Hitting bookshelves next week are a new “tail” from a bestselling author, a collection of animal pictures ranging from wild to domestic, a high fantasy YA and contemporary realistic romance, a picture book following a family on an evening journey, the return of an award-winning middle grade heroine, and two fractured fairy tales for middle graders.

Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton. Knopf, $5.99; ISBN 978-0-553-51233-5. Boynton’s latest featuring character Pookie has the piglet deciding which Halloween costume to wear.

Monkey: Not Ready for Kindergarten by Marc Brown. Knopf, $18; ISBN 978-0-553-49658-1. A book about a monkey’s anxieties as school starts, from the renowned author-illustrator earned a starred review from PW.

The Land of Stories: Beyond the Kingdoms by Chris Colfer. Little, Brown, $18; ISBN 978-0-316-40689-5. Volume four of this middle-grade fairy tale mashup finds a team of familiar characters from classic books racing through Oz, Neverland, and Wonderland on an adventure.

If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! by Elise Parsley. Little, Brown, $17; ISBN 978-0-316-37657-0. This cautionary tale about the risks of bringing your alligator to school is written in second-person, calling to mind If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The book is author-illustrator Parsley’s debut.

Beastly Babies by Ellen Jackson, illus. by Brendan Wenzel. S&S/Beach Lane, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4424-0834-0. This rhyming picture book shows wide-eyed babies from various animal families rendered in watercolor.

The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. Holt, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-8050-9744-3. The follow-up to The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate follows the protagonist’s continued interest in the natural world, this time with special attention to animals. The first book won a Newbery Honor, and PW gave the sequel a starred review.

Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally. Sourcebooks Fire, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4022-8482-3. A romance novel featuring a teen musician who falls in love with a celebrity during a summer in Nashville.

The Moon Is Going to Addy’s House by Ida Pearle. Dial, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-4054-9. A picture book following a family returning home after a day in the city, observing the moon with illustrations made of cut paper. PW gave the book a starred review.

The Remnant Chronicles: The Heart of Betrayal by Mary Pearson. Holt, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-8050-9924-9. The high fantasy Remnant Chronicles continue after The Kiss of Deception, in which Lia and Rafe are imprisoned, but their assassin attempts to save their lives by telling her prisoner that she has a special gift.

Ever After High: A Semi-Charming Kind of Life by Suzanne Selfors. Little, Brown, $13.99; ISBN 978-0-316-40136-4. The lastest in the middle-grade School Story series follows Darling Charming, who is bored in damsel-in-distress class, and would much rather be in hero training.

For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of July, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.