Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a dual timeline YA novel about Black boys fighting for racial justice, a middle grade book about embracing one’s body, a YA series installment in which the heirs to a fortune travel across the world, a picture book celebration of natural hair, and more.
All You Have to Do by Autumn Allen. Kokila, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-61904-9. In 1995 Massachusetts, high school senior Gibran faces severe consequences and possible expulsion after disrupting a racist talent show performance at majority-white Lakeside Academy. In an alternate timeline, in the days following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968, Columbia student Kevin fights to halt the construction of a university expansion that would further gentrify the surrounding Harlem community. The YA debut received a starred review from PW.
Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera Kokila, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-32312-0. After watching a performance by the L.A. Mermaids, a Black-owned synchronized swimming team, Nat auditions for the squad and navigates new friends and finding security in her fatness. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Little, Brown, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-316-48077-2. In the fourth installment of the The Inheritance Games series, Hawthorne brothers Grayson and Jameson tackle new individual missions across the globe, including saving their family’s reputation and infiltrating an exclusive gambling club.
Hair Love ABCs by Matthew A. Cherry, illus. by Vashti Harrison Kokila, $8.99 board book; ISBN 978-0-593-69564-7. The collaborators of Hair Love reunite for a board book that helps young readers learn the alphabet with language celebrating natural hair.
Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim. Knopf, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-30099-2. Years after being sacrificed to the Demon Witch as a child to protect her younger sister Vanna, Channi prepares for Vanna’s approaching wedding to a prince. But when the Demon Witch threatens to return, and Channi is kidnapped by Vanna’s betrothed, the two fight to find their way back to each other.
House of Marionne by J. Elle. Razorbill, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-52770-2. Living a life on the run to hide her dark magic, Quell is forced to seek out her grandmother, the headmistress of a powerful house of magic. As Quell becomes entrenched in the house’s traditions and prepares to debut, she struggles to keep her magic under control at risk of being ousted.
The Hurricane Girls by Kimberly Willis Holt. Little, Brown/Ottaviano, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-316-32609-4. Three friends, Greer, Joya Mia, and Kiki, decide to run a triathlon in honor of Greer’s younger sister, who recently started using a wheelchair after an accident. However, preparations for the event bring up inner turmoil for each of the girls, threatening their friendship and ability to compete.
Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Germany by Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-25026-572-2. Sheinkin chronicles how, in June 1944, 19-year-old Rudi Vrba, together with 24-year-old Alfred Wexler, both Slovakian Jewish, were the first to reveal to the world the then-hidden Nazi atrocities occurring in Auschwitz. The YA nonfiction book received a starred review from PW.
The Infinity Particle by Wendy Xu. Quill Tree, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-295577-7; $18.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-295576-0. Engineer Clementine is invited to Mars for her coding abilities, where she meets her idol AI pioneer Dr. Marcella Lin, and her robot companion Kye. As Kye starts experiencing glitches, Clem attempts to find a solution, as their relationship begins to blossom.
Lola’s Heart by Alexandra Boiger. Philomel, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-399-16590-0. In this wordless picture book fantasy, a butterfly, wolf, and human befriend a large bird while at a train station. When the butterfly is taken by furry creatures, the new trio head off in pursuit to rescue their friend.
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250838-81-0. Evan McClelland discovers two books in his town’s new Little Free Library that date back to a previous library that was burned down. As he investigates the books’ sudden appearances, he must face his family’s possible connection to the town’s history.
Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror & Delight edited by Shelly Page and Alex Brown. Wednesday, $24; ISBN 978-1-2508-9298-0; $12 paper ISBN 978-1-250-89296-6. Authors Kalynn Bayron, Kosoko Jackson, Vanessa Montalban, and more come together for 13 spooky tales set on the night of Halloween and featuring queer characters fighting to survive. The YA anthology received a starred review from PW.
Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-665-93753-5. While working at her family’s store one day, Audrey is suddenly sent back to 1812 where she meets Lucy, a young woman who has no desire to marry any of her suitors. As the pair grow close and try to figure out how to return Audrey to the right time, they find themselves falling for one another.
Problem Solved! by Jan Thomas. Beach Lane, $15.99; ISBN 978-1-66593-999-7. When Rabbit grows tired of a messy room and announces that it’s a problem, Pete the Problem-Solving Porcupine tries to help. But Porcupine’s solution creates a different set of problems, and the two must work together to clean up the room.
Remembering by Xelena González, illus. by Adriana M. Garcia. Simon & Schuster, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-534-49963-8. Following the death of family dog Simon, a child readies for Día de Muertos by collecting all of Simon’s favorite toys, to celebrate the beloved pet’s life alongside their family. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Reunion by Kit Frick. McElderry, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-2146-6. Twins Addison and Mason, cousin Natalia, and soon-to-be stepbrother Theo are forced together by a family vacation. When two tweens at the resort suddenly disappear, the investigation uproots the family’s secrets. The YA mystery received a starred review from PW.
The Scariest Kitten in the World by Kate Messner, illus. by MacKenzie Haley. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-3743-9005-1. An adorable kitten hopes to partake in a terrifying bedtime activity and calls upon their friends to inspire them, until a child offers the perfect solution.
The Secret of the Dragon Gems by Rajani LaRocca and Chris Baron. Little Bee, $18.99 352p ISBN 978-1-4998-1463-7. On the last night of camp, cousins Tripti and Sam find a pair of rocks reminiscent of the ones from their favorite book series and take them back to their individual homes. As the two keep in contact, they realize that the rocks sometimes take on a life of their own.
Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph. Wednesday, $24; ISBN 978-1-2508-8213-4; $12 paper ISBN 978-1-2508-8215-8. The ritual at an annual Halloween party involves heading off into an abandoned house to confess one’s deepest secrets. This year, when Dom and his friends return from the house, they begin receiving anonymous texts threatening to reveal their secrets.
Stuntboy, In-Between Time by Jason Reynolds, illus. by Raúl the Third Atheneum/Dlouhy, $14.99; 978-1-534-41822-6. In the sequel to Stuntboy, in the Meantime, Portico discovers an empty apartment that offers refuge from his parents’ impending divorce drama, and fights to keep using the apartment when tenants don’t approve.
A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban. Zando, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-63893-012-9. Cuban American twins Delfi and Lela have magical capabilities and are cursed when it comes to love. When they inexplicably begin having the same dream of a woman in danger, they rush to learn what happened to her, unraveling family secrets.
Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke. First Second, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-250-83661-8; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-90954-1. Tasked with retrieving his baby sister’s special sock from the laundry room, young Milo heads into the basement and accidentally winds up in a subterranean world inhabited by various unusual magical creatures. With the help of the creatures, Milo must find the sock and return home. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593526-27-9. Former best friends Wilhelmina and Elwood discover a harrowing conspiracy behind Elwood’s family church, which may have something to do with Wilhelmina’s mother’s disappearance. Together, the pair works together to uncover the secrets the church is hiding as strange occurrences surround Elwood.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of August, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
