Start the year off with a plethora of new books hitting shelves this month. Readers can explore the dark realities of U.S. history; learn about the early childhood of a Caldecott Medalist; uncover murder mysteries with Black students at the center of investigations; and more, in big titles releasing this month.
Picture Books
Julie Fogliano, illus. by Cátia Chien. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8234-5216-3. Ages 4–8. After a day of bustling activity, nighttime gives readers a chance to sit with inner reflection and shared peace. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kwame Alexander, illus. by Dare Coulter. Little, Brown, $18.99 (56p) ISBN 978-0-316-47312-5. Ages 4–8. Alexander shares pieces of American history, highlighting its painful context, in order to relay the importance of honest depiction to young readers. The book received a starred review from PW.
Matthew Cordell. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-250-31717-9. Ages 2–5. Frightened squirrel Evergreen heads off into the forest to bring Granny Oak a neat acorn’s worth of healing soup, and encounters several obstacles along her way. The book received a starred review from PW.
Shadra Strickland. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-61963-580-7. Ages 4–8. A community comes together in their shared love of double Dutch, encouraging neighbors to join in with the titular refrain “jump in.” The book received a starred review from PW.
Kim Rogers, illus. by Julie Flett. Heartdrum, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-304924-6. Ages 4–8. Becca admires and learns from her grandmother as she follows her throughout a day of tasks, and is delighted when her grandmother asks to learn a new skill from her. The book received a starred review from PW.
Love Is Loud: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement
Sandra Neil Wallace, illus. by Bryan Collier. S&S/Wiseman, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-5344-5103-2. Ages 4–8. Civil rights activist Diane Nash makes a stand against segregation through peaceful protest and centering love at the heart of her chants. The book received a starred review from PW.
Anne Wynter, illus. by Daniel Miyares. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-286577-9. Ages 4–8. A pecan tree serves as a longstanding relic for a family when it’s revealed how it came to be. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kobi Yamada, illus. by Elise Hurst. Compendium, $17.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-970147-89-6. Ages 5–10. A young artist befriends a painter, who shows her the importance of slowing down and appreciating the details all around her.
Emma Straub, illus. by Blanca Gómez. Rocky Pond, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-5935-2943-0. Ages 2–5. In this picture book debut from adult author and bookseller Straub, a variety of diverse characters show off their unique hats, including traditional and creative styles. The book received a starred review from PW.
Tami Charles, illus. by Bryan Collier. Orchard, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-338-75204-5. Ages 4–8. In this companion picture book to All Because You Matter, the Black diaspora is celebrated and affirmed across both time and space. The book received a starred review from PW.
Middle Grade
Dianne K. Salerni. Holiday House, $18.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8234-5267-5. Ages 8–12. When Garnet Carrefour and her mother return to the family estate, Garnet begins having visions of a girl from the past, and an investigation uncovers the ties between Garnet’s family and her visions. The book received a starred review from PW.
Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life
Jerry Pinkney. Little, Brown, $17.99 (160p) ISBN 978-0-316-38385-1. Ages 8–12. In a memoir featuring sketches, late Caldecott Medalist Pinkney recalls his post-WWII childhood and path toward making “something of my name.” The book received a starred review from PW.
The Lost Year: A Survival Story of the Ukrainian Famine
Katherine Marsh. Roaring Brook, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-250-31360-7. Ages 10–14. Stuck at home during Covid, 13-year-old Matthew discovers a picture of his grandmother that reveals a secret that haunts his family’s past. See our story on the making of the book, and how it was shaped by both historical and current events.
Nicole D. Collier. Versify, $16.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-358-43464-1. Ages 8–12. Middle schooler MJ turns to her family’s fortune-cookie slips for help as she navigates a conflict with her best friend and the announcement of her parents’ divorce. The book received a starred review from PW.
Megan Frazer Blakemore. Bloomsbury, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-1-5476-0956-7. Ages 8–11. Princess Harbor Rose of Lapistyr awakens her curse when she turns 12, and with the help of Peter, a new ally, she must unravel the mysteries of her family’s past to defeat an army come back to life. The book received a starred review from PW.
Tamika Burgess. HarperCollins, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-06-315960-0. Ages 8–12. Middle school arrives with new struggles for Sicily Jordan, including transferring to a new school without her friends, competing for a coveted spot at the school’s magazine, and navigating her identity as Black and Panamanian. The book received a starred review from PW.
Lucy Strange. Chicken House, $18.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-338-68646-3. Ages 8–12. Twelve-year-old Willa and her sisters live under a curse in their medieval village, and when Willa’s eldest sister disappears, she sets off to find her. The book received a starred review from PW.
