Sequels hitting shelves this month include five adorable pups on an animal farm, the conclusion to a magical prophecy, a queendom on the brink of war, and more.
Picture Books and Graphic Novels
Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold, illus. by Susanne Kaufman (Knopf, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-525-57974-8)
In this sequel to All Are Welcome, Penfold and Kaufman help children navigate the emotional challenges they face in their daily lives. See our In Conversation with the co-creators.
The Little Library by Margaret McNamara, illus. by G. Brian Karas (Schwartz & Wade, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-57833-8)
Mr. Tiffin and his students are back in the third installment of Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom series. Everyone in Mr. Tiffin’s class is excited that the new school library has opened—except Jake, who is a slow reader. That changes when a librarian offers him a woodworking book. When the school year comes to an end, Jake has the perfect gift idea for the librarian.
Little Polar Bear and the Pandas by Hans de Beer (NorthSouth, $17.95; ISBN 978-0-7358-4428-5)
Lars the beloved little polar bear has returned and wants to steer clear of humans and their big snow vehicles. When he catches a whiff of something on their ship, he decides to investigate. Before Lars knows it, he’s on an adventurous trip to China where he meets two lovely pandas.
The Old Boat by Jarrett Pumphrey, illus. by Jerome Pumphrey (Norton, $17.95 ISBN 978-1-324-00517-9)
In this follow-up to the Pumphrey brothers' debut,The Old Truck, a boat provides the impetus for an exploration of home, family, and intergenerational stories.
Rocket’s Puppy Friends by Tad Hills and Alan Batson (Random House, $8.99 paper over board; ISBN 978-0-593-18131-7)
Rocket and his friends, Bella and Owl, go to the farm and meet five puppies. The puppies show Rocket and his friends around the farm and introduce them to various animals. But Rocket soon notices a puppy is missing.
Novels
Amina’s Song by Hena Khan (Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-534-45988-5)
In this companion novel to Amina’s Voice, it is the last few days of vacation in Pakistan and Amina is excited to share her experience with her friends back home. But her friends don’t seem interested. When she decides to do a presentation on Pakistani hero Malala Yousafzai, her classmates focus on the worst parts of the story. Amina wonders how she can share the beauty of Pakistan when no one wants to listen. See our q&a with the author.
Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare (S&S/McElderry, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-481-43190-3).
In the second book in The Last Hours series, Cordelia seems to have everything she wanted. But the truth is far grimmer. Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia must uncover who is murdering the Shadowhunters of London, while keeping dangerous secrets of her own.
Charlie Thorne and the Lost City by Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-534-44381-5)
Charlie is ready to take it easy after saving the world, in this sequel to Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation. Things change, however, when she is approached by the mysterious Esmeralda Castle, who has a code she knows only Charlie can decipher.
The Chosen One by James Riley (Aladdin, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-534-42584-2)
Fort is finally reunited with his father and wants nothing more than for life to return to normal. But normal isn’t an option anymore, since the Old Ones could still return to enslave humanity. Fort and his friends must race to find the truth surrounding the Chosen One prophecy, in the finale of the Revenge of Magic series.
City of Spells by Alexandra Christo (Feiwel and Friends, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-31840-4)
In the follow-up to Into the Crooked Place, after the loss of Wesley and the startling reveal that Zekia is helping the Kingpin of her own free will, Tavia, Saxony, and Karam flee to Saxony’s home to rebuild their rebellion. Meanwhile, trapped in the Kingpin’s darkness, Wesley must fight against the deadly magic that invades his mind.
Gilded Serpent by Danielle L. Jensen (Tor Teen, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-31779-7)
Lydia returns to Mudaire to train at the healing temple, in the third entry in the Dark Shores series. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever. Meanwhile, Killian embraces the darker side of his mark—and in doing so, risks starting a war.
Golden Gate by James Ponti (S&S/Aladdin, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-1494-5)
The City Spies return in this second installment and are gearing up for their next mission. Sydney is a surfer and a rebel from Australia. She’s also a field ops specialist for the City Spies and is excited to go undercover on a marine research vessel, but things don’t go as planned.
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (Delacorte, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-984896-40-7)
In the sequel to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Pip and Ravi have released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her. But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing.
Infinity Reaper by Adam Silvera (HarperCollins/Quill Tree, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-288231-8)
The sequel to Infinity Son picks up after Emil and Brighton beat the Blood Casters and escaped with their lives—or so they thought. When Brighton drank the Reaper’s Blood, he believed it would make him invincible, but instead the potion is killing him. In Emil’s race to find an antidote, he will have to dig deep into the past lives he’s trying to outrun. See our q&a with Silvera on the series.
The Only by Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-233559-3)
Applegate wraps up [the Endling trilogy], https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/59235-harpercollins-signs-new-katherine-applegate-series.html in which Byx’s original quest was to discover if there were more of her kind, or if she was destined to become an endling—the last dairne alive. She did find more dairnes, and created allies among other creatures in her world. But Byx and her new friends have learned that it isn’t just dairnes who are in jeopardy of extinction.
Phoenix Flame by Sara Holland (Bloomsbury, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-0382-4)
Continuing the Havenfall series, Maddie saved the Inn at Havenfall—a sanctuary between magical worlds—from the evil Silver Prince. And her uncle is recovering from a mysterious spell that left him not quite human. But there’s more work to be done to protect the Inn; Maddie must put an end to the black-market trading of magical objects and open the Inn’s doors to the once-feared land of shapeshifters.
The Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy (Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-525-51861-7)
In the sequel to A River of Royal Blood, Eva is on the run and desperate for answers. Her sister, Princess Isa, is a difficult, unremorseful captive, and Eva knows better than to trust her. Despite their history, Eva is convinced that to survive the growing unrest in the queendom, she and her sister must make peace.
The Queen’s Secret by Melissa de la Cruz (Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-525-51594-4)
In the conclusion to The Queen’s Assassin duology, Lilac’s birthright makes her Queen of Renovia, and a forced marriage made her the Queen of Montrice. But taking the throne meant giving up the opportunity to be with lthe ove of her life, Cal. Worse, Cal must leave the castle when magical attacks threatens Lilac’s sovereignty.
Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim (Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-7595-5533-4)
Sim delivers the conclusion to the Scavenge the Stars duology. Amaya Chandra had one plan: to survive. But now, survival is not enough. After escaping Moray by the skin of her teeth, she’s determined to track down the man who betrayed her and her friends.
Red Tigress by Amélie Wen Zhao (Delacorte, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-525-70783-7)
In the sequel to Blood Heir, Ana is the only surviving member of the royal family of Cyrilia. She has no army, no title, and no allies, and now she must find a way to take back the throne or risk the brutal retribution of the empress.
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (Imprint, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-250-14230-6)
Concluding the King of Scars duology, Nikolai must summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm―and even the monster within―to win this fight. Zoya has already lost too much to war, but now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. And deep undercover, Nina risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital.
Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter (HMH, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-358-00440-0)
April thought she had her happy ending, but she also has a very big new secret. The kids of Winterborne House are the only ones who know that Gabriel Winterborne—famous billionaire and terrible cook—is really a sword-wielding vigilante. What they don’t know is that he’s not the only one. See our q&a with Carter here.
