Among the new titles hitting bookshelves this week are a picture book about a hungry animal and his disappearing entourage, a middle grade thriller set in Scotland during WWII, and a YA novel in which a cheerleader reclaims her life after trauma.
A Hungry Lion, or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals by Lucy Ruth Cummins. S&S/Atheneum, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-4889-5. An unseen narrator introduces a lion who starts out with 13 animal friends, though as the pages turn, the story must start over and over as his friend group shrinks. Cummins is an S&S art director making her debut as author-artist. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Free Verse by Sarah Dooley. Putnam, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-399-16503-0. Dooley brings to life the hardscrabble existence of residents in the fictional town of Caboose, W. Va., through the eyes of 12-year-old Sasha, as she adjusts to living with her new foster mother. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox. Viking, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-451-47633-3. In this middle grade thriller set in Scotland, the Bateson children grapple with supernatural evil, their fearsome boarding school headmistress, and bombs from the 1940 London Blitz. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston. Dutton, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-101-99458-0. 17-year-old Hermione works to reclaim her life after she is drugged and raped at cheerleading camp. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter. Philomel, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-399-17103-1. Kletter’s first novel portrays a 15-year-old’s life under a domineering and narcissistic mother.
Listen to Our World by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson, illus. by Melissa Sweet. S&S/Wiseman, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4424-5472-9. Sampson and the late Martin offer a nominal introduction to animals and their homes, as well as a simple call to action – listen – alongside Caldecott Honor Sweet’s artwork.
Five Kingdoms: Death Weavers by Brandon Mull. S&S/Aladdin, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4424-9709-2. The fourth book in Mull’s adventure series has protagonist Cole facing a haunted kingdom in which he has difficulty distinguishing the living from the dead.
Once Was a Time by Leila Sales. Chronicle, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4521-4009-4. YA author and children’s book editor Sales offers up her first middle grade novel, about two best friends separated by a time-travel adventure.
Hamster Princess: Of Mice and Magic by Ursula Vernon. Dial, $12.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-3984-0. The second book in Vernon’s comics series for younger readers is a humorous take on the fairy tale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.”
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of March, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
