We are thrilled to announce that Lauren Gardner has sold World English Language rights, including audio, for an ‘imaginative and uplifting’ new MG novel about friendship, self acceptance and unlikely heroes from neurodivergent debut author Emily Kenny.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks was sold to senior commissioning editor Katie Jennings at Oneworld’s Rock The Boat in a five figure deal. Rockthe Boat will publish the book as a lead title in paperback in May 2022, with the sequel in the first half of 2023.
‘Alice Tonks desperately wants to make friends at boarding school but, being autistic, she’s always found it hard to fit in. Then she discovers she is a switcher and can talk to animals. As she starts to explore her newfound abilities, to her horror she learns that creatures are going missing.
Only Alice holds the key to solving the mystery and finding the culprit, but she’ll need to harness her full powers first. With its themes of friendship and celebrating who you are, this is perfect for fans of Elle McNicoll and Thomas Taylor, and anyone looking for a boarding school story with a contemporary twist.’
Jennings said:
“From the very first page, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks is a celebration of difference. Kind, passionate and determined in equal measure, Alice is such a vivid and likeable character. Although she doesn’t always find things easy, she steps up to the challenges that come her way, from settling in at school, to getting to grips with some surprising new skills, to uncovering villainous plots. I can’t wait for readers to meet this extraordinary heroine and her friends – both human and animal!”
Kenny said:
“I am over the moon to be working with Katie Jennings and the team at Rock the Boat and cannot wait to introduce Alice and her incredible adventures to readers. It is so important to me that all child readers are able to see an autistic protagonist like Alice taking the lead as the heroine of her own story. I am really grateful to my brilliant agent, Lauren Gardner, and the wonderfully supportive community at WriteMentor for giving me the confidence to go out on submission.”
