Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a seek-and-find picture book adventure, a middle grade book about a canine community, a historical YA novel based on a hate crime, and more.
Alfie Explores A to Z: A Seek-And-Find Adventure by Jeff Drew. Random House, $21.99; ISBN 978-0-593-81311-9. Bespectacled bookworm Alfie invites readers on a surreal seek-and-find adventure to uncover his bestie, bow-wearing dust bunny Betty.
All the Best Dogs by Emily Jenkins, illus. by Manuel Preitano. Delacorte, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-65043-1. The lives of four sixth graders and their dogs intersect during one chaotic June weekend in this upbeat romp.
All the Truth I Can Stand by Mason Stokes. Calkins Creek, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-6626-8088-5. Stokes reimagines the murder of Matthew Shepard in this speculative historical novel set in 1990s Wyoming. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Cicely Tyson by Renée Watson, illus. by Sherry Shine. Amistad, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-321999-1. The creators commemorate the life of actor Cicely Tyson, from her New York City childhood to her lengthy film career. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Donut Prince of New York by Allen Zadoff. Holiday House, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5663-5. A fat teen tries to balance his new social status as a football player with his playwriting ambitions in this uplifting tale.
The First Cat in Space and the Wrath of the Paperclip by Mac Barnett, illus. by Shawn Harris. HarperAlley, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-331528-0. An AI paperclip determined to take over the world is awakened and only the First Cat in Space and his team can stop it.
Greatest Host of All Time by Suma Subramaniam, illus. by Archana Sreenivasan. Candlewick, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2911-0; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-1-5362-4027-6. Malar is excited that her Seattle relatives are visiting her family’s farm during Pongal, the harvest festival, but struggles to communicate with her cousins who both express disdain for farm life. The early reader book received a starred review from PW.
The Last Kids on Earth: The Graphic Novel by Max Brallier, illus. by Brian Churilla Viking, $13.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-62217-9,250,000 copies; $23.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-0-593-62216-2. Post-monster apocalypse, 13-year-old Jack unites a team of fellow tweens to fight Blarg, an unnaturally smart monster.
Love Is Hard Work: The Art and Heart of Corita Kent by Dan Paley, illus. by Victoria Tentler-Krylov. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2032-2. This picture book biography highlights the life of Corita Kent, a devout Catholic who spent much of her life as Sister Mary Corita making and teaching art. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Mommy Crumbs by José Carlos Andrés, illus. by Anna Font. NubeOcho, $17.99; ISBN 978-8-419-60738-6. This picture book follows the relationship between Paula, known to her children as Mommy Crumbs, and a young chick as they both grow older together.
Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein. Random House, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-70794-4. In the final installment of the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, Kyle Keeley and other tweens compete for the biggest prize of all: taking over the Lemoncello empire.
Rocket Puppies by William Joyce. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-6133-2. The world needs a cuteness infusion, and it arrives in the form of a quintet of preternaturally adorable pups, each wearing a hug-fueled rocket pack.
Shadowed by Carl Deuker. Clarion, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0633-7634-2. Hoping to prove himself as a competent basketball player, Nate recruits outsider and former friend Lucas to play with him. But Nate questions where his loyalties lie when a prank goes awry.
Stranger Skies by Lacelle Pascale. McElderry, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-665-93930-0. In the second installment of the Drowned Gods trilogy, Emory and Romie are pulled through a door into another world and must prevent an ancient god from utilizing it to destroy all the realms.
Streetlight People by Charlene Thomas. Dutton, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-61886-8. A 17-year-old learns a devastating secret regarding her insular hometown in this Ray Bradbury–esque paranormal fantasy. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
The Wolf-Girl, the Greeks, and the Gods: A Tale of the Persian Wars by Tom Holland, illus. by Jason Cockcroft. Candlewick Studio, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-3416-9. In this epic tale, Holland mixes reality and mythology to tell of the Persian Wars through the eyes of Gorgo, the eventual queen of Sparta who grew up in a world teeming with violence and magic, where gods actively influenced the course of events and the tides of war. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The World to Come by Robert Macfarlane and Johnny Flynn, illus. by Emily Sutton. Magic Cat, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-917044-25-7. Contemplating the presence of ancient cycles, Macfarlane and musician Flynn supply the incantatory lyrics of their song-turned-picture book.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of November, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.