Nearly 75 children’s authors and illustrators, from large houses and small, will attend this year’s author reception and the Scholastic Meet & Treat After Party.
Jonathan Auxier
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
Amulet, Sept.; $18.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author tour; prepub buzz campaign; prepub author appearances; national publicity campaign; online and social media advertising; promotional author video; school and library conference promotions.
From the bestselling author of The Night Gardener comes this standalone novel about the power of friendship. Eleven-year-old Nan Sparrow is quite possibly the best “climbing boy” (an orphan owned by a chimney sweep in Victorian London). But when she gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes up in an abandoned attic, and she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a creature made from ash and coal—a golem who saved her life. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together. Ages 8–12.
Cindy Baldwin
Where the Watermelons Grow
HarperCollins, July; $16.99, hardcover
First printing: 30,000
Publicity plans: Not available at press time.
Fans of The Thing About Jellyfish and A Snicker of Magic will be drawn to Cindy Baldwin’s debut middle grade about a girl coming to terms with her mother’s mental illness. Ages 13–up.
Megan Bannen
The Bird and the Blade
Harper/Balzer + Bray, out now; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 75,000
Publicity plans: Not available at press time.
The Bird and the Blade is a sweeping and tragic debut novel about Jinghua, a girl forced to serve an exiled prince as he seeks to form a marriage with a powerful and deadly princess—even as Jinghua is falling in love with him herself. Ages 13–up.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Little White Lies
Disney-Hyperion, Nov.; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 35,000
Publicity plans: IndieBound white box mailing; online advertising; AMS/social media campaign; promotional blogger/vlogger campaign; YA-themed holiday roundup advertising campaign; cross-promotion through back-of-book ads in the Naturals backlist; cross-promotion on Freeform social, Hyperion Teens social, and author’s social media; blog tour and select conferences and book festivals.
Gilmore Girls and Pretty Little Liars go Southern in this comic mystery. A girl raised by a down-on-her-luck single mom allows her wealthy grandmother to bribe her into becoming a proper Southern debutante—all in the hopes of finding out who her father is. Ages 12–up.
Mac Barnett
Mac Undercover (Mac B., Kid Spy #1)
Orchard, Sept.; $12.99, hardcover
First printing: 50,000
Publicity plans: Author tour; animated trailer; preorder advertising; video advertising; educator advertising; floor display.
James Bond meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in this new fully illustrated chapter book series. The precious crown jewels have been stolen, and there’s only one person who can help the Queen of England: her newest secret agent, Mac B. Mac travels around the globe in search of the stolen treasure. But will he find it in time? Ages 7–10.
Illustrator Mike Lowery will not be attending.
Andrea Beaty
Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters
(The Questioneers, Book 1)
Amulet, Oct.; $12.99, hardcover
First printing: 250,000
Publicity plans: Author tour; prepub author appearances; print, online, and social media advertising; 12-copy floor display; tote bag; downloadable activity kit; dedicated website; extensive social media outreach; school and library promotions.
Rosie Revere is back and starring in her first chapter book. When Rosie’s beloved Aunt Rose and her pals, the Raucous Riveters—who built airplanes during World War II—need her help, it’s up to Rosie to save the day. Will Rosie be able to invent a contraption to help one of the Riveters paint in the annual mural competition? Thanks to some help from her classmates Iggy Peck and Ada Twist, Rosie creates the Paintapolooza! and, along with the Riveters, rediscovers the meaning of home. Ages 6–9.
Illustrator David Roberts will not be attending.
David Bowles
They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems
Cinco Puntos, Sept.; $16.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author appearances, including events throughout Texas.
This collection of narrative poetry explores a year in the life of a Mexican-American boy: caring, talented, and irrepressibly mischievous. The author received a Pura Belpre Honor for his children’s book The Smoking Mirror. Ages 11–14.
Max Brallier
The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond
Viking, Sept.; $13.99, hardcover
First printing: 150,000
Publicity plans: Author tour; national media campaign.
It’s the first winter after the Monster Apocalypse. For Jack and his buddies, that means sled catapults, snowball battles, and one monstrous Christmas celebration. But their winter wonderland turns dark when a villainess begins hunting them. And this villainess is different—she’s a human. Ages 8–12.
Vera Brosgol
Be Prepared
First Second, out now; $22.99, hardcover; $12.99, paperback
First printing: 100,000
Publicity plans: Author tour with Hope Larson; book festival and regional trade show appearances; media campaign; prepub advertising; dedicated series website; outreach to educators and librarians; promotion at school and library conferences.
