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Circular Library

Deals

Check out Jem's deal announcements for new book acquisitions.

Author-illustrator Beno Meli's DAUGHTER OF SNAKES, pitched as a reimagination of the Medusa mythos, in which a 17-year-old girl, born half-Gorgon, half-human, and living in modern-day Mexico, sets out to save her mother from a long-buried past—unraveling ancient truths, embracing the power she was taught to hide, and discovering love in the most unexpected of companions, to Charlotte Greenbaum at Fanfare, for publication in fall 2029, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Daughter of Snakes

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YA Graphic Novel

Beno Meli

Beno Meli

Announcement Date:

August 20, 2025

Beno Meli

Karla Clark's I KNOW THINGS, pitched as a tribute to young minds that encourages kids to celebrate their wisdom and embrace their growing understanding of the world, illustrated by Thais Mesquita, to Peggy Schaefer at WorthyKids, by Connor Eck at The Eck Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

I Know Things

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Picture Book Fiction

Thaís Mesquita

Announcement Date:

August 7, 2025

Thaís Mesquita

Author of SCARECITED ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL and THE JUNETEENTH STORY Alliah L. Agostini's RAINBOW COLLECTION, HAIRDOS AND HAIR DON'TS, and AND PIECE OF CAKE, in an adaptation of PBS Kids' Lyla in the Loops, following a seven-year-old, her blue sidekick, her close-knit family, and their everyday adventures running an inner-city diner, which highlights creative problem-solving, computational thinking, and the importance of community, to Bobbie Bensur at Paw Prints, in a three-book deal, for publication in spring 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Lyla in the Loop

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Picture Book Fiction

Alliah L. Agostini

Announcement Date:

July 23, 2025

Alliah L. Agostini

Author-illustrator of the forthcoming WEIWEI'S WINTER SOLSTICE and SOMEWHERE IN THE GRAY Michelle Jing Chan's EMERY IS NOT A DRAGON, in which a child attends dance class and must choose to perform as the strong, brave dragon or the graceful, beautiful phoenix; wrestling with the decision, they discover they are both dragon and phoenix—fire and flight, strength and grace—and they don't need to choose just one to shine, to Megan Abbate at Bloomsbury Children's, in an exclusive submission, for publication in winter 2028, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Emery is Not a Dragon

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Picture Book Fiction

Michelle Jing Chan

Michelle Jing Chan

Announcement Date:

July 21, 2025

Michelle Jing Chan

Author of BEFORE THE SHIPS and MY HAIR IS A BOOK Maisha Oso's IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THANKSGIVING and IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY, told in rhyme, a continuation of the humorous series that takes children step-by-step through all the things they might do in preparation for each holiday, illustrated by Tom Knight, to Kate Prosswimmer at Margaret K. McElderry Books, in a two-book deal, for publication in fall 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Susan Penny at The Bright Agency for the illustrator (world).

It's Almost Time Series (Books 4 and 5)

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Picture Book Fiction

Maisha Oso

Announcement Date:

July 16, 2025

Maisha Oso

Cara Stout's ENCHANTED TO MEET YOU, a romance in which, after setting fire to her last summer job, a teen gets casted as a princess at Fairytale Gardens, with the mission to expose potential fraudulent activities, with only one problem—she has to ignore the sparks that fly with the handsome casted prince, who also happens to be the owner's son, originally published in the UK, to Sara Schonfeld at Harper Teen, in a two-book deal, for publication in winter 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (NA).

Enchanted to Meet You

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Young Adult

Cara Stout

Announcement Date:

July 2, 2025

Cara Stout

Former PopSugar editor Laura Marie Meyers's THE MASH-UP, about a cautious accountant who wakes up inside one of her old M.A.S.H. games only to learn that the path back to reality involves winning the heart of her brother's irritatingly handsome best friend, to Kate Dresser at Putnam, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world English).

The Mash-Up

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Romance

Laura Marie Meyers

Announcement Date:

June 18, 2025

Laura Marie Meyers

Author-illustrator of the forthcoming WEIWEI'S WINTER SOLSTICE Michelle Jing Chan's LION DANCER'S LOST LETTUCE, a Lunar New Year tale in which a lion eager to bring luck and joy to Chinatown's parade loses his lettuce in a mishap and sets off through the city to retrieve it—only to discover that true fortune lies in community and resilience, to Megan Abbate at Bloomsbury Children's, in an exclusive submission, for publication in fall 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Lion Dancer's Lost Lettuce

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Picture Book Fiction

Michelle Jing Chan

Michelle Jing Chan

Announcement Date:

June 10, 2025

Michelle Jing Chan

Vienna James's THE NIGHTMARE KEEPER, a dark paranormal romance in which a wave of murders strikes sleeping victims and blame falls on a coven of dream wielders, so to clear their name, the coven's most powerful must join forces with her fated—but forbidden—soulmate: the grandson of the high witch, to Lauren Plude at Montlake, for publication in winter 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

The Nightmare Keeper

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Paranormal Romance

Vienna James

Announcement Date:

April 28, 2025

Vienna James

Author of ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP Annette Bay Pimentel's TURTLE ON THE TARMAC, taking readers on parallel journeys as a child prepares for an airplane trip and a diamondback terrapin looks for a nesting place, and the two cross paths in surprising ways, illustrated by Yusuke Watanabe, to Courtney Code at Abrams Children's, for publication in spring 2027, by Kathleen Rushall at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Turtle on the Tarmac

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Picture Book Fiction

Yusuke Watanabe

Announcement Date:

April 8, 2025

Yusuke Watanabe

Cyndi Wojciechowski to illustrate AMAZING BRAIN CLUB by Lindsey Goff Viducich, exploring how God designed all parts of the body to have purpose, including the brain, and the many ways it can work, to Megan Dobson at Zonderkidz, for publication in 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Amazing Brain Club

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Picture Book Fiction

Cyndi Wojciechowski

Announcement Date:

March 26, 2025

Cyndi Wojciechowski

Author of BEFORE THE SHIPS and MY HAIR IS A BOOK Maisha Oso's A STORY ABOUT LINES, in which a girl's grandmother braids her hair, and with each cornrow line, her grandmother recounts lines throughout Black American history that mark a memory of a painful past while weaving in faith for a brighter future, illustrated by Sophia Green, to Erika Turner at Little, Brown Children's, at auction, for publication in fall 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

A Story About Lines

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Picture Book Fiction

Maisha Oso

Sophia Green

Announcement Date:

March 7, 2025

Sophia Green

Author of BEFORE THE SHIPS and MY HAIR IS A BOOK Maisha Oso's A STORY ABOUT LINES, in which a girl's grandmother braids her hair, and with each cornrow line, her grandmother recounts lines throughout Black American history that mark a memory of a painful past while weaving in faith for a brighter future, illustrated by Sophia Green, to Erika Turner at Little, Brown Children's, at auction, for publication in fall 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

A Story About Lines

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Picture Book Fiction

Maisha Oso

Sophia Green

Announcement Date:

March 7, 2025

Maisha Oso

NYT-bestselling author of EYES THAT KISS IN THE CORNERS Joanna Ho's A ROOM WITH A VIEW, about a boy reluctant to go on outdoor adventures with his mother because it means driving a bazillion miles and sleeping someplace with bears and bugs and bats, but despite his misgivings, he realizes there are more memories to treasure than he initially believes, illustrated by Thais Mesquita, to Alyson Day at Harper Children's, in a pre-empt, for publication in spring 2026, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

A Room with a View

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Picture Book Fiction

Thaís Mesquita

Announcement Date:

February 20, 2025

Thaís Mesquita

Author-illustrator of the forthcoming PENELOPE WEATHERVANE'S GRUMPY DAY and THERE'S A DRAGON IN THE WELL James Serafino's TIME TRAVELING DINOSAURS, an epoch-spanning humorous early reader in which a trio of dinosaurs find themselves lost in time and mysteriously tiny��—friendships will be forged, patience will be tested, and villainous cats will be defeated, to Emily Daluga at Chronicle Children's, in an exclusive submission, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2028, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Time Traveling Dinosaurs

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Graphic Novel

James Serafino

James Serafino

Announcement Date:

February 18, 2025

James Serafino

Author of MADE FOR MORE Chloe Ito Ward's ALL THE WAYS WE LEARN, celebrating the range of ways our brains can learn, featuring accommodations that can improve learning for all, illustrated by Yaroslava Apollonova, to Nicole Fox at RISE x Penguin Workshop, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2026, by Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

All The Ways We Learn

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Picture Book Fiction

Yaroslava Apollonova

Announcement Date:

February 18, 2025

Yaroslava Apollonova

Author of THE JUNETEENTH STORY and THE JUNETEENTH COOKBOOK Alliah L. Agostini's THE KWANZAA STORY, providing the origins of the Kwanzaa holiday—rooted in Africa, born in Los Angeles—giving historical and cultural context on how a holiday was birthed after the Watts Rebellion and during the Black Power Movement, illustrated by Olivia Smith, to Cara Donaldson at becker&mayer!, in an exclusive submission, for publication in fall 2025, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Atlanta Japp at Advocate-Art for the illustrator (world English).