Torrey Maldonado. Penguin/Paulsen, $16.99 (144p) ISBN 978-0-593-32379-3. Ages 10 and up. When Trev takes up boxing to help protect his family from his violent stepfather, he struggles with balancing his newfound strength and unchecked emotional state.
What Happened to Rachel Riley?
Claire Swinarski. Quill Tree, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-321309-8. Ages 8–12. New student Anna Hunt notices former popular student Rachel Riley has been ostracized by classmates, leading her to investigate the cause for Rachel’s isolation. See our q&a with Swinarski.
Ami Polonsky. Little, Brown, $16.99 (280p) ISBN 978-0-316-46204-4. Ages 10–14. In this story set in 1987, seventh grader Iris Cohen navigates grief and community as her father is dying of AIDS. See our q&a with the author. The book received a starred review from PW.
Young Adult
LaLa Thomas. MTV, $19.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-66591-727-8. Ages 14 and up. Best friends Erykah and Kelly struggle to get their friendship on track when Erykah discovers she’s pregnant and their life paths begin to diverge. See our q&a with Thomas. The book received a starred review from PW.
Blessing Musariri. Norton Young Readers, $18.95 (192p) ISBN 978-1-3240-3095-9. Ages 13 and up. The death of her mother leads Mati and her family to an extended stay in their native homeland, Zimbabwe, where Mati navigates loss and finds new connection with her relatives. The book received a starred review from PW.
Julian Winters. Viking, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-593-20650-8. Ages 12 and up. Following a disastrous promposal, Theo befriends a misfit group of teens at a party, leading him to rethink the kind of person he truly wants to be. The book received a starred review from PW.
Jumata Emill. Delacorte, $18.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-593-56854-5. Ages 12 and up. Following the murder of her high school’s first Black homecoming queen and her best friend, Duchess Simmons begins her own investigation into the crime with her sights set on a popular privileged rival.
Krystal Marquis. Dial, $19.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-593-46333-8. Ages 12 and up. Olivia, John, and Helen Davenport navigate classism, familial expectations, gender norms, and racism in the spotlight of Chicago society as the children of historical figure William Davenport. [See our q&a with Marquis.]LINK TK The book received a starred review from PW.
Lesa Cline-Ransome. Holiday House, $18.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-82345-0152. Ages 14 and up. In 1930s Mississippi, the friendship between shy Black teen Lamb and white teen Marny sets off a series of tragic events in their community. The book received a starred review from PW.
Camryn Garrett. Knopf, $18.99 (288p) ISBN 978-0-5934-3510-6. Ages 12 and up. Mahalia Harris, a queer Black 16-year-old, has plans for an extravagant coming-out bash, but struggles with friendship fallout, financial disparity, and a sudden family emergency. The book received a starred review from PW.
Melissa de la Cruz. Union Square, $18.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-454947-64-6. Ages 14 and up. When college student and social media influencer Amelia Ashley goes missing while on vacation in Italy, hacker Harper Delgado discovers dark truths about Amelia’s life and opens connections to other disappearances.
Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
Talia Hibbert. Joy Revolution, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-593-48235-3. Ages 12 and up. Former best friends Celia and Brad put their ill will aside when they both gain entrance to a prestigious outdoor internship program.
Charlene Allen. HarperCollins/Tegen, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-06-321279-4. Ages 13 and up. VZ and Jack are still reeling from the death of their best friend Ed, whose killer Phillip Singer went unpunished. When Phillip is killed outside the same location of Ed, and the police target Jack as their prime suspect, VZ must hold his own investigation to exonerate his friend. The book received a starred review from PW.
Nick Brooks. Holt, $19.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-250-86697-4. Ages 14 and up. When the principal of all-boys charter school Urban Promise Prep is murdered, three students of color are the prime suspects and must work together to uncover the truth—behind the murder and Urban Promise Prep’s history—before they lose their promising futures. The book received a starred review from PW.
Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling
Elise Bryant. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-06-321299-2. Ages 13 and up. Punk rock lead singer Delilah and D&D expert Reggie showcase their best selves to each other as they have a series of chance meetings on holidays throughout the course of the year, until the real versions of their lives collide. The book received a starred review from PW.
Maiya Ibrahim. Delacorte, $19.99 (464p) ISBN 978-0-593-12696-7. Ages 14 and up. Seventeen-year-old Imani, the youngest Shield in history, takes off on a venture to find her traitorous brother and return him to their community for selling their magical secrets. The book received a starred review from PW.
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
Amélie Wen Zhao. Delacorte, $19.99 (480p) ISBN 978-0-593-48750-1. Ages 14 and up. Teahouse singer Lan and magic practitioner Zen’s lives become intertwined when they are accused of the murder of a court official, and while on the run they uncover dark secrets about the history of their nation. The book received a starred review from PW.