In this graphic memoir, all Vera wants to do is fit in, which isn’t easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses, and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can only afford Russian summer camp. Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is not what she imagined. Ages 10–14.
Ivan Brunetti
3X4
Toon Books, Sept.; $12.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author appearances, including Miami and Brooklyn Book Festivals and events in Chicagoland; teacher’s guides and lesson plans available.
Annemarie and her classmates have to draw sets of 12 and use their imagination to come up with creative solutions. Star cartoonist and New Yorker cover artist Ivan Brunetti’s ingenious and fun-to-read comic turns everyone into a math whiz. Ages 3–6.
Jess Butterworth
Running on the Roof of the World
Algonquin Young Readers, out now; $16.95, hardcover
First printing: 10,000
Publicity plans: Regional author tour.
This story of adventure, survival, courage, and hope is set in the vivid Himalayan landscape of Tibet and India. Ages 10–13.
Andrew Cangelose and Josh Shipley
This Is a Taco!
CubHouse, out now; $15.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Book trailer.
Read along as Taco the squirrel writes his own story. Ages 4–7.
This Is a Whoopsie!
CubHouse, Oct.; $15.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Advertising timed with the release of This Is a Taco!
This is a book that is supposed to be about all that a moose can do, but Whoopsie may not be the right moose for the job. Ages 4–7.
J.C. Cervantes
The Storm Runner
Disney/Riordan, Sept.; $16.99, hardcover
First printing: 25,000
Publicity plans: Seven-city author tour with school visits; blog tour; IndieBound white box mailing; online advertising; nine-copy frontlist floor display; promotional blogger/vlogger campaign targeting Percy Pack/Rick Riordan brand influencers; digital advertising campaign via @readriordan social; cross-promotion on readriordan.com and Read Riordan social; promotion on Disney Books social and disneybooks.com; cross-promotion on author’s website and social media; regional holiday catalogue advertising.
Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging with his limp. What Zane doesn’t know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy to release an evil god from an ancient Mayan relic. Ages 8–12.
Jared Chapman
T. Rex Time Machine
Chronicle, Sept; $16.99, hardcover
First printing: 12,500
Publicity plans: Advertising; social media campaign; promotion at school and library conferences; promotion at fairs and festivals.
When two hungry dinosaurs jump into a time machine, they encounter the many wonders of the modern world: police cars, phones, and microwaves. They don’t know how they’ll get home—but why would they want to? Ages 3–5.
Eva Chen
Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes
Feiwel and Friends, Nov.; $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 75,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances; outreach to parenting bloggers and digital influencers; preorder advertising campaign; advertising and Instagram advertising targeting Chen’s fan base and parenting influencers; downloadable activity kit; dedicated landing page at JunoValentine.com; social media campaign on MacKids and on Chen’s social channels; featured at teacher/librarian conferences; outreach to key educators and librarians.
Juno Valentine’s favorite shoes aren’t flashy. They are comfy and perfect for jumping in mud puddles. There’s just one thing wrong with them: they’re missing. On her search to find them, Juno meets Frida Kahlo, Gloria Steinem, Sally Ride, and other influential women—and tries on their shoes. Ages 4–6.
Illustrator Derek Desierto will not be attending.
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Finding Langston
Holiday House, Aug.; $16.99,
hardcover
First printing: 50,000
Publicity plans: Author tour, including conferences, trade shows, and festivals; special pitch and galley mailing to reviewers and influencers.
In this debut historical novel by the author of the acclaimed picture book Before She Was Harriet, a boy discovers Chicago’s postwar South Side and the poetry of Langston Hughes. Ages 8–12.
Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs
The Dark Deep
Bloomsbury, Oct.; $16.99, hardcover
First printing: 100,000
Publicity plans: Author tour and appearances at festivals; advertising; downloadable event kit; extensive social media campaign and Instagram tour.
Bestselling authors Condie and Reichs join forces to create this darkly suspenseful middle grade debut. It’s Stranger Things meets The Goonies. Ages 8–12.
Sarah Crossan
Moonrise
Bloomsbury, May; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 30,000
Publicity plans: Extensive social media campaign and Instagram tour; national media outreach.
In this novel written in verse by Carnegie Award–winner Sarah Crossan, Joe’s brother is on death row in Texas. As his final appeal approaches and his execution date is set, Joe grapples with questions about life, death, love, and forgiveness. Ages 14–up.
