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Dear Friends,
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
As we close out the old year, we say a fond farewell to Senior Agent and Partner Marie Campbell who is retiring from her career in agenting. Marie joined Transatlantic 15 years ago and played a pivotal role in the growth and success of the agency's Children's & YA Division.
In our last newsletter, we introduced you to our new children's agents, Elizabeth Bennett and Timothy Travaglini. Those of you who are attending the Bologna Book Fair (April 1 - April 4) will be able to meet Tim and discuss the work of his amazingly talented clients and the full list. Amy has expanded her list dramatically since last year and will be sharing new work by Eric Walters, Paulette Bourgeois and others at the Transatlantic table with Tim. But before we get to Bologna, we need to let you know Transatlantic will have two tables at the London Book Fair (March 12 - March 14)! Fiona will be back at the LBF with new work by her headlining clients and fresh new talent. She will also be at ALA Midwinter in Seattle. Andrea, Sandra, and Elizabeth are working with their clients on exciting new projects, some of which appear in this newsletter. If any of you are planning a trip to New York for Book Expo or other reasons, Andrea, Tim, and Elizabeth would love to see you in the Big Apple!
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.
Wishing you all the very best,
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North American and World Rights
FICTION
Picture Books
 Megan Tingley at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has acquired, in a preempt, world rights to three works by debut author-illustrator Ani Castillo, launching with PING, a picture book that movingly and humorously explores the challenges and joys of self-expression and social connection. Publication is planned for Fall 2019. Contact: Samantha Haywood, [email protected] and Amy Tompkins, [email protected].
 Eliza Berkowitz at Sterling Children's Books has acquired world rights to INVENT-A-PET by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Tidawan Thaipinnarong. Pitched as Dear Zoo meets Ada Twist, Scientist, the STEM-based picture book introduces basic coding concepts as a girl programs a mysterious machine in a quest to develop the perfect pet. Publication is set for spring 2020; Rachael Stein will edit. Elizabeth Bennett represented the author. Contact: Elizabeth Bennett, [email protected].
 World rights to Ted Staunton's EMMA'S PET, about a girl who loses her favourite stuffed animal "pet" and auditions several replacements, to be illustrated by Ruth Ohi, to Anne Shone at Scholastic Canada for publication in 2020, by Amy Tompkins for the author, for publication in 2020. Contact: Amy Tompkins, [email protected].
 Ken Lamug to illustrate THE HOLE STORY by Vivian McInerny, a picture book in which a little girl discovers a hole in her pocket and imagines all the possibilities it presents, with wordplay and visual play appealing to young readers' divine sense of silliness, to
Erika Turner
at
Versify
/HMH, for publication in spring 2021. Contact: Andrea Cascardi, [email protected].
 World rights to John Coy's picture book IF WE WEREN'T HERE, which explores whether the Earth needs humans and what it would be like if we were no longer here, illustrated by Natalie Cappanelli, to
Carol Hinz
at
Lerner Publishing
, for publication in spring 2020, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Contact: Andrea Cascardi, [email protected].
 Haven Iverson at Sounds True has acquired world rights to EMILY'S IDEA, a picture book about a young girl who makes a chain of paper dolls that symbolize how we are all different, but the same - and how her message spreads across the globe by Christine Evans, illustrated by Marta Alvarez. Publication is scheduled for Spring or Summer 2020. Elizabeth Bennett at represented the author. Contact: Elizabeth Bennett, [email protected].
 Tara Knudson's VALENTINE'S DAY TREATS, a rhyming board book that celebrates the beloved traditions of Valentine's Day, illustrated by Pauline Siewert, to Barbara Herdson at Zonderkidz, with Margot Wallace editing, for publication in winter 2020 (world). Contact: Elizabeth Bennett, [email protected].
