Below is a listing of some of the many children's authors and illustrators who will be at this season’s eight regional bookstore shows.
Avi
Who Was that Masked Man Anyway? (Scholastic, available)
While WWII rages in Europe, sixth grader Frankie Wattleson in Brooklyn, inspired by The Lone Ranger and other radio shows, sets out to right the world’s wrongs. Ages 9-up.
MPIBA
Annie Bach
Monster Party! (Sterling, Aug.)
Monster’s invited, and monster’s delighted. But when the party ends, he has to leave his fun-loving friends. Ages 2-5.
PNBA
Mac Barnett and/or Jory John
The Terrible Two, illustrated by Kevin Cornell (Abrams/Amulet, Jan.)
It’s prankster against prankster in a war of trickery. Singly or together Barnett and John will sign copies of the first book in their new middle-grade series about two pranksters in a war of trickery. Ages 8–12.
Heartland, MPIBA, NAIBA, NCIBA, PNBA, SCIBA, SIBA
David Baldacci
The Finisher (Scholastic, available)
Nobody has ever left the village of Wormwood, until Quentin Herms vanishes. Ages 10-14.
NAIBA
Andrea Beaty
Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau (Abrams, Sept.)
From the bestselling team behind Iggy Peck, Architect, and Rosie Revere, Engineer comes this story about love, community, and friendship, with fancy hats. Ages 4-8.
Heartland
Bonny Becker
A Library Book for Bear, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (Candlewick, July)
Curmudgeonly Bear succumbs to Mouse’s entreaties and discovers the joy of books in this funny story. Ages 3-7.
PNBA
Joshua David Bellin
Survival Colony 9 (S&S/McElderry, Sept.)
In a postapocalytpic world, an amnesiac teen struggles to recover the lost memory that might save the human race. Ages 14-up.
NAIBA
Michael Buckley
Undertow (HMH, May 2015)
Sixteen-year-old Lyric is caught in a clash of civilizations when undersea warriors march out of the ocean into contemporary Coney Island in the first book of a YA trilogy. Ages 12–up.
PNBA
James Burks
Bird & Squirrel on Ice (Scholastic/Graphix, Sept.)
Bird and Squirrel face a Killer Whale on the South Pole, where they also make a new friend, a penguin named Sakari. Ages 7-10.
SCIBA
Nancy Carlson
Armond Goes to a Party: A Book About Asperger’s and Friendship, with Armond Isaak (Free Spirit, available)
Armond doesn’t want to go to Felicia’s party, but with her help and that of her mom, he has fun. Ages 5-9.
Heartland
Nancy Cavanaugh
Always, Abigail (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, available)
Ditched by her best friends and rejected by the Pom Pom squad, Abigail uses her sixth grade English class’s Friendly Letter Project to cope with the worst school year ever—and in the process turns it into the best. Ages 9-12.
SIBA
Cassandra Clare and Holly Black
The Iron Trial (Scholastic, Sept.)
Book 1 of The Magisterium series tells a coming-of-age story in a magic-filled version of the U.S. today. Ages 8–12.
Heartland
Katie Coyle
Vivian Apple at the End of the World (HMH, Jan. 2015)
17-year-old Vivian Apple returns home after the alleged “rapture” to find her devout parents gone and two mysterious holes in the roof. Ages 14–up.
NCIBA
Mike Curato
Little Elliot, Big City (Holt, Aug.)
A polka-dotted elephant tries to find his way in the big city in this picture book debut. Ages 4–8.
NAIBA, PNBA, SIBA
Kate DiCamillo
Leroy Ninker Saddles Up: Takes from Deckawoo Drive (Candlewick, Aug.), illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
This is the first book in a spin-off series featuring characters from the Mercy Watson books. Ages 6-9.
Heartland
Jules Feiffer
Rupert Can Dance (FSG/Michael di Capua, available)
When Rupert’s owner, Mandy, is asleep, he likes to slip on her dancing shoes and dance the night away. Then one night Mandy catches Rupert in the act. Ages 3-6.
NAIBA
Kelly Fiore
Just Like the Movies (Bloomsbury, available)
Two unlikely friends form a plan to act out grand gestures from classic movies to get the guys of their dreams, but learn in the process that finding true love usually requires finding yourself first. Ages 12-17.
SIBA
Gayle Forman
I Was Here (Viking, Jan. 2015)
After her best friend commits suicide, Cody discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. Ages 12–up.
PNBA, SIBA
Marla Frazee
The Farmer and the Clown (S&S/Beach Lane, Sept.)
