Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book playing with fairy tale lore, a book for young readers highlighting our connection to the world, the story of a child’s pursuit to meet Santa, and more.
All at Once Upon a Time by Mara Rockliff, illus. by Gladys Jose. Abrams, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-6817-0. This fairy tale mash-up from Rockliff and Jose lobs scraps of fairy tales at readers as fast as they can recognize them—and foils expectations, too.
Before You Were Here by Scott Westerfeld, illus. by Jessica Lanan (Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-79932-6). While exploring nature, a child discovers the many ways the world is interconnected, in this first picture book from the author of the Uglies series for teens.
A City Full of Santas by Joanna Ho, illus. by Thai My Phuong. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-328753-2. That elusive item on many a kid’s wish list—meeting Santa IRL—drives Ho’s sprightly story of a child on a mission.
Clutch Time by Caron Butler and Justin A. Reynolds (HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-306964-0). In the sequel to Shot Clock, AAU basketball player KO comes up against his toughest competition yet, his former best friend, and prepares to reunite with his incarcerated father.
The Crayons Give Thanks by Drew Daywalt, illus. by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, $9.99; 978-0-593-69057-4). The latest in The Day the Crayons Quit series follows the Crayons as they celebrate all the things they are grateful for.
Desert Echoes by Abdi Nazemian. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-333963-7. Iranian American Kam Khorramia’s grief over his boyfriend’s disappearance becomes all-consuming when he gains the opportunity to visit the place his boyfriend was last seen.
Gifts from the Garbage Truck: A True Story About the Things We (Don’t) Throw Away by Andrew Larsen, illus. by Oriol Vidal. Sourcebooks Explore, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-72828-351-7. This picture book highlights the museum Nelson Molina curated, which displays 45,000 items found in garbage collected in New York City’s El Barrio neighborhood. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut Up by Sonia Patel. Dial, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5934-6318-5. Premed student Gita Desai immerses herself in college life but is distracted by memories of abuse; she struggles to speak up for herself in intimate situations and gains the tools to make sense of her desires.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell, illus. by Ashley Mackenzie. Knopf, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-80986-0. A boy with an affinity for animals, a girl who can fly when the wind blows, and a secreted-away world in need of saving propel this realms-roving trilogy opener from Rundell. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Leadership Journey: How Four Kids Became President by Doris Kearns Goodwin, illus. by Amy June Bates. Simon & Schuster, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-2572-3. Goodwin chronicles the childhoods of former presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson and the events leading to their presidencies.
Library Girl by Polly Horvath. Holiday House/Ferguson, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-823455-67-6. Loved by her four mothers who raise her within the library, Essie never leaves the grounds and yearns for a family that includes siblings.
The Night Market by Seina Wedlick, illus. by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-56368-7. Wearing a cape and carrying a bag of golden coins offered by two adults, a brown-skinned child explores a night market’s marvels with the reader as companion. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
One Foggy Christmas Eve by Kerilynn Wilson. Greenwillow, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-331544-0. Fog threatens to derail a family’s annual Christmas Eve visit to nearby Nana and Papa’s house, but a child’s determination and some unexpected guides lead the way in this fantastical picture book. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Pigs Dig a Road by Carrie Finison, illus. by Brian Biggs. Putnam, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-984816-54-2. Diligent construction pig Rosie has conceived of an ambitious project: building a new road to connect her anthropomorphized animal community. And her crew is ready for the challenge.
A Pinecone! by Helen Yoon. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2626-3. Once a dark-haired child discovers pinecones on a snowy walk, there’s no limit to their lengths of obsession in this humorous tale.
Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau. Little, Brown, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-7595-5706-2. Collaborators Dyson and Favreau present the ideologies that disparage women and Black Americans and become the framework for contemporary American society in this accessible accounting of voting rights. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Rosa by Starlight by Hilary McKay. McElderry, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-5810-3. Orphan Rosa moves in with family in Italy and when the street cats of Venice come to her aid, she discovers an innate power and a new sense of belonging.
Sea Without a Shore: Life in the Sargasso by Barb Rosenstock, illus. by Katherine Roy. Norton, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-324-01607-6. Rosenstock examines the immense Sargasso Sea, containing floating algae forests within it. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Smell of Wet Dog: And Other Dog Poems and Drawings by Barney Saltzberg. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5639-0. In this collection of 27 poems, Saltzberg employs both canine and human perspectives to explore the age-old cross-species connection—a relationship characterized by a blend of fondness and bewilderment.
Splinter & Ash by Marieke Nijkamp. Greenwillow, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-332626-2. Princess Adelisa of Calinor returns to her kingdom and decides to aid Splinter, who believes that her dreams of becoming a squire are forfeit because she’s “not a boy.” The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga, illus. by Matt Rockefeller. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-295670-5. Someone has stolen a painting from the Penelope L. Brooks Museum, and sixth grader Rami must unravel the mystery and deal with a ghost haunting the museum’s halls.
Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan. Roaring Brook, $22.99; ISBN 978-1-250-85533-6; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-85534-3. In this graphic novel memoir set in 1993, Chan chronicles her experience replanting her roots when her family moves from Toronto to Hong Kong. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Virus Hunters: How Science Protects People When Outbreaks and Pandemics Strike by Amy Cherrix. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-306954-1. Cherrix breaks down the fascinating careers of scientists employed in the Epidemic Intelligence Service, “the world’s most elite squads of epidemiologists” in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of September, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
