ABRAMS
Abrams steps in time with Why We Dance by Deidre Havrelock, illus. by Aly McKnight, about a girl whose family helps calm her nervous butterflies before her performance of the Jingle Dress Dance in front of her whole community; Where Did Benjamin Go? by Chris Clarkson, illus. by Annalise Barber, following Charlie, a grieving boy who learns to focus on happy memories of his loving and playful big brother; Milo Walking by James Howe, illus. by Sakika Kikuchi, in which Milo uses his imagination to see things anew during his morning walks in the neighborhood with hismother; Is There Anybody Out There? (A Wild Thing Book): The Search for Extraterrestrial Life from Amoebas to Aliens by Laura Krantz, investigating the science, culture, and philosophy of a universe where we are not alone; and Game of Freedom: Mestre Bimba and the Art of the Capoeira by Duncan Tonatiuh, which introduces the man who fought to turn the misunderstood, persecuted Afro-Brazilian martial art of capoeira into an activity practiced by millions around the world.
ABRAMS/AMULET
Amulet waddles into fall with Detective Duck by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, which finds Detective Duck solving mysteries at Willow Pond caused by human-caused disruptions in nature like water pollution and warming; Cut Loose! by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz, in which 13-year-old Nat learns about a theater competition and a chance to perform on a real Broadway stage; Oliver Explains the Universe by Jorge Cham, first in a series following 11-year-old aspiring astrophysicist Oliver, who explains the mysteries of space while navigating middle school; A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien, beginning a series that stars 18-year-old Rat Evans as they get caught in a web of deadly secrets at magic university Bellamy Arts; and Super Boba Café by Nidhi Chanani, a series-starter about a small and forgotten boba café that is overrun with kittens and excited new customers after the owner’s social media-savvy granddaughter comes to stay with her for the summer.
ABRAMS/APPLESEED
Appleseed makes it a family affair with My Sister Is Super! and My Brother Is the Best!, both by Sabrina Moyle, illus. by Eunice Moyle, board books singing the praises of siblings; Too Much!: An Overwhelming Day by Jolene Gutiérrez, illus. by Angel Chang, exploring the struggles of a sensorily sensitive child and how they settle themselves; The Real Story by Sergio Ruzzier, which finds Mouse trying to explain to Cat how the cookie jar got broken, but the best story is not always the real story; and When I Smile by Jo Witek, illus. by Christine Roussey, in which one girl discusses the power of a smile and describes the smiles she gives to those around her throughout the day.
ABRAMS/MAGIC CAT
Magic Cat serves up Recipes for Change: 12 Dishes Inspired by a Year in Black History by Michael Platt, illus. by Alleanna Harris, blending biographies of important figures with ideas for delicious dishes; The Handbook of Forgotten Skills: Timeless Fun for a New Generation by Elaine Batiste and Natalie Crowley, illus. by Chris Duriez, containing instructions for trying such projects as tying knots and making bird feeders; Glow: A Family Guide to the Night Sky by Noelia Gonzalez, illus. by Sara Boccaccini Meadows, offering pointers on how to spot stars, planets, and other celestial bodies; A Year of Black Joy: by James Wilson, illus. by Jade Orlando, celebrating the talents and contributions of 52 Black people from around the world; and The Little Book of Words That Matter by Joanne Ruelos Diaz, illus. by AnneliesDraws, which showcases key words with their definitions, along with a related activity, resource, or mindful prompt.
AKASHIC
Akashic lends a hand with Lean on Me by Bill Withers, illus. by Rachel Moss, a picture book adaptation of Withers’s classic song about friendship, following four close pals through the stages of their childhood until high school graduation.
ALBATROS
Albatros Media buzzes into fall with The Wonderful World of Insects by Jiří Kolibáč, illus. by Pavla Dvorská and Pavel Dvorský, offering detailed descriptions of the world’s insects, including information on life cycles and food and habitat needs.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION/MAGINATION PRESS
Magination Press rings in a new list with A Year of Celebraciones by Carrie Lara, illus. by Christine Battuz, following a young protagonist as she learns about how various kids and families celebrate the New Year; Taco Falls Apart by Brenda Miles, illus. by Monika Filipina, in which expectations prove too much for Taco; How Are You, Verity? by Meghan Wilson Duff, illus. by Taylor Barron, featuring neurodivergent Verity, who devises an experiment to gauge how much information is appropriate to share when asked “How are you?”; Frizzy Haired Zuzu by Medeia Sharif, illus. by Basma Hosam, the story of a girl sorting her feelings about her frizzy red hair and how others react to her; and Two Houses, One Me by Seamus Kirst, illus. by Noémie Gionet Landry, focusing on a child describing what it’s like to travel between both parents’ houses following his two fathers’ recent divorce.
ANDREWS MCMEEL
Andrews McMeel flashes fleet feet with Skip! by Sarah Burgess, in which budding poet Jay finds friends and belonging when they join a Double Dutch team; A Day in the Life of Bean by Ari Stocrate, presenting the adventures of a stretchy dragon named Bean who lives with a witch named Sally; Nell and the Netherbeast by Adi Rule, centering on 12-year-old Nell, who crosses paths with the Netherbeast (a creature that is decidedly not a cat) at her aunt’s B&B; Ellie’s Deli: Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup by Lisa Greenwald, illus. by Galia Bernstein, which finds Ellie making a wish on her matzo ball soup in an effort to save her family’s struggling Jewish deli; and Pocket Peaches by Dora Wang, introducing Taro, the new cat in Pocketon whom Peaches wants to immediately befriend.
ASTRA YOUNG READERS
Astra Young Readers keeps an eye out for trolls with The Bridge by Eva Lindström, illus. by Annie Prime, a twisty mystery involving two wolves, one pig, and a bridge; Look and Cook Snacks: A First Book of Recipes in Pictures by Valorie Fisher, offering a visual introduction to cooking for children who can’t yet read; Shipwrecked!: Diving for Hidden Tim Capsules on the Ocean Floor by Martin W. Sandler, exploring what shipwrecks reveal about the past and how they impact modern science; Meowl-o-ween! by Diane Muldrow, illus. by Michelle Jing Chan, about a kitten who learns to overcome her anxieties and celebrate Halloween with the other neighborhood cats; and The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will by Maya MacGregor, following an agender teen struggling with the aftermath of parental abuse as they forge a new life.
ASTRA/CALKINS CREEK
Calkins Creek digs the season with Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector by Janice N. Harrington, illus. by Theodore Taylor III, spotlighting this unsung, trailblazing Black botanist; Invincible: Fathers and Mothers of Black America by Wade Hudson, illus. by E.B. Lewis, celebrating the founding fathers and mothers of Black America; Coretta’s Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King by Alice Faye Duncan, illus. by R. Gregory Christie, an introduction to the life of this civil rights activist; A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama by Ray Anthony Shepherd, illus. by R. Gregory Christie, delivering biographies-in-verse of six key Black Americans from different eras in history; and Camp Nordland: New Jersey’s Nazi Summer Camp by Barbara Krasner, a novel-in-verse in which two teens’ friendship is torn apart when one of them attends a pro-Nazi summer camp.
ASTRA/HIPPO PARK
Hippo Park flips for Addie and the Amazing Acrobats by Shauna Cagan, following Addie, who misses her besties when she follows her love of the spotlight and goes on tour with the Big Bat Circus; Itty Bitty Betty Blob by Constance Lombardo, illus. by Micah Player, about Itty Bitty Betty Blob’s desire to look mean and growly (like a good monster) on picture day, even though she’s more of a rainbows and furry friends type; The Ogre in the Hallway by Céline Sorin, illus. by Pascal Lemaître, in which Jojo arms himself with a sword to venture down the dark hallway and past an ogre to get to the potty; Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dåsnes, a diary-style graphic novel in which 13-year-old Tuva has lots of questions about becoming a teenager, and her first crush, on another girl; One Cool Duck: The Far-Out Fort by Mike Petrik, continuing the graphic-chapter-book adventures of Duck and his animal pals as they try to agree on building a cool hangout for themselves.
ASTRA/KANE PRESS
Kane Press satisfies its cravings with Pizza, Pickles, and Apple Pie: The Stories Behind the Foods We Love by David Rickert, exploring food history, nutrition, and American culture in a graphic format; Heather Whirl, Weather Girl: The Stormy Birthday by Linda Oatman High, illus. by Kris Aro McLeod, introducing a STEM series starring a girl with a magical umbrella; and Firefighters to the Rescue! by R.W. Alley, focusing on the important jobs of a lively crew of animal firefighters in Breezy Valley.
ASTRA/MINERVA
Minerva blows out the candles for Big Big Birthday by Gideon Sterer, illus. by Ala Flora, which finds James celebrating his birthday alone in a cabin until a series of animals crash in one by one claiming it’s their birthday too, and the whole crew cuts loose for a dance party; The Museum of Nothing by Steven Guarnaccia, exploring a special museum that displays the ways nothing is something, from the Hall of Holes to the Zero Wing; The Book from Far Away by Bruce Handy, illus. by Julie Benbassat, a wordless tale about a human child reading in a tree who spies an alien child—and a new friend—who takes out a book-like object of its own to read; The Kitten Story by Emily Jenkins, illus. by Britanny Cicchese, centering on a cat-loving family trying to agree on all the qualities that the adopted pet of their dreams should have; and Going Home by Seymour Chwast, the story of a dog who finds himself far away from his owner and receives help from a variety of friendly people to show him the way back home.
ASTRA/TOON
Toon Books corrals Babe the Blue Ox for Paul Bunyan: The Invention of an American Legend by Noah Van Sciver, with stories and art by Marlena Myles, revealing the true origins and various interpretations of this folklore hero and lumberjack; Shapes and Shapes by Ivan Brunetti, exploring shapes as they explode, divide, and multiply, offering young readers an art and math lesson; and Gotta Go! by Frank Viva, which finds Mom and Grandpa giving advice to help squirming Owen flush his urge to go to the bathroom away.
ASTRA/WORDSONG
Wordsong sends out invitations for Welcome to the Wonder House by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Georgia Heard, illus. by Deborah Freedman, presenting a collection of poems designed to inspire wonder in readers and formatted as an allegorical house with many rooms.
BAREFOOT
Barefoot Books chases down Bring Back the Babka! by Marilyn Wolpin, illus. by Madison Safer, a celebration of Jewish cooking in which two brothers search for their mother’s missing babka; Follow the Flyaway!: A Bird’s First Migration by Sarah Nelson, illus. by Maya Hanisch, following 12 hatchlings from their nests in southern Canada along their migration journey to the Gulf of Mexico; Stranded: A Mostly True Story from Iceland by Ævar Þór Benediktsson, illus. by Anne Wilson, relating the author’s grandfather’s experience being stranded on a newly formed volcanic island off the coast of Iceland; and Ganesha Goes Green by Lakshmi Thamizhmani, illus. by Debasmita Dasgupta, which finds a girl in southern India rallying her friends to help save the river from pollution during the annual Ganesha Chaturthi festival.
BEAMING BOOKS
Beaming Books sings scales for Lullaby for the King by Nikki Grimes, illus. by Michelle Carlos, a Christmas story about animals coming from the Middle East to visit the baby Jesus and singing him a lullaby; The Kid with Big, Big Ideas by Britney Winn Lee, illus. by Jacob Souva, exploring the power and impact of dreaming big and thinking outside the box; Halloween in the Orchard by Phyllis Alsdurf, illus. by Lisa Hunt, following a boy and his family as they don homemade costumes and go on a hayride at a local apple orchard; The Infinity Rainbow Club #1: Nick and the Brick Builder Challenge by Jen Malia, illus. by Peter Francis, a series-starter about a boy in the neurodiverse club at his school who must learn to team with others to win a brick-building competition; and Brown Girls Rule by Ashok Banker, illus. by Brittney Bond, an anthem celebrating girls of color.
BEHRMAN HOUSE/APPLES & HONEY
Apples & Honey Press huffs and puffs into fall with Big Bad Wolf’s Yom Kippur by David Sherrin, illus. by Martin Moron, in which a girl in a red hood and her granny teach Wolf the value of kindness on Yom Kippur; Miryam’s Dance by Kerry Olitzky and Rachel Spiker, illus. by Tumuhaise John Baptist, featuring a Ugandan girl who channels her love of dance into a Sabbath surprise for her family; The Inside Name by Randi Sonenshine, illus. by Gina Capaldi, an early chapter book set during the Portuguese Inquisition; Eve and Adam’s Very First Day by Leslie Kimmelman, illus. by Irina Avgustinovich, a take on the creation story that finds Eve helping Adam face the unknown of the first day; and The Giant, the Slingshot, and the Future King by Tammar Stein, illus. by Dodo Maeder, covering the early years of the biblical David in a tale of bravery and empathy.
BERBAY
Berbay grabs a stethoscope for All About the Heart by Dr. Remi Kowalski, illus. by Tonia Composto, the first title in a nonfiction series by pediatric medical experts that takes a closer look at how the heart works; Gus by Liz Murray, illus. by Walid Serageldine, in which a crocodile and the boy who becomes his keeper form an unlikely friendship; and Sharkman and Blowfish: World Domination by David Woodland, the kickoff to an illustrated early chapter book series starring Sharkman and his trusty sidekick Blowfish as they try to take over the world.
BITTY BAO
Bitty Bao parades into fall with the following bilingual board books in English and Mandarin with Zhuyin and Pinyin by Lacey Benard and Lulu Cheng, illus. by Benard: Celebrating Chinese New Year, depicting family members taking part in various traditions as they prepare for and celebrate this holiday; Everyday Heroes, introducing 20 important everyday heroes in the neighborhood; and Lucky Lunar Animals, taking readers through the 12-animal cycle of the Chinese zodiac to discover the personality traits of each.
BLOOMSBURY
Bloomsbury takes a bite out of the season with Shark Teeth by Sherri Winston, a tale exploring the effects of alcoholism and the foster care system, in which a girl is determined to keep her family together even when she’s falling apart; Penguin and Ollie by Salina Yoon, following the adventures of Penguin and his newest friend, Ollie, a shy octopus; Finn’s Little Fibs by Tom Percival, featuring Finn, who accidentally breaks Grandma’s clock and tells a fib about it that takes the form of a blob; The Otherwoods by Justine Pucella Winans, in which River must face their fears and use their unique abilities to travel to the terrifying spirit world of The Otherwoods and save their kidnapped friend; and The Vanquishers 2 by Kalynn Bayron, continuing the adventures of Boog and her squad of vampire hunters as they train to wipe out the undead and protect their community.
CANDLEWICK
Candlewick takes wing with We Could Fly by Rhiannon Giddens, illus. by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, an adaptation of Grammy winner Giddens’s song which sees a mother and daughter exploring how the “old-time ways” of their family and people have the spiritual power to uplift; The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by Julie Morstad, telling a tale of five puppet friends—a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owl—and how they interact and comfort each other while they’re closed inside the trunk of a reserved old sea captain; Louder Than Hunger by John Schu, providing a fictionalized account of the author’s experiences of living in residential treatment facilities as a young teen with an eating disorder; The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, a follow-up to The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, about the continued efforts of a diverse resistance force fighting to end the conquerors’ rule and bring about the rebirth of the Sea; and How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett, illus. by Jon Klassen, offering both plausible and ridiculous answers to the titular question.
CANDLEWICK STUDIO
Candlewick Studio hops along with Oops! Rabbit, Uh-oh! Rabbit, and Yippee! Rabbit, all by Jo Ham, following a bunny’s misadventures; and Illusions in Art: Animals and Illusions in Art: Food by Chiêu Anh Urban, optical illusion seek-and-find challenges for young readers.
CANDLEWICK/BIG PICTURE
Big Picture Press keeps its eyes peeled for Mammals Everywhere by Camilla de la Bedoyere, illus. by Britta Teckentrup, revealing various places in the world where mammals can be found as well as some of the weird facts about their behaviors; and Paper World: Human Body, illus. by Gail Armstrong, which uses paper cut-outs to take a closer look at the inner workings of our body.
CANDLEWICK/MIT KIDS PRESS
MIT Kids Press rolls into fall with Stroller Ecology and Playtime Engineering by Jill Esbaum and WonderLab Group, two titles in which babies are, respectively, encouraged to use their senses to observe the natural world and to use their body for support and structure as they reach and stack a tower; Masked Hero: How Wu Lien-teh Invented the Mask and Ended an Epidemic by Shan Woo Liu, illus. by Lisa Wee, introducing the Lien-teh, defeater of the Manchurian plague and his life-saving invention, the N95 mask; Santiago Saw Things Differently: Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Artist, Doctor, Father of Neuroscience by Christine Iverson, illus. by Luciano Lozano, spotlighting the childhood and discoveries of Ramón y Cajal; and AlphaBot by Vicky Fang, allowing readers to mix and match robot parts from A to Z.
CANDLEWICK/MITEEN PRESS
MITeen Press gets down to a cellular level with Biology’s Beginnings: Discovering Life’s Story, Volume One by Joy Hakim, kicking off a four-volume series that traces the history of life science.
CANDLEWICK/WALKER US
Walker Books US adjusts its mic pack for Frankie and Friends: Breaking News by Christine Platt, illus. by Alea Marley, a series launch in which Frankie emulates her journalist mother and prepares her first broadcast with help from her news “team” (including her toys and her cat); The Goddess Crown by Shade Lapite, an Afrofantasy starring Kalothia, who flees to the king’s court in the West after assassins attack her home in the forested East on her 16th birthday; How to Love by Alex Norris, providing a full-color guide to relationships of all shapes and sizes; Yours from the Tower by Sally Nicholls, about three best friends in late-Victorian London sharing their lives, hopes, and dramas via a series of letters to each other; and Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism by Yassmin Abdel-Magied, illus. by Aleesha Nandhra, which provides readers with the context, tools, and confidence to take action for racial justice.
