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Children's and YA News
April 2020
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Dear Friends,

We hope you are keeping safe and well. As many of you know, all of us at the Transatlantic Agency work remotely, agents and admin staff included, and have done for many years, so it's business as usual for all of us. To those of you we had hoped to see in Bologna, please know that we have kept your appointments in our agency calendar - but for next year! 

We will miss seeing you this April (and the cherry blossoms and Bologna hospitality) but we remain committed to maintaining these strong relationships and shared interest in great books for children. In the meantime, please check our spring catalogue for up-to-date rights information on new offerings from our hard-working authors and illustrators. As always, contact information is listed with each of the titles featured below. Please feel free to contact the corresponding agent if you have questions regarding specific titles.

Meanwhile, we thought we'd celebrate the pets who share our home offices.
 
Wishing you all the very best,

Deals
North American and World Rights

Picture Books

Two more books to extend the BIG IDEAS FOR LITTLE PHILOSOPHER board book series, featuring Plato and Confucius by Duane Armitage and Maureen McQuerry, with illustrations by Robin Rosenthal. Sandra Bishop represented Armitage and McQuerry in the deal.

Scholastic Canada has acquired world rights to WHEN SALLY MET HARRY by Franklin the Turtle author Paulette Bourgeois, to be illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan. Diane Kerner to edit. Sally the dog's life changes forever when her people bring home a surprise: a new baby. Amy Tompkins represented the author.

Mary Kay Carson's nonfiction picture book THE RIVER THAT WOLVES MOVED, the story of the reintroduction of the gray wolf to Yellowstone Park, has been acquired by Sleeping Bear Press. Andrea Cascardi negotiated the deal for World Rights.

Simona Ceccarelli has illustrated THIS BOOK IS UPSIDE DOWN for PI Kids. Release date is April 2020. Andrea Cascardi negotiated the deal.

Simona Ceccarelli will illustrate THE LITTLE ROCKET THAT COULD by Joyce Lapin for Sterling Publishers, reuniting the team behind IF YOU HAD YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY ON THE MOON. Andrea Cascardi represented Simona in the deal.

Peter Carver at Red Deer Press has acquired world rights to Melanie Florence's picture book MY NOHKOM SINGS ME TO SLEEP, to be illustrated by Chief Lady Bird. It will be published as a dual-language English and Plains Cree edition in fall 2020. Amy Tompkins represented the author.

World rights to Tara Knudson's PARADE DAY!, a rhyming board book with flaps that celebrates the excitement of a holiday parade, illustrated by Pauline Siewert, sold to Annette Bourland at Zonderkidz, with Mary Hassinger editing. Contact Elizabeth Bennett.

World rights to Kari Lavelle's debut WE MOVE THE WORLD, introducing readers to stories of big and small ways we can make change through protest, exploration, celebration, and more, illustrated by Nabigal-Nayagam Haider Ali, to Nancy Inteli at Harper Children's, at auction, for publication in winter 2021. Elizabeth Bennett represented the author.

LOST THINGS, Carey Sookocheff's delightful, almost wordless picture book, has been acquired at auction by Kids Can Press for publication Fall 2021. Represented by Fiona Kenshole

Renee Tremel will be writing and illustrating two books for Penguin Random House Australia. World rights to TEN SLEEPY SHEEP, a board book, and LET'S GO, LITTLE ROO, a picture book were acquired by Zoe Walter. Elizabeth Bennett negotiated the deal.

World rights for IF ANIMALS WENT TRICK OR TREATING in the 300,000 copy selling series by Ann Whitford Paul sold to Janine O'Malley at Macmillan by Fiona Kenshole for publication Fall 2021.

World rights for  WHO LOVES LITTLE LEMUR? by Ann Whitford Paul, an adorable lovey-dovey picture book from the top-selling US children's board book writer, according to Amazon, sold to Janine O'Malley at Macmillan by Fiona Kenshole.

World rights to author-illustrator Russ Willms's SLEIGH PULLERS WANTED, a humorous holiday tale in which we learn how Santa ultimately hires reindeer to pull his sleigh after trying out animals of all shapes and sizes for the job, sold to Kate O'Sullivan at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, for publication in fall 2021, by Elizabeth Bennett.


Middle Grade

LARK HAS THE SHIVERS by Natasha Deen and illustrated by Marcus Cutler, the fifth chapter book in the Lark Ba Detective series, to Orca Book Publishers, for publication in 2022. Amy Tompkins represented the author.