 Kass Reich will illustrate BARNABY by Andrea Curtis, about a beautiful (but somewhat spoiled and proud!) budgie who ends up lost outside-and who ends up finding acceptance among a flock of small, "plain" house sparrows, to Karen Li at Owlkids for publication Fall 2020. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, [email protected].
 Janine O'Malley at Farrar, Straus has acquired two more titles in Ann Whitford Paul's bestselling series: IF ANIMALS GAVE THANKS and IF ANIMALS TRIED TO BE KIND. The deal is for world rights and the books will publish Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, [email protected].
 Andrew Larsen's I DO NOT LIKE STORIES, a storytelling story with a twist, sold to Karen Boersma at Owlkids for publication Spring 2020. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, [email protected].
Middle Grade
 Tim Tingle's DOC AND THE DETECTIVE IN: Graveyard Treasure, a mystery in which a young Choctaw detective solves a crime involving his elderly friend who has Alzheimer's, to
Arthur Levine
at
Arthur A. Levine Books
at Scholastic, for publication in fall of 2019. Contact: Andrea Cascardi, [email protected].
 World rights to THE DIAMOND MISTAKE MYSTERY, the fourth book in Sylvia McNicoll's Great Mistake Mysteries series, to Dundurn Press. Contact: David Bennett, [email protected].
 Graphic novelist and creator of autobiographical web comics Damian Alexander's OTHER BOYS, touching upon issues related to gender, coming out, bullying, death of a parent, and class, to Robyn Chapman at First Second, in an exclusive submission, for publication in spring 2021 (world). Contact: Elizabeth Bennett, [email protected].
 Debut author Nina Chapman's MICAH MCKINNEY AND THE BOYS OF SUMMER, a coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old who hopes to reinvent herself the summer before seventh grade so she can finally forget about what happened in the past-about losing her mom, about losing her best friend, and about the disaster she became in sixth grade, to Alison Deering at Capstone, for publication in January 2020 (world English). Contact: Elizabeth Bennett, [email protected].
 North American rights to the graphic novel STAR BEASTS by debut writer and illustrator team Stephanie Young and Allyson  Lassiter.
Zootopia
meets
Star Trek
-- so basically animals in space saving humans... you know, like they do!! Sold to Amanda Meadows at Lion Forge for publication 2020. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, [email protected].
 Patricia Lakin's chapter book PARK HERE about a confused little car who is looking for somewhere to play, to Jonathan Westmark at Albert Whitman, for publication Spring 2020. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, [email protected].
Young Adult
 Amy Parks's THE QUANTUM WEIRDNESS OF THE ALMOST KISS, in which a 17-year-old has never been interested in dating because she's been fully occupied by her love of mathematics and her frequent battles with anxiety; a boy knows she isn't ready for romance but assumes that when she is, she will choose him, because he is her best friend, and he loves her, and he has almost kissed her 17 times, to Maggie Lehrman at Abrams Children's, for publication in fall 2020 (world English). Contact: Elizabeth Bennett, [email protected].
 Kathryn Lane at Dundurn has acquired World Rights to THE PARKOUR CLUB by Pam Withers with Arooj Hayat. Bronte (American) and Karam (Yemeni) meet at high school in a small town in Washington State. They share three things in common, having been forced by war to relocate to the US, feeling awkward in the community and the love of the extreme sport of Parkour. Their attraction is disrupted by the worry that someone is recruiting teens for ISIS. Contact: Lynn Bennett, [email protected].
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 Portuguese rights to ARA THE STAR ENGINEER by Komal Singh to LeYa/ASA imprint; Brazil rights to Panda Books; World Hebrew rights to Kinnert Publishing by Stephanie Sinclair on behalf of Page Two Strategies. Previous rights sold Simplified Chinese to Citic; Polish rights to Kobiece; Korean rights to Book21. Contact: Stephanie Sinclair,
[email protected].
 Polish rights to HONOR CODE by Kiersi Burkhart to ZIELONA SOWA by Agata Zabowska on behalf of Fiona Kenshole. Contact: Fiona Kenshole, [email protected].