CAPSTONE/CAPSTONE EDITIONS
Capstone Editions goes marching into fall with Smarty Ants by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Kirsti Call, illus. by Erin Taylor, delivering math concepts via a story about industrious ants planning to build one gigantic home; Sense of Play by Dana Meachen Rau, illus. by Doruntina Beqirai, following a full day of play and adventure for siblings Chip, who is blind, and Joy, who has sight; Books Aren’t for Bears by Mark Barry, illus. by Katy Halford, in which Bear desperately tries to find more books after Owl teaches him to read; Moving and Grooving to Fillmore’s Beat by Rachel Warner, illus. by Jerrard Polk, paying tribute to the historical, art-filled Fillmore District in San Francisco; and Who Made This Mess? by Laura Gehl, illus. by Aleksandar Stojsic, offering rhyming clues for readers to help solve the mystery of how the animal village has gotten so messy.
CAPSTONE/PICTURE WINDOW
Picture Window Books turns a frown upside down with Happy Pudding by Kimberly Gee, the launch title of the What’s Cooking, Arlo? series which finds Arlo whipping up a happy pudding to help his out-of-sorts pals feel better; Ali the Great and the Market Mishap by Saadia Faruqi, illus. by Debby Rahmalia, the debut of the Ali the Great series, following Pakistani second grader Ali, his grandfather, and little brother Fateh to the South Asian market where Fateh gets lost; Project Earth by Carol Kim, illus. by Ahya Kim, first in the Jina Jeong series in which Jina discovers small changes can lead to positive outcomes when addressing climate change; and the kickoff of the Explore ISTE series, Sonia’s Digital World by Shannon McClintock Miller, illus. by Clara Reschke, which finds Sonia and her friends chatting, creating, learning, and playing together with digital tools.
CAPSTONE/STONE ARCH
Stone Arch Books doesn’t want to make a trade with The Magic Lunch Box by Hanna Kim, illus. by Emily Paik, launching the Ben Lee series and featuring a fourth-grader who makes a wish that turns the homemade Korean food in his lunchbox into more standard American fare, and changes other things, too.
CHARLESBRIDGE
Charlesbridge stays up late for Night Owl Night by Susan Edwards Richmond, illus. by Maribel Lechuga, in which young Sova accompanies her research scientist mother into the woods at night to capture and release saw-whet owls; Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell, illus. by Nicole Neidhardt, focusing on a school’s mascot that is seen as racist by some but not by everyone; Leo on a Hike by Anna McQuinn, illus. by Ruth Hearson, following Leo and Daddy out on the trail for a nature hike; Bábo: A Tale of Armenian Rug-Washing Day by Astrid Kamalyan, illus. by Anait Semirdzhyan, in which Tato helps her grandmother with a favorite bubbly chore; and How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro, illus. by Teresa Martinez, featuring a know-it-all narrator’s tips for teaching adults the basics of coding.
CHARLESBRIDGE/CHARLESBRIDGETEEN
CharlesbridgeTEEN ushers in fall with Where You Left Us by Rhiannon Wilde, about two estranged siblings spending the summer together with their mentally broken-down rockstar father as they navigate romances and unravel a dark family mystery.
CHOOSECO
Chooseco plots a course with the following Choose Your Own Adventure titles: Sister from the Multiverse by Casey Berger, in which the reader and a long-lost sister in a parallel universe try to protect the technology that allows them to travel between multiverses; Murder at the Old Willow Boarding School by Jessika Fleck, which finds the reader waking up as a ghost and tracking down their killer; and Time Travel Inn 2 by Bart King, following Astrid, Trent, and Damian on an adventure through space and time to Elizabethan England and a futuristic world where people are mysteriously turning into ducks.
CHRONICLE
Chronicle throws its cards on your table with Is This Love? by Cedella Marley, illus. by Alea Marley, the adaptation of one of Bob Marley’s classic songs; Apartment House on Poppy Hill by Nina LaCour, centering on nine-year-old Ella, her two loving moms, and their fellow inhabitants of Wildflower Place; Construction Site, Taking Flight by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illus. by AG Ford, which finds new friends including conveyor trucks helping the construction team work on a project expanding the airport; Ganesha’s Great Race by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes, a tie-in to Netflix’s Ghee Happy animated series, in which Ganesha competes with his brother to reveal the true meaning of the world; and Shira and Esther’s Double Dream Debut by Anna Jordan, in which two identical-looking Jewish girls—one who wants to flaunt her comic flair on TV and one who wants to raise her voice to God at a bat mitzvah—swap identities to pursue their dreams.
CHRONICLE/TWIRL
Twirl checks the dryer for Have You Seen My Sock? by Colombe Linotte, illus. by Claudia Bielinsky, following Elephant and his animal pals as they try to figure out why they are all missing a sock; The Ultimate Book of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures by Sandra Laboucarie, offering an interactive overview of prehistoric creatures, revealing where and how they lived; One Brown Bear: The World of Numbers by Anne-Marie Labreque, illus. by Melissa Coallier, in which cheerful images and simple sentences introduce the numbers one to 20; Where’s Randolph? by Marianna Coppo, a lift-the-flap book inviting readers to play hide-and-seek with Randolph the bear; and What About: Digital Tech by Romain Galissot and Baptiste Massa, illus. by Pascal Lemaître, answering questions from real kids about digital tech and computing.
CICADA
Cicada doesn’t look back with Forward Always by Mathew Hodson, a collection of poems meant to be read aloud with friends and loved ones; Gory Rory Fang Face by Ziggy Hanaor, illus. by Ollie Silvester, about Gory Rory’s discovery that sometimes a kiss can make a rough day better; Mama Mammals by Cathy Evans, illus. by Bia Melo, providing a look at how mammals make babies and care for them; and The Mellons Build a House by Robin Jacobs, illus. by Nik Neves, taking readers step-by-step through the design and construction of a house.
COLLECTIVE BOOK STUDIO
Collective Book Studio orders a plain bagel with a schmear for 1,2,3, Nosh with Me by Micah and Joshua Siva, illus. by Sviatoslav Franko, a counting book spotlighting favorite Jewish foods; Calvin and the Sugar Apples by Vanessa Balleza, in which 11-year-old Amelia meets new friends as she’s grieving a beloved pet; Dare to Be Me by Nathan Meckel and Kaci Bolls, illus. by Ana Larrañaga, encouraging kids to be themselves; I’ll Be the Moon by Phillip D. Cortez, illus. by Mafs Rodriguez Alpide, about a girl who travels north with her Mamá by the light of the moon and hopes to be reunited with her father on the other side of the border; and What a Pest by Elliot Kreloff, challenging readers to find and identify creepy, crawly bugs as they practice counting from one to 10.
CONCORDIA
Concordia celebrates the season with Peace Came to Earth and Be Gracious to Me by Naomi Moon, introducing the stories of Jesus’s birth, and Jesus’s death and resurrection, respectively, via short, simple rhymes; and God’s Promises for Me, providing a collection of promises of God, each linked to a Bible verse, designed to help children find comfort and strength in the God who loves them.
DISNEY HYPERION
Disney Hyperion celebrates the season with Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow by Ryan T. Higgins, in which Bruce’s family of mice and geese try to get him in the Halloween spirit by telling a spooky story; Proud Mouse by Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel, shining a spotlight on self-acceptance and being true to yourself; Make Me a Liar by Melissa Landers, about a girl with transferrable consciousness who uses her power for good, only to have it turned on her when someone uses her body to commit a murder; and Percy Jackson and the Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan, reuniting original Lightning Thief heroes Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover the satyr for a new challenge: getting Percy into college when the gods are standing in his way.
DISNEY/MELISSA DE LA CRUZ STUDIO
Melissa de la Cruz Studio visits the cemetery for Grave Mistakes: A Dade Family Novel by Kitty Curran, in which Molly navigates middle school, friendship, and grief while keeping a supernatural secret about her family and their reportedly haunted house in the local graveyard; The (Super Secret) Octagon Valley Society by Melissa de la Cruz, kicking off a quirky middle-grade series set at an exclusive high-tech institute everyone wants to get into; The Sugar Plum Bakers by Pat Tanumihardja, illus. by Bonnie Lui, following the magical Sugar Plum Fairy and fellow bakers who make sure that children around the world have holiday treats to enjoy; and The Spells We Cast by Jason June, the story of two teen magicians who fall in love while competing in the Culling, a magical balance-preserving ritual that can only end with one of the two being stripped of their magic.
DISNEY/LUCASFILM PRESS
Lucasfilm Press wields a lightsaber for the following Star Wars titles: Crimson Climb by E.K. Johnston, an untold story about Qi’ra; the picture book Star Wars: The High Republic: Yoda and the Younglings by Charles Soule and Rosemary Soule, illus. by Valerie Valdivia; and The High Republic YA Anthology by Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel José Older, and others.
DISNEY/MARVEL
Marvel hits its target with an as-yet-untitled Hawkeye YA novel, featuring archer Kate Bishop; Marvel Beginnings: I Love You 3000 by Sheila Sweeny Higginson, illus. by Jay Fosgitt, a board book introducing the concept of love; Miles Morales: Spider-Man: The People Around Us by Denene Millner, illus. by Monica Paoloa Rodriguez, which follows Morales as he considers what it means to be an artist, Spider-Man, and himself; The Marvels: The Hero I’m Meant to Be by Pamela Bobowicz, illus. by Alexandra Barboza, tying in to the forthcoming Marvel Studios film The Marvels; and Thor Quest: Hammers of the Gods by Jackson Lanzing and Collins Kelly, launching a middle grade series following Thor, Loki, Valkyrie, Sif, and the Warriors Three on adventures across the realms to fight fantastical monsters.
DISNEY/RICK RIORDAN PRESENTS
Rick Riordan Presents gets fired up for Fury of the Dragon Goddess, in which Sikander Aziz gets his hands on the mythic tablet of destinies; The Spirit Glass by Roshani Chokshi, which finds Corazon looking forward to her 11th birthday when she can finally be trained in babaylan magic and hopefully bring her parents back to life; Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Witchcraft and Mayhem by Roseanne Brown, taking inspiration from Ghanaian folklore and featurning a preteen vampire slayer; and Dawn of the Jaguar by J.C. Cervantes, the story of how teenage shadow bruja Ren makes a bargain with the queen of the underworld to get her life back.
EERDMANS
Eerdmans calculates a fine fall list with Friend of Numbers: The Life of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan by Priya Narayanan, illus. by Satwik Gade, profiling this South Indian mathematician whose work has spurred progress in multiples STEM fields; Building a Dream: How the Boys of Koh Panyee Became Champions by Darshana Khiani, illus. by Dow Phumiruk, the story of a team of boys in Thailand that builds their own soccer field on top of the Phang Na Bay; The Young Teacher and the Great Serpent by Irene Vasco, illus. by Juan Palomino, trans. by Lawrence Schimel, in which the Indigenous community of Las Delicias in the Amazon rain forest shows a young teacher that books are not the only way to share stories; The Brothers Zzli by Alex Cosseau, illus. by Anne-Lise Boutin, trans. by Vineet Lal, about a newly arrived bear family that receives both welcome and suspicion from their neighbors; and On the Edge of the World by Anna Desnitskaya, featuring the mirroring stories of Vera in Russia and Lukas in Chile who long for a friend to share their separate (but surprisingly similar) adventures.
ENDLESS MOUNTAIN/KALANIOT
Kalaniot Books leaves the light on for How to Welcome an Alien by Rebecca Klempner, illus. by Shirley Waisman, in which Debbie and her family show their out-of-this-world guests some Jewish hospitality; and Out and About: A Tale of Giving by Klempner, illus. by Waisman, in which Daniel discovers that the mystery he’s trying to solve is all about sharing.
ENSLOW/WEST 44
West 44 sinks its teeth into fall with The Art of Being a Vampire by Kate Karyus Quinn, which finds Shelby fighting to win a prestigious art contest and become a photographer even though she’s lost her mother to an overdose and has unwittingly been turned into a vampire; Everything I Know by Claudia Recinos Seldeen, following autistic teen Mia who moves across the country and begins attending a school where none of the kids understand her behaviors or needs; The Surprise Party Rules by Max Howard, focused on Ivy, who looks for revenge by running for mayor against the boss who fired her from her ice cream shop job and unexpectedly wins; Disaster Trail by Katy Grant, in which Oliver must trek down an unknown trail for help when his sister falls off her mountain bike and gets injured; and The Real Unreal by Ryan Wolf, about a boy who clicks on an online link promising forbidden knowledge and finds himself down a rabbit hole of strange theories and fanatical believers.
FAMILIUS
Familius falls in line for They Lead: The Wolf Pack by June Smalls, illus. by Yumi Shimokawara, offering a detailed look at the gray wolf’s behaviors, social structure, and endangered status accompanied by lifelike illustrations; The Littlest Weaver by Robin Hall, illus. by Stella Lim, in which young Laurel and Pa share their family’s Appalachian weaving traditions with a grieving stranger who moves to their mountain town; Women in Science Who Changed the World by Heidi Poleman, illus. by Angie Alape, introducing young readers to eight diverse women from around the world who made major contributions to the fields of science, math, and anthropology; D Is for Dinosaur by Christopher Robbins, illus. by Volha Kaliaha, an ABC primer featuring names of, and facts about, dinosaurs from A through Z; and Big Truck Yoga by Peter Forde, encouraging movement and silliness as little ones learn child-friendly yoga poses that mirror the shapes of various construction vehicles.
FLORIS
Floris dips a toe in with I Will Swim Next Time by Emily Joof, illus. by Matilda Ruta, in which a child gradually overcomes their fear of water; and Be More Dog by Caroline Crow, illus. by Carlos Vélez, centering on Sam, a dog who helps his best friend find happiness.
FLYAWAY BOOKS
Flyaway makes a splash with I’m Fabulous Crab! by Nicki Greenberg, the story of Henry the hermit crab, who tires of his dull life and vows to reinvent himself; Max and the Purple Worry by Kitty Black, illus. by Jess Rose, following a boy who is dealing with anxiety, which is personified by a purple meerkat named Worry; and Psalms of Wonder by Carey Wallace, illus. by Khoa Le, original poems and artwork inspired by the Book of Psalms and echoing themes of courage, comfort, joy, and love.
FREE SPIRIT
Free Spirit noodles on the season with I Think I Think a Lot by Jessica Whipple, illus. by Josée Bisaillon, which finds a neurodivergent girl learning to accept herself as she is and celebrating the differences between herself and her classmates; Dear Dad: Love, Nelson: The Story of One Boy and His Incarcerated Father by Margaret McBride, illus. by David Wilkerson, in which a boy’s letters to his incarcerated dad help them stay connected while they are physically apart; How to Bird by Rasha Hamid, an invitation for young readers to explore the joy of birdwatching; Blaze Your Own Trail by Justin Ashley, offering teens strategies that encourage self-discovery, autonomy, and direction to empower them to build their own paths; and Tap and Rap, Move and Groove by Connie Bergstein Dow, featuring 14 dance chants that support social emotional learning, language development, artistic expression, and more.
GECKO PRESS
Gecko feathers a fall nest with A Bird Day by Eva Lindström, following a bird family through its daily routines; Have You Seen Dinosaur? by David Barrow, in which a boy, a dog, and an elephant search in a dramatic cityscape for a dinosaur who’s a good hider; When Dad’s Hair Took Off by Jörg Mühle, which finds Dad’s hair taking off through the bathroom window to freedom; To the Ice by Thomas and Anna-Clara Tidholm, focusing on three children who go on a polar expedition in Antarctica; and The Incredibles by Clotilde Perrin, presenting portraits of 50 extraordinary children, with descriptions of each one’s superpower.
GREYSTONE KIDS
Greystone Kids is in full voice with Rise Up and Sing! by Andrea Warner, illus. by Louise Reimer, introducing artists, past and present, who have made a difference in eight areas of activism in music including civil rights and the climate emergency; The Shade Tree by Suzy Lee, the story of a young traveler who outwits a rich, selfish man and ensures that villagers will always be able to rest in the shade of a magnificent tree; Where Can We Go? by Dan Yun, illus. by Igor Oleynikov, trans. by Helen Mixter, about a family of polar bears forced to move into an apartment in the city when they can no longer find the seals they normally eat in the Arctic; This Table by Alex Killian, illus. by Brooke Smart, taking readers through the origin, crafting, value, and use of a piece of furniture that has been in a family’s home for several generations; and Always Beginning by Candace Savage, illus. by Rachel Wada, exploring the idea of the immensity of time, from the Big Bang to the present, with an emphasis on evolution.
HAZY DELL
Hazy Dell reflects on The Mirror People by Kyle Sullivan, illus. by George Bletsis, in which 12-year-old Linn receives a visit from her doppelgänger in her bedroom one night and is soon swept up in a swirl of artificial intelligence and corporate greed; and Hazel and the Spooky Season by Kyle Sullivan, illus. by Jess Mason, the story of how a tall pumpkin man named Ronnie Pumpkinseed empowers Hazel to embrace her individuality and rally other children to join her in celebrating Halloween.
