HarperCollins Children’s books has picked up the world rights to a six-book series aimed at girls ages seven and up. The deal was inked by HarperCollins Children’s books, Sheldon Literary Agency and Lucas Alexander Whitley.

The action-adventure series revolves around a tomboy named Sophie, who learns on her 10th birthday that she is the guardian of a magic gateway to the mysterious Shadow Woods. The first book, entitled Sophie and the Shadow Woods: The Goblin King, is scheduled for publication in May 2011.

The series marks the first collaboration between authors Linda Chapman and Lee Weatherly, who will be writing together under the pen name of L.A. Peters. The publication will be supported by a marketing campaign where readers will be recruited pre-publication via an immersive online experience.