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 Congratulations to Kit Pearson on a tremendous achievement - being named to the Order of Canada! Presented by the governor general, the Order of Canada is one of the country's highest honours and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. Kit is appointed for her contributions as an author of Canadian literature for children and young adults. Over her career, Kit has won numerous awards including the Governor General's Literary Award and the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence.
 Heather Smith's middle grade novel EBB & FLOW was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award, in the children's text category.
 Stephane Morrill's YA historical WITHIN THESE LINES receives Junior Library Guild's "Gold Standard" award.
 Eric Walters' ELEPHANT SECRET (9-12) made A Mighty Girl's 2018 Books of the Year list.
 Mega congrats to author Anna Humphrey and illustrator Kass Reich whose hilarious chapter book MEGABAT (Tundra), the first book in the series, is a Cybils Awards Early Chapter Books finalist!
 WHEN THE MOON COMES by Paul Harbridge and illustrated by Matt James (picture book 4-8) won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award at the Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards.
 Nita Berkhout's THE MOSAIC was shortlisted for the Ottawa Book Awards in the fiction category.
A whopping nine Transatlantic authors have made the 2019 Forest of Reading Awards shortlists!
Silver Birch Award, fiction category: EBB & FLOW by Heather Smith and ELEPHANT SECRET by Eric Walters
Silver Birch Award, Express category: THE HOLLOW UNDER THE TREE by Cary Fagan
Red Maple Award, fiction: FOURTH DIMENSION, by Eric Walters and TRACKER'S CANYON by Pam Withers
Red Maple Award, non-fiction: EVERY FALLING STAR: THE TRUE STORY OF HOW I SURVIVED AND ESCAPED NORTH KOREA, written by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland
White Pine Award: 36 QUESTIONS THAT CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT YOU by Vicki Grant, THE AGONY OF BUN O'KEEFE by Heather Smith, THE MOSAIC by Nina Berkhout, PRINCE OF POT by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
Congratulations to the Transatlantic clients named as Best Books of 2018 by the Canadian Children's Book Centre: THE BAGEL KING by Andrew Larsen & illustrated by Sandy Nichols; THE DAY DAD JOINED BY SOCCER TEAM by Maureen Fergus & illustrated by Mike Lowery; POETREE by Caroline Pignat & illustrated by Francois Thisdale (STARRED); WHAT HAPPENS NEXT by Susan Hughes & illustrated by Carey Sookocheff, three books in the Be Brave, Morgan! series by Ted Staunton & illustrated by Bill Slavin, DAREDEVIL MORGAN, MORGAN ON ICE, MORGAN'S GOT GAME; EBB & FLOW by Heather Smith, CLARA VOYANT by Rachelle Delaney; THE SNAKE MISTAKE MYSTERY by Sylvia McNicoll; CASTING LILY by Holly Bennett; TRUE BLUE by Sigmund Brouwer & Cindy Morgan; and BETTER TOGETHER: CREATING COMMUNITY IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD by Nikki Tate (STARRED).
 Congratulations to three Transatlantic authors on this year's Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award shortlist -
Rachelle Delaney
's
THE  BONAVENTURE ADVENTURES
(Penguin Random House Canada),
Melanie Florence
's
HE WHO DREAMS
(Orca Book  Publishers) and
Sarah Elton
'
s MEATLESS? (Owlkids), we'll be rooting for you all!
 The
Gaithersburg Book Festival will be hosting Jessica Long, author of UNSINKABLE at the 2019 festival on Saturday, May 18.
 Maureen McQuerry will be appearing in the Harper Collins/Blink YA booth at ALA Midwinter in Seattle, signing books and greeting attendees on Sunday, January 27th.
