Emma Donoghue Is Writing A Kids' Book!

Today in awesome news, author of the international bestseller Room Emma Donoghue is writing a middle grade novel! She's just signed a deal with Scholastic to make the book a reality, and even though the story is technically for younger readers, it’s pretty likely Donoghue fans with a few more birthdays under their belts are gonna wanna get their hands on it. Once you hear the summary, you’ll be one of them.

The Lotterys Plus Onetells the story of a big, happy, unconventional family with two moms, two dads, and six siblings. When a homophobic, racist grandfather has to move in with them, things are bound to go south fast, but, according to the book’s publisher Arthur A. Levine, the novel’s heroine Sumac Lottery isn’t about to just sit there and take it.

“This is a tale about the unbridled joy of living in a big, loving family, and the lengths to which one creative nine year old will go when that crazy, delicate equilibrium is threatened,” said Levine.

Technically this isn't the first venture into children's literature for the author, even if her first YA novel wasn't on purpose. “I became a YA author by accident,” Donoghue wrote on her website, “Kissing the Witch (1997), my sequence of re-imagined fairytales, was published for adults in the UK but bought by Joanna Cottler Books (HarperCollins) in the U.S.; they managed to win me a whole new 12-and-up audience.”

Of course, The Lotterys Plus One wasn't an accident. Donoghue first mentioned her intention to write the novel back in April 2014 in an interview with The Washingtonian, and she even admitted to being a little nervous to jump into kit lit. “I’ll trying [sic] to write a children’s book. I’m so nervous! I’m just gritting my teeth. I think it’ll be a middle-grade novel. Tackling a murder mystery gave me new confidence. But I’m still nervous!” said Donoghue.

But with an international bestseller and an impressive list of awards on her hands, Emma Donoghue probably has nothing to worry about.

The Lotterys Plus One will hit the bookstores in February 2017.