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In the Spotlight
 Children's Books for Fall: All Our Coverage Our Fall Preview issue includes a look at YA authors who are crossing over into adult fiction, an interview with middle grade author Alan Gratz, a cover by Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes, and more. Happy reading! more   All of Our Fall ListingsOur comprehensive A-to-Z listings of publishers’ titles for young readers due out in fall 2025. more In the News
 ABA Names Emily Nason Education Director The American Booksellers Association is reorganizing its education department, following the departures of director of education Lee Hooyboer and senior manager of children’s bookselling education and programs Gen de Botton. Emily Nason, who has served as the ABA’s education specialist for the past year, has been named director of education. The ABA has not disclosed whether it will be hiring someone to focus specifically on children’s education and programming. more  Massachusetts Coalition Speaks Up for Right to Read Members of the newly launched Mass Freedom to Read Coalition will testify at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on Tuesday, July 22 at 1 p.m. in defense of Freedom to Read bills H.3591, H.3594, H.3598, and S.2328. The Massachusetts authors, booksellers, educators, illustrators, librarians, and publishers of the coalition will speak to how essential the right to read is to their capacity to freely publish, share, write, and sell books. MORE
Interview
 Alan Gratz Is Going for the GoldRiding the wave of interest in middle grade historical fiction, Alan Gratz returns to Nazi Germany with a fast-paced Olympic thriller, War Games, and releases a graphic novel adaptation of a backlist bestseller. more Reading Roundup
 Noteworthy Picture Book and Novel Sequels: July 2025Readers can beat the heat with new installments to favorite series, including a picture book about a small dinosaur embracing change, a graphic novel about a community’s inability to share, a YA mystery about a teen competing for a cash prize, and more. more Four Questions
 Amar ShahSet in the mid ’90s, Wish I Was a Baller by Amar Shah, illustrated by Rashad Doucet, is a graphic memoir that follows the author’s experiences as a teen sports journalist covering the golden era of the NBA. “It’s a book about kids chasing their big dreams,” he says. We spoke with Shah about sports-focused fiction, researching a memoir, and resurging ’90s nostalgia. Q: You’ve written several stories centering around sports. What draws you to that subject matter? A: My dad was a huge New York sports fan and I inherited his love of those teams. I also played sports, like soccer and baseball and basketball, but never got the growth spurt I so desperately wanted to be a professional! In elementary school, I gravitated to the sports books, whether trivia or biographies on players and coaches or Matt Christopher-type books about a kid overcoming the odds. By fifth grade, I knew I wanted to write sports books and ones that featured someone like me as an athlete. more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Press: Week of July 21 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about relinquishing time restraints on recess, a graphic novel about a robot replacing teachers at school, a YA fantasy investigating a string of magical murders, and more. more
Rights Report
 Kara Sargent at Simon Pulse has acquired, in a two-book preempt, The Season of Light and Darkness, a YA dystopian thriller by Jillian Cantor, pitched as The Handmaid’s Tale meets Divergent, which follows different teens as they attempt to navigate (and survive in) a not-so-distant future version of America ruled by a fascist dictator. Publication is scheduled for summer 2026; Jessica Regel at Helm Literary did the deal for North American rights.   Miriam Newman at Candlewick has bought When I Wrote the World and a sequel by Tracy Banghart (the Grace and Fury duology). In this YA meta-fantasy adventure, a young author falls into the world of her bestselling novel and is shocked to discover the place is real, right before she is taken hostage by her main characters. Book one will publish in summer 2027; Pam Gruber at High Line Literary Collective negotiated the deal for world rights.  Megan Peace at Scholastic/Graphix has acquired world rights to Offbeat, a middle grade graphic memoir by Mat Heagerty (l.), illustrated by Jim "Kett" Kettner. Maty's dyslexia has long been an academic challenge for him, but now it's affecting him socially, so to escape the bullying, he forms a band where he discovers he can be more than "that dyslexic kid." Publication is slated for fall 2027; Maria Vicente at P.S. Literary represented the author, and Alexandra Weiss at Azantian Literary Agency represented the artist.  Megan Brown at Oni Press has bought Children of Coral, a graphic novel from author-illustrator Violet Tobacco. After a terrible fight, a storm sweeps best friends Hazel and Angel out to sea, where they find themselves joining two separate (warring) pirate crews. Caught in a swashbuckling adventure to escape the clutches of the nefarious Mother Coral, Hazel and Angel learn more about their own friendship—and what it means to grow up. Publication is set for summer 2027; Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency sold world rights.  Nick Magliato at Penguin Workshop has acquired Bison and Bear: Wild Tails, a young graphic novel series by artist-author C.S. Jennings, a buddy-driven adventure that blends story-first exploration with Scout Manual energy, wildlife facts, STEM appeal, and outdoor nerdery. Each book takes the form of Bison's weather-worn adventure journal, chronicling exploits with his best friend, Bear. Publication will start in spring 2028; Timothy Travaglini at Transatlantic Agency sold world rights.  Megan Peace at Scholastic/Graphix has bought, in an exclusive submission, the first two books in the Bao Wows series by Deanna Kent (r.) and Neil Hooson. Pitched as Hello Kitty meets Bluey, Bao Wows follows a crew of dumpling dogs learning to be brave, be kind, and be themselves. Book one is planned for spring 2027, with book two to follow in summer 2027; Jordan Hamessley at JABberwocky Literary Agency represented both creators in this deal for world rights.  Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has acquired, at auction, Ravenous Red by Toni Yuly, a picture book about a hungry ladybug whose eyes are bigger than her stomach. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; Wendi Gu at HG Literary brokered the deal for world rights.  Catherine Laudone at S&S/Beach Lane Books has bought world rights to Marvelous Morrie Turner: The Man Who Brought Color to the Comics Pages by Don Tate, a picture book biography about cartoonist Morrie Turner, the creator of Wee Pals, the first American syndicated strip with an ethnically diverse cast of characters. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal.  Irene Vázquez at Levine Querido has acquired J de laVega's No More Coquis, a picture book following a Puerto Rican girl who's displaced from her island in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Saribel Pages at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency did the deal for world rights.  Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook Press has bought The White Elephant, written and illustrated by Skylar Hogan, a whimsical picture book that imagines an origin for the tradition of "white elephant" gift exchanges during the holiday season. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis sold world rights.  Denene Millner at S&S/Denene Millner Books has acquired Here Comes the Band by Shadra Strickland (l.), illustrated by John Holyfield. The story evokes the sights and sounds of a marching band taking the field during a HBCU football game, in a celebration of musical tradition, community, and joy, told from the perspective of a child who dreams of joining one. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Lori Nowicki at Painted Words represented the author, and the illustrator represented himself.  Alisha Niehaus Berger at NorthSouth/NorteSur has bought world rights to Go! Go! Go!, a picture book by educator and STEAM curriculum expert Rekha S. Rajan (l.) (Disaster Squad), illustrated by Golden Cosmos, aka Doris Freigofas (r.) and Daniel Dolz (c.) (Ludwig and the Rhinoceros), an around the world adventure using various forms of transportation via land, sea, and in air. Publication is set for spring 2027, in English, Spanish, and German simultaneously; Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and the illustrators represented themselves.  Christianne Jones at Capstone has acquired world rights to Priya's Not-So-Perfect Brand-New Outfit, a picture book by Srividhya Venkat (l.) illustrated by Vaishnavi Dukhande. Fed up with her hand-me-down wardrobe, Priya saves up to buy a perfect, brand-new pavadai. But she learns that new isn't always better, and perfect doesn't really exist. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Adria Goetz at KT Literary represented the author, and Christina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.  Justin Krasner at Sourcebooks eXplore has bought North American rights to Ultimate Animal Showdown by Lola M. Schaefer (l.), illustrated by Enrico Lorenzi. In this picture book, animals go head-to-head in battles for strongest, fastest, smelliest, and more—and kids crown the winners. Publication is planned for April 2027; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and Ethan and Heather Long at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  Rain and the Reading HorseMaria Gianferrari, illus. by Hannah Salyer. Clarion, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-0632-57252 It’s with trepidation that bespectacled young Rain, portrayed with pale skin, arrives at a stable to participate in school program Giddy-Up and Read. Rain pictures the jeering faces of classmates who “stare and make her feel small inside,” but Snow, the beautiful white horse she reads to, proves an attentive and nonjudgmental listener, “ears twitching, tail swishing.” Gradually, she builds confidence and familiarity, repeating the book’s lines while she works, and eventually reading the entire work to her equine companion. more  The Free State of JaxJennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-546166-08-5 After his grandmother’s worsening Alzheimer’s disease leaves her unable to care for him, middle schooler Jaxon moves to sleepy Walkonby, Kans., to live with his callous aunt and uncle and their six unpleasant kids. When his attempts to run away prove unsuccessful, Jax instead establishes his own micronation—the Free State of Jax—on a raft in the hot springs pond of prickly and reclusive adult neighbor Owen. Owen allows Jax to stay under the condition that the youth write a constitution, thus begins Jax’s crash course in developing a new society. more  OutsideJennifer Holm. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-5461-3814-3 A decade before this book’s start, “some stupid country decided to start a war” prompting Razzi’s parents to create an isolated compound called the Refuge. As the oldest, Razzi is expected to set an example for other kids. When a doctor’s visit reveals that Razzi needs a heart transplant, she receives the heart of a greyhound, and she soon feels that the surgery has changed her, prompting her to forgo her typical rule-abiding tendencies. Upon stowing away on a Refuge truck bound for a supply run, she makes a discovery that changes everything. more  Balancing Act Paula Chase. Wednesday, $20 (416p) ISBN 978-1-250-80939-1 An athletic scholarship allows high school sophomore Chyna Thomas the opportunity to attend elite charter school the Heights. But grieving the murder of her secret boyfriend Jacquees Henderson, Chyna struggles to find her footing both on and off the mat. Meanwhile, Jacquees’s younger brother Jamaal is ready to represent his “blackity-Black” Southside roots as captain of the Heights’ basketball team. Then his congenital heart condition threatens to sideline him from an important game, and the truth about his brother’s death surfaces. more  The ScammerTiffany D. Jackson. Quill Tree, $19.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-327127-2 Jordyn is excited to find a sense of belonging at Frazier University, a historically Black college where she makes fast friends with her suitemates Loren, Kammy, and Vanessa. Then, shortly into the school year, Vanessa’s brother Devonte, in his 30s and recently released from prison, comes to visit “for a few days.” At first, his presence is welcome; he cooks for the girls and gives them advice. But soon, his manipulation of the teens and their actions begins to spiral out of control. more  The Dead of SummerRyan La Sala. Push, $19.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-546-12587-7 Queer, musically inclined teen Ollie Veltman has spent the past year away from his hometown on the island of Anchor’s Mercy, having accompanied his mother to her cancer treatments. What begins as an uneasy homecoming with his friends visiting the island spirals into surreal terror when Ollie’s mother vanishes and his aunt attacks him while in a fugue state. The island is then quickly overrun by Weepers, twisted, infected beings both human and pelagic whose origins may be tied to a decades-old chemical spill. more |
July 17, 2025
  
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People Stephanie Pitts has been promoted to senior executive editor at Putnam Books for Young Readers, from executive editor. Mark Your Calendar | ||||
