A chance book-club reading by kids writer Tish Cohen at the house of a neighbor of a 9 Story Entertainment senior executive has led to a deal to turn one of Cohen’s novels into a live-action TV series.

Vince Commisso, president and CEO of Toronto-based 9 Story, says the neighbor flagged Cohen’s second novel, The Invisible Rules of Zoë Lama, to the senior exec, and got a copy into his mailbox.

Before long, Commisso met the Canadian author and successfully negotiated a deal with her agent, Los Angeles-based UTA, to option the novel and develop it as a tween TV series.

‘The vibrant, genuine characters she creates in her literary work translate wonderfully to the screen. The stories and situations are easily relatable to young viewers and their families,’ Commisso says of giving Cohen’s novel and a recent sequel, The One and Only Zoë Lama, the small-screen treatment.

The Invisible Rules of the Zoë Lama portrays a seventh-grader, Zoë Costello, who offers advice to classmates, teachers and friends based on her unwritten rules.

But Zoë begins to question her own advice when an attempt to ease a young girl with a ‘reputation’ into her new school backfires and Zoë the charmer faces new and difficult truths.

‘This is a truly compelling character, and at the level that she relates to others, we can all relate to her,’ Commisso explains.

UTA earlier sold the film rights for Cohen’s debut novel Town House to Fox Studios and Scott Free Productions, which are developing it as a feature film to be lensed by John Carney (Once), with Doug Wright (the forthcoming remake of Bunny Lake Is Missing) penning the adapted screenplay.

Commisso says the TV project will be developed with an eye to an initial 13 episodes, and possibly 26, contingent on international presales, including to a possible American broadcaster.

9 Story will also handle international sales on the TV series.