This season’s holiday hauls include a picture book following a fowl’s pursuit of love, a middle grade historical fiction novel set in the final months of WWII, a YA fantasy romance between a vampire and vampire hunter, and more.
Picture Books and Early Readers
Bert the Bowerbird: The Small Bird with a Big Heart
Julia Donaldson, illus. by Catherine Rayner. Boxer, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-9158-0184-5. Ages 3–6. Bowerbird Bert has carefully constructed a “lovely arching twiggy tower” in hopes of attracting a mate, at the start of this quirky picture book from the author of The Gruffalo. It’s a classic lesson on the rewards of seeking someone who loves one for who one is. The book received a starred review from PW.
Love Is Here with You: A Lullaby of Blessings
Jyoti Rajan Gopal, illus. by Nabi H. Ali. Candlewick, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-5362-2827-4. Ages 3–5. As dusk falls at the start of this bedtime picture book, a family of Indian heritage surrounds a wide-eyed infant and calls upon major deities of the Hindu pantheon to bless the child. The book received a starred review from PW.
Millie Magnus Won’t Be Bullied
Brittany Mazique, illus. by Ebony Glenn. Putnam, $16.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-593-61877-6; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-61878-3. Ages 5–8. Vivacious third grader Millie must work with her mother’s assistant and her school bully in this series kickoff.
Icinori, trans. from the French by Emilie Robert Wong. Enchanted Lion, $29.95 (176p) ISBN 978-1-59270-423-1. Ages 4–8. A silhouetted protagonist wakes, and travels far and wide to show appreciation. The book received a starred review from PW.
Work: Interviews with People Doing Jobs They Love
Shaina Feinberg, illus. by Julia Rothman. Candlewick, $18.99 (64p) ISBN 978-1-5362-3266-0. Ages 6–9. This global and heartfelt survey communicates that every job has its particular—and peculiar—demands and rewards. The book received a starred review from PW.
Middle Grade
Terry LaBan. Holiday House, $22.99 (208p) ISBN 978-0-8234-5356-6; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-0-8234-5680-2. Ages 8–12. When murderous Cossacks invade Lintvint, Mendel becomes the last line of defense. But can a “mess-up” like Mendel save the day? See our q&a with LaBan. The book received a starred review from PW.
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-33901-246-9. Ages 8–12. Talented artist and aspiring scientist Sofiya begins learning about the history of her beloved sea mammals and how they once served as “military marine systems”—i.e., spies—under the Soviet regime. The book received a starred review from PW.
Steve Watkins. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-5461-0998-3. Ages 8–12. Tween Asta, her younger sister Pieta, and their mother flee their East Prussian home of Konigsberg in the final months of WWII, before Konigsberg is raided by Soviet forces. The book received a starred review from PW.
Young Adult
Angela Montoya. Joy Revolution, $19.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-59364-337-2. Ages 12 and up. Vampiro hunter Carolina Fuentes and recently turned vampire Lalo Villalobos embark on a journey to find and strike at the origins of vampirism, all while fighting their deep—and potentially fatal—attraction.
Alison Stine. Wednesday, $20 (320p) ISBN 978-1-250-87873-1. Ages 13 and up. After a move to Colorado leaves her cut off from her friends and stuck with her family who refuses to learn ASL, hard-of-hearing Thea meets and falls for Ray, another deaf teen. But when natural disasters threaten her family’s farm, and with her parents refusing help, Thea worries for their survival.
Gloria Chao. Viking, $12.99 paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-59369-271-4. Ages 12 and up. Taiwanese American 18-year-old Gemma and her and charismatic Taiwanese American ex-boyfriend Xander travel to Taiwan after finding a secret message from her recently deceased grandfather.
Courtney Gould. Wednesday, $20 (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-34067-2. Ages 13 and up. Devin and fellow teens are sent to a wilderness therapy, but when they find themselves stalked by strange creatures, the group must rely on one another if they want to make it out of the woods alive. The book received a starred review from PW.