HARPERCOLLINS
HarperCollins decks the halls for The Christmas Cactus by Beth Ferry, illus. by A.N. Kang, about a tiny cactus on a bookshelf who wishes to be decorated for the holidays; Melvina Whitmoore (More or Less a Horror Story) by Faith Capalia, the story of a creepy old woman who moves into a strange house where all is not as it first seems; Say My Name by Joanna Ho, illus. by Khoa Le, exploring the beauty, meaning, and history behind the names of six children and the importance of saying names correctly; The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish, a mystery set in a secret, magical school for extraordinarily gifted children; Max Fernsby and the Infinite Toys by Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow, in which three friends join forces with two wayward elves to try to return Santa’s red bag in time to save the holidays; Etta Extraordinaire by Roda Ahmed and Charnaie Gordon, illus. by Chloe Burgett, the story of how Ella’s loving family helps her overcome her stage fright; Mari and the Curse of El Cocodrilo, which finds Mari fighting to break the bad luck cursed on her by El Cocodrilo when she rejects her family’s Cuban traditions; Tiny Troubles by Sophie Diao, about two succulents who set out on an adventure to find purpose; Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr., focusing on two boys who get caught in the crossfire of a sinister plot that may cost them their own electric connection; and Pockets for Two by Lindsay Ward, illus. by Brizida Magro, featuring two girls who discover that the smallest objects in their pockets can create the biggest adventures.
HARPERALLEY
HarperAlley pulls up a seat for Lunch Buddies by Daniel Wiseman, in which Marco accidentally brings his sandwich to life; Club Kick Out by Steph Mided, following six artistic misfits who take matters into their own hands when their school principal cancels all the creative extracurricular activities; Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club: Let’s Party by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma, which finds middle schooler Olivia doubting the D&D campaign she’s worked so hard to build when her college-age sister insists it’s time to get real; Atana and the Firebird by Vivian Zhou, presenting the adventures of a mermaid, a firebird, and a witch who become entangled with the mysterious Witch Queen; and Hex and Havoc by Nilah Magruder and Sonia Liao, kicking off a fantasy graphic novel duology about a young sorceress pulled into a revolutionary movement by the girl she loves.
HARPERFESTIVAL
HarperFestival drops the mic for Legends of Hip-Hop: 2Pac and Legends of Hip-Hop: Queen Latifah by Ken Pen, illus. by Saxton Moore; and Eight Nights of Lights: A Celebration of Hanukkah by Leslie Kimmelman, illus. by Hilli Kushnir, a novelty book that opens to reveal a menorah with nine removable candles.
HARPERTEEN
HarperTeen plots a course for The Rosewood Hunt by Mackenzie Reed, a YA debut in which a girl must team up with three unlikely acquaintances and enter a dangerous scavenger hunt to secure her family inheritance; Every Star That Falls by Michael Thomas Ford, the sequel to Suicide Notes, which finds Jeff reacclimating to life outside the hospital, trying to make amends with his best friend, navigating romance, and dealing with the reappearance of someone from his past; A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, about two rival students who delve into a deceased author’s crumbling estate to unravel his predatory legacy; The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin, a vampire romance set in the world of the Serpent & Dove series; and When We Become Ours: A YA Adoptee Anthology, edited by Nicole Chung and Shannon Gibney, bringing together the experiences of youth adoptees of all backgrounds, written for fellow adoptees.
HARPERCOLLINS/ALLIDA
Allida is tongue-tied with An Impossible Thing to Say by Arya Shahi, in which an Iranian American teen in Arizonafalls in love with the new girl at school, Shakespeare, and rap music while struggling to find his own voice in the aftermath of 9/11.
HARPERCOLLINS/BALZER + BRAY
Balzer + Bray twitches its nose at Chubby Bunny by Julie Murphy, about a girl who loves her nickname, until her classmates start to make fun of her; I’m From by Gary Gray Jr., illus. by Oge Mora, an ode to the small, defining moments of a child’s life; Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix, the first title in a middle-grade fantasy trilogy inspired by Nigerian folklore and featuring a 12-year-old kitchen apprentice at a prestigious shaman academy who must save her kingdom; The Blackwoods by Brandy Colbert, weaving the intertwined stories of three members of a famous Hollywood family into a tale of ambition, identity, loss, and love; and The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnold, the story of a Jewish girl’s fight to survive during the Holocaust in Romania.
HARPERCOLLINS/CLARION
Clarion loosens up with I Am Stuck by Julia Mills, looking at some of the ways we can navigate through stormy feelings when we feel emotionally stuck; Wow in the World: Wow in Space by Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz, offering a funny and fact-filled tour of outer space; Kozo the Sparrow by Allen Say, bringing to life the true story of how Say saved a baby bird from neighborhood bullies when he was an eight-year-old boy in Japan; The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser, the final volume in the Harlem-set series which finds a Vanderbeeker family member hospitalized with a serious illness; and Kindling by Traci Chee, a reimagining of the films The Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven, set in a fantasy world where kindling warfare—the use of doomed, magic-wielding teenage soldiers—has been outlawed.
HARPERCOLLINS/GREENWILLOW
Greenwillow saddles up for A Horse Named Sky by Rosanne Parry, illus. by Kirbi Fagan, following a young wild horse who must find his way over rough terrain to rejoin his family after being captured for the Pony Express; The Twenty-One: The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S. Government Over Climate Change by Elizabeth Rusch, providing the inside story on the ongoing landmark lawsuit Juliana v. United States, which asserts that the plaintiffs’ rights to life, liberty, and property have been violated by the government as it continues to encourage and permit the burning of fossil fuels; Ink Girls by Marieke Nijkamp, illus. by Sylvia Bi, about two girls from very different backgrounds who join forces to fight censorship and protect the people they love; When the Fog Rolls In by Pam Fong, which finds a young puffin trying to navigate back to his family and calmer weather after a thick fog rolls in; and Spree: The Boy Who Gave the World a New Instrument by Celeste Mohammed, illus. by Cory Thomas, spotlighting a pioneering boy from Trinidad who was the first person to play a recognizable tune on a steelpan.
HARPERCOLLINS/HEARTDRUM
Heartdrum takes the fall tip-off with Rez Ball by Byron Graves, centered on Ojibwe basketball player Tre who copes with his older brother’s death, social landmines, and racist cops as he’s given the chance to take his place on the Red Lake Reservation’s varsity team; We Still Belong by Christine Day, in which Wesley’s plans to read her poem at Indigenous People’s Day and ask her crush to the dance go awry, but she’s bolstered by love and support from her Indigenous family and community at an intertribal powwow; Two Tribes by Emily Bowen Cohen, inspired by the author’s life, following Mia, whose father is a member of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma and whose mother is Jewish and lives in Los Angeles; Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson, the story of teens Berlin, who is Métis, Cameron, who is Cree, and Jessie, who is white, as they confront their traumas, barriers, and losses after their first night working together in a pizza shop doesn’t go as expected; and A Letter for Bob by Kim Rogers, illus. by Jonathan Nelson, which brings to life a letter written by a Wichita girl who says goodbye to her beloved family car named Bob.
HARPERCOLLINS/TEGEN
Katherine Tegen Books heads to the launchpad for The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom by Mac Barnett, illus. by Shawn Harris, in which First Cat rushes to find an antidote to save the Moon Queen from soup poisoning; Oh, Olive! by Lian Cho, about a girl who breaks the tradition of her famous artist parents and expresses her own unique style; What Rosa Brought by Jacob Sager Weinstein, illus. by Eliza Wheeler, the story of a Jewish girl who flees Nazi occupation with her parents and must leave her grandmother behind; Tokyo Night Parade by J.P. Takahashi, illus. by Minako Tomigahara, following a Black Japanese girl celebrating what may be her last Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in Tokyo before returning to New York; and Charming Young Man by Eliot Schrefer, focusing on a rising French pianist as he navigates his way into high society and explores his sexuality in the process.
HARPERCOLLINS/QUILL TREE
Quill Tree maps out fall with Treasure Island: Runaway Gold by Jewell Parker Rhodes, reimagining Stevenson’s Treasure Island in modern-day Manhattan where three kids investigate the city’s hidden history as they hunt down a long-buried treasure; Kween by Vichet Chum, featuring a queer Cambodian American teen who explores first love and finds her artistic voice in the wake of her father’s deportation; Champion of Fate by Kendare Black, kicking off a duology following Reed, who was taken in by an order of mythical female warriors when she was a child and attempts to earn official entry to the order by shepherding a charming hero to victory; A Very Cranky Book by Angela DiTerlizzi, illus. by Tony DiTerlizzi, about Cranky, the world’s crankiest book, who doesn’t want to be read; and The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu, a graphic novel following young inventor Clementine Chang as she moves to Mars to work for an AI pioneer she admires and comes to question the mission when she befriends an extremely life-like AI assistant.
HARPERCOLLINS/VERSIFY
Versify can take the heat with Ghost Roast by Shawnelle and Shawnee Gibbs, illus. by Emily Cannon, a graphic novel following the adventures of New Orleans teen Chelsea, who is forced to work with her “paranormal removal expert” father all summer and finds herself falling for a friendly spirit he is paid to exorcize; ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Read by Raúl the Third, in which Little Lobo and friends explore their library’s Libro Love Book Festival; and Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School by Tiffany Jewell, centering on the inequities Black and Brown students face in school, told through personal narratives spanning from preschool through college.
HARPERCOLLINS/WALDEN POND
Walden Pond raises the drawbridge for No One Leaves the Castle by Christopher Healy, mashing up fantasy-adventure and murder-mystery in a blend of the Brothers Grimm and Knives Out.
HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights gets down to Earth with All About the Planet, the eco-friendly launch title of the My First Sticker Activities series blending nonfiction with puzzles and activities; I Am Kind to Myself by Eileen Spinelli, illus. by Ekaterina Trukhan, offering young readers affirmations for difficult-to-manage emotions to help build self-confidence and practice positivity; and Find the Kind: Welcome to Kindness County! by Samantha Berger, illus. by Marina Verola, a search-and-find volume encouraging readers to locate images of kindness in various scenes.
HOLIDAY HOUSE
Holiday House wags its tail for Keep It Up, Plucky Pup! by Vikram Madan, the launch title of the Zooni Tales graphic novel series starring an energetic dog; The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado, in which Whit, a plus-sized Puerto-Rican girl, is forced to plan the school’s Fall Formal with her handsome ex; Last Exit to Feral by Mark Fearing, the second entry in the Frights of Feral graphic novel series about the unsettling events in a mysterious small town; I Am Kavi by Thushanthi Ponweera, a novel in verse set in civil-war-torn Sri Lanka in 1998 that centers on a poor village girl attending an elite private school on scholarship; and Stories of the Islands by Clar Angkasa, featuring feminist tales based on Indonesian folklore.
HOLIDAY HOUSE/FERGUSON
Margaret Ferguson Books rolls out the welcome mat for Pine Island Visitors by Polly Horvath, continuing the adventures of the four orphaned sisters from Pine Island Home as they deal with some overbearing help and find a way to make a new family; Be That Way by Hope Larson, written in diary form and set in the 1990s, about a high school junior who learns the value of the words and drawings she hides in her diary and finds confidence to be herself; Nothing Else but Miracles by Kate Albus, in which 12 year-old Dory and her brothers hide out from their evil landlord in an abandoned Lower East Side hotel while waiting for their father to return from fighting Hitler in WWII; Not a Smiley Guy by Polly Horvath, illus. by Boris Kulikov, about Ernest, who doesn’t like to smile, even when his family takes drastic measures to change that.
HOLIDAY HOUSE/PORTER
Neal Porter Books takes a walk down memory lane for Do You Remember? by Sydney Smith, which finds a mother and son reminiscing on favorite memories after they move to a new home; The North Wind and the Sun by Philip Stead, in which the North Wind and the Sun compete to take the coats from three sisters out on a walk; A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, illus. by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pinkney, focusing on a grieving son who follows a treasure map his father left him through the woods they used to explore together; and Pass the Baby by Susanna Reich, illus. by Raúl Colón, depicting a big extended family passing a baby from person to person during a family dinner.
IDW
IDW roars into fall with Godzilla: Monsters and Protectors—All Hail the King! by Erik Burnham, illus. by Dan Schoening, a second graphic novel following teen vlogger Cedric and his friends as they summon Godzilla to help them defeat the invading three-headed dragon King Ghidorah.
IDW/TOP SHELF
Top Shelf Productions strums along with Lisa Cheese and Ghost Guitar: Attack of the Snack by Kevin Alvir, introducing unicorn girl Lisa who dreams of being a folk singer in Earth City while she navigates a dreary day job and uses her bionic arm to fend off threatening minions from an occult fast-food chain; Johnny Boo: Is Bored! Bored! Bored! by James Kochalka, catching up with ghost boy Johnny and pet ghost Squiggles as they make a new friend; You Wish by Jeff Victor, in which a tomboy falls into a world of magic where only her card tricks can help save her family; Rose Wolves by Natalie Warner, a wordless middle grade graphic novel spotlighting a girl who picks a magical flower that turns into a wolf; and What If We Were (Book Two) by Axelle Lenoir, featuring more adventures for Nathalie and Marie and their mysterious crush Jane Doe.
INHABIT
Inhabit has pie on the brain with It’s Time for Berries! by Ceporah Mearns and Jeremy Debicki, illus. by Tindur Peturs, which finds two sisters heading out with Ninguiq, their grandmother, in the late summer to fill their buckets with berries; The Woman and Her Bear Cub by Jaypeetee Amakak, illus. by Dayna B. Griffiths, in which a woman and her daughter take in an orphaned polar bear cub and must decide how to give him a happy life; We Love You as Much as the Fox Loves Its Tail by Masiana Kelly, a bedtime poem sharing the various ways in which a family will welcome their long awaited new member; I Am a Rock by Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, illus. by Pelin Turgut, taking readers on an Arctic journey from the point of view of a child’s pet rock; and The Little Folk by Levi Illuitok, illus. by Steve James, retelling a traditional tale of an Inuk boy who is adopted by the magical race of small Arctic people called inugarulliit.
INKYARD
Inkyard predicts a strong season with Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin, starring a Cuban American tween medium coming into her powers; The Name Drop by Susan Lee, in which two teens with the same Korean name are tangled in a case of switched identities at their prestigious internship, which may offer them the summer of a lifetime; The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker, kicking off a dark YA fantasy duology introducing readers to an alternate Tang Dynasty China where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the royal family’s political intrigue; Kenyan Masters and the Peerless Magic Crew by DeVaun Sanders, a debut fantasy series-starter following Kenyan’s quest to unlock his poetry-fueled magic and unravel the secrets of his mysterious fancy school, Peerless Academy; and Wrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros, the story of a grieving father whose daughter was killed by the Nazis, spurring him to create a golem in her image to carry out his vengeance.
KANE MILLER
Kane Miller adjusts its new backpack for The Wild Guide to Starting School by Laura Bunting and Philip Bunting, offering back-to-school tips with an Australian twist from koalas, bilbies, galahs, and more; Nibbles: Shapes by Emma Yarlett, following Nibbles the book monster as he chomps through various shapes; Billy and the Beast by Nadia Shireen, in which Billy’s big curly head of hair contains all she’ll need to save her friends from the Terrible Beast; Backyard Bugs: A Shine-a-Light Book by Carron Brown, illus. by Wesley Robins, offering a behind-the-scenes look (via see-through pages) into the hidden world of insects in your own backyard; and The Pumpkin Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Michelle Robinson, illus. by Mike Byrne, featuring a fearful pumpkin who finds her time to shine on Halloween when she meets a boy who shares her fears.
KAR-BEN
Kar-Ben takes a spin with The Mexican Dreidel by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Ilan Stavans, illus. by Maria Mola, in which Danielito’s Janucá dreidel leads his new friends’ Mexican spinning tops on an adventure through the neighborhood; Doña Gracia Saved Worlds by Bonni Goldberg, illus. by Alida Massari, telling how Doña Gracia used her wealth and power to escape persecution in 16th-century Portugal and helped many other Jews to do the same; The Promise by Fawzia Gilani-Williams and Bridget Hodder, illus. by Cinzia Battistel, about a Muslim boy’s promise to his Jewish best friend that he will continue to care for the garden they built together in a Moroccan village when the Jewish boy and his family move away; Ruth First Never Backed Down by Danielle Joseph, illus. by Gabhor Utomo, spotlighting the life of South African First who spoke out against apartheid her whole life; and Zhen Yu and the Snake by Erica Lyons, illus. by Renia Metallinou, the reimagining of a Talmudic tale centered on a fortune teller who warns a man that his daughter will be bitten by a snake on her wedding day.
KIDS CAN
Kids Can Press hitches up the sleigh with 8 Tiny Reindeer by Robert Tinkler, illus. by Danesh Mohiuddin, telling a contemporary Christmas story via 24 advent-calendar chapters about two elves trying to save Christmas from an evil business tycoon; Benjamin’s Thunderstorm by Melanie Florence, illus. by Hawli Pichette, incorporating elements of Cree culture and language into the tale of a boy’s dancing celebration of a thunderstorm before being called inside by his mother; Other Words for Nonno by Dave Cameron, illus. by Yong Ling Kang, in which a girl devises a system to help her grandfather who is struggling with forgetfulness and language; Lion on the Inside by Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir with Judith Henderson, illus. by Katherine Ahmed, celebrating the life of collegiate hijab-wearing athlete Abdul-Qaadir and her fight to ensure that fellow Muslim girls face fewer barriers in sports; and The Most Magnificent Maker’s A–Z by Ashley Spires, an alphabet journey featuring characters from the Most Magnificent books.
