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In the Spotlight San Diego Comic-Con Gets Back to Normal After three years, the Con returns at full strength on July 19–23—despite uncertainty about the impact of the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA strikes. DC and Dark Horse have rejoined as exhibitors, and several key industry players are setting up booths for the first time. more Comics for Kids and YA at Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con has set aside July 23 as Kids Day, but there will be plenty of young readers’ and YA content every day of the show. Click through for a peek at new and upcoming offerings by kids’ comics creators featured at SDCC, including Laini Taylor and Jim Di Bartolo, Kim-Joy and Alti Firmansyah, and more. more Book News Small Press to Publish Barbara Kingsolver's Debut Children's Book In the 35 years since the publication of her 1988 debut novel, The Bean Tree, Barbara Kingsolver has written fiction, nonfiction, essays, and poetry books for adult readers. Now the Pulitzer Prize-winning author has written her first book for children, in partnership with her daughter. Coyote’s Wild Home, illustrated by Paul Mirocha, will be released this fall by Gryphon Press. more SPONSORED A Sprinkle of Fun and a Dash of Delight The first picture book from Melissa de la Cruz Studio introduces young readers to a variety of scrumptious holiday treats—and includes a recipe in the back so kids can make magic of their own. Sugar Plum Fairy, the Gingerbread Man, and their team of dedicated bakers create delicious goodies from around the world—and discover that the real magic is teamwork.  MORE ► Reading Roundup Back-to-School Books For Fall 2023 As a new academic year approaches, we’ve compiled a list of some back-to-school stories—including picture book comedies and heartwarming tales—to help ease those first-day jitters. more Q & A James Breakwell James Breakwell has been sharing his brand of relatable family humor on Twitter (@XplodingUnicorn) since 2012. Since his account went viral in 2016, he's written comedic parenting books, essays, and more. This month marks the release of his debut picture book, You Can't Be a Pterodactyl!, about a boy exploring the idea that you can be anything you want. We spoke with Breakwell about his path to the children’s book arena, and his young in-house book critics. Q: What made you turn your attention to writing for kids? A: I spend all my time writing about kids, I thought it would be fun to write for them. My house is full of children, and none of them have ever really read any of my books. So I thought it would be neat to connect on that level. I also thought it would be a fun new challenge. I think sometimes children’s books can be more profound than the big adult ones. more SPONSORED Polly Horvath’s Follow-Up to Pine Island Home The McCready sisters have been adopted by their unlikely guardian and finally settled into their new home on Pine Island. But when their former caretaker comes to visit and brings her bossy childhood friend, the girls are beside themselves and must find a way to get rid of these grown-up bullies so they can have the life they wish to lead. MORE ► Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of July 17 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about the joys of music and nature, an otherworldly middle grade fantasy in which two tweens enter the universe of their favorite movie, a YA debut about a closeted prince taking the throne, and more. more In Brief In Brief: July 13, 2023 Recently authors took a spin around a book festival; gave a keynote address highlighting queer literature; and held a book launch event. more   For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Director of publicity - Melville House - Brooklyn, NY. ·  Marketing Manager - NorthSouth Books - New York, NY. ·  Developmental Editor - Association for Talent Development - Alexandria, VA. ·  Publicity Director - Entangled Publishing - Remote. ·  Graphic Designer - CamCat Publishing LLC. Rights Report Susan Van Metre at Walker Books US has acquired world rights to The Demon's Prince by Remy Lai (l.), illustrated by Lauren Dimaya; Christine Engels will edit. The YA graphic novel follows Langya, a royal guard who has spent 250 years in servitude as one of the Five Demons after being murdered by the prince he was sworn to protect. To move on to a peaceful afterlife, he has to complete one final task: making that same heartless prince, now reincarnated as an ordinary high schooler, fall in love. Publication is set for spring 2026; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret represented Lai, and Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency represented Dimaya. Konner Knudsen at Dark Horse has bought Matthew Erman (l.) and Sam Beck's Loving, Ohio, a YA graphic novel in which a teenager's suicide in the Midwest town of Loving, Ohio, leads a group of their friends down a path of cult conspiracy and supernatural horror. Teenagers in the town have been mysteriously vanishing day by day, but when a bizarre killer begins terrorizing the town and graduation is fast approaching, Sloane and her friends vow to make it out of Ohio, even if it kills them. Publication is planned for August 2024; Peter Ryan at Stimola Literary Studio sold world rights. Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends has acquired Adoration by June Hur in a six-figure, two-book deal. This Jane Austen homage set during the Joseon dynasty follows a young woman transcribing forbidden books and an aloof, wealthy young man hiding his own literary secret, who must wrestle with questions of class, respectability, and carving out one's own destiny when a literary censor at the Ministry of Justice uncovers her secret and their connection. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Amy Elizabeth Bishop at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret negotiated the deal for North American rights. Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has bought world rights to The Truth About the Couch by Adam Rubin (l.) (Dragons Love Tacos), illustrated by Argentinian cartoonist Liniers, a picture book send-up of conspiracy theories revealing everything the authorities don't want you to know about the world's most beloved item of furniture, publishing simultaneously in English and Spanish. Publication is scheduled for April 2024; Jennifer Joel at CAA represented the author, and Angelica Erhart del Campo and John Lind at Lind Publishing and Media represented the artist. Alex Borbolla at Bloomsbury has acquired Zombie and Brain Are Friends by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic (l.), illustrated by Laan Cham, a picture book about a young zombie farmer who is taught that brains are food, not friends. But when he meets the cutest, pinkest, squishiest brain ever, he must find a way to convince his parents that his new friend should be the family pet and not family dinner. Publication is set for spring 2025; Jordan Hamessley while at New Leaf Literary represented the author, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Carol Hinz at Lerner/Carolrhoda has bought world rights to Irene Latham (l.) and Charles Waters's (c.) The Mistakes That Made Us: Confessions from Twenty Poets, a poetry anthology illustrated by Mercè López (r.), in which poets including Margarita Engle, Naomi Shihab Nye, Linda Sue Park, and Jane Yolen share their real-life missteps and blunders—and how their lives were transformed by the experience. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the authors, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator. Nancy Inteli at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Zara in the Middle, the author-illustrator debut of Erika Lynne Jones, illustrator of Black Girls and The Loud Librarian. The book stars Zara, a Black girl who is always in the middle of her two loving and strongly opinionated grandmothers. When their opposite ideas for her birthday party go too far, Zara learns how to ask for what she wants. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Claire Easton at Painted Words did the deal for world rights. Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has bought, in a preempt, Tiny Worlds by author-illustrator Brittany Cicchese, about an introverted boy who shares with his extroverted grandmother the miniature wonders of the natural world. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights. Allyn Johnston at S&S/Beach Lane Books has acquired Maybe Just Ask Me, a semi-autobiographical picture book by author-illustrator Katie Mazeika. A girl wearing a scarf and eyepatch starts at a new school, only to face curious stares and over-the-top speculations about her missing eye and hair. Her patience turns to frustration until she finds the courage to tell the other kids that maybe it's better to just ask her about it directly. Publication is set for fall 2024; Sorche Fairbank at Fairbank Literary brokered the deal for world rights. Arthur Levine at Levine Querido has bought world rights to Makers, a second picture book by author-illustrator Young Vo (Gibberish). It tells the story of two apprentice boat makers. one trapped by perfectionism, and the other who falls for the next new idea. Both have to work together to fulfill their dream of crossing the sea. Publication is planned for fall 2024; the author-illustrator represented himself. Rick Rinehart at Globe Pequot/Muddy Boots has acquired Crows: From Egg to Sky by Margaret Peot, a picture book that focuses on crows' social ties, their devotion to mates, their offspring, and the greater crow clan. Publication is scheduled for May 2024; Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary sold North American rights. Rachel Matson while at Scholastic bought world rights to Little Dreidel Learns to Spin by Rebecca Gardyn Levington (l.) (Whatever Comes Tomorrow; Brainstorm!), illustrated by Taryn Johnson, a rhyming Hanukkah picture book about a wobbly dreidel who with persistence, positivity, and momentum learns to twirl. Cindy Kim will edit; publication is slated for fall 2024. Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear Press has acquired Yasi & Mina's Pomegranate Tree by Nikoo Yahyazadeh (l.), illustrated by Serineh Eliasian, which tells the story of two girls living through the Iran–Iraq war but finding joy and quiet moments through friendship and time spent playing in their shared courtyard. When the destruction of the war gets too close, Yasi's family takes an opportunity to immigrate to America. Publication is set for spring 2025; the author represented herself, and Heather and Ethan Long at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the BBC: Op-ed by Katherine Rundell: "Children's books say: the world is huge. They say: hope counts for something. They say: bravery will matter, wit will matter, empathy will matter, love will matter." CLICK HERE From the Washington Post: ‘Racist,’ ‘grooming’: Why parents are trying to ban so many picture books. CLICK HERE From CBC: Jon Klassen shares his perspective on writing children's books. CLICK HERE From the Guardian: Children’s Authors Pick the Family Films That Never Fail. CLICK HERE From the Daily Heller: Lane Smith Sticks to a Natural Theme. CLICK HERE From People: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Hits Notable Milestone—200 Million Books Sent to Children. CLICK HERE From Kveller: Jewish Uncle Jake Gyllenhaal Has a Pretty Adorable Kids’ Book Coming Out. CLICK HERE From the Oaklandside: The Oakland, Calif., roots of children’s author Mac Barnett. CLICK HERE From Romper: Danielle and Kevin Jonas on their new picture book, There’s a Beach in My Bedroom. CLICK HERE From the Cape Cod Chronicle: Bob Staake’s Endless Imagination. CLICK HERE From 100 Scope Notes: How to Do Just About Everything in 2023. CLICK HERE From Brightly: 11 Diverse YA Romance Novels to Swoon Over. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 9 Children's Biography Books for Budding Historians. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner Which Picture Books Are Selling This Season? A harvest of successes and a touch of blight. more » Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » FEATURED REVIEWS Oh, Panda Cindy Derby. Knopf, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-56472-1 An unnamed narrator has a suggestion for what Panda should do for the day, but Panda, who’s surrounded by a landscape of radiant ice and velvety snow, has a plan that’s not on that agenda. Tantalized by a fluttering pink and gold butterfly that heads up a tall, slippery mountain, the little bear is determined to assert its free will and follow the insect to the top. more Dogtown Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, illus. by Wallace West. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-250-81160-8 Newbery Medalist Applegate and Newbery Honoree Choldenko team up for this uplifting escape novel narrated by Chance, a permanent resident of Dogtown—a shelter for dogs both mammalian and robotic. When an uncharacteristically empathic robot dog, Metal Head, arrives, he makes a bold request of Chance and her friend Mouse: break him out of Dogtown. Unwittingly swept up in Metal Head’s flight scheme, Chance and Mouse embark on an adventure that makes Chance wonder about life beyond the shelter. more Wildfire Breena Bard. Little, Brown Ink, $24.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-316-27768-6; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-0-316-27765-5 When 13-year-old Julianna finds her friend Carson playing with fireworks in the Oregon woods, she informs him that he could start a fire, but Carson rebuffs her warnings. Later, Julianna and her younger sister notice an ominous yellow haze filling the sky. At their parents’ urging, the family evacuates ahead of an oncoming wildfire. Soon they’re renting a house in Portland, having lost their home. When she learns that Carson is enrolled at the same school, she struggles to reconcile her bitter feelings toward him. more Thieves’ Gambit Kayvion Lewis. Penguin/Paulsen, $19.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-593-62536-1 On the night 17-year-old Ross Quest plans to leave her family's life of crime behind, the job her mother is on goes sideways, resulting in her capture by mysterious assailants, who hold her for a ransom of one billion dollars. To save her mother’s life, Ross enters the Thieves’ Gambit, a legendary, potentially fatal tournament in which the world’s top teen thieves must complete a series of heists, competing to be granted their heart’s desire. more What Stalks Among Us Sarah Hollowell. Clarion, $19.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-06-325181-6 After ditching an end-of-year field trip to explore rural Indiana back roads, high school seniors and queer best friends Sadie and Logan stumble across an impossibly large, unseasonal corn maze. Initially excited by their find, the pair enter the maze, only to find themselves trapped. As Sadie and Logan uncover layer after layer of their increasingly horrifying reality, the duo race to solve the mystery of their entrapment before the maze swallows them for good. more	July 13, 2023 People Gerard Mancini, v-p and executive director, managing editorial and production editorial at Penguin Young Readers, will retire in December. He joined Viking Children's Books in 1985. Deborah Kaplan, v-p and executive director, art and design at Penguin Young Readers, will retire in September. She has been with the company for 31 years. ICYMI It's Not Me, It's You: An Argument for Shorter Middle Grade Books more The Library Community Rallies Around the Freedom to Read more Children's Publishing's Deep Midwestern Community Roots more Q & A with Carin Berger more Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out next spring, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

In the News Lawsuit Challenges Montana's Sweeping New Ban on Drag Performances In a July 7 filing, the plaintiffs said that the new law banning drag story hours is "motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ animus” and imposes an “unconstitutional content and viewpoint-based restriction” on free speech. more Bookstore News Liberation Station Bookstore Is a Family Affair Liberation Station, which specializes in kids' and YA books by Black authors and illustrators, is North Carolina’s first Black-owned children’s bookstore. We spoke with children's author Victoria Scott-Miller about the origins of the new store and its mission. more South Brooklyn Bookstores Adapt to Community Needs A growing crop of indie booksellers in the area are aiming to serve as multipurpose spaces for their neighborhoods, bringing together kids, adults, and families around a shared love of books. more Obituary Mary Ann Hoberman Award-winning children's author and former U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman, widely recognized for her playful picture books focused on the everyday wonders, relationships, and experiences of childhood, died July 7 following a long illness; she was 92. Megan Tingley, who worked closely with Hoberman at Little, Brown, said, "For Mary Ann, writing poetry was as essential as breathing. She had a gift for finding the extraordinary in everyday things." more Reading Roundup Noteworthy Picture Book and Novel Sequels: July 2023 Beat the heat of simmering summer days with follow-ups and series additions including a disgruntled chimp’s trip into a scary forest; a cat-and-dog duo having their picnic efforts thwarted by a spirit; one teen’s quest to defeat the devil… again; and more. more SPONSORED Rent Workspace at Publishers Weekly Give your agency or organization the perfect, publishing-friendly presence in Manhattan in Publishers Weekly's new office, designed for hybrid work.   MORE ► Q & A Nicki Pau Preto This month, YA author Nicki Pau Preto follows up her Crown of Feathers trilogy with Bonesmith—a duology-opening dark fantasy introducing Wren Graven, a bonesmith who is able to psychically sense and move bone. After Wren fails her trial to become to become a ghost-battling Valkyr, her family exiles her to the Border Wall, where a series of unexpected events forces Wren to venture into a revenant-infested wasteland. We spoke with Pau Preto about the book's origins, and her genesis as a writer. Q: Do you think having a background in visual arts influences the way you write? A: It’s part of why I love worldbuilding so much, because when I’m studying art and art history, it’s all about the context of each creation—the world in which they were made, from ancient art to more contemporary. Who made it and why, where they fit in the global context. I’m a fairly visual writer, so that’s probably just part of who I am, too—someone with an artist’s eye. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Marketing Manager - NorthSouth Books - New York, NY. ·  Developmental Editor - Association for Talent Development - Alexandria, VA. ·  Publicity Director - Entangled Publishing - Remote. ·  Graphic Designer - CamCat Publishing LLC. ·  Head of Content - tonies US. Rights Report Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has acquired Lucy, Uncensored by sisters Mel Hammond (l.) and Teghan Hammond in their YA debut. The novel stars a transgender teen. Lucy, and her cis best friend, Callie, senior theater nerds who plan on attending the same college drama program—but when their queer adaptation of The Tempest gets banned by the school board and transphobic comments make Lucy question their dream school, is there anywhere Lucy can truly fit in? Publication is slated for fall 2024; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary did the deal for North American rights. Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has bought Newbery Honoree Darcie Little Badger's Sheine Lende, prequel to Elatsoe. A teenage Shane (Ellie's maternal grandmother) and her ghost bloodhound search for her disappeared mother and a lost child, as well as a return to her family's homeland. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Michael Curry at Donald Maass Literary Agency sold world rights. Kate Farrell at Henry Holt has acquired world rights to three middle grade graphic novels by Emma Mills (l.) (First & Then; Foolish Hearts), illustrated by Sarah Nicole Kennedy. The Greenies follows seventh grader Violet as she acclimates to a new school after her parents' divorce, finding camaraderie to her surprise when she's forced into the school's environmental club. Publication will start in 2025; Bridget Smith at JABberwocky represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator. Megan Abbate at Bloomsbury has bought, at auction, former political staffer, strategist and activist Celeste Pewter's Infinite Sky: The Story of Tsien Hsue-Shen, the Scientist Who Took Two Countries into Space. The middle-grade biography explores the life of a young Chinese immigrant who arrived in the U.S. in 1935 to study at MIT, becoming a professor at CalTech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory before anti-Communist paranoia prompted the U.S. to deport him back to China. Publication is set for winter 2026; Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights. Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Tadpoles (tentative title) by Liz Montague. This middle grade graphic novel is about the trials and tribulations of three cabinmates at sleepaway camp who are fresh out of sixth grade, and together navigate their first big feelings: crushes, betrayals, ambition, family drama, and more. An untitled middle grade graphic novel will follow; publication is currently planned for summer 2025. Wendi Gu at GreenburgerKids sold world English rights. Chris Hernandez at Putnam has won, in a six-figure auction, three books in the Pencil & Eraser series by author-illustrator Jenny Alvarado. The early reader graphic novels follow the comedic adventures of two best friend school supplies—Pencil, an imaginative adventurer, and Eraser, a cautious realist—and the hijinks they get into when their person Stella isn't watching. Publication for the first book is slated for fall 2024; Lane Clarke at the ArtHouse Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights. Dana Chidiac at Henry Holt has bought world rights for three titles in a new chapter book series by Sarah Kapit (l.), illustrated by Genevieve Kote. The first, Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules, introduces playful, curious Jewish heroine Rachel, as she bakes challah for Shabbat with her best friend and tries to keep her cat out of trouble. Book 1 is planned for summer 2024, with a Hanukkah story to follow in fall 2024 and a Purim book in winter 2025. Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary represented the author, and Sarah Thomas at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Tamar Mays at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Joyful Jubille: A Juneteenth Party, an early reader by Angela Dalton (l.), illustrated by Keisha Morris, written from the point of view of a girl welcoming her friend (the reader) to her family's Juneteenth barbeque celebration. Her relatives help with aiding the girl in telling the historical significance and emotional aspects of the holiday. Publication is set for summer 2025; Mary Cummings at Great River Literary represented the author, and Claire Morance at Painted Words represented the illustrator. Courtney Code at Abrams has bought world rights to The Little Red Bakery, a picture book about a Cherokee baker at the center of a town who brings everyone together with her sweet cherry pies, written by Elise McMullen-Ciotti (l.), illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Linda Camacho at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator. Kristin Allard at Norton Young Readers has acquired world rights to Hope Makes a Better Future by Valerie Bolling (l.), illustrated by Monica Mikai. This picture book follows a Black girl named Hope as she attends her first protest—the 2017 Women's March. Initially overwhelmed and unsure of her voice, Hope realizes that girls do have power, and she can use hers at home, in the streets, and in her classroom, where she needs it most right now. Publication is planned for winter 2026; James McGowan at BookEnds represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Megan Ilnitzki at HarperCollins has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Another Word for Neighbor by Angela Pham Krans (l.) (Finding Papa; Words Between Us), illustrated by Thai Phuong. This picture book in the vein of Up follows Han and his budding—yet reluctant—relationship with his friendly and inquisitive young neighbors. Publication is slated for winter 2025; Katherine Wessbecher represented the author while at Bradford Literary, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Karen Boss at Charlesbridge has acquired world rights to Popo the Xoloitzcuintle by debut author Paloma Angelina Lopez (l.), illustrated by debut illustrator Abraham Matias, a picture book about an Indigenous Mexican cultural understanding of death and the role of the xoloizcuintle (xolo) dog in Nana's spiritual journey to the afterlife. Publication is set for summer 2025 with a simultaneous Spanish edition; the author represented herself, and Aliza R. Hoover at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Christy Cox at Little Bigfoot has bought world rights to A Home for Chocolate by Connie Anne Hellyer (l.), illustrated by Erin Hourigan, a nonfiction picture book about a rescued orphaned moose named Chocolate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; the author represented herself, and Jenna Pocius at Red Fox Literary represented the illustrator. Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick/MIT Kids has acquired world rights to Baked with Love: How Food Allergies Changed the Way We Bake by Jenny Lacika (l.), illustrated by Fanny Liem. Alfred Bird hopes for his wife, Elizabeth, to be able to enjoy cake despite her allergy to yeast and eggs, and as a chemist, he creates a chemical concoction that comes to be known as baking powder. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Miranda Paul at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Spanning, Joining: A Celebration of Bridges by Christy Hale, a STEAM picture book that celebrates bridges from around the world, highlighting global community, human innovation, and especially the science of engineering. It's slated for winter 2026; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio brokered the deal. Mary Cash at Holiday House has acquired, in an exclusive submission, author/photographer Shelley Rotner's Love Is a Big Feeling. Rotner's portraits of children paired with simple, poetic text explore all the different ways that kids feel and express love. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Liz Nealon at Great Dog Literary negotiated the deal for world rights. Kathleen Merz at Eerdmans has bought world rights to author-illustrator JoAnna Lapati's debut book Guts for Glory: The Story of Civil War Soldier Rosetta Wakeman. This picture book biography follows the life of Rosetta "Lyons" Wakeman, who disguised herself as a man in order to serve in the Union Army. Publication is set for spring 2024; Roseanne Wells did the deal while at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the Guardian: YA author shoots to No. 1 on Amazon bestseller list after viral TikTok video. CLICK HERE From the Los Angeles Times: The Jenny Han Effect: How the YA rock star took charge of her own media empire. CLICK HERE From AP: Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor's staff prodded colleges and libraries to buy her books. CLICK HERE From Reuters: Anne of Green Gables producers end legal fight with author's heirs. CLICK HERE From the Washington Post: Misty of Chincoteague pony ranch is saved from redevelopment. CLICK HERE From Deadline: Wonka Trailer: Timothée Chalamet Takes on Iconic Role in Origins Story. CLICK HERE From NPR: The Skull, Jon Klassen's latest children's book, is darker than his previous ones. CLICK HERE From the San Diego Union-Tribune: Sally J. Pla breaks the silence with novel about finding the normal for teens on the autism spectrum. CLICK HERE From 100 Scope Notes: Down the Children's Book Parody Rabbit Hole. CLICK HERE From Cup of Jo: 25 Children's Books Featuring Characters of Color. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner Which Picture Books Are Selling This Season? A harvest of successes and a touch of blight. more » Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » FEATURED REVIEWS Something, Someday Amanda Gorman, illus. by Christian Robinson. Viking, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-20325-5 Alongside National Youth Poet Laureate Gorman’s soaring poem about change, Caldecott Honoree Robinson opens with a portrait of a Black-presenting child walking along a city block, viewing an overflowing pile of trash with a look of concern while an adult moves on. The child returns to tackle the trash and collaged spreads compare the youth’s steady work to that of an ant and, after ups and downs, portray the arrival of interested companions. more The Spirit Glass Roshani Chokshi. Disney/Riordan, $16.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-3680-9339-2 After her parents’ deaths, 11-year-old Corazon Lopez lives with her magically powerful aunt Tina. Both Corazon and Tina are babaylans—mortals who guard the boundaries between the human and spirit worlds—but two days before her magic-manifesting 12th birthday, Corazon’s specific power remains unknown. Corazon plans to bring her parents back to life with her soul key once she gains her powers, but then a figure pursues Corazon and steals the soul key. Filipino folklore and a smart magical system thread this wholly original narrative. more Nothing Else but Miracles Kate Albus. Holiday House/Ferguson, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-82345-163-0 Free-thinking 12-year-old Dory Byrne lives in a fourth-floor walk-up with her brothers—responsible 17-year-old Fish and wise eight-year-old Pike. The siblings are managing thanks to the neighborhood’s generosity, but when the Byrnes’ understanding landlord dies and his mean-spirited replacement threatens to report the underage trio to city authorities, their situation grows precarious—until Dory’s canny observations land them a perfect hideaway. more Saving Sunshine Saadia Faruqi, illus. by Shazleen Khan. First Second, $22.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-250-79380-5; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-79381-2 Muslim Pakistani American twins Zara and Zeeshan have been bickering nonstop as they pack for their family trip from New York to Key West, Fla. When their tension—exacerbated by Islamophobic experiences at the airport—reaches a boiling point, their exasperated parents confiscate the twins’ phones until they can “figure out how to be friends.” Arriving in Florida without their devices, Zara and Zeesh must work together if they want to enjoy their trip and get their phones back. more The Meadows Stephanie Oakes. Dial, $20.99 (448p) ISBN 978-0-5931-1148-2 Fourteen-year-old Eleanor Arbuck discovers that at her new school the Meadows, a school for the country’s “best and brightest,” education involves performing toxic, government-enforced gender roles. Four years later, Eleanor mourns Rose, the deceased girl she loved at the Meadows, while working a job monitoring “reformed” gay, bisexual, and transgender people living in a civilization that bans queerness. She quietly pushes back by fabricating her reports. Her world soon upends when she learns that Rose might be alive. more	July 11, 2023 People Nadine Britt, senior v-p and executive director of production at Penguin Young Readers, will be leaving the company on December 15. At HarperCollins, v-p of children's sales Kathy Faber is taking on the role of divisional sales lead. Jen Wygand has been promoted to associate director of national accounts for the children's division. Jess Abel has been promoted to associate director, online sales, and will lead efforts for the children's team. Alexis Lassiter is joining Little Bee Books as sales manager; previously she was sales manager for James Patterson Books. Nicole Gureli has been promoted to designer at Holiday House, from assistant designer. Jessie Bowman has joined Atheneum Books for Young Readers as production editor; she was most recently an assistant production editor at Scholastic. Candlewick has two new hires. Lauren Bittrich has joined as sales assistant; she was previously operations coordinator for the Boston Book Festival. Margaret Rosewitz has joined as reprints production controller; she was previously senior associate, content management at Harper Collins. Of Note Author and editor Bernette G. Ford, who died in 2021, is being honored with a star-studded tribute video created by Ford’s daughter, which is now available on the Children’s Book Council's website. Fellow authors and publishing professionals such as Andrea Davis Pinkney, Wade and Cheryl Hudson, Phoebe Yeh, Derrick Barnes, Ruby Bridges, and Bernette herself make appearances in the video, which ends with a reading of her picture book Bright Eyes, Brown Skin by the children featured in the story. Boxer Books will be publishing Ford’s The Magical Snowflake later this year, and Union Square Kids will be reissuing an assortment of her books. For more information and to see the video, click here. Bestsellers Children’s Frontlist Fiction #1 Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 My Magical Feelings by Becky Cummings, illus. by Nejla Shojaie. Click here Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out next spring, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page. CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

First Person It's Not Me, It's You: An Argument for Shorter Middle Grade Books Melissa Taylor is a former teacher and literacy trainer as well as the creator of the Imagination Soup blog. In her essay for PW, Taylor makes the case for the importance of shorter middle grade novels that hold young readers' attention. more In the News The Library Community Rallies Around the Freedom to Read This year's ALA Annual Conference concluded last week in Chicago, with a solid bump in turnout over 2022. The library community united with a clear stand against censorship. “If ever there was a chance to say thank you, this is the year to do it,” author Judy Blume told the crowd during her keynote. more SPONSORED From New York Times Bestselling Authors Sara Raasch and Beth Revis "Set against the backdrop of the Medieval German Witch Trials, Raasch and Revis weave a fantasy and heart-pounding tale full of history, love, witchcraft, and war that will have you gripping your book, waiting for the next shocking twist." — #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout  MORE ► In the Spotlight Children's Publishing's Deep Midwestern Community Roots We surveyed a number of Midwestern children’s publishers about the ways in which they're finding inspiration on a local level. more Licensing News Licensing Hotline: July 6, 2023 Curiosity Ink Media and its strategic publishing partner, Dynamite Entertainment, are publishing a series of children’s books based on toymaker Cepia’s collectible plush brand, Cats Vs Pickles. The toys, which have been on the market for two years and are accompanied by content on YouTube, have been bestsellers. Read on for news about Mad Cave's new licenses, new comic book programs for Hasbro's toy brands, Love You Forever's recent collaboration with Drake and Nike, and more. more Q & A Carin Berger Scraps of musical scores, old ledger sheets, catalog shots of plaid dresses, and more are crisply cut and meticulously assembled into the collages that illustrate Carin Berger's In the Night Garden, an invitation to explore a garden transformed by the arrival of night. In intricate spreads, a black cat pads past moonflowers, surveys clouds of fireflies, watches meadows full of flowers and skies full of stars, offering the gift of its presence until its young owner drifts off to sleep. We spoke with Berger about the satisfaction of making a book from start to finish, and books that rebel. Q: What were some of the inspirations for the book? A: When my daughter was younger, she had some anxiety around sleep time and darkness; when we got our house upstate, we used to lie on the porch and talk about the noises we heard before she went to bed, to make that transition a little easier. That ritual definitely informed the book. It’s also about being curious. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of July 10 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book highlighting mindfulness practices, a middle grade novel about overcoming the fear of an obstacle course, a YA tale of grief, and more. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Operations & Administration Coordinator - Ingram Content Group - Berkeley, CA. ·  Executive Director of Publicity, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. ·  Vice President of Marketing - Fox Chapel Publishing Co. - Mount Joy, PA. ·  Senior Manager, Consumer Sales - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. ·  Senior Editor, Storey Publishing - Hachette Book Group - North Adams, MA. Rights Report Ruqayyah Daud at Little, Brown has acquired, at auction, debut author Alyssa Villaire's YA fantasy novel The Glittering Edge and a sequel, about a teenage girl in small-town Indiana who is tossed into a decades-long magical feud between two families in order to save her mother's life—a quest that will involve witch covens, first love, and a secret that will change her town forever. Publication of the first book is slated for summer 2025; Peter Knapp and Stuti Telidevara at Park & Fine Literary and Media sold North American rights. Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has bought Playing for Keeps by Jennifer Dugan (Some Girls Do), a YA sapphic romance starring a baseball pitcher and a student umpire who fall for one another, despite the fact that player-official dating is strictly prohibited. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary did the deal for world English rights. Samia Fakih at First Second has acquired Henna for the Jinn, Safiya Zerrougui's historical fiction YA graphic novel about an Algerian girl who takes a job as a henna painter in a mysterious noble Turkish household while she investigates the disappearance of her brother. Publication is planned for 2026; Paloma Hernando at Einstein Literary Management brokered the deal for world rights. Erinn Pascal at Andrews McMeel has bought world English rights to The Stream Team series by gaming streamer Nick "NickEh30" Amyoony (l.) and E.C. Myers. Pitched as The Avengers meets Fortnite for middle schoolers, the series features a group of gamers who must use their new superpowers to stop a video game boss that has crossed into reality. Book one is set for 2024; David Purse at Inked Entertainment did the six-figure, two-book deal. Anthony Mattero at CAA represented Amyoony, and Eddie Schneider at JABberwocky Literary represented Myers. Julia Sooy at Odd Dot has acquired Rebecca Donnelly's The Game of the Century, in which four middle schoolers start an after-school chess club, discovering their individual strengths, the meaning of teamwork, and a few life lessons through the power of one of the world's oldest games. Publication is slated for winter 2025; Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for world rights. Ben Rosenthal at HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books has bought Almost Sunset, a debut middle grade graphic novel by Wahab Algarmi. Exploring Ramadan through the eyes of Hassan, a Muslim American boy, the novel unfolds during a hectic month of middle school deadlines and an upcoming soccer championship, while Hassan learns more of his own family's history and their faith as he fasts every day for the holy month. Daniel Lazar at Writers House sold North American rights. Jonathan Eaton while at Tilbury House acquired world rights to Chasing Guano: The Discovery of a Penguin Supercolony by Helen Taylor, a middle grade nonfiction book about how a group of scientists discovered an enormous penguin colony in Antarctica after spotting a lot of pink poop on satellite images; Sarah Rockett will edit. Publication is scheduled for 2024; Amy Tompkins at Transatlantic Agency represented the author. David Behrman at Behrman House/Apples & Honey has bought world rights to The Treasure of Tel Maresha by Sydney Taylor Silver Medalist Tammar Stein (l.), illustrated by Barbara Bongini, a chapter book about two girls living in Israel 2,000 years apart, the changes happening in their lives, and the treasure they share. Publication is planned for spring 2024; the author was unagented, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator. Clarissa Wong at Scholastic has acquired world rights to The Good Night Shift, a picture book homage to multigenerational households and overlooked night-shift workers by debut author Romy Natalia Goldberg (l.), illustrated by Isabel Roxas. Over the course of one bedtime, a girl celebrates the people in her community who protect and nurture her, including her caretaker grandmother, Tita, and ER night-shift working mother. Publication is set for 2025; Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator. Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to After the Shelter, a picture book by Brenda Reeves Sturgis (l.), illustrated by Amy Everson, about a mother and her daughter who work together to rebuild their lives after living in and leaving a homeless shelter. Publication is slated for October 2024; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Caryn Wiseman at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury has acquired two picture books by Korean Australian author-illustrator Sally Soweol Han. In Tiny Wonders, a girl finds everyone is too busy to stop and look around, but comes up with a plan to share color and wonder. In Nightsong, after a big day in the noisy city, a mother and child's bus home breaks down, leaving them stuck on the side of a silent country road, but when the boy ventures into a nearby field, he discovers that nature is full of wonder and music. Tiny Wonders will be published in winter 2024, with Nightsong to follow in 2025; Clair Hume at University at Queensland Press sold North American rights. Tom Peterson at the Creative Company has bought world rights to A Place in the World, a picture book by Rina Singh (l.), illustrated by Christopher Pouler. In a world torn by war, a courageous refugee boy and his mother embark on a perilous journey to find a safe place in the world to rebuild their lives. Publication is scheduled for fall 2025; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself. Michael Green at Marble Press has acquired world rights to Our Unbreakable Thread by Jon Collins-Black (l.), illustrated by Nicole Gsell, a picture book ode to the touchstone moments of joy, sorrow, heartache, and love that bind together kids and their parents, from one generation to the next. Publication is planned for spring 2024; the author represented himself, and Susan Cohen at Writers House represented the illustrator. Kelly Barrales-Saylor at Sourcebooks eXplore has bought world rights to I Can Do It Even if I'm Scared by Lisa Katzenberger (l.), illustrated by Hannah George. Based on the cognitive behavioral therapy technique Act As If, this picture book will guide children on how to be the strongest and boldest versions of themselves in order to face their biggest fears. Publication is set for July 2024; Wendi Gu at Sandford J. Greenburger Associates did the two-book deal for the author, and Claire Meiklejohn at Meiklejohn Illustration represented the illustrator. Kimberly Von Fange at WaterBrook has acquired world rights to Miss Prim Goes Wild by Katy Rose (l.), illustrated by Phuong Thai, a picture book that follows the transformation of a cantankerous, strict older woman as she learns how nature's wild ways can heal both her yard and her heart. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Don Pape at Pape Commons represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Kathleen Merz at Eerdmans has bought North American and U.K. English rights to What Makes Us Human by Victor D.O. Santos (l.), illustrated by Anna Forlati. This picture book riddle highlights the importance of language in culture and history, and the importance of valuing and preserving all languages and cultures, and will be published in partnership with UNESCO in honor of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032). Publication is slated for spring 2024; Galina Grekhova at Syllabes Agency did the deal. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From CNN: New Texas Law Forces Vendors to Rate Sexual Content in School Books. They're Not Happy About It. CLICK HERE From Philly Voice: Protestors greet Moms for Liberty in Philadelphia with banned book giveaways and dance parties. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: It's Getting Hard to Stage a School Play Without Political Drama. CLICK HERE From PinkNews: Author "beyond angry" as London children's museum removes trans and queer books from exhibit. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: How Nimona Helped Its Creator Explore His Emerging Identity. CLICK HERE From Kidscreen: The Gotham Group locks down rights to two upcoming YA books. CLICK HERE From the Hollywood Reporter: Greta Gerwig Attached to Direct Narnia Movie. CLICK HERE From Princeton Alumni Weekly: Graduating Princeton Senior Signs Publishing Deal for Fantasy Novel. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: Would You Call That Happily Ever After? Strange and Obscure Fairy Tales. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner Which Picture Books Are Selling This Season? A harvest of successes and a touch of blight. more » Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » FEATURED REVIEWS Every Dreaming Creature Brendan Wenzel. Little, Brown, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-51253-4 Caldecott Honoree Wenzel imagines a young dreamer inhabiting the body and consciousness of a succession of animals. Each visual gives way to the next: the cephalopod’s arms move into elephant trunks; the elephants’ view of clouds becomes a speeding falcon in the sky; the diving falcon’s backdrop reveals a tiger’s stripes. As the series of dreams forms an endless loop, suggesting similarities across habitats and species, the beings’ expressive eyes communicate joy and curiosity. more Dragon’s First Taco Adam Rubin, illus. by Daniel Salmieri. Dial, $8.99 (18p) ISBN 978-0-5935-3317-8 On page one, an adorable blue dragon with black horns and googly eyes encounters a drawing of the titular food in a frame worthy of a royal portrait. “Do you know what this is? It’s called a taco. You are gonna love it,” enthuses the narrator. The dragon next takes to the sky and floats among possible ingredients, and then comes the best part: eating a tasty, dragon-size morsel that’s stuffed with goodness, then savoring its taste in a dreamy-eyed, full-stomach afterglow. more We Still Belong Christine Day. Heartdrum, $18.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-06-306456-0 Twelve-year-old Wesley Wilder and her mother move into her maternal grandfather’s house in an Indigenous community outside of Seattle. Seeking a place to fit in at her new school, Wesley joins the Native/Indigenous Student Union and the Gamer’s Club, where she meets and crushes hard on white classmate Ryan. But when a teacher harshly criticizes a poem she writes celebrating Indigenous People’s Day, and she discovers that Ryan is attending an upcoming school dance with another girl, Wesley struggles with feelings of inadequacy. more Make a Move, Sunny Park! Jessica Kim. Kokila, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-525-55500-1 Korean American seventh grader Sunny Park loves to dance, especially to music from her favorite K-pop group, Supreme Beat. Her white best friend Bailey thinks Supreme Beat is immature, which doesn’t surprise Sunny—Bailey often makes snap judgments. Despite Sunny’s stage fright, she agrees to audition for the school dance team with Bailey, but things don’t go as planned when only Sunny makes the cut. more Her Radiant Curse Elizabeth Lim. Knopf, $19.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-593-30099-2 Two sisters strive to save each other from a persistent evil in this thrilling fantasy adventure by Lim. Lush storytelling evokes East Asian folklore mixed with Helen of Troy vibes, culminating in an intriguing tale about one sisterhood that endures against all odds. more House of Marionne J. Elle. Razorbill, $19.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-593-52770-2 Seventeen-year-old Quell Marionne has been moving from place to place with her mother to hide the enchanted curse that lives in Quell’s blood from other magical folk. Quell soon takes refuge with her grandmother, the headmistress of the House of Marionne, a boarding school in the American South for those with mystical powers. At her grandmother’s suggestion, Quell agrees to compete for induction in the Prestigious Order of Highest Mysteries, a society that can teach her how to harness the dark magic in her blood. more	July 6, 2023 People Edite Kroll will close her agency, Edite Kroll Literary Agency, on January 1, 2024, after transferring her estate clients (Shel Silverstein, M.B. Goffstein, Geoffrey Hayes, Charlotte Zolotow, Fatema Mernissi, and Charlotte Kasl) to Victoria Wells Arms at HG Literary. She had previously transferred her active clients to Wells Arms in 2019. At Random House Children's Books, Jenna Lettice has been promoted to senior editor, Random House Brands & Graphic, from editor. Miriam Newman has been promoted to senior editor at Candlewick Press, from editor. Nicole Wills has been promoted to senior associate at HarperCollins Children's Books and is joining middle grade marketing; she was previously a coordinator on the early readers marketing team. For a look at all of June's job moves, including new hires and promotions, click here. On-Sale Calendar Light up the sparklers and fireworks in celebration of new titles coming out this month. Young readers can look forward to picture books including Back to School, Backpack! by Simon Rich, illus. by Tom Toro, Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow by Ryan T. Higgins, and The Red Jacket by Bob Holt. Graphic novels hitting shelves this month include Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable, Karen’s Haircut (Baby-sitters Little Sister Graphix #7) by Ann M. Martin, illus. by Katy Farina, and Like Lava in My Veins by Derrick Barnes, illus. by Shawn Martinbrough. On the YA front, readers can look forward to One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus, My Week with Him by Joya Goffney, The Legacies by Jessica Goodman, and Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig. For more books releasing this July, check out PW's On-Sale Calendar here. Bestsellers Children’s Frontlist Fiction #1 Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 Taylor Swift by Wendy Loggia, illus. by Elisa Chavarri. Click here ICYMI Children's Books for Fall: All Our Coverage more Spring Flying Starts more In Conversation: R.L. Stine and Marc Brown more Richard Scarry Classic Zooms On at 50 more Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out next spring, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