Tony DiTerlizzi
The Broken Ornament
Simon & Schuster, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 100,000
Publicity plans: Author tour.
When a beloved ornament breaks, will it ruin the holidays or save them? Bestselling author and Caldecott Honor illustrator DiTerlizzi offers a new Christmas story. Ages 4–8.
Terry and Eric Fan
Ocean Meets Sky
Simon & Schuster, out now; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 100,000
Publicity plans: National review coverage.
From the creators of The Night Gardener comes a new picture book about a boy who sets sail to find a place his grandfather told him about: the spot where the ocean meets the sky. Ages 4–8.
Chris Ferrie
ABCs of Space (Baby University)
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, out now; $9.99, board book
Publicity plans: Author appearances, including school and library visits and trade shows; big mouth mailings to booksellers and librarians; social media campaign.
ABCs of Space introduces babies (and grownups) to a new scientific concept for every letter of the alphabet—from asteroid, binary star, and comet, all the way to zenith. Ages up to 3.
Coauthor Julia Kregenow will not be attending.
Nancy Richardson Fischer
When Elephants Fly
Harlequin Teen, Sept.; $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 75,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances; outreach to national and local media; major digital outreach.
T. Lillian Decker is a high school senior with a 12-year plan: avoid stress, drugs, alcohol, and boyfriends, and take regular psych quizzes to make sure she’s not developing schizophrenia like her mother. But when a newspaper internship results in Lily witnessing a mother elephant trying to kill her three-week-old calf, Lily can’t abandon the story. With the calf in danger of dying from grief, Lily must decide whether to risk everything on a road trip to save the calf’s life. Ages 13–up.
Laurie Forest
The Iron Flower
(The Black Witch Chronicles, Book 2)
Harlequin Teen, Sept; $19.99, hardcover
First printing: 125,000
Publicity plans: Author tour; outreach to national and local media; major digital outreach.
While the Resistance struggles to fight back against the harsh rulings of the Mage Council, more and more Gardnerian soldiers, led by Lukas Grey, descend upon the University. Though Elloren tries to keep him at arm’s length, Lukas is convinced that she is the next Black Witch. Caught between her growing feelings for the rebellious Yvan Guriel and the seductive power offered by Lukas, Elloren must find a way to stay true to what she knows is right and protect everyone she loves. Ages 13–up.
Stuart Gibbs
Spy School Goes South
Simon & Schuster, Oct.; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 150,000
Publicity plans: Author tour.
In this latest addition to the bestselling Spy School series, Ben is taken to Mexico by his nemesis in the hopes that he’ll finally be able to take down SPYDER. Ages 8–12.
Andy Griffiths
The 91-Story Treehouse
Feiwel and Friends, July; $13.99,
hardcover
First printing: 150,000
Publicity plans: Prepub advertising; social media and email marketing campaigns; dedicated series website; promotion at school and library conferences; outreach to educators and librarians.
Andy and Terry live in a 91-story treehouse. (It used to be a 78-story treehouse, but they keep getting ideas for new stories.) Good thing there are so many fun things to do in the treehouse, because Andy and Terry get stuck babysitting Mr. Big Nose’s three grandchildren. How much trouble could they possibly get into? Ages 6–10.
Gene Ha
Mae
Roar, July; $14.99, trade paperback
Publicity plans: National publicity campaign for pop culture and parenting publications; library appearances.
Mae’s beloved older sister, Abbie, has been missing for years. But no one could have imagined the truth—that she’d disappeared into a world of epic fantasy. That is, until she returns. Ages 12–up.
Rebecca Hanover
The Similars
Sourcebooks Fire, Jan. 2019; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 75,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances, including book festivals; advertising; prepub buzz campaign; cover reveal; big mouth bookseller and librarian mailings; trade show appearances and giveaways; extensive social media campaign.
Dark secrets abound in the start of a genre-bending duology from Emmy Award-winning writer Hanover. When six clones join Emmaline’s prestigious boarding school, she must confront the heartbreak of seeing her dead best friend’s face each day in class. Ages 14–up.
Sarah Henning
Sea Witch
Harper/Katherine Tegen, July; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 35,000
Publicity plans: Not available at press time.
The Sea Witch is the origin story of the villainess from Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved tale “The Little Mermaid.” This edgy, romantic debut features a misunderstood girl who betrays her best friend, loses her true love, and becomes a monster. Ages 13–up.
