Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a middle grade novel about a teen’s impending surgery, a picture book following a rescue mission for two birds, a YA novel highlighting the double standards of a high school scandal, and more.
Before Nightfall by Silvia Vecchini, illus. by Sualzo, trans. by Geoffrey Brock. NYRB Kids, $11.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-68137-792-6. Carlo, a teen with a hearing impairment and partial blindness, grows worried when his sight continues to deteriorate as his sister Emma tries to find ways to comfort them both during the time leading up to Carlo’s surgery.
Brave Baby Hummingbird by Sy Montgomery, illus. by Tiffany Bozic. S&S/Wiseman, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-66591-849-7. Two baby Allen’s hummingbirds, alone in a coin-size nest, thrive with human assistance. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Cancelled by Farrah Penn. Viking, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-52830-3. Brynn Whitaker’s social reputation takes a hit when a video that’s circulating mistakenly identifies her as the person hooking up with her best friend’s boyfriend. As the bullying intensifies, Brynn questions if outing the real culprit is the true answer to her problems and instead launches a feminist club to undermine the double standard that exonerated the guy while canceling Brynn.
Future Tense: How We Made Artificial Intelligence--And How It Will Change Everything by Martha Brockenbrough. Feiwel and Friends, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-250-76592-5. The author traces AI’s development from 1950s chess-playing computers to present-day applications.
Gifts from Georgia’s Garden: How Georgia O’Keeffe Nourished Her Art by Lisa Robinson, illus. by Hadley Hooper. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5266-8. This picture book recounts the artist’s journey from New York City to New Mexico and how getting in touch with nature impacted her work.
In the Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher. Wednesday, $20; ISBN 978-1-2508-8604-0. Childhood best friends Sam and Nova reunite when Nova transfers to Sam’s school, where they are paired in a schoolwide personality matching test, calling into question all of their carefully laid plans for the future. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le. Roaring Brook, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-88152-6. When Nhika is outed as a bloodcarver, she is bought by a wealthy family who needs her abilities to ascertain who among them killed their powerful patriarch. The YA fantasy received a starred review from PW.
Louder Than Hunger by John Schu. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2909-7. Jake, who feels as if ignoring his hunger gives him control when nothing else does, is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and admitted to a treatment facility for eating disorders, in this autobiographical novel in verse. The book received a starred review from PW.
Mahogany: A Little Red Riding Hood Tale by JaNay Brown-Wood, illus. by John Joven. Charlesbridge, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62354-367-9. In this retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood,” when Mahogany becomes the wolf’s target, she utilizes her physical attributes and her wits to save herself.
Next Stop: (A Graphic Novel) by Debbie Fong. Random House Graphic, $21.99; ISBN 978-0-5934-2520-6. To take her mind off changing family dynamics, middle schooler Pia Xing goes on a bus tour to visit quirky roadside attractions.
Redeeming 6 by Chloe Walsh. Bloom, $14.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-464-21602-2. In the final installment of the Boys of Tommen series, as Joey’s inner demons threaten to take over, Aoife vows to stand by his side even as he breaks both of their hearts.
The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston. McElderry, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-3441-1. Teen Bly and her family struggle to survive, leaving Bly no choice but to enter the Revenant Games, where humans compete for the rare opportunity to toy with mortality as the powerful vampires and witches of their communities always have.
Rules for Rule Breaking by Talia Tucker. Kokila, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-59362-475-3. Korean American childhood nemeses Bobby Bae and Winter Park are pressured by their parents into visiting Massachusetts colleges together, and over the course of their road trip they embrace spontaneity.
Solar Bear by Beth Ferry, illus. by Brendan Wenzel. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-325173-1. The titular Solar Bear highlights how wildlife is being decimated and urges readers to speak up before it is too late.
Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan. HarperCollins/Tegen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0632-8947-5. A boy discovers that a spider is behind his town’s poor luck at the wishing well, but learns that the spider has better intentions than the wishers.
Under This Red Rock by Mindy McGinnis. HarperCollins/Tegen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0632-3041-5. Gay 16-year-old Neely Hawtrey grapples with losing several family members and begins developing new coping mechanisms for dealing with her hallucinations, which take shape via three monsters. But when a terrible crime occurs, Neely’s carefully constructed reality comes crashing down. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
We Are Mayhem by Beck Rourke-Mooney. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-2508-3659-5. Former gymnast Birdie finds solace in her new hometown via Mayhem, the town’s local wrestling team that has hopes of evolving past the men-only wrestling scene.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-80084-8. Recently orphaned Sade Hussein begins attending an elite boarding school; when her roommate goes missing, Sade’s investigation reveals a culture of patriarchal violence terrorizing female students at the academy. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of March, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.