Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book about exploring one’s environment, a historical YA novel set during the Holocaust, a graphic novel about a group of witches trying to keep their powers, and more.
Baby Be by Alison McGhee, illus. by Sean Qualls. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-0539-4. Adult-child duos make the most of the ordinary places in which they find themselves by engaging with their surroundings for an enjoyable experience together.
The Blood Years by Elana K. Arnold. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-299085-3. Based on the author’s grandmother’s experience living through the Holocaust, this historical novel follows Frederieke Teitler and her sister Astra, who are under the care of their grandfather. Amid brewing unrest from neighboring Poland toward Romanian Czernowitz, Reike must confront the idea that her guardian may not be able to protect her. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Brooms by Jasmine Walls, illus. by Teo DuVall. Levine Querido, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-64614-267-5; $18.99 paper ISBN 978-1-64614-268-2. In an alternate 1930s Mississippi, Black teen best friends Billie Mae and Loretta participate in illicit broom races, hoping to raise enough money to pay the government exemption fee that would allow them to practice magic legally. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Cosmic Wonder: Halley’s Comet and Humankind by Ashley Benham-Yazdani. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2323-1. Beginning millennia ago, and ending with a mention of 2061, Benham-Yazdani follows Earth and its denizens via the perspective of a returning Halley’s Comet.
Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller. Little, Brown Ink, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-316-59147-8; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-0-316-59145-4. Charlie Harper starts attending Hill Valley Middle School three weeks into the semester, and her first day turns out to be an embarrassing mess until she’s rescued by fellow student Nola. After Nola invites Charlie into her friend group, Charlie pretends to be someone she’s not and quickly loses touch with herself. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Dawn of the Jaguar by J.C. Cervantes (Disney/Rick Riordan Presents, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-3680-6702-7). In the finale of the Shadow Bruja duology, Ren fights to get her life back by making a new deal with a god who demands that she retrieve an ancient artifact in 10 days or be trapped for eternity.
Huda F Cares by Huda Fahmy (Dial, $16.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-53280-5). In this National Book Award finalist graphic novel, the sequel to Huda F Are You?, a family trip to Disneyland allows Huda to connect with her sisters in unfamiliar territory.
I Loved You in Another Life by David Arnold. Viking, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-52478-7. High school senior Evan Taft and recent high school graduate Shosh Bell are both grappling with sudden losses and grief. The two are strangers to one another despite living in the same town, until they both begin hearing a mysterious voice singing haunting lyrics that allude to an unknown event. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Kozo the Sparrow by Allen Say. Clarion, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-324846-5. Though the protagonist of this picture book usually runs from three bullies, they become interested when one of them finds a young bird. The narrator bargains hard for it and names it Kozo, working out how to help it survive.
Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll. Random House, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-64913-8. Twelve-year-old Ramya learns that she has a rare ability to see through the protective Glamour of monsters living in her town, and must take on the mantle her grandfather left behind: recording the truths about the hidden creatures. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Lonely Bird by Ruth Whiting. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-536-22618-8. Lonely Bird, a pencil sketch on white paper, steps off the page and explores a suburban home in search of a friend.
Looking Up by Stephan Pastis. Aladdin, $13.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-2962-2. Young Saint is worried about the gentrification of her town, and when she learns that her crush will soon be leaving because of all the changes, she persuades him to aid her in her quest to save the neighborhood from developers.
The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families by Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer. Chronicle, $40; ISBN 978-179-721682-9. Sociologist Brown and artist Palmer reimagine W.E.B. Du Bois’s early 1900s children’s magazine of the same name with an assemblage of essays, poems, and art from Black creators that aim to lavish “resounding Love” on Black youth. The anthology received a starred review from PW.
The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $20.99; ISBN 978-1-250-89744-2. Atia the last Nefas, a creature who subsists on fear, crosses paths with Gods-cursed Silas, a shepherd of lost souls, who dooms Atia for committing an unforgivable act. But Silas offers her a trade: he will help her break her curse if she aids him in escaping his own so that he may once again be human. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Pine Island Visitors by Polly Horvath. Holiday House/Ferguson, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5295-8. In the sequel to Pine Island Home, the orphaned McCready sisters acclimate to life with a new guardian, and while the girls enjoy their independence and newfound security, each longs to move on from the past and build bright futures.
Place Hand Here by Katie Yamasaki. Norton Young Readers, $18.95; ISBN 978-1-324-01703-5. A yellow handprint painted on a building offers a community a chance to connect as it reminds them of different loved ones in their own lives.
The Prince and the Coyote by David Bowles, illus. by Amanda Mijangos. Levine Querido, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-64614-177-7. Bowles fictionalizes the life of poet Nezahualcoyotl (1402–1472)—an Indigenous figure whose actions brought forth the rise of the Aztec Triple Alliance before Spanish colonization.
Project F by Jeanne DuPrau. Random House, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-64380-8. In this speculative novel from the author of City of Ember, and set in an eco-friendly version of Earth, 13-year-old Keith Arlo accidentally switches bags with a man who claims to be working on Project F, an engineering scheme.
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by Julie Morstad. Candlewick, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-536216-75-2. Following the death of their owner, a regretful sea captain called Spelhorst, five puppets, who are said to be “in a story together,” are eventually given to sisters Martha and Emma. After one of the sisters arranges the puppets on the mantel and begins working to include them in a play, each puppet undergoes an adventure that speaks to their nature. The illustrated book received a starred review from PW.
The Real Story by Sergio Ruzzier. Abrams, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-5526-2. Cat demands answers from Mouse after spotting the broken pieces of what was evidently a once-full cookie jar.
Remember Us by Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-399-54546-7. Black 11-year-old Sage, a Bushwick native, questions the meaning of memory and struggles with self-image as houses begin mysteriously burning down throughout her neighborhood, newly dubbed “The Matchbox.” The middle grade historical novel received a starred review from PW.
Run and Hide: How Jewish Youth Escaped the Holocaust by Don Brown. Clarion, $22.99; ISBN 978-0-35-853816-5. Brown chronicles stories of children who managed to escape harrowing circumstances during the Holocaust.
Shira and Esther’s Double Dream Debut by Anna E. Jordan. Chronicle, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-79721-565-5. Esther Rosenbaum longs to learn Hebrew and sing, while Shira Epstein was born for the stage, but her rabbi father, a widower, insists that she focus on her Torah studies. After a chance encounter, the girls—realizing their uncanny resemblance—swap roles to chase their crisscrossed dreams. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Songs of Irie by Asha Ashanti Bromfield (Wednesday, $20; ISBN 978-1-250-84680-8). In 1970s Jamaica, best friends Jilly and Irie bond over their love for reggae music, despite their drastic differences in class. As an upcoming election leads to political warfare across the island, the two grapple with how their social status bleeds into their friendship.
Tired Town by Patricia Marx, illus. by Roz Chast. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-85912-9. As the sun sets on Manhattan-esque Tired Town, sleep is a no-go for Nellie Bee Nightly, who attempts to tackle a long to-do list before heading to bed.
Tokyo Night Parade by J.P. Takahashi, illus. by Minako Tomigahara. HarperCollins/Tegen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0632-2496-4. Eka, a child who has “come home to Tokyo,” reunites with fantastical friends on her favorite evening—that of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
Zilot & Other Important Rhymes by Bob Odenkirk with Nate Odenkirk and Naomi Odenkirk, illus. by Erin Odenkirk. Little, Brown, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-316-43850-6. The Odenkirk clan, including actor and comedian Bob, come together for this collection of 70-plus poems, with subjects ranging from common childhood experiences to outlandish encounters with creatures.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of October, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
