Archives de catégorie : Frankfurt 2025 Children’s Books

THE SKELETON AND THE CAT de Brandon James Scott

A humorous and touching tale of the unexpected friendship that blossoms between a peaceful skeleton and a persistent cat.

THE SKELETON AND THE CAT
by Brandon James Scott
HarperCollins Children’s Books, May 2026

TOLD IN A FIVE-STORY STRUCTURE: This can be read as one cohesive tale or five stories that stand on their own. True to classic storybook form, this is great for young readers pacing themselves during a reading session, perfect for fans of Frog and Toad and I Want My Hat Back.

PUBLICATION PLAN FOR SERIES: Skeleton and the Cat #2, Summer 2027; I Can Read #1-3

Brandon James Scott is an award-winning Canadian artist who works in animation and illustrates books. He is the illustrator of over 10 picture books, He is also an Emmy Award–nominated creator of the Canadian preschool television series Justin Time and is an animation director with over ten years’ experience in the animation industry. The Skeleton and the Cat is based on his original Dead Cat art series.

CREEPY KID de Caleb Michael Roehrig

It’s one thing to see ghosts—it’s another to have one for a roommate. This hilariously creepy page-turner features a macabre-obsessed kid who moves into a haunted house only to find that communing with the other side might be a little more than he bargained for. It’s a heartfelt but snappy exploration of grief, moving on, and finding one’s place in the world, developed in conjunction with the hit-making movie production studio, Temple Hill.

CREEPY KID
by Caleb Michael Roehrig
HarperCollins Children’s Books, August 2026

Creepy Kid is a heartfelt, spooky-funny middle grade novel developed in conjunction with the hit-making powerhouse Temple Hill Productions that’s sure to make you laugh, jump in fright, cry, then jump in fright again.

LIGHT HORROR: As spooky stories continue to be winners in the middle grade marketplace, Creepy Kid is perfectly positioned to be a breakout in the genre – not too scary, but with just enough creepy spooks to keep readers on the edge of their seats!

DEALING WITH GRIEF: Poe, our main character, begins the book with the loss of his grandmother, and struggles throughout with his grief. Readers will be able to sympathize with Poe, and relate to his emotions, as he processes this major life event.

OPTIONED BY TEMPLE HILL: Developed in conjunction with the production company Temple Hill, Creepy Kid has potential to hit the big screen!

RELATABLE NARRATOR: With his dry, whip-smart humor and oddball personality, Poe will immediately appeal to readers who feel like they’ve never quite found their footing in middle school.

Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Caleb Roehrig grew up with a healthy fixation on ghosts, witches, and all things spooky. A former actor and television producer, he’s done a lot of wacky things to earn a paycheck, and sometimes they even turn up in his books.

STYX AND STONES de Gary D. Schmidt & Ron Koertge

Percy Jackson meets The Labors of Hercules Beal in this hilarious, page-turning fantasy adventure with a heart of gold from two award-winning authors.

STYX AND STONES
by Gary D. Schmidt & Ron Koertge
Clarion/HarperCollins, May 2026

Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant. Then, after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times—and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. Naked.

With the help of Zeke, a nerdy rich kid on the social fringes, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. And with Simon’s help, Zeke begins to question his comfortable life and understand the true meaning of friendship. Everything seems to be going great . . . until the god of the Underworld sends a demon girl to bring Simon back. And suddenly, it’s not just the secret of Simon’s past that’s threatened, but their very lives—and everyone’s around them, too. Is their friendship strong enough to withstand the Will of Hades and save St. Nikolaos Academy Middle School?

From two-time Newbery honoree Gary D. Schmidt and two-time PEN Award winner Ron Koertge, Styx and Stones is an unforgettable coming-of-age adventure about friendship, courage, and identity, brimming with Greek mythology and high-stakes action.

Gary D. Schmidt is the bestselling author of The Labors of Hercules Beal; Just Like That;National Book Award finalist Okay for Now; Pay Attention, Carter Jones; Orbiting Jupiter; the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor Book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy; and the Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars. He is also co-author, with Ron Koertge, of A Day at the Beach. He lives in rural Michigan.

