Publisher picks: Australian junior and middle-grade fiction

Australian publishers at Bologna name the junior and middle-grade fiction titles they expect to gain international interest at the fair.

On the eve of Bologna, Annabel Barker Agency announced that middle-grade novel Thunderhead (Sophie Beer, A&U Children’s) has been optioned for film in a deal negotiated by the agency. Annabel Barker Agency holds world rights (ex ANZ) to the title, while Carey Schroeter at Allen & Unwin represents translation rights. Thunderhead, which draws on the author’s own experience of a brain tumour that led to hearing loss, has been optioned by LateNite Films. Says LateNite director and co-founder Nick Colla: ‘We are beyond thrilled to be adapting Thunderhead for the big screen. Sophie Beer has crafted an extraordinary story that speaks to the heart – full of humour, hope, and an authenticity that will resonate with audiences of all ages. And don’t even get me started on the exceptional music playlist!’

Bella Suckling will represent Annabel Barker Agency at this year’s fair, which she is attending for the first time. ‘We hope Bella will receive lots of international interest for Thunderhead at Bologna,’ says Barker.

Magabala Books will be represented at Bologna by editor Melena Cole-Manolis and rights manager Kate McCormack. In junior and middle-grade, the pair singles out Getting Dusty by Jared Thomas. Says Cole-Manolis and McCormack: ‘Getting Dusty is the sequel to Uncle Xbox (2023), which sold extremely well in Australia. It has great characters, and a plot and messaging that’s relatable to a lot of young people around the world. Getting Dusty was the winner of the 2023 Daisy Utemorrah Award, and Uncle Xbox was a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable book. We’re hoping to sell as a series.’

UQP rights and contracts manager Erin Sandiford and UQP children’s publisher Cathy Vallance are both attending Bologna in person this year. Of all UQP titles, Sandiford singles out Kid (Peter Carnavas). ‘We have so many contenders for the top position, but ultimately, I think it has to be international bestselling author Peter Carnavas’s next junior reader novel, which we’re publishing in early 2026,’ says Sandiford, who will be hosting an intimate dinner for some of Carnavas’s overseas publishers on the Tuesday evening of the fair. ‘[Carnavas] has been published in over 15 territories and has option publishers in the UK and North America, and the themes in Kid mean that it is universally accessible and will be cheap to translate,’ says Sandiford. She adds: ‘Kid is a return to the age bracket that many publishers around the world fell in love with Peter for, and this combined with the universality of Kid‘s premise – a modern-day classic about a young goat who discovers the meaning of family – makes launching it at Bologna this year an absolute dream career moment.’

Tash Besliev, publishing director, children’s at Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S), with responsibility for both S&S and Affirm Press titles, will attend the 2025 fair with S&S managing director Dan Ruffino. In middle-grade fiction, Besliev singles out Oceanforged 1: The Wicked Ship (Amelia Mellor, August 2025). ‘After publishing her debut middle-grade Grandest trilogy (to acclaim, awards, and commercial success), we are thrilled to be launching an exciting new five-book adventure fantasy series from the wonderful Amelia Mellor,’ says Besliev, who promises Oceanforged is ‘a sensational swashbuckling series packed with action and Amelia’s trademark scrappy and loveable characters’. ‘I am confident her existing eight international publishers of Grandest will be thrilled to jump onboard this brand-new five-book series,’ says Besliev, ‘and [I] expect to find many new publishers at Bologna Book Fair as well!’

Emma Dorph, rights, contracts and international sales manager at Hachette Australia, will be attending Bologna in person this year. ‘On the junior fiction side, the launch of our lightly illustrated Dragonfall series is sure to dazzle readers,’ says Dorph, who promises that first instalment The Fate of Dragons ‘is an action-packed adventure, with younglings from different tribes who must work together to overcome their enemies and reclaim the skies’. ‘This will be a pacy, thrilling and addictive mid-primary chapter book series for kids who love reading Wings of Fire and watching Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous … Perfect for fans of found families and beating the odds, and anyone a little bit dragon-obsessed.’

Allen & Unwin (A&U) rights and international sales manager, books for children and young adults Carey Schroeter will be attending Bologna in person alongside A&U publisher Anna McFarlane. Of A&U’s middle-grade fiction offerings, the pair have high hopes for The Surface Trials (HM Waugh, May), for the 10–14 years age bracket. Says A&U publisher Jodie Webster: ‘There is so much to love about The Surface Trials  … it is a thrilling middle-grade sci-fi novel set on a hostile alien planet, featuring a televised survival-of-the-fittest competition for smart and resourceful kids, a gutsy underdog, hidden royalty, dangerous secrets, a cracking pace and a satisfying twist. It’s a wild ride, perfect for readers who love action and adventure.’

