Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a picture book about a girl racer, a YA novel with a complicated romance, a retelling of a well-known fairy tale, a novel about a rich kid with a secret, and many more.
The Princess and the Pit Stop by Tom Angleberger, illus. by Dan Santat. Abrams, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-2848-8. In this fast-paced picture book, a princess is determined to win a car race. The book earned a starred review from PW.
I’m Not Missing by Carrie Fountain. Flatiron, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-13251-2. In her debut novel, Fountain not only delivers a plot twist that resonates in the #MeToo era, but also a convincing love story complete with a charmingly dorky half-Latina heroine.
Beast: A Tale of Love and Revenge By Lisa Jensen. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-8880-6. In this compelling reimagining of “Beauty and the Beast,” Jensen integrates a new plot thread in the form of a third protagonist into the familiar fairy tale.
The Unfortunates by Kim Liggett. Tor Teen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-7653-8100-2. The son of a senator, attending an elite school, surrounded by peers of similar social and economic standing—Grant’s life should be simple. Except that, after a car accident caused by Grant that kills “a carful of people,” he can’t help but feel wracked with guilt.
All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold, illus. by Suzanne Kaufman. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-57964-9. In this picture book, Penfold (Eat, Sleep, Poop) and Kaufman (I Love Monkey) celebrate a school community as a common ground where families of all kinds connect and share in their children’s educational journey.
Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illus. by James E. Ransome. S&S/Wiseman, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-7684-3. Husband-and-wife team James E. and Lesa Cline-Ransome offer a powerful portrayal of the sisters and tennis legends.
They Came by Mark Tatulli. Roaring Brook, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-355-9. The Carl Sagan–esque questions in this picture book—“Why did they come? What do they want? Why are they here?”—and the mock-serious spreads of deep space keep the giggles coming as an alien spaceship hurtles through the galaxy and lands in a small suburban community.
Walrus in the Bathtub by Deborah Underwood, illus. by Matt Hunt. Dial, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-8037-4101-0. When a family moves into a new house, they find that a walrus has full ownership of the bathtub.
My Year in the Middle by Lila Quintero Weaver. Candlewick, $15.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-9231-5. Set in 1970 in the fictional town of Red Grove, Ala., this debut middle grade novel by Weaver (Darkroom) follows a sixth-grade class during the first year of integrated public schools through the bubbly voice of Argentinian immigrant Lu Olivera, who sits in the middle row, between the black and white students.
Things Jolie Needs to Do Before She Bites It by Kerry Winfrey. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-11954-4. In this YA novel about a girl with a facial deformity, Winfrey (Love and Other Alien Experiences) employs sharp wit to offer ample levity as she traces 16-year-old Jolie’s trials in the weeks before her corrective surgery. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Angel in Beijing by Belle Yang. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-9270-4. In this picture book, Yang (Forget Sorrow) follows her young narrator as she cycles through Beijing looking for her cat, Kitty, who has been carried aloft on the tail of a Dragon Kite.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of July, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
