Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a middle grade book about an eager student navigating a new classroom, a graphic novel about a teen meeting her estranged father, a middle grade novel set at a music summer camp, and more.
Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple by Liz Garton Scanlon, illus. by Dung Ho. Knopf, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-4441-6; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-64440-9. Eight-year-old Bibsy Cross struggles with a new teacher who “thinks Bibsy talks too much.” The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Brownstone by Samuel Teer, illus. by Mar Julia. Versify, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-358-39475-4; $18.99 paper ISBN 978-0-3583-9474-7. Almost-15-year-old Almudena meets her father for the first time in this affecting 1995-set graphic novel exploration of identity and family. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer. Atheneum, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-665-93038-3; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-1-6659-3037-6. At a music summer camp, violinist Tate works with fellow student Eli so that Tate will have a better chance at winning the solo in the camp recital.
The Cookie Crumbles by Tracy Badua and Alechia Dow. Quill Tree, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-063254-58-9. After the attempted murder of a judge derails a cooking competition for tween bakers, “soon-to-be eighth graders” Lucy and Laila resolve to find the would-be killer.
The Color of a Lie by Kim Johnson. Random House, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11880-1. In this novel set in 1955, Black 17-year-old Calvin Green and his family present as white in their new Pennsylvania town. When Calvin stands up for Black new student Lily, his actions set him on a path toward liberating other Black youth. The YA novel received a starred review from PW.
Hearts of Fire and Snow by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall. Bloomsbury, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-54761-004-4. Gregorio “Greg” Chan Ihpotok, an Indigenous Nahua 18-year-old, awakens from a coma with no memory and the certainty that he is a different person than he was before. When Greg transfers schools and meets Blanca, sparks ignite, and the two begin to remember their past lives as ill-fated lovers, Captain Popoca and Princess Iztac.
Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo. Penguin Workshop, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-6134-5. At a new school, Jun’s lunchbox offers a bridge of connection with other students. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
A Place to Shine by Marie Arnold. Versify, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-325175-5. Believing that the cure for their grandmother’s failing memory rests in the pages of her favorite book, Sunny and her brother Miles search across Chicago for magical components. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Sloth Is Not a Baby! by Nelly Buchet, illus. by Janie Bynum. Feiwel and Friends, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-87877-9. The titular protagonist climbs higher and higher up a tree even as her peers doubt her ability.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-1892-3. Eleven-year-old Hank Hooperman avoids Child Protective Services by staying with his grandmother’s friend while unaware that his continued search for his mother could carry disastrous consequences.
There Is a Door in This Darkness by Kristin Cashore. Dutton, $19.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-803739-99-4. In this new novel from the author of Graceling, school graduate Wilhelmina Hart, who begins seeing bizarre visions that all seem to know her name and prophesize events before they occur, struggles to make sense of this new and strange magic.
The Wilderness of Girls by Claire Madeline Franklin. Zando, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-63893-100-3. In Franklin’s contemporary fairy tale, a group of teen girls acclimate to society following years of living in the wild.
Zuni and the Memory Jar by Aisha Saeed, illus. by Neha Rawat. Kokila, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-1895-0. A family’s way of reflecting on the year encourages Zuni, the youngest of three siblings, to make memories.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of June, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