Spotlight on Fall Children's Books for Fall: All Our Coverage Check out our comprehensive A-to-Z listings of publishers’ titles for young readers due out in the second half of the year, and more, in our Fall Announcements issue—featuring a cover by graphic novelist Jen Wang. In addition to the listings, we speak with editors and booksellers about the shifts they’re witnessing in the market for middle grade books. We also profile author Candace Fleming and illustrator Eric Rohmann, the married collaborators behind several picture books, about their creative process. All this, plus our Spring 2024 Sneak Previews. Happy reading! more In Conversation R.L. Stine and Marc Brown R.L. Stine is the creator of the bestselling Goosebumps series, which launched in 1992 and has more than 400 million copies in print worldwide. Marc Brown is the creator of the bestselling Arthur Adventure books and creative producer of PBS's Peabody and Emmy Award-winning television series Arthur, the longest-running children's animated show in history. Stine and Brown discussed their third picture book collaboration, Why Did the Monster Cross the Road?, their publishing journeys, and how they engage young readers through humor and horror. more SPONSORED New from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Buster is back! NASCAR legend and New York Times bestselling author Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s second children's book features an entertaining off-road adventure story that teaches kids how to handle difficult emotions, starring the lovable Buster the race car!   MORE ► Report from ALA Gorman and Robinson Tell Librarians, 'It's Okay to Be Sad' ALA 2023 wrapped up Tuesday with an uplifting keynote featuring poet Amanda Gorman and children's book illustrator Christian Robinson, who discussed how people can harness their grief to effect change in the world. more ALA 2023 in Photos The 2023 American Library Association Annual Conference recently took place in Chicago, June 22–27, with nearly 16,000 attendees. Click through for an extensive selection of photos from the event: author signings, panels, award celebrations, and much more. more In the News Penguin Young Readers Reorg to Fold Razorbill into Putnam Penguin Young Readers has announced a reorganization that will merge its Razorbill imprint into Putnam Books for Young Readers. The final standalone Razorbill list will be spring 2024. more Fox Chapel to Start Nonfiction Children’s Imprint Fox Chapel Publishing is launching a nonfiction imprint for young readers, Curious Fox Books, which will release its first set of titles next year. The new imprint will focus on a wide range of topics, from peaceful protests, the history of Indigenous peoples, national parks, and more. more Licensing News Licensing Hotline: June 29, 2023 Random House Children’s Books is the master trade publisher for Afro Unicorn, an inclusive brand designed to celebrate children and women of color. Afro Unicorn has built a growing consumer products program covering 25 product categories, from toys to home décor. Read on for news about Scholastic and Insight Editions' OMG POP! books; Really Big Coloring Books' range of products featuring PBS Kids properties; MerryMakers' launch of an InvestiGators licensing program; a new licensing effort tied to the upcoming The Little Prince and Friends TV series; and more. more SPONSORED Rent Workspace at Publishers Weekly Give your agency or organization the perfect, publishing-friendly presence in Manhattan in Publishers Weekly's new office, designed for hybrid work.   MORE ► Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of July 3 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book featuring a seagull and his love for a new garment, a graphic novel set in a superhero universe, a Heathers-inspired YA mystery, and more. more In Brief In Brief: June 29, 2023 This month an author kicked off his book tour with a hands-on arts and crafts event; publishing staff dressed as beloved characters; and a Texas politician made an appearance at a debut author's launch event. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Vice President of Marketing - Fox Chapel Publishing Co. - Mount Joy, PA. ·  Senior Manager, Consumer Sales - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. ·  Senior Editor, Storey Publishing - Hachette Book Group - North Adams, MA. ·  Educate Editor - BuildWitt Media Group LLC - Nashville, TN. ·  Manager, Projects - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. Rights Report Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has acquired North American rights for Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (The Downstairs Girl), a YA murder mystery noir set in 1930s Los Angeles in which three Chinese American sisters investigate the murder of a Hollywood starlet, once a childhood friend, even if it means going behind the scenes into a world bent on destroying Chinatown. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Kristin Nelson at Nelson Literary Agency negotiated the deal. Joy Peskin at Farrar, Straus and Giroux has bought, in an exclusive submission, an untitled debut YA novel by Sahar Jahani, a first-generation Iranian-American Muslim writer. This coming-of-age dramedy follows Sana Saeidi as her world turns upside down when she decides to lean into her Muslim identity and wear a hijab on the first day of her sophomore year of high school for not entirely the right reasons, a choice that leads her on a journey of self-discovery and uncovering decades of family secrets. Publication is set for spring 2025; Danny Alexander at APA Agency sold world English rights. David Linker at HarperCollins has acquired, in an exclusive submission, I Put a Spell on You by Clare Edge. In this contemporary YA fantasy-romance, a heartthrob enby spellcaster must teach the new girl in school how to wield magic in order to save their emerging powers in a rivals to lovers game of wits. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights. Weslie Turner at Versify has bought Castles and Cholos, a YA graphic novel by Samuel Teer (l.), illustrated by Alex Moore, about a group of Latin American teenagers who play a tabletop role-playing game called Castles & Creatures, and how one teen's return to the game after a long absence permanently changes the group dynamics. Publication is planned for 2027; Jas Perry at KT Literary handled the deal for world rights. Lauren Knowles at Page Street YA has acquired Call Forth a Fox by Markelle Grabo, a sapphic twist on Snow White and Rose Red, in which a girl saves a fox from an attacking bear only to realize both are actually humans caught in a deadly faerie curse. Publication is scheduled for winter 2024; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought world rights to two middle grade novels by Lisa Fipps, author of Printz Honor winner Starfish, starting with And Then, Boom!, a novel in verse about an impoverished boy whose love for comics helps him deal with all the storms life throws his way. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Liza Fleissig at Liza Royce Agency negotiated the deal. Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins has acquired The Ordinary and Extraordinary Auden Greene by Edgar Award nominee Corey Ann Haydu, in a two-book deal. Pitched as a fairy tale version of Freaky Friday, this middle grade tale follows a 12-year-old girl who exists in two universes. In one, she's a shy middle schooler struggling with being her mother's caretaker and hoping to land the lead role in her school's production of The Wizard of Oz. In another, she's the last remaining princess of a kingdom overrun by dragons. When the two switch places, they must navigate life in the other's shoes and find a way home. Publication is set for fall 2025; Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Agency sold world English rights. Martha Mihalick at Greenwillow Books has bought Heidi Heilig's debut middle grade novel, Cincinnati Lee and the Spear of Destiny. When 12-year-old Cincinnati Lee's great-great-grandfather took an ancient idol from an archeological dig, he unwittingly brought a curse home with it—and now Cincinnati is determined to return the idol to its rightful home, if she can outwit the nefarious auction house and the crusading hobby-store magnate who are after the artifact too. Publication is planned for winter 2025; Molly Ker Hawn at the Bent Agency brokered the two-book deal for North American rights. Liz Bicknell and Miriam Newman at Candlewick have acquired world English rights to Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz's (l.) The Riddle-Wood, a picture book of riddles, the answers to which are to be found by taking a walk through the natural world. Melissa Sweet (Celia Planted a Garden) will illustrated. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Stephen Barbara at Inkwell Management represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Naomi Kirsten at Chronicle has bought world rights for I Am We by Leslie Barnard Booth (l.), illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey, an informational picture book that explores how and why crows roost together by the thousands in winter, pitched as Packs: Strength in Numbers meets Giant Squid. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Claire Draper at the Bent Agency represented the author, and Adriann Zurhellen at Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator. Mary Lee Donovan at Candlewick Press has acquired world rights to Hana's Hajj by Zainab Khan (l.), illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan. While on her first Hajj pilgrimage with her father, Hana expects the journey to be like the camping trips in her scout group, only to find it is much different than her expectations in surprising and memorable ways. Publication is set for spring 2026; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Caitlyn Dlouhy at Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books has bought North American English rights to You Are Loved, a picture book by Sujean Rim in which a child discovers how beloved his place on earth is as nature—from wind to birds to bitty bugs—embraces his very presence. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal. Kathleen Merz at Eerdmans has acquired North American English rights to Home, written and illustrated by Isabelle Simler, a picture book that invites readers into dwellings across the animal kingdom, from the hermit crab's secondhand shell to the marmot's underground burrow to the termites' skyscraper of clay. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Hannele Legras at Hannele & Associates did the deal. Clarissa Wong at Scholastic has won, at auction, world rights to debut author Pasha Westbrook's (l.) semi-autobiographical picture book Braided Roots, in which a girl's single father braids her hair while telling her stories about her Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen ancestors and weaving their family history together into a strong whole—within her braid and herself; Madelyn Goodnight will illustrate. Publication is set for fall 2025; Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator. Kelly Barrales-Saylor at Sourcebooks eXplore has bought rights, in a two-book deal for the author, to Cute Animals That Could Kill You Dead by Brooke Hartman (l.), illustrated by María García, which introduces readers to the science behind cute but killer animals, including their scientific name, habitat, size, and conservation status. Publication is planned for 2025; Sera Rivers while at Martin Literary & Media Management represented the author, and Lillian Mazeika at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator. Ilona Oppenheim at Tra Publishing has acquired world rights to The Forest by Aimee Isaac (l.) (The Planet We Call Home), illustrated by Mark Janssen, which tells a story of deforestation from the perspective of the forest; Andrea Gollin will edit. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Alice Fugate at the Joy Harris Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself. Sandra Sutter at Gnome Road has bought world rights to Ready to Smile Again by Katie Lee Reinert (l.), illustrated by Sara Aziz, a picture book in which a chipmunk whose home is destroyed tucks his remaining possessions inside his cheeks for safe-keeping and must then figure out how to let go of his fear (and belongings) in order to smile again. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; the author was unagented, and Kayla Cichello at Upstart Crow Literary represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the New York Times: Op-Ed: How Hard Could It Be to Translate a Picture Book? CLICK HERE From the Guardian: Author Michael Rosen wins 2023 PEN Pinter Prize for his 'fearless' body of work. CLICK HERE From Alabama News Center: Why this Alabama town loves Pete the Cat. CLICK HERE From the Seattle Times: Lily Meade blends fantasy into contemporary debut YA novel. CLICK HERE From CrimeReads: Amanda Linsmeier and Amy Goldsmith on Writing Horror for a YA Audience. CLICK HERE From Fuse #8: The Top Ten Worst Parents in All of Children's Literature. CLICK HERE From Brightly: The Best Chapter Books to Read as a Family. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 10 Summer Camp Horror Novels. CLICK HERE From Brightly: 10 STEM Picture Books for Kids. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner Which Picture Books Are Selling This Season? A harvest of successes and a touch of blight. more » Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » FEATURED REVIEWS The Lost Library Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-250838-81-0 On the last Monday of fifth grade, Evan McClelland takes two books from a little free library that has appeared seemingly overnight. The books’ circulation cards signal that they’re from the Martinville Library, which burned down years ago—and one card suggests that Evan’s father once checked out the book over and over again. With best friend Rafe and a copy of How to Write a Mystery Novel that’s linked to a famous author, Evan seeks to unravel his family’s possible connection to the town’s history while navigating his anxiety about the looming adjustment to middle school. more This Boy: The Early Lives of John Lennon & Paul McCartney Ilene Cooper. Viking, $17.99 (192p) ISBN 978-0-4514-7585-5 Documenting the subjects’ first meeting and leading up to their meteoric rise to fame, Cooper highlights the stark personality differences that cultivated the “creative alchemy” between John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (b. 1942) in this cerebral origin story. In prose that penetrates the Beatles’ larger-than-life aura, Cooper emphasizes the duo’s ordinary childhood experiences. more Forty Words for Love Aisha Saeed. Kokila, $18.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-593-32646-6 Moonlight Bay local Yas and Raf—who has a leaf-shaped birthmark and is part of the Golub people—have been friends since Raf and his family moved to town as climate refugees when he was young. Determined to confess his feelings for Yas, Raf seeks her out, only to catch her in a seemingly tender moment with Moses Holler, the heir of Moonlight Bay’s most influential family. Raf later stumbles upon the corpse of five-year-old Sammy Holler, setting into motion a chain of events with disastrous implications for everyone in town. more Creeping Beauty Andrea Portes. HarperTeen, $19.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-242247-7 Princess Bitsy, 17, has perfected the art of creeping away from boring formal functions. After meeting her betrothed, she escapes into the depths of the castle, where she discovers a spindle. Pricking her finger sends her into a deep slumber—until she awakens stranded in a dangerous new reality in which one’s looks determines their status, and the realm’s impoverished citizens must mine a substance that enables its imbibers to remain artificially beautiful. more	June 29, 2023 To Our Readers Because of the July 4th holiday, we won't have an issue of Children's Bookshelf next Tuesday. Look for us in your inboxes next Thursday, July 6. People At Candlewick Press, Katherine Codega has moved into the role of art coordination associate/ contracts and illustrator liaison; previously she was sales administration supervisor. ICYMI The Shifting Middle Grade Market more Previously Unpublished Maurice Sendak Book Coming Next February more New Neil Gaiman Picture Book to Benefit UNHCR more Beijing 2023: Children's Books Continue to Dominate the Market more Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out next spring, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

Flying Starts We interviewed the authors of six of the spring season's most promising debuts about their path to publication. Beth Lincoln Beth Lincoln describes her debut middle grade mystery, The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels, as full of “chaos and energy” and "absolutely everything that I love and find interesting." The book became an immediate bestseller and has now been sold in 14 territories. more Jesús Trejo Comedian Jesús Trejo’s childhood experience working weekends alongside his father in the family landscaping business became the basis for his debut picture book, Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock, illustrated by Eliza Kinkz. “Yes, it’s a kids’ book,” Trejo says, “and it’s also an American story.” more Ari Tison Structured in vignettes and verse, Ari Tison’s debut YA novel, Saints of the Household, tells the story of Bribri American brothers as they navigate the fallout after a misguided act of violence. Tison says of the book's main character, "That voice just hit me. I think because he is, in a way, super close and parallel to my own story.” more Balint Zsako “Generous” is a word that Hungarian-born artist Balint Zsako uses often in conversation, and it’s a good one to describe his debut, Bunny & Tree, a wordless hand-painted picture book nearly 200 pages long that overflows with conceptual fireworks and deep emotion. Zsako believes "kids have a hunger for the unusual and unexpected.” more Thien Pham Thien Pham builds each chapter of his debut graphic memoir, Family Style, around resonant food memories from his experience immigrating to the U.S. from Vietnam as a child. “I’ve been wanting to tell this story all my life,” Pham says, and he got started during the pandemic. more Terry J. Benton-Walker Terry J. Benton-Walker brings young Black heroes to the forefront of his YA debut fantasy, Blood Debts, which is flooded with Southern culture and a magical system inspired by Afro and Afro-Latinx rituals and practices. “I want to write stories for kids who are like 16-year-old me,” he says. more SPONSORED It’s Time for a Todd PARR-TY Through his signature illustrations that explode with fun and flavor, New York Times bestselling author Todd Parr invites you to the funkiest, most unforgettable potluck. We all know kids love macaroni and cheese, but who knew monsters do too? Don’t miss this wildly fun read-aloud celebrating sharing meals with friends and trying new things.   MORE ► Report from ALA Experts and Allies Supply Librarians with Information and Tools to Fight Censorship The professional program at the 2023 ALA Annual Conference was packed with information to help librarians and advocates battle book bans and other pressing challenges. more ALA, AAP Reaffirm Landmark Freedom to Read Statement on 70th Anniversary With censorship efforts on the rise, the American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers are calling on members of the book community to pledge their commitment to the landmark 1953 statement. more Judy Blume Offers a Rousing Defense of the Freedom to Read During her ALA keynote, Judy Blume spoke about her experiences with book banning in the 1980s and thanked librarians for their ardent defense against censorship in their communities, insisting that more can be done. more Freedom Fighters: Ibram X. Kendi’s Powerful Message to Librarians The ALA’s first-ever Rally for the Right to Read featured librarians and advocates speaking of the need to fight censorship and a keynote from author Ibram X. Kendi, who praised librarians as modern-day freedom fighters. more Book News Richard Scarry Classic Zooms on at 50 Richard Scarry demonstrated his artistic acumen and fascination with myriad modes of transport in 1974's Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. Click through for an exclusive first look at the 50th anniversary edition, featuring a letter from the author's son, Huck Scarry. "He made something that would capture everyone’s imagination and interest," Huck told PW. more Reading Roundup New and Noteworthy Children's and YA Books: June 2023 Young readers can jumpstart their summer TBR with big books out this month, including a picture book tale about friendships and boundaries, a middle grade book featuring one Chinese American boy tackling changes at home and school, a semi-autobiographical graphic novel debut, and many more. more SPONSORED Sadie Meets We Were Liars in This YA Mystery E.A. Neeves’s debut novel is a heartfelt mystery in which one girl desperately searches to find out what happened to her missing sister. Neeves takes a nuanced and sensitive approach to writing about anxiety and loss with characters that jump right off the page. MORE ► Q & A R.M. Romero R.M. Romero's new YA novel, A Warning About Swans, features a shape-shifting heroine who longs to live as a human—until her freedom to transform is stolen from her. Written in free verse, the historical fantasy evokes the dark side of fairy tales while exploring issues of gender fluidity and body autonomy. We spoke with Romero about her dedication to caring for Jewish cemeteries in Poland, her family's roots in magical realism, and how liminality is at the heart of the human experience. Q: What do you see as a commonality between your three books? A: There is a fairy tale undercurrent to all of them. A Warning About Swans has echoes of Swan Lake and the stories of the Brothers Grimm. In all of my work, characters are dealing with tangible world issues that young people are facing today but there is always a sprinkle of fairy dust, too. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Educate Editor - BuildWitt Media Group LLC - Nashville, TN. ·  Manager, Projects - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. ·  Freelance Book Reviewers - Publishers Weekly - , NY. ·  BookLIfe Freelance Reviewers - Publishers Weekly - remote/work from home. ·  Associate Executive Editor - The American Physical Society - , NY. Rights Report Karen Lotz and Andrea Tompa at Candlewick Press have acquired Ferris, a middle-grade novel by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo. A love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother, and growing up, it takes place the summer before fifth grade, which for Ferris Wilkey is a summer of sheer pandemonium: her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw; Uncle Ted has left Aunt Shirley and, to Ferris's mother's chagrin, is holed up in the Wilkey basement to paint a history of the world; and Charisse, Ferris's grandmother, has started seeing a ghost at the threshold of her room. But the ghost is not there to usher Charisse to the Great Beyond; rather, she has other plans. How can Ferris satisfy a specter with Pinky terrorizing the town, Uncle Ted sending Ferris to spy on her aunt, and her father at war with an invasion of raccoons? Publication is set for May 2024; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal for world rights. Nancy Mercado at Dial has bought the anthology Sing Me a Story: Short Stories in Verse by Latine Authors, edited by Aida Salazar. The middle grade collection is a celebration of the interconnected nature of poetry, stories, and music and how they have touched those in the U.S. whose roots stem from Latin America. Contributors include Andrea Beatriz Arango, David Bowles, Stephen Briseño, Margarita Engle, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Juan Felipe Herrera, JP Infante, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Jasminne Mendez, Rico Pabon, NoNieqa Ramos, Yaccaira Salvatierra, John Santos, Ari Tison, and Elisabet Velasquez. Publication is slated for August 2024; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency represented Salazar and did the deal for English and Spanish North American rights. Alyssa Miele at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has preempted Pushcart Prize winner Rebecca Stafford's Rabbit and Juliet, a YA debut that mixes queer love with snark, heartache, and violence. Rabbit, a grieving girl in a small Georgia town, meets the enigmatic daughter of a famous actor and embarks on a revenge plot to hold local boys accountable for a series of assaults. What starts as a fierce, feminist sisterhood shifts to a cult-like allegiance that borders on anarchy, leaving Rabbit to grapple with what it means to be the victim or the villain. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Marcy Posner at Folio Literary brokered the two-book deal for North American rights. Krista Vitola at Simon & Schuster has acquired The Hunt for the Outlaw's Treasure by Janet Fox (Carry Me Home; The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle), a contemporary adventure set on a Montana dude ranch, in which a group of kids work to uncover the treasure of Pearlhandle Pete, a Robin Hood-type figure in the Old West, for publication in fall 2024. Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency handled the deal for world English rights. Siobhan Ciminera at Simon Spotlight has bought world rights to Pizza for Pia!,by former HMH publisher Betsy Groban, illustrated by Allison Steinfeld, an early reader for the Ready-to-Read line. The book is a playful story about a girl whose family assumes she loves pizza (don't all kids love pizza?) until she bravely informs them that she doesn't. It's scheduled for summer 2024; the author represented herself, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired Mr. Parker's Garden by Caldecott Honoree Oge Mora, about an introverted child and her elderly neighbor who bond over their garden, but must face the challenge of change when the neighbor moves away. Publication is slated for winter 2026; Steven Malk at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights. Jonah Heller at Peachtree has bought Leo and the Pink Marker, a debut picture book by Mariyka Foster. Leo has a big imagination and loves to doodle with his favorite pink marker. So when Mom and Mama aren't looking, it's the perfect opportunity to add some color to their dusty scrapyard. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Janine Le at the Janine Le Literary Agency sold world rights. Lee Wade at Random House Studio has acquired at auction My Sister the Apple Tree by Jamal Saeed (l.) and Jordan Scott (c.) (I Talk Like a River), illustrated by Zahra Marwan (r.), a picture book about a child who, upon realizing that he must leave everything behind when war tears through his homeland, finds a way to take his beloved apple tree with him, in a story inspired by Saeed's experience. Publication is set for spring 2025; Chris Casuccio at Westwood Creative Artists represented Saeed, Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented Scott, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Suka's Farm, a picture book by Ginger Park (l.) and Frances Park (c.), illustrated by Tiffany Chen (r.). Set in Korea in 1941, when the country was under Japanese rule, a Korean boy steps out of his prescribed place and pushes societal boundaries by entering a farm owned by a Japanese man. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Jennifer Unter at the Unter Agency represented the author, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Karen Smith while at Knopf acquired world rights to As Edward Imagined, a picture book biography about Edward Gorey by Matthew Burgess (l.), illustrated by Marc Majewski; Esther Cajahuaringa will edit. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator. Kathleen Merz at Eerdmans has bought world rights to Bless Our Pets: Poems of Gratitude for Our Animal Friends, one of the last books edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins (l.), illustrated by Lita Judge. With poems by Lois Lowry, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and 11 other poets, this anthology expresses thanks for animal companions including cats, dogs, mice, goldfish, and ponies. Publication is planned for spring 2024; Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Sandra Sutter at Gnome Road has acquired world rights to Kai Po Che: Mini's Perfect Diamond by Suhasini Gupta (l.), illustrated by Devika Oza, a picture book about a girl who must rely on creativity, confidence, and courage to help avert an impending kite-astrophe while celebrating the Indian kite festival of Makar Sankranti. Publication is set for spring 2025; the author represented herself, and Analieze Cervantes represented the illustrator while at Harvey Klinger Literary. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From AV Club: No, Jennifer Lawrence isn't going to be in The Hunger Games prequel. CLICK HERE From Literary Hub: More Than a Children's Story: The Velveteen Rabbit at 100. CLICK HERE From Deadline: Phil Rosenthal Reveals Just Try It Food-Themed Children's Book He Co-Wrote with His Daughter. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 8 Peter Pan Retellings. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner Which Picture Books Are Selling This Season? A harvest of successes and a touch of blight. more » Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » FEATURED REVIEWS The World’s Best Class Plant Audrey Vernick and Liz Garton Scanlon, illus. by Lynnor Bontigao. Putnam, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-525-51635-4 Student Arlo feels disappointed that his teacher insists on flora for a class pet, but the whole class’s perception of the potted pet’s merits shifts with the bestowal of a name: Jerry. Soon, everyone is wild about the leafy subject, and Bontigao’s realistically cartooned digital art playfully demonstrates the kids’ growing care and fascination, building to a festive schoolwide Jerry Appreciation Day. more The Brilliant Ms. Bangle Cara Devins, illus. by K-Fai Steele. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-250-24770-4 When they learn that their beloved school librarian has moved away over the summer, the kids at Belford Elementary determine to stonewall the new staffer. Even when Ms. Bangle rolls in cracking jokes and selects a “truly terrific”-looking book, the group sticks with their plan. The new librarian’s clever response proves “brilliant." more The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet Jake Maia Arlow. Dial, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-5931-1296-0 Following a visit to a porta potty during gym because she can’t control her aching kishkes (“guts” in Yiddish), an appointment with a gastroenterologist reveals that Al has Crohn’s disease. At her mother and doctor’s urging, she joins a middle school inflammatory bowel disease support group—which the attendees affectionately dub the Bathroom Club—to meet kids like her. more Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook, $19.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-25026-572-2 In striking detail, Sheinkin chronicles how, in June 1944, 19-year-old Rudi Vrba, together with 24-year-old Alfred Wexler, both Slovakian Jewish, were the first to reveal to the world the then-hidden Nazi atrocities occurring in Auschwitz. Both prisoners who witnessed firsthand the “death on an industrial scale,” the two made a perilous escape from the camp, determined to alert the public. These noteworthy subjects, combined with Sheinkin’s extensive research, proffer an important addition to the library of Holocaust literature for young people. more The Reunion Kit Frick. McElderry, $19.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-6659-2146-6 Over Christmas, 16-year-old Addison Acker-Mayweather and the rest of her extended family travel to Cancún to celebrate her mother’s engagement. She resolves to use the vacation to make up with her twin brother Mason, but Mason is hiding something, and the siblings’ cousin Natalia is more interested in chatting with her online boyfriend. Meanwhile, the twins’ soon-to-be stepbrother Theo, who is bisexual, hopes to bond with his future siblings, but the disappearance of two high schoolers from the resort and familial confrontation throw a wrench in his plans. more	June 27, 2023 People Random House Children's Books has several promotions. Mary McCue has been promoted to executive director, publicity and strategic communications, from senior director. Jennifer Moreno has been promoted to assistant director, production, from senior production manager. Maggie Gibson has been promoted to associate manager, production, from production supervisor. Tricia Lin has been promoted to senior editor at Random House Books for Young Readers, from editor. Megan Mitchell has been promoted to marketing manager, from associate manager. David Gilmore has been promoted to senior marketing associate, from marketing associate. Madison Furr has been promoted to senior publicist, from publicist. Sarah Lawrenson has been promoted to associate publicist, from publicity assistant. Mark Your Calendar A new exhibition, Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature, is making its way across the country. The interactive exhibit, which originated at the V&A Museum in London, highlights the artist’s many works, including the developments behind her most notable stories “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” “The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle,” and more. Guests have access to early sketches of initial characters, Potter’s coded diaries, and a reading space to enjoy her stories. The exhibition is currently on display at Frist Art Museum in Nashville; it will open at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta this fall, and then move to the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City next February. For more information, click here. Bestsellers Children’s Frontlist Fiction Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 Why a Daughter Needs a Dad by Gregory E. Lang, illus. by Sydney Hanson. Click here Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out next spring, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page. CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

 

In the Spotlight Spring 2024 Sneak Previews See highlights of the children's and YA titles due out in the first half of next year—including highly anticipated debuts, follow-ups to bestselling novels, and collaborations between favorite authors and illustrators—in our exclusive roundup. more Just Announced Previously Unpublished Maurice Sendak Book Coming Next February Ten Little Rabbits, a never-before-published picture book by Maurice Sendak, will be released by HarperCollins Children's Books on February 6, 2024. “As only Maurice could, the simplicity of a counting book becomes much more—a tale about how things can take an unexpected turn at ‘the drop of a hat,’ ” editorial director Antonia Markiet told PW. more SPONSORED Introducing The Hidden World of Gnomes The Hidden World of Gnomes by Lauren Soloy is an introduction to the hidden folk called gnomes, who live in a happy place they call The Pocket. With charming details and surprising facts, this is a delightful celebration of the secret lives of gnomes that will enchant and fascinate readers of all ages.   MORE ► What's the Buzz? 'Immortal Dark' by Tigest Girma Teens craving a story featuring Black vampires can look forward to Tigest Girma's debut novel, Immortal Dark, which will be published in fall 2024 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Girma's viral TikTok post about her book first captured the attention of readers and editors in 2022. "I knew after that post nothing was going to stop me from getting the book into readers’ hands,” she said. more Facing Challenges Student Advocates Speak Out for Freedom to Read As part of the Student Advocates for Speech initiative, the National Coalition Against Censorship and the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Impact and Legacy Fund co-organized an essay contest, inviting students ages 14–18 to respond to the topic “How a Banned Book Changed My Life.” We are republishing the two winning essays here. more On the Scene 2023 Beijing International Book Fair in Photos This year's Beijing International Book Fair, which ran from June 15–18, hosted 2,500 exhibitors and more than 200,000 visitors. The 29th edition marked the first in-person event after nearly four years. Click through to see children’s book-related highlights. more News Brief IPG to Distribute OUP Children's Fiction List Oxford University Press has signed a sales and distribution agreement with Independent Publishers Group for the exclusive distribution of Oxford Children’s fiction titles in North America and Canada, effective October 1. more Interview Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann Author Candace Fleming and illustrator Eric Rohmann’s newest collaboration, Mine!, is the latest in a long stretch of picture books by the husband-and-wife team. We spoke with the duo about their creative process. “I’m always amazed by the evolution of the book from a spark to the finished product,” Rohmann said. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of June 26 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book potluck among creepy creatures, a graphic novel about a trip to an alien convention, a YA debut about a siren who is willing to do anything to keep her identity a secret, and more. more In Brief In Brief: June 22, 2023 Recently an author made an appearance for a book launch; authors celebrated big wins; a festival honored an author; a graphic novelist took a cooking class; publishing professionals gathered for a humanitarian partnership; and an author greeted former students. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Managing Editor - Grove Atlantic - New York, NY. ·  Senior Publicist - Hay House, Inc.. ·  Marketing Manager, Orbit Books - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. ·  New York and Long Island Independent Bookstore Representative - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. ·  Retail Strategy Manager, Author Brands - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. Rights Report Alyssa Miele at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired world English rights to debut author Ambika Vohra's The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal, a contemporary rom-com pitched as Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys I've Loved Before. When a college essay asks play-by-the-rules high school senior Aisha to detail what she's done to get out of her comfort zone, she enlists the help of intriguing new friend Quentin to create (and chaotically tackle) a wall of sticky notes containing daring, boundary-pushing to-dos. Publication is set for summer 2024; Lola Bellier and Alex Rice at CAA brokered the two-book deal. Stacy Whitman at Lee & Low/Tu Books has bought children's literature professor and The Dark Fantastic author Ebony Elizabeth Thomas's debut YA fantasy novel, Shifter and Dreamer. A finalist in Lee & Low's New Visions Award writing contest, this Black American urban fairy tale, inspired by Virginia Hamilton's The People Could Fly, Motown, and hip hop, follows two Detroit teens from different worlds who learn that they are the inheritors of a magical legacy that predates the Middle Passage. Publication is slated for 2025; Tanya McKinnon at McKinnon Literary did the deal for world rights. Polo Orozco at Putnam has acquired On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino (Give Me a Sign). In this contemporary YA romance, after the deaf institute she attends is shut down, Ellie must start senior year at a new school where she meets and falls for Jackson, who is going through a disability diagnosis of his own. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Kari Sutherland at KT Literary negotiated did the deal for world English rights. Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has bought, on exclusive submission, world English rights to Camp Sylvania 2: Moon Madness, the sequel to Julie Murphy's (l.) Camp Sylvania, this time featuring a dual POV with co-author Crystal Maldonado. Maggie and Nora's return to the all-new and "vampire-free" Camp Sylvania goes from fun to fearsome when a camper goes missing and a wolf begins stalking the camp at night, pushing the besties' friendship to its limit. Publication is planned for summer 2024; John Cusick at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management represented Murphy, and Tamar Rydzinski at Context Literary Agency represented Maldonado. Justin Chanda at Simon & Schuster has acquired Just Try It: A Phil & Lil Book, the debut picture book from Netflix star and bestselling author Phil Rosenthal (l.) and his daughter Lily Rosenthal (c.), illustrated by Luke Flowers (r.), featuring a food-loving father who encourages his picky eater daughter to try something new. Publication is set for February 2024; Penny Hunter represented Phil Rosenthal, Janine Kamouh at WME represented Lily Rosenthal, and Luke Flowers represented himself. Sylvie Frank at Disney Hyperion has bought world rights to Lilibet Makes a Friend by Kersten Hamilton (l.), illustrated by Shanda McCloskey, in which Lilibet sets out to make a friend—as in, literally build one—but when a boy named Peanut decides to help her whether she likes it or not, she learns that friendship can come from where you least expect it. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Erica Rand Silverman at Stimola Literary Studio represented the illustrator. Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has acquired world rights to Purple Up! by Sarah Scheerger (l.), illustrated by Leah Giles, a book inspired by the real-life "Purple Up! Day" held on April 15 in celebration of U.S. military kids around the world. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency represented the author, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Carolyn Yoder at Astra/Calkins Creek has bought world rights to ¡Viva Valenzuela!, a nonfiction picture book by MLB.com journalist Nathalie Alonso (l.) about Mexican pitching legend Fernando Valenzuela's historic 1981 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the phenomenon that was Fernandomania. Three-time Pura Belpré Honor recipient John Parra will illustrate. Publication is set for spring 2026; Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and Adriana Dominguez at Aevitas Creative Management represented the illustrator. Kelsey Skea at Amazon/Two Lions has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Ninja Sloth by Lindsay Ward, a picture book about a sloth who imagines he's a ninja to help him be brave on his first day of school. Publication is planned for summer 2025; Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world rights. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the Guardian: Carnegie medal for children's books goes to a translation for the first time. CLICK HERE From Forbes: Tale of Acceptance in the TV Version of Not Quite Narwhal. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: 20 authors of queer YA literature recommend a queer YA book that they love. CLICK HERE From Reader's Digest: 11 Judy Blume Books to Read During Every Stage of Life. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: A-Z Queer YA Recommendations for Pride. CLICK HERE From Brightly: 11 Mermaid Books for Young Adult Readers. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 8 Children's Books About Frogs. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner Which Picture Books Are Selling This Season? A harvest of successes and a touch of blight. more » Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » FEATURED REVIEWS Grandpa and the Kingfisher Anna Wilson, illus. by Sarah Massini. Nosy Crow, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 979-8-88777-017-8 In idyllic scenes that unfold across the seasons, a grandfather tells his grandchild about the kingfishers that live on the river below his house, shown on stilts in the distance.“Will they stay together forever? Like you and me?” the child asks about the kingfisher family. “No one lives forever,” Grandpa replies. “Only nature goes on forever.” Across the months, the two follow the kingfishers’ nesting and chick-raising, the cycle subtly foreshadowing the end of Grandpa’s own life as he grows slower and frailer. more Rewind Lisa Graff. Philomel, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-5247-3862-4 While she normally wouldn’t mind hanging out with her grandmother—whose speech and mobility are impacted by a stroke she had 20 years ago—today it means that fashion-obsessed McKinley will miss celebrating 1993 at her town’s annual Time Hop, a party thrown every June to commemorate a single year in history. Instead, McKinley takes Grandma Bev along, but after a fight with her best friend and her father’s unexpected arrival, McKinley is bounced back to the real 1993. more Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake Michael Witwer. Aladdin, $18.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-6659-1819-0 After her journalist father gets a new job and moves the family to her mother’s hometown in Midnight Lake, Wis., Vivian finds herself making friends for the first time while playing Beasts & Battlements with fellow classmates, even as she contends with bullies and struggles to manage her anger and guilt. An assignment about the school’s defunct sanitarium brings with it public recognition that a century earlier, many people considered mentally ill described seeing monsters like those featured in B&B, driving Vivian to dig deeper into a dangerous mystery. more My Father, the Panda Killer Jamie Jo Hoang. Crown, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-5936-4296-2 Ever since their mother left three years prior, 17-year-old Jane Vũ has been the primary caretaker for her seven-year-old brother Paul. She often shields Paul from their father’s physical abuse and reasons that his violent tendencies stem from his childhood in postwar Vietnam. As Jane readies to leave San Jose to attend UCLA on scholarship, she worries what her father might do to Paul in her absence. Hoping to prepare Paul, Jane tells him the story of the past their father never discusses. more A Tall Dark Trouble Vanessa Montalban. Zando, $19.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-63893-012-9 Cuban American twins Delfi and Ofelia have their own special skill set; Delfi can taste emotions in the air, and Lela catches glimpses of the past, present, and future through objects’ memories. Both also carry the Sánchez curse, which causes all of their romantic endeavors to fail. When they begin having the same dream of a woman in danger, the siblings resolve to save her, only for her body to wash ashore in their Miami hometown. As the twins uncover the circumstances behind her death, they realize that their family history is somehow tied up in the situation. more	June 22, 2023 People Cecilia Yung, longtime art director of Putnam Books for Young Readers and Nancy Paulsen Books, will retire in September. Yung joined Putnam in 1994; artists she has worked with include Eric Carle, Tomie dePaola, Maira Kalman, Ted Lewin, Wendell Minor, Jerry Pinkney, Peggy Rathmann, Simms Taback, and Ed Young. Books she art directed have won many awards, including the Caldecott Medal and several Caldecott Honors. Penguin Young Readers has two promotions. Jim Hoover has been promoted to senior art director at Viking Children's Books/Philomel/Flamingo Books, from art director. Madison Penico has been promoted to assistant managing editor, from managing editorial assistant. HarperCollins Children's Books has two promotions. Stephanie Macy has been promoted to manager, conferences and conventions, from marketing associate. Samantha Ruth Brown has been promoted to senior publicist, from publicist. In the Winners' Circle The winners of the Yoto Carnegies were announced on June 21 in London. The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing was awarded to The Blue Book of Nebo (Firefly Press), written and translated by Manon Steffan Ros. This win marked the first time the award has been given to a book in translation. The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration was awarded to Jeet Zdung for Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear (Kingfisher). I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys received the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing, and The Comet by Joe Todd-Stanton won the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration. For more information about the awards, click here. ICYMI School Librarians Share Their Battles with Book Banning more CCBC Releases Statistics Regarding Diversity in Children's Literature Published in 2022 more Diverse 'Changemakers' Speak Out with SCBWI more Just Be Better: PW Talks with Jerry Craft more Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

