Hitting bookshelves next week are a “colorful” picture book, a rocky YA romance, a high-concept YA debut, a reimagining of Alexander the Great’s adolescence, a middle-grade novel about three animals attempting to follow their dreams, a collection of “Wonder”-ous stories, a mythological compendium, a picture book that’s on the go, a star-studded YA horror collection, and the kick-off to a new illustrated series.
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt, illus. by Oliver Jeffers. Philomel, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-399-17275-5. The author-illustrator team pair up for a follow-up to last year’s success; this time, the crayons send back postcards from their cross-country adventures.
Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Dial, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-4142-3. Fitzpatrick’s latest YA, companion to 2012’s My Life Next Door follows a teen trying to keep her family together, who starts to fall for a family friend who has hit his own troubles.
The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle. Penguin/Dawson, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-42948-7. Irish novelist Fowley-Doyle’s YA debut centers around a family who become dangerously accident prone every October.
Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman. Harlequin Teen, $19.99 ISBN 978-0-373-21172-2. Herman turns her historical interest (she’s the author of Sex With Kings and Sex With the Queen) to Alexander the Great, for a magical-realist infused YA reimagining of the conqueror’s teen years.
Firefly Hollow by Alison McGhee, illus. by Christopher Denise. S&S/Atheneum, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4424-2336-7. Prolific author McGhee spins a middle-grade novel based on three animal friends trying to find their place, inspired by the accompanying illustrations by Denise.
Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories by R.J. Palacio. Knopf, $16.99 ISBN 978-1-101-93485-2. Palacio follows up her bestseller Wonder with three short stories related to the novel, originally released digitally, now compiled into a single volume.
Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan, illus. by John Rocco. Disney-Hyperion, $24.99 ISBN 978-1-4231-8365-5. A companion to Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods, Percy narrates a heavily illustrated guide to the famed demigods, written in his irreverent style.
Little Blue Truck’s Beep Along Book by Alice Schertle, illus. by Jill McElmurry. HMH, $12.99 ISBN 978-0-544-56812-9. This board board features a new take on the song “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” starring Little Blue Truck, as well as an interactive sound-making element.
Slasher Girls & Monster Boys edited by April Genevieve Tucholke. Dial, $17.99 ISBN 978-0-8037-4173-7. YA novelist Tucholke edits an anthology of horror short stories dedicated to “everyone who read Stephen King when they were way too young,” rounding up a wide range of authors that includes Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, and Carrie Ryan.
Hamster Princess Book 1: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon. Dial, $12.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-3983-3. Author-illustrator Vernon closes the book on her popular Dragonbreath series, only to launch a new one featuring a strong hamster character in fractured fairy tales.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of August, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
