Simon and Schuster Children's Books Acquires Three Books from Harriet Whitehorn

Simon and Schuster Children's Books today announced the acquisition of three young fiction titles from debut author, Harriet Whitehorn.

Jane Griffiths, Commissioning Editor at S&S UK, secured world rights in three books from Catherine Pellegrino at Catherine Pellegrino and Associates.

The first novel, Violet and the Pearl of the Orient, begins a lively and charming new series aimed at 8+ readers. Violet Remy-Robinson is a super-sleuth in the making. When the Count and Countess Duplicitous and their ghastly daughter Isabella move in to a neighbouring house, Violet is sure there is something strange about them but she can't quite put her finger on it. Then her eccentric, but lovely neighbour, Dee Dee Derota, has a precious jewel stolen. Could the new family be to blame? Violet is on the case to uncover the truth... So begins a quirky and fun tale with an intriguing detective story at its heart.

The books will be published in a bespoke format with illustrations throughout to create a beautiful, classic package. Becka Moor, up-and-coming new illustrator, has been selected to bring the stories to life.

Violet and the Pearl of the Orient will be published in May 2014, with the second title to follow in autumn 2014 and the third in summer 2015.

Debut author Harriet Whitehorn grew up in London, where she still lives with her husband and three daughters. She has studied at Reading University, the Architectural Association and The Victoria and Albert Museum, and has always worked in building conservation, currently with English Heritage.

Griffiths said of the deal: "Violet Remy-Robinson is one of those characters that leaps from the page; she's smart, feisty and endearing and I know that girls are going to love her. I was immediately captivated by Harriet's writing and in Becka I think we've found the perfect illustrator pairing to bring Violet and the world around her to life. Simon & Schuster's young fiction list continues to go from strength to strength and we're really excited to welcome Harriet to the list.'

Issued by: Catherine Ward, Children's Publicity and Marketing Manager Tel: +44 (0) 20 7316 1979 Email: Catherine.ward@simonandschuster.co.uk

Rights Enquiries to: Tracy Phillips, Co-editions and Rights Director Tel: +44 (0) 20 7316 1974 Email: Tracy.phillips@simonandschuster.co.uk Frankfurt Stand: S55

Note to Editors:NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

About Simon and Schuster UK

Simon & Schuster UK Children's Publishing was founded in 1998. Since then it has published numerous popular and bestselling titles and series, including The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black, work by multi-award winning author Sophie McKenzie, The Great Hamster Massacre by Katie Davies (winner of The Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010), Andy Mulligan's Ribblestrop series (winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2011), the Thirteen Treasures sequence by Michelle Harrison, bestselling paranormal romance Hush Hush and its sequels by Becca Fitzpatrick, and works by LJ Smith. Stars on the picture book and licensed character list include Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort, Olivia by Ian Falconer, pre-school sensations Mike the Knight and The Octonauts, Sue Hendra's Barry the Fish with Fingers, and Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie's award-winning Dogs Don't do Ballet. New additions to the children's list for 2012 include international bestselling author Philippa Gregory with her YA series Order of Darkness, and Darren Shan, with his 12-book series Zom-B. Simon & Schuster was highly commended in the Bookseller Industry Awards 2011, Children's Publisher of the Year category, and was shortlisted in the same category in the 2012 awards.

Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and non-fiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.co.uk.

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