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Bologna Children's Book Fair 2025: agents' hotlists
The agents’ hot tips among the runners and riders at the 2025 Bologna Children’s Book Fair
The Bookseller’s Hotlists are literary agencies’ top manuscripts out on submission with UK and international publishers, compiled by Tom Tivnan for the London, Bologna and Frankfurt book fairs.
Each agency selects their own titles, limited to a maximum of five. Rights deals listed are confirmed deals, unless noted as being on offer or with option publishers; for entries with no rights flagged, the title has yet to be acquired in any territory. Eight global markets (UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and New Zealand) have been denoted with flags and list the acquiring imprint. Agents noted are primary, not translation, agents, barring a select number of instances, such as firms that specialise in foreign rights.
To participate in upcoming hotlists, please email tom.tivnan@thebookseller.com.
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The Agency
Little Rhino Lost
Candy Gourlay
An uplifting story about Maya helping a lost Little Rhino find his mummy in a crowded city, showing how kindness and community spirit can bring about real change.
Agent Jessica Hare
The World of Wanda
Karen McCombie
“Heartwarming” middle-grade exploring the forming a new version of family, with a unique insight into ADHD and the unexpected wonders it can bring.
Agent Jessica Hare
UK & Commonwealth UCLan, Danish
Peregrine Quinn and the Mask of Chaos
Ash Bond
Second in the series where in the Cosmic Realm a mysterious figure is trying to sabotage the Cosmic Games.
Agent Jessica Hare
World English Piccadilly, French Casterman, German cbj, Turkish, Russian, Latin American Spanish
The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King
Harry Trevaldwyn
“First there was Bridget Jones… Now get ready to meet Patch Simmons.” A “hilarious” YA romcom following Patch’s mission to get his first boyfriend.
Agent Jessica Hare
World English First Ink, US Wednesday, German HarperCollins Germany, Italian Newton Compton, French Gallimard Jeunesse, Spanish Crossbooks, Portuguese, Czech
Girl, Ultra-Processed
Amara Sage
“Searing” YA novel looking at diet culture and exploring what it is like to be a teenage girl.
Agent Jessica Hare
World Faber
Alice Williams Literary
Nine Rooms
Sharon Boyle
“Pitch-perfect” YA psychological thriller debut in which Emmy is trapped in a house with a sinister past and Jade has just escaped a lifetime of captivity.
Agent Alice Williams
Shorelines
Ruth Ennis
A “beautiful” verse novel and dark retelling of The Little Mermaid in which Muireann is proud of her fat body that keeps her safe and warm in the sea. But on land she finds that fatness is not perceived as a thing of beauty.
Agent Alice Williams
World Little Island
Amelia Cheeseheart Investigates: Mummy Mayhem!
Cat Weldon, Nene Lonergan (illus)
A young graphic-novel mystery series starring mouse aviator Amelia Cheeseheart and her spider side-kick, Webster, who investigate strange goings-on in the museum where they live.
Agent Alice Williams
World Guppy
History Debunked!
Matt Ralphs
“Entertaining history” aimed a myth busting, including: pirates rarely buried treasure, Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets, and prehistoric people mostly didn’t live in caves.
Agent Alice Williams
Unicorns in Uniforms: Dragon Inferno
Tracy Curran, Steve Wood (illus)
Meet the unicorns in uniform: five horned emergency service workers who keep everyone safe in The Sunshine Realm.
Agent Alice Williams
World English UCLan
Andrew Nurnberg Associates
¡Kákiri, Kákiri!
Velia Vidal, Gina Rosas (illus)
Kákiri the hermit crab is searching for a brand-new shell. As more shells disappear from the beach, Kákiri is running out of time to find a new home…
Agent Juliana Galvis
World Spanish Lumen
Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime
Jennifer Claessen
First in a middle-grade in which King Minos is preparing for the opening of his precious labyrinth – there are rumours that a monster lurks inside, and Netta must solve the puzzle.
Agent Jenny Savill
UK & Commonwealth excl. Canada UCLan
The One
Isabella Galbraith
A YA “The Bachelor meets Five Survive” in which 18-year-old Constance signs up for a teen dating show to get over her ex-girlfriend, only to end up stranded on an island with other contestants, a dead girl – and a murderer.
Agent Gyamfia Osei
UK & Commonwealth excl. Canada PRH Children’s
Boy Friends
Kai Spellmeier
Friends-to-lovers YA romance “pairing gorgeous writing with commercial appeal” exploring the blurry line between intense friendship and first love against the backdrop of a cosy seaside town.
Agent Gyamfia Osei
World English Bloomsbury
The Art of a Heist
Laura Caputo
“The warmth of Luca meets the humour of The Swifts” in the first a contemporary illustrated middle-grade Italian-set adventure series.
