Hitting bookshelves this week are a picture book about a boy and his dog, a novel for reluctant readers about a video game addict in “v-hab,” and a YA novel about a teen boy recovering from a broken heart.
The It Girl by Katy Birchall. S&S/Aladdin, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-6362-1. Twelve-year-old Anna struggles to be less of a loser, but when her father announces his engagement to a famous film star, Anna is suddenly thrust into the spotlight as Britain’s newest “It Girl.”
Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry. Delacorte, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-553-51186-4. Brooklyn Shepard, 17, lives in the shadow of her mother, a famous Broadway star, but she plans to hone her own talents at a prestigious summer-stock program, where she struggles with self-esteem, and has a crush on her bunkmate.
Pete the Cat’s Got Class by James Dean. HarperCollins, $9.99; ISBN 978-0-06-230410-0. The shoe-wearing feline heads to school in the latest installment of the bestselling picture book series.
The Brotherband Chronicles #6: The Ghostfaces by John Flanagan. Philomel, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-399-16357-9. The series that spun off Flanagan’s bestselling Rangers Apprentice series catches up with the crew of Skandians as they get caught up in an adventure after rescuing two children from a marauding bear.
With Any Luck I’ll Drive a Truck by David Friend, illus. by Michael Rex. Penguin/Paulsen, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-399-16956-4. Friend, an editor at Vanity Fair, debuts with a cheeky poem of a picture book, in which a boy proudly describes his prowess as he helms several trucks, trailers, and construction vehicles. Read our interview with the author and editor (and husband/wife) here.
We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore. HarperTeen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-239360-9. One minute, counselor-in-training Lizzie Stoller is teaching archery to a group of campers. The next, she is incapacitated by pain. Thus begins Lizzie’s ordeal, fighting a life-threatening disease in this YA novel that received a starred review from PW.
Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley. Tor Teen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-7653-8342-6. Racial tensions and class strife provide the underlying conflict in this tense mystery, first in the Alternate Detective series, set in an industrialized fantasy city reminiscent of Victorian-era South Africa. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-8131-9. British teenager Ash Walker is meandering through life. She isn’t terribly interested in school, hasn’t applied to college, has a boyfriend she’s not excited about, and is watching her parents’ marriage collapse. Then a young, passionate teacher takes over Ash’s English class and makes her brain and heart come alive. Read our interview with Kessler about the book here.
Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidicker. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-5027-0. Jaxon, 16, is addicted to an MMORPG; as his health and social life suffer, his father forces him into video-game rehab, but the timing couldn’t be worse: Jaxon has just scored his first date. Desperate to get out of “V-hab” in time to meet Serena in just a few days, Jaxon must work through a series of game-like challenges to earn enough points to be discharged.
The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy by M.A. Larson. Putnam, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-399-16325-8. This follow-up to Pennyroyal Academy follows Evie as she tries to figure out why she’s seen princesses attacking innocent citizens.
Frank and Lucky Get Schooled by Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-237345-8. Newbery Medalist Perkins (Criss Cross) offers a simultaneously lighthearted and insightful look at education, in this story starring a boy and his newly rescued dog. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Tell Us Something True by Dana Reinhardt. Random/Lamb, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-385-74259-7. Reinhardt (We Are the Goldens) explores adolescent attitudes and emotions in this novel tracing 17-year-old River’s recovery from a broken heart. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Escape from Asylum by Madeleine Roux. HarperCollins, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-242442-6. This prequel to the Asylum series follows a teen wrongfully committed into an asylum, who is desperately seeking escape before she becomes an experiment subject.
The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-5653-1. Tash introduces a cast of goofy and diverse characters, she uses the hopeful voice of a young man in the throes of first love to gently poke fun at Comic Con fandom while celebrating the passion and camaraderie of the community. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Secret Agent Man Goes Shopping for Shoes by Tim Wynne-Jones, illus. by Brian Won. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-7119-8. This picture book turns a shoe-shopping adventure between a boy and his mom into a spy adventure with a retro feel.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of June, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
