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Circular Library

Deals

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

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Fiction. July 7, 2022. Sarah Yung's CAMP SCREAM, a humorous chapter book series about the only two human kids at a summer camp for monsters and cryptids, illustrated by Kelsey Eng and Laan Cham, to Stephanie Guerdan at Harper Children's, in a multi-book deal, for publication in summer 2024, by Kathleen Rushall and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Camp Scream

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Middle Grade Fiction

Laan Cham

Announcement Date:

July 7, 2022

Laan Cham

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. June 20, 2022. Maisha Oso's MY HAIR IS A BOOK, written in verse, a journey through time and space to celebrate the uniqueness and beauty of Black hair and hairstyles and showcase how deep our roots truly run, illustrated by London Ladd, to Clarissa Wong at Harper Children's, with Alyson Day editing, in a pre-empt, for publication in spring 2024, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Lori Nowicki at Painted Words for the illustrator (world).

My Hair Is a Book

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Picture Book Fiction

Maisha Oso

Announcement Date:

June 20, 2022

Maisha Oso

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Fiction: Romance. June 17, 2022. Taj McCoy ed.'s EVEN IF THE SKY IS FALLING, featuring six stories that explore the chances a couple may take when they mistakenly believe the world is ending; pitched for fans of Love Actually and all the best '90s disaster films that end in a triumphant kiss, with stories by Farah Heron, Lane Clarke (writing as S.T. Cori), Charish Reid, Sarah Smith, and Denise Williams, to Errin Toma at HQN, in a very nice deal, for publication in spring 2023, by Veronica Park at Fuse Literary (world English). Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency now represents McCoy.

Even If the Sky Is Falling

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Women’s/Romance Fiction

Taj McCoy

Announcement Date:

June 17, 2022

Taj McCoy

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Fiction. June 16, 2022. Author of JOIN THE CLUB, MAGGIE DIAZ Nina Moreno's PACK YOUR BAGS, MAGGIE DIAZ, which follows a seventh grader as she prepares for the school's spring break trip, while her friends are more excited for the dance and navigating first crushes, illustrated by Courtney Lovett, to Shelly Romero while at Scholastic, with Tiffany Colon editing, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2023, by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz

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Middle Grade Fiction

Courtney Lovett

Announcement Date:

June 16, 2022

Courtney Lovett

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Non-fiction. April 12, 2022. Maisha Oso's BEFORE THE SHIPS, celebrating the achievements of Africans centuries before the transatlantic slave trade and how it speaks to the strength and resilience of modern-day Black Americans, illustrated by Candice Bradley, to Clarissa Wong at Scholastic, for publication in spring 2024, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Jennifer Rofe at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Before The Ships

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Picture Book Non-fiction

Maisha Oso

Announcement Date:

April 22, 2022

Maisha Oso

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. April 21, 2022. Author of ARCTIC LIGHTS, ARCTIC NIGHTS and ARE TREES ALIVE? Debbie Miller's GOODNIGHT SOUNDS, introducing the sounds a child might hear as they fall asleep, from the foghorns of the Golden Gate Bridge to the steady ticking of an old clock or a croaking frog under an open windowsill, illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan, to Megan Abbate at Bloomsbury Children's, for publication in spring 2024, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Goodnight Sounds

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Picture Book Fiction

Michelle Jing Chan

Announcement Date:

April 21, 2022

Michelle Jing Chan

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. April 20, 2022. WATER IN MAY and THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD author Ismee Williams's ABUELO, THE SEA, AND ME, in which a child walks with her abuelo season by season along the beach as he reflects on his youth in Havana, sharing his life story and exploring their shared heritage, illustrated by Tatiana Gardel, to Connie Hsu at Roaring Brook Press, with Nicolas Ore-Giron editing, for publication in spring 2024, by Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Abuelo, the Sea, and Me

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Picture Book Fiction

Tatiana Gardel

Announcement Date:

April 20, 2022

Tatiana Gardel

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Fiction. April 15, 2022. Sophia Ezomoghene's THE TRICKSTER IN THE VASE, the first in the Osagie Twins series, in which the twins break the number one rule of going into baba's home office, and when they stumble and knock over a vase, releasing a trickster god, they need to somehow stop the troublesome deity from unleashing chaos in their community and recapture him before baba gets home, to Winsome Bingham at Reycraft, in a three-book deal, for publication in fall 2023, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

The Trickster in the Vase

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Middle Grade Fiction

Sophia Ezomoghene

Announcement Date:

April 15, 2022

Sophia Ezomoghene

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Fiction. April 8, 2022. Tanisia "Tee" Moore's Micah Hudson series, beginning with MICAH HUDSON AND THE MISSING FOOTBALL, in which a boy is having the best summer of his life, one where he has been named MVP of his football team, earning him a signed ball by his NFL idol; but when the ball goes missing, everyone is a suspect, and only he, his best friend, and his sisters can crack the case, to Winsome Bingham at Reycraft, in a three-book deal, for publication in fall 2023, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Micah Hudson and the Missing Football

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Middle Grade Fiction

Tanisia “Tee” Moore

Announcement Date:

April 8, 2022

Tanisia “Tee” Moore

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Non-fiction. March 14, 2022. Founder of Headbands of Hope and author of CHASING THE BRIGHT SIDE Jess Ekstrom's CREATE YOUR BRIGHT IDEAS, an interactive book that encourages young readers to reflect on their dreams for the future, think creatively, and discover how their unique gifts can contribute positively to the world, illustrated by Nadia Fisher, to Adria Haley at Thomas Nelson, in an exclusive submission, by Kristin van Ogtrop at InkWell Management for the author and Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator.

Create Your Bright Ideas

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Middle Grade Non-fiction

Nadia Fisher

Announcement Date:

March 14, 2022

Nadia Fisher

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. March 2, 2022. Author of 30,000 STICHES Amanda Davis's MOONLIGHT MEMORIES, in which the loss of a loved one shows how to find hope and healing during difficult times, illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan, to Peggy Schaefer at WorthyKids, for publication in summer 2023, by Jennifer Unter at The Unter Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Moonlight Memories

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Picture Book Fiction

Michelle Jing Chan

Announcement Date:

March 2, 2022

Michelle Jing Chan

Diane Muldrow's MEOWL-O'-WEEN, a tale about cats celebrating Halloween and trying to do their best to be spooky, but they're just too adorable to scare any trick-or-treaters, illustrated by Michelle Jing Chan, to Susan Dobinick at Astra Young Readers, for publication in fall 2023, by Jennifer Unter at The Unter Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world). The illustrator was subsequently changed to Tiffany Chen, represented by the same agent.

Meowl-O'-Ween

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Picture Book Fiction

Tiffany Chen

Announcement Date:

January 28, 2022

Tiffany Chen

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. January 11, 2022. Betty Tekle's debut THE COOLEST BEARD, in which a young Black boy sneaks his dad's beard oil to try to grow a beard like his, with unexpected and heartwarming results, illustrated by Nick Alexander, to Nivair Gabriel at Albert Whitman, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2023, by Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

The Coolest Beard

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Picture Book Fiction

Nick Alexander

Announcement Date:

January 11, 2022

Nick Alexander

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. December 14, 2021. Newbery Honor and two-time Kirkus Award winner and author of CROWN: AN ODE TO THE FRESH CUT Derrick Barnes's SANTA HAS GOT TO GO, a humorous story in which a family takes in Santa when his sleigh breaks down, but when he stays a little too long, all they want is for him to bounce, illustrated by Courtney Lovett, to Nancy Paulsen at Nancy Paulsen Books, for publication in fall 2023, by Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Santa Has Got to Go

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Picture Book Fiction

Courtney Lovett

Announcement Date:

December 14, 2021

Courtney Lovett

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. November 30, 2021. Author-illustrator Marietta Apollonio's JACK, THE LIBRARY CAT, in which a stray cat loves nothing more than to sneak inside for story time even though cats aren't allowed in the library; but when a new boy moves to town and needs a reading buddy, the cat finds more than a new friendship—he finds a home, to Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman, for publication in spring 2023, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

Jack, The Library Cat

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Picture Book Fiction

Marietta Apollonio

Marietta Apollonio

Announcement Date:

November 30, 2021

Marietta Apollonio

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Fiction. October 27, 2021. Educator and national STEAM expert Rekha Rajan's DISASTER SQUAD, a chapter book series following siblings as they travel the United States with their parents to respond to natural disasters; in book one, WILDFIRES, the siblings help rescue a baby deer trapped by a wildfire, illustrated by Courtney Lovett, to Katie Heit at Scholastic, in an exclusive submission, in a four-book deal, for publication in fall 2023, by Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Disaster Squad

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Middle Grade Fiction

Courtney Lovett

Announcement Date:

October 27, 2021

Courtney Lovett

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Graphic Novel. October 25, 2021. Author-illustrator Jasmine Florentine's THE ADVENTURES OF MAKER GIRL AND PROFESSOR SMARTS, in which 12-year-old best friends prove that you don't need superpowers to defeat supervillains; all you need is a love for physics and engineering, and a knack for trouble, with DIY instructions, to Hilary Van Dusen at Candlewick, with Olivia Swomley editing, copublishing with MIT Press, in a very nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2024 and spring 2025, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world).

The Adventures of Maker Girl and Professor Smarts

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Middle Grade Graphic Novel

Jasmine Florentine

Jasmine Florentine

Announcement Date:

October 25, 2021

Jasmine Florentine

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Fiction. September 30, 2021. Denise Lewis Patrick's SEE ME, HEAR ME, KNOW ME, the story of a thirteen-year-old, who uses fashion to express herself; when she experiences a racist incident in her neighborhood, she decides to use fashion to speak up against injustice, illustrated by Courtney Lovett, to Gretchen Becker at American Girl, for general release in winter 2022, by Andrea Cascardi at Transatlantic Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

See Me, Hear Me, Know Me

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Middle Grade Fiction

Courtney Lovett

Announcement Date:

September 30, 2021

Courtney Lovett

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Non-fiction: Advice/Relationships/Self-Help. September 28, 2021. Pioneers in the field of verbal and emotional self-defense Nadia Telsey and Lauren Taylor's SELF DEFENSE FROM THE INSIDE OUT, an illustrated workbook and guide designed for those most likely to be targeted by gender-based violence, aiming to teach verbal self-defense, assertiveness, and boundary setting, illustrated by Nadia Fisher, to Lauren Appleton at Tarcher Perigee, by Elaine Spencer at The Knight Agency for the authors, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Self Defense from the Inside Out

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Adult Non-fiction Advice/Relationships

Nadia Fisher

Announcement Date:

September 28, 2021

Nadia Fisher

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. September 27, 2021. Former first daughters and NYT-bestselling authors Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush's THE SUPERPOWER SISTERHOOD, pitched as a celebration of all forms of sisterhood, in which a girl wishes for a sister, only to be surprised when four girls move into the neighborhood and soon realize that when they combine each of their talents, anything is possible, even magic, illustrated by Cyndi Wojciechowski, to Deirdre Jones at Little, Brown Children's, for publication in spring 2022, by Cait Hoyt at CAA for the authors, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

The Superpower Sisterhood

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Picture Book Fiction

Cyndi Wojciechowski

Announcement Date:

September 27, 2021

Cyndi Wojciechowski

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. June 22, 2021. Mary Baca Haque's PAINTING THE SKY WITH LOVE, in which a child "paints" the sky with hearts that cascade and bounce down, while people looking up open their own hearts to love, illustrated by Tatiana Gardel, to Anna Roberto at Feiwel and Friends, for publication in fall 2023, by Mary Cummings at Great River Literary in association with Betsy Amster Literary Enterprise for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Painting The Sky With Love

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Picture Book Fiction

Tatiana Gardel

Announcement Date:

June 22, 2021

Tatiana Gardel

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. June 7, 2021. Author of BUNNY'S BOOK CLUB, MICE SKATING, and DYLAN'S DRAGON Annie Silvestro's BRAVO, LITTLE BIRD!, the story of a friendship between an old man and a bird who bond over their shared love of music—until the day when the old man's music stops and the bird finds a very special way to honor his memory, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, to Catherine Laudone at Simon & Schuster Children's, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2023, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the author, and by Anne Moore Armstrong at The Bright Group for the illustrator (world).

Bravo, Little Bird!

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Picture Book Fiction

Annie Silvestro

Announcement Date:

June 7, 2021

Annie Silvestro

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Digital: Young Adult. May 10, 2021. Heather Powell's THE LIARS BENEATH, in which a teen needs to seek the truth about her best friend's death, but soon realizes that some lies should stay buried; and MIDNIGHT AND BEX, in which a boy narrowly escapes a mass cult death to start over in a new town and high school with a new girlfriend, only for the man that haunts his dreams to hunt them down, to Rachel Del Grosso at Wise Wolf, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2022 and fall 2022, by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (NA).

The Liars Beneath | and | Midnight and Bex

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Young Adult Fiction

Heather Van Fleet

Announcement Date:

May 10, 2021

Heather Van Fleet

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Middle Grade Fiction. March 5, 2021. Author of DON'T DATE ROSA SANTOS and the forthcoming OUR WAY BACK TO ALWAYS Nina Moreno's JOIN THE CLUB, MAGGIE DIAZ, following a 12-year-old Cuban American girl who is determined to discover who she is and what her "thing" is, no matter how many activities or clubs it takes, illustrated by Courtney Lovett, to Shelly Romero at Scholastic, in a nice deal, for publication in spring 2022, by Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

Join The Club, Maggie Diaz

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Middle Grade Fiction

Courtney Lovett

Announcement Date:

March 5, 2021

Courtney Lovett

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. February 25, 2021. NOT QUITE SNOW WHITE author Ashley Franklin's XAVIER'S VOICE, about a socially awkward boy who has no idea how to use his voice to make friends; after sharing his sketchbook with a new buddy, he learns he doesn't have to mask who he is in the name of friendship, illustrated by Tatiana Gardel, to Asia Citro at Innovation Press, for publication in fall 2023, 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).

Xavier's Voice

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Picture Book Fiction

Tatiana Gardel

Announcement Date:

February 25, 2021

Tatiana Gardel

Publishers Marketplace Deal Report. Children's: Picture Book Fiction. February 5, 2021. Maryann Macdonald's HOW TO HAVE FRIENDS, a guide for kids offering advice and tips on how to treat friends, buddies, and really, just about anyone, illustrated by Cyndi Wojciechowski, to Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman, for publication in fall 2022, by Steven Chudney at The Chudney Agency for the author, and by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for the illustrator (world).

How to Have Friends

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Picture Book Fiction

Cyndi Wojciechowski

Announcement Date:

February 5, 2021

Cyndi Wojciechowski

Author of BEFORE THE SHIPS and MY HAIR IS A BOOK Maisha Oso's IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR HALLOWEEN, IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, and IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR EASTER, a humorous series that takes children step-by-step through all the things they might do in preparation for a holiday, illustrated by Tom Knight, to Kate Prosswimmer at Margaret K. McElderry Books, in a three-book deal, for publication starting 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

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Picture Book Fiction (Series)

Maisho Oso

Announcement Date:

Maisha Oso

Fairy Lights

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