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THE ALMOST EPIC SQUAD: WHAT BLOWS UP by Ted Staunton, Scholastic Canada (9-12)
 BEAVERS: THE SUPERPOWER FIELD GUIDE by Rachel Poliquin, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (non-fiction 7-10)
 CLICK by Kayla Miller; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (MG Graphic Novel)
 LARK TAKES A BOW by Natasha Deen & illustrated by Marcus Cutler (chapter book 7-9)
 VERY RICH by Polly Horvath; Puffin Canada (9-12)
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Praise for BEAVERS: THE SUPERPOWER FIELD GUIDE, by Rachel Poliquin. Contact Amy Tompkins, [email protected]:
"Eager beavers who likewise find these redoubtable rodents 'utterly gobsmackable!' will find a chewy array of print and web resources to sink their teeth into at the end."
-
Booklist, starred review
"Well worth the purchase." -Kirkus Reviews
"Clear and friendly." -School Library Journal
 Praise for IN THE KEY OF NIRA GHANI, by Natasha Deen. Contact Amy Tompkins, [email protected]:
"Deen...infuses her family's Guyanese immigrant history into this novel about the exploration and discovery of self and the world. Mentions of everyday cultural traditions are welcome additions to this tale of a teen finding the courage to stand up for her individuality while honoring the people she comes from. A charming, honest, and heartwarming story that will leave readers satiated and happy." -Kirkus Reviews
 Praise for MOON MISSION: THE EPIC 400-YEAR JOURNEY TO APOLLO 11, by Sigmund Brouwer. Contact Amy Tompkins, [email protected]:
"A vivid tribute to the scientific insights, technological ingenuity, and sheer brass that put men on the moon in 1969 and brought them back alive...a high-flying commemoration"
-Kirkus Reviews
 Praise for STINKY SCIENCE: WHY THE SMELLIEST SMELLS SMELL SO SMELLY, by Edward Kay. Contact Amy Tompkins, [email protected]:
"More than you ever wanted to know about why stuff stinks... All the cheeky stinky facts are accompanied by Shiell's bright, cheerily gross cartoon illustrations, which depict humans of diverse races being offended and offending others. A good introduction to the science of scent certain to hook reluctant scientists (and readers) with its yuck factor." -Kirkus Reviews
"Horvath is at her odd, arch best here-generous with her wry observations of people and their awkward relationships and foibles." -
Kirkus Reviews
"Packed with outrageous characters and moments of brilliant clarity, Horvath's holiday romp touches on thankfulness and the importance of self-acceptance." -
Publishers Weekly
 Praise for THE LAST OF THE NAME by Rosanne Parry. Contact Fiona Kenshole, [email protected]:
"Twelve-year-old Danny O'Carolan and his older sister, Kathleen, escape hunger and oppression in Ireland for the promise of a new life in America. An exuberant dash through a pivotal year in American history." -
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
 Praise for THE REPTILE CLUB by Maureen Fergus. Contact Fiona Kenshole, [email protected]:
"The Reptile Club
is a great addition for any family with a little one interested in reptiles or as a gentle introduction to a new subject in school."
-CM Magazine
 Praise for DR. COO AND THE PIGEON PROTEST written by Sarah Hampson and illustrated by Kass Reich. Contact Fiona Kenshole,
[email protected]
and Samantha Haywood,
[email protected]
:
"Dr. Coo and the Pigeon Protest is a fictionalized story, albeit a whimsical one with an important message, told about some pigeons who recognize the need to take a situation under their own wings to effect change. In its own way, Dr. Coo and the Pigeon Protest
is a big story about taking small steps."
-CanLit for LittleCanadians
 Praise for NO MORE EXCUSES by Amber J. Keyser. Contact Fiona Kenshole, [email protected]:
"The intersectional analysis does a thorough job of considering issues like blackness and gender nonconformity..