Agent Gyamfia Osei
World English Little Tiger
ASH Literary
Better Off Dead
Tess James-Mackey
A “chilling YA thriller with a supernatural twist”, following a 17-year-old searching for her sister who takes a summer job at a rundown caravan park.
Agent Saffron Dodd
UK & Commonwealth Rock the Boat
Milo and the Made-Up Moon
Sophie Cameron
“Lyrical and tender” middle-grade debut from the award-winning YA author, following a boy who tries to rescue his mum from the rabbit-hole of conspiracy theories that have convinced her that the moon is a hoax.
Agent Paula Weiman
How I Became a Huntmaster and Saved Everyone
Alex Falase-Koya
The Breakfast Club Adventures author’s middle-grade debut following Weakest, a wannabe Bard turned Huntmaster who steps up when all the adult Hunters fail to return from their latest mission.
Agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes
The Mahout of Tamba
Chitra Soundar
The middle-grade debut from the acclaimed author, following a young boy on his journey for peace and acceptance, based on a little known element of Indian history.
Agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes
Finding Her Edge
Jennifer Iacopelli
YA romance set in the world of figure skating is a retelling of Persuasion; its Netflix adaptation will launch in 2026 ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Agent Alice Sutherland-Hawes
UK Hachette, US Putnam, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, EU/South American Portuguese, Spanish, Ukrainian
Bell Lomax Moreton
Venn Watson & the Creature of Zoo Road
Alex Latimer
The first middle-grade title from the bestselling picture book author/illustrator.
Agent Paul Moreton World Available
The Lost Gods
Ellen Ryan
“The Lorien Legacies meets an Irish Pantheon Percy Jackson” in a teen fiction debut from the award-winning and bestselling children’s narrative non-fiction writer.
Agent Callen Martin on behalf of Lauren Gardner
Spy Gamers
Steve Catling
“Fortnite meets Alex Rider’s Stormbreaker” in a middle-grade debut MI6 spy adventure set in a life-or-death international gaming tournament.
Agent Callen Martin
Tilly Teg: The Trainee Goblin Princess
Lauren Ellis Bowditch
Goblin Princess Tilly Teg must collect magical gemstones – each one representing a trait of a great ruler – to complete her golden pickaxe in this full-colour, highly illustrated 6+ series with ADHD representation, “perfect for fans of Adventure Time and Hilda”.
Agent Lorna Hemingway
Icky and Sticky Get Picked
Paul Delaney
Highly illustrated story for early readers which has “best-friend boogers” Icky and Sticky getting picked by the Weird Giant Finger Monster – a tale of survival and “hilarious story of friendship, bravery and teamwork”.
Agent Lorna Hemingway
The Bent Agency
Gaslit
Megan Davidhizar
The Silent Sister author’s new “twisty” suspense novel, “perfect for fans of The Reappearance of Rachel Price and One of Us Is Lying”.
Agent Molly Ker Hawn
US Delacorte, UK HarperFire, France Nathan
They Call Her Regret
Channelle Desamours
YA horror from the author of Needy Little Things, featuring a teen at the centre of a terrible accident, and the cursed witch who offers the chance to clear her name – for a price.
Agent Molly Ker Hawn
UK Bloomsbury Children’s, US Wednesday
The Scammer
Tiffany D Jackson
Jackson’s newest “stunning, ripped-from-the-headlines” thriller, following a freshman girl whose college life is turned upside down when her roommate’s ex-convict brother moves into their dorm and starts controlling their every move.
Agent Jenny Bent
US Quill Tree
Vote for the GOAT
Ali Terese
The Free Period author’s new “hijinks-fuelled” heist comedy, full of “banter, activism, self-care, double-crosses, big shenanigans and even bigger feelings”.
Agent Molly Ker Hawn
World English Aladdin
The Bird Literary Agency
Behind The Sky
Megan Angharad Hunter
YA adaptation of the award-winning LGBTQ+ novel. The Welsh original scooped Wales Book of the Year Award in 2021, hailed “a masterpiece” by Manon Steffan Ros.
Agent Anwen Hooson
UK & Commonwealth Firefly, Welsh Y Lolfa
I Am Completely Not Sleepy
Colette Hiller
A rhyming back-and-forth between parent and child, featuring plenty of child-logic, from acclaimed writer and arts producer Hiller.
Agent Anwen Hooson
The Big Bad Dragon Who Wasn’t
Jodie Lancet-Grant
Brand new picture book text from the author of The Pirate Mums and The Legend of the Wild West Twins.
