After summer vacation, it’s time to fall for some new books out this month. Young readers can learn about the life of a literary icon; follow a girl as she overcomes her insensitive peers in time for a cheerleading audition; experience a magical trial with children of gods, and more in this month’s notable releases.
Picture Books
Nadine Robert, trans. from the French by Nick Frost and Catherine Ostiguy, illus. by Qin Leng. Milky Way, $19.99 (64p) ISBN 978-1-990252-14-3. Ages 5–9. Clover learns to navigate making her own decisions by tuning into her inner voice as she journeys through the woods. The book received a starred review from PW.
Sophie Blackall. Little, Brown, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-316-52894-8. Ages 4–8. Two-time Caldecott Medalist Blackall relays the history of a white clapboard farmhouse that housed a family of 12. See our q&a with Blackall about her process and the real-life house that inspired the story. The book received a starred review from PW.
Guojing. Random House Studio, $18.99 (144p) ISBN 978-0-593-12731-5. Ages 5–8. A grandfather regales his grandson with the story of a child who becomes a baby flamingo’s caretaker. The book received a starred review from PW.
Logan S. Kline. Candlewick, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5362-1302-7. Ages 4–8. A child in the prehistoric era sets off to find a new source of fire after a rainstorm douses a local cave hearth. The book received a starred review from PW.
Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi, illus. by Loveis Wise. HarperCollins, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-309831-2. Ages 4–8. Adapting a short work by Zora Neale Hurston, Kendi and Wise tell the story of Magnolia Flower, who flees from home when her parents don’t approve of her relationship with a young man. See our In Conversation with Kendi and Wise. The book received a starred review from PW.
Renée Watson, illus. by Bryan Collier. HarperCollins, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-06-287158-9. Ages 4–8. This picture book biography recounts the life of author and activist Maya Angelou (1928–2014), beginning with her St. Louis birth as Marguerite Annie Johnson and ending with her reading at Bill Clinton’s 1993 presidential inauguration. The book received a starred review from PW.
Sergio Ruzzier. Abrams Appleseed, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4197-5524-8. Ages 3–6. When asked questions alluding to his species, Custard the squirrel creates a boundary around his response, embracing nonconformity. The book received a starred review from PW.
Sophie Gilmore. Greenwillow, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-302519-6. Ages 4–8. After Badger is separated from her friend Bear by the sea between them, she considers making a dangerous deal with the sea in order to reconnect with Bear. The book received a starred review from PW.
Daniel Bernstrom, illus. by Jenin Mohammed. HarperCollins, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-301112-0. Ages 4–8. A blind child named Emmalene navigates her home with her grandmother and experiences the city through its musical sounds.
Laurie Keller. Little, Brown/Ottaviano, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-316-31196-0. Ages 4–8. The resident in 2C struggles to define their neighbor’s concept of time when they ask 2C for an unconventional request.
Carmen Agra Deedy, illus. by Brian Lies. Peachtree/Quinlin, $18.99 (36p) ISBN 978-1-6826-3321-2. Ages 4–8. When a fire compromises the safety of Wombat’s neighbors, he opens his doors to his animal friends to create a welcoming space.
Middle Grade
Carlie Sorosiak. Walker US, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-5362-2884-7. Ages 8–12. When genius rodent Clementine gains the opportunity to escape her lab and find a real home, she plays a risky game of chess to help free her former lab-mates. The book received a starred review from PW.
Attack of the Black Rectangles
Amy Sarig King. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (272p) ISBN 978-1-338-68052-2. Ages 9–12. After middle schooler Mac Delaney discovers that blocks of text have been censored in a school assignment, he and his friends campaign against their school for the right to read.
Sofiya Pasternack. Versify, $16.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-358-57203-9. Ages 8–12. Desperate to help save her dying brother, 12-year-old Ziva packs the siblings up and hits the road in hopes of finding a cure, and face down a dangerous enemy on their journey. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kwame Alexander. Little, Brown, $17.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-316-44186-5. Ages 10 and up. In this historical novel in verse, a death during an annual festival upends the life of 11-year-old Kofi and sets him on a journey that could change everything. See our q&a with Alexander about his new series, rooted in Ghana’s Asante Kingdom in 1860. The book received a starred review from PW.
Irma Kniivila and Tri Vuong. Image, $12.99 (192p) ISBN 978-1-5343-2130-4. Ages 9–12. Machine Boy struggles to navigate high school life and the death of his creator in this futuristic graphic novel. The book received a starred review from PW.
