 |
|||
|
|||
|
In the Spotlight
 Sourcebooks Announces Launch of Kwame Alexander BooksThe Newbery Medalist’s eponymous imprint, debuting in spring 2027, will publish picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult books, encompassing projects by Alexander and works by emerging and established authors. more  In the News
 Katherine Locke to Lead Authors Against Book Bans Locke will begin a term as president of the advocacy organization on July 1, succeeding fellow children’s author Maggie Tokuda-Hall. Locke brings to the role more than 14 years of experience in the nonprofit world. more  Library Services Innovate Amid Transformed Playing FieldWholesaler Baker & Taylor’s closure last year disrupted the library market, but the changed playing field has also spurred growth and innovation among remaining library services vendors and platforms as they compete for clients. more  ABA’s ABFE Becomes a NonprofitThe American Booksellers Association has announced that it is establishing American Booksellers for Free Expression as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit. ABA CEO Allison Hill called the move "an exciting opportunity for ABA to expand its free expression work to meet this crucial moment." more  Highlights Unveils Puzzle Poster in Celebration of ALA In honor of the American Library Association’s 150th anniversary and upcoming conference in Chicago, the publisher has commissioned a custom Hidden Pictures puzzle that commemorates iconic local authors. more Book News
 Just Announced: ‘Always One More Time’ Delacorte Press is set to publish a new YA novel from bestselling author Nicola Yoon. Slated for February 2, 2027, Always One More Time marks Yoon’s first solo YA book since Instructions for Dancing in 2021 and her adult debut in 2024. more   Pride Month
 Publishing Pride 2026: Andrew Joseph White Ahead of his appearance at Children's Institute and the release of his forthcoming YA horror novel, You're No Better, White discussed feeling at home with monsters and the joys of writing about trans youth. more  Publishing Pride 2026: Aiden Thomas The author of Cemetery Boys and its forthcoming sequel, Espíritu, reflects on the current landscape of queer publishing, and why stories that foster belonging are still important. more First Person
 A Publisher Asks: Are Girls Being Pushed to Grow Up Too Soon? Ashley Wall, educator and co-founder of MamaBear Books, argues that books for young readers can offer a respite from the daily pressures and anxieties accelerated by social media. "We need to create stories that don’t rush children forward but instead allow them to linger in the magic of imagination a little longer," she writes. more Q & A
 This Is a Book: PW Talks with Daniel Nayeri Daniel Nayeri is the recipient of a Newbery Honor for The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams, a Printz Award for Everything Sad Is Untrue, and a National Book Award for The Teacher of Nomad Land. Before Children's Institute 2026 convenes in Schaumburg, Ill., June 26–29, Nayeri, one of the conference's featured authors, spoke with us about his latest project, This Is a Door, an illustrated middle grade novel with art that is created by the text. Q: What do you hope readers take away from this book? A: Stories are often beautiful because they’re useful, in the sense that at various times in our lives, there are certain ones that really mean something to us. That’s why I would love to give this book to someone who is on the precipice of something new. more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Press: Week of June 29 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book featuring an anthropomorphic pencil, a graphic novel adaptation following a group of warrior clan cats, a YA thriller debut from a popular adult romance author, and more. more In Brief
 In Brief: June 25, 2026Recently, a museum held a private preview, a festival took place in the Bronx, an author commemorated Holocaust Survivor Day, a new children’s museum opened its doors for visitors, and more. more
Rights Report
 Jenny Bak at Viking has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Dumped by Gloria Chao (Ex Marks the Spot; The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club), a YA novel about a girl who is the lowly intern on a reality TV dating show called Dumped! and is stuck doing the most embarrassing duties, until she falls into a forbidden romance with the star and the producers force her onto the show, only to portray her as the villain that America loves to hate. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency brokered the deal for North American rights.  