Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a space pirate series starter, a world-jumping YA novel, a pair of musical picture books, and more.

Stowaway by John David Anderson. Walden Pond, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-298594-1. In this episodic spacefaring adventure, the first in a duology called The Icarus Chronicles, Anderson (One Last Shot) spins a fast-paced tale of piracy among the stars.

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad. S&S/McElderry, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-8496-2. Azad (The Candle and the Flame) follows an intersectionally diverse group of 11 teen girls, who are bound together by various traumas and the ability to travel through worlds in their palms.

My Dog Has Fleas: A Ukulele Misadventure by Bob Barner. Holiday House, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-4642-1. Inspired by the ukulele tuning melody “My Dog Has Fleas” that’s included in the front matter, this humorous picture book features a curly-haired ukulele player and a spotted, floppy-eared white dog.

A Song of Frutas by Margarita Engle, illus. by Sara Palacios. Atheneum, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-4489-8. This picture book about a Cuban girl in the U.S. separated from her singing grandfather back home mixes Spanish and English while giving rise to conversations about community and separation. The book earned a starred review from PW.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould. Wednesday Books, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-76201-6. Gould’s supernaturally spooky debut is filled with all manner of creepy inventiveness, and follows the daughter of two paranormal TV hosts in a small town rife with homophobia.

Sparrow Rising by Jessica Khoury. Scholastic Press, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-338-65239-0. With a resourceful, indomitable middle grade heroine, this high-flying Skyborn series opener by Khoury (The Mystwick School of Musicraft) offers a wealth of adrenaline-charged, cinematic aerial scenes.

Dangerous Play by Emma Kress. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-75048-8. In this YA novel, debut author Kress nimbly alternates between heart-pounding field hockey scenes and social commentary, acknowledging, unlike many books about rape culture, that classism and racism intersect with and compound misogyny.

Monday—Into the Cave of Thieves by Ralph Lazar and Lisa Swerling. Scholastic, $6.99; ISBN 978-1-338-77037-7. Rough, doodle-like b&w line drawings are paired with a typeface of varying size, conveying the feel of a child’s notebook. With enough detailed world-building to fill an almanac, Lazar and Swerling (Happiness Is...) concoct a high-octane caper in this early graphic novel that launches the Total Mayhem series.

Best Buddies by Lynn Plourde, illus. by Arthur Lin. Capstone, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-68446-143-1. Former speech therapist Plourde, who worked with students with Down syndrome, pens this picture book centering the best friendship between an unnamed boy who, the back cover notes, has Down syndrome, and his basset hound, exploring what happens when the duo must adjust to the child attending school for the first time.

Hide and Don't Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories by Anica Mrose Rissi, illus. by Carolina Godina. Quill Tree, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-302695-7. In this middle grade collection of 20 brief offerings that nod affectionately to scary-story tropes, Rissi (Nobody Knows but You) puts an enjoyably spooky spin on mundane and traditionally pleasurable childhood experiences, while occasional art by Godina maintains the eerie atmosphere.

Erik vs. Everything by Christina Uss. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-358-12671-3. Much to the consternation of his boisterous Connecticut family, which adheres to a collection of Viking family advice known as “the Lore,” nine-year-old Erik Sheepflattener’s motto is “AVOID STUFF. Or maybe just the word NO.” The middle grade novel earned a starred review from PW.

This Book Is Feminist: An Intersectional Primer for Next-Gen Changemakers by Jamia Wilson, illus. by Aurelia Durand. Frances Lincoln, $14.99; ISBN 978-0-7112-5641-5. Billed as an “intersectional primer for next-gen changemakers,” this approachable YA nonfiction volume is packed with valuable information to enrich readers’ understanding of the topic, subvert stereotypes, and “acknowledge that identities, experiences, histories, and resources impact our focus and the vantage point that guides our ideas and actions.” The book earned a starred review from PW.

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