The two-time Caldecott Honor–artist tells a wordless story about an unexpected friendship. Ages 4–8.
MPIBA, SCIBA
George Hagen
Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle (Random/Schwartz & Wade, Aug.)
In this middle-grade debut, 11-year-old Gabriel searches for his missing father with the help of a young raven with whom he has a magical bond. Ages 9–12.
NAIBA, Heartland
Sandy Hall
A Little Something Different (Feiwel and Friends/Swoon Reads, Aug.)
The first published novel from the crowd-sourced romance imprint describes a romance between two college students from 14 different points of view. Ages 12-18.
SIBA
Deron Hicks
Tower of the Five Orders, Book 2, Shakespeare Mysteries, illustrated by Mark Edward Geyer (HMH, paperback in Oct.)
Colophon Letterford’s life changed overnight when the 13-year-old uncovered Shakespeare’s lost manuscripts. Now the authenticity of those manuscripts is in question. Ages 9-12.
SIBA
Alice Hoffman
Nightbird (Random/Wendy Lamb, March 2015)
Because of an ancient family curse, 12-year-old Twig has had to isolate herself from other kids. But when a new family moves into the cottage next door, Twig discovers they may hold the key to reversing her family’s fortunes. Ages 10-up.
NEIBA
Paul Janeczko and illustrator Melissa Sweet
Firefly July (Candlewick, available)
This selection of short poems is a 2013 New England Book Award winner. Ages 6-9.
NEIBA
Jessica Khoury
Kalahari (Razorbill, Feb. 2015)
When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert. It’s up to Sarah, the daughter of zoologists, to lead them to safety. Ages 12-up.
SIBA
Kazu Kibuishi
Amulet #6: Escape from Lucien (Scholastic/Graphix, Aug.)
Navin and his classmates journey to Lucien, a city ravaged by war and plagued by mysterious creatures, where they search for a beacon essential to their fight against the Elf King. Ages 8-12.
NCIBA
A.S. King
Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future (Little, Brown, Oct.)
Glory doesn’t know what will happen after she graduates from high school, until one night when she discovers that she can see a person’s past and future. Ages 15–up.
NAIBA
Michelle Knudsen
Evil Librarian (Candlewick, Sept.)
He’s young. He’s hot. He’s also evil, and he’s the librarian.
NAIBA
M.A. Larson
Pennyroyal Academy (Putnam, Oct.)
A girl from the forest arrives in a bustling kingdom with no name, only to find herself at the center of a world at war. Ages 10-up. SCIBA
Kelly Light
Louise Loves Art (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, Sept.)
This picture book debut tells a comic tale about a little girl who loves to create art and loves her little brother, Art. Ages 4–8.
SIBA
Marie Lu
The Young Elites (Putnam, Oct.)
As one of the few survivors of the blood fever, Adelina is known as a Young Elite and possesses powers that shouldn’t belong in this world. Ages 12–up.
PNBA
Gregory Maguire
Egg & Spoon (Candlewick, Sept.)
In a tale of mistaken identities, an impoverished girl’s life changes when a train carrying a girl her age arrives in the village. Ages 12–up.
NEIBA
Nikki McClure
May the Stars Drip Down by Jeremy Chatelaine (Abrams, available)
This lullaby by indie rock band Cub Country has been adapted into a bedtime book with illustrations by the cut-paper artist.
PNBA
Richard T. Morris
This Is a Moose, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Little, Brown, available)
When a movie director tries to capture the life of a moose on film, he’s in for a big surprise. The moose wants to be an astronaut and go to the moon. Midwest Booksellers Choice Award for Children’s Picture Book.
Heartland
Jandy Nelson
I’ll Give You the Sun (Dial, Sept.)
Twins Jude and Noah are inseparable until a major loss tears them apart; they tell the story of their breakup and healing in alternating chapters. Ages 14–up.
NCIBA
Jennifer Niven
All the Bright Places (Knopf, Jan. 2015)
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school—both teetering on the edge—they begin an unlikely relationship. Rights have been sold in 14 countries; the first printing is 150,000. Ages 12–up.
Heartland, NCIBA, SIBA
B.J. Novak
The Book with No Pictures (Dial, Sept.)
Writer and actor Novak turns the notion of a picture book on its head with this text-only story. Ages 4–8.
SCIBA
Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
The Magic Tree House Survival Guide (Random House, Sept.) and
Magic Tree House Super Edition #1: Danger in the Darkest Hour (Random House, Jan. 2015)
The survival guide, which has a working compass embedded in the front cover, contains tips on surviving in scary situations. In the series’s first Super Edition, Jack and Annie travel to London during World War II. Ages 7–10.
