Book Deals

Jen Malia's TOO STICKY, about an autistic girl with sensory issues, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, to Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman, in a nice deal, for publication summer 2020.

James McGowan's debut GOOD NIGHT, OPPY, an account of the Mars Opportunity Rover's time on the red planet, with informational sidebars, illustrated by Graham Carter, to Jes Negron at Boyds Mills Press, in a nice deal, in a pre-empt, for publication in fall 2021.

Author of AFTERIMAGE Naomi Hughes's REFRACTION, a sci-fi novel in which a teen wrestling obsessive compulsive disorder works as a black market mirror dealer in a world where reflections spawn deadly cracks in the fabric of reality, to Lauren Knowles at Page Street, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2019.

Author of the forthcoming ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE George Johnson's STONEWALL, a nonfiction work about the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and its roots in the Stonewall Riots, illustrated by Theo Lorenz (Illustrator represented by Naomi Davis), to Stacy Whitman at Tu Books, for publication in 2022.

Mahtab Narsimhan's PROJECT BOLLYWOOD, in which a young filmmaker tries to recreate a Bollywood film for a school project, but encounters concerns about stereotyping and must find a way through, to Tanya Trafford at Orca Books, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2022.

Debut author Gabi Burton's YA fantasy SING ME TO SLEEP, set in a world where everyone is Black and Brown, in which a murderous siren is assigned to help the fae prince hunt a dangerous assassin, but little does he know that she is the killer they seek, to Camille Kellogg at Bloomsbury Children's, in a six-figure deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2023.

Illustrator of I AM ODD, I AM NEW Roz Maclean's MORE THAN WORDS, following a very quiet boy as he digs tunnels in the playground to connect with his peers, celebrating the many ways people communicate, from sign language to speech devices to art, play, and everything in between, to Mark Podesta at Holt Children's, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2023, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds.

Hanh Bui's THE YELLOW AO DAI, illustrated by Minnie Phan, a story of family and identity, in which a girl preparing to perform a Vietnamese Fan Dance learns of her grandmother's loving legacy through mending a traditional dress, and a second title, ANH'S NEW WORD, illustrated by Bao Luu, telling the story of a refugee child embracing her voice and speaking her first English word aloud with the help of her teacher, to Emily Settle at Macmillan Feiwel & Friends, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in beginning spring 2023, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds. Andrea Morrison at Writer's House, for Minnie Phan, and Christine Hong at Astound US, for Bao Luu.

Author of THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU and ANNI DREAMS OF BIRYANI Namita Moolani Mehra's VEENA AND THE RED ROTI: A STORY OF HOPE IN PARTITION, set during the Partition of India, a picture book following the difficult journey of a girl who discovers that her love of cooking can bring a taste of home to heartbroken family members and refugees, illustrated by Beena Mistry, to Kathleen Keenan at Kids Can Press, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2024, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds.

Trinity Nguyen's debut A BANH MI FOR TWO, a sapphic contemporary YA novel in which a Vietnamese American student fakes a study abroad trip to Saigon and crosses paths with a local banh mi seller who dreams of seeing the world, embarking on a food tour around Saigon that connects them with the city, themselves and each other, to Dana Chidiac at Holt Children's, at auction, for publication in fall 2024, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds (world).

Norene Paulson's BENNY'S TRUE COLORS, a story about a bat who knows he's really a butterfly inside, illustrated by Anne Passchier, to Erin Stein at Imprint, in a nice deal, at auction.

Benjamin Giroux's I AM ODD, I AM NEW, a story based on his viral poem that showed what it's like to be a kid with autism in a world of neurotypicals, illustrated by Roz Maclean, to Peter Schiffer at Schiffer, with Tracee Groff editing, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2021.

Author of MISSION MUMBAI Mahtab Narsimhan's VALLEY OF THE RATS, in which a germophobe and his father stumble upon an off-the-map village that worships rats, and must rely on help—and learn about respecting other cultures—to find their way home, to Barry Jowett at Cormorant Books, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2021.

Author of HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS Lindsey Frydman's PROJECT A.I.D.E.N, a science fiction series about an A.I. teen scheduled for destruction for refusing to blindly follow orders, and the girl willing to sacrifice everything to save him, to Liz Pelletier at Entangled Crush.

Namita Moolani Mehra's picture book ANNI DREAMS OF BIRYANI, set in Little India, following a cooking-obsessed little girl who is determined to uncover the secret to the best biryani recipe in the world, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat, to Marilyn Brigham at Two Lions, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2022.