In the Spotlight The Shifting Middle Grade Market The middle grade years are often called the golden age of reading, a time when kids connect fiercely with characters and stories. But while there have been a number of surprising breakout YA hits in the past several quarters, overall, the middle grade category has fallen behind. We surveyed industry professionals to get their thoughts on the factors affecting middle grade success and what they see ahead. more In the News Beijing 2023: Children's Books Continue to Dominate the Market The 29th edition of the Beijing International Book Fair concluded its first in-person event in three and a half years on June 18. Children’s titles, which account for the biggest segment in the Chinese book market, continue to be the focus at the fair, which featured more than 2,500 exhibitors, of which 60% were from overseas, and well over 200,000 titles. more Obituary Byron Barton Author-illustrator Byron Barton, known for his many picture books for very young children featuring simple text and images, died on June 3 following a long illness. He was 92. Over the course of his career, Barton illustrated books for such authors as Russell Hoban, Jack Prelutsky, Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, and Seymour Simon, in addition to building a large catalog of his own works. more Author News Tracey West Launches Dragon Wagon Mobile Bookstore Tracey West, the author of approximately 200 books for young readers, including the Dragon Masters series, has launched a mobile bookstore. With West’s husband, Bill Hancock, at the wheel, the Dragon Wagon will cruise around the western Catskills this summer giving away free books to young readers. more Just Announced 'What You Need to Be Warm' by Neil Gaiman This fall, HarperCollins Children's Books imprint Quill Tree Books will publish What You Need to Be Warm, a picture book highlighting displacement, written by author and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador Neil Gaiman and illustrated by various artists. more Q & A Mitali Perkins In National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins’s forthcoming novel, Hope in the Valley, 12-year-old aspiring poet Pandita "Pandu" Paul struggles to navigate grief and change in her rapidly gentrifying Silicon Valley neighborhood. When the apricot orchard across the street—which Pandu and her late mother called Ashar Jaiga, or place of hope—is threatened with redevelopment into purportedly affordable rental units, Pandu finds herself at odds with her family. We spoke with Perkins about her research and returning to middle grade. Q: How has your writing evolved over the years? A: What’s grown in me is an understanding of the strength and dignity of my child reader. The intersection of a reader with a story is such a mystery and something we don’t have control over as a writer. I’m letting go more and leaving room both for the characters and the reader to breathe. I’m moving away from rigidity toward love. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Marketing Manager, Orbit Books - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. ·  New York and Long Island Independent Bookstore Representative - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. ·  Retail Strategy Manager, Author Brands - Hachette Book Group - New York, NY. ·  Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) Telephone Sales Representative, Hachette Nashville - Hachette Book Group - Brentwood, TN. ·  Collaborator - Meghan Stevenson Books, LLC - SEATTLE, WA. Rights Report Caitlyn Averett while at Little, Brown preempted world rights to Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley (r.) and Austin Siegemund-Broka, in a two-book deal. In the book, pitched as The Inheritance Games meets Ocean's 11, a teen plots revenge against her father after she's cheated out of her rightful inheritance by staging the perfect heist—in the midst of his latest wedding; Samantha Gentry will edit. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Literary Agency represented the authors. Steve Geck at Sourcebooks Fire has acquired Ravena Guron's bestselling U.K. YA thriller This Book Kills, which follows scholarship student Jess Choudhary who gets caught up in a murder investigation after the killer uses her short story for inspiration. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary negotiated the two-book, six-figure deal for North American rights. Rachel Diebel at Feiwel and Friends has bought Mars Lauderbaugh's debut YA graphic novel, Hollow Magic, in which a 17-year-old witch, searching for ways to understand her magic, meets an intriguing knight full of secrets, and, with their help, must find a way to lift the curse from an ancient castle or lose the chance to learn the truth about her lineage forever. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Karen Chaplin at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has acquired at auction Laura Creedle's (The Love Letters of Abelard & Lily) YA horror novel The Deep Well. Twelve years after being the only survivor of a massacre at the bottom of a borehole, April is being trailed by urban legend cultists who believe that on her 17th birthday, she will open a portal to hell and usher in the apocalypse. As April and her friends search for the truth of what happened on that fateful day, the clock is ticking down toward her birthday and the cultists are not willing to forego a sacrifice. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret brokered the deal for world rights. Kelly Delaney while at Knopf bought Riot Act by Sarah Lariviere (Time Travel for Love and Profit; The Bad Kid), a YA alternate history duology set in 1991, where America is ruled by an authoritarian regime. The first novel is narrated from the afterlife by Maximus Bowl, who was murdered by the police state, and tells the story of his living friends, punk-rock theater kids forced to choose between acting as outlaws to produce meaningful art, or silencing their voices and doing as they're told. Erin Clarke will edit; publication is planned for summer 2024. Susan Hawk at Upstart Crow Literary handled the two-book deal for North American rights. Chris Cerasi at Oni Press has acquired world rights to the graphic novel Hey, Mary by Andrew Wheeler (l.), illustrated by Rye Hickman. In this YA coming-of-age romance about growing up Catholic and gay, 16-year-old Mark develops a crush on a guy at school and starts to question if he can reconcile his sexuality and his faith. Through conversations with his crush, his priest, and a friendly drag queen, along with imagined encounters with famous figures from history and scripture, Mark comes to a new understanding about his identity. Grace Scheipeter will edit; publication is set for fall 2025. Caitlin DiMotta at CDAS represented the author, and Dara Hyde at Hill Nadell Agency represented the illustrator. Kristin Gilson at Aladdin has bought Gayle Forman's Not Nothing, pitched as The Princess Bride meets The Book Thief. After doing a "very bad" thing, an angry boy named Alex is forced to spend the summer volunteering at an old folks' home, where he meets 107-year-old Josey, who is waiting to die. When Josey begins to tell Alex his story about falling in love in pre-war Poland with a resentful young woman turned heroine, Alex must come to terms with what he has done and learn what it means to rise to the occasion of one's life. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary sold North American rights. Allison Cohen at Running Press Kids has acquired Sarah Glenn Marsh's The Beginner's Field Guide to Fairies, a middle grade illustrated compendium of fairies that includes their history and mythology, how and where to discover these magical creatures, and interactive quizzes and crafts. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management sold world rights. Michael Green at Marble Press has bought world rights to the first five Penguin & Panda graphic novels for young readers by Brenda Maier (l.) (The Little Red Fort), illustrated by Fanni Mezes. Penguin and Panda are the best of friends, experiencing the world through their contrasting perspectives yet always with humor, generosity of spirit, and even a smidgen of philosophy. Publication of the first two titles is planned for spring 2024; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Elizabeth Lazowski at Chronicle has acquired world rights to Lost Words by Leila Boukarim (l.), illustrated by Sona Avedikian. Inspired by the true story of the author's grandfather-in-law, the picture book follows an Armenian boy as he flees the Armenian Genocide, from the day he sets out on his journey through the desert until he finally finds the courage to share his story. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; Hannah VanVels Ausbury at the Belcastro Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Christine Collins at Disney-Hyperion has bought, in a two-book deal, world rights to Sophia Lee Can Fly by Marie Tang (l.), illustrated by Lenny Wen. When Sophia’s family finally agrees to take her trapezing, she has one chance to take the leap and prove that the sky's the limit, as long as you try. Publication is set for spring 2025; Marisa Cleveland at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Lauri Hornik at Penguin/Rocky Pond Books has acquired world English rights to Fish Friends Forever, a diary-style picture book centering on a child's deep love for, and loss of, her pet fish, by debut author Kerry Ferguson (l.), illustrated by Aliaa Betawi. Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary represented the author and illustrator, for publication in summer 2025. Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to the picture book My Luck Charm, about a child's discovery of her connection with nature that allows her to navigate her feelings and beliefs, written by Sheri Mabry (l.) and illustrated by Tiffany Chen. Publication is slated for spring 2024; the author represented herself, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Nicole Fox at RISE x Penguin Workshop has acquired world rights to three board books celebrating children's powerful bodies, by Ammi-Joan Paquette (l.), illustrated by Sabrena Khadija, starting with My Hands Can in summer 2024. Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Aubrey Halloran at the Jacky Winter Group represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the New York Times: Authors of And Tango Makes Three and Students Sue Over Florida Law Driving Book Bans. CLICK HERE From Today: Author Mo Willems reflects on 20 years of beloved children’s books. CLICK HERE From Variety: Pajama-Clad Ryan Reynolds to Read Picture Books in His First Original Series, Bedtime Stories. CLICK HERE From the Washington Post: Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad star in a new animated series. CLICK HERE From Literary Hub: A Desi Mr. Darcy: Sayantani DasGupta on Diverse Retellings of Regency Tales. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » Kenny Brechner Roald Dahl: What’s at Stake? The nature of the controversy is considered. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider Jessica Lanan. Roaring Brook, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-250-81036-6 Close-up artwork and lucid text by Lanan result in an immersive exploration of a common jumping spider’s abilities and physical traits. The subject, known as Jumper, may be tiny (“as small as a bean”), but her eight eyes, tufted feet, “built-in safety line,” and ability to jump five times her body length all help her hunt for the insects she eats. more Making More: How Life Begins Katherine Roy. Norton Young Readers, $24.95 (72p) ISBN 978-1-324-01584-0 “Everywhere, all around you, life is making more.” Roy begins this elegantly illustrated nonfiction study with views of a pale-skinned human family—one of whom is visibly pregnant—hiking through a park while new life emerges all around them. Snakes entwine, a beetle lays brilliant yellow eggs, a doe licks a fawn. Scientific prose details how two sets of genes “meet and merge,” describing how when various forms of flora and fauna “make more,” the process passes along genetic material. more The Story of Gumluck the Wizard Adam Rex. Chronicle, $14.99 (140p) ISBN 978-1-7972-1323-1 Cheerful-to-a-fault Gumluck the wizard is ambling through his weekly routine of using magic to clean his house for visitors when he meets a raven named Helvetica—the tale’s wise, sarcastic narrator. Helvetica observes, via humorous and insightful commentary, as Gumluck does the bidding of rude, ungrateful characters; becomes haunted by a ghost in his hair; and is the subject of the townspeople’s ridicule, all in his pursuit of being crowned the Harvest Hero in this year’s annual festival. more Forget-Me-Not Blue Sharelle Byars Moranville. Holiday House, $17.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-8234-5359-7 Fifth grader Sofie feels lucky to have her 13-year-old brother Connie looking after her in their mother’s chaotic household. Despite his care, however, she yearns to have a more stable relationship with her mom, who struggles with drug dependency and is often in abusive relationships. When their mother is arrested, the children need a new guardian, but after the court deems that their beloved great-grandfather Gunner can only keep Con, Sofie worries she might be taken from the only people she feels safe with. more Stars in Their Eyes Jessica Walton, illus. by Aśka. Graphix, $24.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-338-81880-2; $15.99 paper ISBN 978-1-338-81879-6 Nothing is going to stop bisexual 14-year-old Australian Maisie from attending her first fan convention and meeting her hero, Kara Bufano, an actor from her favorite television show who, like Maisie, uses a prosthetic leg. When Kara’s appearance is canceled, Maisie fears that the increased discomfort from her chronic pain caused by navigating the con and her mother’s efforts saving money for the tickets are for naught. But then she befriends 15-year-old Ollie, a nonbinary fancon volunteer who offers to make the rest of Maisie’s convention experience one to remember. more	June 20, 2023 In the Winners' Circle The 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners were announced today. The picture book award went to When You Can Swim by Jack Wong (Orchard). The fiction and poetry award winner is Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (Henry Holt). The nonfiction award winner is Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Graphix). For more about the awards and to see a list of Honor Books, click here. Bestsellers Children’s Frontlist Fiction Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Click here Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out this fall, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page. CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

School and Library Spotlight School Librarians Share Their Battles with Book Banning We spoke with school librarians across the country about best practices in the face of censorship attacks, and how they are finding and offering support during this anxious and troubling time in their profession. more Tips for Fighting Book Bans "Going through book challenges can be very stressful for school librarians," says Kathy Lester, current president of the American Association of School Librarians. Here Lester offers strategies and advice for combatting censorship. more In the News CCBC Releases Statistics Regarding Diversity in Children's Literature Published in 2022 The Cooperative Children's Book Center has released its annual statistics on diversity in children's literature, and the results are heartening: 40% of books published in 2022 have a BIPOC author, illustrator, or compiler. more Librarians Strike Back Against Comics Bans Comics and graphic novels are prime targets in the current battle to ban books at libraries across the country, and librarians who have championed the comics form find themselves on the front lines. “We’re going to keep fighting, because that’s what we do,” said Shira Pilarski of the Detroit Public Library. more Illinois Governor Signs Landmark Law to Discourage Book Bans in Libraries The new law, signed by Illinois governor JB Pritzker on June 12, conditions state grant funding for libraries on adopting the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or a written policy that would enshrine the freedom to read. more SPONSORED Move Over Wednesday Addams, Meet Molly Dade! Melissa de la Cruz Studio's middle grade novel by Kitty Curran is "Spooky yet heartwarming." –Soman Chainani. A twelve-year-old's family is deadly embarrassing (literally) in this modern coming-of-age mystery that crosses the madcap macabre humor of The Addams Family with a poignant depiction of friendship, grief, and finding your way home.   MORE ► Special Events Diverse 'Changemakers' Speak Out with SCBWI Last week, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Impact and Legacy Fund hosted a virtual conference, "Children's Book Changemakers," devoted to the freedom to read and social justice. In addition to author talks from civil rights leader Ruby Bridges, Henry Winkler, and more, the event spotlighted award-winning essays by two teens, introduced by the National Coalition Against Censorship. more On the Scene Children's Institute 2023 in Photos This year's Children's Institute took place June 5–7 in Milwaukee, bringing together roughly 360 booksellers from nearly 240 bookstores for a slate of educational programming, author signings, karaoke, and more ways to connect with colleagues. Click through for highlights from the events. more Just Announced 'Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers' by Dav Pilkey Dav Pilkey, author and illustrator of the popular Dog Man graphic novels, is set to release a new book in the Cat Kid spinoff series. Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers will be published by Scholastic’s Graphix imprint on November 28. In addition, a stage musical based on the series is premiering next month in New York City. more Reading Roundup Noteworthy Picture Book and Novel Sequels: June 2023 Summer vacation, beach days, and warm weather aren’t the only things young readers can look forward to in June. We’ve rounded up new additions to series, including a graphic novel following two food friends facing their fears, a YA mystery about the return of an FBI trainee when a killer’s brother seeks vengeance, a trilogy closer following one girl’s rise to power, and more. more Four Questions Jerry Craft Jerry Craft’s New Kid, the first graphic novel to win the Newbery, is a tale with an anti-bullying message, based on his time as a Black student at a predominantly white private school. The series has been targeted by groups that want to remove it from school libraries—and some have succeeded. Craft is currently on tour for the third title in the trilogy, School Trip. We spoke with Craft about the experience of having his book banned. Q: Is it true that elementary school kids can’t read New Kid in Esambia County, Fla.? A: They did take it out of the elementary school. There’s a heartbreaking video that PEN America shared. This kid is nine years old, and on a day when he should have been out playing with his friends or reading a good book, he is speaking in front of the school board. He says, “This book taught me that it’s not okay to be mean to people, that everyone has a story. So please don’t take this book off the shelves." more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of June 19 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book biography about the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, a graphic novel highlighting food during a family's immigration, a YA mystery following two sisters as they investigate a secretive community, and more. more In Brief In Brief: June 15, 2023 Recently, drag queens held a read-aloud despite protestors; an author supplied treats for her guests; authors discussed queer literature for a Pride event; and a picture book creator signed copies of her new book at an event. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Senior Key Account Sales Manager - Ingram Content Group - New York City, NY. ·  Key Account Sales Manager - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. ·  Director, Wisconsin Historical Society Press - Wisconsin Historical Society Press - Madison, WI. ·  Curriculum Developer, English Language Arts - Facing History and Ourselves. ·  Associate Production Editor, Little, Brown & Company - Hachette Book Group - Boston, MA. Rights Report Ardi Alspach at Union Square Kids has acquired Bram Stoker-nominated author Lora Senf's (The Clackity) YA horror debut The Losting Fountain. Pitched as Wayward Children meets The Ocean at the End of the Lane, it follows three children who travel across time to reach a mysterious and often horrific fountain where lost things go to be found and where seekers are punished nearly as often as they are rewarded. Publication is set for January 2025; Ali Herring at Spencerhill Associates did the deal for world rights. Kate Prosswimmer at McElderry Books has bought The Dagger & the Flame, first in a YA romantic fantasy duology by Storm Keeper and Twin Crowns author Catherine Doyle, for publication in fall 2024. The series follows two rival assassins in a city full of shadow magic and dangerous secrets who are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, but their growing attraction to one another surfaces an impossible question: to kiss… or to kill? Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary brokered the two-book deal for North American rights on behalf of Claire Wilson at RCW Literary. Nick Thomas at Levine Querido has acquired world rights to How Do I Draw These Memories?, a debut YA graphic memoir from author-illustrator Jonell Joshua. In both prose and illustrations this book traces Joshua's childhood and her family's journey—the joys and the struggles—from Brooklyn to Savannah to New Jersey. Publication is scheduled for spring 2024; the author represented herself. Alvina Ling at Little, Brown has bought a middle-grade debut from Ready Player One author Ernest Cline, called Bridge to Bat City, about the friendship between an outcast girl and colony of bats, and the larger community's embrace of these feared creatures as environmental stewards. Publication is planned for winter 2024; Yfat Reiss Gendell at YRG Partners negotiated the deal for North American rights. Nancy Siscoe at Knopf has acquired a middle grade fantasy trilogy by Rooftoppers author Katherine Rundell, beginning with Impossible Creatures. The story follows Christopher, who discovers a world of wonders called the Archipelago, where mythological creatures were secreted away by magic long ago. But those very creatures are now dying, and it will be up to Christopher and Mal, a girl from the Archipelago armed with a charmed compass and a flying coat, to stop the rising evil that threatens to bring peril to both of their worlds. Publication is slated for fall 2024; Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary did the deal, at auction, for North American rights on behalf of Claire Wilson at RCW Literary. Meghan Maria McCullough at Inkyard Press has bought An Encantadora's Guide to Monstros and Magic and a second book in the Portuguese-inspired middle grade fantasy series by debut author Sarah J. Mendonca. To help save her family's charm shop when it's threatened by the all-powerful Ministry, Rosa Coelho joins a band of thieves to steal a priceless jewel and discovers corruption that must be stopped in a magical, Ocean's 8-esque heist. Publication of the first book is set for winter 2025; Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary Agency sold world English rights. Alice Jerman at HarperCollins has acquired debut author Leslie Adame's Chloe Vega and the Agents of Magic and an untitled sequel, a contemporary fantasy series about 12-year-old Chloe Vega, who must train at an elite magical academy to face off against a powerful sorcerer disguised as an immigration officer after he kidnaps her undocumented parents. Publication is scheduled for winter 2025; Trinica Sampson-Vera and Patrice Caldwell at New Leaf Literary & Media sold world English rights. Aimee Friedman at Scholastic has bought world rights to Refugee: The Graphic Novel by Alan Gratz (l.), illustrated by Syd Fini. This graphic adaptation of Gratz's novel Refugee follows three young people from different time periods, all seeking refuge—Josef, fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939; Isabel, escaping Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1994; and Mahmoud, leaving war-torn Syria in 2015—and how their stories unexpectedly intertwine. Publication is planned for 2025; Holly Root at Root Literary represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Conor Lloyd and Michael Petranek at Scholastic have acquired world rights to Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Wreck and Roll by Stephanie Williams (l.), illustrated by Asia Simone, a middle grade graphic novel based on the TV show in which a rad-skating band of thieves start going wild, and it's up to Marvel's Lunella Lafayette (Moon Girl) and Devil Dinosaur to take to the streets and put a stop to their crime spree. Publication is slated for spring 2024; the author represented herself, and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Joy Peskin at FSG has bought, in a preempt, My So-Called Family, the debut middle-grade novel by Gia Gordon, in which newly minted sixth-grader Ash (don't call her "Ashley") Dalton, a comic artist who has been in foster care most of her life, struggles with a middle-school family tree assignment and ultimately comes to learn the true meaning of family. