Kids & YA Newsletter: February 2022

YOUNG ADULT

FBobby Bae and Winter Park are not friends, no matter how tight their parents are with each other. Also? They are not dating and strongly reject the suggestion that they should be a couple just because they’re the only two Korean teens in their class. What they are is academic rivals and sworn nemeses whose relationship is guided by three simple rules: 1. We will play nice in front of our parents. 2. We will not be seen talking to each other at school. 3. We will not be friends. So they are both deeply irritated when their parents mutually decide (without ANY input, thank you very much) that Bobby and Winter should hop in the car together over summer break to do college visits together. Forced to spend time together, the two slowly start to shed their inhibitions and find that sometimes, rules are made to be broken. While breaking antiquated state laws like frowning at cops in New Jersey and dueling in the streets, Winter and Bobby start to find common ground as they make their way up the East Coast to visit their dream schools. And as they start to reconsider what they mean to each other, a question arises: as hateful as it is for their peers to assume they’ll end up together romantically because of their ethnicity…have they been staying apart just to prove a point? Talia Tucker’s RULES FOR RULE-BREAKING is a hilarious, thoughtful delight. Exploring the fallibility of parents, the realization that long-term goals aren’t everything, and being POC in a predominantly white area, Tucker’s debut is part Booksmart, part Never Have I Ever, and all charm. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.) 

Evvie Chambers is doing her best to skate through the last month of high school to graduation. The only thing standing in her way is a biology report on foxes—and her teacher, Mrs. Audrey Dearborn. The same Mrs. Dearborn who’s been a thorn in Evvie’s side for years, chiding Evvie for her performance and refusing to acknowledge or accommodate her neurodiversity. Evvie would much rather be doing her report on Aretha, the octopus she cares for when she volunteers at the Minnesota Zoo—but deviating from the exact assignment isn’t allowed. She shouldn’t even be in biology, but her absence in her sophomore year lands her there as a senior, the only thing standing between her and diploma. It’s one final hoop to jump through, but Mrs. Dearborn isn’t going to make the jumping easy. What saves Evvie (and other kids like her) from high school hell is the Lair: a safe haven for kids whose brains need some time away. The Lair is a tiny oasis in her school life, a space away from Dearborn and her stress. But then persistent bully Vandal McDaniel directs his harassment toward Lair members, and Mrs. Dearborn refuses Evvie’s pleas to finesse the final report assignment to her strengths, leaving Evvie desperate for something stable. With a new love interest named Blue and a MIA best friend who might be an addict, stability isn’t in the cards. When a shocking act of violence pushes the whole mess over the edge, and Evvie, her friends, and the others who lover her will have to figure out how to defeat all the people working to keep them down. O IS FOR OUTSIDER by Kirstin Cronn-Mills is a heartfelt YA novel about the need for self-love and community, for anyone who's ever been left out or boxed in. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent on this project.) 

As a member of the richest family in sparkling Rosetown, Massachusetts, money shouldn’t be an issue for Lily Rosewood. Yet somehow, she only has thirty dollars in her bank account—not nearly enough to secure a spot at her dream fashion school. The legendary Rosewood fortune is closely guarded by her gram, the vivacious matriarch simultaneously adored and envied by the entire town, including Lily. But when Gram dies unexpectedly and the multi-million-dollar fortune disappears, Lily’s inheritance only includes a baffling letter from Gram, an heirloom necklace, and one piece of a map of Rosetown. When three other unlikely teens appear with the rest of the map pieces, they must form a reluctant alliance to track down the clues Gram scattered throughout the town. With the shining hope of the fortune spurring her on—as well as her newfound friends—Lily’s on a race to find the money, secure her future, and discover what really happened to her Gram. But as news of the missing fortune goes viral, Lily and her ragtag crew are in danger of meeting a similar fate as they go from the hunters to the hunted. THE ROSEWOOD HUNT is a YA thriller by debut author Mackenzie Reed that combines the adventurous mystery of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games with the family secrets and small-town schemes of Karen McManus’ The Cousins. (Please note, Amy Elizabeth Bishop is the agent on this project.)  

MIDDLE GRADE

Edweena Gup has a singular, very serious goal—to become a Rat-Catcher Extraordinaire like her great, great, great grandmother. But no one attends Edweena’s Rat-Catching lectures, none of her classmates want to hear her rat facts, and no one in town believes her dire warnings about future rat invasions and the Bubonic Plague. Why should they? The island has been rat-free for over a hundred years. That is until the ferry delivers a most unusual someone to the island: a four-foot-tall, walking, talking rat boy. The Rat has a singular, very serious goal—to return to his family’s home and end the curse that was started by his great, great, great grandfather—the one that keeps him from being a human. Once the curse is broken, he won’t have to hide and live in secret. And he could claim a true name, for he would finally be his true self. But on a tiny island, a Rat and a Rat-Catcher will surely meet sooner than later. Will Ratty be able to convince Edweena that rats aren’t the evil she believes them to be, or will she run him out of town before he’s able to break the curse? RATTY is a charming, quirky and heartfelt middle grade novel by bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Selfors. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent on this project.)

