Kids & YA Newsletter: May 2024

YOUNG ADULT 

Mr. Darcy got his happily ever after; now it's his sister's turn. Ever since she was caught kissing another girl, nearly costing her reputation, Georgiana’s life has been carefully calibrated to be as quiet as possible – until Kitty Bennet turns up at Pemberley to throw everything off kilter. Despite Georgiana swearing she wouldn't get too close to any more pretty girls, adventurous and headstrong Kitty is difficult to resist. Their newfound friendship leads to a moonlit kiss, but when Kitty is called back home, Georgiana knows she can't let things end there. Heading into the midst of the Bennet family, she has to contend with Kitty's confused feelings, a house full of prying eyes, and the arrival of George Wickham, a man who blackmailed her in the past and isn’t afraid to do it again. Every etiquette guide Georgiana's ever read makes it clear that if she wants to protect her family name, she must marry a man and give up her own chance at a happy ending. Unless, that is, she can use her wits, determination, and the support of those in her corner to secure the life together she and Kitty deserve. Picking up where Pride & Prejudice leaves off, THE UNGOVERNABLE HEART OF MISS DARCY by debut author Erin Edwards is a young adult historical romance that will appeal to fans of the sapphic love story in Malinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club and to anyone who watched Netflix's Bridgerton and hoped Penelope and Eloise would end up together. (Please note, Michaela Whatnall is the agent on this project.)

There is no one in the world that Kaley loves more than her older sister Zoey, who is developmentally disabled and medically fragile. The girls always have each other’s backs—even when Zoey tries to help with chores and ends up flooding the house, or Kaley crashes their car spectacularly and causes rumors of a small-town crime spree. When the sisters and their mom learn that Zoey would benefit from a new kidney but is at the bottom of the donation list, they take matters into their own hands. Knowing Kaley and Zoey’s estranged father might agree to donate, the three set off on a madcap road trip to find him. Nothing will stand in Kaley’s way, not even a gas station drag race, a hotel overrun with multi-level marketing fanatics, or even a run-in with a vengeful deer. It will all be worth it when Kaley gets Zoey’s care plan in order and can follow her boyfriend to an out-of-state college next fall knowing that both she and Zoey are living fuller, happier lives. However, Kaley is thrown into freefall when she learns that her mom may not have been fully honest about her own plans for the sisters’ futures. Now Kaley must reconcile the caretaker role she was born into with the desire to discover her own identity, and decide how far she’s willing to go for the person she loves most. WHAT I WOULD DO FOR YOU by Taylor Hobbs examines the tight bonds of sisterhood in a coming-of-age story that is both truly funny and deeply heartfelt, perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Meg Cabot. (Please note, Michaela Whatnall is the agent on this project.)

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

Twelve-year-old Bess Spelling is tired of being her mother’s no-drama child. Her older brother and sister eat up all of Mom’s attention, which is already in dwindling supply ever since Dad left. She feels invisible—the daughter no one pays attention to because everyone thinks she’s fine. No one even notices when she finds her great-grandmother’s magic cookbook and starts using it to cast spells. In Naomi Rockler’s enormously charming and entertaining debut novel, SPELL, Bess starts to get into hot water when she encroaches on her brother Asher’s thing, testing into a spelling bee that her brother expects to win without a problem. Even worse, she  outscores him on the bee’s entrance exam. When Asher demands that she drop out of the bee, Bess is so furious that she casts a success spell so that she’ll definitely beat Asher. Except she might have cast the wrong one because suddenly a lot of people seem to be revealing embarrassing truths about themselves. As the spell leaks from the spelling bee into the school at large, chaos erupts. And it’s up to Bess to find a way to break the spell, save the school, and just maybe find her way to the spotlight. Perfect for readers of tales of magic gone awry like Leah Johnson’s Ellie Engel Saves Herself and Edward Eager’s classic Half Magic, this is a magical debut. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.)

All twelve-year-old Nora knows of her family is that she was left as an infant at Maestro Antonio Vivaldi’s music school for foundlings. In the time she’s been sheltered at the Pietá, Nora has become Maestro Vivaldi’s most talented (and troublesome) student. But Nora has never gotten over being abandoned, and only one thing means more to Nora than music: finding—and winning over—her birth family. After sneaking out to attend a forbidden opera one day, Nora meets Renzo, an angel-voiced gondolier who awakens her to the possibility of performing in an opera orchestra. That would be the perfect way to attract the attention of her real parents! Nora and her best friend, Betta, hatch a secret plan to seek their fortunes beyond the Pietá’s stifling walls. The girls soon find themselves adrift in the dizzying world of Venetian opera with only Renzo to trust and Nora’s unique gifts to guide them. But, when Renzo betrays them, Nora must find the courage to believe in herself and recognize that what she’s wanted all her life has always been there. Debut author and professional musician Christi Scrivner Leman captures the hidden lives of these all-but-unknown females of music history from the perspective of a uniquely gifted, adventure-seeking, blind heroine. Celebrating the theme of found family, NORA’S SONG takes young readers on a captivating romp through the canals and music venues of Venice. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent on this project.)