ALICE FLECK'S RECIPES FOR DISASTER, and a second untitled novel by Rachelle Delaney, to Lynne Missen at Puffin/Penguin Random House Canada. Alice unexpectedly ends up on the TV cooking show Culinary Combat and has to work with new friends to discover who is sabotaging the competition. ALICE FLECK will publish in summer 2021. Amy Tompkins brokered the deal for English rights in North America. 

World rights to Christine Evans's THE WISH LIBRARY, a chapter book series in which a third grader and her friends discover the wish library, where the mysterious librarian promises to help solve problems with a simple wish, to Jonathan Westmark at Albert Whitman, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2021, by Elizabeth Bennett.

World rights for four titles in the WINDRIDERS series, packaged by Working Partners for HarperCollins, by Erin Falligant
, to be published in Spring 2021. This deal was done by Fiona Kenshole.

World rights to GIRLS SURVIVE: 9/11 by Jessika Fleck 
have been acquired by Capstone. This deal was done by Fiona Kenshole

PINE ISLAND HOME by Newbery Honor and National Book Award winner Polly Horvath to Margaret Ferguson at Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House for World Ex-Canada and to Lynne Missen at Penguin Random House Canada for Canadian Rights. Andrea Cascardi negotiated the simultaneous deal. Film/TV rights available.

Jennifer Irwin's FART BOY BUSTS A MOVE, a poignant and laugh-out-loud funny novel pitched as Billy Elliot meets Judy Blume's Then Again, Maybe I Won't, to Karen Boss at Charlesbridge for publication in spring 2022 by Amy Tompkins.

World rights to Meagan Mahoney's A FISH OUT OF WATER, about eleven-year-old Meranda who returns to her parent's hometown in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and learns there may be a link between the town's mermaid legend and her uncle's death and discovers an even bigger realization about her family's past, to Karen Li at OwlKids for publication in fall 2021, by Elizabeth Bennett.

World rights to SISTERS OF THE WOLF, by Patricia Miller-Schroeder, a thrilling adventure of friendship, culture clash, bravery, and survival set in Ice-Age Europe, to Kathryn Lane at Dundurn for publication in 2020 by Amy Tompkins.

Amy Noelle Parks's SUMMER OF BRAVE, a story in which if a girl a middle grade novel that touches upon themes of divorcing parents, academic pressure, the #metoo movement, and first crushes. If Lilla finds the courage to say out loud what she really wants, her whole life might crash down around her. And she doesn't need that. Except maybe she does. World rights sold to Jonathan Westmark at Albert Whitman, for publication in March 2021, by Elizabeth Bennett.

World rights to Jose Pimienta's TWIN CITIES, a graphic novel about twins who must face being separated for the first time when one gets an opportunity to go to a different school across the border from their Mexican town; filled with family, cultural clashes, and the truth about what it means to be a twin, and how that changes when you're no longer together, sold to Whitney Leopard at Random House Graphic, in an exclusive submission, for publication in 2022, by Elizabeth Bennett.

Monique Polak's NOTE TAKER, a thought-provoking novel about parental alienation, in which the main character deals with the fall-out from her parent's divorce, to Karen Li at Owlkids Books for publication in 2021, in a deal for world rights, by Amy Tompkins.

English and French rights in North America to TEAM CHAOS, a hockey-themed novel by Lorna Schultz-Nicholson, to Erin O'Connor at Scholastic Canada, for publication in fall 2021 by Amy Tompkins.

World rights to AMAZING HOCKEY STORIES: MITCH MARNER by Lorna Schlutz-Nicholson to Erin O'Connor at Scholastic Canada, for publication in fall 2020, by Amy Tompkins.
 
Young Adult

North American rights to international bestseller Vicki Grant's new YA novel TELL ME WHEN YOU FEEL SOMETHING sold to Lynne Missen at Penguin Random House Canada, in a two book deal with her middle grade novel GREEN VELVET DRESS - WORN ONCE. Contact Fiona Kenshole

World rights to LIVING BEYOND BORDERS: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America, edited by Margie Longoria, to Liza Kaplan at Philomel, by Andrea Cascardi.