Michael Mann. Peachtree, $17.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-68263-518-6. Ages 8–12. Kidnapped and forced to shovel coal to power the city of London under the rule of evil magnate Tabatha, 12-year-old Luke finds a way to escape when a water spirit reveals his own powers and together they discover Tabatha’s hidden intentions. The book received a starred review from PW.
David Barclay Moore. Knopf, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-5247-0128-4. Ages 8–12. Shy Brooklynite Javari attends STEM camp in the Appalachian mountains and navigates life at the ethnically diverse camp while competing for a cash prize. The book received a starred review from PW.
Katherine Applegate, illus. by Charles Santoso. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $16.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-250-14742-4. Ages 8–12. After being raised by scientists, Odder is released back into the ocean and finds her way back to her family. The book received a starred review from PW.
Courtne Comrie. HarperCollins, $16.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-315973-0. Ages 8–12. Middle schooler Rain grapples with her mental health. After her brother is hurt in a racist incident at school, she navigates finding a path towards healing. The book received a starred review from PW.
Margaret Peterson Haddix. HarperCollins/Tegen, $17.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-06-283852-0. Ages 8–12. The discovery of a shoebox full of letters written in the 1970s brings 12-year-olds Colin and Nevaeh together as they resolve to track down the letters’ authors. The book received a starred review from PW.
Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Vampire Hunting
Roseanne A. Brown. Disney/Riordan, $17.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-368-06636-5. Ages 10–14. Vampire hunter in training Serwa Boateng must rally a ragtag team of normal middle schoolers when she suspects there’s a vampire on school grounds. See our q&a with Brown about her new series. The book received a starred review from PW.
Colin Meloy. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-301551-7. Ages 8–12. When a real estate development begins to cause strange occurrences in town, Oliver and his friends investigate their town’s history to reveal the true nature of the mounting threat. See our q&a with The Decemberists frontman and author Meloy.
Christina Soontornvat, illus. by Joanna Cacao. Graphix, (272p) $12.99 ISBN 978-1-338-74126-1. Ages 8–12. Christina grapples with racism from her potential teammates as she trains in preparation for cheerleading tryouts, in this graphic novel memoir. See our profile on Soontornvat. The book received a starred review from PW.
Tom Angleberger. Walker US, $12.99 (208p) ISBN 978-1-5362-2321-7. Ages 7–10. The dual-headed chicken makes a journey across the multiverse, avoiding being caught by enemies as they attempt to reach home.
Kalynn Bayron. Bloomsbury, $16.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-5476-0977-2. Ages 8–11. Post-Reaping, San Francisco should be void of all vampires, but when sixth graders Cedrick, Jules, and Boog notice that a new friend has disappeared without a trace, the trio sets out to uncover the truth. The book received a starred review from PW.
Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow, $16.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-06-249969-1. Ages 8–12. Sibling mice Violet and Jobie acclimate to a new life when they are accidentally left at a state park and must learn to fend for themselves. The book received a starred review from PW.
We Were the Fire: Birmingham 1963
Shelia P. Moses. Penguin/Paulsen, $17.99 (176p) ISBN 978-0-593-40748-6. Ages 10 and up. Rufus Jackson Jones Jr. and his family’s move to predominantly white Ivy Town incites rage among their neighbors, and Rufus prepares to stand alongside historical Civil Rights leaders to fight for change. The book received a starred review from PW.
C.C. Harrington, illus. by Diana Sudyka. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-338-80386-0. Ages 8–12. A move from London to rural Cornwall leads 11-year-old Margaret Stephens to Wildoak Forest, where she befriends an abandoned snow leopard cub. The book received a starred review from PW.
Margi Preus, illus. by Armando Veve. Amulet, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4197-5824-9. Ages 10–14. The youth in Tagalong’s community are at risk of being swept away, just like her sisters were, but when Tag discovers their elders aren’t being entirely truthful about the disappearances, she sets off to search for her sisters. See our q&a with Preus.
You Only Live Once, David Bravo
Mark Oshiro. HarperCollins, $16.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-300815-1. Ages 8–12. After a trying first week of school, David Bravo finds a magical hound who allows him to go back in time to fix his difficult moments. The book received a starred review from PW.
Young Adult
Rex Ogle. Norton Young Readers, $18.95 (208p) ISBN 978-1-3240-1995-4. Ages 13 and up. In a tribute to his abuela, Ogle recounts his childhood and adolescence navigating desperate hunger, whiplash from constantly moving house, and the pain from his mother’s physical abuse, with the steadying presence of his grandmother. The book received a starred review from PW.
