Fall has arrived, and with it some new sequels to cozy up to on brisk October nights. Follow a journey to the underworld as a newly crowned queen embarks on a quest for revenge, an intrepid cat that discovers a surprise, the continuation to an acclaimed love story, and more.
Picture Books and Graphic Novels
Besties: Work It Out by Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino, illus. by Kristina Luu (Clarion/Etch, Oct. 19 $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-358-56191-0)
In this graphic novel spinoff from the Click series, best friends Beth and Chanda are presented with an unexpected business opportunity: dogsitting for Ms. Langford. But when one of Ms. Langford’s prized possessions is in pieces, the two friends must take on as many odd jobs as they can in order to afford a replacement.
Grandude’s Green Submarine by Paul McCartney, illus. by Kathryn Durst (Random House, Oct. 5 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-37243-2)
In this follow-up to Hey Grandude! by music legend McCartney, Grandude’s inventions are the stuff of legend, and his new green submarine doesn’t disappoint. Grandude whisks the grandkids off on another adventure, but he and the Chillers are soon in a pickle. Suddenly, it’s Nandude to the rescue!
Green Is for Christmas by Drew Daywalt, illus. by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, Oct. 18 $9.99; ISBN 978-0-593-35338-7)
In this Christmas story starring the heroes from the Crayon series, Green crayon claims that green is the only color for Christmas. The others let him know that there would be no Christmas without them either, and the crayons agree that they all need to come together to make Christmas special.
Inside Cat by Brendan Wenzel (Chronicle, Oct. 12 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-452-17319-1)
In this companion to They All Saw a Cat, Inside Cat is an indoor feline. But while the cat’s life is bound by the walls of an unusual house, it’s far from dull. Just when Inside Cat is sure it knows everything, a surprise awaits.
Pugs from Planet X by John Gallagher (Random House, Oct. 12 $12.99; ISBN 978-0-593-12111-5)
Book three in the Meow Max series picks up as space pugs have landed in Kittyopolis. They’re after the space meatball that gave Max his powers. It will take a whole universe of good guys working together to stop these space dogs.
Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Holiday House/Porter, Oct. 5 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-4712-1)
In this follow-up to Green and Blue, award-winning author-artist Laura Vaccaro Seeger once again turns her attention to the ways in which color evokes emotion. Separated from its family, a lone fox experiences, anger, fear, and ultimately love as it journeys home. See our q&a with Seeger.
Return of the Underwear Dragon by Scott Rothman, illus. by Pete Oswald (Random House Studio, Oct. 26 $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11992-1)
In the sequel to Attack of the Underwear Dragon, Sir Cole has saved the kingdom from the Underwear Dragon. But he has the startling realization that the Underwear Dragon wasn’t attacking because he was disobeying the signs that said not to. The Underwear Dragon just couldn’t read the signs.
The Visitor by K.A. Applegate and Michael Grant, illus. by Chris Grine (Graphix, Oct. 5 $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-338-53837-3)
The second installment to the Animorphs Graphix series finds Rachel still reeling from the news that Earth is secretly under attack by parasitic aliens, the Yeerks. Now she and her friends are the planet’s only defense.
Novels
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Simon & Schuster, Oct. 12 $19.99; ISBN 978-1-534-49619-4).
In the highly anticipated sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, the two boys who fell in love in a border town must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that challenges their existence. See our q&a with the author.
Cold-Blooded Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Algonquin, Oct. 5 $17.95; ISBN 978-1-61620-920-9)
Myrtle Hardcastle is back in the third addition to the Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series. When the proprietor of Leighton’s Mercantile is found dead on the morning that his annual Christmas shop display is to be unveiled, it’s clear a killer had revenge in mind. When the killer strikes again, Myrtle finds herself racing to uncover the long-buried facts of a cold case—and the motivations of a modern murderer.
The Dragon’s Blood by Trudi Trueit (Under the Stars, Oct. 5 $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4263-7167-7)
In the sixth installment in the Explorer Academy series, Cruz Coronado grapples with an important secret as the gang heads to China in search of the second-to-last piece of the cipher. Just as things seem to be going smoothly, a familiar face shocks Cruz back into reality, and the final piece in this life-and-death scavenger hunt veers toward a dead end.
Giant by T.A. Barron (Philomel, Oct. 26 $16.99; ISBN 978-0-593-20349-1)
In this prequel to the Merlin Saga, Shim has only ever known a world of peace. When a terrible attack forces Shim and his mother to flee, and a wager goes horribly wrong causing Shim to shrink, he must find giant-sized courage and embark on a perilous quest to discover what happened.
Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline (Amulet, Oct. 19 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-5347-3)
Years ago, when plagues and natural disasters killed millions of people, much of the world stopped dreaming. In this Marrow Thieves novel, the government finds that the Indigenous people of North America have retained their dreams, an ability rumored to be housed in the very marrow of their bones. Soon, residential schools pop up across the land to bring in the dreamers and harvest their dreams.
Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco (Little, Brown/Patterson, Oct. 5 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-42847-7)
In the second addition to the Kingdom of the Wicked series, after selling her soul to become Queen of the Wicked, Emilia travels to the Seven Circles with the enigmatic Prince of Wrath, where she’s introduced to a seductive world of vice. The first rule in the court of the Wicked: trust no one.
Rex Ogle. Norton, $17.95 (224p) ISBN 978-1-324-01623-6
In this companion to Free Lunch, the author describes his struggle to survive; reflects on his complex relationship with his passionate, fierce mother; and charts the trajectory of his stepfather’s anger. Hovering over Rex’s story is the presence of his unborn baby sister.
Rebecca Elliott. Peachtree, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-68263-148-5
In the sequel to Pretty Funny for a Girl, Haylah Swinton’s been busy proving she’s an all-star comedian through her new YouTube channel. Yet life online is its own can of trolls. Her new boyfriend Dylan hasn’t tried kissing her yet, and when her deadbeat dad decides to turn up, life as she’s known it becomes one big mess.
Return of the Dragon Slayers by Brandon Mull (Shadow Mountain, Oct. 26 $21.99; ISBN 978-1-62972-930-5).
In the fifth installment to the Dragonwatch series, the magical world teeters on the brink of collapse. The Dragon King has united the dragons into a vengeful army, and only a final artifact stands in the way of them unleashing their fury against humankind. With established allegiances shifting under the strain, Seth and Kendra find themselves in desperate need of new allies.
The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos, trans. by Hildegarde Serle (Europa, Oct. 5 $20; ISBN 978-1-60945-697-9)
In the conclusion to the Mirror Visitor Quartet, the distrust has been overcome and now Ophelia and Thorn love each other passionately. However, they must keep their love hidden in order to continue their journeys toward an understanding of the indecipherable code of God and the truth behind the mysterious figure of the Other.
Tristan Strong Keeps Punching by Kwame Mbalia (Disney/Rick Riordan Presents, Oct. 5 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368-05487-4)
Tristan Strong returns in the third and final book of the Tristian Strong trilogy, as Tristan travels up the Mississippi in pursuit of his archenemy, King Cotton. Along the way they encounter new haints who are dead set on preventing their progress north. It's going to take many Alkean friends, including the gods themselves, the black flames of the afokena gloves, and all of Tristan’s inner strength to deliver justice once and for all.