Agent Anwen Hooson
The Blair Partnership
Cherry Red, Honey Gold
Meghan DeGuelle
“Practical Magic meets Yellowstone” in this YA cowboy romance with a magical twist.
Agent Rachel Petty
After Charlie
Sophie Riley
A girl returns from college to find her male best friend has been accused of sexual assault. He claims innocence, but should she believe him?
Agent Rachel Petty
The Darkening Song
Delphine Seddon
A “Gen Z Daisy Jones & the Six meets Girl in Pieces” from music industry insider Seddon.
Agent Rachel Petty
World English Saturday Books
Mei Bo and the Jade Dragon
Narissa Chung and Shuning Ji
“Turning Red meets American Born Chinese” in a highly illustrated graphic-novel hybrid.
Agent Rachel Petty
Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room
Hugh Bonneville
Middle-grade semi-autobiographical debut from the Downton Abbey and Paddington star, in which Rory befriends an elephant who has run away from the zoo to join the circus when the children of the circus temporarily attend his school.
Agent Rachel Petty
UK & Commonwealth Bloomsbury
CAA
Hoof and Blade
Teri Dederer
A high stakes romantasy in which a gifted outcast must battle for her future at an elite magical academy.
Agent Alexandra Machinist
US Scholastic
Beautiful to See You Again
Lygia Day Peñaflor
When a college-dropout discovers a tunnel in Central Park that allows her to revisit the past, she’s torn between reuniting with her high-school love or embracing her present.
Agent Hillary Jacobson
US
Simon & Schuster
Heirs of Infamy
Kyla Zhao
YA “West Side Story meets Portrait of a Thief” debut set in post-Second World War San Franciso, as the teenage heirs of rival gangs must team up to pull off a heist.
Agent Tia Ikemoto
US Putnam Children’s
Mom’s Busy Work
Jacinda Ardern (
2), Ruby Jones (illus)
The ex-New Zealand prime minister’s children’s debut about a girl who misses her mum when she’s at work; based on conversations Ardern had with her daughter when she was in office.
Agent Mollie Glick, David Larabell
US Philomel, UK Macmillan Children’s, Australia/New Zealand PRH Australia
The Sirens
Tomi Adeyemi
The YA star’s “thrilling” standalone set on a prestigious university campus, “with the dark allure of The Secret History and The Craft”.
Agent Mollie Glick
US Holt, UK Macmillan Children’s, Dutch, French Olympe, German Heyne, Greek, Hungarian, Portuguese-Brazil, Ukrainian
Children’s Books North Agency
Selkie
Rachel Plummer
The award-winning Scottish poet’s “magical” picture-book story about a little girl who needs to escape the indoor noise. So, in her imagination, she dives into the sea like a selkie.
Agent Emma Layfield
More to Explore
Joely Badger
An “exciting” debut picture book, a story “full of adventure and fun” as Grandad Pops encourages Flo to be brave in the world and explore as much as possible.
Agent Emma Layfield
Excuse Me, Audrey
Catherine Fortey
A “gorgeous” debut picture book about a confident, autistic girl and her imaginary dragon who are starting school together: “Perfect for little ones who are finding their place in the world.”
Agent Emma Layfield
Top of the Plops
Bethan Clarke
The award-winning writer of Holey Moley’s newest is a “hilarious” picture book about a competition to find “the number one dinosaur plopper”, and is “packed with laugh-out-loud poo-stopping moments”.
Agent Emma Layfield
Curtis Brown
Le Jour ou le Mondes Est Devenu Bizarre (The Day the World Went Bonkers)
Marie Pavlenko ( 3)
“Original and hilarious” Roald Dahl-esque story in which a young boy wakes up to find that he’s been expelled from his body.
Agent Roxane Edouard
France Flammarion Jeunesse
Il Mio Gatto È un Influencer (My Cat Is an Influencer)
Desy Icardi
“Funny and light-hearted” debut middle-grade featuring a girl on a mission to become a social media star who literally steps into her cat’s paws.
Agent Enrichetta Frezzato
Italy Il Battello a Vapore
Dream by the Shadows
Logan Karlie
Lush, gothic YA fantasy. In a world where dreaming is a curse, Esmer is brought to the dreaming realm by the Shadow Bringer where she discovers he may not be the villain he’s portrayed to be.
Agent Ciara Finan
UK Headline, US Christy Ottavino
Darley Anderson Children’s Agency
Seam Ripper
Anna Fiteni
“Bridgerton meets The Lost Boys” in this YA/new adult crossover debut, a glamorous and gory, vampire-filled historical fantasy set in a haute couture London atelier.
