Producers Roger Lay, Jr., and Eric Carnagey have acquired rights to two critically-acclaimed YA novels from Jennifer E. Smith. Smith is the author of multiple best-sellers for young adults. Her most recent novel “Field Notes on Love” was released March 5 by Delacorte Press.

Also, producers Lay, Jr. and Carnagey are no strangers to adapting popular novels for young readers to film. Their most recent production, Universal’s “Aliens Ate My Homework” is based on Bruce Coville’s global best-seller which has sold over 16-million copies since its initial publication by Simon & Schuster. The live action film adaptation is now streaming on Netflix.

Regarding the upcoming film projects, author Jennifer E. Smith said, “I couldn’t be happier to be working with Lay/Carnagey on this project. Right from the start, their passion for the novels has been incredibly exciting. And I’m absolutely thrilled at the prospect of working with them to bring these stories from the page to the screen.” Smith has written the screenplay (her first) for “This is What Happy Looks Like”. “It’s been such a thrill to adapt one of my own books. And I’m grateful to Roger and Eric for the opportunity.” Jennifer E. Smith is represented by ICM Partners.

First, “This is What Happy Looks Like” has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly for its “premise worthy of the movie. With charming leads and a romantic conceit that will win hearts.” The novel was an American Library Association top 10 YA book and has been translated and published in multiple languages. When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O’Neill a text message about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. Graham doesn’t know the secret hidden in Ellie’s family tree, and Ellie is unaware of Graham’s life in the spotlight. Can two people from such different worlds be together despite the odds stacked against them? Spanning one unforgettable summer, Jennifer E. Smith’s novel proves that life – like love – is full of unexpected connections and happy mistakes.

Also, “The Geography of You and Me” tells the tale of Lucy and Owen. They are an unlikely couple that meets on an elevator rendered useless during a city-wide blackout. After being rescued, they spend the night wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is back, so is reality. Lucy soon moves abroad with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father. The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to opposite sides of the globe, Lucy and Owen confront one obstacle after another in order to find a way to reunite.