Sarah Blumenstock at Berkley has acquired, in a six-figure pre-empt, Leslie René’s Maggie and Arthur’s Magic Moment, a cozy romantasy with an academic twist which brings a professor of incantations and linguistics together with the university's leading—and most brooding—alchemist in order to contain a destructive, ghostly magic that threatens the school. Publication is planned for summer 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Amanda Maurer at Berkley has acquired, in a six-figure pre-empt, Celine Ong's Hold Me Like a Grudge, a queer sports romance about two rival professional wrestlers who can't fight their growing feelings for each other; and Loser New Year, a queer contemporary romance, pitched in the vein of Crazy Rich Asians, in which the heir to one of Singapore's wealthiest families convinces his coworker to pretend to be his boyfriend when he's forced to return home to celebrate Lunar New Year. Publication is planned for 2026 and 2027, respectively. Brent Taylor at Triada US did the deal for world rights.
Sareer Khader at Berkley has acquired, in a six-figure pre-empt, Emily Krempholtz's Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, a cozy fantasy about a powerful plant witch who—after the dark lord she's served her whole life is vanquished—decides to turn over a new leaf and opens a flower shop in a quirky little town, but when a magical plague threatens the community, she has to team up with the grumpy alchemist next door to save the day. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Leah Hultenschmidt at Forever/Grand Central has acquired, in a six-figure pre-empt, Kristen Vale’s A Tale of Mirth and Magic, a cozy and spicy queer fantasy romance about a metal mage elf and a half-giant who are on the run from bumbling bounty hunters and decide to team up in their travels. Publication is slated for summer 2025. Brent Taylor at Triada US did the two-book deal for world rights.
Chantelle Aimee Osman at Lake Union/Amazon Publishing has acquired world rights to Garrett Curbow's Won’t You Fly Away With Me, in which a depressed college student longing to be a writer and a young woman written into life, imprisoned by her abusive father, and dreaming of the world beyond her window, break out of their claustrophobic town for a fleeting summer across the world, hindered only by the fact that the second girl bleeds ink—ink that her father uses to transcribe her every movement. Publication is slated for spring 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal.
Elizabeth May at Kensington has acquired world rights to bestselling paranormal and romantasy author Aurora Ascher’s five previously self-published titles in her Hell Bent series, plus a yet-to-be published (and as yet untitled) series finale. Brent Taylor at Triada US brokered the deal. Kensington said the series is “a spicy paranormal romance in which six demons escape from hell to party and meet human women in Montreal, unwittingly setting in motion a series of events that will topple the hierarchy of the underworld.” The first book in the deal, My Funny Demon Valentine, which was first published in 2021, will be republished by Kensington in January 2025.
Liz Pelletier at Red Tower Books/Entangled has acquired world rights to TikTok star Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s Assistant to the Villain, in which the sunshine assistant to a grumpy villain discovers she's not only crushing on her boss but there's a rat in their lair, trying to take them both down. Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the three-book deal.
Lydia Sharp at Entangled/Amara has acquired Tobias J. Rooke's Stitcher, a debut M/M dark fantasy, in which a Stitcher and his Builder, who reanimate corpses in an alternate-world London where immortality goes to the highest bidder, must stop a murderous cult bent on destroying the death trade, while a forbidden romance awakens between them. Publication is planned for 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US did the deal for world rights.
Marisa DiNovis at Knopf has bought Birdie Schae's debut YA novel, Smash or Pass. The sapphic romance follows 16-year-old Ellie, an autistic people-pleaser whose plan to reinvent herself at beach volleyball summer camp takes an unexpected turn when she finds herself falling for her grumpy teammate. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal for North American rights.
Lauren Knowles at Page Street has acquired Brianna Jett's debut YA novel in verse, Under a Carnivore Sky. Burdened by hunger and labeled an outcast, a teenage girl partners with a would-be mapmaker to uncover the secrets of the carnivorous swamp and slay the monster lurking inside—before it can finish killing her father. Publication is slated for winter 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US brokered the deal for world English rights.
Kelsey Sullivan at Disney-Hyperion has bought Mystery Royale by Kaitlyn Cavalancia, a YA debut mystery about an ordinary girl who gets brought into a magical world in which she has to solve a murder to win an inheritance. Publication is slated for spring 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the two-book deal for U.S., Canadian, and open market rights.
Feather Flores at Atheneum has bought world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Seven: The Courage, Artistry, and Teamwork of BTS by literary scholar Lilly Lu, illustrated by Maja, in their middle grade debut. This retrospective, made by fans for fans, explores the history of the K-Pop group and shows how the dreams of seven boys from Korea became the dreams of millions of fans around the world. Publication is set for 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and the illustrator was unagented.
David Levithan at Scholastic has acquired, in a three-book deal, The School for Wicked Witches by Washington State Book Award winner Will Taylor (The Language of Seabirds). Set in a comedically reimagined Oz, the story follows 11-year-old Ava Heartstraw as she fights to escape the grim School for Wicked Witches and prove to everyone that she's good—even if she has to get a little wicked along the way. The first book is scheduled for fall 2024, with a sequel, The Secret of Nettle Tower, to follow in winter 2025, and an unnamed third book in fall 2025. Brent Taylor at Triada US did the deal for world rights.