Agent Lydia Silver
The Girl in Room Nine
Aileen Iaccino
A “Holly Jackson meets Only Murders in the Building” YA thriller début set at the Ashford Inn bed and breakfast, which holds a sinister secret about the truth behind the mysterious death of Willow Fremont.
Agent Becca Langton
US Simon Pulse
The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia
Leia Ham
Illustrated middle-grade debut in which a strange illness drains Zenith Academy’s students of their magical powers, and young fire mage Sparrow is drawn into the search for a cure.
Agent Lydia Silver
UK Puffin, US Scholastic, Brazil
According to Plan
Christen Randall
Second feel-good queer YA romance from the bestselling author, featuring “cosy coffee shops, lit nerds, creative chemistry and finding first love in unexpected places”.
Agent Becca Langton
US Atheneum, UK Pushkin, option in Brazil
When the Storm Comes
Polly Ho-Yen
The award-winner’s “Breakfast Club meets The Day After Tomorrow” latest has four students trapped in a library, who reluctantly team up to escape a brutal storm.
Agent Clare Wallace
World English Knights Of, options in Arabic and Russian
David Higham Associates
Night Creatures: Firefly
Robert Macfarlane, Luke Adam Hawker (illus)
Macfarlane’s text and Hawker’s illustrations combine for a story exploring “the power of hope in a world of shadows and darkness”. First in a trilogy.
Agent Jessica Woollard
UK Magic Cat
The Seaside Sleepover
Jacqueline Wilson
Third title in Wilson’s bestselling middle-grade Sleepovers series, full of “relatable details and gentle confidence-building messages”.
Agent Caroline Walsh
UK Puffin
Redemption Ark
Eilis O’Neal
A group of teenage criminals on an intergalactic cruise spaceship must compete for a literal “get out of jail free card”, the reluctant stars of a reality TV show where nothing and no one is quite what they seem.
Agent Christabel McKinley
Under a Fire-Red Sky
Geraldine McCaughrean
The award-winner and bestseller’s newest is an “utterly immersive and unforgettable novel set during the London Blitz, inspired by McCaughrean’s firefighter father”.
Agent Veronique Baxter
UK Usborne, US Flatiron
A Match Made in Hell
Charlotte Ingham
“The fiery sexual tension of Icebreaker meets A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon” in a “scorching” fantasy romance where a woman makes a deal with the Devil to escape a hell dimension – only to fall for him instead.
Agent Maddalena Cavaciuti
UK Hot Key, US Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Eve White Literary Agency
Circle of Liars
Kate Francis
“Gripping” YA thriller in which seven trapped teenagers are forced to turn against one another for survival.
Agent Ludo Cinelli
UK Usborne, US Sourcebooks, English audio Bolinda, Netherlands, Poland
Cecily Sawyer: How to Be a Spy
Iona Rangeley
A “thrilling, mysterious and very, very funny” new adventure series from the award-winning author of Einstein the Penguin.
Agent Eve White
World HarperCollins Children’s
Not Going to Plan
Tia Fisher
The Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice-winning author returns with a “taboo-busting” narrative verse YA novel about gender identity, consent and shame.
Agent Eve White
World Hot Key
Fishfolk
Steven Quincey-Jones
Twins Oona and Luna start to question their grandfather’s tales of shape-shifting fishfolk in this original, moving and funny middle-grade fable.
Agent Steven Evans
World Firefly Press
Kid Rex to the Rescue!
Mayo Agard-Olubo
Household chores are reimagined as daring superhero adventures in this “thrilling and dynamic” debut picture-book series.
Agent Ludo Cinelli
World Hachette Children’s
Gemma Cooper Agency
Mission Classified: Echostrike
Yusof Hassan
High-stakes action-adventure middle-grade series “for fans of Alex Rider and Young Bond”.
Agent Gemma Cooper
UK Usborne, US Random House Books for Young Readers
The House With Chicken Legs Runs Away
Sophie Anderson
The sequel to the bestselling and award-winning The House With Chicken Legs, which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and sold in 25 languages.
Agent Gemma Cooper
UK Usborne, US Scholastic
The Big Bad Wolf Murder
PG Bell
“Red Riding Hood meets Alex Rider”, in which a girl framed for killing the big bad wolf goes on the run to try to find the real murderer and clear her name.
Agent Gemma Cooper
UK Usborne, US Feiwel & Friends
Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow
Jessica Townsend
The fourth book in Townsend’s bestselling and award-winning Nevermoor series, which has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
Agent Gemma Cooper
UK Hachette Children’s, US Little, Brown, Australia/New Zealand Hachette Australia, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Ukraine
Hannah Sheppard Literary Agency
Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo
Philippa Leathley (
4)
Ten-year-old Meticulous (Metty) Jones’ magical tattoo reveals she’s fated to be a murderer… but who is she destined to kill, and is a fating ever wrong?