Hardie Grant rights manager Evie Green will be attending Bologna in person alongside Hardie Grant publisher Chren Byng. Green says the pair are excited to debut Lamington Left Behind by first-time creator Andrea Innocent to international publishers at the fair. ‘Fans of Hilda and the Troll and Lightfall will love this magical middle-grade adventure about a girl called Lamington, who tries to help a ragtag group of animals save the heart of their forest,’ says Hardie Grant publisher Marisa Pintado of the full-colour graphic novel. ‘Innocent’s love of Japanese character design and the Australian wilderness shines through her rich world-building and vivid cast of characters – with everything from brave koalas and talking mushrooms to a gang of feral boys – yet it’s the novel’s powerful exploration of friendship and resilience that brings the magic to life.’

‘Many international markets are seeing significant growth in graphic novels, and we are proud to be home to Australian-originated graphic novels under our Figment imprint,’ says Green. ‘Lamington Left Behind is set in the Australian wilderness but explores the universal themes of friendship and community. Andrea Innocent’s extraordinary and distinctive illustration style … and heart and humour of this graphic novel … will resonate with readers around the world.’

HarperCollins head of international rights Airlie Lawson will be attending Bologna this year. HarperCollins has high hopes for Detective Galileo (Pete Helliar, illus by Andrew Joyner, June 2025), ‘a wonderfully silly and very funny new four-part series’ about a police horse who wants more from life. ‘Written by one of Australia’s favourite comedians […], the first book in the series will engage even the most reluctant junior fiction reader – which is what publishers around the world want – so we have no doubt that this series will gallop out the door and around the world!’ says HarperCollins. The book’s publisher, Ana Vivas, adds: ‘Detective Galileo is the perfect combination of Pete’s rollicking writing style with Andrew’s hilarious illustrations. This series has been as much fun to work on as it will be for its young readers.’

Fremantle Press will be represented by subagents at Bologna this year. Fremantle CEO Alex Allan picks Tawny Trouble by Deb Fitzpatrick as a standout for the press in the younger reader category. ‘This is the story of a family that steps up to care for an injured bird after they hit it with their car. Deb Fitzpatrick is masterful when it comes to depicting loving families facing everyday moral dilemmas about caring for the planet and other species.’

Recent junior and middle-grade acquisitions

Elif’s Itchy Hand: The Cockatoo Crew Book #1 and Sambu Won’t Grow: The Cockatoo Crew Book #2 (Lora Inak, illus by Kruti Desai, mid-2025), ANZ rights acquired by UWA Publishing in a four-book deal, via Danielle Binks at Jacinta di Mase Management. 

‘With superhero-energy, a group of eight kids from different backgrounds are learning a new language and new cultures in a fun school setting,’ says UWA Publishing of the series, which is for readers aged five years and older who love the Little Lunch (Danny Katz & Mitch Vane, Walker Books) and Aussie Kids (Puffin) series.

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping (Craig Silvey, illus by Sara Acton, October 2025), ANZ rights acquired by A&U, via Lesley Thorne at Aitken Alexander Associates.

Publisher Eva Mills says: ‘I know that Runt’s many fans will be delighted that Craig is returning to Upson Downs to tell more tales of Annie and the Shearer family […] Everyone’s favourite characters will be back, plus some new ones – and we will learn more about Runt’s mysterious past.’

Drift (Pip Harry, August 2025), ANZ rights acquired by Hachette Australia, via agent Benython Oldfield at Zeitgeist Agency.

According to the author, middle-grade verse novel Drift tells the story of Nate and Luna, 14-year-olds ‘who attempt to rescue a swarm of 20,000 bees and end up saving each other’, and includes ‘themes of friendship, courage, anxiety, beekeeping and self-belief’.

The Boy and the Dog Tree (Fiona Wood, March 2026), ANZ rights acquired by UQP in a two-book deal, via Katelyn Detweiler of Jill Grinberg Literary Management.

The middle-grade novel is described by the publisher as ‘a haunting, magical story about 11-year-old Leo who, while struggling to fit in at his new school, summons an ancient wild dog from an oak tree’. ‘The dog, Argos, will be Leo’s best friend, for a time, until the boy seems ready to face the world without him. It is a deeply moving story about friendship, courage and belonging that has the feel of a modern-day classic.’

Category: Think Australian feature