Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a YA romance novel, a true story of Hollywood censorship, a picture book about a girl and her neighborhood, and a quiet-time story.
What If It’s Us by Becky Abertalli and Adam Silvera. HarperTeen/Balzer + Bray, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-279525-0. Authors Albertalli (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) and Silvera (They Both Die at the End) team up for a charming, sweet-natured love story between two very different boys. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Blacklisted!: Hollywood, the Cold War, and the First Amendment by Larry Dane Brimner. Calkins Creek, $17.95; ISBN 978-1-62091-603-2. Brimner (Twelve Days in May) provides a cinematic recounting of the 1947 investigation into the motion picture industry by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Carmela Full of Wishes by Matt de la Peña, illus. by Christian Robinson. Putnam, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-399-54904-5. The award-winning team behind Last Stop on Market Street portrays Carmela’s Spanish-speaking community as a vibrant place of possibility, and Robinson’s acrylic-and-cutout spreads introduce readers to street vendors, workers in the fields, and sweeping views of the sea. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Quiet by Tomie dePaola. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-7754-3. Rendered in soft pastel tones and generous white space and using minimal, poetic text, this picture book embodies the beauty of quietude.
Zola’s Elephant by Randall de Sève, illus. by Pamela Zagarenski. HMH, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-328-88629-3. The real elephant in the room in this picture book is the fear of making new friends—a fear the narrator finally conquers.
Just Add Glitter by Angela DiTerlizzi, illus. by Samantha Cotterill. Beach Lane, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-0967-4. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade—but when life’s got you “bored, ignored or feeling down,” writes DiTerlizzi (I Wanna Be a Cowgirl) in this picture book, “just add glitter.”
The Bigfoot Files by Lindsay Eager. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-9234-6. In this middle grade novel about 12-year-old Miranda Cho—a straight-A student, compulsive list maker, and unlikely student body president—Miranda struggles with her chaotic cryptozoologist mother Kat, and is tired of missing school to seek mythical animals.
Pearl by Molly Idle. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-46567-0. In this picture book, Idle (Flora and the Flamingo) creates an undersea realm of mermaids whose graceful swoops and swirls offer visual delight.
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Graphix, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-545-90248-9. A departure from Krosoczka’s 17 years of picture book and middle grade projects—including Punk Farm, the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, and the Platypus Police Squad chapter book series—this YA graphic memoir tells a story of finding identity in a family affected by addiction. The book has generated a significant amount of buzz and earned a starred review from PW.
Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil Degrasse Tyson by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illus. by Frank Morrison. Crown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-399-55024-9. This uplifting picture book biography captures its subject’s relatability, natural curiosity, and infectious enthusiasm for science.
Light Years by Kass Morgan. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-51044-8. In this character-driven sci-fi series starter, Morgan (The 100) introduces four ambitious and sympathetic protagonists attending the galaxy’s top military academy.
Odd One Out by Nic Stone. Crown, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-101-93953-6. In Decatur, Ga., three teens in a complex love triangle navigate a fine line between friendship and romantic love.
Lost Soul, Be at Peace by Maggie Thrash. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-9419-7. In a follow-up to her debut YA graphic memoir, Honor Girl, Thrash chronicles her junior year at a posh Atlanta prep school, adding a magical bent.
Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year edited by Fiona Waters, illus. by Frann Preston-Gannon. Nosy Crow, $40; ISBN 978-1-5362-0247-2. In a wide-ranging volume, Waters presents 366 poems (by writers as varied as Christina Rossetti and Margaret Wise Brown) devoted to nature and the seasons. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Best Friends in the Universe by Stephanie Watson, illus. by LeUyen Pham. Orchard, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-545-65988-8. In this meta-comedy about friendship, buddies Hector and Louie are creating an entire book about their relationship (which shares the actual book’s title) and take readers along for the ride.
Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak. Knopf, $26.00; ISBN 978-0-375-84559-8. This multigenerational family saga by Zusak (The Book Thief), his first novel in 13 years, weaves the story of a missing father and a bridge-building brother. The book earned a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of October, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