World rights to DRONE CHASE by Pam Withers to Kathryn Lane at Dundurn for publication in 2020 by Amy Tompkins. Ray will need every ounce of his drone skills and outdoor smarts to recover his missing bear cub before poachers get to it first.
International Rights  

Arabic rights to Komal Singh's ARA THE STAR ENGINEER (picture book) to Kinneret, by The Book Publishers Association of Israel, on behalf of Stephanie Sinclair and Page Two Books.

Greek rights to Komal Singh's ARA THE STAR ENGINEER to Klidarithmos, by JLM Agency on behalf of Stephanie Sinclair and Page Two Books.

Hungarian rights to BROKEN STRINGS by Eric Walters & Kathy Kacer (middle grade) to Pozsonyi Pagony Kft. by Eszter Rozs at Katai & Bolza Literary Agents on behalf of Amy Tompkins.

Italian rights to BARRY SQUIRES, FULL TILT by Heather Smith (YA) to Paola Beretta at Rizzoli by Vanessa Maus at Berla & Griffini on behalf of Amy Tompkins.

Korean rights to BODY SWAP by Sylvia McNicoll (YA) to Danielstone Publishing by Jehee Yun at Imprima Korea on behalf of Amy Tompkins.

Korean rights to MYA'S STRATEGY TO SAVE THE WORLD by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (middle grade) to KKUMTEO by Ian Im at Enters Korea Agency on behalf of Amy Tompkins.

Korean rights to SEA BEAR (PB) by Lindsay Davis sold to Gilbut in a four way auction by Sungwoo Ahn at Enters Korea Agency on behalf of Fiona Kenshole.

Turkish rights to SEA BEAR (PB) by Lindsay David sold to Marti Publishing by Nazlıcan Kabatas at the Kalem Agency on behalf of Fiona Kenshole.

Turkish rights to THE AGONY OF BUN O'KEEFE by Heather Smith (YA) to Salon Publishing by Nazlıcan Kabatas at the Kalem Agency on behalf of Amy Tompkins.

Simona Ceccarelli has illustrated the cover for WILLOW 
by Sabine Bohlmann for Thienemann in Germany. Contact Andrea Cascardi.

Simona Ceccarelli will illustrate DAS INTERNAT DER TALENTE 
for Carlsen in Germany. Contact Andrea Cascardi.
Accolades and Awards
Congratulations to the fifteen Transatlantic Clients on the 2020 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year list!  

In fiction, we have:
DOUBLE BASS BLUES by Andrea Loney (Knopf BFYR) 
STONE RIVER CROSSING by Tim Tingle (Lee & Low)
ORANGE FOR THE SUNSETS by Tina Athaide (Katherine Tegen Books) 
SEA BEAR by Lindsay Moore (Greenwillow Books) 
THE MAGIC BOAT by Kit Pearson and Katherine Farris (Orca Book Publishers) 
THE PHONE BOOTH IN MR. HIROTA'S GARDEN by Heather Smith and illustrated by Rachel Wada (Orca Book Publishers) 
THE JUSTICE PROJECT by Michael Betcherman (Orca Book Publishers) 
LIGHT A CANDLE by Godfrey Nkongolo and Eric Walters (Orca Books Publishers) 

In the nonfiction category, we have:
FROM AN IDEA TO GOOGLE by Lowey Bundy Sichol and illustrated by CS Jennings (HMH)
UNDER PRESSURE: THE SCIENCE OF STRESS by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Kids Can Press) 
THE TORNADO SCIENTIST: SEEING INSIDE SEVERE STORMS by Mary Kay Carson (HMH BFYR)
NO MORE EXCUSES: DISMANTLING RAPE CULTURE by Amber Keyser (Lerner)



A Mighty Girl's 2019 Books of the Year showcases the best books of the year starring girls and women for readers of all ages, infants through adults. Four Transatlantic authors are on the list: Tina Athaide (ORANGE FOR THE SUNSET); Kayla Miller (CLICK and CAMP); Elly Swartz (GIVE AND TAKE); and Christine Evans (EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST).

Kudos to Christine Evans and Lowey Bundy Sichol --  EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST  and  FROM IDEA TO NIKE  were named to the Best Children's Nonfiction Books of 2019 by Imagination Soup.

EVEYLN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST  by Christine Evans was also named to NSTA's Outstanding Science Trade Books of 2020.

Kayla Miller has become a NYT Bestselling author! Her middle grade graphic novel 
CAMP  appeared on the NYT Bestseller Graphic Novels list in December 2019. Her  CLICK  series (which includes  CLICK  and  CAMP ) was named to Polygon's 50 Best Comics for Kids list.

