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HCCB nabs middle-grade debut from Kate McKinnon
HarperCollins Children’s Books has acquired The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science, the middle-grade debut from US comedian Kate McKinnon.
Editorial director Tom Bonnick bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, in three books from Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown on behalf of Ted Malawer at Upstart Crow Literary. The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science will publish in hardback in October 2024, with a second and third book publishing in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
The first book in the series is described as an "unbelievably hilarious, madcap adventure" that McKinnon began writing over a decade ago, prior to her rise to fame. It is reccomended for fans of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (HarperCollins), Andy Stanton’s Mr Gum (Egmont), and Beth Lincoln’s The Swifts (Puffin).
The synopsis reads: "Gertrude, Eugenia, and Dee-Dee Porch do not belong. They don’t belong in the snooty town of Antiquarium, where all girls must go to etiquette school and all dogs must be bichon frises. They don’t belong with their adoptive family: their uptight Aunt Desdemona, their materialistic Uncle Ansel, and their seven snide cousins, who are all named Lavinia. And they certainly don’t belong at Mrs. Wintermacher’s etiquette school – they’re far more interested in machines and slugs than posture and little forks.
"After Mrs. Wintermacher expels them for insubordination, the girls expect to be sent away for good… until they receive a mysterious invitation to a new school. Suddenly, the girls find themselves under the tutelage of the infamous Millicent Quibb – a mad scientist with worms in her hair and oysters in her bathtub. At 231 Mysterium Way, the pizza is fatal, the bus is powered by gerbils, and the dean of students is a hermit crab. Dangerous? Yes! More fun than they’ve ever had? Absolutely! But when the sisters are asked to save their town from an evil cabal of nefarious mad scientists, they must learn to embrace what has always made them stand out and determine what side they’re on – before it’s too late!"
McKinnon said: "I wanted to write the kind of book that I would have loved reading when I was younger, when I was eating honeysuckle on the playground and collecting bugs and falling in love with the natural world – I hope young people read about the adventures of the Porch Sisters and are inspired to get out there and have their own adventures. I started playing with the idea of these characters and this world over a decade ago and am so thrilled to finally be bringing them to life."
Bonnick added: "This is, simply put, one of the funniest books that I’ve ever read – a bona fide comic masterpiece that boasts a world of breathtaking originality and weirdness. I fell in love with the town of Antiquarium, the incredible voice of Dr G Edwina Candlestank, the extraordinary characters – every species of worm and piece of talking furniture, and every inch of Taffeteen. Kate’s inimitable voice shines through in every word on the page, and with its warm-hearted celebration of individuality and imagination, this is a book for every reader. I am beyond thrilled that we’ll be publishing Millicent Quibb and delighted to be welcoming Kate to HCCB."