Viviane Elbee's I WANT MY BOOK BACK, in which a young, dinosaur-loving boy is on a mission to reclaim his favorite book after being forced to return it to the library, illustrated by Nicole Miles, to Brett Duquette at Little Bee Books, in a nice deal, by Naomi Davis and Natascha Morris at BookEnds for the author, and by Chad Beckerman at the Cat Agency for the illustrator (world).

Author of TOO STICKY: SENSORY ISSUES WITH AUTISM Jen Malia's THE INFINITY RAINBOW CLUB, set in an after-school club with different neurodivergent fourth graders in the lead for each chapter book in the series; the first story follows an autistic boy competing in a brick-builder challenge with a partner when he's used to working alone, illustrated by Peter Francis, to Andrea Hall at Beaming Books, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in fall 2023, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the author, and by Mela Bolinao at MB Artists for the illustrator.

Reuben Nantogmah and Samantha Cleaver's WAITING TO WELCOME, in which a girl in West Africa shares the excitement and anticipation of preparing for a traditional outdooring ceremony, welcoming the "stranger"—a new baby—to the community, illustrated by Bri Marie McNish, to Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2024, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the author, and by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds for the illustrator (world).

Kritika H. Rao's SHIVI'S BIG LEAP, in which a boy who strives to be like the monkey god Hanuman must tackle his fear and uncertainty to scale a daunting climbing wall, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat, to Kat Brzozowski at Feiwel and Friends, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2025, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the author, and by Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary for the illustrator (world).

Melanie Wick Singer's MARTINA'S MUY BAD DAY, following a young girl as she returns home after a bad day; while searching for a distraction, she finds her abuela making magic en la cocina and realizes that bad days are worth celebrating, too, illustrated by Natalia Jimenez Osorio, to Sara Schonfeld at Harper Children's, in a nice deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2024, by Ramona Pina and Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the author, and by Aurora Barlam at Astound US for the illustrator (world).

DeShanna Neal and Trinity Neal's MY RAINBOW, the story of the rainbow wig a mother makes for her beautiful Black trans daughter, to Namrata Tripathi at Kokila, in a nice deal, for publication in fall 2020.

Sade Smith's GRANNY'S KITCHEN, in which a young girl wants to perfect all of her grandmother's traditional Jamaican recipes, illustrated by Ken Daley, to Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends, in a nice deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring/summer 2022.

Dee Hahn's debut THE GRAVE THIEF, in which a young grave thief is caught robbing a royal cemetery and must fight a terrifying monster alongside a royal accomplice to save his brother and a nation, to Samantha Swenson at Tundra Books, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2022.

Author/illustrator of UNICORNS ARE JERKS and the TRANS AFFIRMATION COLORING BOOK Theo Lorenz's BIG TRANS SELF-CARE WORKBOOK, a positivity-driven journal and coloring book for trans and nonbinary people, to Andrew James at John Murray, in a nice deal.

Namita Moolani Mehra's picture book THE GREATEST RIVER, in which a young girl finds strength, comfort, and healing at a time when she needs it the most, in a place deeply meaningful to her mother—the holy river of India, Ganga, illustrated by Khoa Le, to Clarissa Wong at Harper Children's, in a nice deal, for publication in winter 2024.

Norene Paulson’s WHAT’S SILLY HAIR DAY WITH NO HAIR? about a girl with alopecia who changes her school’s narrative about “silly hair day,” to be inclusive to everyone, again to Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman, in a nice deal, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds.

Norene Paulson's NILA'S PERFECT COAT, about a girl who learns the difference between what she wants, what she needs, and what she can do for a friend in need, as thrift store shopping becomes an opportunity to think of someone besides herself, illustrated by Maria Mola, to Andrea Hall at Beaming Books, for publication in spring 2023, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the author, and by Lucie Luddington at The Bright Group for the illustrator.

Reuben Nantogmah and Samantha Cleaver's WAITING TO WELCOME, in which a girl in West Africa shares the excitement and anticipation of preparing for a traditional outdooring ceremony, welcoming the "stranger"—a new baby—to the community, illustrated by Bri Marie McNish, to Emily Settle at Feiwel and Friends, in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2024, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the author, and by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds for the illustrator (world).

Reuben Nantogmah and Samantha Cleaver's MY SMOCK IS A STORY, following a young Ghanian American boy who receives his first smock—his Binnmaa—and celebrates the importance it carries for him and his family, illustrated by Keisha Okafor, to Megan Ilnitzki at Harper Children's, for publication in fall 2024, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the author, and by Christy Ewers at The CAT Agency for the illustrator (world).