Agent Hannah Sheppard
UK & US HarperCollins Children’s, Netherlands, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal
Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Shadow Compass
Philippa Leathley
The second in the series has a tombstone appearing in the magical city of New London, and Metty’s name is engraved on it…
Agent Hannah Sheppard
UK & US HarperCollins Children’s, Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy
Summer under the Stars
Kate Mallinder
“Bucketloads of fun” second story following up on Cam, Hetal, Sasha and Nell from Summer of No Regrets as they take a road trip together and rediscover what good friendship really is.
Agent Hannah Sheppard
UK Firefly
LBA
The No Secrets Club
Tamsin Winter
Three friends at a new school form a no-secrets club – but as their classmates turn to them for advice, hidden secrets come to light; “for fans of the Babysitters Club”.
Agent Luigi Bonomi
UK & Commonwealth Usborne
A Beautiful Evil
Bea Fitzgerald
A “grumpy x sunshine” reimagining of the Pandora myth from the bestselling author of The End Crowns All and Girl, Goddess, Queen.
Agent Hannah Schofield
World Penguin, France Nathan, World Spanish Planeta, Brazil, Germany cbj, Italy Mondadori, Poland
Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed
Eve Wersocki Morris
The first in a “thrilling” illustrated middle-grade series featuring the youngest, fiercest gangster in London Town on the trail of her missing dad.
Agent Louise Lamont
UK & Commonwealth Little Tiger
Secrets on the Shore
Katherine Woodfine
Aimed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Woodfine’s Clockwork Sparrow series, showing how Sophie and Lil got their first secret agent mission.
Agent Louise Lamont
World English Farshore
Lockett and Wilde’s Dreadfully Haunting Mysteries
Lucy Strange, Pam Smy (illus)
A new middle-grade series featuring creepy cases and a pair of supernatural sleuths: Matilda and her best friend Edgar, who happens to be a ghost.
Agent Louise Lamont (on behalf of Strange), Neil Dunnicliffe (acting for Smy)
World Walker, Spanish Trillas, Danish, Dutch
Madeleine Milburn Agency
Our Wicked Gifts
Kathryn Foxfield
Bestseller Foxfield’s sinister fantasy thriller “for fans of Ninth House, House of Hollow and The Inheritance Games”, with the toxic family dynamics of Succession and a romance at its core.
Agent Chloe Seager
UK & Commonwealth Simon & Schuster, North America Random House Children’s
What Makes a Monster
Emily Cooper
Fourth Wing meets Heavenly Bodies for a YA audience, in this stunning romantic fantasy from the author of Season of Fear.
Agent Chloe Seager
UK & Commonwealth Magpie, German Bramble
The Heirs
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
“Knives Out meets The Umbrella Academy” in this YA thriller from the bestselling author of Ace of Spades.
Agent Chloe Seager
UK & Commonwealth Usborne, North America Macmillan
This Treacherous Night
Marina Stevenson
A multi-point of view YA heist fantasy “in the vein of Six of Crows and A Tempest of Tea”, in which a group of magic-wielding teens embarks on a quest to free the God of the Sun.
Agent Maddy Belton
Mordecai Villin and the Soul Snatcher
Robbie Mann
“Action-packed” middle-grade fantasy series from a debut voice that “will appeal to fans of Percy Jackson, Alex Rider and Skulduggery Pleasant”.
Agent Chloe Seager
Marjacq Scripts
They Own the Night
Amy McCaw
A dark YA supernatural thriller set in 1990s Scotland, “perfect for those eagerly awaiting that Buffy reboot”. Mia’s brother Johnny disappears on a secret journalist assignment. With her penchant for true crime (her dad is a serial killer, after all) Mia decides to investigate. But what she uncovers has a little bit more bite than she was expecting…
Agent Sandra Sawicka
World English Bonnier
The Case of the Native Prince
Gita Ralleigh
“Enola Holmes meets Katabasis” in the newest in the Ana and the Lightseekers YA series of supernatural detective mysteries.
Agent Catherine Pellegrino
Mulcahy Sweeney
Survival Show: Dollhouse
Juno Dawson
Sing for your life: a dystopian thriller follows Taryn Beck as she competes to win Starmaker, the most watched TV show in the New Alliance.
Agent Sallyanne Sweeney
World Rights Simon & Schuster
Free Mum
Nathan Bryon
The middle-grade debut from the award-winning picture-book author: a comedy heist adventure starring Dexter and his school choir as they attempt to break his mum out of prison.
