Kids & YA Newsletter: February 2020

A summer morning turns into a nightmare when police burst into seventeen-year-old Piper’s home and arrest her mother for stealing an infant years ago. Piper soon learns she was that child. Now there’s a long-lost family determined to take her back. Confused, alone, and terrified to be whisked away to a new life, Piper slips out of town in the middle of the night. She gains an unlikely passenger—her brother’s best friend, Finn. They barely evade law enforcement, while constantly knocking heads as Finn urges her to return home. When the authorities catch up, Piper faces a future with strangers who insist on calling her “Greta.” She quickly realizes that this picture-perfect, wealthy family is steeped in secrets and flaws, and not everyone is happy to see her. In today’s era of DNA testing, Sophie Dekker delivers a compelling and all-too-imaginable story. Both heartbreaking and joyous, DON’T CALL ME GRETA invites readers to consider: “What would you do if you learned your whole life has been a lie?” (Please note, Jane Dystel is the agent on this project.) 

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved and has nothing left to lose. The super-flu has killed off over 90% of the world’s population, including everyone Andrew and Jamie have ever loved. The post-flu world has taught them both to be scared of what other desperate people will do, but Andrew’s injury makes him vulnerable and Jamie empathetic. And after so much time spent alone, it turns out a little human companionship is a good thing—maybe a necessary one. When threatening strangers arrive, the boys’ time in Jamie’s house is cut short and they flee south together in search of civilization. But Andrew has a dark secret, one he fears could destroy them and everything they’re building together on the road. Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion on top of an already tumultuous journey. The road ahead of them is long. Jamie and Andrew have forgotten that cruelty and injustice were a part of "civilization" even before the bug. To survive, they must shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and learn how to carry on when all that's left in the world is the love they have for each other. Erik Brown’s dual-POV, post-apocalyptic, queer YA adventure novel ALL THAT'S LEFT IN THE WORLD is a slow-burn romance full of fast-paced action and suspense and perfect for fans of both What If It’s Us and Wilder Girls. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent on this project.) 

Sixteen-year-old Lenna Lively has seen the dark side of celebrity: her social-media-influencer sister Violet was abducted and killed by a stalker two years ago. Since then, Lenna has avoided attention and confrontation, working as an editor of the obsolete news team at her corporate-sponsored high school and trying to improve her Tastemaker score before it drops too low and they kick her out. Her cousin John uses his platform as a top Tastemaker to do the opposite: call out the injustices of the new school voucher system. Until the night of Lenna’s stepdad’s campaign party, when John is found dead in a hot tub. Lenna and the news team dig in to find the real story on John... except all evidence seems to have been wiped from existence. As Halloween Homecoming and the California election draw near, the window of time to find John’s killer is dwindling as fast as the wildfire-ravaged landscape. And just as viral retweeted false stories hindered Violet’s case, the complete lack of social media attention is suffocating John’s. Because if something isn’t posted, it’s like it never happened. Perfect for fans of Courtney Summers’ Sadie and Tiffany Jackson’s Monday’s Not Coming, TO ASSUME is a distressingly believable, near-future YA thriller from debut author Shanna Rogers. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.) 

The Island of New Amity has a secret: when the black shark migration arrives to its shores and the seasonal summer tourists flock to its beaches, the Summer Boys return carried by the tide into the arms of the women left behind. But the reunion is always short-lived, and the curse that afflicts them drives them into the sea when summer ends. Seventeen-year-old newcomer Cora Turner knows all about curses. Haunted by the disappearance of her older brother, Caleb, Cora and her mother have moved to the island to start over. When she meets Jess Cooper, a Summer Boy, she realizes helping end his curse might be the answer to breaking her own—by bringing back Caleb. As they spend their summer days together attempting to solve the mystery of the curse, Cora learns that the residents of New Amity don’t trust the Summer Boys or their dark secrets. When Cora’s aunt June is murdered, the Island quickly places blame on the nearest Summer Boy, and Jess is accused and arrested for the crime. But summer is ending, and if Jess doesn’t return to the sea when called, he’ll die. So Cora sets out to find the real killer on an island of old magics where nobody trusts the Summer Boys, or their friends, and where everyone seems to be hiding dark secrets of their own. To save Jess—and maybe herself—she will have to race to solve the mystery of the killer and the curse. The sea waits for no one. THE SEA KEEPS is a fast-paced, twisty, gorgeously written YA contemporary fantasy in the vein of Maureen Johnson’s Truly, Devious and Margo Lanagan’s The Brides of Rollrock Island by MFA grad and published author Sarah Ahiers. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent on this project.) 

