Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a sapphic friends-to-lovers YA romance, a picture book featuring a grandson learning new lingo, a YA novel highlighting the joys of starting anew, a creature-filled fantasy following magical teens trying to protect their home, and more.
6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-30279-1. Penny and Tate’s mothers move their families into one home following a major medical procedure, forcing the girls to confront their growing attraction to one another.
At the Drop of a Cat by Élise Fontenaille, trans. from the French by Karin Snelson and Emilie Robert Wong, illus. by Violeta Lópiz. Enchanted Lion, $18.95; ISBN 978-1-59270-382-1. As a boy spends more quality time with his grandfather Luis, he begins to pick up Luis’s interesting phrases.
Begin Again by Emma Lord. Wednesday Books, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-78336-3. Andie transfers to her mother’s alma mater and struggles when her expectations for college don’t align with reality.
The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-82220-8. Seventeen-year-old witch Aziza El-Amin partners with cursed Leo and necromancer Tristan to put an end to an evil witch.
Hands by Torrey Maldonado. Penguin/Paulsen, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-593-32379-3. Struggling to help defend his family against an abusive stepfather, Trev starts learning boxing from a neighbor, but must choose how he wants to use his hands when artistic pursuits become an option.
Here Comes Spring! by Susan Kantor, illus. by Katya Longhi. Little Simon, $7.99; ISBN 978-1-665-91243-3. A cast of animals in the woods welcome the beauty and pleasures of a bright new season: spring.
Heroes of Havensong: Dragonboy by Megan Re. Labyrinth Road, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-48237-7. The lives of four tweens, River, Blue, Shenli, and Wren, become intertwined when it’s revealed that their destiny is to save the world.
Just Like Grandma by Kim Rogers, illus. by Julie Flett. Heartdrum, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-304924-6. Young Becca greatly admires her grandmother and is honored when her grandmother asks her for help with a new skill. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver. Disney-Hyperion/de la Cruz, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368-07836-8. Summer Cartwright, an influencer holding the secrets of her peers, is murdered at a Halloween party, and when five teens whose reputations were threatened by Summer are accused, they investigate her untimely death for answers.
The Many Fortunes of Maya by Nicole D. Collier. Versify, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-358-43464-1. Black middle schooler MJ seeks advice from her family’s fortune cookie machine when she struggles with her parents’ impending separation and a fallout with a friend. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon. Holt, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-80620-8. Grieving the death of his older sister, Kermit is invited to a secret club for fellow students managing the death of loved ones and navigates this newfound community and a budding relationship.
Princess of the Wild Sea by Megan Frazer Blakemore. Bloomsbury, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-0956-7. After escaping her home to protect her from a curse, Princess Harbor Rose develops powers on her 12th birthday and ventures on a journey to defeat an army set on destroying her home. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Retro by Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66590-275-5. Seventeen-year-old Luna takes part in a contest to forgo all 2000s-era technology for the chance to win a scholarship to the college of her choice.
Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim. Delacorte, $19.99 (464p) ISBN 978-0-593-12696-7. Seventeen-year-old Shield Imani leaves her hidden desert city on a quest to find her missing, traitorous older brother. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Sprout Branches Out by Jessika von Innerebner. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-84878-9. When Sprout struggles to grow more leaves from her home on a porch, she ventures off into the wild in hopes of being able to thrive in a new environment.
Sun Keep Rising by Kristen R. Lee. Crown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-30919-3. The threat of gentrification leads 17-year-old mother B’onca Johnson to resort to desperate measures.
This Is Not My Home by Vivienne Chang and Eugenia Yoh. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-37710-2. A sudden move to take care of her ailing grandmother upsets Lily’s life and she struggles to adjust to her new surroundings.
The Very Best Hug by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illus. by Alison Brown. Bloomsbury, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-54761-236-9. A child experiences hugs of all kinds from animal friends in search of the embrace that feels best.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of January, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
