Deal announcement: Two-book deal for Taylor Kitchings

Taylor Kitchings is one of those rare writers who can tell whole stories in just a couple of lines of dialogue. Set in Mississippi in 1964, his book is loosely based on an incident from his own childhood. His sense of economy and rhythm is pitch-perfect, and he's hilarious to boot. He's also a genuine southerner, and his work is infused with such a deep and authentic sense of place that I fell in love with it immediately.

And so I'm just delighted that Taylor's debut middle-grade novel, THE OAKWOOD ALL-OUT YARD WAR, and its sequel, THE TIDINGS TREE, have sold at auction to Wendy Lamb for her eponymous imprint at Random House. What a way to kick off a career— congratulations, Taylor!