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In the Spotlight
 Jewell Parker Rhodes, LBYR Partner on Fellowship for Emerging WritersProspective writers of middle grade fiction whose unpublished work centers on historically underserved communities have a new opportunity to advance their writing. Coretta Scott King Book Award-winning author Jewell Parker Rhodes and her longtime publisher Little, Brown Books for Young Readers have teamed up to offer the first-ever fellowship in the author’s name. more  In the News
 Federal Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss DoDEA Book Removal CaseJudge Patricia Tolliver Giles rejected an effort to dismiss a First Amendment complaint against five Department of Defense Education Activity schools, which removed 596 library books in response to White House executive orders. more  Albert Whitman Files New Reorganization Plan The plan would pay authors and illustrators about half of what they are owed by the children’s publisher over the next five years. The company filed for bankruptcy nearly two years ago and owes unsecured creditors about $2 million. more First Person
 Sarah Beth Durst on Why You Should Open Magical Doors Navigating the grief brought on by Covid inspired fantasy author Sarah Beth Durst to turn to gentle magical storytelling, including in her adult cozy fantasy The Spellshop, and her new YA novel The Faraway Inn. Here, Durst reflects on the importance of magical worlds that offer safety, and how escapism is not a luxury, but a necessity to face troubles in our reality. more
Licensing News
 Licensing Hotline: March 26, 2026Disney Publishing, along with master licensee Random House Children’s Books, sister imprint DK, and Chronicle Books, launched a seven-title tie-in program in advance of the March 6 release of the hit Disney-Pixar film, Hoppers. The film has grossed nearly $250 million at the global box office to date, making it one of the top two releases and the highest-grossing animated film of 2026. Read on for news about an expansion into fiction for Tommy Nelson’s DudePerfect publishing program, a new licensing agent for the Wings of Fire middle-grade fantasy franchise, and more. more Reading Roundup
 Noteworthy Picture Book and Novel Sequels: March 2026Young readers are sure to welcome spring and new installments of their favorite series with open arms. Out this month is a picture book about mixing colors, a series installment about an invasion by adorable felines, a YA fantasy sequel about a demon takeover, and more. more Four Questions
 Annette Bay Pimentel and Faith PrayThis year marks the 100th anniversary of the very first Winnie-the-Pooh book. In How a Bear Became a Book, Annette Bay Pimentel (l.) and Faith Pray pay homage to the collaboration between author A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard that resulted in the beloved classics. We spoke with the creators about finding a fitting narrative and style for the story, and the magical interaction that occurs between art and text in Milne and Shepard’s books. Q: Why do you think the Winnie-the-Pooh books have had such an enduring appeal? Pimentel: I’m convinced that it’s because the collaboration between Milne and Shepard was so magical at catching this vision of buoyancy and unfettered childhood. It was surprising and even shocking to me to see how other people tried to illustrate Winnie-the-Pooh. And I don’t think it would have endured. The text is beautiful and funny, but it really needs the art of Shepard, and there was just an alchemy there. more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Press: Week of March 30 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book biography about a trailblazing dancer, a graphic novel following best friends pursuing their artist dreams, a YA novel about a stranded group avoiding a predatory dragon, and more. more In Brief
 In Brief: March 26, 2026Recently, a Broadway star made his picture book debut, an author presented a new picture book adaptation, collaborators kicked off a book tour, an author-illustrator held a springtime storytime, an author-illustrator duo launched their new book, and a YA author celebrated his debut. more
Rights Report