The Texas Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List was developed by public and school librarians to encourage students in grades 6-12 to explore a variety of current graphic novels. Kayla Miller's 
CLICK and CAMP were named to list and CLICK was named to the Little Maverick List (for grades 3-6).

Four Transatlantic Clients are shortlisted for the 2020 Hackmatack Awards:
THE DIAMOND MISTAKE MYSTERY by Sylvia McNicholl (Dundurn); MYA'S STRATEGY TO SAVE THE WORLD by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Puffin Canada); BEASTLY PUZZLES by Rachel Poliquin &  illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler (Kids Can Press); and AMAZING HOCKEY STORIES: PK SUBBAN by Lorna Schultz-Nicholson (Scholastic).


DOUBLE BASS BLUES by Andrea J. Loney has been named an ALA Notable Book of the Year. In addition, illustrator Rudy Gutierrez received a Caldecott Honor for his illustrations.

Congratulations to Sylvia McNicoll, whose YA novel BODY SWAP won the Literary Award for Fiction at the Hamilton Arts Council Literary Awards.

Big kudos to Lowey Bundy Sichol whose FROM IDEA TO LEGO was named to the NSTA's Best STEM Books of 2020 list; Red Tricycle's Best 100 Kids Books of 2019; and selected by the Junior Library Guild for a Gold Standard Award!


Congratulations to Caroline Pignat whose book POETREE (illustrated by François Thisdale and published by Red Deer Press) has won a Gold 2019 Moonbeam Children's Book Award in the Children's Poetry category!

I AM A FEMINIST: CLAIMING THE F-WORD IN TURBULENT TIMES by Monique Polak was shortlisted for the Quebec Writers' Federation Literary Awards in the Children's and Young Adult Literature category.

Congratulations to Sigmund Brouwer, whose book MOON MISSION: THE EPIC AND AMAZING 400-YEAR-JOURNEY TO APOLLO 11, is a 2019 Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award Honor Book by the California Reading Association

It's hard to keep up with all the accolades being heaped on THE PHONE BOOTH IN MR. HIROTA'S GARDEN by Heather Smith and Rachel Wada! It was on Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2019 list, and the SLJ Best Picture Books of 2019 list; made the USBBY Outstanding International Books List; made the Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People list; shortlisted for the Pacific Northwest Book Award; shortlisted for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize at the BC and Yukon Book Awards; won the Freeman Book Award for Children's Literature on East and Southeast Asia; and won the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award.

A GIRL AND HER WOLF by Katherena Vermette, illustrated by Julie Flett was on the Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2019 list.

BROKEN STRINGS by Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer is a finalist for the 2020 Snow Willow Awards. It was also a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2019 in the middle grade category, was on the Globe and Mail's Top 100 Books of 2019 list, and was an honourable mention on Quill & Quire's Kids Books of the Year list.

Michael Betcherman's THE JUSTICE PROJECT is a finalist for the 2020 Snow Willow Award, part of the Willow Awards/Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards.

Edmonton Public library will be including IN THE KEY OF NIRA GHANI by Natasha Deen in their Capital City Press Collection (exclusive to Edmonton area residents and members of the Alexander First Nations, Enoch Cree First Nations, and the Paul First Nations).

OSTRICHES by Rachel Poliquin and illustrated by Nicholas John Firth made Imagination Soup's list of the Best Children's Nonfiction Books of 2019. The next book in the Superpower Field Guides series, EELS, forthcoming in June 2020, is a Junior Library Guild Selection.

A WOLF CALLED WANDER by Rosanne Parry (Andersen Press/Greenwillow) continues to shine on the New York Times Bestseller list for Middle Grade Hardcovers. It has now been in the NYT top ten for 6 months! Other accolades include being chosen for The Big Issue Children's Books of the Year, and featured in Book Riot's 25 Best Middle School For Today's Readers, and been chosen by School Library Journal for their Best Middle Grade Books 2019 list. It is shortlisted for the PNBA Book Award and the Oregon Book Awards.

Rosanne Parry's YA novel LAST OF THE NAME (Carolrhoda/Lerner Books) is shortlisted for the Oregon Book Award and for the New York Historical Society Award.

ME, TOMAS AND THE CONCRETE GARDEN by Andrew Larsen (Kids Can Press) selected by the Globe and Mail for its "100 Books That Shaped 2019" list

Natasha Deen's THICKER THAN WATER (Orca Book Publishers) is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

Robin Ha ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha has been selected as a Top Ten Pick on the "2019-2020 Kid's Winter Indie Next List" by American Booksellers Association/Bookweb!

ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL has been selected as a Top Ten Indie Next Pick! It was also featured by the Washington Post as a graphic novel everyone should read in 2020! And Bitch Media named it as one of 25 books that feminists should read in 2020.

Erin Falligant is the author of JOSS, American Girl's first GIRL OF THE YEAR to suffer from Hearing Loss. (ABC TV clip link).

Ann Whitford Paul's IF ANIMALS KISSED GOODNIGHT is consistently Amazon's #1 selling board book.

Jessica Long's UNSINKABLE: From Russian Orphan to Paralympic Swimming World Champion has been longlisted for the 2021 IBBY Selection of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. 
Rave Reviews
Two glowing Kirkus reviews for debut author Vicky Fang! Contact Elizabeth Bennett, elizabeth@transatlanticagency.com:

"This easy-to-predict story, told in a mix of text and speech balloons, will give new readers confidence while imparting solid STEM lessons of research and implementation, and it's great to see a young girl of color portrayed as a confident inventor (and rock star). A solid introduction for an appealing new chapter-book character." LAYLA AND THE BOTS BOOK 1: HAPPY PAWS (Scholastic Branches)

"This silly tale is a smart take on a child's imagination and problem-solving. A delightful introduction to scientific experimentation-with impossibly cute pets." INVENT-A-PET (Sterling)

Praise for PLAY WITH CLAY by Jennifer Sendros Keshka (writing as Jenny Pinkerton) (Penguin Workshop). Contact Elizabeth Bennett, elizabeth@transatlanticagency.com

"The words and the clay creations burst with color, and many of the sculptures have a sense of movement and silliness sure to delight young readers. A cleverly illustrated and simply told story best for the youngest makers." -Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Christine Evans' EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST
(Innovation Press). Contact Elizabeth Bennett, elizabeth@transatlanticagency.com:

"A valued addition for all STEM collections and one that may especially inspire young women facing similar adversity." -School Library Journal

Praise for ME AND BANKSY by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Puffin/Penguin Random House Canada). Contact Amy Tompkins, amy@transatlanticagency.com:

" Me and Banksy speaks to young, impassioned teens involved in student-led action against injustice and draconian power. Unafraid to write up to readers or to tackle meaty and divisive topics, Kyi is equally adept at engaging readers with comedy, pop-culture references, and emotionally charged moments. She smoothly transitions between an Exit Through the Gift Shop movie night, goofy group texts, a short dive into the life of women's rights activist Henrietta Edwards, and a young girl's complicated feelings for a BFF...As incisive as it is funny, Me and Banksy offers strongly drawn characters and sharp insights about protest, victimization, and the precarious nature of surveillance." -Quill & Quire , Starred

"appropriately provocative" - Kirkus Reviews

" Me and Banksy is a thoroughly enjoyable tale of an eighth grade student named Dominica who challenges the administration at her school to remove cameras that are infringing on the privacy of the students... engaging, well-plotted, and ultimately thought provoking novel." -CM Magazine , Highly Recommended

Praise for THE JUSTICE PROJECT by Michael Betcherman (Orca Book Publishers) Contact Amy Tompkins, amy@transatlanticagency.com:

"A gripping, multi-dimensional work." - CM Magazine

"Thought-provoking...Matt's halting steps toward self-acceptance are believable...His overview of wrongful conviction...may compel readers to seek further information."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Issues are successfully blended into a well-rounded novel that, in tandem with interesting characters and a thrilling murder mystery, will grip readers' attention until the very end." 
-Booklist

A fantastic review for AMONG THE FALLEN by Virginia Schwartz from  CM Reviews 


Praise for Ani Castillo's PING (World Rights, Little Brown). Contact Samantha Haywood, samantha@transatlanticagency.com and Amy Tompkins, amy@transatlanticagency.com:

"this one delivers down-to-earth ideas in a refreshingly direct yet fanciful package." 
-New York Times

Robin Ha Praise for Robin Ha's ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL (World Rights Available: North America: Alessandra Balzar of Balzar & Bray HarperCollins for Spring 2020, Korea Gilbutschool). Contact Samantha Haywood, samantha@transatlanticagency.com:

"This heartfelt memoir from an author who shares her honest, personal experiences excels at showing how Ha navigated Asian American identity and the bonds between mother and daughter. An insightful, moving coming-of-age tale." - Kirkus Books , starred review

"VERDICT A poignant and unvarnished depiction of immigration-both the heartache and the rewards." - School Library Journal , starred review

"Touching and subtly humorous, this emotive memoir is as much about the steadfast bond between a mother and daughter as it is about the challenges of being an immigrant in America." - Publisher's Weekly , starred review

"Ha successfully brings to life the wide range of emotions that both tell the story and provide evidence that the comic medium has been a healing force for her and perhaps could be for readers who have walked similar paths." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A powerful memoir that not only shows what it's like to be in a new town or a new school, but what it's like to move to an entirely new country! It's an amazing journey that is sure to promote empathy with readers." -Jerry Craft, author of  New Kid

"Incredibly honest, poignant, and ultimately triumphant, Almost American Girl is a treasure." -Michael Cho, author of  Shoplifter
"Robin's story is both utterly her own and deeply resonant for anyone who's felt lost in the world and fought to carve out a place for themselves." -Hazel Newlevant, author of
No Ivy League

"With unblinking honesty and raw vulnerability... [and] presented in full-color splendor, her energetic style mirrors the constant motion of her adolescent self, navigating the peripatetic turbulence toward adulthood." - ALA Booklist , starred review

Advance Bookstore Love for BIG IDEAS FOR LITTLE PHILOSOPHERS: Truth With Socrates by Duane Armitage and Maureen McQuerry. Contact Sandra Bishop, sandra@transatlanticagency.com:

"Little people are full of big ideas and seem to arrive pre-programmed with endless (and often impossible) questions about their world. Truth with Socrates simplifies complex philosophy for kiddos--and their grownups. Truth is not all that complicated as it turns out. And in the hands of Armitage, McQuerry, and Rosenthal, this conscientious board book engages growing minds and hearts with a charming package. Highly anticipating the other titles in this young board book series that readers will want to collect."  -Malaprops Bookstore

Praise for HOME BASE: A MOTHER-DAUGHTER STORY by Nikki Tate & illustrated by Katie Kath. Contact Amy Tompkins, amy@transatlanticagency.com:

"Daughter is a plucky pitcher out to prove herself and improve her skills on the baseball field. Mom is a tenacious mason looking to secure a new job and execute it with excellence ... A celebration of female perseverance and success: brava!"
-Kirkus Reviews, Starred

  
New Clients
Chrissie Krebs is an Australian children's book author and Illustrator. Her first book THIS IS A CIRCLE was published by Penguin Random House Australia in 2016 was followed by a cheeky Christmas story THERE'S SOMETHING WEIRD IN SANTA'S BEARD. Chrissie illustrated Michael Gerard Bauer's hilarious story about a nutty rabbit - RODNEY LOSES IT which was released in 2017 by Omnibus Scholastic and went on to win the CBCA Children's Book Of The Year for Early Childhood in 2018 as well as the Speech Pathology Australia's Book of the year 2018! Chrissie also wrote and illustrated PIG IN A WIG and illustrated A DINOSAUR ATE DAD'S HAIR both published by Omnibus Scholastic. Chrissie still cannot believe that she is getting paid to draw pictures all day. She is currently living her inner four-year-old's dream. Chrissie is represented by Elizabeth Bennett.

Marla Lesage is an artist, illustrator, writer, and dreamer who loves to tell stories. She works mainly in watercolour and ink but enjoys experimenting with new mediums. Her debut picture book, Pirate Year Round, was published in 2019 by Acorn Press. Marla lives in New Brunswick, Canada with her favourite scallywags. You can find her online at marlalesage.com.  Marla is represented by Elizabeth Bennett.  


Regan McDonell has spent her life moving back and forth between BC and Ontario, and currently calls Toronto home. She studied poetry and print making at the University of Victoria, and has spent the last twenty years designing textiles, apparel graphics, album covers, tour shirts and luxury carpets, while also writing literary fiction for teens. Her 2019 White Pine Award Honour Book Black Chuck (Orca Book Publishers), is a dark, gritty, small-town suspense novel about a group of misfit teens forced to figure out who they are to each other after their charismatic leader's violent death. She is currently working on a new YA novel about a small town, a monster, a missing girl, and her heavy metal brother who is unwittingly enlisted to find her. Regan is represented by Amy Tompkins.