Nancy Mercado while at Dial bought The Magic of las Mariposas, a YA speculative fiction novel-in-verse by two-time Pura Belpré Honoree Jasminne Mendez (The Story of My Anger); Stacey Barney and Nan Munger at Putnam will co-edit. Blurring the lines between the magical and the real, this dual POV novel set in the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo Era follows the friendship between the revolutionary activist Minerva Mirabal and her close friend Tonó Rosario as they survive, resist, and work together to topple a dictator. Publication is set for summer 2028; Stefanie Sanchez Von Bortsel at Full Circle Literary sold world rights.  Howard W. Reeves at Abrams has acquired world rights to Something Out of Nothing by Susan Goldman Rubin (l.) and Angela Robinson Witherspoon, an illustrated nonfiction middle grade introduction to the Black Assemblage Art Movement through essays, historical context, artist profiles, archival photographs, and reproductions of key artworks, while exploring the movement's lasting impact on American art and culture. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Allison Hellegers at Stimola Literary Studio negotiated the deal for both authors.  Reka Simonsen at Atheneum has bought An Even Farther Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-El (l.), illustrated by Kelly Pousette, a reassuring middle grade novel about change, as Duane the polar bear and his arctic friends learn to navigate shifting friendships and evolving identities. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.  Amy Fitzgerald at Lerner/Zest has acquired world rights to Germ Wars: When Diseases Ruled and Science Fought Back by Elizabeth Shreeve (l.) (Dinosaurs to Dragons), in collaboration with Bertha Vazquez of the Center for Inquiry. This middle grade nonfiction book takes readers on a time-travel journey through medical history, exploring battles and breakthroughs in the fight against infectious diseases. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Ammi-Joan Paquette at Aevitas Creative Management handled the deal.  Deborah Bodin Cohen at Apples & Honey Press has bought What I'll Carry by Charlotte Sheer, author of five children's poetry anthologies. This middle grade novel in verse is historical fiction based on the experience of three Jewish sisters who survived WWII with the help of the kindertransport; the manuscript won the 2023 SCBWI Novel-in-Verse Award. Publication is set for spring 2027; Mona Kanin at Great Dog Literary sold world rights.  Christy Ottaviano at Little Brown/Ottaviano has acquired Naked Nacho by debut creator Ellen Seal, a picture book retelling of "The Gingerbread Man" that follows a self-confident tortilla chip determined to stay "toppingless" despite all odds. Publication is scheduled for fall 2027; Karly Dizon at Fuse Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.  Kate O'Sullivan at Clarion has bought world rights to Under the Under by Sherri Duskey Rinker (l.) (the Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site series), illustrated by Lorena Alvarez Gómez (The Magical Yet). In the picture book, impatient flower bulbs chatter with the wise, whispering wind, capturing the jittery anticipation every child feels before a long-awaited event—in this case, the arrival of spring. Publication is planned for March 2028; Lori Kilkelly at LK Literary Agency represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.  Nancy Paulsen at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired world rights to Tall for Nothin' by Jesse Byrd (l.), illustrated by Monica Mikai, a picture book about a tall kid who feels pressure to put their focus on playing basketball even though they also have lots of non-sports interests. Publication is slated for fall 2027; Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Zareen Jaffery at Kokila has bought world rights to We Belong to the World by Sikh writer Simran Jeet Singh (l.) (Fauja Singh Keeps Going), illustrated by Ishita Jain (The Magnificent Banyan and the Green Tong Lau), a picture book that draws from Indigenous wisdom and the author's own spiritual journey to explore how connecting with the world around us, rather than trying to own and control it, deepens joy, kindness, and generosity. Publication is set for spring 2028; Tanusri Prasanna at DeFiore and Company represented the author, and Eryn Kalavsky at Salky Literary Management represented the illustrator.  Carol Hinz at Lerner/Carolrhoda has acquired world rights to The Periodic Table of Poetry by Irene Latham (l.) and Charles Waters (c.), illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff (r.), an anthology featuring 27 poetic elements—from line breaks and stanzas to wordplay, onomatopoeia, and repetition that illuminates the joys of reading and writing poetry. Publication is scheduled for spring 2028; Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the author, and James McGowan at Bookends Literary represented the illustrator.  