In Mao’s China, twelve-year-old Shan is an outcast, facing constant persecution because her parents fought against the communist troops during the revolution. With no access to education and few prospects for the future, she wonders if she’ll forever be marked as a traitor. Nine-year-old Lihui has lived in Taiwan all her life, but she knows it’s not home. The adults in her life constantly remind her that they’re only staying until the Nationalist armies can regroup and take China back from the communists. But those lofty plans seem distant compared with her family’s financial struggles and her mother’s onstant melancholy. When Lihui has visions transporting her to Shan’s world, the girls find their lives entwined. Together, they hatch a plan to make things better for both their families. But political winds around them are fickle, and the girls soon find themselves caught up in forces much greater than themselves. To carry things through, they must learn to trust each other, and to navigate a secret that may heal their families or tear them apart. THE STORMS BETWEEN US is an incredible story about the aftershocks of the Chinese Civil War and China’s turn to communism. An intricate family story told through a lens of magical realism, Livia Blackburne’s first novel for middle grade readers will appeal to fans of Veera Hiranandani’s The Night Diary and Tae Keller’s When You Trap a Tiger. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.)

MIDDLE GRADE GRAPHIC NOVEL

Among the drifting asteroids orbiting a distant star, a small village lives in harmony with the many plants that make life on these rocks possible. Harlan and his reclusive father, Jack, live away from the community, on the outside of the belt. It’s the perfect place for Harlan to gaze out into space, tinker with his plants, and have adventures with his best friend, Perkins. But all that changes when a terrifying, spider-like beast from a shooting star crashes into a nearby rock. As Harlan observes the spider, it seems harmless, but when he tells Perkins about it, Perkins insists on warning the village, driving a wedge between the two friends and further isolating Harlan.  Caught between his need for independence and the confusing, unreliable threads that entwine him with his community, Harlan is forced to contend with his feelings about the village while saving them from the potential threat of the space spider. With THREADS, beloved author/illustrator Tadgh Bentley (Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups, One Chicken Nugget) takes his art in a new direction, serving up a middle grade graphic novel that will be sure to draw in readers of his picture books and stargazers of all ages. (Please note, John Rudolph is the agent on this project.) 

 

MIDDLE GRADE NONFICTION

Is hypnotism real? People have been asking that question since 1774, when Franz Anton Mesmer accidentally hypnotized a patient. Mesmer believed he had discovered an invisible life force that was the key to human health, but while some members of the medical community thought Mesmer’s discovery deserved study and observation, others thought Mesmer was using parlor tricks to lighten people’s purses. Indeed, even as doctors debated its merits, hypnotism soon became a popular stage show, and the debate continues to this day. With a cast of characters including dedicated doctors, feuding physicians, pseudoscientists, and charming charlatans, and with cameos from famous figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, and Sigmund Freud, LOOK INTO MY EYES: THE MESMERIZING HISTORY OF HYPNOTISM is the first complete history of hypnotism for middle grade readers. The acclaimed author of There’s No Ham in Hamburgers and There’s No Cream in Cream Soda, Kim Zachman brings the story to life through engaging prose, informative sidebars and a final chapter that delves into current scientific research. Anyone who enjoyed Georgia Bragg’s How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous or Kate Messner’s The History Smashers series will fall under Zachman’s spell—and it WON’T make you very, very sleepy! (Please note, John Rudolph is the agent on this project.)

PICTURE BOOK

RANDOM AXE OF KINDNESS by children’s educator and author Shannon Anderson is a 375-word punny picture book about belonging. When a random axe is added to the tool shed, he doesn't fit in with any of the other tools and isn't sure he can hack it. Axe tries to fit in by doing what the other tools do. It isn't until there is a need for what Axe was made to do that he discovers true belonging. This story was inspired by Brené Brown's book, Atlas of the Heart, where she shares that 'fitting in' is having to be like everyone else to be accepted. Belonging is when you are accepted for who you are. There are SEL ties to kindness and belonging in addition to STEM tie-ins. There are also some fun extension activities involving both math and engineering for teachers that could be included as back matter and additional resources. Readers who enjoy Drew Daywalt's book, The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, and Jory John's many books like The Good Egg and The Bad Seed, will appreciate the world of talking tools in RANDOM AXE OF KINDNESS. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.)

Lonely Lenny is the dorkiest dog of his neighborhood. In order to join the pack, the other dogs challenge him to go into the woods and bring something back. The woods are super-scary, but there Lenny meets Cerberus, the three-headed canine of Greek myth. It turns out they both share a love of accordion-playing, card tricks, and desktop role-playing games. When they return to the pack, Cerberus makes Lenny seem cool to the other dogs, and Lenny loves the new attention. But shy Cerberus starts to feel ignored, so he goes back to the underworld. When Lenny realizes his mistake, he braves a treacherous underground journey of his own to apologize, and along the way, Lenny (and Cerberus) learn a thing or two about friendship. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books praised author Steve Wilson’s “hilarious” Sven Carter novels for their “silly situations.” With LENNY AND CERBERUS NERD OUT, Wilson creates more wonderfully silly and hilarious situations for any picture book readers that have felt out of place, as well as for dog lovers (and classicists) of all ages. (Please note, John Rudolph is the agent on this project.) 

Sometimes it says hello in a blazing beam of sunshine. Sometimes in tapping raindrops. Or wild, whistling wind. Sometimes it doesn’t say anything. It sits still. Silent. Waiting to meet you. And when you decide to say hello…it’s ready. Today! From Jenny Turnbull, the author of Tate’s Wild Rescue (Crown Children's, 2024) comes TODAY (270 words). With simple, beautiful language and inviting stunning illustration, TODAY brings the day to life as a constant companion and friend, guiding the reader through the possibilities, excitement, and challenges of each new day. Today is not just another day. Today is a personified character with a compassionate interest in the reader’s life—facing the ups, downs, wonder, and surprises together. Heartfelt and hopeful, "Today admits sometimes tomorrow is better than today." Inspiring comps include Rain Before Rainbows, When the Sky Glows, and Outside In. This story highlights feelings and experiences to which every child can relate and reveals the magic and potential in welcoming TODAY. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.)