NEIBA
James Patterson
Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile, with Chris Grabenstein (Little, Brown, Sept.)
In the latest from the prolific author, Bick Kidd and his globe-trotting siblings end up going down the Nile River in Africa to rescue their kidnapped mother. Ages 8-12.
SIBA
Eric Pierpoint
The Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, available)
After their mother dies, 12-year-old Caleb and his sisters are forced to travel the Oregon Trail to flee from the dreaded Blackstone Gang. Winner of MPIBA’s Reading the West Book Award for 2013. Ages 9-12.
MPIBA
Andrea Davis Pinkney
The Red Pencil, illustrated by Shane Evans (Little, Brown, Sept.)
Twelve-year-old Amira loses almost everything when attackers come to her Sudanese village. Now she must find the strength to make the journey to a refugee camp on foot. Ages 9-up.
NEIBA
Patricia Polacco
Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece (Putnam, available)
Speaking in front of an audience terrifies Trisha. But when the lead actress for the play Mr. Wayne is directing moves away, she is the only other person who knows her part. Ages 5-8.
Heartland
Frank Portman
King Dork Approximately (Random House, Dec.)
Tom Henderson is back with a few stitches and a head wound in the long-awaited sequel from Portman, aka Dr. Frank in the Mr. T. Experience. Ages 14–up.
NCIBA
John Rocco
Blizzard (Disney-Hyperion, Oct.)
This tale about the wonder of a winter snow storm is based on the blizzard of 1978, when Rhode Island got more than two feet of snow. Ages 3-5.
SCIBA
Nic Sheff
Schizo (Philomel, Sept.)
The police believe Miles’s little brother Teddy drowned at the beach on the very same day Miles had his first schizophrenic episode. But Miles knows that Teddy was kidnapped. Ages 14-up.
SIBA
Joyce Sidman
What the Heart Knows (HMH, 2013)
This collection from the Newbery Honor–winner, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, provides comfort, courage, and humor. Winner of the Midwest Booksellers Choice Award for Poetry. Ages 12–up.
Heartland
Raina Telgemeier
Sisters (Scholastic/Graphix, Aug.)
In the companion to Smile, Raina can’t wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren’t quite how she expected them to be. Ages 8-12.
NCIBA
Shelley Tougas
The Graham Cracker Plot (Roaring Brook, Sept.)
This middle-grade debut tells the story of Daisy Bauer and her sometimes-best-friend Graham, who are determined to break Daisy’s dad out of prison. Ages 9-12.
Heartland
Ben Tripp
The Accidental Highwayman (Tor Teen, Oct.)
Young Christopher “Kit” Bristol’s life changes direction when he puts on his master’s riding cloak and enters a world of magic. Ages 12–up.
Heartland, SCIBA
Judith Viorst
Alexander, Who’s Trying His Best to Be the Best Boy Ever (S&S/Atheneum, Aug.) and And Two Boys Booed (FSG/Ferguson, Sept.)
The author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day has two new picture books, including a new Alexander story. Ages 4-8.
Heartland
Scott Westerfeld
Afterworlds (Simon Pulse)
Darcy Patel puts college on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds, a thriller about a teen who slips into the “Afterworld” to survive a terrorist attack. Ages 14–up.
NCIBA, SIBA
Cat Winters
The Cure for Dreaming (Abrams/Amulet, Oct.)
Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. Includes archival photos and art from the period. Ages 12-up.
PNBA
Meg Wolitzer
Belzhar (Dutton, Sept.)
In her YA debut, inspired by The Bell Jar, Wolitzer writes about a teenager who ends up in a therapeutic boarding school. Ages 14–up.
MPIBA, SCIBA
Jacqueline Woodson
Brown Girl Dreaming (Penguin/Paulsen, Aug.)
Woodson tells, in verse, her story of growing up as an African-American during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s. Ages 10–up.
SCIBA
Eugene Yelchin
Arcady’s Goal (Holt, Oct.)
Sent to live in a children’s home when his parents are declared enemies of Soviet Russia, 12-year-old Arcady uses soccer to secure extra rations and protection. Ages 9–12.
SCIBA
Salina Yoon
Found (Bloomsbury, available)
When Bear finds a lost stuffed toy bunny in the forest, he diligently tries to search for its owner, but becomes attached to his new friend. Ages 3-6.
SCIBA