Amanda DeWitt. Peachtree Teen, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-6826-3466-0. Ages 14 and up. Blackjack whizz Jack knows his mother is innocent of the fraud charges brought against her by the FBI, and will need the help of his asexual virtual support group to prove it.
Ziggy Hanaor, illus. by Benjamin Phillips. Cicada, $22.99 (72p) ISBN 978-1-8006-6022-9. Ages 12 and up. Benjy and his Bubbe Rosa, who are at odds due to their generational gap, learn to understand one another while on a long walk. The book received a starred review from PW.
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
Zoulfa Katouh. Little, Brown, $18.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-316-35137-9. Ages 14 and up. Salama Kassab grapples with the choice of obeying her family and leaving Syria on the brink of war or staying to help her country in its time of need. The book received a starred review from PW.
Big Lies: From Socrates to Social Media
Mark Kurlansky, illus. by Eric Zelz. Tilbury House, $22.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-88448-912-2. Ages 13 and up. Kurlansky details events occurring over the past 300 years to break down the “big lies” that permeate global history and explore how they affect the current U.S. media landscape. The book received a starred review from PW.
Jodi Lynn Anderson. Quill Tree, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-06-239357-9. Ages 14 and up. After witnessing a horrific accident that shook her faith in her childhood, Cassie navigates pieces of her past returning to her in the present as she tries to come to terms with religion.
The Epic Story of Every Living Thing
Deb Caletti. Labyrinth Road, $18.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-593-48550-7. Ages 14 and up. Social media savvy Harper will have to learn to take risks offline when she meets her half-siblings and they embark on a search for their biological father. See our q&a with Caletti. The book received a starred review from PW.
Dave Baker and Nicole Goux. Atheneum, $21.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-5344-6948-8. Ages 14 and up. When friends Kelly, Brooke, Maggie, and Melissa open a bootleg DVD business in their conservative town with salacious anime as their bestselling product, keeping their secret begins to threaten their friendship. The book received a starred review from PW.
Chloe Gong. McElderry, $21.99 (528p) ISBN 978-1-66590-558-9. Ages 14 and up. When a series of murders causes unrest in Shanghai, immortal assassin Rosalind Liang must infiltrate the Japanese empire to uncover the perpetrator. See our q&a with Gong on her duology opener. The book received a starred review from PW.
Courtney Summers. Wednesday, $18.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-2508-0836-3. Ages 13 and up. After discovering the body of a dead girl, Georgia Avery teams up with the victim’s sister to investigate as they work at an exclusive ski resort. See our q & a with Summers. The book received a starred review from PW.
Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution
Kacen Callender. Amulet, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-4197-5687-0. Ages 14 and up. After Lark’s former best friend Kasim accidentally posts a viral thread about their crush and Lark agrees to cover for them, the duo struggle to keep their secret from their peers. The book received a starred review from PW.
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
Isaac Blum. Philomel, $18.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-593-52582-1. Ages 12 and up. Orthodox Jewish teen Hoodie moves to a new town where he navigates antisemitism and his growing feelings for the mayor’s daughter. See our q&a with Blum. The book received a starred review from PW.
Andrea L. Rogers, illus. by Jeff Edwards. Levine Querido, $19.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-64-614179-1. Ages 12 and up. Members of the Wilson family face myriad supernatural and real-life terrors in the past, present, and future in this collection of stories. The book received a starred review from PW.
Justina Ireland. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $18.99 (448p) ISBN 978-0-06-303822-6. Ages 14 and up. Magical mage Laura takes a job investigating the disappearances of other Black mages and uncovers a dangerous ancient magic thought to have been long gone. The book received a starred review from PW.
Aiden Thomas. Feiwel and Friends, $18.99 (416p) ISBN 978-1-250-82213-0. Ages 13 and up. Every decade, children of the gods partake in the Sunbearer Trials and as unexpected additions to the trials, Teo and Xio must face off against deadly competitors. See our q&a with Thomas about the new series. The book received a starred review from PW.
Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice
Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes, illus. by Dawud Anyabwile. Norton Young Readers, $22.95 (208p) ISBN 978-1-324-05215-9. Ages 13 and up. With collaborators Barnes and Anyabwile, Tommie Smith details his childhood leading up to his historic Olympic protest—and its aftermath. The book received a starred review from PW.
Tiffany D. Jackson. HarperCollins/Tegen, $18.99 (416p) ISBN 978-0-06302914-9. Ages 14 and up. Biracial teen Maddy Washington faces harassment when her white peers discover her race; when their taunts go too far on prom night, their town will face deadly consequences. The book received a starred review from PW.
