Agents on How to Get the Green Light; Gymnast Aly Raisman on Her New Memoir

[PW Children's Bookshelf: Breaking children's and YA publishing news, author interviews, bestsellers lists and reviews.] [New York Rights Fair 2018]( In the Spotlight [Getting the Green Light: Notes from an Agents Panel]( Members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators gathered on November 6 in New York City to learn strategies for landing the ideal literary agent to champion one's work. The discussion featured insight on researching and querying agents, and other guidance for aspiring writers. [more]( In the News [Renovations to Force Some Bologna Exhibitors to Move]( The 2018 Bologna Children’s Book Fair, which will take place March 26–29, will see changes resulting from a €100 million renovation taking place at the exhibition center. The biggest impact will be on exhibitors previously situated in Halls 29 and 30, which are being completely rebuilt. [more]( [Holiday House to Move HQ To Downtown Manhattan]( Holiday House has signed a 10-year lease to house its new headquarters on the third floor of 50 Broad Street in lower Manhattan, beginning in April 2018. [more]( SPONSORED [Win a copy of 'Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie']( Enter for your chance to win one of 10 copies of the 'Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: The Big Lie,' graphic novel by Anthony Del Col. (Sponsored) [ENTER HERE ►]( Book News [Gymnast Aly Raisman's Memoir Holds Painful Revelations]( In her new memoir, Fierce, six-time Olympic medalist Raisman details her grueling training and struggle with perfectionism. We spoke with Raisman about her path to becoming one of the most accomplished gymnasts in Olympic history, and coming to terms with the darker side of her experience, including abuse at the hands of a former team doctor. [more]( On the Scene [On Tour with Dav Pilkey]( Earlier this fall, the author-illustrator set out on an eight-city “Supa-Epic Tour O’Fun,” celebrating the 20th anniversary of Captain Underpants and the release of Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties, the newest book in his bestselling graphic novel series. We’ve rounded up a selection of highlights from the events. [more]( Four Questions [Oliver Jeffers]( Oliver Jeffers’s versatility as an artist can be seen in books, on gallery walls and album covers, and in numerous other forms. He is the creator of several solo picture books, and illustrator of the bestselling The Day the Crayons Quit and its sequel, written by Drew Daywalt. His newest picture book, Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, takes the shape of a letter to his newborn son. We spoke with Jeffers about the challenges and joys of introducing the world to young readers, and the ways that fatherhood has given an immediacy to his storytelling. Q: Here We Are is dedicated to your son Harland. What led you to write this story for him? A: There’s a magnitude to the realization of being responsible for a brand-new child and a new mind. So I started making little notes for my son. It didn’t take very long for me to come to the idea that these collective notes might serve well together in an illustrated book. [more]( In Case You Missed It [Best Children's and YA Books 2017]( Our selections for the top 50 books of the year: picture books, fiction, YA, poetry, nonfiction, and comics for readers of all ages and interests. For more about these and other great jobs, visit the new [PW JobZone]( now with resume hosting and more! - [Gift Rep Sales Manager, Special Sales - Abrams Books - New York](. - [Designer - HarperCollins - New York, NY](. - [Associate Director, Publicity - HarperCollins - New York](. - [Jr. Designer - Running Press - Philadelphia](. - [Sr. Gift Designer - Running Press - Philadelphia](. Rights Report Alex Arnold at HarperCollins/Tegen has acquired Hello Girls by Brittany Cavallaro (l.) and Emily Henry, authors of the Charlotte Holmes series and A Million Junes, respectively. Pitched as a YA sendup of Thelma & Louise, the book features a pair of unlikely best friends who run away together to escape their miserable lives at home, and then hatch a plan to exact revenge on the men who have wronged them. Publication is slated for summer 2019; Lana Popovic at Chalberg & Sussman brokered the deal for North American rights. Kelsey Horton at Delacorte has bought, in a preempt, Kelly Coon's untitled YA fantasy debut. The book is about a kingdom where girls are selected to join fallen Kings as Queens in the Netherworld—a dark tradition that is seen as an honor but is, in actuality, a death sentence— and where one girl is determined to save her sister from this fate. Publication is planned for 2019; Kari Sutherland at Bradford Literary Agency did the two-book, six-figure deal for world English rights. Barbara Moore at Llewellyn Worldwide has acquired Printz Honor author Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Sea Tarot. The tarot deck and accompanying book tap into the mythology of Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races and draw on ancient pagan and Celtic traditions. Publication is set for fall 2019; Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights. Alessandra Balzer at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has bought, in a preempt, Kheryn Callender's debut YA novel, This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story. The contemporary story follows aspiring screenwriter Nathan Bird, who has seen the demise of too many relationships (most recently with his ex-girlfriend) to believe in romcom-worthy happy endings, but then reconnects with a boy from his past. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Beth Phelan at the Bent Agency brokered the deal for North American rights. Jennifer Ung at Simon Pulse has acquired Gloria Chao's Misaligned, about a teen outcast who is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of dark family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves to her small, predominantly white Midwestern town. Publication is planned for fall 2019; Kathleen Rushall at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world English rights. Laura Schreiber at Disney-Hyperion has bought, in a preempt, What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka. Set in the competitive world of a top art school, the story tells of a talented girl whose troubled background and desire to succeed lead her to make one terrible mistake, ensnaring her in secrets and lies that could cost her everything. Publication is slated for fall 2019; Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary did the deal for world English rights. Farrin Jacobs at Little, Brown/Poppy has acquired, in a pre-empt, NYU MFA Shannon Dunlap's debut novel, Izzy + Tristan, a modern retelling of the Tristan and Iseult romantic epic, set in contemporary Brooklyn. Publication is scheduled for fall 2018; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan handled the two-book deal for world English rights. Tara Weikum at HarperCollins has bought two middle grade novels by Elemental series author Antony John. The first book, Mascot, is about middle schooler Noah Savino, who—after a car accident that took his father's life and paralyzed him from the waist down—must grapple with his new disability as he rediscovers himself, his family, and his place in the world. Publication is set for fall 2018, with a second, as yet untitled novel to follow; Ted Malawer at Upstart Crow Literary brokered the two-book deal for world English rights. Katie Cunningham at Candlewick Studios has acquired Little Soldiers: The Good Son by Pierre-Jacques Ober (l.), Julia Ober (center), and Felicity Coonan, a photographic novel in which toy soldiers are used to depict the complexity of WWI. Publication is slated for 2020; Catherine Drayton at InkWell Management negotiated the deal for world English rights. Vanessa Lopez at Insight Editions has bought paper engineer Matthew Reinhart's Harry Potter pop-up book. Hogwarts showcases sections of the famous wizarding school in a format similar to Reinhart's Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management did the deal for world rights. Donna Bray at HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray has acquired Tom Sullivan's Out There, a picture book about the possibility of life on other planets—with an unexpected conclusion. Publication is scheduled for summer 2019; Steven Malk at Writers House represented the author in the deal for world rights. Tamar Brazis at Abrams has bought How I Learned to Fall Out of Trees by Vincent X. Kirsch, a picture book about the lessons that friends teach us about growing up. Publication is set for spring 2019; Christa Heschke of McIntosh and Otis represented the author-illustrator in the deal for world English rights. Taylor Norman at Chronicle has acquired Dave Eggers's (l.) What Can a Citizen Do?, a picture book conceived as a civics primer that contemplates the question of what it means to be a citizen. Shawn Harris will illustrate; publication is slated for fall 2018. Steven Malk at Writers House represented both the author and the illustrator in the deal for world rights. Taylor Norman at Chronicle has also bought Dave Eggers's Tomorrow Most Likely, a picture book that muses on all of the magnificent, dreamy, and absurd possibilities that may come the next day. Lane Smith will illustrate; publication is planned for March 2019. Steven Malk at Writers House did the deal for world rights. Susan Kochan at Putnam has acquired world rights to All Four Stars and The Great Hibernation author Tara Dairman's (l.) debut picture book, Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy, about a boy and a girl who flee opposite environments in India and meet in a safe, welcoming place. Archana Sreenivasan will illustrate; publication is slated for spring 2020. Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency represented the author, and Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary represented the illustrator. To see all of this week's deals, [click here](. IN THE MEDIA [From the Atlantic:]( What Would Miss Rumphius Do? Barbara Cooney's beloved stories carry lessons for young Americans about moral courage. [Click here]( [From the IndyStar:]( Two John Green books that he abandoned before writing Turtles. [Click here]( [From the Guardian:]( Children's author Oliver Jeffers on explaining the world to his son—one room at a time. [Click here]( [From Entertainment Weekly:]( Why didn't The Golden Compass movie work? [Click here]( [From Brightly:]( Katherine Paterson's Recommended Reads for Middle Grade and YA Readers. [Click here]( [From NPR:]( Julia Roberts on Wonder: "She was attracted to the project because she loved the book, and shared it with her three children." [Click here]( [From School Library Journal:]( Critics Question the Representation of Disability in Wonder. [Click here]( [From the Star Tribune:]( For family-owned Lerner Publishing, accolades and internal