Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a WWI novel from a Newbery winner, a teen romance between social media celebrities, a picture book about fruits, a middle grade novel about a girl whose father returns from war, and more.
The Button War: A Tale of the Great War by Avi. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-9053-3. This powerfully evocative WWI novel set in Poland parallels a child’s game with the war raging in the not-so-distant background. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Love Scene, Take Two by Alex Evansley. Swoon Reads, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-13570-4. Evansley explores young celebrity romance, texting, and social media in her contemporary debut novel.
Fruit Bowl by Mark Hoffman. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-1991-3. In his first foray as writer and illustrator, Hoffmann (illustrator of You Can Read) offers a food literacy lesson that is a cornucopia of produce and wordplay. The picture book earned a starred review from PW.
Everything Else in the Universe by Tracy Holczer. Putnam, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-399-16394-4. Holczer’s middle grade novel, set in 1971, opens as 12-year-old Lucy Rossi’s father returns home from Vietnam. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Russell Wrestles the Relatives by Cindy Chambers Johnson, illus. by Daniel Duncan. Aladdin, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-9159-4. Every kid expects a certain amount of “hugging, hand-shaking, and hair-tousling” when relatives come to visit. But for Russell, a family reunion portends something much worse: his aunts, uncles, cousins, and two grandparents are all professional wrestlers.
Little Robot Alone by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, illus. by Matt Phelan. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-544-44280-1. In this picture book, a robot creates a friend to join him in his idyllic existence. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Sometime After Midnight by L. Philips. Viking, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-425-29163-4. Philips offers a star-crossed romance between two teenage boys, Nate and Cameron, both aspiring musicians.
The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio. Random/Lamb, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-1794-0. Lou, almost 13, lives with her mother and grandmother in San Francisco near their close-knit clan of Filipino relatives, who are always in and out of the house.
The Legend of Greg by Chris Rylander. Putnam, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-3972-0. In this humorous middle grade novel, protagonist Greg discovers the true reason for his family’s long history of failure and bad luck: they’re Dwarves, part of a secret, supernatural community that (literally) went underground ages ago.
The Fall of Innocence by Jenny Torres Sanchez. Philomel, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-3775-7. In this YA novel, a teen contends with the residual trauma from a childhood assault. Meanwhile, her brother learns to understand and accept his sexual identity.
Don’t Eat That by Drew Sheneman. Viking, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-101-99729-1. This picture book has two protagonists: an unflappable girl determined to get a nature merit badge and the hulking brown bear she encounters in the woods. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Supermoon by H.A. Swain. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-11627-7. In this star-crossed romance, two teenage girls—one from Earth, one from the Moon—forge an unexpected connection, but the secrets they hold threaten to derail a happily ever after.
Flor and Miranda Steal the Show by Jennifer Torres. Little, Brown, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-316-30689-8. In this middle grade novel, 11-year-olds Flor and Miranda help out with their families’ acts at a traveling carnival.
Heartbeat by Evan Turk. Atheneum, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-3520-8. Turk (The Storyteller) creates a poignant tribute to the beauty and dignity of whales. The book earned a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of June, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