At LA’s Westlake High, all Bobby Agbayani wants is to keep his sexuality secret, maintain a 4.0 GPA, and stay alive. Unfortunately, Westlake’s resident graffiti vandal outs him, and school bully Rex and his gang make kicking his ass an extracurricular activity. Then Rex steals Bobby’s bike, the last thing Bobby’s dad gave him before he died. But Bobby has a plan, and its name is Manny Pacquiao, boxing world champion. He studies Pacquiao’s fights, learns to box like him at the local gym, and challenges Rex to a fight in the ring in front of the entire school—with the bike going to the victor. Days before the bout, Pacquiao calls gay people “worse than animals” in the press, and Bobby is shattered. Like his worst enemy, his hero is homophobic. But he can’t dwell on that now. Not with the upcoming fight, and his life and his dad’s final gift on the line. CHASING PACQUIAO is Rod Pulido’s fantastic, thoughtful debut. Not just a consideration of how we survive the disappointments of our heroes, it is also a joyful celebration of young love and the friends that fight alongside you. With humor, compassion, and a bone-deep knowledge of his characters, Pulido’s novel is a triumph. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.) 

Twelve-year-old Hazel has a secret. She and her mother are polyglots. And her mom might be a spy. Why else does she insist on keeping the number of languages they know a secret? And lately those languages—only supposed to be spoken in the privacy of their home—are escaping at the most inconvenient times. When Hazel’s frequent headaches lead to a nearly fatal fall, she wakes up in a hospital without the ability to speak any languages except one she’s never learned. Determined to fix her, Hazel’s mom hires a speech pathologist to help Hazel recall her languages. Only Hazel isn’t so sure she wants them back. Without them she isn’t afraid to try new, exciting things like surfing and zip-lining. And with her translator by her side, a whole other world opens up—one where Hazel is the brave, adventurous person she’s always dreamed of being. One where her anxiety is banished along with her languages. One where she finally feels like she belongs. Except, now her brain is betraying her again. Slowly, her languages are pushing their way back in, bringing her anxiety and fear right back with them. But with the help of her family, she discovers that the real meaning of courage is listening to the language of her heart. THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART by Jennifer Camiccia, author of The Memory Keeper, explores a world full of words and secrets that will appeal to kids of all ages. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.) 

Earthquakes are terrifying and mysterious. And yet, for about the last hundred years seismologists, or geophysicists, have made tremendous strides in answering the many riddles of why the earth shakes, rattles, and rolls. AFTERSHOCKS: WOMEN THAT ROCK EARTHQUAKE SCIENCE by Lori Polydoros is the first book to celebrate the tenacity and innovation of the female scientists who have crushed obstacles to this field of study in a male-dominated profession. AFTERSHOCKS explores the ABCS of earthquakes, offers a timeline of underground mysteries, and will include 10 detailed biographies. Susan Hough (“Seismo Sue”), physicist Peggy Hellweg, Nicaraguan immigrant Edith Caroline Rojas, Tanya Atwater (the “Mother of Plate Tectonics”), geologist Debbie Weiser, and Inge Lehmann, who is considered the “Grand Dame of Seismology,” are some of the women profiled. Written by a native Californian who has taught elementary science and published over 80 books, AFTERSHOCKS will appeal to a wide range of readers  it teaches children how to explain some of the shaking beneath their feet, prepare for a natural disaster, and find their inspiration through the stories of strong, curious women. (Please note, Ann Leslie Tuttle is the agent on this project.) 

Almost-eleven-year-old Maya is navigating life in fifth grade at an elite San Francisco private school, facing homework, math quizzes, shifting friendships, and mean girls. Maya has always worn used uniforms and hand-me-down-shoes—while some girls sport diamond earrings and designer rain boots—but after tragedy strikes, Maya’s family loses the only house she’s ever lived in. And suddenly, Maya is commuting to her school from a homeless shelter. Chronicling typical fifth-grade struggles and also considering homelessness through one fifth grader’s lens, SHELTER follows a poignant day in Maya’s life. From the moment when she wakes up shivering at the shelter to the moment when she falls asleep holding her mother’s hand, Maya encounters fear, bullying, sadness, exhaustion, hunger, and loss. But she also experiences friendship, support, gratitude, hope, and love. And she realizes that having a house isn’t the only way to have a home. This middle grade debut from Christie Matheson, author and illustrator of the award-winning picture books Tap the Magic Tree and Touch the Brightest Star, is a reminder of the things we shouldn’t take for granted—and what truly matters most. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.) 

