HarperCollins Children’s buys young fiction series by Lindsey Kelk

HarperCollins Children’s Books has acquired three books in a young fiction series by Lindsey Kelk, an author of adult novels and former children’s book editor.

Based on a concept created by HarperCollins, ‘Cinders and Sparks’ is a fresh take on the Cinderella story and features adventures, dresses, talking dogs and cake. Pippa Curnick has signed on as the illustrator and the first book, Cinders and Sparks: Magic at Midnight, will be published in June.

Publishing director Nick Lake bought world rights to three books, including film and TV rights, from Rowan Lawton at Furniss Lawton and Claire Cartey at Holroyde Cartey.

Lake said: “We have a fantastically strong slate of 5-8 and 7-9 fiction coming up at HarperCollins, and I’m especially excited about this brilliantly written, escapist-and-yet-inspiring story, which finally brings the stuff of the best kids’ movies into book form. This is series fiction for the generation who grew up watching Frozen.”

Kelk has written 14 adult novels, including the I Heart series, also published by HarperCollins, and lives in LA. Cinders and Sparks is her first series for children.