Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a super heroine origin story, a folkloric YA novel, a middle grade fantasy, and a picture book about unplugging, among others.
Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed by Laurie Halse Anderson, illus. by Leila Del Duca. DC Comics, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4012-8645-3. The award-winning author of Speak pens this YA graphic novel origin story of Wonder Woman.
A Song of Wraiths & Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-289149-5. Magic creates a centuries-long divide between peoples in this debut YA novel inspired by North African and West African folklore. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Way to Rio Luna by Zoraida Córdova. Scholastic, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-23954-6. In this fantasy with a classic feel, diverse characters in unusual circumstances prove relatable, catching readers up in their triumphs and tribulations.
When You Look Up by Decur, trans. from the Spanish by Chloe Garcia Roberts. Enchanted Lion, $29.95; ISBN 978-1-59270-293-0. In this picture book, the protagonist is transformed from a tech obsession after a move to the country.
Donut the Destroyer by Sarah Graley and Stef Purenins. Graphix, $26.99; ISBN 978-1-338-54192-2. Despite coming from a long line of villains, the protagonist of this middle grade graphic novel is excited for her first day at the Lionheart School for Heroes, and is determined to immerse herself in training.
The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant. Knopf, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-7285-7. Grant’s ambitious debut, which launches a trilogy inspired by Les Misérables and The Jungle Book, opens in 1823 Paris, where the criminal underground comprises nine guilds bound by a governing body dubbed the Miracle Court.
Runaway Signs by Joan Holub, illus. by Alison Farrell. Penguin/Paulsen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-399-17225-0. In this picture book, street signs take a day off and see how badly the humans need them.
The Secret Rhino Society by Jonathan E. Jacobs, illus. by Samantha Cotterill. S&S/Wiseman, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-3000-6. In photographed three-dimensional scenes, Cotterill (This Beach Is Loud!) both conveys her protagonists’ giddy enthusiasm and immerses readers in settings where the trio gathers to share and nurture their passion for rhinos.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-50326-5. Debut author Johnson channels the self-effacing coolness of 1990s teen comedies with a 2020 sensibility in this heartfelt and funny YA rom-com. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Sloth Went by Adam Lehrhaupt, illus. by Benson Shum. Bloomsbury, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-0245-2. This picture book is a pan-animal potty tale.
Again Again by E. Lockhart. Delacorte, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-385-74479-9. Lockhart returns to Alabaster Preparatory Academy—the setting for The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks—to tell the story of a different character.
Burn by Patrick Ness. Quill Tree, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-286949-4. With Cold War tensions running high in an alternate 1957 America, employing a Russian dragon could be a risky move in this YA novel.
You Matter by Christian Robinson. Atheneum, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-2169-1. Simple and heartfelt, the refrain of Caldecott Honoree Robinson’s poem speaks directly to readers: “You matter.” The book earned a starred review from PW.
Where We Go from Here by Lucas Rocha, trans. from the Portuguese by by Larissa Helena. Push, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-55624-7. According to an author’s note, Rocha was inspired to write this novel upon learning about the prejudice faced by HIV-positive people in Brazil; the result, his YA debut, features three young men, each with a different relationship to HIV.
You Don’t Live Here by Robyn Schneider. HarperCollins/Tegen, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-256811-3. When Sasha’s single mother dies in a California earthquake in this Gilmore Girls–tinged novel, Sasha moves to Orange County to reside with her posh, conservative grandparents.
From Ed’s to Ned’s by Gideon Sterer, illus. by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-64806-2. “Getting there is half the fun” is a big understatement when it comes to the children who populate this rhythmic transportation fantasy by Sterer (Not Your Nest!) and Cummins (Truman). The book earned a starred review from PW.
Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-9848-1201-8. De la Cruz and Stohl’s affectionate tribute to Louisa May Alcott’s work and characters, in which Jo must balance commercial callings, reality, and fiction, is a playful addition to the world of Little Women.
The Night Is for Darkness by Jonathan Stutzman, illus. by Joseph Kuefler. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-291253-4. On a moonlit night, a family leaves their old house—moving boxes atop the car, children peering wistfully from the back seat—to begin a road trip across state borders.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of June, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