Isn’t it time we took a whole new look at fish? Fish are the least understood and most exploited group of vertebrates on Earth. Yet, the past 20 years have seen a revolution in our understanding of these animals. MINDING NEMO by PhD biologist and author of the New York Times bestselling What a Fish Knows (translated into 15 foreign languages), Jonathan Balcombe, aims not just to inform young readers about fish, but to encourage a sense of connection to them. This fun, eye-opening book has a serious goal: presenting the latest scientific revelations about a diverse collection of over 33,000 sentient, cognitive, and socially sophisticated species. MINDING NEMO presents a phantasmagoria of fascinating vignettes to help readers uncover subtle, amazing secrets from the lives of fish. Guided by text accompanied by arresting photographs and illustrations, readers discover fish versions of tool use, planning, artistry, virtue, culture, deception, collaboration, apprenticeship, mental mapping, ballistics, bird-catching, spa-treatments, mucus-nipping, flatulent communication, outwitting chimpanzees, and much more. Delivered in a light-hearted voice sprinkled with humor, the book nevertheless harbors a deeper, timely message that fish deserve our respect and compassion. Worldwide, our aquatic cousins are in trouble. We haul up at least several hundred billion of them from their homes every year, and scientists estimate that we’ve lost half of all marine life since 1970. MINDING NEMO aims to steer a developing generation of ocean consumers towards a generation of ocean guardians. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.) 

Jiyeon Pak has carved out a niche for herself with her picture books that gently address difficult subjects, particularly with elderly relatives. Kirkus Reviews called My Grandma’s Memories, “A comforting cup of tenderness for children when aging and memory loss issues begin to brew,” while SLJ declared My Grandpa’s Chair, “[A] sweet story of devotion and dedication… brilliantly illustrated.” Now, with MOM’S PAJAMAS, Pak turns her gaze to a daughter and her single mother struggling to balance all of her responsibilities. After being told all day that Mom is busy and will help her later, a girl snuggles up with her mom’s pajamas. She wishes Mom would wear them all day, because “only Mom in her pajamas is not busy.” But when it snows the next day and Mom DOES stay in her pajamas, the girl realizes what SHE can do to help Mom be less busy. With simple yet expressive illustrations to appeal to even the youngest readers, MOM’S PAJAMAS is a winning celebration of a mother and a daughter learning how to make it work. (Please note, John Rudolph is the agent on this project.) 

Six-year old Joel loves animals, Google, potato chips, and his older sister Frankie, who makes up incredible fairytales to tell him every night. He loves his Mum too, but she has rules that are sometimes hard to follow, like not keeping any secrets, always keeping the heavy curtains in the house closed, and never, ever going outside the Keep Out Fence which keeps them safe from all the terrible things in the world. As a 13-year old, Frankie is more rebellious than Joel when it comes to obeying Mum, and when an infraction on her part results in a particularly horrific consequence, she tries to persuade Joel that they have to run away and get help. It takes some convincing on Frankie’s part, but when Mum, in one of her rages, ends up destroying something Joel loves deeply, he finds a way to escape, embarking on a journey of a lifetime that will change him profoundly. And when, out in the real world, Joel and Frankie uncover Mum’s darkest secret of all, it is Joel who will ultimately have to come to terms with his mother’s actions and what it will mean for his new life. Inspired in part by the Turpin case, which made headlines in 2016, and by the author’s own childhood experiences of having been raised in a religious cult, EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE IS REAL by acclaimed children’s author Cecilia Galante examines how relationships are forged in a traumatic environment, what it means to become part of the world again, and how stories, more than anything else, help us heal in ways we never thought possible. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.)

 Owen Jacobs usually lives a happy, bustling life in the city, where he shares his days with two hard-working parents, a flock of stuffed animals, and his own overactive imagination. But this summer between, Owen’s whole world will change. When his parents ship off for a research trip abroad, Owen is sent to stay with his grandmother in a small cabin in the woods. One rainy afternoon, Owen sets out solo to explore the forested world around Gram’s home, where he discovers a tiny door that leads to a magical realm, one filled with so many mythical creatures—gnomes, trolls, unicorns, goblins, fairies, dragons, leprechauns—and it seems Owen is only human granted access to this enchanted land. But there is trouble simmering beneath the gilded surface of his newfound woodland paradise. A war is brewing between the various groups of creatures who share this world, and Owen must help restore peace before the entire forest—including the land his Gram’s cottage rests upon—is destroyed forever. The first in the proposed Gnome Hollow series, THROUGH THE TINY DOOR by Erin Soderberg Downing combines the magic, fantasy, and accessibility of Spiderwick Chronicles with the action, heart, and humor of Unicorn Rescue Society; all in a woundrous woodland setting that invites readers to escape into an all-new magical adventure. A proposal for the series and chapter samples are available. (Please note, Michael Bourret is the agent on this project.)

