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In the Spotlight
 AAPI Heritage Month 2025: Q&As with Children's Authors on Writing About Culture and HistoryIn honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we asked eight authors of new books ranging from picture books to YA about highlighting their cultures, history, and traditions for young readers. more  In the News
 Dog Man Gets Caught Reading for Fall 2025 Children's Book Week The Children’s Book Council and its charitable arm Every Child a Reader, in conjunction with Scholastic, has named Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man as its anchor for Children’s Book Week this fall. The national literacy event, slated for November 3–9, will kick off the release of the series’ 14th book, Big Jim Believes. more Library News
 R.I. District Court Grants Preliminary Injunction in IMLS CaseIn welcome news for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and two more federal agencies targeted for dismantling by a presidential executive order, the District Court of Rhode Island has granted 21 states’ attorneys the preliminary injunction they sought in Rhode Island v. Trump. more
Literacy in Action
 Authors, Activists Partner for 'Freedom Read-In' On May 9, Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass., and advocacy groups EveryLibrary and the Rhode Island chapter of Authors Against Book Bans are partnering to host a free virtual reading in honor of Children’s Book Week and Floyd Cooper Day. more Licensing News
 Macmillan to Debut Calico Critters Books in North America Calico Critters is entering the world of publishing in the U.S. and Canada for the first time this year, through Macmillan Children’s Books. The popular line of collectible animal figures is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025. more   Licensing Hotline: May 2025Fox Chapel has acquired the rights for a broad licensed publishing program tied to the Jeep brand, with titles planned across all ages and imprints. The first list will launch this fall with three activity books for children and teens. Read on for news about DK’s deal with Crunchyroll, Penguin Ventures’ expansion of Peter Rabbit licensing in the U.S. and Canada, IDW’s signing of Bridge Licensing to extend its brands into consumer products, and more. more Out Next Week
 Hot Off the Press: Week of May 12 Among the books hitting shelves next week are a picture book about Fourth of July weekend, a time loop graphic novel, a YA novel about a trans teen football player, and more. more In Brief
 In Brief: May 8, 2025Recently kids joined their guardians for a day in publishing, celebrated collaborators came together, an author presented their latest fantasy, an author marked the end of her series with a tour, a city honored an author with a local holiday, and an author discussed a highly anticipated addition to his series. more
Rights Report
 Emilia Sowersby at Roaring Brook Press has acquired When Shadows Burn by Vanessa Le (The Last Bloodcarver). This YA/adult crossover dark fantasy duology follows a demon caller and a demon slayer who partner together to solve a string of occult murders at their university. Publication of the first book is scheduled for fall 2026; Ramona Pina at BookEnds Literary Agency negotiated the deal for world rights.  Alex Borbolla at Bloomsbury has bought, in an exclusive submission, Your Boyfriend Needs an Exorcist by Stonewall Honor author Justine Pucella Winans (How to Survive a Slasher), a paranormal YA novel pitched as a genderqueer Jennifer's Body, in which an evil spirit accidentally possesses her crush's terrible boyfriend, giving her a second chance at love and life. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Patricia Nelson at Looking Glass Literary & Media did the deal for world English rights while at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.  Zareen Jaffery at Kokila has acquired The Oks Are Not O.K. by Grace K. Shim, pitched as Schitt's Creek meets Minari, a YA novel about 17-year-old Elena Ok and her fast fashion empire family who lose their fortune overnight and move from L.A. to a California farming town and reconnect with their Korean farming heritage—and each other—while discovering how to help their new community and themselves thrive along the way. Publication is set for spring 2026; Andrea Morrison at Writers House brokered the deal for world rights.  Katherine Harrison at Knopf has bought world rights to Pura Belpré winner Karla Arenas Valenti's next middle-grade novel, Quetzal's Labyrinth, about a 13-year-old boy thrust into a prophetic role he cannot escape, who must venture into the heart of Quetzalcoatl's labyrinth to confront an ancient god or risk bringing about the end of humankind. Publication is slated for fall 2026; Ammi-Joan Paquette handled the deal while at Erin Murphy Literary Agency.  Liz Szabla at Feiwel and Friends has acquired, in a preempt, Ilona Bray (l.) and Stephen Soong's middle grade debut Cat Takes Queen, in which a witty stray cat, having learned chess from an elderly man, must team up with his granddaughter to ward off family efforts to send him to a senior facility, elude a catnapper, and create a "found family" of chess enthusiasts. Publication is scheduled for fall 2026; Kristen Terrette at Martin Literary Management sold world English rights.  Heidi Gordon and Lisa Mangum at Shadow Mountain have bought The In-Between Museum by Frank L. Cole (The Legend of the Last Library). In this middle grade adventure, a group of brilliant tween misfits must stop a shadowy figure from stealing from the "In-Between Museum," a sanctuary hidden in the folds of time that preserves lost masterpieces, vanished inventions, and forgotten books with the power to shift the course of history, pitched for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Publication is set for 2027; Shannon Hassan at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency did the two-book deal for world rights.  