Agent Sallyanne Sweeney
UK & Commonwealth Puffin
This Song Is About Us
Sara Barnard
The YA Book Prize-winner’s escapist romance is set over three summer festivals, charting the relationship between Drew, a burgeoning rock star, and his long-term girlfriend, Ruby.
Agent Sallyanne Sweeney
UK & Commonwealth Walker
Murder at the Ivy Hotel
Emily Hourican
Only Murders in the Building for middle-grade readers, a charming new mystery series featuring sister sleuths.
Agent Sallyanne Sweeney
The Cosmic Club
Nicola Colton
A “humorous, fun-filled” graphic novel series that celebrates difference and inclusivity: embrace your inner space cadet and join The Cosmic Club.
Agent Sallyanne Sweeney
Originate Literary Agency
Untitled series
Alexis Ffrench
A series of children’s books inspiring kids to harness the power of music to learn and create, by classical soul pioneer, composer, producer and pianist Ffrench, one of the fastest-growing classical artists with over a billion streams.
Agent Natalie Jerome
You, Me and Lots and Lots of Love
Leon Wenham
A diverse, “heartfelt” children’s picture book celebrating family. Wenham’s personal story about being a single, gay, adoptive father has been featured in a number of outlets such as BBC Radio, the Metro and the Daily Mail.
Agent Natalie Jerome
Peters, Fraser + Dunlop
The Moss
Lisa Lueddecke
“Harrowing, atmospheric” YA horror, in which a girl returns to her hometown and the sinister bogland surrounding it in search of her missing sister, “perfect for fans of Shea Ernshaw and The Haunting of Hill House”.
Agent Silvia Molteni
US & Canada Simon & Schuster, UK UCLan, audio
The Lost Saint
Rachael Craw
An action-packed, time-travel romance, “perfect for young fans of Outlander and romantasy such as Powerless”.
Agent Silvia Molteni
Australia Allen & Unwin, US & Canada 8th Note, Ukraine, audio
The Night of Borrowed Time
Iqbal Hussain
Middle-grade family love story with a time travel twist; when Zubair discovers his ability to revisit events from the past, he uses it to try to “fix” his family, with unexpected consequences.
Agents Silvia Molteni, Lucy Irvine
UK Puffin Press
Tastes Like Teen Spirit
Eleanor Drage
A dark, queer YA romance with supernatural elements, steeped in 1990s nostalgia and “perfect for fans of Midnight Sun and Beautiful Creatures”. Winner of the PFD Queer Fiction Prize 2024.
Agents Silvia Molteni, Lucy Irvine
The Skeleton Puzzle
Lisa Thompson
The stars of Thompson’s The Goldfish Boy are back, cracking clues and solving a mystery on Chestnut Close. This time the story is told from Jake’s perspective.
Agent Adam Gauntlett
UK Scholastic, audio
Pickled Ink
Stormheart
KC Collinson
YA fantasy debut set in a parallel Scottish world full of clan rivalry, fierce warrior trials and mythical beasts and goddesses: “Outlander meets Powerless from an exciting new voice in YA fantasy.”
Agent Helen Boyle
Floblins
Phil Corbett
Enrol at Underling Academy and meet the Flobins in a new, funny, comic adventure series from the creator of Kitty Quest. Goblins meets the Minions, told in two-colour comic panels with break-out illustrations.
Agent Helen Boyle
RCW
Small Wonder
Ross Montgomery
“War Horse meets The Letter for the King” from the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year winner in a death-defying race against time for one boy to save a kingdom.
Agent Claire Wilson
UK Walker, US Candlewick
The Poisoned King
Katherine Rundell
“Dazzling” sequel to Rundell’s bestselling, multi-award winning Impossible Creatures.
Agent Claire Wilson
UK Bloomsbury, US Knopf, Germany Sauerländer, France Gallimard Jeunesse, Spain Planeta, Italy Rizzoli and 18 others
Local Gods
Melinda Salisbury
“Sinister, beautiful” newest from the four-time Carnegie-nominated and bestselling author about Sylvie, a girl hated by her small town for her father’s crimes. She must decide whether to save her friends and neighbours or let it all burn down when a dying god hidden in the woods warns her of an impending catastrophe.
Agent Claire Wilson
UK David Fickling
The Rebel and the Rose
Catherine Doyle
“Sizzling” second instalment of the bestselling enemies-to-lovers romantasy series The City of Fantome.
Agent Claire Wilson
UK & US Simon & Schuster, France Bayard, Germany Bastei Luebbe, Italy Il Castoro, Spain Hidra, Brazil, Czechia, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland
The Shaw Agency
Naeli & The Secret Song
Jasbinder Bilan
Historical middle-grade adventure from the former Costa winner, in which a young Indian girl goes in search of her English father and the truth about her musical inheritance.