 Mary Kate Castellani and Kei Nakatsuka at Bloomsbury have bought, at auction, The Kids Came Back Wrong, edited by Wen-yi Lee (The Dark We Know), a YA horror anthology for fans of Weapons and Stranger Things. which follows a group of teens who disappeared in the woods on a school trip as kids and came back changed in ways they can't describe, featuring interconnected stories from Kylie Lee Baker, H.E. Edgmon, Tigest Girma, Ana Hurtado, Wen-yi Lee, P.H. Low, Zoe Hana Mikuta, Mark Oshiro, Aden Polydoros, Allison Saft, Trang Thanh Tran, Joelle Wellington, and Andrew Joseph White. Kei Nakatsuka will edit; publication is set for fall 2027. Isabel Kaufman at Fox Literary did the deal for world rights.   Madison Pelletier at Mischief Books has acquired Cave Jumpers by Ellie Owens, a debut dystopian fantasy about a teen girl who blackmails her way into the elite corps that protects her society from deadly beasts; Lydia Sharp will edit. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Juliana McBride at Rebecca Friedman Literary negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.  Joy Peskin at FSG has bought, in an exclusive submission, The Boy Who Lived to Tell It: A True Story of Survival, an upper middle grade memoir-in-verse co-written by Peter Mutabazi (l.) (Now I Am Known), former Ugandan street kid, author, foster child advocate, and foster and adoptive parent, and PB Rising Stars Mentorship Program co-founder Ebony Lynn Mudd (Just Like Tina). The book follows Peter as he flees an abusive home as a boy and finds himself among street children in Kampala, navigating hunger, danger, and a world he never chose, until a life-changing encounter with a stranger shifts his path. Publication is slated for spring 2028; Erin Murphy at Aevitas Creative Management did the deal for world English rights.  Tiffany Colón at Scholastic has acquired My Not So Charmed Life, a Wimpy Kid/Dork Diaries-style coming-of-age middle grade series written and illustrated by Jessica Khoury, about Ryder, a 12-year-old girl finding her voice armed with her StarSigns app, cosmic confidence, and a few special crystals. Book one, How to Follow the Stars, will publish in spring 2027 and two more will follow in fall 2027 and spring 2028; Tracey Adams at Adams Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.  Matt Phipps at Putnam has bought, at auction in a two-book deal, Aminata Jaiteh's debut, Speak Up, Darla Jean, a middle grade novel about a Black girl adopted into a white family who develops selective mutism after an incident of racially motivated bullying. As she enters a new school and makes friends for the first time with kids who really understand her, Darla Jean gets a chance to start over and find her true voice. Publication is planned for fall 2027; Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret sold world rights.  Jalen Garcia-Hall and Maya Marlette at Scholastic have acquired Fireproof by Nikki Shannon Smith, a historical middle grade novel in which a 12-year-old girl must navigate the blazing streets and chaos of the Great Chicago Fire, with her younger brother in tow, to stay alive after getting separated from their parents. Publication is set for fall 2027; Jennifer March Soloway while at Andrea Brown Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.  Sarah Ketchersid at Candlewick has bought, in an exclusive submission, Cat Fables and Dog Fables, by Newbery Honor author-illustrator Cece Bell (El Deafo; Animal Albums from A to Z). Each illustrated book is a collection of 10 fables that center on the titular cat and dog, and their interactions with each other (and a mouse). Publication of the first book is scheduled for fall 2027; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency sold world rights.  Grace Kendall at FSG has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to Jess Burbank's author-illustrator debut, Moss, a picture book that explores an overlooked and underestimated plant that has survived for millions of years in some of the most unexpected places while playing a vital role in our ecosystem, pitched for fans of Nell Cross Beckerman and Jason Chin. Publication is slated for winter 2028; Ariana Philips at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency did the two-book deal.  Meredith Mundy at Abrams Appleseed has bought Dad's Beard Disappeared by Julie Koon (Breathe a Rainbow), a picture book about a toddler startled to see her dad without his beard for the first time. Publication is planned for spring 2027; Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary handled the deal for world rights.  Stacey Barney at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has acquired North American rights to For a Snow Fort by John Coy (l.), illustrated by Kayla Harren, a picture book about a child who needs help building a snow fort and finds it in unexpected and dramatic ways. Publication is set for fall 2027; Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Agency represented the author, and Marietta B. Zacker at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency represented the illustrator.  Charlie Ilgunas at Little Bee Books has bought Mava's debut author-illustrated picture book, Ivan and the Crocodile, about Ivan, a boy seeking some peace and quiet from the adults in his life, who is swallowed whole by an enormous crocodile in the park and finds he finally has time to do whatever he likes. Publication is scheduled for spring 2027; James Burns at the Bright Agency sold world rights.  