Alexandra Cooper at HarperCollins/Quill Tree has bought four novels by Newbery Honor author Rajani LaRocca. The deal includes Sona and the Golden Beasts, a middle grade fantasy about a girl who battles the lasting effects of colonialism and greed to save her homeland, for publication in winter 2024; Nothing but the Truth, a YA reimagining of Sita's story from The Ramayana, for publication in 2025; Mystery Party, a middle grade novel in which six middle schoolers are invited to a reclusive billionaire's mansion but must solve the mystery of his unexpected disappearance, for publication in 2026; and Chemistry Lessons, a YA rom-com inspired by Jane Austen's Emma that explores the true nature of beauty, for publication in 2027. Brent Taylor at Triada US did the high-six-figure deal for world English rights.
Andrea Colvin at Little, Brown Ink has acquired Wing It by Tori Sharp (Just Pretend), a middle grade graphic novel. Searching for overlap in their divergent interests, Kyle and his first-ever boyfriend start a true crime podcast in which they investigate a local crow's petty thefts; meanwhile Kyle questions whether he really understands what his friends mean when they "have a crush." Publication is slated for fall 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US sold world rights.
Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers has won at auction Last Night I Dreamed of Home by Sophie Li, a YA graphic novel about two college students originally from China who fall in love and who must grapple with their identities and the expectations of their families. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal for world English rights.
Calista Brill at First Second Books has acquired world rights to Max in the Middle by Steve Foxe, illustrated by Mike Amante, a middle grade graphic novel trilogy about the rapidly changing family dynamics around a boy named Max. Jill Freshney will also edit. Publication of the first book is planned for spring 2026; the author represented himself, and Uwe Stender and Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the illustrator.
Kate Prosswimmer at McElderry Books has acquired A Bite of Pepper by Balazs Lorinczi, a YA graphic novel. The coming-of-age romance follows Pepper Mint, a born vampire, who would rather focus on skateboarding than finding a bride so that they can become fully immortal. But when the enigmatic and artistic Ana enters the picture, Pepper starts thinking about her future in a new way. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the deal for world rights.
Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop has bought world rights to Dan of Green Gables by Rey Terciero, illustrated by Eisner Award nominee Claudia Aguirre. A twist on Anne of Green Gables, this YA graphic novel tells the story of a queer, half-Mexican teenager named Dan who is forced to live with his grandparents in rural Tennessee when his mother abandons him. With the help of his Mawmaw and his new friends, Dan makes an unlikely home for himself at 1600 Green Gables. Publication is planned for summer 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Kate McKean at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Kiara Valdez at First Second Books has bought The Odyssey by Rex Ogle writing as Rey Terciero and illustrator Joe Casanova, a middle grade graphic novel following a mouse on an epic journey back to his home in Ithaca. Publication is slated for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US negotiated the two-book deal for world rights.
Sally Morgridge at Holiday House has acquired Marker Snyder's debut upper middle grade graphic novel, First Kiss with Fangs, in which a 13-year-old vampire gets his adult fangs on the first day of school and struggles to know where he fits in. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US brokered the deal for world rights.
Lois Evans at Make Me a World/Random House has acquired world rights to Jeong Is Jeong, a debut picture book by Jessica Yoon, illustrated by Michelle Lee (My Lost Freedom), in which a girl and her grandmother spend a day learning the nuances of the Korean word "jeong" in a social-emotional journey of love, kindness, and understanding that explores the not-quite-translatable parts of a bilingual family. Publication is planned for spring 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio represented the illustrator.
Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to Emelia Wishing by Belen Medina, illustrated by Magdalena Mora, a picture book about a girl who wishes she could have all the fancy, new things her family cannot afford instead of secondhand items, but as she discovers through her mother's sacrifices, what she does have is far more valuable. Publication is slated for summer 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Courtney Code at Abrams has acquired world rights, in an exclusive submission, to Fall Is for Beginnings by Newbery Honoree Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Abhi Alwar, in a two-book deal. Ravi is excited to begin the school year but is disconcerted when a new girl claims she's going to be his best friend—even though he already has one—in a story about fresh starts, school adventures, and friendships old and new. Publication is planned for fall 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Alexandra Levick at Writers House represented the illustrator.
Andrea Tompa at Candlewick Press has acquired world rights to Vibhi and the Voice, a picture book by Newbery Honor author Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Cindy Derby. Vibhi is afraid of the dark, but when she encounters a girl made of darkness who's afraid of the light, she puts aside her fears to make a friend. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Jess Harold at Henry Holt has bought world rights to Side by Side by Newbery Honor author Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Brizida Magro, a picture book celebration of unity, about the many things people do side by side, from reading to sharing meals to protesting, and how the act of being together helps us connect and understand one another. Publication is set for winter 2026; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.
Rotem Moscovich at Knopf has acquired world rights to Tenacious Won't Give Up by Pam Vaughan, illustrated by Leanne Hatch. A girl named Tenacious lives up to her name as she tackles learning to ride a bike, and ultimately discovers that it's about trying smarter as well as harder. Publication is slated for summer 2025; Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and Janine Le at Janine Le Literary Agency represented the illustrator.
Jessica Anderson at Little, Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Ramadan for Everyone: A Muslim Community Story by Aya Khalil, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh (The Night Before Eid), a picture book about faith, taqwa, self-esteem, and acts of service during the holy month of Ramadan, scheduled for winter 2026. Brent Taylor at Triada US represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.