Monica Hesse
The War Outside
Little, Brown, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 75,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances; advertising; prepub buzz campaign; school and library conference promotions.
Edgar Award winner Hesse sheds light on hidden history in this novel set in 1944. World War II seems far away to American teenagers Haruko and Margot, until they’re uprooted to a family internment camp because their parents are from Japan and Germany. When the pair meet at the camp’s school, they assume they’ll be leaving soon. As time drags on, everything around them starts to fall apart. How can Margot and Haruko know who to trust? Ages 12–up.
Jennifer Richard Jacobson
The Dollar Kids
Candlewick, Aug.; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author appearances, including Nerdcamp; extensive ARC distribution; advertising targeted at educators and librarians; materials distribution at conferences; discussion guide.
When a family buys a house in a struggling town for just one dollar, they’re hoping to start over—but have they traded one set of problems for another? Ages 10–14.
Illustrator Ryan Andrews will not be attending.
Julie Kagawa
Shadow of the Fox
Harlequin Teen, Oct.; $19.99, hardcover
First printing: 100,000
Publicity plans: 10-city book tour; outreach to national media and local newspapers; major digital outreach.
The latest from the bestselling author of the Iron Fey series is based on the Japanese mythology that Kagawa grew up with. Shadow of the Fox is set in a beautiful and perilous land of shape-shifters and samurai, kami and legends, humans and demons. Ages 14–up.
Elliott Kalan
Horse Meets Dog
HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, Oct.; $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 50,000
Publicity plans: Not available at press time.
TV comedy writer Kalan presents a case of mistaken species identity in this tale where Dog thinks Horse is just an oversized dog with funny paws. And Dog? Just a tiny baby horse with a weird tail. That’s what Horse thinks, anyway.
Illustrator Tim Miller will not be attending.
Kody Keplinger
That’s Not What Happened
Scholastic Press, Aug.; $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 35,000
Publicity plans: “I read YA” group author tour; extensive advertising to consumers and educators; feature at teen festivals; social media assets, including digital chapter sampler and audio clip; extensive social media campaign via @ireadya community
From bestselling author Keplinger comes an exploration of the aftermath of a high school shooting tragedy, which shows the power of narrative and how we remember what we’ve lost. Ages 12–18.
Jacob Kramer and illustrator K-Fai Steele
Noodlephant
Enchanted Lion, Jan. 2019; $18.95,
hardcover
First printing: 15,000
Publicity plans: West Coast tour with a book launch at ALA Midwinter in Seattle; East Coast book launches; 10% of all author, illustrator, and publisher proceeds will go to a nonprofit organization fighting for prisoner rights.
Determined to do something to push back against an unjust law, Noodlephant and her friends invent a machine that transforms pens into penne, pillows into ravioli, and radiators into radiatori. With that, the pasta parties are back! Ages 4–8.
Liz and Lucy Lareau
It’s Not Rocket Science (Geeky Fab 5, Vol. 1)
Papercutz, July; $12.99, hardcover
First printing: 30,000
Publicity plans: Local media and convention appearances; digital ad campaign.
Who says girls can’t do science and tech? The Geeky Fab 5 series, by Liz Lareau and her middle grade–age daughter, proves otherwise with a diverse cast of characters. The story’s based on Lucy’s experiences in elementary school. Ages 7–11.
Daniel Lieske
The Journey Begins
(Wormwood Saga, Vol. 1)
CubHouse, out now; $9.99, trade paper
Publicity plans: Announced via the Hollywood Reporter; offered as part of 2018 Free Comic Book Day.
This fantasy epic follows Jonas, a boy from the human world, who stumbles into an alternate universe through a painting in his grandmother’s attic. When the portal closes behind him, Jonas must find another way home. Ages 9–12.
Laura Lippman
Liza Jane & the Dragon
Black Sheep, Oct.; $16.95, hardcover
First printing: 15,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances; targeted outreach to Baltimore/D.C. area; exclusive sneak peaks of the artwork offered to print and online publications; aggressive social media campaign; outreach to schools and libraries; Lexile leveling and guided reading leveling; featured in the Akashic Digits program for e-book promotion; giveaways on LibraryThing and through Advance Access.
Liza Jane believed she could find better parents. So she fired her mom and dad and hired the first applicant who came to the door—a dragon. What could possibly go wrong? Ages 1–8.
