Mari Kesselring at Jolly Fish Press has acquired Rebecca Thorne's debut middle grade sci-fi novel, The Secrets of Star Whales, pitched as The Magic School Bus meets School of Rock meets Doctor Who. The story tells of a sensitive, shy boy finding the courage to explore the galaxy while learning to manage his grief after the death of his father. Publication is slated for fall 2020; Kaitlyn Johnson at Corvisiero Literary Agency did the deal for world English rights.