Hope Larson, the acclaimed cartoonist behind Salamander Dreams and Gray Horses, has joined the ranks of comics artists making the move to big publishing houses, signing a two-book deal with Ginee Seo's YA imprint at Simon & Schuster.

The first book under the deal will be Chiggers, which Larson describes as a story about two nerdy 13-year-old girls. "Abby and Shasta meet at summer camp and bond over a crappy fantasy novel they both love. Abby is naive and unsure of herself, and her friendship with the more dynamic Shasta quickly takes over her life at camp. But Shasta has a secret. If I was writing shameless copy, it would be 'an electrifying secret.' "

The book was inspired by Larson's own youth. "I wrote Chiggers because, at 13, I was a huge nerd. I read fantasy novels, played Dungeons & Dragons, had a deck of Magic cards—but I also read Seventeen magazine and hung out at the mall. There are lots of comics about nerdy boys, but fewer about nerdy girls, and I think there should be more!"

Stylistically, the book will be a departure for Larson—her previous works were more impressionistic, but Chiggers will be much longer and more densely plotted, with more dialogue and a larger cast. "My comics are becoming more conventional because I finally realized I'd rather draw books that people want to read than make hollow objets d'art," she says. "The art and design in this book are in service of the story, which hasn't been the case before."

Agent Judy Hanson negotiated the deal. Larson signed with Hanson after getting attention for her work in Flight, the fantasy anthology that had become a training ground for future graphic novelists—Kazu Kibuishi and Kean Soo have also signed deals coming out of the book.

Chiggers is tentatively scheduled for release in 2008. Larson hasn't decided on the contents of her second book yet, but graphic novels aimed at the YA market feels like a natural progression for her. "That's what I see myself doing in the future."