Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a picture book highlighting a big move, a middle grade collaboration about WWII codebreakers, a picture book about the missteps of a helpful child, and more.
Beti and the Little Round House by Atinuke, illus. by Emily Hughes. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2518-1. Atinuke draws from her experiences having moved from a “mansion” in Lagos to Wales, where she lived with her son in a “roundhouse built of straw and clay in the woods,” to showcase a life lived “simply on the land” in four gentle tales. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-59352-754-2. Jakob has been recruited from Cambridge University by Britain’s Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park to help decipher Nazi messages. Meanwhile his younger sister Lizzie ends up at Bletchley Park as well, and together they work to untangle a code relating to their missing mother. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers, illus. by Rebecca Lee Kunz. Levine Querido, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-64614-454-9. Two-year-old Chooch seeks to help everyone, often with disastrous results, in this tender familial picture book from Cherokee creators Rogers and Kunz. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Class with Wings by Paul Fleischman, illus. by Hannah Salyer. Abrams, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-949480-43-6. Newbery Medalist Fleischman follows a teacher helping students to imagine themselves as veeries migrating from Brazil to Wisconsin, where the classroom is. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
The Dividing Sky by Jill Tew. Joy Revolution, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-71035-7. As a Proxy, 18-year-old Liv Newman uses her neurochip to sell memories, making her an outlaw. When she escapes into the Outlands for a final deal, Forceman Adrian pursues her but time in the wilderness uncovers revelations about the evils within their home and potential chemistry between them. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri, illus. by Matt Rockefeller. HarperAlley, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-327716-8. After a loved one vanishes, a boy snatches a sword and escapes into the woods, heading underground, slipping into a body of water, and emerging into worlds beyond. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Fledgling: The Keeper's Records of Revolution #1 by S.K. Ali. Kokila, $21.99; ISBN 978-0-593-53124-2. Raisa Freelund, daughter of the Guardian of Upper Earth, prepares to enter a political marriage, while Nada Verg, a political prisoner and former princess, sets off on behalf of Lower Earth rebel factions to block the alliance.
Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge by Elizabeth Partridge, illus. by Ellen Heck. Chronicle, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-4521-3514-4. Building to the subject’s 1937 opening—and a busy scene of the public walking the bridge—this work carefully recounts the experience of witnessing an era-specific infrastructure project.
Griso, the One and Only by Roger Mello, trans. from the Portuguese by Daniel Hahn. Elsewhere, $19.95; ISBN 978-1-962770-08-8. Painting each of the story’s beats in illustrations inspired by a distinct art style, Mello creates a tale about Griso, “the last of the unicorns,” on a lengthy search for “another just like him.”
The Hill: Inside the Secret World of the U.S. Capitol by Kate Andersen Brower. Quill Tree, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-322931-0. Taking up more than 1.5 million square feet and boasting more than 600 rooms, plus its own subway system, barbershop, and dining options, the U.S. Capitol proves a fascinating subject in this cutaway-feeling view of its inner workings. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
How We Share Cake by Kim Hyo-eun, trans. from the Korean by Deborah Smith. Scribble, $19.95; ISBN 978-1-957363-85-1. In a family of five siblings, this book’s narrator—the second-oldest—describes how “we can split anything,” until a tumble while riding the family scooter produces a handful of precious solo experiences. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
It’s Hard to Be a Baby by Cheryl B. Klein, illus. by Juana Medina. Abrams, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-6733-3. This picture book focused on infant experiences highlights how babies navigate a constantly changing world as they grow. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Keeper Chance and the Conundrum of Chaos by Alex Evanovich. Simon & Schuster, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-6004-5. Sixteen-year-old Keeper Chance is recruited by Chaos, head of Chapter 626 of Evil Villains International League, only to stumble across a truly villainous kidnapping scheme.
Lone Wolf Gets a Pet by Kiah Thomas, illus. by K-Fai Steele. Holiday House/Porter, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5778-6. This early reader comedy, a kickoff to the Lone Wolf series, stars a solitary wolf whose plan to buy jellybeans is frustrated by a cleaned-out candy display.
The Make-Believers by Ryan Seacrest and Meredith Seacrest Leach, illus. by Bonnie Lui. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66594-987-3. Sibling creators Seacrest and Seacrest Leach spotlight daydreaming in this fantasy-forward double author debut.
A Moving Story by Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld, illus. by Tom Booth. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0632-1866-6. Brown bear brothers Pete and Tiny are top-notch movers, and during the latest move they may have packed up a friend. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
A Stickler Christmas by Lane Smith. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-81528-1. In this sequel to Stickler Loves the World, the titular protagonist must find a way to celebrate a friend who doesn’t want a gift for Christmas.
Still Sal by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-338962-5. A stand-alone companion to The Year of Billy Miller, this middle grade book centers on Sal on her first day of first grade.
Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood by Robert Beatty. Disney Hyperion, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368-00758-0. Amnesiac 13-year-old Sylvia Doe runs away from her foster home and discovers a flooded river that has morphed into a once-in-a-lifetime “100-year flood.” To prevent the flood from destroying the town, Sylvia must help a new ally return home. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Tamales for Christmas by Stephen Briseño, illus. by Sonia Sánchez. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-4781-3. Inspired, per an author’s note, by his own grandmother, Briseño chronicles a matriarch’s tamale production leading up to Christmas, as “with masa in one hand, corn husks in the other,” she makes enough tamales to sell—finding a way “to fill the space underneath the tree.” The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-6127-1. Reynolds astounds in a sweetly hilarious story of two Black teens preparing to take a huge first step in their relationship. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
When Digz the Dog Met Zurl the Squirrel: A Short Tale About a Short Tail by Chris Pine, illus. by Chuck Groenink. Flamingo, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5935-2822-8. Digz, a black and white dog, and Zurl, a gray squirrel, both see themselves as royalty in Ms. Pincher’s idyllic backyard garden, and after a confrontation learn to rule the garden together.
Where to Hide a Star by Oliver Jeffers. Philomel, $22.99; ISBN 978-0-593-62224-7. Reprising a character from picture book Lost and Found, Jeffers follows The Boy on a spaceship adventure to the North Pole.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of October, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
