Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: Agent, graphic novel, Jules Bakes, mg, niki smith, scholastic, Sea Legs

Jules Bakes & Niki Smith Auction Sea Legs Graphic Novel to Scholastic

Jules Bakes & Niki Smith auction world rights to their true-life middle-grade graphic novel Sea Legs to Scholastic Graphix

Published Thu, 13 Jun 2024 08:43:08 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Jules Bakes & Niki Smith's Sea Legs sold to Scholastic Graphix.
True-life middle-grade graphic novel to publish in February 2025.
Jules Bakes debuts with a memoir of life on a schooner as a girl.
Agent Charlie Olsen of InkWell Management brokered the two-book deal.

Sea Legs is a new middle grade graphic novel by Jules Bakes and Niki Smith, a graphic memoir about a girl who lives and travels with her family on a schooner the size of a school bus, encountering new cultures, turbulent friendships, and hurricane season along the way. Jules Bakes spent her childhood sailing around the Caribbean and South America, but these days she works at Yale University. This is her first novel. Niki Smith's previous graphic novels include The Deep & Dark Blue, Ruined and Crossplay.

"Set sail for adventure! Dive in to this hilarious and moving middle grade graphic memoir about friendship, growing up, and life at sea. Janey's family is about to set sail for the adventure of a lifetime! The only problem? Janey must leave her school, her life, her best friend, the entire country behind for new adventures – coral reefs, colorful markets, and new cultures. Life at sea is exhilarating, but there's a major downside: when you're raising anchor every few days with sights on a new harbor, it's almost impossible to make new friends. Finally, Janey meets the cool and aloof Astrid – a fellow boat kid who's equally starved for friendship. But Astrid can be a challenging friend to navigate, and beyond that, hurricane season has only just begun . . . . At turns laugh-out-loud hilarious and heartbreakingly poignant, this stunning graphic memoir charts both the turbulence and joys of growing up."

They sold world English rights, at auction to Maya Marlette at Scholastic Graphix, a two book deal with publication of Sea Legs for February 2025. Jules Bakes and Niki Smith's agent Charlie Olsen at InkWell Management handled the negotiation.

Scholastic publishes and distributes comics, books, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Its books are distributed through retail and online sales and through schools via reading clubs and fairs, and its comic book line Scholastic Graphix has made Scholastic the biggest comic book publisher in North America.

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