KINGFISHER
Kingfisher goes behind the scenes with So That’s How It Works! Technology by Clive Gifford, exploring the inner workings of hundreds of machines, vehicles, and structures; What Do Bees Do in Winter? by Kate Peridot, looking at how habitats and seasons differ around the world through the behaviors and adaptations of more than 20 animals; Stories and Secrets of Color by Susie Brooks, illus. by Sirjana Kaur, looking at the many meanings behind and uses for color; Up/Down by Tracey Turner, illus. by Dawn Cooper, which focuses on the world up above us until the book is flipped upside down and it spotlights the world beneath our feet; and Adopt Me! Join the Pet Set by Eddie Robinson, an unofficial guide to one of Roblox’s most popular games.
LANTANA
Lantana sets up the telescope for Rajiv’s Starry Feelings by Niall Moorjani, illus. by Nanette Regan, about a boy and his father looking to the stars to help them explore their emotions; Melody Queen by Puneet Bhandal, next in the Bollywood Academy series, focusing on music-obsessed Simi standing up to a gender-biased industry; Listening to the Quiet by Cassie Silva, illus. by Frances Ives, the story of a girl coming to terms with her mother’s hearing loss; Letters in Charcoal by Irene Vasco, illus. by Juan Palomino, centering on a Colombian girl making the life-changing decision to learn to read; and In My Skin by Morgan Christie, illus. by Martina Stuhlberger, in which children discover the beauty of living life to the fullest by embracing the skin they’re in.
LERNER
Lerner is sweeping the clouds away with My Friend Julia: A Sesame Street Book About Autism by Jennifer Cook, introducing young readers to a new character on the street who has autism; and the Black Excellence Project series in the Read Woke Books line, including Black Achievements in Activism by Artika R. Tyner, Black Achievements in Business by Robert P. Dixon, Jr., and Black Achievements in Entertainment and Black Achievements in Sports by Elliott Smith.
LERNER/ANDERSEN PRESS USA
Andersen Press USA skitters into the season with The Bookshop Mice by Robert Starling, in which Astrid, the resident bookshop mouse, invites her new friends to the Book Nook to witness the incredible adventures she has there; Ghost Orchid by Fiona Lumbers, which follows Ava as she accompanies her parents on a quest to find the mysterious ghost orchid; Home for Grace by Kathryn White, illus. by Rachael Dean, focused on a girl who is curious and worried about the homeless woman whom she and her mother have befriended; and Trains, Boats, and Planes by Michelle Robinson, illus. by Jez Tuya, following three transport vehicles through their busy day.
LERNER/CAROLRHODA
Carolrhoda raises the curtain on Forsooth by Jimmy Matejek-Morris, in which 13-year-old theater kid Calvin sets out to make a movie with his friends and learns how to be true to himself as he sorts through the drama of first crushes and family tensions; A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby, in which Safiya discovers more about herself through dreams that transport her to her mother’s childhood in Kuwait while her mother lies in a coma; The Knight of Little Import by Hannah Batsel, about Charlie, a young knight who finds a way to help her quiet town of Little Import deal with the monsters all around; Sensitive by Sara Levine, illus. by Mehrdokht Amini, the story of a girl who turns the message that she’s too sensitive into an affirmation; and Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illus. by Alex Bostic, the true story of three Black girls—Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost—who courageously integrated a New Orleans school on November 14, 1960.
LERNER/CAROLRHODA LAB
Carolrhoda Lab opens up with All the Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman, the story of three girls with overwhelming depression who meet through a website that binds them in a suicide pact and then try to break it when they realize they can overcome their struggles with the right support; and Gallows Hill, in which Puritan girl Patience and Quaker boy Thomas question their faiths and fight to protect their families during the panic over witchcraft in 1692 Salem.
LERNER/GRAPHIC UNIVERSE
Graphic Universe stays close with The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women’s Suffrage, and Jujitsu by Clement Xavier, illus. by Lisa Lugrin, focused on the all-women security group formed by the English suffragist organization the Women’s Social and Political Union in the early 20th century; Night and Dana by Anya Davidson, which finds Dana and Lily at odds over their eco-horror movie project as Dana emerges as a climate activist; Power Button: The First Invasion by Zack Soto, kicking off a series starring cousins Kaz and Truly, who find unusual wrist bands that summon a space knight to Earth; Timothy Dinoman and the Attack of the Dancing Machines by Steve Thueson, a new outing for humanoid iguanodon Timothy, as he tries to stop whoever is stealing tech from a famous inventor; and Strikers: A Graphic Novel by Kiel Phegly, illus. by Jacques Khouri, following the travails of a ragtag, losing ice hockey team in 1986 Flint, Mich.
LERNER/MILLBROOK
Millbrook Press zips up its parka for The Power of Snow by Bob Raczka, illus. by Bryony Clarkson, in which the advent of a snowstorm helps playfully illustrate the math concept of exponential growth; I Ship: A Container Ship’s Colossal Journey Around the World by Kelly Rice Schmitt, illus. by Jam Dong, inviting readers on board a container ship voyaging across oceans to deliver goods; and Piece by Piece: Ernestine’s Gift for President Roosevelt by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, illus. by Anna López Real, the story of a resourceful Mexican American teen who made a remarkable gift to thank President Roosevelt for the food aid that helped them survive during the Great Depression.
LERNER/ZEST
Zest commemorates 420 with Weed: Cannabis Culture in the Americas by Caitlin Donohue, providing interviews with experts from around the world involved in the many implementations of cannabis; The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety and Depression by Katherine Speller, explaining the science of mental illness and empowering readers to better quell anxiety and depression; The Denim Diaries: A Memoir by Laurie Boyle Compton, in which Compton recounts coming of age in rural Pennsylvania and New York City during the 1970s and 1980s; and The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities and Expressions by Lee Wind, examining gender identity and representation throughout history and showing how various cultures debunk the idea of a gender binary.
LEVINE QUERIDO/ARTHUR A. LEVINE
Arthur A. Levine spies a mirage with Desert Queen by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illus. by Svabhu Kohli, spotlighting the life of drag performer Harish Kumar aka Queen Harish, known for donning traditional female Rajasthani attire and performing graceful folk dances; Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera, a dystopian adventure in which 13-year-old pickpocket Leandro has his consciousness placed in an ancient drone, exiled from the lone surviving human settlement; Ways to Play by Lyn Miller-Lachmann, focusing on Riley who shows the other kids that there are many ways to play and not one of them is wrong; Golemcrafters by Emi Wantanabe Cohen, about two Jewish-Japanese siblings who learn their family’s generations-long tradition of golem-crafting from their grandfather; and Brooms by Jasmine Walls, illus. by Teo DuVall, the graphic novel tale of six queer and BIPOC witches competing in illegal broom races in an alternate 1930s Mississippi.
LEVINE QUERIDO/EM QUERIDO
Em Querido greets fall with Son of Formosa by Yu Pei-Yun, illus. by Zhou Jian-Xin, trans. by Lin King, a graphic novel biography published in two parts chronicling the life of Taiwanese political prisoner, publisher, and activist Tsai Kun-lin.
LIL’ LIBROS
Lil’ Libros pricks up its ears for Eva and the Impossible Tin Can Telephone by Victoria Roth, illus. by Joaquin Carreño Alonso, in which Eva, after moving countries away, enlists neighbors to help her find enough string for her tin can telephone so she can reconnect with her best friend back home; Singing/Cantando: La Cucaracha by Nayeli Reyes, illus. by Citlali Reyes, presenting this classic Mexican American nursery rhyme song and accompanying dance moves; The Stars of Din/Las estrellas de Din by Jayri Gómez, featuring Din, a star collector, who is soon challenged when she learns that her stars aren’t the answer for one lonely bear; La azotea de mi abuela by Grace Díaz, illus. by Judith Valdés Breidenstine, focusing on the love and bond between a granddaughter and her abuela; and Mi papá es un agrícola/My Father, the Farm Worker by J. Roman Perez Varela, illus. by Jose Ramirez, which finds a proud son taking readers on a journey through the difficult and exhausting days of a field worker.
LITTLE BEE
Little Bee straps on a parachute for Tiny Jumper by Candy Dahl, illus. by Maithili Joshi, profiling Tiny Broadwick, the first woman to parachute from a plane and the inventor of the parachute rip cord; An Offrenda for Perro by Judith Valdés B., illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera, in which Benito creates his own special altar for his lost dog Perro during a Day of the Dead celebration; Song After Song: The Musical Life of Julie Andrews by Julie Hedlund, illus. by Ilaria Urbanati, exploring the early life of this beloved film and theater star, singer, and author; Hello by Viola Wang, a tale based on the Chinese creation myth in which Nüwa, the only person on Earth when the world was new, learns how to create a new friend; and The Runaway Dosa by Suma Subramaniam, reimagining the Gingerbread Man tale with a Tamil twist, starring some Indian mythological creatures.
LITTLE BEE/YELLOW JACKET
Yellow Jacket keeps things on the QT with The Secret of the Dragon Gems by Rajani LaRocca and Chris Baron, which tells the story—through letters, email, Discord, and video chats—of 11-year-old camp friends Tripti and Sam who discover that the rocks they brought home from summer camp are magic and might be Dragon Gems—just like the ones in their favorite book series.
LITTLE, BROWN
Little, Brown trots into spring with If I Was a Horse by Sophie Blackall, in which a child spends a day imagining their life as a horse; The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, returns to the world of the Inheritance Games, and features brothers Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne drawn into twisted, dangerous games on opposite sides of the globe; Love Comes First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, illus. by Ramona Kaulitzki, in which two sisters wish on a star for a sibling and are surprised when a younger brother and a baby cousin soon arrive; The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown, the third installment in the Wild Robot series, following Roz on an undersea journey to save her beloved island from a mysterious poison tide; and Zilot and Other Important Rhymes by Bob Odenkirk, with Erin Odenkirk, Nate Odenkirk, and Naomi Odenkirk, illus. by Erin Odenkirk, a collection of more than 70 mostly silly poems from the actor and comedian and his family.
LITTLE, BROWN/LB Ink
LB Ink sees the path with Enlighten Me by Minh Lê, illus. by Chan Chau, in which Binh is forced to accompany his parents to a silent meditation retreat where a nun introduces him to the Jataka tales—stories of the Buddha’s past lives—and he learns about opening oneself to change; and Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller, a graphic novel debut following new-girl-at-middle-school Charlie as she’s welcomed by the Curlfriends, a group of Black girls who are the closest of friends even though they couldn’t be more different from each other.
LITTLE, BROWN/OTTAVIANO
Christy Ottaviano Books unfurls its fall list with Scroll by Hui Li, in which Lulu and her dog Dumpling find themselves magically transported to a place where the Chinese characters they draw come to life; Hannah Sharpe, Cartoon Detective by Janet Tashjin, illus. by Jake Tashjin, which finds observant young cartoonist Hannah trying to solve the mystery of the secretive guy who has moved into her family’s Airbnb; Little Red by Will Hillenbrand, starring a little red pickup truck with a mighty spirit; The Death and Life of Benny Brooks: Sort of a Memoir by Ethan Long, introducing Benny, who tries to survive fifth grade as he grapples with the anger, anxiety, and loneliness that come with his parents’ divorce and his father’s illness; and Chip by Federico Gastaldi, about a boy who discovers the importance of memory as a coping strategy following the loss of his pet fish.
LITTLE ISLAND
Little Island Books follows a slime trail into fall with The Slug and the Snail by Oein DeBhardùin, illus. by Olya Anima, retelling a traditional Irish Traveller tale about accepting differences and learning to choose your own path; The Fox’s Tower by Sam Thompson, illus. by Anna Tromop, a follow-up to Wolfstongue, about a girl and her wolf friends who take on the fox empire that rules the forest; and Favourite Irish Poems for Children, edited by Sarah Webb, offering a collection compiled by Irish writers Webb and Lucinda Jacob.
MACMILLAN/FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX
Farrar, Straus and Giroux opens wide for Jawbreaker by Christina Wyman, a debut middle-grade graphic novel focusing on toxic sibling rivalry, socioeconomic disparity, and dental drama; Silence and Shadow by Erin Beaty, which follows up medieval fantasy-thriller Blood and Moonlight with the story of Cat and Simon, who try to start fresh posing as husband and wife to avoid suspicion after catching a killer and barely escaping with their lives; Habla (Speak) by Laurie Halse Anderson, trans. by Hercilia Mendizabal Frers, the Spanish edition of Anderson’s award-winning novel; The Scariest Kitten in the World by Kate Messner, illus. by MacKenzie Haley, the humorous tale of a not-so-scary kitten and a not-too-terrifying haunted house; and Waiting for Tomorrow by Susan Yoon, illus. by Julie Kwon, which finds sisters Haejin and Hanna preparing a favorite Korean treat to celebrate the return of Appa, who has been a long time away from home.
MACMILLAN/FEIWEL AND FRIENDS
Feiwel and Friends leads the pack with Gone Wolf by Amber McBride, exploring racism, generational trauma, and the fears of being young and Black in America through the eyes of a girl and her wolflike dog; Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, focusing on a shelter that houses stray dogs—and robot dogs; The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde, about a teenage girl investigating the truth behind her new boarding school’s legend of the Changing Man after she witnesses a classmate who starts acting out of character; and Vengeance of the Pirate Queen by Tricia Levenseller, in which the crew of the Vengeance finds itself in a fight to save the world when it accidentally awakens the King of the Undersea who can control the dead.
MACMILLAN/FIRST SECOND
First Second wins a fall face-off with Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks, which finds a hotheaded hockey player asking the cool, calm boy in the drama club for anger management lessons; Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke, following Milo, a boy who discovers a portal to a secret world in his basement where he learns to face his fears and lead with kindness; Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi, illus. by Shazleen Khan, the story of Muslim American siblings learning how to build each other up in an unkind world; Asgardians: Odin by George O’Connor, kicking off a series about the Norse gods and spotlighting warrior god Odin, king of the Aesir in Asgard; and Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham, about Val, a teen girl named for Valentine’s Day who doesn’t believe in romance until a fateful Lunar New Year celebration.
MACMILLAN/FLATIRON
Flatiron swoons with A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber, in which Evangeline wakes up in a castle married to a prince, with no memory of how she got there; Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood, the story of 18-year-old Brooke, who discovers that one of her new housemates for her first year at university is her nemesis from high school; and The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert, which finds Nora trying to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of a teacher and three students—including her best friend—from her high school.
MACMILLAN/GODWIN
Godwin Books takes the elevator for Skyscraper Babies by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre, illus. by Juliet Menendez, an ode to family and nature coexisting in the big city; LaoLao’s Dumplings by Dane Liu, illus. by Shin Yeon Moon, in which young Millie wonders if she’ll ever be able to make dumplings as delicious as the ones she loves to cook with LaoLao; The Mermaid of Black Rock by Tanya Byrne, about two girls who set out to solve a mystery tied to the sea and fall in love along the way; and The First Women of Medicine by Roseanne Montillo, illus. by Jordan Andrew Carter, profiling 14 of the pioneering women who saved lives and changed the world.
MACMILLAN/HENRY HOLT
Henry Holt establishes lines of communication with More Than Words by Roz McLean, about the many forms of expression—singing, smiling, signing, etc.—that foster connection and understanding; Just Say Yes by Goldy Moldavsky, following high school senior Jimena, who learns she is undocumented and decides that the only way to keep her life on track is to marry an American; Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight by Rey Teciero, illus. by Monica Magaña, about a girl in contemporary Texas obsessed with becoming a modern-day knight and thwarting supernatural evil; Mole Is Not Alone by Maya Tatsukawa, in which shy Mole pushes through anxiety to attend a friend’s birthday party and once he arrives, he discovers there was nothing to worry about; and Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone, which finds Everline unable to wield magic and prove herself to her fellow wardens, those who guard against the monsters known as the vespertine.
MACMILLAN/NEON SQUID
Neon Squid howls at the moon with Gray Wolf by Brenna J. Cassidy, illus. by Sally Agar, the latest entry in the Young Zoologist series; Tales of World War II by Hattie Hearn, illus. by Margarida Esteves, collecting true stories from the World War II; Secrets of the Forest by Alicia Klepeis, illus. by Kristen Adam, featuring five-minute bedtime stories about woodland wildlife; and Bears by Don Hardeman Jr., illus. by Rebecca Mills, a Day in the Life book following several different breeds of bears over a 24-hour period.
MACMILLAN/ODD DOT
Odd Dot adds it all up with Math Mysteries by Aaron Starmer, a middle grade series in which each book contains multiple, interlinked mysteries that readers help solve with math; Maze of Marvels by Fay Moss-Rider, showcasing trivia from the worlds of history, science, pop culture, and more; and Me Experiment by Alli Brydon, illus. by Harry Briggs, offering a collection of experiments to help readers learn unique things about their body, feelings, and mind.
MACMILLAN/PRIDDY
Priddy ushers in fall with the following novelty and early-concept books created by Roger Priddy: See Touch Feel (English-Spanish Bilingual Edition), Fun Felt Learning: Buzz!, Happy Baby, Learn and Explore: Touch and Feel Alphabet, and My Best Friend Is a: Sloth.