change mark a watershed year. [Click here]( [From the New York Times:]( Three illustrators for children share their creative processes. [Click here]( [From Literary Hub:]( You Can Never Go Back: On Loving Children's Books as an Adult. [Click here]( SHELFTALKER Elizabeth Bluemle [The Winner Is In for Desert Island Books]( The winner is announced, plus the compiled list of desert island reads. [more »]( Meghan Dietsche Goel [Nuts for Nonfiction]( Heading into the holidays with some great nonfiction favorites for kids. [more »]( Kenny Brechner [The 2017 Early Bird Report]( A downtown retail event provides a helpful window into local holiday book trends. [more »]( Cynthia Compton [Learning the Script]( A quick pre-season customer service review for holiday staffers at the bookshop. [more »]( FEATURED REVIEWS [The Littlest Viking]( Alexandra Penfold, illus. by Isabel Roxas. Knopf, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-399-55429-2 A young Viking with a knack for storytelling steps into new roles when he gains a baby sister. Penfold folds in fun ancient analogues to tried-and-true methods of appeasing cranky little ones, and Roxas’s color palette brings a punk edge to her scenes of Viking family life. [more]( [My Pillow Keeps Moving!]( Laura Gehl, illus. by Christopher Weyant. Viking, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-425-28824-5 A guy walks into a pillow store, and from there, Gehl and Weyant’s story becomes increasingly silly and delightful. The gentleman believes he is making three perfectly normal purchases: a pillow, a footstool, and a jacket. In each case, readers can see that the purchase is actually a clever stray dog looking for a warm home. [more]( [March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine]( Melba Pattillo Beals, illus. by Frank Morrison. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-328-88212-7 In a visceral and vital memoir, journalist and activist Beals, who integrated Central High School as one of the Little Rock Nine, recounts growing up African-American in 1940s Arkansas “under the umbrella of the rules and traditions of my oppression.” It’s a no-holds-barred reflection of the physical and psychological toll that prejudice, discrimination, and hate take on a young life. [more]( [The Hazel Wood]( Melissa Albert. Flatiron, $16.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-250-14790-5 Alice Proserpine has grown up on the run, haunted by a book her mother, Ella, has forbidden her from reading. It’s a collection of unsettling fairy tales written by a grandmother Alice has never met. When her grandmother dies and her mother goes missing, Alice and her classmate go directly to the place Ella warned Alice to avoid: the Hazel Wood, Althea’s estate, where Alice painfully unravels the mystery of her childhood. [more]( [A Land of Permanent Goodbyes]( Atia Abawi. Philomel, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-399-54683-9 In this gripping and heartrending novel, Abawi follows a family of Syrian refugees, whose lives are changed when one of the feared “bombs that fell indiscriminately from the sky” destroys their apartment building. Teenage Tareq, his father, and his four-year-old sister, Susan, survive, but his mother, grandmother, and three other siblings die in the blast. All three flee the country, joining the endless stream of refugees desperately seeking safety. [more]( November 14, 2017 E-mail not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Baby Chomper’s Bath Time]( [Children's Starred Reviews Celebration! | December 4, 2017]( [PW KidsCast: A Conversation with Kiki Prottsman]( PeopleKendra Levin has been promoted to associate editorial director at Viking Children's Books, overseeing middle grade and YA; she was previously executive editor. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing has five promotions. Laura DiSiena has been promoted to art director for Aladdin, from associate art director. Keri Horan has been promoted to senior marketing manager, from marketing manager. Hannah Carroll has been promoted to designer for Simon Spotlight and Little Simon, from junior designer. Tatyana Rosalia has been promoted to production associate, from production assistant. Bernadette Flinn has been promoted to production associate from production assistant. Mark Your Calendar The Grolier Club in New York City will host an exhibit of children’s books from the McLoughlin Brothers, a publishing firm active at the end of the 19th century. “Radiant with Color & Art: McLoughlin Brothers and the Business of Picture Books, 1858–1920” will run from December 6 to February 3, 2018. Drawing from the American Antiquarian Society’s archive, the exhibit features illustrated volumes, printing proofs, sketches, and other materials revealing the publisher’s business methods and production techniques. For more information, [click here](. Bestsellers [Children's Frontlist Fiction]( #1 Tales from a Not-So-Secret Crush Catastrophe (Dork Diaries #12) by Rachel Renée Russell. [Click here]( [Picture Books]( #1 Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illus. by Axel Scheffler. [Click here]( Follow Us Children's Bookshelf is on [Instagram]( Please follow us @pwkidsbookshelf. Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? [Click here]( see our archives page! CONTACT US Have a comment or suggestion? We'd love to hear from you. [Click here](mailto:childrensbooks@publishersweekly.com) to drop us a note. 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