Tara Walker at Tundra Books has acquired Fox Fairies by Elly MacKay, a picture book about sisters Celeste and Miriam and their search for magic, and The Island of Wild Horses, a picture book about the horses who call Sable Island home. Publication is planned for summer 2027 and 2028 respectively; Emily van Beek at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management sold world rights.  Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought world rights to The Woman Under the El, a debut picture book by Roze Nwoga (l.), illustrated by Daniel Miyares, about a child's compassion for a homeless woman who sits in front of the train station and how she contemplates ways to help her and ultimately, dreams of a world where the two can share happiness together. Publication is slated for fall 2028; Joyce Sweeney at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Studio Goodwin Sturges represented the illustrator.  Karen Li at Groundwood Books has bought world rights to Ah Ma's Home by Gillian Sze (l.) (I Drew a Heart), illustrated by Leah Hong, about a grandmother who shares memories of village life in China with her granddaughter, against the backdrop of the changing season and animals preparing for the winter. Publication is planned for fall 2026; Hilary McMahon at Westwood Creative Artists represented the author, and Kirsten Hall at Catbird Productions represented the illustrator.  Deidra Purvis at Free Spirit has acquired world rights to My Life as an Asthmanaut by Jacob Lockett (l.), illustrated by Adriana Predoi, a first-person picture book offering an empowering look at life with asthma. Using a metaphor of an astronaut adrift in space, the narrator shares his experiences with asthma attacks, his strategies for staying calm, and his pride in all that makes him who he is. Cassie Labriola-Sitzman will edit; publication is set for winter 2026. The author represented himself, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator. IN THE MEDIA
FEATURED REVIEWS
 Tiny Owl’s Scary DayPetr Horácek. Candlewick, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5362-3587-6 Horácek conveys a secure feeling of home and family with this onomatopoeia-filled adventure about a nocturnal youth’s day out. Dramatically visualized via color-saturated mixed-media artwork, close calls with predators unfold over several pages, generating riveting beats of suspense and relief that draw to a peaceful end. more  A Rock Is Born: An Epic Journey Through Time Richard Ho, illus. by Lily Williams. Roaring Brook, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-2507-4992-5 In the final images of this geological odyssey, a park ranger points out an unassuming gray rock that sits on the side of a hiking trail—a humble presence that, as Ho and Williams examine in the preceding pages, is actually a time-traveling witness to and participant in millennia of dramatic transformations. It’s a long-form reminder that even the most ordinary objects can contain extraordinary histories. more  Watch Out for Falling IguanasEdwidge Danticat, illus. by Rachel Moss. Black Sheep, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-636-14232-6 Danticat anecdotally explores a grandparent’s words through the eyes of young Leila, who dons her seldom-worn down jacket on an unusually cold Miami morning. Her grandmother warns her of falling iguanas, and after she sees an iguana tumble from a tree, teacher Ms. Benoit takes her class outside to observe, sharing fascinating facts about iguanas. more  Evil-ishKennedy Tarrell. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $25.99 hardcover (208p) ISBN 978-1-250-83996-1; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-83995-4 In the upbeat fantasy realm of Idlewood, nonbinary teen Hawthorne attends tryouts for the infamous Brigade of Shade, a formerly destructive political organization. When she accidentally finds herself at the top rank, Hawthorne’s number two raises the stakes of the brigade’s latest directive, forcing Hawthorne to consider where their allegiances lie. more |
May 8, 2025
  
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People Nellie Kurtzman has joined Macmillan Children's Publishing Group in the newly created role of executive creative director, brand marketing. Previously, she was VP of marketing and publicity at HarperCollins Children's Books. Of Note  The Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer-in-Residence program is now accepting applications for its 2025–2026 edition. The year-long residency, which comes with a $70,000 stipend, provides an emerging children’s or YA writer with financial support, editorial assistance, and a private office in the Boston Public Library to complete one literary work for young readers. Eligible projects include fiction, nonfiction, scripts, poetry, or graphic novels. Applications are open through June 6, and the winner will be selected via a blind judging process. For more information, click here. ICYMI Independent Bookstore Day Spotlights Children's Booksmore more more more Sneak Previews  Take a look ahead at some of the big titles for children and teens due out this fall, from picture books to YA novels, in our exclusive roundup. MORE Follow Us  Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Bookshelf Archives Looking for a previous issue of Children's Bookshelf? Click here for our archives page! CONTACT US
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Children's Bookshelf Editors: Diane Roback and Emma Kantor Assistant Editor: Iyana Jones Digital Producer: Michael Seidlinger Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to: childrensbooks@publishersweekly.com For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below. Copyright 2025, PWxyz, LLC. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY and the PW Logo are trademarks of PWxyz, LLC. Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. To view back issues of Children's Bookshelf, click here. You are receiving this email because npkvdejmf6@nie.podam.pl subscribed to one of < |