Ron Koertge is the author of many acclaimed novels for young people, including Stoner & Spaz and Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, and most recently is co-author, with Gary D. Schmidt, of A Day at the Beach. A two-time winner of the PEN Award, Ron lives in South Pasadena, California, where he is currently the city’s poet laureate. 

THE LAST LOVE STORY de Katharyn Blair

A tropey, soapy, twist-filled teen romance standalone set in a dystopian world perfect for fans of The Hunger Games films.

THE LAST LOVE STORY
by Katharyn Blair
Avon/HarperCollins Children’s Books, August 2026

ROMANCE IN A DYSTOPIAN WORLD: This accessible read with soapy twists, cliffhangers, and love triangles is just in time for the current dystopian renaissance. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent films will love the crackling tension and romance tropes galore!

LONELINESS, AI, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND CENSORSHIP: This book explores questions that matter to teens: the role of AI; friendships and romance during an increasingly isolating digital age; extreme weather; and book banning. It also poses questions about politics and gently critiques extremism, with a message for empathy and finding a middle ground.

LIGHT, SOAPY, AND COMPULSIVELY READABLE: Under 300 pages, with short chapters and accessible writing by Katharyn Blair, television writer for Marvel’s “Loki” and “Daredevil,” this book is a perfect entry point for teen readers. The commercial package will also communicate the romance-forward content.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING: Ripley models social awareness through perspective-taking; relationship skills through teamwork; and responsible decision-making by evaluating ethical responsibility.

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: “The Last Love Story is a twisty standalone romance set in a dystopian world, perfect for Divergent and Hunger Games fans who are mostly in it for the swooning. Written by Marvel TV’s Katharyn Blair and edited by Sara Schonfeld, this one will have a commercial package and short cliffhanger chapters, and pubs right on time for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping movie next year.”

Katharyn Blairis the author of The Hushed (A Haunt for Jackals), Unchosen, and The Beckoning Shadow and screenwriter of « Loki » Season 2 and « Daredevil: Born Again. » She’s been a social media coordinator for several films at 20th Century Fox, an intern at her city’s Parks and Recreation Department, a gymnastics coach, and a writing professor at Azusa Pacific University.

CALYPSO’S ODYSSEY d’Anna Ellison

The Summer I Turned Pretty meets Circe in this windswept, emotional retelling of The Odyssey. A stunning story of first love, ancient echoes, and the power of rewriting your own fate.

CALYPSO’S ODYSSEY
by Anna Ellison
Avon/HarperCollins, May 2026

A star-crossed, slow-burn summer romance. A contemporary reimagining with mythological roots. A girl who learns that sometimes, the most epic love story is the one you write for yourself.

Some loves are meant to stay…some are meant to set you free.

Callie Quinn has never left Catalina Island. Her world is a crumbling cliffside inn, a father who’s more prison guard than parent, and a curse she believes she’s doomed to repeat: every summer brings a boy, a spark—and then a goodbye. Until one summer everything changes.

A storm. A shipwreck. A boy washed ashore.

Odie is secretive, wounded, and desperate to disappear. Callie offers him shelter, a place to heal, and slowly, something more. But Odie is no ordinary castaway. He carries secrets that could destroy them both. On Catalina, Callie shows him another way to live. A life of freedom and belonging. An everlasting life where he could be anyone—even himself.

But when Odie’s world crashes back into their paradise, both Odysseus and Calypso must make impossible choices: one between legacy and love. The other, between holding on and setting herself free.

Inspired by the tale of Odysseus and Calypso from Homer’s The Odyssey, this fresh retelling gives star-crossed lovers a chance to defy fate. Full of longing, first love, and impossible choices, it’s a story where, at last, they find their happily ever after.

Anna Ellison is the pen name of a lifelong storyteller. A hopeless romantic at heart, Anna has always been captivated by the magic of first love, late-night conversations, and the bittersweet excitement of growing up. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book, wandering through a local coffee shop, or working on her next story idea. This is her debut novel under the name Anna Ellison.