Simon & Schuster Children’s Books acquires Kessler's middle-grade Second World War book

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has acquired Liz Kessler’s first middle-grade Second World War book, following her YA bestseller When The World Was Ours (Simon & Schuster Children’s UK).

Rachel Denwood, managing director, bought world English language rights in Kessler’s historical novel, Code Name Kingfisher, from Catherine Clarke at Felicity Bryan Associates.

Code Name Kingfisher, which will be published in hardback in September 2023, is set in 1940s Holland and present day England, and is for readers aged nine and above. It will be launched with a trade and consumer marketing and publicity campaign, kicking off with exclusive proofs in April.

The publisher’s synopsis said: "Present Day. When Liv finds a secret box from her grandmother’s childhood she uncovers an extraordinary war-time story of bravery, betrayal and daring defiance. A story that will change Liv and her family forever…

"Holland, 1942. The world is at war and as the Nazis’ power grows, Jewish families are in terrible danger. Twelve-year-old Mila and her older sister Hannie are sent to live with a family in another city with new identities and the strict instruction not to tell anyone that they are Jewish. Hannie, determined to fight back, is swept into the Dutch resistance as an undercover agent: Code Name Kingfisher."

Kessler has written 24 books in total, including two young adult novels and two Early Reader series. The Tail of Emily Windsnap (Orion Children’s Books) was the first of her series of books for eight to 12-year-olds about a half-mermaid girl, which have now sold over five million copies worldwide and been published in over 25 countries.

She said: “I am completely delighted to be bringing out a second book with the wonderful team at S&S. Writing Code Name Kingfisher has been quite a journey, and I can’t wait to share these brave, strong young characters with the world.

"As with most of my books, at its heart this is a story about the value of kindness, the importance of standing up for others and the power of love, family and friendship. I am so excited to get this book into young people’s hands and I hope they will take Hannie, Mila, Liv and Will to their hearts like they did with Leo, Elsa and Max in When The World Was Ours.”

Denwood added: “It is a joy to work with Liz Kessler and we are so proud to be publishing Code Name Kingfisher as a lead title on our autumn fiction list. As you walk in the shoes of Liz’s highly engaging young characters, in the past and present day, the enduring impact of prejudice and war is laid bare. So too are the resistance, bravery and kindnesses that can save lives. Code Name Kingfisher is a beautifully written and empowering story that deserves to sit alongside the great children’s war novels.”