The Possible

Tara Altebrando

Bloomsbury, June; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 40,000

Publicity plans: Boldly Bookish group author tour (with Brigid Kemmerer, Emery Lord, and Sarah Tolscer) and social media promotion; blog tour; advertising; cover reveal with USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog.

In this twisty, psychological thriller from the author of The Leaving, a teen searches for answers about her mother’s dark history, telekinesis, and the power of will. Ages 12 and up.

Timeless #1: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic

Armand Baltazar

HarperCollins/Tegen, Oct.; $19.99, hardcover

First printing: 75,000

Publicity: Author appearances.

Author-artist Baltazar presents the first book in the Timeless series, a fantasy adventure that sends Diego through a world where past, present, and future collide following a cosmic event that fractured time and space. When his father is taken by the Aeternum, Diego must rescue him and prevent this evil group from disrupting the fragile peace humanity has forged. Ages 8–12.

A Christmas for Bear

Bonny Becker

Candlewick, Sept.; $16.99, hardcover

Publicity plans: Author appearances; extensive holiday social media and gift guide push.

Bear’s minimalist holiday celebration has an eager Mouse feeling a bit anxious in this story about the unlikely, lovable pair. Ages 5–9.

Illustrator Kady MacDonald Denton will not be appearing.

The Unbreakable Code

Jennifer Bertman

Macmillan/Ottaviano, Apr.; $16.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Author tour; national media campaign.

More literary adventures in the second book in the Book Scavenger series. Ages 9–14.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Dusti Bowling

Sterling, Sept; $14.95, hardcover

First printing: 75,000

Publicity plans: Author tour with a focus on the Southwest; signing at BookExpo; advertising; discussion guides.

Aven loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. When her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven’s life takes an unexpected turn after she bonds with a classmate with his own disability to conquer. Ages 8–12.

Feminist Baby

Loryn Brantz

Disney-Hyperion, Apr.; $12.99, board book

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: New York City appearances; blog tour; cross promotion with author’s social media platforms, including BuzzFeed; nine-copy counter tray.

This board book is about a girl who’s not afraid to do her own thing and wants to make as much noise as possible along the way. Up to age 2.

No Saints in Kansas

Amy Brashear

Soho Teen, Nov.; $18.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000 copies

Publicity plans: Author tour; galleys at BookExpo and ALA.

This reimagining of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood tells the story of the murder of the Clutter family from the perspective of the fictional Carly Fleming, who is both Nancy Clutter’s friend and the daughter of the murderers’ defense attorney. It is set in the small Kansas town where the crime took place, and where the author grew up. Ages 12 and up.

Creepy Pair of Underwear!

Illustrated by Peter Brown

Simon & Schuster, Aug.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 125,000

Publicity plans: Author/illustrator tour; extensive blogger tour; online and social media outreach.

From the team behind Caldecott Honor book Creepy Carrots! comes this story of a brave rabbit and a very weird pair of underwear. Ages 4–8.

Author Aaron Reynolds will not be appearing.

Shadow Weaver

MarcyKate Connolly

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Jan. 2018; $16.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; prepub buzz campaign; social media campaign; advertising.

Twelve-year-old Emmeline’s gift to control and manipulate shadows has kept her isolated from the rest of the world. But when her own shadow commits a terrible crime, Emmeline’s only hope of clearing her name is to give the shadow what it craves: life. Ages 8–14.

Black Belt Bunny

Jacky Davis

Dial, July; $16.99, hardcover

First printing: 25,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; online promotion; social media outreach.

Black Belt Bunny has got the moves: front kicks, sidekicks, backflips, air chops, knee drops. But he soon learns that not even his karate moves (or wearing a disguise) can get him out of salad-making class. Ages 3–5.

Illustrator Jay Fleck will not be appearing.

Giant Pants

Mark Fearing

Candlewick, Oct.; $16.99, hardcover

Publicity plans: Author appearances in the Pacific Northwest; social media outreach and giveaways.

Who hasn’t misplaced something important? Readers large and small will laugh knowingly along with this relatable (and rather giant) case of forgetfulness. Ages 3–7.

Buddy and Earl and the Great Big Baby

Maureen Fergus

Groundwood, out now; $16.95 hardcover

Publicity plans: Festivals; social media coverage.

In the third title in the Buddy and Earl series, Mom’s friend Mrs. Cunningham is coming for a visit, and she’s bringing her baby. Buddy tries to explain the ins and outs of babydom to Earl, but neither of them is prepared for the chaos the baby brings with him. Ages 4–7.

Illustrator Carey Sookocheff will not be appearing.

The Goat

Anne Fleming

Groundwood, out now; $14.95 hardcover

Publicity plans: Festivals; social media coverage.

