Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a picture book showcasing a nation’s history, a YA mystery about a mother-daughter investigator duo, a picture book about a mischievous crow, and more.
Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence by Maisha Oso, illus. by Candice Bradley. Orchard, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-84997-4. Oso offers an empowering portrait of African peoples before their enslavement. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Better Left Buried by Mary E. Roach. Disney Hyperion, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-36809-840-3. Gay 16-year-old Lucille and her private investigator mother are pulled into the world of the Anselms, a wealthy family of amusement park tycoons, when they discover the dead body of a member of the family. The YA novel received a starred review from PW.
Crick, Crack, Crow! by Janet Lord, illus. by Julie Paschkis. Peachtree/Quinlin, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-68263-629-9. Sisters Lord and Paschkis team up to produce this onomatopoeic story about a curious American crow that likes to “stir up trouble.”
Crushing It by Erin Becker. Penguin Workshop, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-52364-3. Eighth grade soccer players Mel and Tory manage messy families, fractured friendship, and confusing feelings in Becker’s debut.
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson. HarperTeen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-325595-1. Gay teen Marlowe Wexler starts working at Morning House, the mansion of the infamous Halston family, but when the historian in charge disappears soon after Marlowe’s arrival, she senses deadly secrets afoot and fears she may be the next victim. The YA novel received a starred review from PW.
The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-3550-0. Prior collaborators Jeffers and Winston’s latest work centers on a dictionary who is “never quite sure of herself” among other books’ clear arcs.
Freedom Fire: Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos by Tracey Baptiste. Freedom Fire, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368-07437-7. Cousins Misty, Aiden, and Brooke come together to save the Caribbean Day Parade from dark forces. The middle grade novel received a starred review from PW.
The Gale by Mo Yan, adapted by Guan Xiaoxiao, trans. from the Chinese by Ying-Hwa Hu, illus. by Zhu Chengliang. Simon & Schuster, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-66593-062-8. At seven years old, a child goes for the first time to collect satintail grass with their grandfather, Yeye, in this picture book adapted from a short story of the same name. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow. Delacorte, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-59370-750-0. Noble Ying Yue starts noticing strange things in the home of her betrothed, like reflections in the water that do not mirror reality. When Ying’s reflection sweeps her away to an alternate domain, she swaps places with her reflection in order to avoid marrying the crown prince.
Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley. Disney Hyperion, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-368099-90-5. High schooler Annie Lane has been brought back from the dead and digs into the events surrounding her death while contending with the emotional fallout brought about by memories from her life before.
How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger. Greenwillow, $25.99; ISBN 978-0-06-315815-3. When 13-year-old Tara Gimmel gets enrolled in a “special academic program to challenge high-performing students” and is promoted straight to high school, she is faced with a new, terrifying reality she doesn’t feel prepared for. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Mama’s Chicken and Dumplings by Dionna L. Mann. Holiday House/Ferguson, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5555-3. Convinced that any man who tastes her mama’s chicken dumplings will fall in love, Allie sets out in search of a potential suitor for her mother.
Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan. Feiwel and Friends, $20.99; ISBN 978-1-250-90718-9. Young con artist Rosa enlists the help of Michelangelo to rob a corrupt pope in Schneiderhan’s debut heist tale set in 1517 Florence.
The Outsmarters by Deborah Ellis. Groundwood, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-77306-857-2. Twelve-year-old Kate is left with her Gran after her mother abandons her. Kate’s struggles managing her anger and destructive behavior meet a worthy opponent in Gran, whose severity and sharp tongue force Kate to learn to control her temper. The middle grade novel received a starred review from PW.
Round and Round the Year We Go by Carter Higgins. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5652-9. Higgins takes a trip around the year, employing rhythmically tight verse to mark each month in this picture book.
Sometimes We Fall by Randall de Sève, illus. by Kate Gardiner. Random House Studio, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-4549-9. A young bear who longs to climb a plum tree gains confidence through their mother’s patient encouragement. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Stay Angry, Little Girl by Madeleine L’Engle, illus. by Michelle Jing Chan. FSG, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-374-39083-9. Inspired by a Madeleine L’Engle quote, this picture book empowers girls to hold true to their feelings.
This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings. Sourcebooks Fire, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-7282-9786-6. The destinies of Black teens Elise and Layla are intertwined in this debut YA novel in which once-human vampires called reapers are taking over 1926 Harlem. The novel received a starred review from PW.
Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble by Briony May Smith. Random House/Schwartz, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-5047-9. When one of the hatching eggs in Mr. and Mrs. Wren’s cozy nest produces a human, the kindly Wrens and their feathered offspring embrace her as one of their own. But Tiny Jenny questions her origins and goes in search of her potential faerie mates.
The Train of Dark Wonders by Alex Bell. Oneworld, $9.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-861-54598-8. As the Odditorium’s new proprietor, 11-year-old Bess must find a way to raise money to keep the establishment open and procure magic beans to feed the ravenous flowers overtaking the building.
We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang. Tundra, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-7748-8202-3. When their flying saucer crash-lands near Mr. and Mrs. Li’s rural home at midnight, a trio of aliens tries their hardest to convince the couple that they are human. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
We Don’t Eat Our Neighbors by Daniel J. Mahoney. FSG, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-374-39126-3. Mahoney follows swamp-based alligator siblings Libby and Herbert as they move to a conventional human suburb.
World More Beautiful: The Life and Art of Barbara Cooney by Angela Burke Kunkel, illus. by Becca Stadtlander. Random House Studio, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-48438-8. Quiet gouache spreads with an appropriately folk-art feel give a sense of meditative calm to this picture book biography of the late Caldecott Medalist.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of August, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
