Sequels releasing this month include the return of a beloved dog after 50 years, a prequel to Angie Thomas’s bestselling #BlackLivesMatter novel, a return to Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Realm, and more.

Picture Books and Graphic Novels

Best Party Ever! by Stephen Shaskan (Random House, Jan 26 $9.99; ISBN 978-0-593-12334-8).

In the second installment in the Pizza and Taco series, Pizza and Taco don’t know what to do when boredom strikes. The answer? Throw a party!


Harry and the Guinea Pig, based on the character created by Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham, written by Nancy Lambert, illus. by Saba Joshaghani (HarperCollins, Jan. 5 $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-274773-0).

HarperCollins is reviving the Harry the Dirty Dog series after more than 50 years with a new picture book starring the dog who hates baths. Lambert and Joshaghani will also create two new I Can Read titles starring Harry.


Teamwork Wins! by John Cena (Random House, Jan. 5 $4.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-18204-8).

In the fourth book in Cena’s Elbow Grease series, Elbow Grease and his four monster truck brothers love to race—but even the fastest racers have to slow down every once in a while.


Novels

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, Jan. 12 $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-284671-6).

Thomas revisits Garden Heights 17 years before the events of The Hate U Give in this highly anticipated prequel starring Maverick Carter, father of Starr. The son of a former gang legend, Mav must reassess his life when he finds out he’s a father. The book received a starred review from PW. Read our recent q&a with Thomas here.


Delivery to the Lost City by P.G. Bell (Feiwel and Friends, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-250-19007-9)

In the conclusion of the Train to Impossible Places trilogy, when the Impossible Postal Express is charged with returning an overdue library book, Suzy Smith looks forward to a nice, simple delivery. So she’s less than thrilled to discover that not only is the book alive, it’s full of a growing and dangerous magic.


The Ever After by Amanda Hocking (Wednesday Books, Jan. 5 $11.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-250-20430-1).

The Ever After closes The Omte Origins, the final trilogy in Hocking’s long-running Trylle series. Ulla Tulin’s journey to learn who her parents are has brought her to the attention of the Älvolk sect—and a man claiming to be her father. Now she must risk her life against a dark enchantment.


Shadow City by Francesca Flores (Wednesday Books, Jan. 26 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-22048-6).

In this conclusion to The City of Diamond and Steel duology, Aina has fought her way to the top of the criminal ranks by wresting control of an assassin empire owned by her old boss, Kohl. But Alsane Bautix, the old army general, is working to regain power. As Bautix’s attacks increase, Aina and Kohl must work together to stop his plans to take back the Tower of Steel.


Stella Díaz Dreams Big by Angela Dominguez (Roaring Brook, Jan. 12 $16.99; ISBN 978-1-250-76308-2).

Stella has started the fourth grade, in the third book of the Stella Díaz series, and things are going well. She joins the art club, begins taking swimming lessons, and her conservation club is hard at work saving the oceans. The problem: Stella is way too busy for everything on her schedule. Can she achieve her goals without letting anyone down? See our Q&A with Dominguez on her work as an author-illustrator and teacher, and the origins of the series.


The STEM Night Disaster by Kate Biberdorf (Philomel, Jan. 12 $12.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11661-6).

In the third installment of the Kate the Chemist series, Kate’s school is having its first-ever STEM Night and she is determined to win. But as she and her best friend start preparing, they find that Kate’s project keeps getting messed up.


Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert (Flatiron, Jan. 12 $19.99; ISBN 978-0-123-456789-0).

Albert pulls readers deeper into the world established in her YA novels The Hazel Wood and The Night Country with this collection of 12 original fairy tales. Illustrations by Jim Tierney accompany these metafictional stories, which form the backbone of the dark and magical world of the Hinterland, from which main character Alice must save her mother in The Hazel Wood. See our interview with the author on her new book.


Uni Brings Spring by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Lissy Marlin (Random House, Jan. 5 $5.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-17806-5).

In the newest addition to the Uni the Unicorn series, Uni needs to use the power of her horn to bring back the spring after a long winter.


A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer (Bloomsbury, Jan. 26 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-0258-2).

The third installment of the Cursebreaker series finds Emberfall torn between those who follow Rhen and those who are eager to begin a new era under the true heir, Grey. Meanwhile, Lia Mara struggles to rule Syhl Shallow with a gentler hand than her mother. As Grey’s deadline draws nearer, Lia Mara questions whether or not she can remain allied to his cause. See our q&a with Kemmerer on the series.


We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal (FSG, Jan. 19 $19.99; ISBN 978-0-374-31157-5).

The battle on Sharr reaches an end in the sequel to We Hunt the Flame. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: to finally return magic to all of Arawiya. See our q&a with Faizal.


Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore (Dial, Jan. 19 $19.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-4150-8).

Eight years after the publication of her last Graceling Realm novel, having seemingly left the series behind, Cashore returns to her popular fantasy world with Winterkeep, a story set a few years after the events of Bitterblue. See our Q & A with Cashore on her highly anticipated new novel.