MACMILLAN/ROARING BROOK
Roaring Brook blasts off with Farther Than the Moon by Lindsay Lackey, about a boy who wants to become an astronaut and wonders if his dreams can include his brother with special needs; Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior by Carole Lindstrom, illus. by Bridget George, spotlighting Indigenous water warriors Peltier and Josephine Mandamin; Eagle Drums by Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson; a magical realist middle grade debut focused on the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition; A Little Like Waking by Adam Rex, the unconventional YA love story of a girl stuck in a dream and the boy she meets there; and This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson, a dual POV YA fantasy in which the daughter of a famous horse breeder, a black-market enchanter, and an ambitious heir must work together to win a cutthroat enchanted horserace.
MACMILLAN/WEDNESDAY BOOKS
Wednesday Books brightens up the season with Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings, the author’s debut, featuring two neurodivergent teens who form a connection over the course of a summer; Guardians of Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones, kicking off to a fantasy series showcasing forbidden magic and monsters; Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph, about four teens who all have secrets that are coming back to haunt them; Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon, beginning a contemporary queer duology in which a teen discovers they are a reincarnated god from another world; and The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie, in which favorite fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists.
MAD CAVE/MAVERICK
Maverick ties on an apron for Voyage de Gourmet by Paul Tobin, illus. by Jem Milton, in which a young cook who is a social media sensation teams with his former best friend to compete against a cast of diverse chefs from around the world in a reality TV show; and Confetti Realms by Nadia Shammas, illus. by Karnessa, following four New Jersey teens who break into a cemetery on Halloween night and are transported to a fantastical world where they must complete a dangerous quest in order to return home.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS
National Geographic Kids mucks out the stalls for Can’t Get Enough Horse Stuff by Neil C. Cavanaugh, offering a plethora of info for horse lovers; Weird but True! Disney: 300 Wonderful Facts to Celebrate the Magic of Disney, delivering information about the world of Disney; Greeking Out by Kenny Curtis and Jillian Hughes, illus. by Javier Espila, showcasing retellings of favorite Greek myths as heard on the Greeking Out podcast as well as new, never-before-aired stories; Jurassic Smarts: A Jam-Packed Fact Book for Dinosaur Superfans! by Stephanie Warren Drimmer and Jen Agresta, spotlighting game-changing fossil finds, surprising dinosaur facts, and paleontologists in the field today; and Footsteps on the Map by Barbara Kerley, introducing the art of mapmaking via a blend of photographs and illustrations.
THE NEW YORK REVIEW CHILDREN’S COLLECTION
NYBR Kids primes a new canvas for Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini, trans. by Leah Janeczko, the first English translation of an Italian classic in which an artist is hired to paint landscapes for a wealthy, ill boy confined to three windowless rooms in his family’s palace.
NORTHSOUTH
NorthSouth bundles up for Davy in the Snow by Brigitte Weninger, illus. by Eve Tharlet, which finds bunny Davy and his sister staying safe in a snowstorm until they can reunite with their family; Genius Noses—A Curious Animal Compendium by Lena Anlauf, illus. by Vitali Konstantinov, exploring various animal noses and their impressive functions; Ludwig and the Rhinoceros by Noemi Schneider, illus. by Golden Cosmos, in which a young philosopher demonstrates to his father that something can be present even if you can’t see it; and ¡El Pez Arco Iris al rescate!—Rainbow Fish to the Rescue! by Marcus Pfister, the Spanish edition of this Rainbow Fish title.
NOSY CROW
Nosy Crow clocks in for Who Works at Night-Time? by Peter Arrhenius, illus. by Ingela P. Arrhenius, focusing on the variety of people who work during the night including bakers, doctors, and truck drivers; Everything You Know About Dinosaurs Is Wrong by Dr. Nick Crumpton, illus. by Gavin Scott, in which a zoologist serves up new research and facts about the prehistoric creatures; I’m Going to Be a Princess by Stephanie Taylor, illus. by Jade Orlando, celebrating the lives of Black women who’ve made their mark in history; Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints, and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief by Janina Ramirez, illus. by Sarah Walsh, part of the Inspiring Lives series, bringing together 50 stories of goddesses from around the world; and My First Lift-the-Flap Nursery Rhymes, illus. by Ingela P. Arrenius, a novelty title showcasing 14 favorite rhymes and a QR to scan for rhymes to listen to and sing along with .
NUBEOCHO
NubeOcho takes a seat for The Big Book of Butts by Eva Manzano, illus. by Emilio Urberuaga, journeying through the history of derrieres, both human and animal; Eye Glasses, in which Charlie gets glasses in an effort to get his crush Inés—who just started wearing glasses—to notice him, and Charlie Super F, following Charlie’s efforts to become a superhero with the power of invisibility, two titles by Margarita del Mazo, illus. by Guridi; The Little Magician by Susanna Isern, illus. by Amélie Graux, about a young witch who decides to cast a spell on her pesky little brother; and Olivia Wolf and the Extra Moldy Sandwich by José Fragoso, the launch title in the Olivia Wolf series introducing a werewolf girl and all her friends in Monstrocity where monsters and humans live peacefully side by side.
ORCA
Orca heads upstream with Otter Doesn’t Know by Andrea Fritz, first in the Coast Salish Tales series featuring Indigenous storytelling and art, in which a salmon and an otter learn to help each other; The Antiracist Kitchen: 21 Stories (and Recipes), edited by Nadia L. Hohn, illus. by Roza Nozari, which finds 21 diverse North American children’s authors sharing the role of food in their lives and how it has helped fight racism and celebrate people from different backgrounds; The Boy, the Cloud and the Very Tall Tale by Heather Smith, focused on Ewan’s magical quest to find his father; Once, a Bird by Rina Singh, illus. by Nathalie Dion, a wordless picture book about a bird who settles on a tree outside an apartment building where its residents watch her through their windows and find hope in her resilience and the continued rhythms of nature; and The Trailblazing Life of Viola Desmond: A Civil Rights Icon by Rachel Kehoe with Wanda Robson, illus. by Chelsea Charles, telling the story of Viola Desmond, a Black woman who refused to give up her seat in the “whites-only” section of a Canadian movie theater in 1946 and whose face is on the Canadian $10 bill.
OWLKIDS
Owlkids licks its lips for How to Make a Peanut Butter Sandwich in 17 Easy Steps by Bambi Edlund, providing a humorous over-complicated guide to making this treat with help from animal friends and including ingredients like an accordion and a skateboard; One Giant Leap by Thao Lam, following a child’s imaginative play on a snowy day; Cone Dog by Sarah Howden, illus. by Carmen Mok, in which Emma the dog discovers that the cone around her neck might actually be a dog’s dream come true; Love Is in the Bear by Judith Henderson, illus. by Nahid Kazemi, the story of a bear and a bird who audition for the opera together and learn the true meaning of being in a duet; and 100 Chapatis by Derek Mascarenhas, illus. by Shantala Robinson, which finds a boy helping his grandfather make 100 chapatis (Indian flatbreads) while waiting for his new baby sibling to arrive.
PAGE STREET
Page Street gets in the spirit with When Ghosts Call Us Home by Katya de Becerra, in which a teen haunted by her sister’s disappearance and chilling memories of their childhood home returns to find the truth of what happened there; A Prayer for Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz, the tale of a teen royal who awakens after being trapped as a stone statue for centuries to discover a world that worships the man who cursed her; Being Ace: An Anthology of Queer, Trans, Femme, and Disabled Stories of Asexual Love and Connection, edited by Madeline Dyer with various contributors, bringing together 15 accounts of asexual romance, aromantic love, and the many other sub-identities of the asexual spectrum; Malicia by Steven dos Santos, following four teens who spend Halloween weekend in an abandoned horror theme park off the coast of the Dominican Republic; and Damned If You Do by Alex Brown, flavored with elements of Filipino folklore and featuring a queer high school stage manager who unknowingly sells her soul to a demon.
PAGE STREET/PAGE STREET KIDS
Page Street Kids adjusts its goggles for Swimming Toward a Dream: Yusra Mardini’s Incredible Journey from Refugee to Olympic Swimmer by Reem Faruqi, illus. by Asma Enayeh, the story of a courageous Syrian athlete who helped push her sinking refugee boat to safety and went on to compete in the Olympics; A Cloud in a Jar by Aaron Lewis Krol, illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera, following two kids who resolve to capture a cloud and bring it to children in another town who have never seen rain; When an Elephant Hears NO by Dazzle Ng, in which a young elephant begins to learn the many nuanced meanings of the small word he doesn’t like; Saving the Sun by Emma Pearl, illus. by Sara Ugolotti, which finds Luna and Poppa from Mending the Moon once again trying to fix the sky; and Giraffe Is Too Tall for This Book by DK Ryland, about six animals who realize they can’t all fit into the book for story time and invite the reader to help solve the issue.
PAJAMA PRESS
Pajama Press rides the current with We the Sea Turtles: A Collection of Island Stories by Michelle Kadarusman, compiling short stories with island settings from around the world focusing on emotionally resonant encounters with turtles; If You See a Bluebird by Bahram Rahman, illus. by Gabrielle Grimard, in which Ali sorrowfully recalls the mulberry tree from the home that he and his family fled in Afghanistan and comes to realize that a true home is wherever his family is together.
PAN MACMILLAN/CAMPBELL
Campbell Books fetes fall with the following interactive board books: My First Clock Book, illus. by Yujin Shin, featuring a mounted clock face and clicking clock hands; Where Is Little Elephant?, illus. by Hannah Abbo, presenting a hide-and-seek tale with flaps and peep-through holes; Busy Tennis, illus. by Jayri Gómez, introducing the game and 12 real-life tennis greats; Babies Laugh at Everything by Caspar Addyman, illus. by Ania Simeone, providing five sound buttons and a mirror, designed to get babies giggling; and I Like to Be Kind by Janet Rose, illus. by Marie Paruit, a Little Big Feelings title exploring the emotional effect of being nice and ways that one can show kindness.
PAPERCUTZ
Papercutz blooms with The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illus. by Maud Begon, a graphic novel edition of the classic tale of orphaned Mary Lennox and the locked garden at her uncle’s estate; Yahgz: The Craynobi Tales Volume 1 by Art Baltazar, the kickoff to a new series following Craybi Craynobi and his son Craysi as they trek across mythical lands to save the city of Yahgz; Queen’s Favorite Witch Volume 2: The Lost King by Benjamin Dickson, illus. by Rachael Smith, in which Daisy Sparrow gets used to her role as Queen Elizabeth I’s right-hand witch; The Loud House Spy Special by The Loud House Creative Team, featuring Lincoln Loud, mild-mannered middle school student by day and fledgling super-secret agent by night; and School for Extraterrestrial Girls Volume 2: Girls Take Flight by Jeremy Whitley, illus. by Jamie Noguchi, which finds the extraterrestrial girls having to temporarily relocate to a new hidden school: The School for Extraterrestrial Boys.
PEACHTREE
Peachtree falls for The Problem with Gravity by Michelle Mohrweis, a dual perspective story exploring LGBTQ+ first crushes, living with autism, and empowered girls in STEM; The Littlest Yak and the New Arrival by Lu Fraser, illus. by Kate Hindley, which finds Gertie wondering if Mama’s heart has room enough for her and a new baby yak; Madeline Finn and the Blessing of the Animals by Lisa Papp, about Maddie’s revelation that she wants to share her gifts with the animals at her local shelter; Prak Fills the House by Donna L. Washington, illus. by Lauren Emmons, retelling of The Three Little Pigs starring a spirited brown pig who outsmarts her older siblings in a friendly competition; and The Twist-a-Roo by Kathleen Doherty, illus. by Kristyna Litten, putting a modern spin on The Ant and the Grasshopper in a woodland tale about coming together to share in times of need.
PEACHTREE TEEN
Peachtree Teen feels the heat with Before the Devil Knows You’re Here by Autumn Krause, a Faustian-flavored, historical folk horror tale focusing on a Mexican American heroine on a quest to rescue her brother; The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White, set in an alternate Victorian England where mediums control the dead; and Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt, exploring the complexities that come with falling in love while asexual.
PENGUIN WORKSHOP
Penguin Workshop adjusts its bonnet for Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora, reimagining the origins of children’s character Holly Hobbie as a horror story; Sankofa: A Culinary Story of Resilience and Belonging by Eric Adjepong, illus. by Lala Watkins, which finds a Ghanaian American boy learning about his family’s history and African culture through food; How to Speak Spanglish by Mónica Mancillas, illus. by Olivia de Castro, the story of a Mexican American boy who loves to speak Spanglish—the combination of English and Spanish—much to his abuela’s disappointment; and Skeleanor the Decomposer by Emily Ettlinger, following a music-obsessed skeleton on a quest to find her sound and her confidence.
PENGUIN YOUNG READERS LICENSES
Penguin Young Readers Licenses welcomes fall with the following media tie-ins: Bluey Sleepytime by Joe Brumm; Boo!: Bluey’s Halloween Magnet Book, and Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Bounty Banquet.
PENGUIN/DIAL
Dial adds The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow, following 12-year-old Al, who most definitely does not want to talk about her Crohn’s disease diagnosis; Dory Fantasmagory: Can’t Live Without You by Abby Hanlon, in which Dory experiences her own brand of ghostly separation anxiety when her mother returns to the workplace; Mexikid by Pedro Martin, a graphic memoir which finds a Mexican American boy and his family piling into their Winnebago for an unforgettable trip to Mexico; Huda F Cares? by Huda Fahmy, about her Muslim family’s visit to Disney World and self-conscious Huda’s wish that they didn’t attract so much attention; and Saving H’non: Chang and the Elephant by Trang Nguyen and Jeet Zdung, illus. by Zdung, the story of young conservationist Chang, who helps care for an injured and abused elephant during his time volunteering at a wildlife rescue center near Yok Don National Park in Vietnam.
PENGUIN/DUTTON
Dutton homes in on The Only Girl in Town by Ally Condie, about a teen who must unravel the mystery when everyone in her hometown disappears; Lalo Lesperance Never Forgot by Phillipe Diederich, in which a boy and his friends try to solve a series of mysteries while stuck in their Florida apartment complex during the pandemic lockdown; and Salt the Water by Candice Iloh, following a nonbinary Black teen who tries to find a new way to exist in a disappointing post-pandemic America.
PENGUIN/FLAMINGO
Flamingo takes aim with Cupig by Claire Tattersfield, illus. by Rob Sayegh Jr., which finds Cupig’s arrows flying astray on a windy Valentine’s Day, breaking up many classic pairs and creating new, unconventional ones; Hopefully, the Scarecrow by Michelle Houts, illus. by Sara Palacios, about a brave and hopeful scarecrow who comes to love stories after he befriends a girl who reads to him every day; I Am Not the Easter Bunny by T.L. McBeth, featuring a nattily dressed bunny carrying an Easter basket who insists to readers that he is definitely not the Easter Bunny; Busy Betty and the Circus Surprise by Reese Witherspoon, illus. by Xindi Yan, following Betty and her friends as they attempt to set up a home circus for Betty’s mother’s birthday; and Flat Cat by Tara Lazar, illus. by Pete Oswald, focusing on a happily flat cat who falls into the dryer and comes out round and fluffy, soon realizing that both states of being have their benefits.
PENGUIN/GROSSET & DUNLAP
Grosset & Dunlap cashes in a golden ticket for Where’s Wonka, illus. by Wren McDonald, a search-and-find activity book based on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; The Night Before Kwanzaa by Natasha Wing and Kirsti Jewel, illus. by Amy Wummer, in which a boy and his family prepare to celebrate Kwanzaa; Ms. Men and Little Miss Secret Santa by Adam Hargreaves, which finds the Mr. Men and Little Misses playing Secret Santa on Christmas Day; and Little Bible Stories: The Story of Christmas by Pia Imperial, illus. by Carly Gledhill, a biblical account of Jesus’s birth available in both English and Spanish editions.
PENGUIN/KOKILA
Kokila settles in with Being Home by Traci Sorell, illus. by Michaela Goade, about a Cherokee girl who moves back to her ancestral homeland with her mother; Angélica and La Güira by Angie Cruz, illus. by Luz Batista, in which a girl receives a güira from her grandfather in the Dominican Republic, which helps her stay connected to her family and form new community bonds when she’s back at home in Washington Heights; All You Have to Do by Autumn Allen, offering a look at what it takes for two Black men, in timelines 30 years apart, to face struggles with racism and protest and succeed at their elite, predominantly white schools; Zora, The Story Keeper by Ebony Joy Wilkins, illus. by Dare Coulter, which finds a Black girl emulating her beloved Aunt Bea and celebrating their family’s legacy through storytelling; and Piece of Payal by Preeti Chhibber, following an Indian American teen who recruits her archnemesis to help her win over her longtime crush.
PENGUIN/PAULSEN
Nancy Paulsen Books stays strong with Warrior Girl by Carmen Tafolla, a novel in verse centering a Chicana girl who is a warrior for her name, her history, and her right to choose what she celebrates in life; Mazie’s Amazing Machines by Sheryl Haft, illus. by Jeremy Holmes, in which Mazie uses her knowledge of simple machines to build various contraptions to solve household problems; Santa’s Gotta Go! by Derrick Barnes, illus. by Courtney Lovett, which finds Santa overstaying his welcome when his sled breaks down and he has to bunk with the Mack family; Thieves’ Gambit by Kayvion Lewis, about a thief who plays for the highest stakes—her parents’ lives—in a cutthroat competition among the world’s best thieves; and Forgive Me Not by Jennifer Baker, following a teen incarcerated in the juvenile justice system who weighs what she is willing to endure for forgiveness.