.A laudably current guide to rape culture " -Kirkus Reviews
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Susan R. Eaton
A geoscientist, journalist and explorer,
Susan R. Eaton
studies the interplay of plate tectonics, oceans, glaciers, climate and life in polar regions. A Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, she explores the world's oceans-from Antarctica to the Arctic-in the snorkel zone, a unique land-sea-ice-air interface where charismatic animals and snorkelers co-mingle. In the past decade, Susan has participated in seven science-based dive and snorkel expeditions focused on climate change in the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the Western Antarctic Peninsula, Labrador, Nunavut, Greenland, Svalbard, Spitzbergen and Iceland. The Royal Canadian Geographical Society has named Susan one of Canada's top 100 modern-day explorers and trailblazers, and one of Canada's 25 greatest female explorers.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Susan lives in Cochrane, Alberta, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. She is working on a children's science book that will investigate the impacts of disappearing sea ice in the High Arctic.
 Cyndi Marko
Cyndi Marko is the award-winning author-illustrator of the KUNG POW CHICKEN early chapter book series with Scholastic Branches. Book one, LET'S GET CRACKING, won the OLA's Silver Birch®Express 2015 Award and BC's 2015-2016 Chocolate Lily Award. It was also nominated for the 2017 Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award and the Washington State WLMA OTTER Award 2017, and was a Kirkus Best Books of 2014 selection.
Her latest book, THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER'S MANUAL, from S&S Aladdin Pix, was chosen as one of the Chicago Public Library's 2017 Best of the Best. Her next book also with Aladdin Pix, BOO! HISS! about a ghost and a snake who are roommates in a haunted (by them) house will be available 2019.
Cyndi studied Fine Arts at Okanagan University College in Kelowna, BC, and Graphic Design & Prepress at Humber College in Toronto, ON. She currently lives within walking distance of Okanagan Lake in British Columbia.
 Lowey Bundy Sichol
A warm welcome
to Lowey Bundy Sichol, author of entertaining & informative biographies for kids.
Lowey's first series, a set of business biographies for kids called "From and Idea to ..." kicks off in February with subsequent titles to release throughout 2019 featuring Disney, Google, and LEGO.
Lowey received her MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and her BA from Hamilton College. Her MBA case studies have been read by business school students across the globe and are included in the internationally best-selling marketing book
Marketing Management
by Philip Kotler & Kevin Lane Keller.
We are excited to add Lowey and her unique work to Transatlantic's client roster and looking forward to developing new books together for kids and nonfiction readers of all ages who are interested in business, leadership, entrepreneurship and top figures in sports and the arts. Lowey lives in Chicago with her husband, three kids, and two dogs whose sneaky shenanigans are often caught on Instagram.
 Gabe Eggerling
Very pleased to welcome
Gabe Eggerling
. Gabe is an extraordinary 15-year-old with an exceptional resume. He is known for his role as Bailey Burke in Amazon's original series The Kicks. He is the voice behind Captain Jake in the Disney's Captain Jake the Neverland Pirates, among other Disney cartoons. And he has also appeared in various television shows on networks including Nickelodeon and ABC. Off screen, you might recognize Gabe's voice in the audio of Wonder by RJ Palacio, for which he earned a 2017 nomination at the Voice Arts Awards. Gabe also started his own literacy charity and did a talk for TEDx about storytelling and philanthropy, and has received recognition for his work as a young member of the SAG Foundation Literary Initiative, BookPALS. Perhaps not surprisingly, Gabe is also a member of MENSA and the National Junior Honor Society. He's immensely promotable - he's appeared in skits on Conan and is a teen member of the Upright Citizen's Brigade teen improv group. Gabe is currently working on a picture book series.
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Cats of Transatlantic Agency
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Grace is a tiny feral who was rescued by Fiona in October. She is sweet and smart, with a purr you can hear from three houses away. She enjoys walking on Fiona's keyboard, occasionally sending emails much to the surprise of her authors. Here she is with her big brother Rupert before Christmas, watching for Santa.
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Two Transatlantic Harper Collins YA authors make 
