parents seeking all-access cards for children. CLICK HERE
From The Nightly: How Jamie Oliver's First Nations storyline in children's novel Billy and the Epic Escape came unstuck. CLICK HERE
From the New York Times: Alice in Moominland: Tove Jansson's illustrations for a rare 1966 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland are melancholy, complex, and occasionally scary. CLICK HERE
From Oprah Daily: The Best Kids' Books on Race and Racism. CLICK HERE
From Scary Mommy: Parents Share the Worst Children's Books They've Ever Read. CLICK HERE

VIEW ALL

FEATURED REVIEWS

The Urban Owls: How Flaco and Friends Made the City Their Home
Christian Cooper, illus. by Kristen Adam. Little, Brown, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-58357-2

Making his picture book debut, Cooper catalogs a handful of wild owls who have taken up residence in New York City, starting with Flaco, the famous Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo. In light-filled digital spreads, Adam shows the owls in flight and at rest, emphasizing their city-bird status by picturing them near fire escapes and neon signs. Drawing frequent parallels between owls and humans, cadenced text assures readers that owls might be more proximate than they think. more

A Forest Song
Kirsten Hall, illus. by Evan Turk. Random House Studio, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-48036-6

In what back matter explains is a poetic form called a cento, Hall arranges lines taken from various poets’ works into a new piece—a mysterious-feeling creation that describes a journey deep into a forest. Rhythmic, swirling gouache paintings stroked in saturated colors by Turk show a cloaked and hatted figure, portrayed with orange skin, wandering under the trees, dwarfed by massive trunks and heavy branches. more

Lost and Found in the City (Ratnip #1)
Cam Higgins, illus. by Allison Steinfeld. Little Simon, $17.99 (128p) ISBN 978-1-6659-6346-6; $7.99 paper ISBN 978-1-6659-6345-9

For Extra Cheese Scratchy Paws Sniffs-a-Lot, aka Ratnip, nothing tops the thrill of hitting the streets at night, dodging humans while seeking out tasty trash can treats and shiny trinkets to decorate its round treasure room. The excitement reaches new heights when Ratnip finds a “Brand New, Totally Interesting, Super Special Thing I’d Never Seen Before”—a cell phone—and hatches a scheme with friends to return the “black rectangle” to its human owner. more

The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
Aubrey Hartman. Little, Brown, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-3165-7572-0

Children believe Clare, the undead fox of Deadwood Forest, is a monster, but Clare is an Usher, one who helps wandering souls find their way to their respective afterlife. When he learns of a prophecy about his impending disappearance, and Gingersnipes, a badger soul who doesn’t seem to belong to any afterlife, arrives on his doorstep, Clare realizes he’s being replaced as Usher, forcing him to confront his loneliness and fear of death, and making him reckless in his grief. more

Knucklehead
Tony Keith Jr. Quill Tree, $19.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-06-329605-3

Poet and educator Keith delivers a poignant, hip-hop-fueled collection of poetry that’s equal parts memoir, love letter, and rallying cry to Black boys. Often marginalized by society and labeled a “knucklehead” as a child, Keith highlights in this powerfully affirming assemblage the ability to use language as an essential force for rising above various societal challenges. more

November 19, 2024

E-mail not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

To Our Readers

Our archives are back! If you've been looking for back issues of our newsletter, we've restored our index. Check it out here.

People

Candlewick Press has two promotions. Taylor Mobley has been promoted to graphic production specialist, from graphic production assistant. Julia Ottaviani has been promoted to contracts and royalties coordinator, from contracts and royalties assistant.

Bestsellers

Children’s Frontlist Fiction
#1 Hot Mess (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #19) by Jeff Kinney. Click here

Picture Books
#1 Christmas at Hogwarts by J.K. Rowling, illus, by Ziyi Gao. Click here

Best Books

Best Children's Books 2024
Our selections for the top 50 books of the year, for readers of all ages. MORE

Bookshelf Archives

Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page!

Have a comment or
suggestion? We'd love
to hear from you.
Click here to drop us a note.

Children's Bookshelf
Editors: Diane Roback and Emma Kantor
Assistant Editor: Iyana Jones
Digital Producer: Michael Seidlinger

Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: childrensbooks@publishersweekly.com
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to: jmurray@publishersweekly.com

Follow PW on Facebook and Twitter.

For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below.
Publishers Weekly,
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

To view back issues of Children's Bookshelf, click here.

You are receiving this email because npkvdejmf6@nie.podam.pl subscribed to one of Publishers Weekly's newsletters. If you are not npkvdejmf6@nie.podam.pl, then please disregard this message. Update your newsletter preferences here.

PW takes spam very seriously. This email message meets all the requirements of the United States CAN-SPAM Act and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). To remove yourself from the Children's Bookshelf email list, unsubscribe.