Rachel Wada was born in Japan, grew up briefly in Hong Kong and China, and now lives and works in Vancouver. She started drawing at a very young age, perhaps as a way of transcending the language barriers of the cities she grew up in. Rachel's cultural roots and upbringing continue to inspire her work to this day. She graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 2016. Her illustrative style is characterized by rich textures, colours and details executed both traditionally and digitally. She won the Freeman Book Award for Children's Literature on East and Southeast Asia and the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award for her children's book debut, THE PHONE BOOTH IN MR. HIROTA'S GARDEN, written by Heather Smith (Orca Book Publishers). Rachel's work can also be found in newspapers, magazines and online publications. Rachel is represented by Amy Tompkins.

Danielle Hill is a citizen of the Federally Recognized Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts. Danielle is a student midwife and Doula and is passionate about indigenous birthing practices, food sovereignty, indigenous farming and maintaining Mashpee Wampanoag traditions. She co-founded Singing Trees Farm Collective which is a collaborative land restoration project focusing on sourcing and reintroducing pre-colonial crops back into the American Midwest using feminist cultivation techniques and a decolonized land guardianship approach. Danielle holds an MPA in Sustainable Development from the World Learning Graduate Institute and in 2018 established her consulting business Heron-Hill LLC. She works in various capacities for Tribal governments, Tribal Organizations and Native American non-profits consulting on Food Sovereignty related issues. For more information visit her website at www.heron-hill.org. Danielle is represented by Andrea Cascardi

Alexis Celeste Bunten (Unangan/Yup'ik), is an award-winning researcher, writer, media-maker, and curriculum developer. She currently manages the Indigeneity Program for the Bioneers Cultural Heritage Institute where she brings traditional ecological knowledge to the public conversation through events and media. After receiving a BA at Dartmouth College, Alexis returned to Alaska to work with Alaska Native organizations. Subsequently, she earned a PhD in Cultural Anthropology at UCLA, followed by appointments at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and invited visiting scholar posts at University of Paris-Sorbonne, and University of Victoria, Wellington. She has received numerous awards from the US National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, the Native American Film and Television Awards, and the International Emmy Awards, among others. Alexis's first book, 2015's So, how long have you been Native?: Life as an Alaska Native Tour Guide won the Alaska Library Association Award and was nominated for the prestigious Margaret Mead Award. The follow up anthology, Indigenous Tourism Movements, was published by the University of Toronto Press in 2018. Alexis lives in Monterey, California with her partner, their daughter, three dogs and a cat. Alexis is represented by Andrea Cascardi.

Anthony Perry grew up in Oklahoma and now lives in England with his wife and young children. He works as a quality improvement manager in the National Health Service in England and volunteers with hospitals in Pakistan to improve health services. He loves history and enjoys spending time with his family and travelling. Perry has an undergraduate degree in comparative religion from Dartmouth College, a master's degree in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a master's degree in public policy from Birkbeck College, University of London. Perry wrote Chula the Fox, an award-winning middle grade historical fiction book set in the Chickasaw Homeland in the early 1700s. More information can be found here: https://anthonyperryauthor.com/chula-the-fox/  Anthony Perry is represented by Andrea Cascardi.

In Emily Whitman's novels, myth and magic are part of everyday life. THE TURNING, a middle-grade novel based on Celtic selkie folklore, won the 2019 Oregon Book Award for children's literature. (Translation rights available). Her YA novels are Radiant Darkness, number one on the IndieBound Kid's Next List, and Wildwing, winner of the Oregon Book Award and a Bank Street Best Children's Book. Emily grew up in Colorado and studied history at Harvard and UC Berkeley. She's worked in bookstores and behind library reference desks. Emily loves researching her books, whether by mining library treasures or learning to fly falcons. She lives with her family in Portland, Oregon. Come visit her at emilywhitman.com. Emily is represented by Fiona Kenshole.

Pets invade our online meetings!Pets
Amy's cat Teddy celebrated the first annual I Read Canadian Day -- the brainchild of bestselling Transatlantic author Eric Walters -- with Tanya Lloyd Kyi's ME AND BANKSY. He was disappointed that it wasn't about squirrels, as the cover led him to believe.

Digby and Hazel, who were a bit stressed when Sandra and her family moved last month, are now quite pleased with their new yard and garden.

Meanwhile, not content with photobombing agent Fiona's Zoom meetings, Rupert has taken command of the keyboard.

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