 Thirteen-year-old Dalia has big plans for the summer before eighth grade: first, convince her single dad to finally take her to an amusement park for the first time, and second, figure out how to make new friends after her best (and only) friend grew boobs, got popular, and ditched her. It seems like Dalia might check one item off her list when she meets new-to-town Rani at swim practice. But both of Dalia’s summer plans are put on hold when her dad tells her the worst news of all time: he’s engaged. And to make matters worse, his fiancée has an eighteen-year-old daughter, Alexa, who wants nothing to do with her future stepsister. With Alexa heading back to college soon, the grown-ups want the soon-to-be stepsiblings to spend time bonding—which means Alexa has to cancel the amusement park road trip she’s been planning for months. That is, until Dalia has an idea: if she goes on Alexa’s trip—and brings Rani along— maybe she can make both of her summer plans actually happen and get on Alexa’s good side. The trip gets off to a great start, with roller coasters to go on, funnel cakes to eat, and Lazy Rivers to laze down. But things get complicated when Dalia discovers that Alexa’s hiding a big secret: Alexa’s girlfriend is joining the trip. Now, Dalia has to keep Alexa’s secret while also realizing one of her own: she might have more-than-friend feelings for her maybe-friend Rani. ALMOST FLYING is a deliriously entertaining road trip novel about found family, first queer crushes, and the singular delight of roller coasters. Jake Maia Arlow’s debut is a glorious summer romp for fans of Better Nate than Ever and Drum Roll, Please. (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.)

 Twelve-year-old Elaine Patterson knows her way around Alphabet City, New York. She’s in charge of the rent, the meals and her little brother, Alex—because their mother is dead, and their father, Louis, is a drunk. Every day is pizza day. It’s got all four food groups in it, especially if you include the toppings. So, what’s not to like? But Louis rarely shows up on time to eat it, and the pizza usually goes cold. That’s the thing about drunks: You’re either waiting for them or running from them. And when Louis lashes out at Alex one too many times, Elaine decides to run. She and Alex take a bus to Pennsylvania to find their long-lost aunt and uncle. The suburb is a universe away from Avenue C, but the kids soon realize that they’ve simply exchanged one substance addiction for another. Aunt Sally and Uncle Dick’s drug-fueled disco parties stretch into the night. Elaine comes up with creative ways to cope and care for Alex like she always does, but eventually they have no choice but to run again and hope that their favorite food can help save the day. Set in the gritty haze of the 1970s, THE PIZZA RUN by Emmy Award-winning writer for Rugrats and current Senior Writer at Age of Learning (ABCmouse.com, Adventure Academy) Barbara Schwartz, is about resilience, the yearning for family—and how the problems of 40 years ago are the same ones that we’re still wrestling with today. (Please note, Stacey Glick is the agent on this project.)

 With her parents' marriage colder than the Cold War, 12-year-old Nelle’s daddy moves out of the farmhouse and into the fallout shelter out back. Nelle’s favorite brother takes off too, to war in Vietnam, and suddenly her family is left in more pieces than the old John Deere tractor. Then she meets Mr. Snodgrass when volunteering at the retirement home in town, and he claims he is an extraterrestrial who crash-landed on Earth years ago. It seems Nelle (and only Nelle) can help him get back to his home planet. It just means convincing NASA to take something of Mr. Snodgrass' with them when they attempt to land on the moon. Nelle needs to turn the historic landing into something else—a rescue mission for the sister Mr. Snodgrass left on the moon, which was his last stop before ending up on Earth. Although initially skeptical, Nelle starts up a one-sided correspondence with the astronauts at Cape Canaveral and in the process learns what it means to be a friend and to believe. With a sci-fi bent much like Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me and hints of The Little Prince, THIS FLAT FUNNY PLANET by Jessie Oliveros, award-winning author of The Remember Balloons, is a coming-of-age middle grade story about a girl who learns that of all places in the universe, home is the best place to be. (Please note, Mike Hoogland is the agent on this project.)

 17-year-old Josslyn Drake has never paid much attention to magic. All she knows is that it’s priceless, rare, and one hundred percent illegal. But Joss’s posh life as the ward of the Prime Minister of Regara, the most affluent planet in the Scalian Empire, takes a hard left after she’s infected by a piece of allegedly lethal ancient magic, which not only gives her super strength, but also the ability to walk through another person’s memories. This puts an immediate target on her back by those who want to possess this magic and those who want to destroy it. Joss’s path collides with dangerous galactic criminal Jericho Nox, who is laser-focused on possessing Joss’s magic so he can sell it on the black market to the highest bidder. Desperate to cure herself of this “magical disease,” Joss reluctantly teams up with the enigmatic Jericho on a quest that will take them from secret fight clubs, to walled prisons containing poisonous mechanical spiders and heart-eating monsters, to gladiatorial matches in city-sized floating palaces. With every day that passes, and every memory Joss sees, she reveals another heart-stopping piece of deadly and shadowy political intrigue that threatens to destroy the universe itself. In an empire of lies, truth is the greatest weapon. BLACKHEART is an exhilarating YA SF/Fantasy by Michelle Rowen (aka Morgan Rhodes, author of the New York Times bestselling Falling Kingdoms series). (Please note, Jim McCarthy is the agent on this project.)