Cindy Jenson-Elliott's THE DOOMSDAY DETECTIVES: HOW WALTER AND LUIS ALVAREZ UNCOVERED THE MYSTERY OF WHAT KILLED THE DINOSAURS, written as equal parts family biography, narrative mystery, graphic nonfiction, and expository science, the story of how the Alvarezes (father and son) and a team of researchers unraveled one of the world's most intriguing mysteries, illustrated by Theo Nicole Lorenz, to Cheryl Klein while at Tu Books, with Stacy Whitman editing, in an exclusive submission, for publication in fall 2024, by Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel at Full Circle Literary for the author, and by Naomi Davis at BookEnds for the illustrator (world).

Autistic debut author Sunyi Dean's THE BOOK EATERS, in which a lesbian Book Eater becomes a monster herself to save her son from her family's violent ways, to Lindsey Hall at Tor, in a significant deal, in a pre-empt, in a three-book deal, for publication in winter 2022.

Author of the SWORDS & FIRE series Melissa Caruso's next fantasy series, set in the same world as THE TETHERED MAGE, about a young mage with unusably lethal powers who becomes embroiled in an international magical conflict, to Sarah Guan at Orbit, in a very nice deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in 2020.

Nadia Afifi's THE SENTIENT, set in a world polarized by religion and science, the story of a neuroscientist's fight to save the lives of her subjects even if that means returning to the extremist compound she once fled, to Don D'Auria at Flame Tree Press, in a nice deal, for publication in June 2020.

Kritika H. Rao's debut THE SURVIVING SKY, a Hindu philosophy-inspired epic fantasy in which a husband and wife race to save their living city - and their troubled marriage - high above a jungle world besieged by cataclysmic storms, to Leah Spann at Daw, in a very nice deal, at auction, in a three-book deal, for publication in 2022.

Michelle Hazen's UNBREAK ME, a contemporary romance about a New Orleans cowboy battling systemic racism post-Hurricane Katrina and a woman recovering from a public trial following a sexual assault, to Kristine Swartz at Berkley, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2019

Nathan Tavares's debut A FRACTURED INFINITY, pitched as "Arrival, but make it gay," featuring a washed-up filmmaker who, in learning he's connected to an interdimensional device that predicts the future, goes on the run through a kaleidoscope of worlds to keep his boyfriend alive at all costs—even if that means shattering the whole multiverse himself; and a second standalone sci-fi pitched as "Altered Carbon's gay lovechild with Cloud Atlas," to George Sandison at Titan Books, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds. Audio rights to Catherine Wallach at Recorded Books, at auction.

Author of the Celestial Kingdom duology Sue Lynn Tan's next two novels, pitched as continuing to reinvent classic myth and folklore, with the first set in the same Celestial Kingdom world of her debut DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS, and the second a standalone fantasy that reimagines the beloved Chinese legend of the White Snake, to David Pomerico at Voyager, and Vicky Leech-Mateos at Voyager UK, in a good deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2023 and 2024, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds.

Elle Ire's VICIOUS CIRCLE, in which an ex-assassin, burdened by a recent betrayal, must learn to trust—and love—again, to Lynn West at Dreamspinner Press, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds (world English).

Author of HALL OF SMOKE H.M. Long's DARK WATER DAUGHTER, in which a stormsinger whose voice can shatter armadas must join forces with a disgraced naval officer to take down a deathless pirate lord, to George Sandison at Titan Books, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2023 and summer 2024, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds (world English). Audio rights to Catherine Wallach at Recorded Books.

Author of the Four Pillars series H.M. Long's ENTWINED DUOLOGY, an Edwardian-inspired high romantasy in which a fugitive mage joins forces with the fiance she never wanted in order to escape a sorcerer's guild, survive a city beset by violence, and reclaim a stolen artifact; also, an UNTITLED third installment the Winter Sea series, a nautical fantasy in which privateers come into possession of deadly information and must navigate the complexities of war, politics, and otherworldly beings within a powerful kingdom of pirates; and ASHMARKED, a stand-alone epic fantasy set in a world where necromancers rule and resurrected heroes are bought and sold to the highest bidder, to George Sandison at Titan Books, in a nice deal, in a four-book deal, for publication in February 2025, July 2025, and July 2026, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds (world English). Audio rights to Catherine Wallach at Recorded Books, in a nice deal. Rights: foreignrights@bookendsliterary.com