Agent Kate Shaw
UK & Commonwealth, excl. Canada Chicken House
Pia’s Pet Club: Puppy Problem
Serena Patel, Emma McCann (illus)
Animal adventures and mayhem in a “hilarious” new illustrated series for ages seven-plus, from the writer and illustrator behind the multi-award-winning Anisha: Accidental Detective series.
Agent Kate Shaw
World
Usborne
This Boy I Hardly Know
Lisa Heathfield
“Heartbreaking” coming-of-age YA love story and “song to the bond of sisters” set against the broken care system, inspired by the author’s experiences teaching teens in a children’s home.
Agent Kate Shaw
The Girl With Gills
Becca Rogers
Debut middle-grade fantasy adventure about a 13-year-old “Larker” – the girl with gills – who must venture deep into the River Yore and overcome terrible fantastical creatures to save her brother and everything the Larkers stand for.
Agent Kate Shaw
World
Zephyr
Acting Up
Holly Rivers
“School of Rock meets Malory Towers” in a hilarious middle-grade about an accident-prone schoolgirl whose surprise casting in a Hollywood fantasy series causes mayhem. Inspired by the author’s own experiences as a child actress.
Agent Kate Shaw
Sheil Land
Song of the Saltings
Rachael King
The Red Rocks author’s newest is set on a remote island where a child is selected each year on Midwinter Day to be sacrificed to a creature that dwells in the saltmarshes. After eight-year-old Lotta is picked, her pony escapes and is claimed instead of her. Eight years on, the town thinks that the curse is broken, but Lotta is not so sure…
Agent Gaia Banks
UK Guppy, Australia/New Zealand Allen & Unwin
Violet and the Velvets
Rachael King
The first book in a middle-grade series that follows neurodivergent tween rockstar-in-the-making Violet as her newly formed band strives to win the chance to compete at BandChamps. Can Violet solve the mystery of why their band stuff keeps disappearing, and harness her ADHD powers?
Agent Gaia Banks
Australia/New Zealand Allen & Unwin
The Thrashers
Julie Soto
The bestseller’s YA debut, in which Jodie feels different from the other four Thrashers, members of her high-school’s elite. When misfit Emily takes her life on prom night, her diary is found and the Thrashers are arrested, charged and ostracised. “But something isn’t adding up, and one thing is clear: Emily isn’t done with the Thrashers.”
Agent Gaia Banks
UK HarperFire, US Wednesday Books
The Soho Agency
Stonewitch
Skye McKenna
McKenna’s fourth in the Hedgewitch series has dark forces astir in the Scottish Highlands, and young witch-in-training Cassie Morgan finds herself facing not only challenges from rival covens but also traitors and magical forces from beyond a new Faerie border.
Agent Philippa Milnes-Smith
UK & Commonwealth, excl. Canada Hachette
Witchlore
Emma Hinds
A debut YA romantasy with a non-binary twist. Orlando Southerns is a shapeshifter with no control over their body changes. After their girlfriend dies in a spell gone wrong, Lando teams up with alluring new transfer student Bastian to try to bring her back.
Agent Philippa Milnes-Smith
UK & Commonwealth, excl. Canada Usborne, North America St Martin’s, Italy E/O, UK & Commonwealth excl. Canada audio
Tidespeaker
Sadie Turner
A debut YA fantasy duology in which a girl with the ability to control water secures a life-changing position serving a powerful noble family – but when she discovers that her predecessor died in a mysterious accident, she must navigate a maze of her employers’ secrets if she wants to survive.
Agent Marina de Pass
UK & Commonwealth, excl. Canada Rock the Boat, North America Delacorte, UK & Commonwealth excl. Canada audio
Storymix
Imps
Mara Menzies
A “stunning” middle-grade verse novel blending adventure and rebellion as four children uncover the dark truth of Queen Victoria’s enchanted empire: “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe meets Get Out”.
Agent Jasmine Richards
The Absolutely True Confessions of a Funny Girl
Rekha Kirpal
A hilarious, highly illustrated multimedia diary novel about talent, friendship, and first crushes. Subha must prove she’s destined for greatness – without losing her bestie or her nerve.
Agent Jasmine Richards
Kid Manager
Bali Rai (writing as B Panwar)
When 10-year-old Amar wins a contest to manage his favourite football team, he unexpectedly leads them to victory. A Ted Lasso-inspired underdog sports story with hybrid graphic-novel elements.
Agent Jasmine Richards
The Darkness Dreams of Us
Jade Mutyora
A YA dark romance in which two girls, cursed across lifetimes, fight to break free before their love ends in death – again.