Illustrator Kate Samworth will not be attending.
Rafael López
We’ve Got the Whole World in Our Hands
Scholastic Press, Oct.; $17.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author appearances; free audio (text) download in English and Spanish; dedicated web page; social media campaign; educator advertising; poster.
Illustrator Rafael López brings new life to the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” with this adaptation. The rhythmic verse and repetitive emphasis on “we” and “our” encourages inclusiveness and celebrates unity and diverse friendships all around the world. Ages 3–5.
Corinna Luyken
Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse
Putnam, Aug.; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 50,000
Publicity plans: National media campaign; select events.
Adrian Simcox tells anyone who will listen that he has a horse—the best and most beautiful horse anywhere. But Chloe does not believe him. Adrian Simcox lives in a tiny house and has holes in his shoes. The more Adrian talks about his horse, the angrier Chloe gets. But when she calls him out at school and complains about him to her mom, Chloe doesn’t get the vindication she craves. Ages 3–5.
Coauthor Marcy Campbell will not be attending.
Tahereh Mafi
A Very Large Expanse of Sea
HarperTeen, Oct.; $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 200,000
Publicity plans: Not available at press time.
From the bestselling author of the Shatter Me series comes this contemporary #ownvoices novel about a hijab-wearing Muslim teenager in a post-9/11 world who deals with Islamophobia while simultaneously falling in love for the first time. Ages 13–up.
Mélina Mangal
The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just
Millbrook, Nov.; $19.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Advertising; prepub buzz; web promotions and reviews through Goodreads, NetGalley, and social media; school and library trade show promotions; free downloads available at lernerbooks.com.
This picture book presents the life and accomplishments of a long overlooked African-American scientific pioneer, whose observations of sea creatures revealed new insights about the origins of life. Ages 6–10.
Illustrator Luisa Uribe will not be attending.
Lizzy Mason
The Art of Losing
Soho Teen, Jan. 2019; $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 75,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances; cover reveal; digital marketing and advertising campaigns; giveaways; website advertising.
The Art of Losing is a coming-of-age debut, which offers an exploration of addiction, sisterhood, and loss. Ages 14–up.
Shannon Messenger
Flashback (Keeper of the Lost Cities, Book 7)
Aladdin, Nov.; $19.99, hardcover
First printing: 150,000
Publicity plans: Author tour; national advertising; digital marketing; education/library promotions.
In the seventh book in the bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must let the past and present blur together, because the deadliest secrets are always the ones that get erased. Ages 8–12.
Charlotte Milner
The Bee Book
DK, out now; $15.99, hardcover
First printing: 25,000
Publicity plans: Author interviews; blogger outreach; social media support; seed packets and promotional posters for bookstore and school events.
This book introduces children to honeybees and explains why they matter, why they’re declining, and what we can do. Ages up to 9.
David Barclay Moore
The Stars Beneath Our Feet
Knopf, out now; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Prepub buzz tour; author tour; appearances at multiple festivals.
In this debut novel, which celebrates the healing power of art, a boy tries to steer a safe path through the projects in Harlem in the wake of his brother’s death. A NYT Notable Children’s Book 2017 and a PW Best Book of 2017. Ages 10–up.
Yuyi Morales
Dreamers
Holiday House/Porter, Sept.; $18.99,
hardcover
First printing: 75,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances, including conferences, trade shows, and festivals; special pitch and galley mailing to reviewers and influencers.
This picture book is both a memoir of the author’s own journey from Mexico to the United States and an illustrated manifesto showing that immigrants have so much to offer to their new country. Simultaneously published in Spanish as Soñadores. Ages 4–8.
Naomi M. Moyer
Black Women Who Dared
Second Story, Sept.; $18.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author book launch; print and digital advertising; social media campaign.
Artist Moyer presents the inspirational stories of 10 black women and women’s groups from U.S. and Canadian history. Among them are antislavery activists, business women, health-care activists, civic organizers, and educators. Ages 9–13.
Natasha Ngan
Girls of Paper and Fire
LB/Patterson, Nov.; $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 150,000
Publicity plans: Cover reveal; national media coverage.
Lei is of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. Even so, rumors of her golden eyes have piqued the king’s interest, and she is taken to his palace. Although she dreams of escape, Lei falls in love. Her forbidden romance threatens the king’s reign and forces Lei to decide just how far she’s willing to go for her freedom. Ages 15–up.