PENGUIN/PHILOMEL
Philomel spices things up with Rosie Frost & the Falcon Queen by Geri Halliwell-Horner, a tale of girl power that finds Rosie on a mysterious island that is home base for a school for extraordinary teens as well as an animal sanctuary; Begin Again by Oliver Jeffers, offering a history of humanity and big dreams for its future; Lola’s Heart by Alexandra Boiger, a wordless picture book about the power of love to overcome fear; Rewind by Lisa Graff, in which a girl travels back in time and meets her father as a middle schooler; and Visual Thinking Young Readers Edition by Temple Grandin, celebrating visual thinkers in school, at work, and beyond.
PENGUIN/PUTNAM
Putnam taxis down the runway with The Harlem Aviators by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein, the nonfiction account of four pioneering pilots who fought to integrate the skies by opening their own air field and aviation school in 1930s Chicago; Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz, in which seven friends throw a 1920s-themed party during which one of them is murdered; Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall, centering four sisters with unique talents who investigate a mysterious disappearance in their small Appalachian town; The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan, in which the surviving counselors of a summer camp massacre try to uncover the truth of what happened that fateful night; and The Adventures of Invisible Boy by Doogie Horner, about a boy who realizes his superhero fantasies when he is accidentally turned invisible in a school science fair mishap.
PENGUIN/RAZORBILL
Razorbill adjusts its oxygen mask for Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker, following a flight to Paris filled with teens competing for a scholarship that turns deadly; House of Marionne by J. Elle, in which a girl with forbidden magical talent joins a secret society in order to escape an assassin sent to kill her; One Day in June by Tourmaline, illus. by Charlot Kristensen, telling the story of trans activist Marsha P. Johnson and her legacy culminating in the 2020 Black Trans Lives Matter rally in Brooklyn; Hellaween by Moss Lawton, about a witch and her monster friends who must face off against do-gooders hell-bent on vanquishing evil in their neighborhood; and Cowgirls and Dinosaurs: Big Trouble in Little Spittle by Lucie Ebrey, a Western-inspired graphic novel focused on an aspiring detective and her pet dinosaur Rootbeer who reluctantly team up with the daughter of the sheriff to save their town from the Bandit Queen and dinomajik.
PENGUIN/RISE X PENGUIN WORKSHOP
Rise X Penguin Workshop looks to the night sky for When Moon Became the Moon by Rob Hodgson, exploring our moon’s origins, phases, and role; When Moon Blooms by Aida Salazar, illus. by Caribay M. Benavides, first in a line of board books about our authentic connection with nature and her cycles; You Broke It by Liana Finck, featuring captioned cartoon scenes that serve as a subversive validation of childhood and invalidation of rote parental scolds; Goodbye: A First Conversation About Grief by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli, illus. by Isabel Roxas, introducing the concept of grief using concrete language and imagery designed to help normalize death and provide a framework for honest, comforting conversations; and Who Was Shirley Chisholm? by Lisbeth Kaiser, illus. by Geraldine Sy, a Who Was board book spotlighting this activist and first Black congresswoman.
PENGUIN/ROCKY POND
Rocky Pond summons the sandman for The Dreamatics by Michelle Cuevas, in which a magical theater of dreams becomes overrun by one girl’s nightmares until a loving stagehand finds a way to help; The Night Fox by Ashley Wilda, about a teenage girl coping with heartbreak while at a mysterious, magical wellness program in the wild; Lawrence and Sophia by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Brian Cronin, following two unlikely friends—a boy and a bird—who help each other face their fears; Are You Mad at Me? by Tyler Feder and Cody Feder, which finds Opal the Ostrich pushing past her worry that people won’t like her; and The Do More Club by Dana Kramaroff, centering a Jewish boy whose bravery and kindness are tested after an antisemitic attack on his middle school.
PENGUIN/VIKING
Viking sets a festive table for Our Italian Christmas Eve by Danielle Sedita and Francesco Sedita, illus. by Luciano Lozano, about two siblings celebrating an Italian holiday feast with their large family and starting a new tradition; I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold, following two teens whose souls come together time and again through the ages; Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass, in which Dearie and Cole find their friendship tested when a serial killer starts targeting their school’s Queer Club; Sparkle by Lakita Wilson, the story of tween social media influencer Sparkle who is diagnosed with alopecia as she navigates family, friends, and her own self-esteem; and If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie, a YA sapphic romcom graphic novel from social media darling @Eunnieboo.
PENGUIN/WARNE
Frederick Warne fa la la la las into fall with holiday titles starring classic characters: Merry Christmas, Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, and Find Spot at Christmas by Eric Hill.
PENGUIN/WORLD OF ERIC CARLE
World of Eric Carle expands with the following titles by Eric Carle: The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First 100 Spanish Words/Primeras 100 palabras de la oruga muy hambrienta: A Bilingual Word Book; The Very Hungry Caterpillar Loves You!, The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Bake Shop, A Day in the Storm with the Very Hungry Caterpillar, and La araña muy ocupada/The Very Busy Spider.
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL/PI KIDS
PI Kids wants to build a snowman with My First Stories: Olaf Loves Hugs, a novelty book featuring characters from Disney’s Frozen.
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL/SEQUOIA KIDS MEDIA
Sequoia Kids Media stuffs itself with Bolitas de masa (Little Dumplings) by Susan Rich Brooke, illus. by Bonnie Pong, a Spanish edition of the tale of a dumpling that runs away from its family at Dumpling Fest and discovers there are many different ways to be a dumpling; Active Minds: Kids Ask About Farm Animals, a nonfiction volume of questions and answers; Active Minds Social Skills: Mind Your Manners by Gelett Burgess, revisiting classic poems about the Goops; and novelty media tie-ins Disney Frozen: Where’s Olaf? Look and Find Book and Jurassic World Look and Find.
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL/SUNBIRD
Sunbird Books scouts out the season with Sacajawea: A Graphic Novel by Randy’L Teton, illus. by Alyssa McKnight, the forthcoming entry in the It’s Her Story series exploring the lives of women who have changed the world, spotlighting the multilingual Shoshone girl who joined the Lewis and Clark Expeditions as an interpreter and guide.
PIXEL + INK
Pixel + Ink takes a bite out of fall with Bella and the Vampire by Erin Dionne, illus. by Jenn Harney, the first volume in the Shiver-by-the-Sea chapter book series in which new kid Bella tries to help a lost vampire boy find his family in their quiet, monster-filled beach town; Drag and Rex: Forever Friends by Susan Lubner, illus. by Blythe Russo, the adventures of a T. rex and a dragon who are best pals; A New Home for Henry by Sarah Vacciano, illus. by Kévin Cerqueira, kicking off the Isabelle’s Mountain series about young community activist Isabelle who rallies her friends to take action and convince their neighbors to help the residents of another mountain impacted by a mudslide; The Winterton Bee by Janet Sumner Johnson, about twins who find themselves in a cutthroat competition with wealthy relatives they’ve never known; and Greenleaf Academy by Kim Turrisi, beginning a series focused on the on- and off-field challenges of elite soccer players at an elite boarding school.
PJ PUBLISHING
PJ rises to the occasion with Challah! by Varda Livney, featuring Louis, a Shabbat-loving baby bunny whose first, favorite—and only—word is Challah.
QUARTO/HAPPY YAK
Happy Yak rises and shines for Croc-a-Doodle-Do! by Huw Lewis Jones, illus. by Ben Sanders, reimagining “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” with a wily crocodile character.
QUARTO/IVY KIDS
Ivy Kids branches out with 21 Things to Do with a Tree by Jane Wilsher, serving up 21 tree-centric outdoor games and activities; Little Tree and the Wood Wide Web by Lucy Brownridge, illus. by Hannah Abbo, about the secret world of forest communication that exists under our feet, between networks of fungal threads; and My Friend Tree by Dawn Casey, a story of friendship, love, and connectedness to nature.
QUARTO/FRANCES LINCOLN
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books checks in for A Mystery at the Incredible Hotel by Kate Davies, illus. by Isabelle Follath, continuing the exploits of aspiring detective Matilda, who’s trying to track down the thief who stole her friend Stefan’s precious recipe ahead of the grand hotel’s prestigious backing competition; A Natural History of Magical Beasts by Emily Hawkins, a field notebook containing copious detail about magical creatures from around the world; and O Christmas Tree by Lara Hawthorne, joining the Christmas Choir series and focusing on a Christmas tree that brings the town together out of the cold winter’s night.
QUARTO/WIDE-EYED EDITIONS
Wide-Eyed Editions looks behind the curtain with A Miscellany of Mischief and Magic by Tom Adams, exploring the world of deception and trickery including the work of famous escape artists and illusionists; The Secrets of Norse Mythology by Tom Birkett, offering profiles of 50 powerful gods and goddesses and a look at monsters and mythical lands; Welcome to the Mysteryverse by Clive Gifford, a compendium of paradoxes, unsolved mysteries, and gaps in our scientific knowledge; and The Lucky Red Envelope: A Lift-the-Flap Countdown to Lunar New Year by Vikki Zang, a novelty narrative nonfiction title following a girl and her family as they count down to and celebrate Chinese New Year.
QUARTO/WORDS & PICTURES
Words & Pictures watches the clock for The Book of Time by Clive Gifford, investigating the big questions about time, like “What is time?” and “Is it even real?”; and Daytime and Nighttime by Michael Bright, illus. by Nic Jones, a flip-book format that allows readers to explore and compare habitats of the world during the day and night hours.
RANDOM HOUSE BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Random House opens a file on Project F by Jeanne DuPrau, in which a boy enchanted by technology in a post-climate crisis world hundreds of years in the future must choose between doing the right thing for his community or pursuing his dream to fly; Otto the Ornament by Troy Cummings, about a Christmas ornament who seeks the tree on which he’ll shine the brightest; Forever Twelve by Stacy McAnulty, a magical mystery focused on a group of kids at a modern elite boarding school who have been alive for hundreds of years and are searching for the secret to their immortality; and The Dark Lord’s Daughter by Patricia Wrede, introducing Kayla, who thinks she’s a normal girl from Earth until she’s whisked away to a magical land and must decide whether to accept her birthright as a Dark Lady.
RANDOM HOUSE GRAPHIC
Random House Graphic is ready to roll with Buckle Up by Lawrence Lindell, following Lonnie and his father, who connect and learn about life on their short drives to and from school; Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: The Graphic Novel by Chris Grabenstein, illus. by Douglas Holgate, adapting the story of Kyle’s efforts to solve literary puzzles and escape from the new library created by world-famous game maker Luigi Lemoncello; I Am a Dinosaur by Jarod Rosello, which finds Hugo and his best friend Dino transforming into dinosaurs and using their imagination to play together; Tig and Lily: Party Animals by Dan Thompson, in which Tig realizes that Lily has never been to a party before and he decides to throw one at the zoo; and The BIG Adventures of Babymouse: Besties! by Jennifer L. Holm, illus. by Matthew Holm, about Babymouse’s efforts to be the best friend Wilson ever had, even better than the new kid in school.
RANDOM HOUSE STUDIO
Random House Studio is all smiles with Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, A Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity by Nicholas Day, illus. by Brett Helquist, a narrative nonfiction account of how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous work of art in the world, and how the paining should never have existed at all; Grumpy Monkey Spring Fever by Suzanne Lang, illus. by Max Lang, which finds Jim Panzee’s jungle friends trying to help him burn off the excess energy that has arrived with his classic case of spring fever; Harlem at Four by Michael Datcher, illus. by Frank Morrison, chronicling the adventures of a Black four-year-old girl named Harlem and revealing the history of the New York City neighborhood she’s named after; Stickler Loves the World by Lane Smith, introducing Stickler, a character who is covered in sticks, has multiple ever-changing eyes, and wanders around with his best pal, Crow; and Waa Waa Goes Tawá by Álabá Ónájin, which finds Tawá crying “Waa Waa” at every turn, until bedtime when the exhausted grown-ups give Tawá a taste of their own cries and the little noisemaker finally quiets down.
RANDOM HOUSE/CROWN
Crown mixes a palette for The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang with Eric Darnell, illus. by Phoebe Zhong, spotlighting a Chinese American girl who picks up an ancient paintbrush and unwittingly releases the power to make her art real—and sometimes dangerous; What’s Inside a Caterpillar Cocoon? by Rachel Ignotofsky, delivering a wealth of information about butterflies and moths; Colonization and the Indigenous American Story by Linda Coombs, the inaugural title in the Race to the Truth series in which each book tells the story of America from the perspective of a different marginalized community; My Father the Panda Killer by Jamie Jo Hoang, a coming of age story told in two voices: Jane, who is striving to be the perfect Vietnamese American daughter, and her father, who experienced a traumatic refugee journey as an 11-year-old boat person escaping Vietnam to the U.S.; and Nesting Dolls by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, an intergenerational story about colorism and appreciating what’s on the inside.
RANDOM HOUSE/DELACORTE
Delacorte reveals 15 Secrets to Survival by Natalie D. Richards, about a group of four classmates who must navigate the wilderness for a school project using nothing but the pages of a survival handbook—and each other—before sundown; Defiant by Brandon Sanderson, the fourth and final book in the Skyward series; Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto, following a gamer girl with a secret identity who unwittingly transfers to the school of the online bestie she’s never met IRL; Win Lose Kill Die by Cynthia Murphy, in which a murderer targets the best and brightest students at Morton Academy; and Her Dark Wings by Melinda Salisbury, offering a feminist take on the Hades and Persephone myth focused on a teen girl dealing with the sudden death of her ex-best friend who finds herself plunged into the Underworld, where she must contend with mythical beasts, her own burgeoning powers, and the arrogant, handsome Lord of the Dead.
RANDOM HOUSE/DR. SEUSS
Dr. Seuss Publishing presents How the Grinch Lost Christmas by Alastair Heim, illus. by Aristides Ruiz, marking the return of the Grinch who is eager to prove to the residents of Whoville that he has changed; Dr. Seuss’s Who Loves You? by Dr. Seuss, featuring favorite Seuss characters; Wacky Weather by Todd Tarpley, illus. by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu, a new addition to The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library introducing beginning readers to 17 strange but true weather events; and ¡Cuántos, cuántos pies! (The Foot Book) and ¡El Sr. Brown hace muuu! ¿Podrías hacerlo tú? (Mr. Brown Can Moo. Can You?), Spanish board book editions of two Seuss favorites.
RANDOM HOUSE/DOUBLEDAY
Doubleday spells out the season with J Is for Judy: Classic Hollywood’s Leading Ladies from A to Z by John Robert Allman, illus. by Peter Emmerich, paying tribute to iconic women of the silver screen from Hollywood’s golden age.
RANDOM HOUSE/GOLDEN
Golden Books breaches into fall with My Little Golden Book About Whales by Bonnie Bader, illus. by Steph Laberis, filled with facts about the world’s largest mammals; I’m a Garbage Truck by Dennis R. Shealy, illus. by Brian Biggs, in which a garbage truck tells readers how she works to keep neighborhoods clean; and the following Little Golden Book Biography titles: Rita Moreno by Maria Correa, illus. by Maine Diaz; The Beatles by Judy Katschke, illus. by Maike Plenzke; and Colin Powell by Frank Berrios, illus. by Kristin Sorra.
RANDOM HOUSE/JOY REVOLUTION
Joy Revolution sets sail for Sinner’s Isle by Angela Montoya, a dual POV fantasy romance focused on a powerful witch who will do anything to escape the remote island she’s being held captive on, including blackmailing the infamous pirate who washes up on shore; and Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose, serving up a queer contemporary rom-com in which an aspiring artist agrees to fake date a member of a rival family in hopes of gaining enough intel to take down his family’s enemies.
RANDOM HOUSE/KNOPF
Knopf feels its way through fall with In the Dark by Kate Hoefler, illus. by Corinna Luyken, told from two perspectives, a picture book encouraging readers to set aside snap judgments and try to quiet fears of the unknown; Esperanza Caramelo, the Star of the Nochebuena by Karla Arenas Valenti, illus. by Elisa Chavarri, in which the spun-sugar ornaments atop the Nochebuena cake come to life; We Are Big Time by Hena Khan, illus. by Safiya Zerrougui, a graphic novel inspired by the true story of a Muslim girl who joins an all-girl, hijab-wearing basketball team; Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim, following two sisters—one beautiful, one monstrous—who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest gone wrong threatens to sever their bond forever; and Ryan and Avery by David Levithan, about a blue-haired boy and a pink-haired boy who meet at a queer prom and both feel an inexplicable connection.
RANDOM HOUSE/LABYRINTH ROAD
Labyrinth Road polishes its armor for Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost by Esme Symes-Smith, which finds a 12-year-old nonbinary knight battling for the heart of their kingdom in a magical medieval world; Tales from Gumbling: Life in a Magical Land According to Nell (Who Lives There) by Emma Steinkellner, following 12-year-old Nell Starkeeper, who faces typical middle school drama and a magical fairy-tale scavenger hunt to save her town; Alex Wise vs. the End of the World by Terry J. Benton-Walker, a series-starter about a 12-year-old boy who tries to stop the Four Horseman of the apocalypse from taking over the world; and The Last Unspoken Word by Deb Caletti, the transformative journey of a 16-year-old girl traveling across the country to get an abortion.
RANDOM HOUSE/RODALE KIDS
Rodale Kids hauls out the holly for ABCs of Kindness at Christmas by Patricia Hegarty, illus. by Summer Macon, an alphabet book showcasing moments of Christmas kindness and generosity.
