It’s no lie that July brings plenty of series additions, including a science whiz kid facing his doubts, a girl waking up in an alternate universe, a llama’s time-traveling adventure, and more.


Picture Books/Graphic Novels

Ballet Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins (Disney Hyperion, July 5 $4.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-368-08098-9). Bruce the bear doesn’t have an interest in ballet, but the geese do. In this addition to the World of Reading series, Bruce proves his friendship through helping geese prepare, and maybe performing himself.


Buddy’s New Buddy by Christina Geist, illus. by Tim Bowers (Random House, July 12 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-30709-0). In the third book in the Growing with Buddy series, Buddy’s best friend has moved away, leaving him nervous about making new connections, until a potential friend shows him that opening up to new people isn’t so hard.


Food Truck Fiasco by Jamie Michalak, illus. by Bob Kolar. (Candlewick, July 26 $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1441-3). Best friends Frank and Bean have opposite approaches to entering Food Truck Friday. Frank wants to sell oatmeal and Bean wants to sell donuts, but perhaps opposites coming together will be what earns them a win, in this second book in the Frank and Bean series.


How to Do a Science Experiment by Jean Reagan, illus. by Lee Wildish (Random House, July 19 $4.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-47914-8). The latest installment in the Step into Reading series follows a girl and her grandmother attempting to recreate a volcano science experiment with silly and exciting results.


How to Find the Tooth Fairy by Jean Reagan, illus. by Lee Wildish (Random House, July 19 $4.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-47911-7). In a new addition to the Step into Reading series for Step 2 readers, a child worries that the tooth fairy won’t be able to locate them when they’re sleeping over at Grandpa’s house. Together they find ways to point the tooth fairy in the right direction.


Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos by Jonathan Stutzman, illus. by Heather Fox (Holt, July 12 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-77676-1). In the third Llama Book, after eating the best donut ever, Llama travels back in time to have it all over again but on his way back he picks up an unexpected guest.


Science Comics: Bridges by Dan Zettwoch (First Second, July 19 $21.99; ISBN 978-1-250-21689-2; $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-250-21690-8). In the latest addition to the nonfiction graphic novels series Science Comics, Bea, Archie, Trudy, and Spence explore the inner workings behind bridges. When someone tries to crash the bridges, they must use their science know how to stop them.


Whiz Kid, Book 2 by Kelly Starling Lyons, illus. by Wayne Spencer. (Penguin Workshop, July 19 $6.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-38352-0). Miles’s participation in the city-wide science competition should have been a breeze, but instead he’s messing everything up, making him question his abilities. The second in the Whiz Kid series sees if Miles can overcome his doubts and pull off a win.


Novels

All That Glitters by Tina Wells (West Margin, July 12 $12.99; ISBN 978-1-5132-0959-3). In book two in the Zee Files series, the Creative Arts Festival is the talk of the school, but Zee seems to be the only one concerned about performing onstage by herself for the first time. Can Zee gain the confidence she needs to shine onstage or will stage fright get the best of the situation?


Amazingly Angus by Kiki Thorpe. (Disney Hyperion, July 12 $6.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-368-07228-1). In the second addition to the Horsetail Hollow series, sisters Maddie and Evie’s love of fairy tales and horses comes to life when they make a wish that brings a fairy tale horse named Maximus to their front step, and they must work together to get him back home.


awkward stuff. by Lisi Harrison (Putnam, July 26 $8.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-9848-1504-0). Friends Ruthie, Drew, and Fonda navigate complicated relationships with the boys in their lives and plan their first kiss for the same night in the third installment in the girl stuff series.


The Bad Guys in Open Wide and Say Arrrgh! by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic, July 19 $6.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-338-81318-0). Appearances aren’t always what they seem in the 15th addition to the Bad Guys series. Though the Bad Guys may look like the villains, they’re really the heroes and will do whatever it takes to stop the new creatures giving everyone a scare.


Beasts of Ruin by Ayana Gray (Putnam July 26 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-40571-0). In this sequel to the bestselling Beasts of Prey, Koffi and Ekon find themselves stranded from one another and in compromising situations, surrounded by people who could be friend or foe. If they plan to reunite, they must embrace their unique strengths and the possibility that their fates may have to change.


Blue Bloods After Life by Melissa de la Cruz (Disney-Hyperion July 26 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-368-06694-5). Everything around Jack Schuyler looks not quite right after defeating Lucifer. When she realizes she’s in an alternate universe where the love of her life is still alive, and so are her enemies, she might have to do it all over again if she plans to get back home.


Heat Wave by TJ Klune (Tor Teen, July 19 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-20373-1). In the Extraordinaries trilogy closer, a new hero interrupts Nick, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz’s status quo as heroes, and forces Nick to define being a hero on his own terms.


Master of Iron by Tricia Levenseller (Feiwel and Friends, July 26 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-75682-4). In the race to find the only healer capable of curing her sister, Ziva winds up as the hostage to a prince and forced to do the one act she’s fought to prevent, in this sequel to Bladesmith.


The Royal Trials by Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen (Scholastic Press, July 19 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-66595-6). In the sequel to Last Gate of the Emperor, Yaed returns to Earth to discover it’s been thrust into chaos. And as he prepares to speak at the Royal Trials, he faces an attack from new enemies.


What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix by Tasha Suri (Feiwel and Friends, July 5 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-77350-0). The fourth Remixed Classics book retells the story by Emily Brontë, where Heathcliff’s only connection to his lineage is through his birth father’s language and Catherine resents her family’s desire to make her a society girl.