Rachel Noble and Zoey Abbott
Finn’s Feather
Enchanted Lion, June; $17.95, hardcover
First printing: 15,000
Publicity plans: Regional bookstore tour, from New Orleans to Athens, Ga., at publication; Pacific Northwest tour in Oct.; rollout in Australia, where Noble lives.
Finn knows his brother is gone. But he also knows that Hamish sent the beautiful white feather on his doorstep. Ages 4–8.
Daniel José Older
Dactyl Hill Squad
Scholastic/Levine; Sept.; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author tour; extensive consumer and educator advertising; interactive online game; dedicated website; digital chapter sampler and audio clip available.
It’s 1863. Dinosaurs roam the streets of New York City as the Civil War rages between raptor-mounted armies down South. Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are on a field trip when the Draft Riots break out and a number of orphans are kidnapped. Magdalys and her friends flee to Brooklyn and settle in the Dactyl Hill neighborhood, where black and brown New Yorkers have set up a safe haven from the threats of Manhattan. They train to fly on dactylback and plot to rescue their friends. Ages 8–12.
Cherie Priest
The Agony House
Scholastic/Levine, Sept., $18.99, hardcover
First printing: 20,000
Publicity plans: Social media assets; digital chapter sampler; social media campaign via @ireadya community; educator advertising.
A haunted house, a killer ghost, and a long-lost comic come to life in this package of novel and comics from the author of I Am Princess X. Ages 12–up.
Illustrator Tara O’Connor will not be attending.
Betty Quan
Grandmother’s Visit
Groundwood, Sept.; $17.95, hardcover
First printing: 4,000 copies
Publicity plans: Select advertising; advance copy mailing.
Grace says goodbye to Grandmother in this book about love and loss. Ages 4–7.
Illustrator Carmen Mok will not be attending.
KaeLyn Rich
Girls Resist! A Guide to Activism,
Leadership, and Starting a Revolution
Quirk, Aug.; $14.99, trade paper
First printing: 50,000
Publicity plans: Big mouth mailing to teen activists, celebrities, LGBTQ community organizations, and political groups; downloadable action plan with a discussion guide for using the book with teens; sticker and chaplet giveaways; short videos featuring the author; Facebook Live or Instagram Live conversation between Rich and Sam Maggs; authorless event kit.
Rich offers an activism handbook for teen girls ready to fight for change, social justice, and equality. Ages 14–up.
Dan Richards
Stu Truly
Yellow Jacket, July; $16.99, hardcover
First printing: 30,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances.
In this coming-of-age story, 12-year-old Stu struggles to navigate the murky waters of adolescence. To impress the new girl in school, he finds himself living a lie, which seems to be growing beyond his control. Ages 8–12.
Bill Richardson
The Bunny Band
Groundwood, Aug.; $16.95, hardcover
First printing: 6,000 copies
Publicity plans: Advertising; advance copy mailing.
A rhyming tale about a badger and a band of bunnies. Ages 4–7.
Illustrator Roxanna Bikadoroff will not be attending.
Tony Sandoval
Watersnakes
Magnetic Collection, Nov.; $19.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Review attention.
Mila is a solitary teenager ready to put another boring summer vacation behind her until she meets Agnes, an adventurous girl who turns out to be a ghost. She’s not just a regular ghost. Agnes carries the essence of an ancient fallen king and a mouth full of teeth that used to be his guardian warriors. Ages 8–12.
Jennifer Sattler
Bully
Sleeping Bear Press, July; $16.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author appearances, including conferences; Skype visits; blog tours; national advertising; social media outreach.
Bully the bullfrog lives in a pond full of lilies. The pond is a very pleasant place to live until Bully decides that only he should be able to enjoy the lilies. He demands that the other inhabitants of the pond leave. Using humor and whimsy, author-illustrator Jennifer Sattler shows young readers that standing up together can make all the difference. Ages 5–7.
Kevin Charles Smith
Demon Pirate (Bilge Rat—Pirate Adventurer, Book Three)
Journey, Sept.; $14.95, trade paper
First printing: 7,500
Publicity plans: $30,000 budget; release on International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
The Black Tarantula emerges as a pirate scourge, extending his reign of terror across the West Indies. Only one brave hero is capable of thwarting him. To do so, he will have to employ every trick in his arsenal. But will that be enough? Ages 13–up.