RANDOM HOUSE/SCHWARTZ
Anne Schwartz Books calls dibs with Mine! by Candace Fleming, illus. by Eric Rohmann, featuring a series of selfish forest animals, all believing that the apple about to fall from the tree will be theirs to eat; Cinderella and a Mouse Called Fred by Deborah Hopkinson, illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky, retelling the classic fairytale with an LGBTQ+ twist and narration by the mouse who becomes Cinderella’s coach horse; Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage by Lisa Rogers, illus. by Il Sung Na, telling the life story of this pioneering musician, who believed that all sound was music; and Good Books for Bad Children: The Genius of Ursula Nordstrom by Beth Kephart, illus. by Chloe Bristol, profiling the legendary outspoken children’s book editor of such well-loved books as Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are.
RANDOM HOUSE/UNDERLINED
Underlined chooses sides with The Homecoming War by Addie Woolridge, in which two rival high schools are forced to merge and their two very different class presidents must work together to unite the student body; and Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce, a rom-com full of dating hijinks and some D&D game play.
RED COMET
Red Comet knows it’s fur-ever with The Rescues: Finding Home by Tommy and Charlie Greenwald, illus. by Shiho Pate, kicking off an illustrated chapter book series about two newly adopted dogs settling into their new family and surroundings; Extinctopedia by Serenella Quarello, illus. by Alessio Alcini, trans. by Margaret Greenan, featuring extinct and endangered animals with a plea for conserving biodiversity; Mist by Marta Palazzesi, trans. by Christopher Turner, the 2020 Bologna Ragazzi Award-winning middle grade novel following Clay, a 13-year-old boy in 1880s London, who tries to free a captive wolf from a traveling circus; The Great Grrrrr by Marie-Sabine Roger, illus. by Marjolaine Leray, trans. by Angus Yuen-Killick, in which an impatient monster who works for an express delivery service loses his cool before learning to manage his anger; and Be Thankful for Water by Harriet Ziefert, illus. by Brian Fitzgerald, showcasing all the ways that water makes life on Earth possible.
RUNNING PRESS KIDS
Running Press Kids grabs the binoculars for The Junior Birder’s Handbook: A Kid’s Guide to Birdwatching by Danielle Belleny, illus. by Michelle Cross, an illustrated primer on birds and their habitats; Love Bubble by Harold Green III, illus. by Princess Karibo, in which Harry’s grandmother teaches him how to make a “love bubble”—a feeling of belonging that comes from community and can be passed on to others; Keep Dreaming, Black Child by Nyasha Williams, illus. by Sawyer Cloud, expressing the power of having and following big dreams, and how they can change the world; A Kid’s Guide to the Chinese Zodiac: Animal Horoscopes, Legendary Myths, and Practical Uses for Ancient Magic by Aaron Hwang, illus. by Qu Lan, introducing Eastern astrology and what each animal sign means; and The Young Witch’s Guide to Living Magically: Potions, Lotions, Rituals, and Spells for Kids by Nikki Van De Car, illus. by Anisa Makhoul, which guides readers through the practices of mystical self-care, natural beauty, and personal creativity, via aromatherapy blends, yoga sequences, sacred rituals, and more.
SCHOLASTIC EN ESPAÑOL
Scholastic en Español greets fall with the following Spanish-language titles: Let’s Giggle! (¡A reír!) by Caroline Jayne Church; Jovita llevaba pantalones (Jovita Wore Pants) by Aida Salazar and Molly Mendoza; Tierra de caballos: Indomable (Horse Country #1: Can’t Be Tamed) by Yamile Saied Méndez; Cuatro ojos (Four Eyes) by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza; and Miles Morales: Ondas Sísmicas (Miles Morales: Shock Waves) by Justin A. Reynolds and Pablo Leon.
SCHOLASTIC FOCUS
Scholastic Focus looks back with This Indian Kid by Eddie Chuculate, in which Chuculate, an enrolled member of the Creek nation and of Cherokee descent, describes his childhood in rural Oklahoma and the occasional hardships he faced, as well as the beauty of the land and the joy he found in family, friends, and baseball.
SCHOLASTIC LICENSING
Scholastic Licensing casts a spell with the following media tie-ins: The Official Harry Potter Cookbook by Joanna Farrow and Merry Christmas, GabbyCats! by Gabrielle Reyes.
SCHOLASTIC PAPERBACKS
Scholastic Paperbacks gets a head start with Cat on the Run by Aaron Blabey, about a world-renowned cat meme video star accused of a crime she didn’t commit who becomes a fugitive and must avoid capture to prove her innocence; a new Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine, offering a fresh line-up of villains and iconic monsters; Play the Game: The Hoop Con by Amar Shah, in which basketball-obsessed Raam Patel gets the opportunity of a lifetime to play ball in front of his NBA idol and things go mortifyingly wrong; Escape from Stalingrad by Andy Marino, following Artem, who finds he and his family are trapped between the attacking army and their own merciless military leaders as Nazis invade the Soviet city of Stalingrad; and Nugly by M.C. Ross, featuring a cute puppy who has a disfiguring accident and must learn to love and accept himself not for his looks, but for what’s on the inside.
SCHOLASTIC PRESS
Scholastic Press gets a blister with Running in Flip Flops from the End of the World by justin a. reynolds, in which Eddie and his friends, the only survivors of the apocalypse, set out in a stolen car to find out what happened; Beholder by Ryan la Sala, starring a charismatic teen named Athan, the lone survivor of a high-society party gone horrifically wrong, caught up in an occult mystery that spans New York City; Artifice by Sharon Cameron, focusing on Isa, who decides to capitalize on the Nazis’ insatiable appetite for her nation’s cultural masterpieces by selling them forgeries and using the money to help smuggle Jewish children out of the Netherlands; Sail Me Away by Ann Clare LeZotte, the final volume in the Show Me a Sign trilogy, following Mary Lambert on a voyage abroad where she finds herself at a wellspring of formalized deaf education and sign language; The Caretaker by Angela Cervantes, featuring Rafael, who finds the fragile peace in his life threatened when a scary story he’s invented comes true; I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams by Tanisia “Tee” Moore, illus. by Robert Paul Jr., an anthem to Black boy joy and pride in which a child discovers his place in a venerated legacy; and Five Little Girls by Bonnie To Muth, illus. by Jon J Muth, about five Chinese-Mexican sisters who are soon to become American. (Ages 4-8)
SCHOLASTIC/ACORN
Acorn slices into the season with the following illustrated early readers: A Pie for Us! (Sniff and Scratch #1) by Vicky Fang, illus. by Luisa Leal; The Kind Lion (Inside Scouts #1) by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illus. by Francesca Mahaney; The Orange Wall (Rainbow Days #3) by Valerie Bolling, illus. by Kai Robinson; Bright Star (The Adventure Friends #3) by Brandon Todd, illus. by Gloria Félix; and Fun and Games (Unicorn and Yeti #8) by Heather Ayris Burnell, illus. by Hazel Quintanilla.
SCHOLASTIC/BRANCHES
Branches turns on the sirens for the following illustrated early chapter books: Wildfire Rescue (Disaster Squad #1); Rise of the Green Flame (Kwame’s Magic Quest #1) by Bernard Mensah, illus. by Natasha Nayo; Top Secret Anniversary (The Party Diaries #3) by Mitali Banerjee Ruths, illus. by Aaliya Jaleel; Rise of the Goldfish (Pets Rule! #4) by Susan Tan, illus. by Wendy Tan Shiau Wei; and
Super Game Book! (Press Start! #14) by Thomas Flintham.
SCHOLASTIC/CARTWHEEL
Cartwheel goes over the river and through the woods with Teeny Tiny Turkey by Rachel Matson, illus. by Joey Chou, in which Turkey and her friends get ready for a festive harvest party; I Love You, Little Stinker! by Sandra Magsamen, featuring a soft, plush skunk tail; I Love You Through and Through by Caroline Jayne Church, a tale of unconditional love in a chunky board book edition; Hey, Baby Girl! by Andrea Pinkney, illus. by Brian Pinkney, an ode to all bright brown baby girls and the fifth title in the Bright Brown Baby series; and Love Pug by Aaron Blabey, chronicling all the things that Pig the Pug loves from mealtime to dress-up.
SCHOLASTIC/GRAPHIX
Graphix goes with the flow with Waverider (Amulet #9) by Kazu Kibuishi, which finds Emily traveling to Typhon to help her mother and Navin; Rise of the Shadowfire (City of Dragons #2) by Jaimal Yogis, illus. by Vivian Truong, in which Grace and her friends must go to Paris to find an ancient relic and stop the villainous Daijiang from seizing control of all the dragons; More Tall Tales (Bone) by Jeff Smith with Tom Sniegoski, following Smiley Bone, Fone Bone, and their Rat Creature pal, Bartleby, as they share stories around a campfire with a group of young scouts; Courage to Dream by Neal Shusterman, illus. by Andrés Vera Martínez; Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling, the story of first-generation Filipino siblings J.J. and Althea who discover that the myths their parents told them are real and must find a way to save their family food truck and town from witches, ogres, and more; The Hunt for Star-Lord by Amanda Deibert, illus. by Cameron Jacobsen Kendell, featuring Rocket and Groot as they try to locate Star-Lord, who has been kidnapped; Shang-Chi and the Quest for Immortality by Victoria Ying, focused on 12-year-old Shang-Chi who runs away from home in search of a mythical key to immortality in order to save his ailing father; and Permanent Detention by Vannotes, illus. by Malu Mendez, the story of Willow and Cami who must escape the clutches of Piggy and a danger-filled elementary school.
SCHOLASTIC/ORCHARD
Orchard circles the season with Santa Shark by Mike Lowery, in which Edgar, a goofy, toothy young shark deep in the ocean, prepares for the arrival of Santa Shark; Seals Are Jerks by Jared Chapman, about Lorelei’s discovery that seals are not the cute and cuddly creatures she thought they were; A Justice for All: The Story of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson by Denise Lewis Patrick, illus. by Kim Holt, chronicling the rise of Ketanji Brown Jackson, from a girl growing up in Florida to the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Supreme Court; All We Need Is Love (And a Really Good Pillow) by Peter H. Reynolds, follows a father and son as they discuss all the things they need in life, like a really good pillow or a roof over their heads—but most important of all, love; and On the Tip of a Wave: How Ai Weiwei's Art Is Changing the Tide by Joanna Ho, illus. by Cátia Chien, a look at how contemporary artist and activist Weiwei shines a light on the refugee crisis through the famous 14,000 Life Jackets installation at Konzerthaus, Berlin.
SCRIBBLE
Scribble steps out of the dark for Who’s Afraid of the Light? by Anna McGregor, introducing young readers to the ocean’s “midnight zone,” where no sunlight is able to penetrate and where Fergus hides from a parade of sea creatures that use bioluminescence to find their way in the dark.
SHAMBHALA/BHALA KIDS
Bhala Kids ties on its cape for I Am an Antiracist Superhero by Jennifer Nicole Bacon, illus. by Leticia Moreno, telling the story of six-year-old Malik, who after learning about racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, decides to change the world by becoming an antiracist superhero; Mai and the Missing Melon by Sonoko Sakai, illus. by Keiko Brodeur, exploring the cherished relationship between a girl and her grandmother in rural 1960s Japan; How Do You Know What You Know? by Noa Jones, illus. by Daniel Rieley which finds a child asking their father questions about how things came to be the way they are; The Magical Life of the Lotus-Born by Sherab Chodzin Kohn, illus. by Thinley Dorji, presenting the life of Padmasambhava (the Lotus-Born), a great Indian master who established Buddhist teachings in Tibet; and Share Your Love by Susan B. Katz, illus. by Jennie Poh, about how to send love and kindness to yourself and others, even if they are far away.
SIMON & SCHUSTER
Simon and Schuster stands en garde for Duel by Jessixa Bagley, illus. by Aaron Bagley, a debut graphic novel about two sisters whose rivalry turns into a fencing duel that takes their school by storm; Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott, which finds Pittsburgh teen Audrey transported back to 1812 where she’s expected to find love as a Regency romance heroine, but sparks really fly when she meets Lucy; All Better Now by Neal Shusterman, delivering a speculative tale in which a virus that cures the infected of their anger, hate, and greed has begun to spread and the forces that survive on those things decide to fight back; Spy School Goes North by Stuart Gibbs, the latest adventure for superspy middle schooler Ben Ripley who is at a remote training facility in Alaska when their leader and Erica’s grandfather, Cyrus Hale, is kidnapped by enemy agents; and Elves Are the Worst! by Alex Willan, starring Gilbert, who infiltrates Santa’s workshop in disguise, ready to prove once and for all that goblins are better workers than elves.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/ALADDIN
Aladdin stomps into fall with The Bigfoot Queen by Jennifer Weiner, concluding the trilogy focused on the friendship between 12-year-old human girl Alice and Bigfoot Millie; Keeper of the Lost Cities Graphic Novel by Shannon Messenger, illus. by Glass House Graphics, delivering a reformatted retelling of the first half of the epic first novel in the Keeper series; Duel Across Time by Bret Baier, illus. by Marvin Sianipar, about a group of kids who battle to save the past, the present, and the future from destruction; Vivian Van Tassel and the Secret of Midnight Lake by Michael Witwer, a debut middle grade fantasy novel from Dungeons & Dragons expert Witwer; and Susie King Taylor by Erica Armstrong Dunbar, the launch title in the Real History series spotlighting women of color whose historical impact can still be felt today, including Taylor, the first black Civil War nurse.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/ATHENEUM
Atheneum tidies up with Maid for It by Jamie Sumner, in which Franny tries to keep their fragile world intact by taking over her mother’s cleaning jobs when her mom is injured in a car accident; The Nighthouse Keeper by Lora Senf, which finds Evie again entering the Dark Sun Side to save Blight Harbor’s ghosts, and steal the only key that can open a door back home before she’s trapped forever; Kin: Rooted in Hope by Carole Boston Weatherford, illus. by Jeffery Boston Weatherford, presenting a portrait in poems of a Black family tree shaped by enslavement and freedom; Do You Know Them? by Shana Keller, illus. by Laura Freeman, about a girl newly freed after the Civil War who is saving up to place a newspaper ad seeking information about her missing family; and A British Girl’s Guide to Hurricanes and Heartbreak by Laura Taylor Namey, the companion to A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow that follows Flora Maxwell as she heads to Miami to find a path for her future and finds love along the way.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/ATHENEUM/DLOUHY
Caitlyn Dlouhy Books says it wants a revolution with Boston, 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson, following a girl caught in the midst of a smallpox epidemic, and the public’s fear of vaccines that could change the tide of the Revolutionary War; an as-yet-untitled companion to Out of My Mind and Out of My Heart by Sharon M. Draper, continuing the experiences of heroine Melody, who refuses to be defined by her cerebral palsy; Stuntboy, In-Between Time by Jason Reynolds, illus. by Raúl the Third, the latest exploits of Stuntboy (aka Portico Reeves), a superhero’s superhero; There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds, illus. by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey, Reynolds’s debut picture book, a joyous ode to the words and life of literary genius and glass-ceiling smasher Langston Hughes; and an untitled middle grade novel-in-verse from Alicia D. Williams, about a tender-souled boy trying to figure out how he fits into a world he’d already felt shaky in before the death of his best friend.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/BEACH LANE
Beach Lane colors fall with Red and Green by Lois Ehlert, the final work from beloved creator Ehlert, serving up the classic story of the night before Christmas with a humorous twist; 365: How to Count a Year by Miranda Paul, illus. by Julien Chung, offering a fun numerical breakdown of the 365 days it takes the Earth to spin around the sun; Bhangra Baby by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal, illus. by Ani Bushry, in which Bhangra Baby learns to move to the rhythm of the popular Punjabi folk dance, bhangra; Fungi Grow by Maria Gianferrari, illus. by Diana Sudyka, exploring when, how, where, and why fungi grow; and Hornbeam All In: Three Small Stories About One Large Moose by Cynthia Rylant, illus. by Arthur Howard, launching a series about Hornbeam the moose and his friends.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/BOYNTON BOOKWORKS
Boynton Bookworks wades into the season with Hippos Remain Calm by Sandra Boynton, the jacketed picture-book companion to Hippos Go Berserk!, Boynton’s first children’s book, about an ever-multiplying number of hippos that turns into an all-night party.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/LITTLE SIMON
Little Simon is totally ready for fall with 80s Baby by Hannah Eliot, illus. by Alyssa Nassner, featuring everything from neon legwarmers to rad rock music, and plenty of ’80s slang; Like So by Ruth Forman, illus. by Raissa Figueroa, honoring the love and bond between family and child; One by Ruth Forman, a counting book in which various girls celebrate their individuality and their community; Tell Me About Space by Lisa Varchol Perron, illus. by Jennifer Falkner, which finds a child asking their grownup what happens to the sun at night, why we don’t float into space, how many moons there are, and more; and In the Holly Jolly North Pole: A Pop-Up Adventure by Joel Stern, illus. by Nancy Leschnikoff, allowing readers to take a holiday tour through Santa’s Workshop on the North Pole.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/MCELDERRY
Margaret K. McElderry Books moves its beach chair back for Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle, following a young mage who believes her secret drowned along with her classmates—until their bodies start washing ashore; Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong, the sequel to Foul Lady Fortune, a speculative historical thriller loosely based on Shakespeare’s As You Like It, surrounding the events of Imperialist Japan’s expansion into China in the 1930s; Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain by Jonathan Graziano, illus. by Dan Tavis, featuring Noodle the pug and his quest to climb the squishy top of the couch; And Don’t Look Back by Rebecca Barrow, which finds Harlow putting together the pieces of who her late mother really was—and who they’ve spent Harlow’s entire life running from; and Finch House by Ciera Burch, exploring the effects of generational trauma as a girl must convince an old house to release its hold on her and her family.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/MILLNER
Denene Millner Books sneaks into the season with Ninja Nate by Markette Sheppard, illus. by Robert Paul Jr., about a boy who adopts a ninja alter ego and wears a costume to help him adjust to a new disability.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/MTV BOOKS
MTV Books turns up the heat with How to Lose a Best Friend: An MTV Friendzone Novel by Jordan Casomar, first in a series inspired by MTV’s Friendzone, about Zeke and Imogen, high school juniors and best friends whose relationship is put to the test when Zeke decides he wants to be more than just her friend.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/SIMON PULSE
Simon Pulse charges up with Michael Vey 9 by Richard Paul Evans, the latest installment in the action-adventure series following Michael Vey, a teen who has Tourette’s—and electric powers.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/SIMON SPOTLIGHT
Simon Spotlight short circuits with Worst Love Spell Ever! by Wanda Coven, next in the Middle School and Other Disasters series starring witch-in-training Heidi Heckelbeck, who tries to get her crush to notice her; On Valentine’s Day, We Show We Care!, dropping in on Valentine’s Day at Melon Patch Academy; Flashback to the… Chill 2000s! by Gloria Cruz, illus. by Sarah Rebar, spotlighting some of the coolest trends, fashion, and inventions of the 2000s; Try a Bite, Trilobite by Jonathan Fenske, focusing on picky eater Trilobite who tries a tiny bite of a new snack; and Optimus Prime and Megatron Roll Out! by Ryder Windham, illus. by Patrick Spaziante, a chapter book tying in to Transformers: Earthspark a new show from Hasbro and Nickelodeon.