Natalia Vázquez Torres at Charlesbridge has bought world rights to the nonfiction picture book Otis: The King of Katmai by Tanya Konerman (l.), and Kristen Nobles has acquired world rights for illustration by Lisa Fields. Otis, an Alaskan brown bear and Fat Bear Week Champion, returns late and weak one season to fish for salmon at Brooks Falls, yet through ingenuity and perseverance gains hundreds of pounds to prepare for winter torpor. Publication is planned for summer 2028; Mona Kanin while at Great Dog Literary Agency represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.  Deidra Purvis at Free Spirit has acquired world rights to Whisper in the Leaves: A Ganesh Chaturthi Story by Shuba Mohan (l.), illustrated by Abhilasha Khatri. The picture book follows a boy with sensory sensitivities who struggles to participate in his family's Ganesh Chaturthi traditions, until he discovers a touch-friendly way to honor the celebration while staying true to his needs. Publication is slated for summer 2027; the author represented herself, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  The House of GardeniasIsabel Cañas. Dutton, $19.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-593-62041-0 Cañas blends political tension with the supernatural to deliver an immersive and mesmerizing YA debut. Sixteen-year-old Minerva Treviño takes up a position as a lady’s maid in Calle Jacaranda, a wealthy part of the city, where her employer uses her fortune to obtain chispa, a magical source of light. Upon arriving, Minerva glimpses ghosts, suspecting a haunting. But after Encarnación is mysteriously murdered and Minerva witnesses one of the ghosts feeding on the chispa, Minerva investigates, determined to protect herself as tensions within the manor and the city skyrocket. more  Be the AcornJason Douglas Griffin. Roaring Brook, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-2504-1722-0 Choko Choko is a young squirrel whose family is unhoused and hungry. When he’s told he’s too little to help find a new home, his frustration explodes in a “storm cloud” of feelings." Family matriarch Great Haha quiets the rage by popping an acorn cap on Choko Choko’s head and offering advice: “Be the acorn,” or, focus on the small-looking nut’s “BIG possibilities.” In this fervent picture book, spidery, smudged artwork from Caldecott Honoree Griffin radiates the conviction of a child wrestling with big feelings. more  The CreepsTehlor Mejia. Delacorte, $17.99 hardcover (288p) ISBN 979-8-217-03145-0; $8.99 paper ISBN 979-8-217-03146-7 When 12-year-old Dylan Vega and his mother lose their apartment, they’re forced to move into the Good Night Motel. Dylan finds the establishment uncomfortable, and the sinister elderly receptionists present a list of rules, the most important of which is “DO NOT GO INTO THE BASEMENT.” Rule violations earn strikes, and three strikes results in immediate eviction. Dylan’s new friend Ollie St. James, a long-term resident, believes rule-breakers aren’t simply expelled from the motel—they vanish entirely. Determined to uncover the truth, Dylan and Ollie delve into the Good Night Motel’s secrets. more  A Thousand NightsEdited by Nafiza Azad and Intisar Khanani. Candlewick, $19.99 (496p) ISBN 978-1-5362-4154-9 Azad and Khanani curate and contribute to a captivating anthology of Muslim folklore that showcases stories from 15 female Muslim authors, including Hanna Alkaf, Diana Ma, and Farah Naz Rishi. Each tale is preceded by sections of an overarching narrative from Azad and Khanani that follows teens Nusaybah and Khawla, who meet in a desert after fleeing from violence and civil unrest. more  Flyer McTireBeth Ferry, illus. by Matt Myers. HarperCollins, $19.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-0633-5210-0 Ferry and Myers serve up a fleet second-chance story starring not a plucky vehicle but a discarded racing car tire. Flyer loves the spectacle and speed of the track, but he’s soon deemed too worn to race: “Rolled away, sold, he was tossed in a pile./ He couldn’t believe that he’d raced his last mile.” Though the tire initially sits heartbroken amid heaps of fellow castoffs under a twilight sky, he gets a new life when he’s repurposed as a farm tire swing. more |
June 25, 2026
 
E-mail not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
People  Penguin Young Readers has one promotion. Ruta Rimas has been promoted to associate publisher of G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and Berkley XO, effective immediately. She was previously senior executive editor and publishing director of Putnam. In her new role, Rimas will continue to acquire and edit while also assuming strategic, operational, and leadership roles for both imprints. | ||