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Erin Murphy at Erin Murphy Literary Agency sold world rights. Erinn Pascal at Andrews McMeel has acquired world English rights to Why Are Dogs? and Why Are Horses? by Brittany Long Olsen. These two middle-grade nonfiction comics explore different breeds of dogs and horses, diving into their histories and fun facts. Publication for the first book is planned for spring 2025, with the second to follow in fall 2025; Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis brokered the two-book deal. Maria Russo at Astra/Minerva has bought world rights for Simone by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen (l.) (The Sympathizer), illustrated by Minnie Phan (The Yellow Áo Dài). In this picture book, a Vietnamese American girl's life is transformed, and her ecological consciousness awakened, after a wildfire forces her and her Má—who shares her own experience of environmental displacement as a child in Viet Nam—to evacuate their home. Publication is set for spring 2024; Nat Sobel at Sobel Weber Associates represented the author, and Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the artist. Lee Wade at Random House Studio has acquired world rights to This Starry Night by Kirsten Hall (l.), illustrated by Matt Forsythe, a celebration of nature's magic as the sky sets over the sea. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented herself, and Judy Hansen at Hansen Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought, at auction, world rights to Desert Song by Laekan Zea Kemp (l.), illustrated by Beatriz Gutierrez, a picture book that is an ode to family, to music, and to the desert itself. Publication is set for summer 2024; Andrea Morrison represented the author, and Doug Whiteman at the Whiteman Agency represented the artist. Andrea Spooner at Little, Brown has acquired world rights to This Is Not a Sleepy Bear Book, a picture book by Brian Gehrlein (l.), illustrated by Jenn Harney, about an owl narrator who tries to usher a bear into hibernation but is thwarted by a series of amusing and unexpected interruptions. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Jennifer Mattson at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Rachel Orr at Prospect Agency represented the artist. Margaret Quinlin at Peachtree/Margaret Quinlin Books has bought world rights to A Cat Like That by Lester Laminack (l.), illustrated by Nicole Wong, a picture book that depicts a day in the life of a big, round cat as she meanders from one end of the island to the other. Publication is planned for spring 2025; the author represented himself, and James McGowan at BookEnds Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Dainese Santos at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to Figdor Makes a Friend by Julie Falatko (l.), illustrated by Marissa Valdez. It's a first-day-of-school picture book about fussy Figdor, who takes his mother's advice about "making friends" in the most literal way possible. Publication is set for summer 2025; Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the author, and Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Alex Wolfe at Penguin Workshop has bought Threads, the debut picture book by embroidery artist Ashley Wong. Sunny and Jemma are best friends, but when Jemma moves away, they learn that it's okay for different friendships to fray or strengthen over time. Publication is scheduled for spring 2026; Erin Casey Westin at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights. Kate Fletcher at Candlewick has acquired world rights to The Riding Lesson, a picture book written and illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann. When horse-crazy Frances is invited to ride horses at her friend Mae's house, her vision of riding the horse of her dreams is thwarted by a short, round pony named Snowball. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal. Marilyn Brigham at Amazon/Two Lions has bought The Lots-of-Time Machine, written and illustrated by Paulette Bogan (Virgil and Owen). In this picture book, a little raccoon, dismayed that her family is constantly busy, conspires with her pet dog to build a special fort where everyone has lots of time to play—and be together. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Victoria Wells Arms at HG Literary sold world rights. Elizabeth Schleisman at Beaming Books has acquired Poppy's Perfect Crayons, written and illustrated by Sally Anne Garland. In this story about how much fun "imperfect" things can be. Poppy doesn't want to ruin her perfect-looking crayons by using them, so her friends lend her their broken, chewed, bent crayons. But when no one has the color she needs, will her own crayons do? Publication is set for fall 2024; Kate Johnson at Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency sold world rights. Karen Wojtyla at McElderry Books has bought world rights to Firefly Song by Sibert Award author Colleen Paeff (l.), illustrated by Ji-Hyuk Kim, a picture book biography about self-trained naturalist Lynn Faust and the musical score she created to prove that synchronous fireflies exist in the Great Smoky Mountains and beyond. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Lori Steel at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Emily van Beek at Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator. Katie Scott at Kids Can Press has acquired world rights to Anna's Camera by Kate Jenks Landry (l.) (Beatrice and Barb), illustrated by Risa Hugo (Why Are You So Quiet?). The story unfolds over the summer that a girl goes to live with her grandparents while her sister is in the hospital for an unnamed illness. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; the author was unagented, and Jacqui Lipton at the Tobias Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Julia Recko at Feeding Minds Press has bought world rights to I Love Blueberries! by Shannon Anderson (l.), illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, to be edited by Emma D. Dryden. The book follows Jolie and her faithful rabbit Munchy as they make new friends and discover how to grow blueberries using hydroponics. Publication is slated for summer 2025; the author represented herself, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Christianne Jones at Capstone has acquired world rights to Overdue: The Misadventure of Bob the Book by Gloria Koster (l.), illustrated by Pawel Gierlinski. When a less-than-enthusiastic child brings Bob home from school, the book goes from a library favorite to a forgotten item who is lost and alone. Publication is set for fall 2024; Emelie Burl at Susan Schulman Literary Agency represented the author, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From Book Riot: Texas Officially Bans So-Called "Sexually Explicit" Books; Demands Book Ratings from Vendors. CLICK HERE From the Washington Post: As more schools target Maus, Art Spiegelman’s fears are deepening. CLICK HERE From Variety: Pajama-Clad Ryan Reynolds to Read Picture Books in in His First Original Series, ‘Bedtime Stories.’ CLICK HERE From Deadline: Arthur Creator Marc Brown to Launch New Animated Preschool Series Hop on Max. CLICK HERE From Romper: Not Quite Narwhal Is Coming to Netflix as a Preschool Series. CLICK HERE From Collider: Wes Anderson's Adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Is Only 37 Minutes. CLICK HERE From the Hollywood Reporter: Ready Player One Author Ernest Cline Reveals Debut Kids’ Novel. CLICK HERE From Vox: Beatrix Potter, the unlikely hero of the anti-hustle culture movement. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: Who Was Randolph Caldecott? CLICK HERE From Essence: Author Alliah L. Agostini Is Teaching Kids About Everything from Juneteenth to Dancehall Music with Her Books. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: 20 LGBTQ YA Books to Add to Your Reading List. CLICK HERE From Yahoo Life: 9 Books for Thoughtful, Well-Read Dads, Chosen by Kwame Alexander. CLICK HERE From Brightly: Children’s Books to Celebrate Juneteenth. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » Kenny Brechner Roald Dahl: What’s at Stake? The nature of the controversy is considered. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Giants Are Very Brave People Florence Parry Heide, illus. by Merrill Rainey. Holiday House, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-5041-1 Updated with new illustrations from Rainey, this previously published story by late author and poet Heide stars a blue-skinned boy named Bigelow who’s anxious about nearly everything, including clouds, alphabet soup, and rainwater. Then one day Bigelow encounters a “little lady” called Mrs. Pimberly, who is even more afraid than he is—and he’s the reason why, because compared to Mrs. Pimberly, it turns out, Bigelow is an actual giant. more Things in the Basement Ben Hatke. First Second, $22.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-250-83661-8; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-90954-1 Tasked with retrieving his baby sister’s special sock from the basement laundry room, young Milo is startled when a large rat-like creature steals it. Milo shores up the courage to pursue the sock-napper through a hidden floor hatch that leads to an increasingly vast series of secret chambers beneath the house. Milo follows the twisting corridors, and emerges in a subterranean world inhabited by various unusual magical creatures. An eerie and tender graphic novel. more Ghost Book Remy Lai. Holt, $22.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-250-81041-0; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-81043-4 Twelve-year-old July Chen goes largely unnoticed by kids at school and even her own father, making her feel invisible. But thanks to her ability to see ghosts, she meets tween William Xiao, her first friend, whose soul is trapped between life and death following a near-fatal experience. July offers to help William return to his body, resulting in the duo journeying through the underworld. Lai navigates profound questions of fate and friendship via Chinese mythology in this playful graphic novel ghost story. more A Little Like Waking Adam Rex. Roaring Brook, $20.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-2506-2191-7 While running late for a final exam and biking furiously through her small town, white teenager Zelda narrowly misses being hit by a car and meets Langston, a handsome Black boy sprawled in the bushes. This meet-cute—and various encounters before it, including the greeting she received from the gate to her house—leads to Zelda realizing that her entire life, including her town and everyone in it, is a dream. more True True Don P. Hooper. Penguin/Paulsen, $19.99 (384p) ISBN 978-059-346210-2 Seventeen-year-old Gil, who is of Jamaican descent, is anxious about starting at a new school in Manhattan, away from his predominantly Caribbean Brooklyn neighborhood. But with a partial scholarship and Augustin Prep’s top-notch robotics program on offer, Gil can’t pass up the opportunity. As favoritism and racism run rampant at Augustin, Gil—accompanied by a group of BIPOC classmates—resolves to take a stand. In his efforts to better his new school, however, he neglects his friends and family. more The Last Girls Standing Jennifer Dugan. Putnam, $18.99 (320p) ISBN 978-059353-207-2 Following a summer camp massacre perpetrated by a mysterious group of animal-masked, machete-wielding assailants, teenagers Sloan and Cherry, the event’s sole survivors, have become inseparable. When one of the masked murderers is taken into custody, Sloan uncovers disturbing facts about the circumstances surrounding the events at Camp Money Springs that lead her to suspect Cherry of knowing more about the tragedy than she’s been letting on. more	June 15, 2023 Bestsellers Children’s Frontlist Fiction Cherish by Tracy Wolff. Click here Picture Books #1 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Click here ICYMI Trends in the Children’s Book Market more White House Announces New Position to Combat Book Bans more Children's Booksellers and Creators Express Urgency and Purpose more Just Announced: 'Pretty Ugly' by David Sedaris and Ian Falconer more Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out this fall, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

In the Spotlight CI2023: Children's Institute Welcomes New Booksellers Children's Institute brought together more than 350 booksellers to Milwaukee this week, with 70% of attendees taking part in the conference for the first time. Speakers celebrated indie booksellers while also suggesting that they tweak their models in order to remain sustainable. more CI2023: Trends in the Children’s Book Market Circana's Brenna Connor assessed the state of the children’s book market, speaking about transformations, troubles, and growth opportunities across the children’s, middle grade, and YA sectors. Looking at 2022 figures for print books, Connor found that sales of kids' fiction and nonfiction declined and “[print] YA was essentially flat,” yet audiobooks were booming. more CI2023: Children's Booksellers and Creators Express Urgency and Purpose The final day of Children's Institute was packed with a mix of educational sessions and author presentations—including a conversation with civil rights icon Ruby Bridges—and closed on an exuberant note with karaoke, bookseller-style. more In the News White House Announces New Position to Combat Book Bans In honor of Pride Month, the White House today announced a set of actions designed to protect LGBTQIA+ communities, including the appointment of a new coordinator within the Department of Education to facilitate a response to the rising number of book bans at the state level. more SPONSORED The TikTok Sensation from Tillie Cole When Rune Kristiansen returns to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation? When he discovers the truth of her absence, it changes everything.   MORE ► Just Announced 'Pretty Ugly' by David Sedaris and Ian Falconer TOON Books, the comics imprint recently acquired by Astra Books for Young Readers, has announced plans to publish the first picture book by acclaimed humorist David Sedaris. The book is illustrated by the late author-illustrator Ian Falconer, creator of the popular Olivia series. Due February 27, 2024, Pretty Ugly takes a comedic look at why some people are labeled beautiful while others are deemed ugly. more On the Scene Making Community: Chasten Buttigieg on Tour for YA Edition of His Memoir Chasten Buttigieg's memoir, I Have Something to Tell You, was published at the height of the pandemic, during the lockdown in 2020. For the new edition, an adaptation for young adults, Buttigieg wanted to do all that he could to get out on the road, not only to promote the book but also to take part in the conversation around censorship in America. We spoke with Buttigieg about his tour, which included stops in several cities where anti-LGBTQ legislation and book banning are underway. more Reading Roundup Children's Books for Father's Day 2023 We've gathered a selection of celebratory titles for young readers to enjoy with their loved ones this coming Father's Day, ranging from outdoor adventures and big family reunions to contemplative tales about the nature of fatherly—and grandfatherly—love, and more. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of June 12 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a companion picture book about the value of creativity in classrooms, a middle grade survival story, a YA psychological thriller featuring a cult, and more. more In Brief In Brief: June 8, 2023 Recently an author overcame travel delays with a virtual alternative; co-authors discussed their debut; a debut author held a conversation; and family members showed an author their support. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Acquisitions Editor - Llewellyn Worldwide - Woodbury, MN. ·  Managing Editor - Parent Ready - Remote, Remote. ·  Content Manager (Book Buyer) - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. ·  Publicist - New Harbinger Publications - Oakland, CA. ·  Publicist or Senior Publicist - Blackstone Publishing. Rights Report Tiffany Liao at Zando Young Readers has won, in a five-house auction, Madeline Claire Franklin's debut The Wilderness of Girls, a YA contemporary at the intersection of thriller and folklore, following a pack of feral girls who are either lost princesses from a faraway land or brainwashed kidnapping victims, after they are "rescued" from the woods and forced into a society that insists on taming their wildness. Publication is scheduled for June 2024; Danielle Burby at Mad Woman Literary brokered the two-book deal for world rights. Lois Evans at Random House/Make Me a World has acquired, in a four-house, six-figure auction, Mariah-Rose Marie's debut YA graphic novel Go Back and Get It. When two mixed-race sisters drive cross-country to visit family in the American South, they come to reckon with their history, differences, and roots, all while unknowingly answering the call of something more ancient, magical, and illuminating than they could imagine. Publication is planned for 2026; Desiree Wilson at the Bent Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights. Nicole Fiorica at S&S/McElderry has bought Love Off the Record, a YA romance by Samantha Markum (This May End Badly). Pitched as You've Got Mail meets The Hating Game for teens, in which college freshman nemeses Wyn and Three are fighting over a coveted spot on their university newspaper, while also—unbeknownst to them—falling in love over an anonymous school dating app. Publication is set for 2024; Lauren Spieller at Folio Literary Management handled the deal for world rights. Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury has acquired The Reaper's Glass and an untitled sequel by Lin Thompson (The Best Liars in Riverview; The House That Whispers). Pitched as Our Flag Means Death meets The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, the queer/trans YA historical duology is about three teens who set sail to face down a secret magical society in 1840s New England. The first book is slated for spring 2025; Beth Phelan at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal for world rights. Nicole Ellul at Simon & Schuster has bought Isabel Strychacz's newest YA novel, The Withering of Brier Hall. The novel is a modern gothic story of secrets, memories, and ghosts, about a girl returning to the mysterious house from her past, facing what haunts her in an effort to uncover the truth and find her missing sister. Publication is scheduled for 2024; Taylor Martindale Kean at Full Circle Literary negotiated the deal for world English rights. Zoie Konneker at Peachtree Teen has acquired Vesuvius by debut author Cass Biehn, a queer YA historical fantasy pitched as They Both Die at the End by way of The Song of Achilles, set in Pompeii days before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in which two boys, Felix and Loren, must grapple with their closely guarded secrets and untangle their fates to make it out of the burning city alive. Publication is planned for summer 2025; Annalise Errico at Ladderbird Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Emily Daluga at Abrams has bought Hanna Alkaf's The Beasts Beneath the Winds, a middle grade anthology and compendium of mythical creatures from Southeast Asian lore. Contributors include Brandon Hoang, Dow Phumiruk, Erin Entrada Kelly, Gail D. Villanueva, Greg Van Eekhout, Hanna Alkaf, Jesse Q. Sutanto, June CL Tan, Mae Respicio, Moniza Hossain, Nadia Mikail, Shing Yin Khor, Van Hoang, Veeda Bybee, and V.T. Bidania, illustrated by Jes and Cin Wibowo. And a contest will allow winners to join the group of contributors. Publication is set for spring 2025; Victoria Marini at Irene Goodman Literary Agency represented Alkaf, and Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management represented the illustrators. Lauri Hornik at Penguin/Rocky Pond Books has acquired world English rights for Alison McGhee's new middle grade novel, The Telephone of the Tree, about a girl who finds her way through the grief of missing her best friend with the help of her family and a mysterious old-fashioned telephone found perched in the branches of her favorite tree, a telephone with the magical power to reach the lost. Sara Crowe at Sara Crowe Literary brokered the one-book deal for publication in May 2024. Renee Kelly at Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to the first two books in a graphic novel chapter book series called The Elephant in the Room by Cyndi Marko (Kung Pow Chicken), about a smallish girl in a biggish world who suddenly finds herself the only one in her family who can see the elephant in her living room. Publication for the first book is slated for summer 2025; Elizabeth Bennett at the Transatlantic Agency negotiated the deal. Talia Seidenfeld at Scholastic has acquired world rights to Queen of the Sea, first in a new chapter book series by Reese Eschmann (Home for Meow). The series follows Caitlin, an eight-year-old girl whose dad lands a job on the fanciest, coolest family-friendly cruise ship. Between water slides, all-you-can-eat buffets, and cool arcade prizes, Caitlin and her brother have a fun summer ahead, but can't help but get into some trouble along the way. Publication is scheduled for summer 2024; Danielle Burby at Mad Woman Literary Agency did the three-book deal. Namrata Tripathi at Kokila has bought, in a two-book deal, at auction, Mistaco, the author-illustrator debut of 2022 James Marshall Fellow Eliza Kinkz (Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock). The story follows young Izzy's efforts to keep secret the gigantic mistake she made at school, until her embarrassing attempts to make a round tortilla with her abuelo and abuela reveal that she can actually eat her mistakes. Publication is set for spring 2025 and spring 2026; Stephen Barr at Writers House negotiated the deal for world rights. Erin Clarke at Knopf has acquired world English rights to A Knot Is Not a Tangle by Daniel Nayeri (l.), illustrated by Vesper Stamper, the story of an Iranian boy who learns to see beauty and purpose in the imperfect while weaving a new family rug with his grandmother, as well as a second untitled picture book. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media represented the author, and Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Cara Donaldson at Quarto/becker&mayer! Kids has bought world rights to A Juneteenth Celebration Cookbook by Alliah L. Agostini (l.) (The Juneteenth Story), a kid-friendly collection of illustrated recipes supplemented with historical notes, cultural activities, and anecdotes. The book will be written in collaboration with cooking instructor, recipe developer, and food writer Taffy Elrod (c.), and Sawyer Cloud (r.) will illustrate. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Miranda Paul at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented Agostini, and Atlanta Japp at Advocate Art represented the illustrator. Sonali Fry at Crown has acquired world rights to Gators, Ghosts, and Trees with Knees: Down on the Bayou with Grandpa by Glenda Armand (l.), a picture book about a boat ride that evokes Grandpa's memories of the lush Louisiana landscape, illustrated by Alleanna Harris. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Jessica Echeverria at Lee & Low has bought Edie for Equality: Edie Windsor Stands Up for Marriage Equality by Michael Genhart (l.) (Rainbow: A First Book of Pride), illustrated by Cheryl Thuesday (Kind Like Marsha), a picture book biography about the LGBTQ icon whose landmark case before the Supreme Court paved the way for marriage equality. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary represented the author and the illustrator for world rights. Anne Schwartz at Random House/Anne Schwartz Books has acquired world rights to Augie Learns to Play Chess by Meredith Rusu (l.), illustrated by Stephen Costanza (King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin). Meet Augie, a shy new kid, whose father helps him regain his confidence by teaching him how to play chess. Publication is set for summer 2025; Elizabeth Rudnick at Gillian MacKenzie Agency represented the author, and Claire Morance at Painted Words represented the illustrator. Katie Heit at Scholastic has bought, at auction, world rights to Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin, in which the mundane town of Garden Glen is flabbergasted when Millie Fleur moves to town and plants a peculiar garden, in a six-figure, two-book deal. Publication is planned for summer 2024 and summer 2025; Adria Goetz negotiated the deal while at P.S. Literary Agency. Christianne Jones at Capstone has acquired A Bold Pumpkin Plan, a picture book by author-illustrator Katy Hudson (Too Many Carrots). A plan to build a fresh, unique home takes Hedgehog on a journey of self-discovery and illustrates just how bold one timid hedgehog can be. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency sold world rights. Michele McAvoy at The Little Press has partnered with environmental nonprofit One Little Earth to acquire Wonder of the Woods by author-illustrator Bonnie Kelso. This nonfiction story follows the footsteps of a child as they explore a common, wooded area and discover the wonders that await—from mammals, birds, and fish to reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Publication is set for fall 2024; Liz Nealon at Great Dog Literary sold world English rights. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the Texas Tribune: "Seems obscene" says federal appeals court judge during hearing for Llano County library book removal case. CLICK HERE From the Hollywood Reporter: The 75 Most Powerful People in Kids' Entertainment. CLICK HERE From Deadline: The Summer I Turned Pretty: Belly Remains Torn Between Conrad and Jeremiah in Season 2 Teaser. CLICK HERE From CNN: How country music legend Dolly Parton is helping millions of children across California. CLICK HERE From Literary Hub: My Mother Was Also a First Mermaid of Color. CLICK HERE From Romper: American Born Chinese on Disney+ Is a Love Letter to Asian American Kids. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 10 of the Funniest Books for Preschoolers. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 8 Dystopian Books for Middle School Students. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » Kenny Brechner Roald Dahl: What’s at Stake? The nature of the controversy is considered. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Special Delivery: A Book’s Journey Around the World Polly Faber, illus. by Klas Fahlén. Candlewick Press, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5362-2985-1 While young Jay counts the sleeps until his next birthday, workers help transport a volume—sharing this picture book’s cover—across the globe. The item’s trip begins at a factory, where it is “packed into a box by Cherry, moved along a belt into a crate, and lifted... into the container on Han’s truck,” Faber writes. Others, such as a gantry crane operator named Chi Wan, a container ship captain called Flip, and a warehouse scanner named Hannah, do their part, until Jay’s grandmother buys the volume at Pip’s bookstore in anticipation of the big day. more Abeni’s Song P. Djèlí Clark. Starscape, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-82582-7 In this enchanting first installment of an epic fantasy series based in West African mythology, a small village’s Harvest Celebration ends in disaster after a mysterious force destroys the town and kidnaps all the villagers—except 12-year-old Abeni. She’s saved by Asha, an elderly witch who lives in the surrounding Jembe forest and has been warning the villagers of impending doom. Distraught and confused following the traumatic event, Abeni struggles to adjust to living with Asha and Obi, a man made of straw, in a home in the witch’s secluded magical garden. more Bonesmith Nicki Pau Preto. McElderry, $21.99 (464p) ISBN 978-1-66591-059-0 Wren Graven—a bonesmith able to psychically sense and move bone—yearns to become a ghost-battling Valkyr like her father. After failing her trial, however, the House of Bone’s leader—Wren’s imperious grandmother—exiles Wren to the Border Wall, a defensive stronghold against both the Breach, a revenant-infested wasteland, and the soldiers of the exiled House of Iron, whose mining created the Breach that birthed said monsters. more The Infinity Particle Wendy Xu. Quill Tree, $26.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-06-295577-7; $18.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-295576-0 Teenage Clementine Chang is an engineer in a future society where robotic assistants and cuddly children’s companions running on artificial intelligence are commonplace. After she creates her own personal pal, Clem is invited to travel from Earth to Mars to work for her idol, AI pioneer Dr. Marcella Lin. On Mars she meets Kye, Dr. Lin’s humanoid robot assistant, with whom Clem is instantly fascinated. Soon, mysterious glitches begin emerging in Kye’s programming, prompting a cold shift in Dr. Lin’s personality that triggers memories of Clem’s own traumatic past. more I Am Not Alone Francisco X. Stork. Scholastic Press, $19.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-33873-626-7 Teenage Alberto lives with his beloved nephew, his drug-dependent older sister, and her married, physically abusive boyfriend. On top of dealing with his tumultuous homelife and working as a housepainter to help financially support the rest of his family back in Mexico, he must also navigate concerns about his own undocumented status, his undiagnosed learning disability, and a mysterious voice in his head that pressures him to commit violent acts. more	June 8, 2023 To Our Readers We'll be skipping next Tuesday's issue of Children's Bookshelf. But we'll be back in your inbox next Thursday, June 15. In the Winners' Circle The New-York Historical Society has announced the winner of this year’s Children’s History Book Prize. The prize, which honors the best middle grade American historical fiction, has been awarded to Rodman Philbrick for We Own the Sky (Scholastic Press); the award brings a cash prize of $10,000. A ceremony at the NYHS will take place on June 14. For more information, click here. More than 11,000 students across the U.S. and Canada placed their votes for the winners of the 2023 Prix Albertine Jeunesse. The four winning titles were announced at a ceremony today at the organization’s Fifth Avenue headquarters in New York City. To see the list of winners, click here. ICYMI Q & As with Children's and YA Authors Centering Queer Identities more Meg Medina on Her 'Rebellious' Books for Young Readers more Jacqueline Woodson Works from Memory and Empathy more Librarians, Publishers, Bookstores Join Lawsuit Over Arkansas Library ‘Obscenity’ Law more Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out this fall, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

In the News Coalition Sues Over New Arkansas Library Obscenity Law A coalition of 18 plaintiffs—including an alliance of library, publishing, author, and bookseller groups—are suing to strike down a controversial new law that would expose librarians and booksellers to criminal liability for making allegedly inappropriate books accessible to minors. more Librarians, Publishers File Amicus Briefs in Texas Book Banning Case With the Fifth Circuit set to review Judge Robert Pitman's March 30 decision to enjoin officials in Llano County, Tex., from banning library books, librarians and publishers have weighed in on the closely watched First Amendment case. more Soapbox Book Banning in America Has Never Been Worse In a personal essay, former PW managing editor and longtime writer Robert Dahlin says that today’s book banning efforts are even more serious than those of 50 years ago, and should be treated as such. "Anger, whether real or feigned, is being amplified everywhere, and I am merely one of millions who is deeply concerned about this latest round of censorship," he writes. more In Focus The Cooperative Children’s Book Center Changes with the Times Housed at the School of Education on the University of Wisconsin’s flagship campus in Madison, the Center has seen lots of growth since it was founded in 1963, and has been a pioneer in tracking diversity in children's books. more Licensing News Workman's Indestructibles Debuts Sesame Street as First-Ever License Workman Kids' bestselling Indestructibles series of durable books for toddlers has made its first foray into licensing, acquiring the rights to Sesame Street from Sesame Workshop. Six books are set for publication this year and next. more Licensing Hotline: June 2023 Wandering Planet Toys is releasing retro-style collectible figures depicting Nancy Drew as she looked on the covers of classic Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. Under a license from Simon & Schuster, the company conducted a successful Kickstarter campaign that concluded last month, with more than 900 fans pledging a total of $130,126. Read on for news about Odd Dot securing publishing rights to the Build-A-Bear brand, Boom! Studios' new four-comic series tied to the Creed franchise, Printers Row Publishing Group's year-round success with Disney's The Nightmare Before Christmas license, and more. more Q & A Daniel Salmieri In his second solo picture book, Before, Now, Daniel Salmieri tells the story of one person's life—and the paradoxes of life itself—through a series of opposites. His protagonist grows up in "a little home on a big street" eating "squishy oatmeal in a hard bowl"; time passes and she goes off to college and studies from "thick books made up of thin sheets of paper"; eventually, she becomes a parent herself, feeding "squishy oatmeal" in a bowl to her child. We spoke with Salmieri about the book's origins and the personal Easter eggs that appear within its pages. Q: How did you arrive at the concept of telling a life story? A: I started writing descriptions of random things and then I started writing opposites for a couple of days. Once I saw that it could be someone’s life, it happened pretty fast—I just needed to arrange them. Definitely having my son, who will be three years old next month, made this theme make more sense to me. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Acquisitions Editor - Llewellyn Worldwide - Woodbury, MN. ·  Managing Editor - Parent Ready - Remote, Remote. ·  Content Manager (Book Buyer) - Ingram Content Group - La Vergne, TN. ·  Publicist - New Harbinger Publications - Oakland, CA. ·  Publicist or Senior Publicist - Blackstone Publishing. Rights Report Gretchen Durning at Razorbill has acquired Summer Nights and Meteorites by Hannah Reynolds (The Summer of Lost Letters; Eight Nights of Flirting), a YA rom-com in which a 17-year-old girl reluctantly agrees to spend the summer with her father on Nantucket, only to fall for her dad's annoyingly handsome assistant and uncover a century-old mystery full of love, betrayal, and astronomy. Publication is planned for summer 2024; Tamar Rydzinski at Context Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights. Jerome Pohlen at Interlude/Duet Books at Chicago Review Press has bought A Different Kind of Brave by Lee Wind (Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill), a globe-trotting, high stakes YA adventure romance in which two gay teens—Nico who has escaped from a gay reprogramming institute in California, and Sam, a privileged New Yorker who idolizes James Bond—come together to save each other and free the other teens trapped in the institute. Publication is set for March 2024; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. Sarah Shumway at Bloomsbury has acquired This Is How You Fall in Love by Anika Hussain, a debut YA novel about Zara, a rom-com obsessed teen on the hunt for her own great love story, who agrees to fake date her best friend Adnan in an effort to cover up his new secret relationship. Publication is slated for February 2024; Elle Brenton-Rounding at Hot Key negotiated the deal on behalf of Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary. Ashtyn Stann at Flux has bought Lonely Places, a YA folk horror novel by Kate Anderson (Here Lies Olive), in which a 16-year-old girl whose skoolie family has made a lifestyle out of avoiding hard conversations must face her own childhood trauma to rescue her sister from a supernatural horror. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Sharon Belcastro at Belcastro Agency handled the deal for world rights. Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has acquired world rights to The Dashing School for Wayward Princes, a middle grade graphic novel by Ben Kahn (l.) (Renegade Rule) and Jeremy Whitley (c.) (Princeless), illustrated by Melissa Capriglione (r.) (Basil & Oregano). It tells the story of Leo, a supposed prince who knows that, deep down, she's really a princess. Despite the school's rigid and outdated gender norms, Leo and her newfound misfit friends find the courage to embrace themselves and stand up to anyone who says otherwise. Publication is set for summer 2025; Moe Ferrara at BookEnds Literary represented the writers, and Laurel Symonds at KT Literary represented the illustrator. Abigail McAden at Scholastic/Graphix has bought Wish I Was a Baller, a '90s-set middle grade graphic memoir by Emmy-winning writer/producer Amar Shah (l.), illustrated by Eisner-winning comic creator Rashad Doucet. The story follows Amar's real-life experiences as a teen sports journalist covering the golden era of the NBA and sparking an unlikely friendship with Shaq, while navigating high school, first love, and his Indian American identity. Publication is planned for 2025; Jas Perry at KT Literary did the deal for world English rights. Alyson Heller at Aladdin has acquired Last Chance Academy, a debut middle grade series by Debbi Michiko Florence (the Jasmine Toguchi series), in a two-book deal. Seventh grader Megumi Mizuno is sent away to boarding school, known by students as Last Chance Academy, where Meg is determined to win a mysterious treasure hunt with a prize that could reunite her with her dad—but soon learns there is a bigger mystery at the school to uncover. Publication is slated for spring 2025 and spring 2026; Tricia Lawrence at Erin Murphy Literary sold world English rights. Alison Romig at Delacorte Press has bought It's Watching (Scritch Scratch) by Lindsay Currie, a chilling middle grade nod to The Ring, set in the most haunted cemetery in the country on Halloween night, where three kids must discover who—or what—is terrorizing them after receiving an ominous meme. Publication is scheduled for spring 2025; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency handled the two-book deal for world English rights. Erica Finkel at Abrams Amulet has acquired, in a two-book deal, Leah Cypess's chapter book, The Truth About the Tooth Fairy, first in a series about a girl who uses her superior detective skills to investigate fantastical creatures. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger negotiated the deal for world rights. Anne Schwartz at Random House/Anne Schwartz Books has bought, at auction, Palestinian-born author-illustrator Hazar Elbayya's debut picture book, My Olive Tree, as well as an untitled picture book. After learning from her grandfather of the importance of olive trees to her heritage, a girl plants a seed—only to be devastated when the sapling is trampled by invading soldiers. But her community rallies together to plant new trees, with the promise that they will survive and grow strong—delivering a hopeful message about the power of unity, culture, and renewal in the face of conflict. Publication is set for fall 2024 and fall 2025, respectively; Gillian MacKenzie at Gillian MacKenzie Agency sold North American rights. Elizabeth Law at Holiday House has acquired world rights to The Memory Cake by Caroline L. Perry (l.), illustrated by Jen Bricking. In this picture book, a girl visits her grandmother on the island of Malta during the feast of Santa Marija, and the baking of a celebratory cake reveals layers of Nanna's life during World War II, when Malta was the most bombed place on Earth. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Allison Remcheck at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Tamara Shannon at Shannon Associates represented the illustrator. Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought world rights to World of Wonders by Amy E. Sklansky (l.) (Knock, Knock, Trick or Treat!), illustrated by Wade Zahares (Liberty Rising) in an exclusive submission. This picture book celebrates a collection of natural and human-made wonders from around the world, with each wonder featuring an original poem, corresponding facts, and an immersive illustration. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Studio Goodwin Sturges represented both author and illustrator. Caitlyn Dlouhy at Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books has acquired Zoey Abbott's This Year, a Witch, a story about a girl who is tired of being adorable every Halloween, so she hatches a plan to be terrifying. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal for North American rights. Renee Kelly at Penguin Workshop has bought Bears Don't Share! by J.E. Morris (Flubby Is Not a Good Pet!), a picture book in which two stubborn bears argue over the best napping rock in the forest. Publication is slated for summer 2024; Carrie Hannigan at HG Literary represented the author-illustrator for world rights. Christianne Jones at Capstone has acquired world rights to Line Leads the Way by Laura Purdie Salas (l.), illustrated by Alice Caldarella. Square, Triangle, and all the other shapes each think they're perfectly perfect for a special job at the library. But Line brings imperfection and kind determination to the challenge. Publication is set for fall 2024; the author represented herself, and Emily Fernandez at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Jieun Lee at Annick Press has bought world rights to When the Air Sang by Laura Bontje (l.), illustrated by Sarah Whang, a picture book about a child's joyful exploration of different insects in her backyard—in particular, the mysterious cicadas and their songs. Publication is planned for winter 2025; James McGowan at BookEnds represented the author, and Kelly Dyksterhouse at Tobias Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Alexa Pastor at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard (l.), illustrated by Selina Alko, a nonfiction picture book about the 1966 library fire at the Jewish Theological Seminary and how volunteers from all backgrounds came together to rescue more than 100,000 books. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd. represented the author, and Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency represented the illustrator. Sarah Howden at Orca has bought world rights to A Sky for the Birds by Rina Singh (l.), illustrated by Barkha Lohia. This picture book tells the uplifting story of two Muslim brothers in Delhi, who against all odds have devoted their lives to rescuing and rehabilitating black kites—the majestic birds of prey injured in the polluted skies of the capital city. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Essie White at Storm Literary Agency represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press has acquired world rights for Brave Old Blue by Colleen Muske (l.), illustrated by Christopher Thornock, a picture book about an old horse's arrival at a rescue farm and the girl who teaches him how to trust and accept love again. Publication is set for spring 2025; Kelly Dyksterhouse at Tobias Literary Agency represented the author, and Lori Steel at Red Fox Literary represented the illustrator. Callie Lovvorn at Clear Fork has bought world rights to Toby Undone by Michele McAvoy (l.). illustrated by Elliott Jaudz Oliver, a social-emotional picture book in which the nonbinary character's world unravels (as does their favorite red sweater) when their parents lose their jobs. A story about loss, change, and finding your way in unexpected people and places. Publication is planned for fall 2024; the author and illustrator represented themselves. Bri Gallagher at Tommy Nelson acquired Good Night, Cuddle Tight: Bunny Bedtime Book, a board book by Kristi Valiant about the sweet love between a Daddy and his bunnies when one wide-awake bunny requests a just-you-and-me bedtime cuddle; Karissa Taylor will edit. Publication is scheduled for winter 2024; Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt Agency did the deal for world rights. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From the Salt Lake Tribune: Utah’s indie bookstores are leading the charge against school book bans. CLICK HERE From NPR: A Utah school district has removed the Bible from some schools’ shelves. CLICK HERE From Gizmodo: Publisher drops YA author after she posted a TikTok going after a Goodreads reviewer, which sparked a BookTok storm. CLICK HERE From the Bookseller: Nosy Crow partners with University of Cambridge on range of nonfiction children's books. CLICK HERE From Deadline: YA Romance Love in Taipei Based on Novel by Abigail Hing Wen Sets Summer Premiere on Paramount+. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » Kenny Brechner Roald Dahl: What’s at Stake? The nature of the controversy is considered. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Rosie Runs Marika Maijala, trans. from the Finnish by Mia Spangenberg. Elsewhere, $19.95 (56p) ISBN 978-1-953861-60-3 The day after she wins a race, Rosie starts off running again, but when she gets to the finish line, she doesn’t stop. She leaps over the track fence and keeps going through crowds, pacing a train, barreling through a subway station, following a pink car, and soon, finding herself washed out to sea. When she comes ashore elsewhere, she encounters new canine companions in a place where she’s more than just a jersey number. more Window Fishing DK Dyson, illus. by Rudy Gutierrez. Knopf, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-42901-3 In this picture book by married creators Dyson and Caldecott Honoree Gutierrez, commercial artist Rudeday works hard at his drawing table on the fourth floor of a city building, but he has little to show for it. One day, there’s a tap on the window: it’s a paper clip tied to the end of a string, which “seemed to be saying... PLAY WITH ME!,” beginning a weeklong anonymous messaging connection that inspires Rudeday's art. more Ready, Set, Run! The Amazing New York City Marathon Leslie Kimmelman, illus. by Jessie Hartland. Random House Studio, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-5934-3365-2 “It’s a BIG DEAL to run in the New York City Marathon,” but conversational prose by Kimmelman and naïf-style gouache vignettes from Hartland make this world-famous sporting event feel relatable to young readers—from training and race-eve prep (“Some eat big spaghetti dinners”) to the moment when an exhausted but happy runner falls asleep still holding a participant’s medal (“What a city! What a day!”). more Barely Floating Lilliam Rivera. Kokila, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-59332-312-0 After watching a performance by Black-owned synchronized swimming team the L.A. Mermaids, Latinx 12-year-old Nat is spellbound and immediately wants to join the squad, but her hyper-activist mother forbids her from trying out, believing that the sport is anti-feminist because of its focus on costuming and traditionally slender and white beauty standards. Nat secretly joins anyway, making new friends and finding security in her fatness. more Give Me a Sign Anna Sortino. Putnam, $18.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-593-53379-6 Seventeen-year-old Lilah—who’s hard of hearing and uses hearing aids—is tired of struggling to communicate with her hearing friends and parents, and being forced to live with her school’s lackluster accommodations. Determined to brush up on her American Sign Language skills and reconnect with the Deaf community, Lilah takes a job as a junior counselor at Gray Wolf Camp, a Midwestern summer program for Deaf and blind children, where she meets Isaac, whose playfulness and patience make Lilah’s heart flutter. more	June 6, 2023 People Entangled Publishing has one promotion and one new hire. Elana Cohen has been named associate publisher of Entangled Teen and Little Lark; previously she was senior editor at Disney and Blizzard Entertainment. Stacy Cantor Abrams has been promoted to v-p of operations and editor-at-large, from editorial director of Entangled Teen and Little Lark. At Chronicle Books, Emma Hill has been promoted to children's marketing coordinator, from assistant in sales and marketing. In the Winners' Circle Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books announced the 2023 winners of their annual Creative Writing Awards. The awards are given to five high school seniors from across the country for exceptional writing in various genres. First-place winners receive a $10,000 college scholarship, a week of professional development from PRH, and additional networking opportunities. Isabella Rayner won the Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry; Melissa Vera won the Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word; Karen Yang won in the Fiction & Drama category; Gloria Blumenkrantz won in the NYC Entrant category; and Madison Corzine won the inaugural Michelle Obama Award for Memoir. For more information about the awards, click here. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators has announced the winners of the 2023 Crystal Kite Awards. The peer selected awards honored outstanding 15 books by SCBWI member authors and illustrators and published in 2022. For more information about this year's winners, click here. Bestsellers Children’s Frontlist Fiction Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Click here Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out this fall, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page. CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.