When Kid accompanies her parents to New York City for a six-month stint of dog-sitting and homeschooling, she sees what looks like a tiny white cloud on the top of their apartment building. Rumor has it there’s a goat living on the roof, but how can that be? As Kid soon discovers, a goat on the roof may be the least strange thing about her new home. Ages 9–12.

Daughter of the Burning City

Amanda Foody

Harlequin Teen, July; $19.99, hardcover

First printing: 60,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; school visits; cover reveal; social-media-influencer mailing.

This new fantasy is set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest dreams and desires. Ages 14 and up.

The Book No One Ever Read

Cornelia Funke

Breathing Books (dist. by Ingram), May; $16.99, hardcover

Publicity plans: Author appearances, including ALA.

The Book No One Ever Read celebrates the life that readers bring to the printed word. Its hero is a young book, Morry, bored with life on the shelf, who yearns for the excitement of sharing its story with a child. Ages 3 and up.

Writing Radar

Jack Gantos

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Aug.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; prepub events.

Newbery Medalist Jack Gantos shares his advice for how to be a brilliant writer in this practical writing guide. Ages 9–12.

Wildman

J.C. Geiger

Disney-Hyperion, June; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances in the Pacific Northwest; prepub tour; Indiebound white box mailing; big mouth and YALSA galley mailing; blogger/vlogger campaign; print advertising as part of YA summer reading campaign; promotion on Hyperion Teen’s platforms; cross promotion with author’s social media.

When Lance Hendricks’s ’93 Buick breaks down in the middle of nowhere, he tells himself, “Don’t panic.” After all, he’s valedictorian of his class. Nothing can stop Lance Hendricks. But the locals don’t know that. One of the townies calls him Wildman, and a new world opens up. Ages 14–18.

Invictus

Ryan Graudin

Little, Brown, Sept; $17.99, hardcover

Publicity plans: Author appearances; prepub author tour; exclusive media reveal; extensive blogger outreach.

In this sci-fi novel, Ryan Graudin has created a fast-paced world that defies time and space. Farway Gaius McCarthy was born outside of time: he’s the son of a time-traveling Recorder from 2354 C.E. and a gladiator living in Rome in 95 C.E. After failing his final time-traveling exam, Far takes a position commanding a ship with a crew of his friends as part of a black market operation to steal valuables from different eras. Ages 15 and up.

Swing It, Sunny

Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm

Graphix, Sept.; $21.99, hardcover; $12.99, paperback (simultaneous release)

First printing: 100,000 paperback

Publicity plans: Author events; advertising; series book trailer; social media assets; digital chapter sampler; feature on dedicated series website; extensive social media campaign.

From the award-winning duo comes the sequel to Sunny Side Up. Summer’s over, and it’s time for Sunny Lewin to enter the strange and unfriendly hallways of middle school. Not only is the whole middle school thing confusing, but life at home is confusing, too. Ages 8–12.

All’s Faire in Middle School

Victoria Jamieson

Dial, Sept; $20.99, hardcover; $12.99, paperback (simultaneous release)

First printing: 100,000

Publicity plans: Author tour, including fall festivals; book trailer; blog tour; advertising; promotion at San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con.

From the author of the Newbery Honor title Roller Girl comes this graphic novel about starting middle school, surviving your embarrassing family, and life at the Renaissance Faire. Ages 9 and up.

All Rights Reserved

Gregory Scott Katsoulis

Harlequin Teen, Aug.; $18.99, hardcover

First printing: 60,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; school visits; cover reveal; social media campaign with special hashtag.

In a world where every word and gesture is copyrighted, patented, or trademarked, one girl elects to remain silent rather than pay to speak. Her defiant and unexpected silence threatens to unravel the very fabric of society. Ages 14 and up.

Letters to the Lost

Brigid Kemmerer

Bloomsbury, Apr.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 40,000

Publicity plans: Boldly Bookish group tour (with Emery Lord, Tara Altebrando, and Sarah Tolcser); appearances at RT Booklovers Convention and ILA; blog tour; advertising; social media campaign, including quote features.

Secret letters spark true love in this romance novel from the author of the Elemental series. Ages 12 and up.

Stitched

Mariah McCourt

Papercutz/Charmz, May; $14.99, hardcover; $9.99, paperback (simultaneous release)

First printing: 40,000 paperback; 10,000 hardcover

Publicity plans: Facebook advertising; Charmz School promotional events; Wattpad takeover, including exclusive content, contest, and scholarship sponsorship; book trailer and exclusive video content on YouTube and Papercutz.

Crimson Volania Mulch has a problem. She just woke up in a crypt and has no idea of who, where, or what she is. Welcome to the Cemetery of Assumptions, a vast landscape of stones, mausoleums, and secrets. Ages 10–14.