Ruth Spiro
Baby Loves Coding
Charlesbridge, out now; $8.99, board book
First printing: 50,000
Publicity plans: Author events, including Nerdcamp, Illinois Reads, book festivals, and Chicago-area appearances; advertising.
As baby practices the screen-free concepts of sequencing, cause and effect, and thinking step-by-step, she’s learning to solve problems, just like a coder. Ages up to 3.
Hamish Steele
DeadEndia: The Watcher’s Test (DeadEndia, Book 1)
Nobrow, Aug.; $14.95, trade paper
First printing: 25,000
Publicity plans: Promotion vianobrow.net and social media; extensive ARC distribution; poster celebrating Pride Month and Trans Awareness Week; print and online advertising campaign; Lexile leveling and Common Core strands and guided reading levels provided; teaching guides.
Barney and Norma are just trying to get by and keep their jobs, but working at the Dead End theme park also means battling demonic forces, vengeful ghosts, time-traveling wizards, and—scariest of all—their love lives. Follow the lives of the young adult employees of a haunted house theme park, which may or may not also serve as a portal to hell, in this graphic novel from the author of Pantheon. Ages 12–up.
David Ezra Stein
Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise
Candlewick, Sept.; $16.99, hardcover
First printing: 40,000 copies
Publicity plans: Major festival and conference appearances, including the National Book Festival; consumer, school, and library advertising; targeted outreach to educators and librarians; a poster, activity kit, and sticker sheets; online and social media outreach.
The little red chicken is back—and as silly as ever—in Stein’s follow-up to the Caldecott Honor–winning Interrupting Chicken. Ages 4–8.
Brenna Thummler
Sheets
CubHouse, Aug.; $12.99, trade paper
Publicity plans: National campaign in pop culture and parenting publications; featured as part of ICv2’s Kids Graphic Novel Week; review campaign to YA vloggers/YouTube reviewers.
Marjorie Glatt feels like a ghost. A practical 13-year-old in charge of the family laundry business, her daily routine features unforgiving customers, unbearable PE classes, and the fastidious Mr. Saubertuck, who is committed to destroying everything she’s worked for. But then her world collides with a ghost, Wendell, who lost his life much too young. Ages 8–12.
Katie and Kevin Tsang
Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Ghosts
Sterling, Oct.; $12.95, hardcover
Publicity plans: Author tour; advertising; print and online publicity campaign; targeted mailing to librarians and booksellers; heavy promotion on all author social media channels; classroom discussion guide with activities; author Skype sessions for classroom and bookstore events.
After an unfortunate incident in the Space Museum, Sam goes on a mission to prove to the school bully and all his friends that he’s not afraid of anything—just like the heroes on his favorite show, Space Blasters. And when it looks like his house is haunted, Sam gets the chance to prove how brave he can be. Ages 7–12.
Illustrator Nathan Reed will not be attending.
Greg van Eekhout
Voyage of the Dogs
HarperCollins, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 50,000
Lopside is a Barkonaut—a specially trained dog who assists human astronauts on missions in space. He, Champion, Bug, and Daisy are the canine crew aboard the spaceship Laika. When the mission takes a disastrous turn, the dogs find themselves alone on their severely damaged ship. Survival seems impossible. But Barkonauts always complete their mission. Ages 8–12.
Laura E. Weymouth
The Light Between Worlds
HarperTeen, Oct.; $17.99, hardcover
First printing: 40,000
Publicity plans: Not available at press time.
This YA fantasy debut asks the question: What happens after you return to the real world after being in a fantastical one like Narnia? Ages 13–up.
Kiersten White
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
Delacorte, Sept.; $18.99, hardcover
Publicity plans: Five-city author tour; cover revealed via video on getunderlined.com; Random House’s teen community.
Bestselling author White reimagines Mary Shelley’s classic as told from the point of view of Elizabeth, Victor Frankenstein’s adopted sister. The book’s publication is timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the original novel. Age 12–up.
Leslie C. Youngblood
Love Like Sky
Disney-Hyperion, Nov.; $16.99, hardcover
First printing: 25,000
Publicity plans: Author appearances; IndieBound white box mailing; online advertising; spotlight on disneybooks.com; promotion on Hyperion Teens social and cross-promotion on author’s social media; outreach to middle grade reviewers and trade media; online media outreach; blog tour.
In this middle grade debut, 11-year-old G-baby must bring her “blended up” family together when her little sister, Peaches, faces a serious illness. Ages 8–12.