U.S. Book Show Highlights Last week’s U.S. Book Show was held for the first time as a hybrid live and virtual event, with informative programming and much-needed socializing. The show presented a number of keynotes and panels featuring many favorite and prominent authors. Here we showcase highlights from the USBS Children's Day. Meg Medina on Her 'Rebellious' Books for Young Readers On May 24, Newbery Medalist and newly appointed National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Meg Medina sat down with the New York Times for Kids editorial director Amber Williams to discuss her storied career, the 10th anniversary of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, and her latest project. more Jacqueline Woodson Works from Memory and Empathy At a lunch-hour keynote on May 24, National Book Award winner and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jacqueline Woodson appeared with bookseller Miwa Messer, the executive producer and host of the Barnes & Noble podcast Poured Over, to discuss her work and the responsibility she feels in writing for children. more Tillie Walden and Jeff Smith on Putting Characters in Peril Two Eisner Award winners—Tillie Walden and Jeff Smith—spoke with Comicsbeat.com editor-in-chief Heidi MacDonald at the U.S. Book Show on May 22. MacDonald moderated a conversation about their forthcoming work: Walden’s Clementine (Vol. 2) and Smith’s companion to his long-running BONE comic book series, More Tall Tales. more Matthew Gray Gubler Closes Out Children’s Day The third day of the U.S. Book Show was capped off on an entertaining note with a keynote given by Matthew Gray Gubler. The actor-turned-children’s book author-illustrator, who is known for his role on Criminal Minds, made a segue into the literary world with the 2019 release of Rumple Buttercup. more USBS Children's Day in Photos Children's Day attendees were treated to author panels, conversations between authors and publishing professionals, and free galleys. We’ve rounded up a selection of photos from the event. more SPONSORED A Must Read YA Horror Set in the Multiverse This YA novel combines the swoony romance, and emotional resonance of John Green with the surrealist horror imagery and wit of Jordan Peele. With films like Everything Everywhere All At Once the multiverse is on trend. Lewis infuses the multiverse concept with horror, suspense, and a coming-of-age heart that is fresh and classic all at once.   MORE ► In the News Librarians, Publishers, Bookstores Join Lawsuit Over Arkansas Library ‘Obscenity’ Law The ALA's Freedom to Read Foundation, the Association of American Publishers, the American Booksellers Association, and the Authors Guild will join a federal lawsuit over a law recently signed by Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders that exposes librarians in the state to criminal liability for making allegedly “obscene” books available to minors. more Random House Acquires Boxcar Children Series Embraced by teachers, parents, librarians, and generations of young readers across the globe, the Boxcar Children books—originated by Gertrude Chandler Warner in 1924—have sold more than 80 million copies worldwide. Random House Children’s Books has acquired rights to the book property from Albert Whitman & Company, and will begin selling the current Boxcar Children titles immediately. more Pride Month 2023 Q & As with Children's and YA Authors Centering Queer Identities In celebration of Pride Month, we spoke with seven authors of LGBTQ+ stories for young readers about highlighting joy in their books, their concerns about rising book bans, and how they hope to see queer children represented in publishing in the future. more Book News Bright Light Imprint Enters U.S. Market Booksellers looking to guide young readers in search of titles that reflect their diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives will soon have new options. Beginning in August, Australia-based Hardie Grant Children's Publishing will bring its Bright Light imprint stateside via eight picture books with storylines that center on gender, the environment, and other timely subjects. more Paw Prints Publishing Introduces New Imprint Amandeep Kochar, president and CEO of Baker & Taylor, has announced an addition to Paw Prints Publishing, the company's children's publishing program that launched last year. Paw Prints Readers, an imprint aimed at readers ages four through seven, will release its first set of books this fall. more Yen Press's JY Imprint Expands with Japanese Chapter Books Middle grade readers with a penchant for manga and anime will get a fresh taste of Japanese kid lit this fall, courtesy of four new titles from Yen Press. Distributed under the JY (Junior Yen) imprint, these chapter books are part of a licensing agreement with Kadokawa. more On the Scene Gaithersburg Book Festival in Photos Last month, authors and young readers gathered in Gaithersburg, Md., for the annual Gaithersburg Book Festival. The event offered free author panels, workshops, read-alouds, and more. Click through to see highlights from the children's events and appearances. more Q & A Hayley Kiyoko Musician, actor, and filmmaker Hayley Kiyoko has graced both stages and screens for a decade, and now turns her focus to the page with her YA debut Girls Like Girls. The title, an ode to her 2015 coming out song, follows 17-year-old Coley who after the sudden death of her mother is forced to move to Oregon to live with her estranged father. Kiyoko took time during her current tour to speak with us about grappling with grief, the human desire to be seen, and how her debut was a therapeutic writing experience. Q: How does it feel having a book that’s so close to your heart being put into the public? A: When you’re on stage, you get this immediate connection and gratification from everyone’s energy, and I’m assuming this will be very different. I’m sharing a big piece of my experience growing up and who I am. I feel like I’m challenging myself to be more honest and truthful through this novel. My number one goal is to give support to people who need to heal. more George Lopez Stand-up comedian and actor George Lopez recently branched out to become a children's author, drawing upon his early experiences to create ChupaCarter, in which 12-year-old Jorge Lopez is sent to live with his grandparents in rural New Mexico, where he befriends Carter, a lonely chupacabra in need of friends. In the sequel, ChupaCarter and the Haunted Piñata, the friends reunite to investigate sightings of a ghostly piñata. We spoke with Lopez about the origins of this series, and working with his coauthor and illustrator. Q: What inspired ChupaCarter and its sequel? A: As a kid, I spent a lot of time by myself. I’d go outside, or I used to go onto the roof of my grandmother’s house and just lean back and watch the moon. I’d wonder, where were the people who would be in my life when I grew up? What would I do for a living? So I had these stories from my childhood, and I thought they were too good to keep for myself. more Out Next Week Hot Off the Presses: Week of June 5 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about boundaries within friendship, a graphic novel adaptation depicting discrimination, a YA coming-of-age story about three best friends during their first summer apart, and more. more In Brief In Brief: June 1, 2023 Recently authors spoke at the PEN America Festival; an author-illustrator closed her book tour speaking with White House officials; a writer was surprised by a former teacher; and authors teamed up to discuss middle grade magic. more For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new PW JobZone, now with resume hosting and more! ·  Key Account Manager - Fox Chapel Publishing Co. - Mount Joy, PA. ·  Senior Editor - Red Line Editorial - Mendota Heights, MN. ·  Editing, Design, & Production Director - NYU Press - New York, NY. ·  Senior Publiclist - Hay House, Inc. - New York, NY. ·  Print partner - Room to Read. Rights Report Liesa Abrams at Labyrinth Road has acquired, in a competitive auction, playwright, filmmaker, and screenwriter LaDarrion Williams's YA trilogy Blood at the Root, set at a magical HBCU in the South pitched by the debut author in a viral tweet. The story follows a Black teen who must choose to embrace his long-lost family's legacy—and the love, warmth, secrets, and power that come with it. Publication for the first book is slated for 2024; Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary negotiated the three-book deal for North American rights. Jennifer Ung at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has bought world rights to Messy Perfect by Tanya Boteju (Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens), a YA novel that explores questions of faith, sexuality, and responsibility in the story of overachieving teen Cassie Perera's efforts to run an underground Gender and Sexuality Alliance and the complications that arise—because not only does she attend a Catholic high school, but she also happens to be closeted. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret brokered the two-book deal. Alex Borbolla at Bloomsbury has acquired, at auction, in a six-figure deal, Not Like Other Girls by debut author Meredith Adamo. The YA mystery follows Jo, who lost everything after her nude photos were leaked. When her ex-best friend Maddie goes missing and is written off as a runaway, Jo teams up with an old fling to get back in with her former clique and figure out what really happened. Publication is set for spring 2024; Andrea Morrison at Writers House did the two-book deal for North American rights. Julia McCarthy at Atheneum has bought world rights to All the Noise at Once, a contemporary YA novel by DeAndra Davis, as well as an untitled second book. After 16-year-old Aiden experiences an overstimulation meltdown after a football game, his older brother, Brandon, is arrested while defending him. Now, Aiden must clear Brandon's name while navigating the intersections of race and neurodiversity as a Black, autistic teen. Publication is planned for spring 2025; Kat Kerr at Donald Maass Literary Agency handled the deal. Lauren Knowles at Page Street YA has acquired The Word by Mary G. Thompson. After being kidnapped by her father at age seven and growing up in a cult, Lisa is reunited with her mother and faced with a life-altering decision: risk everything to return to her father or discover what life can be when she makes her own choices. Publication is slated for spring 2024; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency brokered the deal for world English rights. Lauri Hornik at Rocky Pond has bought Lauren Seal's debut YA novel-in-verse, Light Enough to Float. Scheduled for fall 2024, the novel follows a teen over the course of one winter as she is admitted to an inpatient treatment facility for anorexia and learns to love herself and her body again. Ismita Hussain at Great Dog Literary negotiated the deal for world rights. Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired Marker Snyder's debut upper middle grade graphic novel, First Kiss with Fangs, in which a 13-year-old vampire gets his adult fangs on the first day of school and struggles to know where he fits in. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US brokered the deal for world rights. Christy Ottaviano at Little, Brown/Ottaviano has bought, at auction, world rights to two middle grade novels by Lisa Graff. One Through Six follows a 13-year-old with a mysterious scar on her face—and a big secret she feels pressured to keep—in a coming-of-age story about confronting trauma from the past as a way to heal in the present. Publication is set for summer 2025, with the second untitled novel planned for fall 2026; Stephen Barbara at InkWell Management handled the deal. Claudia Gabel and Ben Rosenthal at HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books has acquired Stompin at the Ave by Maurice Broaddus (The Usual Suspects; Unfadeable). It's a middle grade historical novel about the Great Migration in which a boy moves from the family farm down south to Indianapolis, where he sees for the first time what it is to be a Black man in America. Publication is slated for winter 2025; Bridget Smith at JABberwocky sold world English rights. Feather Flores at Atheneum has won, in a five-house auction, Australian storyboard artist Ranran Zhou's graphic novel debut, a middle grade tentatively titled Momo, and a sequel. Both books star precocious young witch Momo Lim, who lives in a retirement home for magical creatures and yearns to become a detective like her late father; in book one, Momo bites off more than she can chew by trying to solve a poisoning that takes place at a garden party. Publication of the first book is scheduled for 2026; Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management did the two-book deal for North American rights. Jessica Smith at Aladdin has bought debut author Alex Thayer's Because I'm Everything, a middle grade novel about a girl who, upon being ditched by her best friend, begins dispensing advice to classmates through a grate in the girls' bathroom. Publication is planned for fall 2024; Alex Slater at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates negotiated the deal for world English rights. David Linker at HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Stinky's Stories, a new chapter book series by Mr. Lemoncello series author Chris Grabenstein (l.) and J.J. Grabenstein (c.), illustrated by Alex Patrick (r.), in which a skunk stuffed animal named Stinky, who lives in an elementary school library, retells classic children's stories with silly spins during story time. Publication of the first two books will begin with The Boy Who Cried Underpants, set for fall 2024; it's planned as a four-book series. Carrie Hannigan and Josh Getzler at HG Literary represented the authors, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Mabel Hsu at HarperCollins has bought Dragon Mama by Pura Belpré and Coretta Scott King Honor-winning creator C.G. Esperanza. The picture book follows an Afro-Latino child and their mama to a Bronx beachside attraction, where the mama's dragon tattoo inspires the child to imagine the tattoos of other festivalgoers and how they come alive to help save the day when a thunderstorm threatens their beach day. Publication is slated for winter 2025, with a second untitled picture book for summer 2026; Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency sold North American rights. Lee Wade at Random House Studio has acquired world rights to A Cure for the Hiccups by Jennifer E. Smith (l.), illustrated by Brandon James Scott, in which a girl grows frustrated when her elaborate hiccup remedies prove futile, but with some advice from her grandmother, discovers that the ultimate cure takes a bit of patience. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Jennifer Joel at CAA represented the author, and Emily Van Beek at Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator. Celia Lee at Simon & Schuster has bought world rights to The Story of a Roar by Beth Ferry (l.), illustrated by Andrew Joyner, a picture book about finding your voice to protect what you love. Julius is a small lion who watches as books are getting pulled from the shelves in his mother's library. They feel powerless until they remember they have a voice—they have a roar, and they use their roars to fight for what they believe in: books. Publication is set for fall 2024; Elena Giovinazzo at Pippin Properties represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator. Rosemary Brosnan and Cynthia Leitich Smith at HarperCollins/Heartdrum have acquired Yáadilá! (Good Grief!) by Forever Cousins author Laurel Goodluck (l.) (Mandan/Hidatsa/Tsimshian), illustrated by Jonathan Nelson (Diné). This humorous intergenerational story portrays the Diné expression for exasperation as a boy's seeming naughtiness is revealed to be a heartwarming welcome for his grandmother. Publication is planned for winter 2025; Nicole Geiger at Full Circle Literary represented the author and the illustrator for world rights. Carter Hasegawa at Candlewick Press has bought world rights to My Huipil by Nydia Armendia-Sánchez (l.), illustrated by Dana Sanmar, the second part of a two-book deal. The picture book explores the author's roots and the Guatemalan Maya tradition of weaving story into textiles—and the huipil's colorful threads that bind families and generations together. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Lori Steel at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator. Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to Sunshine Baby, Bofrot Cheeks by Bernard Mensah (l.), illustrated by Islenia Mil, a picture book about a rambunctious Ghanaian baby and his father as they wake up, eat, play games, take a bath, and go to bed, and includes common Twi words and phrases. Publication is scheduled for summer 2025; Natalie Lakosil at Irene Goodman Literary Agency represented the author, and Aliza Hoover at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator. Andrea Welch at S&S/Beach Lane Books has bought world rights to Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward (l.) (Sleepy), illustrated by Robin Page, a rhyming nonfiction picture book that explores the many ways wild animals sleep, from a wee brown bat to a giant humpback whale and all kinds of critters in between. Publication is set for spring 2024; Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself. Maria Russo at Astra/Minerva has acquired world rights to Hang Tough, Horseshoe Crab!: How to Survive for 450 Million Years (and Counting) by Lenora Todaro (l.), illustrated by Sally Deng. In this nonfiction picture book, the horseshoe crab defies the odds—enduring ice ages, heating oceans and the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs—by doing something different: staying the same. Publication is slated for spring 2025; the author was unagented, and Tracy Marchini at BookEnds represented the illustrator. Alyssa Mito Pusey at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to If Lin Can, a picture book biography of NBA star Jeremy Lin by Richard Ho (l.) (Year of the Cat; The Lost Package), illustrated by Huỳnh Kim Liên (c.) and Phùng Nguyên Quang (r.). The book offers hope and reassurance to young readers who have ever felt "less than" because of what they look like or what people expect from them, with particular resonance for kids of Asian descent. A spring 2024 publication is planned; Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt represented the author, and Good Illustration Agency represented the illustrators. Maria Dismondy and Adam Blackman at Cardinal Rule Press have acquired world rights to Pedro the Pirate by Spring Fling Kidlit cocreator Ciara O'Neal (l.), illustrated by Antonella Fant. The book follows a fiercely independent foster child who sails alone in his imaginative play, until he learns to treasure companionship. Publication is scheduled for fall 2024; Karly Casera at Fuse Literary represented the author, and Erin Tisdel at Advocate Art represented the illustrator. Anna Sargeant at Sourcebooks has bought world rights to Digging for Dinosaurs, first in an interactive board book series by June Smalls (l.), illustrated by Grace Habib, which invites toddlers to explore, search, and dig (by lifting flaps) until they find a dinosaur. Publication is slated for summer 2025; the author represented herself, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, click here. IN THE MEDIA From Book Riot: Washington Post finds that majority of challenges to LGBTQ+ books attributed to just 11 people. CLICK HERE From Publishers Weekly: Authors Guild Issues Update on New Leaf Authors. CLICK HERE From the Bookseller: Patricia Forde Named Ireland's Children's Literature Laureate. CLICK HERE From the Bookseller: S&S Children's pre-empts YA romantasy from BookTok star Lauren Roberts. CLICK HERE From Ideastream: A forgotten children's book by Langston Hughes and Elmer W. Brown emerges in Cleveland. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: Inaugural Poem by Amanda Gorman Banned After Single Complaint. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: Dallas school district draws backlash from parents after giving elementary school students a Winnie the Pooh-themed book on how to “run, hide, fight” in dangerous situations like a mass shooting. CLICK HERE From the BBC: Roald Dahl: The fierce debate over rewriting children's classics. CLICK HERE From Literary Hub: What Banned Books Can Teach Us: Building an LGBTQ Picture Book Library for Pride. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: The High-Risk Feat of Bringing American Born Chinese to TV. CLICK HERE From the New York Times: Dave Eggers Wants Young Readers to See How the Sausage Is Made. CLICK HERE From Literary Hub: Part of Our World: On the Mermaids of Walt Disney, Hans Christian Andersen, and W.B. Yeats. CLICK HERE From the Mercury News: Former home of children's author Beverly Cleary listed for $1.8 million. CLICK HERE From Literary Hub: Channing Tatum Dropped Some Sparkle onto Books Are Magic in Brooklyn. CLICK HERE From Book Riot: 11 YA Low Fantasy Books. CLICK HERE VIEW ALL SHELFTALKER Kenny Brechner A Plague of Gnome Tomes The bookstore is hit with an infestation of gnomes. more » Kenny Brechner The Iron Rule of Home Bookshelves Or: when the nightstand is an island. more » Kenny Brechner When the Spoiler Is the Hook Can anything rival Sarah Everett’s middle grade novel ‘The Probability of Everything’ in this department? more » Kenny Brechner Roald Dahl: What’s at Stake? The nature of the controversy is considered. more » FEATURED REVIEWS Little Land Diana ​​Sudyka. Little, Brown, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-316-30176-3 Naturalistic cartoon depictions of Earth’s beginnings form the backdrop to Sudyka’s urgent call for conservation in this captivating story about planetary renewal and reciprocity. Starting in the distant past, the opening showcases a “little bit of land” that changes as the years progress, evolving from an aquatic landscape into a home for early humans. Natural forces such as fire occasionally alter the environment, but it’s humankind’s footprint, illustrations assert, that’s responsible for “tip, tip, tipping” the planet’s climate out of balance. more The Great Texas Dragon Race Kacy Ritter. Clarion, $19.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-06-324792-5 The family of West Texas born-and-raised Cassidy Drake, who’s 13, runs the largest dragon sanctuary in the American Southwest. But with bills piling up and FireCorp, an unscrupulous energy company, looking to buy them out, things seem dire for the sanctuary. To save it, Cassidy plans to follow in her late mother’s footsteps by winning the cash prize at the Great Texas Dragon Race, a weeklong affair that pits participating riders and their dragons against a host of complex challenges and natural hazards. more West of the Sea Stephanie Willing. Viking, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-593-46557-8 Eleven-year-old Haven West’s mother has been “a mood ring stuck on the blues” since Haven’s grandparents died suddenly a year ago. Even more oddly, when Haven saw her last, Mama looked like a humanoid lizard. Then Mama vanishes. Accompanied by her teenage sister Margie and kind, puzzle-solving tween neighbor Rye Wilson-Ruiz, the trio steal a food truck and set off across Texas to search for Mama. more Hope in the Valley Mitali Perkins. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-374-38851-5 Since the death of Pandu’s mother years ago, the apricot orchard across the street—which the two called Ashar Jaiga, or place of hope­—has recently been a sanctuary for Pandu, until it’s threatened when the mansion property on which it sits is sold for redevelopment. When demolition begins, Pandu loses access to this refuge and worries that, once the orchard is gone, her memories of Ma will go with it. more The International House of Dereliction Jacqueline Davies. Clarion, $18.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-06-325807-5 In what her mother promises will be the family’s last uprooting for a while, Alice Cannoli-Potchnik and her loving parents move into a run-down house on the edge of the college campus where her mother lectures. Alice is drawn to the condemned abode next door, where she finds herself in the company of several ghosts, all with unfinished business preventing them from passing on. But Alice’s mission to assist her ghostly neighbors is jeopardized when a demolition crew arrives to tear the house down. more	June 1, 2023 People At HarperCollins Children's Books, v-p and creative director Barbara Fitzsimmons is retiring on June 30. Amy Ryan has been promoted to v-p and creative director, from senior art director. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing has three new hires. Jennifer Strada has joined managing editorial as senior production editor for McElderry Books. Megan Gendell has joined managing editorial as production editor for Little Simon, Simon Spotlight, and Aladdin. Vrinda Madan has joined Aladdin Books as editorial assistant. Lerner Publishing Group has three new hires. Sean Tulien has been named editorial director at Graphic Universe; previously he was senior manager, editorial at Audible. Doug Hodgemon has been named production director; previously he was director of purchasing at 1517 Media. Bethann Kemling has been named human resources director; previously she was human resources manager at Appetite for Change. Laura Kincaid has been promoted to assistant editor at Holiday House, from editorial assistant. For a look at all of May's job moves, including new hires and promotions, click here. Mark Your Calendar The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum in Columbus, Ohio, has opened an exhibition, Facing Feelings: The Art of Raina Telgemeier, highlighting the 20-year career of the comics creator, known for her bestselling graphic novels Smile, Drama, Sisters, and more. The exhibit will feature works on loan from the artist as well as works from Telgemeier’s artistic influences, including Will Eisner, Robb Armstrong, Lynda Barry, and others. The exhibition will run through November 5. On June 17, Telgemeier will make an appearance at the museum. For more information, click here. Bestsellers Children’s Frontlist Fiction Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (Dog Man #11) by Dav Pilkey. Click here Picture Books #1 Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. Click here ICYMI What’s on Tap at Children’s Institute 2023 more Kyle Lukoff Spearheads 'Youth Lit Week' for Emerging Writers more Mariama J. Lockington on Centering Anxious, Sad Black Girls in YA more Musicians Tegan and Sara Team Up with Tillie Walden for Graphic Novel more On-Sale Calendar For June, readers can break out the sunscreen, sunglasses, and a new book from the shelves. YA readers can soak up the sun with Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler, Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool, The Queens of New York by E.L. Shen, The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade, and Sing Me to Sleep by Gabi Burton. Adventures in middle grade include Camp Sylvania by Julie Murphy, Greenwild by Pari Thomson, The Last Fallen Realm by Graci Kim, and Theo Tan and the Iron Fan by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Picture book readers can look forward to How to Catch a Polar Bear by Stacy DeKeyser, Our Pool by Lucy Ruth Cummins, Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock by Jésus Trejo, illus. by Eliza Kinkz, and We Are Going to Be Pals! by Mark Teague. For more books releasing this June, check out PW's On-Sale Calendar here. Sneak Previews Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out this fall, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. Click here to drop us a note.