Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a middle grade sequel featuring siblings tackling an ancient god, a middle grade book tracing a girl’s path to healing following a traumatic childhood incident, a middle grade novel in verse centering a sea otter’s return to the ocean, a picture book comparing humans to a variety of animals, and more.
Amira & Hamza: The Quest for the Ring of Power by Samira Ahmed (Little, Brown, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-316-31861-7). In this sequel to Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, an evil dev out for revenge, Ahriman, kidnaps Hamza to assist him in finding an ancient magical relic and it’s up to Amira to save her brother and stop Ahriman.
Each Night Was Illuminated by Jodi Lynn Anderson. Quill Tree, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-239357-9. After facing a traumatic event with her friend Elias when she was younger, Cassie must navigate bubbling feels of grief when Elias returns and uproots the new life she’s built.
Odder by Katherine Applegate. Feiwel and Friends, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-250-14742-4. When Odder is released back into the ocean, her exploration into wildlife leads her to new friends and the return to her family. The middle grade novel in verse earned a starred review from PW.
Like by Annie Barrows, illus. by Leo Espinosa. Chronicle, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4521-6337-6. A child narrator ruminates on what things humans are “like” in this picture book of classification.
The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron. Bloomsbury, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-0977-2. Living in a supposedly post-vampirical town, friends Cedrick, Jules, and Boog are still cautious of potential vampire run-ins and when their new friend disappears and their families seem to be keeping secrets, it’s up to them to uncover what’s really going on. The middle grade book earned a starred review from PW.
Eternally Yours by Patrice Caldwell. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-20687-4. Featuring 15 notable children’s authors, this anthology contains paranormal romances celebrating love across myriad gender and sexual identities. The YA volume earned a starred review from PW.
The Getaway by Lamar Giles. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-75201-4. Jay Butler’s life at world-famous Karloff Country Resort suddenly takes a turn when haunting truths about the seemingly utopian getaway arise, and he must survive the deadly whims of the board of trustees who run the resort.
Tales from the Treehouse: Too Silly to Be Told… Until NOW! by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton. Feiwel and Friends, $13.99; ISBN 978-1-250-85014-0. The newest in the Treehouse series contains a selection of 13 standalone short stories, stemming from the comedic characters of the series.
The Secret Letters by Margaret Peterson Haddix. HarperCollins/Tegen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-283852-0. In the opener to the Mysteries of Trash and Treasure series, Colin and Nevaeh discover a shoebox of letters written in the 1970s and the duo resolve to track down the letters’ authors.
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn, illus. by Meredith Laxton. Clarion, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-35-853689-5. In this graphic novel adaptation of Hahn’s novel, siblings Molly and Michael are suspicious of their new stepsister Heather, but when Heather seems to befriend a ghost in their backyard, they must work together to keep their family safe.
Wildoak by C.C. Harrington, illus. by Diana Sudyka. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-80386-0. Shy 11-year-old Margaret Stephens is sent to live with her grandfather and befriends a small snow leopard in the nearby forest. The middle grade book earned a starred review from PW.
Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-303822-6. Struggling to find work during a post-magical blip in the U.S, magical mage Laura takes on a job investigating the disappearance of powerful Black mages and discovers an ancient magic thought long gone. The YA book earned a starred review from PW.
Wake Me Up in 20 Coconuts! by Laurie Keller. Little, Brown/Ottaviano, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-31196-0. When the personage in apartment 2B asks the neighbor in 2C to wake her up in “20 coconuts,” building know-it-all 2C comedically tries to gauge the correct timing of coconuts.
Defend the Dawn by Brigid Kemmerer. Bloomsbury, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-1007-5. Desperate for an elixir that will save their kingdom from dying of sickness, Tessa and Prince Corrick venture to find a new source of antidote but cannot be sure of whom to trust in the sequel to Defy the Night.
Not All Sheep Are Boring! by Bobby Moynihan, illus. by Julie Rowan-Zoch. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-40703-5 SNL alum Moynihan debunks the theory of boring sheep with a series of sheep profiles showcasing their distinct and dynamic personalities.
The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls. Walker US, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2318-7. Margot Allen fled with her mother when she discovered she was pregnant by her fiancé who had gone to war, and returns to her hometown three years later navigating shame, identity, and longing.
You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro. HarperCollins, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-300815-1. Eleven-year-old David Bravo discovers a way to fix his awful first week of middle school with a time-traveling dog and soon learns that fixing small mistakes is not what destiny has in store. The middle grade book earned a starred review from PW.
Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack. Versify, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-358-57203-9. Ziva bat Leah is desperate to keep her beloved twin brother, Pesah, from dying, and when they hit the road in hopes of finding a cure, they must face off against the Angel of Death himself. The middle grade book earned a starred review from PW.
The Girl in the Castle by James Patterson. Little, Brown/Patterson, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-41172-1. Belman Psych patient Hannah Doe claims to be able to return to the past to help her dying sister and will need psychology student Jordan’s help to do so.
The Collectors by Philip Pullman, illus. by Tom Duxbury. Knopf, $12.99; ISBN 978-0-593-37834-2. In this companion story to His Dark Materials, two artists’ encounter with a portrait will reveal the backstory to the young woman who will become Mrs. Coulter.
MapMaker by Lisa Moore Ramée. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-303942-1. When Walt explores his new ability to make maps come to life, he accidentally strands himself and his friends in a magical new universe and will have to outsmart a rival mapmaker to save his world.
Mary Engelbreit’s The Littlest Night Before Christmas by Mary Engelbreit. Quill Tree, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-296933-0. In Engelbreit’s newest rendition of Clement C. Moore’s classic poem, a mouse is not only stirring—it takes center stage as head of its family’s cozily appointed tree-stump household.
The 99 Boyfriends of Micah Summers by Adam Sass. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-46478-6. Resolved to finally falling in love IRL and not with the boys he draws on Instagram, Micah attempts to find a mystery boy after a missed opportunity on the train, using the pumpkin-embroidered jacket that the boy left behind.
Dazzlin’ Dolly: The Songwriting, Hit-Singing, Guitar-Picking Dolly Parton by Suzanne Slade, illus. by Edward Fotheringham. Astra/Calkins Creek, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-63592-841-9. This picture book biography traces the life of country star Dolly Parton from her early beginnings in Tennessee to her legendary Grand Ole Opry performance.
Hello, Moon by Evan Turk. Atheneum, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5344-0080-1. In this picture book, a family greets the moon nightly, and out of doors, as it undergoes phase change.
Island of Spies by Sheila Turnage. Dial, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-7352-3125-2. Friends Stick, Rain, and Neb solve mysteries on their coast of North Carolina during WWII, and when newcomers arrive on the island, the kids attempt to discover the Nazi spy they believe is responsible for nearby attacks.
Maya’s Song by Renée Watson, illus. by Bryan Collier (HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-287158-9). This picture book of biographical poems highlights the developing voice of activist and author Maya Angelou (1928–2014), beginning with her birth as Marguerite Annie Johnson and ending with her reading at Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. The picture book earned a starred review from PW.
I’m a Unicorn by Helen Yoon. Candlewick, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1976-0. A calf born with one horn is convinced it’s of magical ancestry and sets out to prove that it comes from unicorns.
The Cosmic Adventures of Astrid and Stella. Amulet, $12.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-5701-3. The first in the Hello!Lucky! series follows Astrid and Stella as they prepare for takeoff to another universe, and discover new planets and how to navigate friendship disagreements.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of September, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