Illustrator Aaron Alexovich will not be appearing.

When Dimple Met Rishi

Sandhya Menon

Simon Pulse, May; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 75,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances, including teen book festivals; advertising; extensive blogger tour and online promotion; social media outreach.

This YA romantic comedy about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married is told from alternating perspectives. Ages 12 and up.

Mask of Shadows

Linsey Miller

Sourcebooks Fire, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 55,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; prepub buzz campaign; cover reveal at Entertainment Weekly website; advertising; blogger outreach; major social media campaign.

After stealing a flyer for an audition to become a member of the Left Hand, the queen’s personal assassins, Sallot Leon jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge on the nobles who destroyed their home. This is the first book of a duology with a gender-fluid main character, impressive worldbuilding, and fast-paced action. Ages 14 and up.

Moo Moo in a Tutu

Tim Miller

HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, Apr.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Four-city school tour; prepub bookseller dinners.

In the tradition of George and Martha, Elephant and Piggie, and Frog and Toad come Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers in their debut, Moo Moo in a Tutu, a story about two pals, a cow and a duck. Ages 4–8.

Toucans, Too

Bethanie Deeney Murguia

Little Bee, May; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 20,000

Publicity plans: Northern California author tour; outreach to family/parenting outlets and mom bloggers.

The cockatoos are back, and the toucans are, too, in the follow up to Cockatoo, Too. Wordplay and vibrant illustrations combine in this read-aloud story. Ages 3–6.

The Apprentice Witch

James Nicol

Chicken House, July; $16.99, hardcover

First printing: 20,000

Publicity plans: Prepub tour; extensive advertising; summer camp promotions; book trailer; counter display; social media campaign; Apprentice Witch website.

Arianwyn has flunked her witch’s assessment and is declared an apprentice. Sent to the town of Lull in disgrace, she may never become a real witch, much to the glee of her archrival, Gimma. But the remote Lull is not as boring as it seems. Ages 8–12.

Auma’s Long Run

Eucabeth Odhiambo

Carolrhoda Lab, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover

Publicity plans: Advertising; Goodreads, NetGalley, and social media promotions; major school and library trade show promotions; promotional materials and free downloads available online at lernerbooks.com and carolrhodalab.com.

In 1980s Kenya, 13-year-old Auma must decide whether to pursue a track scholarship that will let her attend high school, or stay home to help her struggling family as AIDS ravages her village. Ages 8–12.

Shadowhouse Fall

Daniel José Older

Scholastic/Levine, Sept.; $18.99, hardcover

First printing: 20,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; featured appearances at teen festivals; social media assets; digital excerpt and audio clip available; extensive social media campaign via #IReadYA.

In the sequel to Shadowshaper, Sierra and her friends love their new lives as shadowshapers, making art and creating change with the spirits of Brooklyn. Then Sierra receives a strange card depicting a white beast called the Hound of Light, an image from the enigmatic Deck of Worlds. Ages 12 and up.

Blobfish Throws a Party

Miranda Paul

Little Bee, May; $16.99, hardcover

First printing: 20,000

Publicity plans: Author tour in Green Bay, Wis., and surrounding area; outreach to family/parenting outlets, mom and food bloggers, and food-industry influencers.

In a game of telephone gone wrong, Blobfish invites everyone to a party, but his invitation gets lost in translation. Ages 4–8.

Illustrator Maggie Caton will not be appearing.

The Great Pasta Escape

Miranda Paul

Little Bee, Aug.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 20,000

Publicity plans: Author tour in Green Bay, Wis., and surrounding area; outreach to family/parenting outlets, mom and food bloggers, and food industry influencers.

Since the beginning of their lives, the pasta at the factory followed the rules. That is, until they discover what it really means to be pasta: they will eventually be eaten by humans. Will they be able to work together to concoct an escape? Ages 4–8.

Illustrator Javier Joaquin will not be appearing.

The Nowhere Girls

Amy Reed

Simon Pulse, Oct.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; advertising; extensive ARC distribution; VIP blogger mailing.

In this story, three misfits come together to avenge the rape of a classmate. In the process, they trigger a change in their high school’s misogynist culture and transform the lives of everyone around them. Ages 14 and up.

The 12 Sleighs of Christmas

Sherri Duskey Rinker

Chronicle, Oct.; $16.95, hardcover

First printing: 100,000

Publicity plans: Author and illustrator appearances.

Santa’s sleigh is in bad shape, but his elves have the solution—12 solutions, in fact—in this spin on The Twelve Days of Christmas. Ages 3–5.

Illustrator Jake Parker will not be appearing.

Lemons

Melissa Savage

Crown, May; $16.99, hardcover

First printing: 35,000

Publicity plans: Three-city author tour; four-city prepub author tour; blog tour; school events; educator dinners.

