Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a middle grade fantasy about a dangerous deal with a jinn, a YA rom-com about former friends competing for the same girl, a graphic novel about a ghost exorcist, and more.
Amir and the Jinn Princess by M.T. Khan. Little, Brown/Patterson, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7595-5797-0. Amir, the 12-year-old heir to a brick-making company in Lahore, Pakistan, partners with a powerful jinn princess to find his absent mother.
Exes & Foes by Amanda Woody. Viking, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-40314-3. Queer high school seniors and former childhood friends Emma and Caleb vie for the new student’s affection.
The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor. Putnam, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-593-52667-5; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-52666-8. Mild-mannered “ghost specialist” Dorian must find a way to open Death’s Door, so ghosts who have found peace can cross over to their final resting place.
The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky by Josh Galarza. Holt, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-90771-4. When his food journal goes viral on school socials, Brett finds himself the center of unwelcome attention, and a new friendship offers him a chance to face his complicated relationship with food. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
I Will Never Leave You by Kara A. Kennedy. Delacorte, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5937-0746-3. Following the sudden disappearance of her toxic ex-girlfriend Alanna, Maya Rosier is shocked when Alanna reappears as a ghost with an ultimatum: either Maya helps her possess someone so she can renew her lease on life, or she will frame Maya for her disappearance.
The Lost Souls of Benzaiten by Kelly Murashige. Soho, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-64129-574-1. Murashige’s fantasy debut follows 17-year-old Machi, an outcast teen who, after striking a deal with a Japanese god of fortune, embarks on a transformative journey to discover life’s beauty.
Markless by C.G. Malburi. Levine Querido, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-64614-377-1. Ruti, a witch, is compelled into dangerous royal service for the future queen of the kingdom in this fantasy debut.
Near Misses & Cowboy Kisses by Katrina Emmel. Delacorte, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593708-14-9. Sparks fly between handsome cowboy Colton Walker and exasperated West Coast transplant Riley Thomas in this romantic debut.
Picture Purrfect by Hilda Eunice Burgos, illus. by Siara Faison. Holt, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-25090-374-7. Burgos centers the relationship between a stray cat and Miguel, a Dominican American boy who loves to draw, in this family-oriented series opener about the bonds that make life sweet.
Rescue Cat by Stephen Savage. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-6267-2154-8. Butterscotch, a former stray who has now found his forever home, decides to pay that rescue forward.
The Running Machine: The Invention of the Very First Bicycle by Keith Negley. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-311982-6. Negley recreates the birth of the running machine, the ancestor of the modern bicycle, as a young German forester named Karl Drais ponders human-powered travel.
So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-31656-880-7. A toxic haze encompasses the island where Nell and her friends have gathered, and the group must navigate rapidly changing interpersonal dynamics as they determine the magic that’s keeping them trapped.
A Thousand Broken Pieces by Tillie Cole. Bloom, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-7282-9709-5. Both struggling with the loss of loved ones, Cael and Savannah are placed on a study abroad trip for grieving teens and discover their path to healing together.
Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield. Bloomsbury, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-1390-8. Two disabled former friends reconnect and explore their feelings while stuck in a time loop in this YA debut. The book received a starred review from PW.
Trick or Treat on Scary Street by Lance Bass, illus. by Roland Garrigue. UnionSquare, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4549-5217-6. A child clad in a werewolf getup guides a crew of mischievous costumed friends along the titular street’s Halloween trail.
Wagnificent: The Adventures of Thunder and Sage by Bethanie Murguia. Roaring Brook, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-250-83530-7; $13.99 paper ISBN 978-1-2509-0-8735. Thunder the dog uncovers her inner wolf when her human companion Sage forces her to wear a costume Thunder doesn’t enjoy.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of July, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