The Kwanzaa Story

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Picture Book Nonfiction

Alliah L. Agostini

Announcement Date:

January 28, 2025

Alliah L. Agostini

Reese's Book Club 2022 LitUp Fellow and author of TIME AND TIME AGAIN and TRY YOUR WORST Chatham Greenfield's LIKE A LADY, a romantic comedy pitched as She's the Man meets DUMPLIN', in which a 16-year-old with PCOS is determined to do whatever it takes to show her family that she can be a debutante just like her perfect older sisters—even if it means enlisting her butch lesbian classmate to pose as her fake boyfriend, to Alex Borbolla at Bloomsbury Children's, in an exclusive submission, for publication in winter 2027, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world English).
Rights: Taryn Fagerness at Taryn Fagerness Agency

Like a Lady

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Young Adult

Chatham Greenfield

Announcement Date:

January 24, 2025

Chatham Greenfield

Author-illustrator of the forthcoming WEIWEI'S WINTER SOLSTICE and SOMEWHERE IN THE GRAY Michelle Jing Chan's BENNY'S BRIGHT QING MING, following a young boy as he prepares a surprise gift for his beloved uncle he's been waiting all year to see at the Tomb Sweeping Festival and holiday, to Megan Abbate at Bloomsbury Children's, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2027, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Benny's Bright Qing Ming

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Picture Book Fiction

Michelle Jing Chan

Michelle Jing Chan

Announcement Date:

October 31, 2024

Michelle Jing Chan

Rabbi Elliot Kukla's THE LAZY DAY, about a girl who learns the secret to being mindful and enjoying a lazy day with her chronically ill papa and his wheelchair, illustrated by Shelly Swann, to Courtney Code at Abrams Children's, for publication in fall 2026, by Todd Shuster and Jack Haug at Aevitas Creative Management for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

A Lazy Day

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Picture Book Fiction

Shelly Swann

Announcement Date:

October 31, 2024

Shelly Swann

James Serafino's THERE'S A DRAGON IN THE WELL, a humorous book in which the townsfolk are scared and panic sets in when they find a fiery dragon in their well, until a young girl uses evidence and critical thinking skills to quell their fears, to Ariel Richardson at Chronicle Children's, at auction, for publication in fall 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world)

There's a Dragon in the Well

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Picture Book Fiction

James Serafino

James Serafino

Announcement Date:

October 26, 2024

James Serafino

Emmy Award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and founder of the Daddy's Promise Foundation Ed Gordon's DADDY'S PROMISE, in which a father makes a pledge to his daughter: to always love her, support her, uplift her, and protect her, no matter what, illustrated by Sophia Green, to Bobbie Bensur at Paw Prints, in a nice deal, in an exclusive submission, for publication in October 2025, by Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world English).

Daddy's Promise

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Picture Book Fiction

Sophia Green

Announcement Date:

October 15, 2024

Sophia Green

Michael L. Printz Medal winner and National Book Award finalist An Na's A ZOMBIE DAY, the author's first picture book, in which a zombie's first day at a new school is filled with humorous mishaps and misunderstandings, and only with time will everyone discover her gifts, illustrated by August Zhang, to Lois Evans and Christopher Myers at Make Me a World, in an exclusive submission, for publication in summer 2026, by Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

A Zombie Day

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Picture Book Fiction

August Zhang

Announcement Date:

September 10, 2024

August Zhang

Author of EVERYBODY IN THE RED BRICK BUILDING Anne Wynter's MAYA ANGELOU: A LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK BIOGRAPHY, about Angelou's extraordinary life and career as an author and teacher, and the legacy of inspiration and joy she's left behind, illustrated by Courtney Lovett, to Andrea Posner-Sanchez at Little Golden Books, for publication in winter 2025, by Steven Malk at Writers House for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Little Golden Books: Maya Angelou

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Picture Book Nonfiction

Courtney Lovett

Announcement Date:

August 22, 2024

Courney Lovett

Author-illustrator Carlianne Tipsey's HOW TO DRAW ADORABLE, an originally self-published guide to drawing cute faces, including visual tips, step-by-step examples, and design theories for beginning and advanced artists alike; and THE CUTEST BEGINNER DRAWING BOOK EVER, focusing on bite-size steps, with lessons on using shapes like a circle or square to create cute characters with depth and volume, including visual tips, step-by-step examples, and design theories that build confidence and pride in beginning artists, to Patty Rice at Andrews McMeel, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2025 and spring 2026, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

How to Draw Adorable, The Cutest Beginner Drawing Book Ever

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Non-fiction: How-to

Carlianne Tipsey

Carlianne Tipsey

Announcement Date:

August 21, 2024

Carlianne Tipsey

Author of WHEN WE HAD TO LEAVE HOME Linda Ravin Lodding's IT STARTED WITH A BOOK BAN, starting off with a ban on books about Mars and ending up with bans on everything, sowing chaos, illustrated by Carlianne Tipsey, to Josh Gregory at Albert Whitman, for publication in September 2025, by Jennifer Unter at The Unter Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

It Started with a Book Ban

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Picture Book Fiction

Carlianne Tipsey

Announcement Date:

July 16, 2024

Carlianne Tipsey

Noreen Nanja's THE SUMMERS BETWEEN US, pitched as Carley Fortune meets WELL-BEHAVED INDIAN WOMEN, set in Canadian cottage country and told in a dual-timeline narrative, in which a young, ambitious lawyer returns to her family's rural property after 10 years and must confront her deepest fears and long-buried secrets for a second chance at love with the one that got away, despite her family's expectations, to Geffen Semach at Random House Canada, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2025, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

The Summers Between Us

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Romance

Norren Nanja

Announcement Date:

June 3, 2024

Noreen Nanja

Fairy Lights

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