Melissa Savage makes her middle grade debut with a novel about a girl who needs to rebuild her life with her estranged grandfather, and the quirky neighbor she befriends as they go on a search for Bigfoot. Ages 8–12.

Silent Days, Silent Dreams

Allen Say

Scholastic/Levine, Oct.; $21.99, hardcover

First printing: 25,000

Publicity plans: Extensive educator outreach; advertising.

Caldecott Medalist Say brings his artistic style to the story of artist James Castle (1899–1977). Deaf, mute, autistic, and possibly dyslexic, Castle never learned to speak, write, read, or use sign language. Yet his artwork hangs in major museums throughout the world, and his reputation continues to grow. Ages 8 and up.

Windfall

Jennifer E. Smith

Delacorte, May; $18.99, hardcover

First printing: 100,000

Publicity plans: Eight-city author tour; blog tour.

This romance shows how one chance event can change everything. Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least not the good kind—but when the lottery ticket she buys as a gift for her best friend’s 18th birthday turns out to be a winner, their lives are upended. Ages 12 and up.

Orphan Island

Laurel Snyder

Walden Pond, May; $16.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity: Author appearances.

This novel is set on a mysterious island where each year a boat arrives with one new child—and takes the oldest child away. When the boat arrives for Jinny’s best friend and replaces him with a little girl, Jinny becomes the new Elder. Jinny knows her responsibility is to teach the new girl and to keep things as they’ve always been. But will Jinny be ready for the day when the boat returns and takes her away from the only home she’s known? Ages 8–12.

Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Javaka Steptoe

Little, Brown, out now; $17.99, hardcover

Publicity plans: Author appearances.

This picture book, which won the 2017 Caldecott Medal, offers an illustrated biography of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Steptoe introduce young readers to the powerful message that art doesn’t always have to be neat or clean—and definitely not inside the lines—to be beautiful. Ages 4–8.

Calling My Name

Liara Tamani

Greenwillow, Oct.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances in Texas.

Growing up in a conservative African-American family in Texas, Taja has always known what the expectations are: go to church every Sunday, do well in school, and don’t have sex before marriage. But Taja is becoming aware of her body for the first time and is trying to keep up with her friends as they get their first kisses, first boyfriends, and first everything. And she’s tired of blindly cheering for her perfect younger sister, Naima. Tamani’s debut captures the struggle of discovering where you belong. Ages 14 and up.

Arthur and the Golden Rope: Brownstone’s Mythical Collection

Joe Todd-Stanton

Flying Eye, out now; $18.95, hardcover

Publicity plans: Exclusive online content showcased on social media channels; Lexile leveling and Common Core strands and guided reading levels; teaching guides.

Loosely based on Norse myth, this book combines elements of picture books and graphic novels to tell the story of the earliest Brownstone, an Icelandic boy named Arthur, who must defeat the beast Fenrir to save his village. Ages 5–9.

The Secret of Black Rock

Joe Todd-Stanton

Flying Eye, June; $16.95, hardcover

Publicity plans: Goodreads ARC giveaway.

A modern folktale about an adventurous girl who must protect a peaceful living creature. Erin loves to lie on the jetty and watch the fish swimming below. Out in the deepest waters lies Black Rock: a spiky huge dark mass that is said to destroy any boats that come near it. But are the tales really true? Ages 3–5.

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

Jessica Townsend

Little, Brown, Oct.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 100,000

Publicity plans: Author tour; prepub author appearances.

This series launch by debut author Townsend is about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world, and who is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. Ages 8–12.

The Glass Town Game

Catherynne M. Valente

McElderry, Sept.; $16.99 hardcover

First printing: 100,000

Publicity plans: Author tour; social media outreach.

Charlotte and Emily Brontë must enter a fantasy world that they invented and try to rescue their siblings, in this adventurous novel from the author of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. Ages 8–12.

Select

Marit Weisenberg

Charlesbridge Teen, Oct.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 50,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances, including at BookExpo and BookCon; advertising; social media promotions; digital excerpt on charlesbridgeteen.com; readers group guide.

In order to protect their anonymity and preserve the elite society of highly evolved humans to which they belong, Julia Jaynes’s father forces her to suppress her abilities. When she accidentally demonstrates her superhuman prowess in public, she’s banished to public high school. She then discovers that her father has been hiding dangerous secrets and begins to question her restrictive upbringing. She must decide how she will define herself—and whom she will betray. Ages 14 and up.

Odd & True

Cat Winters

Amulet, Sept.; $17.99, hardcover

First printing: 20,000

Publicity plans: Author appearances; social media campaign.

Two sisters with a dark past face their demons in the latest from historical paranormal author Cat Winters. Ages 12 and up.

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