Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book about elders passing along a tradition, a YA anthology helping teens navigate book bans, a picture book about an experience with a rainstorm, and more.
Afloat by Kirli Saunders, illus. by Freya Blackwood. Levine Querido, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-64614-507-2. This work by two Australian creators, Saunders—of Gunai heritage—and Blackwood, delves into themes of creating a future of balance and community with the natural world. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights edited by Ashley Hope Pérez, illus. by Debbie Fong. Holiday House, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-823-45830-1. Featuring 15 authors and illustrators, this necessary anthology—comprising fiction, memoir, poetry, comics, essays, and more—equips teens with resources to rally against book bans and fight for the freedom to read. The YA anthology received a starred review from PW.
Downpour: Splish! Splash! Ker-Splash! by Yuko Ohnari and Koshiro Hata, trans. from the Japanese by Emily Balistrieri. Red Comet, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-63655-114-2. Making their English-language debut, married duo Ohnari and Hata tell the story of a young person’s encounter with a summer rainstorm. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Earthrise: The Story of the Photograph That Changed the Way We See Our Planet by Leonard S. Marcus. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $21.99; ISBN 978-0-374-39211-6. In this visually fascinating read, Marcus recounts the history of the titular photograph, centering on the Apollo 8’s Bill Anders, who, on Christmas Eve, 1968, photographed his home planet while 23,900 miles away in lunar orbit.
Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-321155-1. Melinoë, a trained mercenary, falls in love with Inese, her mark, in this grim dystopia.
Kirby’s Lessons for Falling (in Love) by Laura Gao. HarperAlley, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-306780-6; $18.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-306779-0. High school sophomore Kirby Tan starts working for her school newspaper’s anonymous, horoscope-inspired romance advice column and falls for her coeditor Bex. The YA graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Mermaids Are the Worst! by Alex Willan (Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-665-96259-9). Gilbert the goblin’s vacation plans are interrupted by a group of mermaids in the latest installment of The Worst! series.
Nightweaver by R.M. Gray. Little, Brown, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-316-58725-9. Human 17-year-old Aster and her family escape the terror of the Nightweavers only to be taken prisoner by their lord, who promises peace. But when violent acts begin unfolding around them, each seemingly targeting Aster, it becomes clear that the shadow creature is hiding among them.
Okchundang Candy by Jung-Soon Go, trans. from the Korean by Aerin Park. Levine Querido, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-6461-4514-0. A child’s unconditional love for their tender, quirky grandparents pivot into a bittersweet coming-of-age narrative in Go’s autobiographical tale. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
One Wrong Step by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-33827-586-5. When Atlas spies an avalanche near where his father’s expedition should have been, he determines to rescue him, using all the hiking skills his father taught him to survive.
Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven. Wednesday, $20; ISBN 978-1-250-33388-9. Two doomed souls keep reincarnating as star-crossed lovers in this sweeping romantic fantasy.
Our Lake by Angie Kang. Kokila, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-69823-5. Kang debuts with a deeply felt story about siblings returning to a cherished place, a lake where they once swam with their father. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Papilio by Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser. Viking, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-9325-4. Three friends and creators depict the three stages of a black swallowtail’s life—caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly—in this playful, punny collaboration. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Peanut Man by Carmen Agra Deedy, illus. by Raúl Colón. Peachtree/Quinlin, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-68263-568-1. Drawing from personal memories, per an afterword, Agra Deedy kicks off this relational telling focusing on the friendship between a child, Coqui, and Emilio, the peanut man of Old Havana. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Red Car to Hollywood by Jennie Liu. Carolrhoda, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-7284-9321-3. In 1924 Chinatown, Los Angeles, 16-year-old second-generation Chinese American Ruby Chan starts dating a Chinese American boy despite her family’s plans for an arranged marriage.
Right Back at You by Carolyn Mackler. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-7-8. Middle schooler Mason discovers that the letters he throws into his closet are sent to Talia, who lives in 1987, and the pair use their time traveling connection to navigate interpersonal troubles and bullying.
The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao. Delacorte, $22.99; ISBN 978-0-593-81384-3. Àn’yīng journeys to the Temple of Dawn to enter the Immortality Trials, from which she hopes to bring back a pill of immortality for her mother, but finds herself falling for a rival competitor .
A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill. Random House Graphic, $21.99; ISBN 978-0-593-18231-4; $13.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-18230-7. Young ranger-in-training Rowan is excited to prove themself, but accidentally injures new friend Leone. But as Rowan and Leone spend more time together, Leone’s gentle presence allows Rowan to explore their gender identity and passion for their profession in new ways. The middle grade graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Speechless by Aron Nels Steinke. Graphix, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-338-84933-2; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-338-84932-5. Jewish sixth grader Mira lives with selective mutism and contends with shifting relationships and a having to give a presentation to her class. The middle grade graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries. HarperAlley, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-315809-2; $18.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-315808-5. Trans teen Oberon discovers the ability to conjure his own dreams, including Kon, his crush. The two spark a romance, but when Oberon’s night terrors force themselves free and jeopardize the world around him, the teens struggle to keep them at bay. The YA graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
The Strongest Heart by Saadia Faruqi. Quill Tree, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0631-1585-9. Thirteen-year-old Mohammed grapples with his unemployed Pakistani American father’s untreated paranoid schizophrenia, and the impact on their relationship. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
That’s Not Funny, David! by David Shannon (Orchard, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-546-12318-7). In this companion to the Caldecott Honor-winning No, David!, titular troublemaker David is determined to make his peers laugh but learns that even well-intentioned jokes can go too far.
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran (Bloomsbury, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-1111-9). Noon is ordered by her town’s leadership to find the creature that is drowning residents, and enlists the help of a hunter for the investigation.
Tori and the Muses by Tori Amos, illus. by Demelsa Haughton (Penguin Workshop, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-75034-6). When Tori doesn’t want to rehearse for an upcoming recital, the 11 Muses that offer her inspiration teach her how to help others find their own creative spark, in this picture book debut from the singer-songwriter.
The Trouble with Sunshine by Yamile Saied Méndez. Scholastic Press, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-546-12274-6. In a heartfelt novel about adapting and overcoming personal challenges, Méndez spotlights the camaraderie to be found in difference and the joys one discovers while learning to fit in. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain. Putnam, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-62548-4. When Dovie’s lifelong best friend Lo returns to town, the pair utilize Dovie’s powers to hear the bones of the deceased sing and begin to unravel the mystery behind a string of recent disappearances that connects not only to Dovie’s past but to the labyrinthine history of the town itself. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Will the Pigeon Graduate? by Mo Willems (Union Square Kids, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4549-6043-0). The latest installment of the Pigeon series follows the titular bird on a momentous day to see if he will get his diploma.
The Bunny: 10 Stories About Doing Things Yourself! by Chris Parker, illus. by Ella Bailey. Magic Cat, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-7691-5. “NO” appears crossed out in the title of this early reader graphic novel, offering the first hint of the struggles—and eventual triumphs—of young rabbit protagonist Sofi in self-regulation. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of March, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