Joy Peskin at FSG has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Apples All Around by Rebecca Gardyn Levington (l.) (the Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable book Finding Forgiveness), illustrated by Gillian Eilidh O'Mara. In this poetic ode to fall, a family of four enjoys a fun-filled day of apple picking, making memories that will last a lifetime. Publication is planned for spring 2028; Kaitlyn Sanchez at Bradford Literary Agency represented the author, and Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.  Want Chyi at Philomel has bought world rights to I Dream of Waffles by Jenny Torres Sanchez (l.), illustrated by Tammy Do. In this picture book, a child practices soothing her runaway imagination and anxiety at bedtime by counting waffles, her favorite breakfast food, instead of sheep. Publication is slated for spring 2027; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan represented the author, and Karen Kilpatrick at East West Literary represented the illustrator. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
  Cora’s Beach Adventure Sally M. Walker, illus. by Julie Kwon. MIT, $18.99 hardcover (48p) ISBN 978-1-5362-4031-3; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-1-5362-4332-1 Walker and Kwon invite readers on young Cora and her grandmother’s beach adventure in this thoughtfully crafted chapter book with a STEAM-focused angle. Simple plotting featuring gentle twists and turns follows the protagonists as they build sandcastles and explore tide pools. Sunny watercolor illustrations match the text’s bright and playful tone, while back matter offers scientific facts and a hands-on sand activity, making for a highly readable adventure that champions critical thinking and creativity. more  The Ocean Would Paint Me BlueZoulfa Katouh. Little, Brown, $19.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-3163-5194-2 “All the color has disappeared” from 17-year-old artist Jihad’s world following her mother’s sudden death more than a year ago. After her withdrawn father transfers Jihad from her Queens public school to Braxton Academy, she reluctantly attends, calculating that the school’s pedigree could bolster her chances of gaining entrance to her dream art school. When she begins sketching in a notebook discovered inside a family heirloom vanity, her drawings manifest as murals across the city, forcing Jihad to confront her tangled emotions on a grand scale. more  Midsummer SistersNiki Smith. Graphix, $25.99 hardcover (272p) ISBN 978-1-5461-2895-3; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-5461-2894-6 Kenzie, an avid rock collector with a prominent facial birthmark, and Quinn, a quick-tempered redhead whose favorite pastime is texting her crush, have been stepsisters for years, ever since Kenzie’s mother died and their single parents found each other. When that relationship begins to splinter, though, the girls are sent to their grandmother’s home on North Carolina’s Outer Banks for a summer marred by uncertainty. more  StreamAida Salazar. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-338-77567-9 Celi dreams of becoming an influencer, masking shame about her appearance behind carefully curated social media posts. Elio, reeling from a breakup and recovering from heart surgery, retreats into an all-consuming video game habit that tanks his grades. After a minor injury brings Elio to Celi’s doorstep, their hesitant friendship blossoms, rooted in shared vulnerability and cultural rediscovery. The result is an accessible, heartwarming story that offers timely reflections on authenticity in the digital age. more  The Greatest Bedtime Story EverJessie Sima. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (56p) ISBN 978-1-6659-7452-3 Somewhere in an enchanted world, a self-proclaimed “master storyteller” elf suffering from creator’s block stumbles upon the ultimate motivator: an insomniac purple dragon who demands the elf supply nothing less than the greatest bedtime story of all time—or become the bedtime snack. Alongside hammed-up digital artwork that employs radiant storybook colors and theatrical staging, winking text recounts how the elf rises to the occasion, creating a work that is “thoroughly hilarious. But profoundly moving,” and every adjective in between. more |
March 26, 2026
 
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People Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group has two promotions and one new hire. Hana Tzou has been promoted to assistant editor, from publisher’s assistant. At Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, Kortney Nash has been promoted to associate editor, from assistant editor. Phoebe Liu has joined MCPG as associate designer; previously, she was a design fellow at Chronicle Books. In Case You Missed It Layoffs, Moves at Penguin Young Readers as Dial Imprint Shutteredmore more more more Sneak Previews  | ||||
