Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a collection of poetry highlighting Black girlhood, a graphic novel about a freshman navigating high school, a YA novel about a zombie takeover of a magical town, and more.
Black Girl You Are Atlas by Renée Watson, illus. by Ekua Holmes. Kokila, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-46170-9. Watson’s semi-autobiographical collection speaks to the girl she was in her youth and the expansive experience of Black girlhood as it cycles toward womanhood.
Call Me Iggy by Jorge Aguirre, illus. by Rafael Rosado. First Second, $25.99; ISBN 978-1-250-20415-8. High school freshman Ignacio Garcia navigates first crushes, endures harassment from his his older brother, and encounters his grandfather’s ghost during the 2016 presidential election.
Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-1460-4. Seventeen-year-old Sid Spencer must fight against zombies to find her family and friends when the magical fault line in her town splits.
Dread Detention by Jennifer Killick. Delacorte, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-65226-8. Seventh graders Angelo, Naira, Hallie, and Gus attend Saturday morning detention at Dread Wood Academy and must kick into survival mode when they face off against monstrous arachnids.
The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-268513-1. In this middle grade fantasy that draws on Korean folklore, the sole daughter of famed General Song, 10-year-old Kai, struggles with rumors that she’s a descendant of Gumiho, a nine-tailed fox demon, and the potential that it may be true.
Freshman Year (a Graphic Novel) by Sarah Mai. Little, Brown/Ottaviano, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-316-40107-4; $17.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-316-40117-3. In this graphic novel memoir, high school graduate Sarah recounts her experiences during her first year of college at the University of Minnesota, juggling coursework, relationships with her family and friends new and old, and the matter of what to do post-graduation.
Hummingbird Season by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic. Bloomsbury, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-54761-274-1. In 2020, asthmatic Archie faces a strong disconnect from family and friends while living through the pandemic in California.
Is This a House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald. illus. by Katherine Tillotson. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-823-45219-4. When Hermit Crab outgrows his shell, he scours the beach in search of a new home.
My Thoughts Have Wings by Maggie Smith, illus. by Leanne Hatch. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-321458-3. A child voices their fears to their mother, who soothes them with a new way to navigate their thoughts.
Tomorrow's Lily by Chris Raschka. Greenwillow, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-304937-6. Watercolor lilies, which each “bloom/ for just/ one day,” blossom for varied subjects across a week’s time. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Pearl by Olivier Dunrea. Clarion, $12.99; ISBN 978-0-54-786759-5. The latest in the Gossie & Friends series follows gosling Pearl, whose love of singing is interrupted when she loses her voice.
The Princess Protection Program by Alex London. Greenwillow, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-0633-0387-4. Princess Rosamund, or Sleeping Beauty, arrives at Orphans’ Home Educational Academy where she grapples with a new reality rather than the fairy tale she came from, until monsters plan to deposit her back to her story.
A Suffragist’s Guide to the Antarctic by Yi Shun Lai. Atheneum, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-3776-4. In this novel set in 1914, 18-year-old Clara is determined to prove that she is as capable as any man and enlists in an ill-fated, all-male expedition to Antarctica.
With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer. Feiwel and Friends, $20.99; ISBN 978-1-250-61893-1. Artist Jude discovers a mysterious red 20-sided die that grants him an impossible run of good luck, but soon discovers that getting things the easy way may have a cost.
The Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Julia Donaldson, illus. by Yuval Zommer. Macmillan, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5290-1218-7. A woolly bear caterpillar in search of dandelion leaves befriends other creatures who are looking forward to their transformations and learns to embrace his soon-coming new look.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of February, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