Tennyson and Pippa Blake don’t fit in at their school or anywhere else, for that matter—not even in their own skins. When yet another fight gets Tennyson kicked off the bus, their grandfather is forced to drive them to school—and he should not be driving. An accident in the school parking lot leaves him in a coma, and gives Ten’s former friend Kai a concussion, or at least so it seems. Ten and Pippa soon realize that in addition to a bad headache, Grandpa’s also given Kai his memories—memories of a mirror realm called Chivalry, the door to which their father and uncle sealed years ago. While their father came back to our world, their uncle stayed on the other side and became the not-so-beloved king. Desperate to save their grandfather and fix Kai’s brain, the three of them cross over to Chivalry, unaware of the dire condition of the land. With only Kai’s/Grandpa’s memories to guide them, they must figure out how to navigate the unfamiliar land, how to harness its power, and how to stop their power-hungry uncle from destroying both worlds. BRAVERY WOODS is a sharp, exciting portal fantasy from author Bethany Griffin, and her first novel for middle grade readers. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent on this project.) 

PICTURE BOOK

Moon hangs alone in the night sky. She calls down to Earth and shouts to passing comets, but no one ever seems to pay attention, except one small mouse that Moon doesn’t even see. Then, one day, a mysterious someone who looks a lot like a balloon floats in and captures Moon’s heart. Moon does her best to engage her new friend Loona by showing off her many faces, but Loona never responds. When Loona is carried away in a storm, Moon feels bereft; but now, perhaps Moon will meet the one, true companion who’s been there all along? With A FRIEND FOR MOON, Meg Auchenbach delivers a heartfelt debut picture book about friendship that revels in the music and wonder of the universe. See more of Meg’s work at www.megauchenbach.com. (Please note, John Rudolph is the agent on this project.) 

Paola’s mama brings a surprise home from a trip one evening. What’s in the box? Paola peeks over the edge. Inside sits a small, dirty chicken named Henrietta in need of shelter. Paola pours her heart into helping Henrietta heal. She gives her a bath, builds her a home, paints her nails, and even teaches her how to ride the skateboard! Over time, Paola discovers that even though she is small, her capacity for love is bigger than her size, and that’s what matters. In HENRIETTA FINDS A NEST, young readers learn the universal lesson that Paola shares at the end—everyone deserves a nest, a safe place where they can feel their best. Based on the true tale of the author’s seven-year-old daughter and their family’s rescue chicken, this picture book debut is the story of how a girl shows loving kindness to an animal in need. The author, Leah Garcés (author of Grilled: Turning Adversaries into Allies and the president of the world’s largest international farm animal rights organization, Mercy For Animals), offers a fun, quirky, sweet story that invites children to reflect on their own superpower of loving kindness. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.) 

Gary is a very serious hippopotamus. More serious than all of the other hippopotami, who are not that serious at all, really. In fact, most hippos are really rather silly. They like to dance and sing and play the tuba and skip and blow bubbles. How can Gary ever be a successful hippopotamus with all these loud hippos around? So when these very silly hippos give Gary a very silly-looking present, Gary does not know what to do. The most serious thing to do, he figures, is to dispose of all this silliness immediately. But then Gary is left seriously wondering… “What could possibly be in that box?” GARY, THE VERY SERIOUS HIPPOPOTAMUS is the light-hearted picture book debut of author/Illustrator Tony Alioto (wordsandcolor.com), who tends to take silliness VERY seriously. (Please note, John Rudolph is the agent on this project.) 

Storm clouds follow Asha wherever she goes! The clouds cast slinking shadows, thunder rumbled and the wind whispered “what ifs” that left Asha worried and trembling with a hummingbird heartbeat, her thoughts tangled like yarn. Even though her daddy tries all his best tricks to help battle her worries, nothing seems to work until Asha takes charge to banish the storm clouds. ASHA LOOKED UP is a poignant picture book text by psychologist Rachel Tomlinson(author of A Blue Kind of Day and Teaching Kids to Be Kind) who uses her emotive language and her clinical experience to explore how anxiety might be felt in the body, appealing to children experiencing muddled up feelings and worries. A starred review of A Blue Kind of Day describes the story as “A loving tribute to the power of loved ones’ support during trying times.” Similarly, ASHA LOOKED UP will appeal to parents and kids trying to figure out how to manage big feelings in a difficult and changing world. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project).   

In her picture books and board books, author/illustrator Emily Snape (https://www.emilysnape.co.uk/) has explored the different ways that families come together (Old MacDonald Had a Baby) and how those families engage each other (An Alphabet of Hugs). Now she turns her eye to how a family handles a new pet—a VERY big pet. In SLOW DOWN, DINO!, Dash doesn't know how to stop his pet T. Rex from causing utter chaos. Dino scares away birds in the park, pulls down the curtains in the living room and even eats Dash’s bed! It’s only when Dash and Dino try slowing down that Dash notices what's really troubling Dino. Kids will love Dash’s antics, while parents will appreciate how Snape shares the importance and joy that can be found by doing things mindfully. (Please note, John Rudolph is the agent on this project.)