SIMON & SCHUSTER/WISEMAN
Paula Wiseman Books towels off with Splash Goes the Whale by Matthew Van Fleet, a novelty alphabet book filled with underwater animals of all sizes and shapes; The Welcome Home by Amy June Bates, following Mr. and Mrs. Gargelson-Bittle, who decide life is too quiet and go in search of the perfect pet—but can’t decide on just one; Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illus. by James E. Ransome, the story of this groundbreaking activist, from his childhood to the Civil Rights Movement; Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla by Alexandra Diaz, about two girls fleeing Cuba with their family in 1960 and seeking refuge in America; and Jerry Changed the Game!: How Engineer Jerry Lawson Revolutionized Video Games Forever by Done Tate, illus. by Cherise Harris, spotlighting this Black engineer and pioneering game developer, known as “father of the video game cartridge.”
SLEEPING BEAR
Sleeping Bear Press seals its space suit for with So You Want to Be an Astronaut, by Clayton Anderson, illus. by Iris Amaya, looking at the ways aspiring astronauts can prepare for blast-off; A Song So Black, So Proud by Ronald Owens, illus. by Keisha Okafor, telling the story of how James Brown’s iconic song “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud” became an empowering anthem; Do Not Eat This Book by Beth Kander, illus. by Mike Moran, spotlighting Jewish holiday foods while imploring the reader to not eat this book; Wishes of the World, by Melissa Stiveson, illus. by Khoa Le, illuminating the ways children make wishes, and the universality of wish-making itself; and Who Am I?, by Julie Buchholtz, illus. by Aliya Ghare, exploring the ways—both big and small—a girl is connected to the Earth and to those who came before her.
SOARING KITE
Soaring Kite Books keeps a secret with The Lunar New Year Surprise by Jade Wang, illus. by Tammy Do, in which an older brother struggles to find the perfect moment to share a handmade gift for his little sister during the first day of Lunar New Year; My Teacher Has Tattoos by Darren Lopez, illus. by Bhagya Madanasinghe, which finds a child learning about biases and stereotypes after discovering his teacher’s tattoos and unfairly connecting him to the neighborhood gang; and three bilingual concept books by Delia Ruiz and illus. by Graziela Andrade: ¡1,2,3 Salsa! English-Spanish Counting Book; ¡1,2,3 Cumbia! English-Spanish Manners Book; and ¡1,2,3 Merengue! English-Spanish Instruments & Sounds Book.
SOHO TEEN
Soho Teen shines a light on No One Left but You by Tash McAdam, which finds newly out trans guy Max’s life turned upside down when he befriends the new It-girl, Gloss, who later confesses to murdering Max’s ex.
SOURCEBOOKS
Sourcebooks has fall in its sights with It Found Us by Lindsay Currie, in which an aspiring girl detective must decode a series of ominous clues that may be tied to a century-old tragedy to find a missing teenager before it’s too late; It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand; about twins who discover that the scarecrow that stands watch in a remote village may have a stronger hold over the residents than expected; and All the Ways to Go by Jessie Janowitz, the story of how an unexpected sibling and a thousand-year-old chess game help restore chess prodigy Milo’s love of the game.
SOURCEBOOKS EXPLORE
Sourcebooks Explore cracks open its piggy bank for I Am Money by Julia Cook and Garrett Gunderson, illus. by Josh Cleland, introducing kids to the basics of money including how to earn and save, the different forms money can take, and how to spend wisely; This Book Is Banned by Raj Haldar, illus. by Julia Patton, which discourages young readers from turning each page, even to throw the book away, while they try to discover why the book has been banned and then offering an absurd surprise ending; Black Girl, Black Girl by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond, illus. by Amanda Quartey, introducing many of the strong Black women who have shaped our history; Katie, Big and Strong: The True Story of the Mighty Woman Who Could Lift Anything by Jennifer Cooper, illus. by Kayla Stark, profiling Katie Sandwina, a turn-of-the-20th-century circus strongwoman whose size and strength defied traditional conventions about women; and Hide and Seek, Nuts to Eat! by Tracy C. Gold, illus. by Nancy Leschnikoff, following a squirrel who hides seeds, nuts, and berries that her neighbors will seek later.
SOURCEBOOKS FIRE
Sourcebooks Fire activates its crystals for Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis, which finds the lone survivor of a a brutal attack on her coven forced to form an unlikely partnership with the witch hunter chasing her; Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin, following witch Tana, who must choose between loyalty to her family or the outcast boy who owns her heart; Where He Can’t Find You by Darcy Coates, in which Abby and her sister investigate a killer who dismembers bodies and sews them back together in unnatural ways; If Only I Had Told Her by Laura Nowlin, a companion to If He Had Been with Me, offering a deeper look at Autumn and Finn’s relationship, as told through multiple points of view; and That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally, a tale featuring two narrators: a teen girl struggling to remember how she ended up battered in the woods with a dangerous man claiming to be her father, and a boy who will stop at nothing to find his missing girlfriend.
SOURCEBOOKS JABBERWOCKY
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky takes center stage with The Drama Llama by Rachel Morrisroe, illus. by Ella Okstad, in which a real-life llama appears every time Alex worries about something; Ellie Mae Dreams Big! by Kristina McMorris, illus. by Amanda Yoshida, about a girl whose expansive ideas make it impossible to narrow down her school assignment to come to class dressed as what she wants to be when she grows up; How This Book Got Red by Margaret Chiu Greanias, illus. by Melissa Iwai, featuring Red, a red panda who is frustrated to discover that a book about pandas doesn’t include any red pandas, like her; The Light She Feels Inside by Gwendolyn Wallace, illus. by Olivia Duchess, following Maya, who discovers how Black women in her family and throughout history have been inspired by their “glowing feelings” to make a difference; and The Dream to Read by Nancy Cavanaugh, illus. by John Joven, the story of a Cuban American boy in early 1900s Ybor City, Fla., who dreams of learning to read so he can follow in his late father’s footsteps and become a lector—reading books and newspapers aloud to factory workers.
SOURCEBOOKS WONDERLAND
Sourcebooks Wonderland lays a trap for Pup and Dragon: How to Catch an Elf by Alice Walstead, illus. by Paul Gill, first in a series of graphic novel adaptations of the How to Catch books, which finds Pup and Dragon trying to catch one of Santa’s helpers; How to Catch Santa Claus by Walstead, illus. by Andy Elkerton, in which jolly old St. Nicholas has to dodge traps to try to deliver presents on time; You’re the Star in My Sky by Susanna Leonard Hill, illus. by Natalie Vasilica, reminding children that in each of them is a world of wonder and boundless promise; Girl Power by Sesame Workshop and Erin Guendelsberger, illus. by Marybeth Nelson, spotlighting the power girls carry with them every day, enabling them to dream big and take on any challenge; and You’re the Apple of My Pie by Rose Rossner, illus. by Jill Howarth, a new volume in the Punderland series.
STARRY FOREST BOOKS
Starry Forest soars into the season with The Birds’ Christmas by Olivia Armstrong, illus. by Mira Miroslavova, which retells a traditional European folktale in which birds of every feather flock to the Nativity while one small bird finds the perfect gift for the newborn baby; and Little Vampire by MacKenzie Haley, in which a young vampire, unable to play in the sunshine with other kids, plants a night garden that unexpectedly blooms into a daytime sanctuary overflowing with shade and friendship.
TAPIOCA STORIES
Tapioca Stories tips its hat for The Collector of Heads by Ana Matsusaki, exploring the delicate and complex cultural aspects of death with great humor in the story of Rosália, who collects the heads, histories, and memories of those who have died.
TIGER TALES
Tiger Tales knows whoooo’s brave with The Owl Who Dared by Stephanie Stansbie, illus. by Frances Ives, which finds a fledgling owl chalking up a few floppy failures before he learns to fly; Big Big Feelings by Perry Emerson, illus. by Sean Julian, in which young Willow learns that she has a superpower to help deal with big feelings and avoid a tantrum: her words; I Love You to the Moon and Back All Year Long by Amelia Hepworth, illus. by Tim Warnes, a celebration of the four seasons and of the love between parent and child; The Ocean Gardener by Clara Anganuzzi, the story of how Ayla and her marine biologist mother set out to save the coral reef surrounding the tropical island where they live; and Let’s Make a Heart by Harriet Evans, illus. by Jamie Bauza, showcasing some of the ways we can help love blossom and flourish.
TUNDRA
Tundra loads up its plate for Dim Sum Palace by X. Fang, about a girl whose love of dim sum spills over into her dreams, taking her on a fantastical food-filled adventure; Don’t Want to Be Your Monster by Deke Moulton, in which two vampire brothers must set aside their differences and work together when a series of murders in their small town make it clear that a vampire hunter is after them; Ploof by Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser, inviting readers to help Ploof the cloud overcome their shyness and play; The Three Little Mittens by Linda Bailey, illus. by Natalia Shaloshvili, which finds a single mitten feeling left out among all her paired friends until Little Girl decides that mittens don’t actually have to match; and Pluto Rocket: Joe Pidge Flips a Lid by Paul Gilligan, following Joe Pidge, who loses his signature hat and his alien friend Pluto Rocket helps him find it.
UNION SQUARE AND CO.
Union Square & Co. grabs the tape measure for Alterations by Raymond Xu, a debut graphic novel about Kevin Lee, a Chinese Canadian middle-schooler who struggles to be seen in a world where he feels invisible; Graveyard Girls: Scream for the Camera by Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus, where it’s Sophie’s turn to tell a picture-perfect scary story while the five Graveyard Girls navigate their own real-world frights and fears; Tagging Freedom by Rhonda Roumani, telling the story of two cousins—one from Massachusetts and one from Syria—as they grapple with war and adjust to a new life together; Too Many Interesting Things Are Happening to Ethan Fairmont by Nick Brooks, the second book in the Ethan Fairmont series mixing out-of-this-world sci-fi with contemporary themes of friendship, community, and social justice; and Hedgehog and the Log by Pam Fong, introducing Hedgehog, a resilient woodland resident who discovers the power of facing obstacles and seeing the world through a new perspective.
WELBECK CHILDREN’S
Welbeck Children’s makes a move with Checkmate!: The Young Player’s Complete Guide to Chess, explaining to readers what every piece can do, how to use them on the board, and the best tactics to use against opponents; Annabel Karmel’s My First Cookbook by Annabel Karmel, illus. by Alex Willmore, offering a first cookbook for children; Interview with Van Gogh and Other Astonishing Artists by Andy Seed, illus. by Gareth Conway, a Q&A format featuring interviews with Van Gogh, Hokusai, Leonardo da Vinci, Mary Cassatt and more; Land of Hunters: Earth’s Most Fearsome Predators by Clive Gifford, illus. by Howard Gray, an up-close look at our planet’s all-time deadliest predators; and All Aboard! by Vicki Pipe, exploring trains from around the world.
WELBECK EDITIONS
Welbeck Editions is a Yankee doodle dandy with The United States Book by Rebecca Seigel, illus. by Ellen Weinstein, providing a look at all 50 states, plus spreads on Native American history, the American flag, and more; The World of Studio Ghibli, by Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham, a guide to the film studio that created anime classics from My Neighbour Totoro to Ponyo and Kiki’s Delivery Service; An Invitation to the Botanic Gardens by Charlotte Guillain, illus. by Helen Shoesmith, a visit behind the scenes at the Botanic Gardens; The Definitive Guide to Magical Creatures by Maz Evans, illus. by Robert Ingpen, featuring 28 magical and mythical creatures and monsters from all over the world; and Around the World in 80 Dogs by Kristyna Litten, a visual celebration of dogs, including a central gatefold that opens out to reveal all 80 dog breeds and where they come from.
WELBECK FLAME
Welbeck Flame brings mosquito netting for My Mom Is a Spy: On Safari by Andy McNab and Jess French, illus. by Nathan Reed, the second volume in this chapter book series, which takes the family on safari; and Mr. Mornington’s Favorite Things by Karen George, in which Mr. Mornington’s young friend looks for ways to help Mr. Mornington remember her, and all his favorite things, when he moves into assisted care.
WELBECK/MORTIMER CHILDREN’S
Mortimer Children’s Books reveals The Cutest Animal Babies, featuring a novelty sliding mechanism to help kids decide which animal baby is their favorite.
WELBECK/ORANGE MOSQUITO
Orange Mosquito cordons off a dig site for Dinosaurs Adventures: The Fold-Out Book That Takes You on a Journey by Mia Cassany, illus. by Susie Hammer, a fold-out storybook that transforms into a mat where you can see where dinosaurs hunted, ate, slept, and played.
ALBERT WHITMAN
Albert Whitman washes ashore with Smout & the Lighthouse: A Story of Robert Louis Stevenson by Jane Yolen and John Patrick Pazdziora, illus. by Lyndsay Roberts Rayne, revealing the unusual childhood of this famous children’s author, hinting at how his strong imagination and relationship with his father shaped his life; Mama’s Year with Cancer by Nancy Churnin and Shayna Vincent, illus. by Wazza Pink, a story that portrays the reality of a mother with cancer and the effects this has—both good and bad—on a child; Daisy Bubble by Sheila Bair, illus. by Amy Zhing, and Money Wizards by Bair, illus. by Manuela Lopez, two new Money Tales titles explaining supply and demand, financial bubbles, and inflation, with rhyme and humor; and When We Had to Leave Home by Linda Ravin Lodding, illus. by Anna Aronson, following a child, her mother, and grandmother, as they leave their country with hope and bravery for a new home and uncertain future.
ALBERT WHITMAN/AW TEEN
AW Teen hits nothing but net with Curse on the Basketball Court by Jessie File, the latest Boxcar Children outing in which Jessie and her friends solve a legendary local jinx, helping a superstitious high school basketball star and saving a team’s championship dreams.
WORTHYKIDS
WorthyKids goes with its gut for Home Is Calling by Katherine Pryor, illus. by Ellie Peterson, inviting young readers to experience the Monarch butterflies’ migration from the butterflies’ point of view as they embark on a transcontinental journey home; BrindleFox by John Sandford, telling the story of a reclusive fox who learns to open himself up to friendship; The Inkwell Chronicles: Child of Krakatoa by J.D. Peabody, continuing the adventure of a boy and a secret society as a mysterious new type of ink appears throughout the world; and Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? by Paula Faris, illus. by Bhagya Madanasinghe, inspiring children to dream not just about a future career, but what type of person they want to become.
YEEHOO
Yeehoo brings good cheer with Kindness Rocks by Sheryl Webster, illus. by Robert García, in which a rock star meets a homeless bear and discovers that carrying out acts of kindness can bring happiness not just to others, but also to himself; My Breathing Earth by Paul Many, illus. by Tisha Lee, following two girls as they experience the air around them throughout the day; and The Palace Rat by Lynne Marie, illus. by Eva Santana, focused on Henri the rat who ultimately discovers the meaning of true riches when his life as the pampered pet of King Louis XIV comes to an end.
ZONDERKIDS
ZonderKidz gets up to some hijinks with The Magnificent Mischief of Tad Lincoln by Raymond Arroyo, illus. by Kristina Gehrman, the second title in the Turnabout Tales series, chronicling Tad Lincoln’s bond with his father, President Abraham Lincoln, who never was angry about his son’s antics; You’ve Got This, Fiona! by Richard Cowdrey, which finds Fiona encouraging the other animals at the zoo; Wimee Creates with Vehicles and Colors by Stephanie and Kevin Kammeraad and Michael Hyacinthe, kicking off the Wimee’s Words series based on the PBS show; and Enemies in the Orchard by Dana VanderLugt, a middle grade novel in verse inspired by the German POWs hired to work in a family’s Michigan apple orchard in October 1944.