Agent Jasmine Richards
United Agents
The Book Hunters
Tom Velterop
A middle-grade fantasy “for fans of Anna James and Katherine Rundell”. When Fifth becomes an apprentice at a magical travelling bookshop, it’s a dream come true, but he soon finds himself thrown into the dangerous world of the Book Hunters, who seek out – and occasionally steal - rare and mystical tomes.
Agent Molly Jamieson
Crown Above the Sky
Mark Richardson
Middle-grade fiction set in the court of Henry VIII.Falconer’s daughter Anne’s world is in turmoil and help comes from the most unlikely of sources: Prince Edward – the king’s nine-year-old son.
Agent Jodie Hodges
Broken Space: Eye of the Cosmos
Ed Caruana, Chris Hazeldine
“Hilariously irreverent” middle-grade graphic novel series about a crew of treasure-hungry Star Breakers and their accidental quest to save the universe. “Perfect for fans of Amulet and Frostheart.”
Agent Jodie Hodges
UK
Puffin
Big Ideas from Science
The School of Life
A journey from ancient myths to modern science, including how humans gradually discovered the size of the Earth, why plants use carbon dioxide to grow, and the amazing technological advancements the future may hold.
Agent Caroline Dawnay
UK The School of Life
Watson, Little
Where the Broken Go
HF Askwith
“Pacy” YA gothic fantasy/thriller in which timid teen Alice is forced to confront the violent shadow-monsters only visible to her when her beloved sister goes missing and her crush turns up dead.
Agent James Wills
World English
Penguin
The Boy with the Mullet
Lauren Ford
“Wholesome, swoony” YA debut from the established romcom author, following childhood friends-turned-pen pals Daisy and Barry, who are reunited after a decade apart. Barry returns looking much older, and much hotter, than Daisy remembers…
Agent Megan Carroll
Ava Sees Everything
Jeremy Williams
A “heartwarming, witty” middle-grade from the author of Max Counts to a Million about newly diagnosed diabetic Ava and the mystery she uncovers on her daily insulin trips through the secretive teachers-only corridor.
Agent Megan Carroll
Totally Chaotic History: The Stone Age Runs Wild!
Greg Jenner
The next instalment of the “fantastically funny” new history series from bestselling author and chart-topping podcaster Jenner, this time turning his attention to the Stone Age.
Agent Donald Winchester
UK & Commonwealth Walker
Writers House
Wally Mammoth and the Sled Race
Corey R Tabor, Dalton Webb (illus)
The first “giggling-inducing” story in a new, four-book series for early readers by Caldecott-winner Tabor in which Wolf wants to win the sled race and Otto does, too; but Wally Mammoth is not so sure…
Agent Rebecca Sherman
World English HarperCollins
Ramin Abbas has Major Questions
Ahmad Saber
An “intensely brave, gorgeously written” YA debut about a gay Muslim teen who has to choose between being true to himself or his faith – and his realisation that maybe they aren’t as separate as he thought.
Agent Dan Lazar
North American English Simon & Schuster
Call of the Dragon
Natasha Bowen
“Eragon meets African mythology” YA novel in a kingdom where dragon gods rule the earth and sky – until the gods are betrayed, and one girl embarks on a journey to save the world.
Agent Jodi Reamer
UK & Commonwealth PRH Children’s, North American English Random House
The Crimson Throne
Beth Revis, Sara Raasch
“Outlander meets Holly Black” in an enemies-to-lovers romantasy set in the Scottish court, where a fae guardian of the realm falls in love with a charming Elizabethan spy who could also be the key to her world’s undoing.
Agents Merrilee Heifetz (for Revis), Amy Stapp (on behalf of Raasch)
World English Sourcebooks
The Wylie Agency
Title TBC
Dave Eggers
A new all-ages adventure from the author of the Newbery Medal winner and bestseller The Eyes and the Impossible.
Agent Andrew Wylie
UK Andersen Press, US Knopf Books for Young Readers, Germany Atlantis, Netherlands
Somadina
Akwaeke Emezi
The award-winner and Pet author’s novel, set in a magical West African world, is about a teen girl who must save her missing twin while learning to navigate her own terrifying new powers.
Agent Jacqueline Ko
UK Faber, US Knopf Books for Young Readers, Nigeria
Hansel and Gretel
Stephen King, Maurice Sendak (illus)
The classic, haunting tale of two brave children lost in a dangerous forest, reimagined by King with artwork by the late Sendak.
Agent Luke Ingram, the Lotts Agency (for King)
US HarperCollins Children’s, UK Hodder, Italy Adelphi, Germany Atlantis, France L’école des loisirs & Albin Michel, Spain Penguin Random House, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Greece
