Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a book about a girl who finds an ally, the launch of a YA duology, a tranquil picture book, and a historical work about the D-Day invasion.
Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao. Simon Pulse, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-2761-7. As the sole Asian-American at her small-town Indiana high school, Taiwanese-American Ali Chu is used to playing unperturbed in order to fit in. But when Chase Yu moves to Plainhart from Flushing, N.Y., Ali questions her complacency, finding in him an ally, a kung fu sparring partner, and a boyfriend.
The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco. HarperTeen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-282179-9. The first in a planned YA duology, this fantasy from Chupeco (the Bone Witch trilogy) spotlights power’s corruptive influence, love’s redemptive nature, and the urgent concerns of climate change.
Love and the Rocking Chair by Diane and Leo Dillon. Blue Sky, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-33265-0. Spare, serene paintings cast a tranquil air in this picture book by the Caldecott Medal-winning team (Ashanti to Zulu), completed by Diane after Leo’s death in 2012.
Allies by Alan Gratz. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-24572-1. Gratz (Grenade) delivers a tautly paced and multifaceted portrait of the D-Day invasion. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Year We Fell from Space by Amy Sarig King. Scholastic/Levine, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-338-23636-1. King (Me and Marvin Gardens) capably tackles the complexities of divorce and depression in this multifaceted middle grade novel.
Rose Coffin by M.P. Kozlowsky. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-31047-4. Kazlowsky (The Dyerville Tales) subverts the typical chosen one narrative in this creepy middle grade fantasy.
The Upper Case: Trouble in Capital City by Tara Lazar, illus. by Ross MacDonald. Disney-Hyperion, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-368027-65-6. In a follow-up to 7 Ate 9, trouble comes to Capital City when every one of its namesake capital letters—except for Private I—disappear.
A Big Bed for Little Snow by Grace Lin. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-47836-6. This companion to A Big Mooncake for Little Star, for which Lin won a Caldecott Honor, stars a boy, Little Snow.
Salsa Lullaby by Jen Arena, illus. by Erika Meza. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-57973-1. Frolicsome fun abounds for a family of three as they prepare for baby’s bedtime in this picture book.
Project Middle School (Hope #1) by Alyssa Milano, with Debbie Rigaud, illus. by Eric S. Keyes. Scholastic, $14.99; ISBN 978-1-338-32940-7. As this middle grade series by actor and activist Milano and author Rigaud (Truly Madly Royally) lifts off, biracial, self-described “future scientist” Hope Roberts, whose father is a NASA rocket scientist , begins the sixth grade with considerable angst.
Lintang and the Pirate Queen by Tamara Moss. Clarion, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-3284-6030-1. In a vibrant world reminiscent of a fantastical maritime Southeast Asia, 12-year-old Lintang’s greatest wish is to trade her staid island life for adventure on the high seas.
Fireborne by Rosaria Munda. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-525-51821-1. Lee and Annie have been close friends since the bloody revolution nine years earlier that freed Callipolis from the reign of the despotic dragonborn aristocracy. Now, both teens are top competitors for the position of Firstrider, leader of a new fleet of dragon riders. The YA novel earned a starred review from PW.
Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o, illus. by Vashti Harrison. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-2536-1. This picture book about a girl born with the darkest skin in her family draws its power from graceful prose by actress Nyong’o, making her authorial debut, and expertly executed animation-style art by Harrison (Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History). The book earned a starred review from PW.
War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi. Razorbill, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-451-48167-2. In the year 2172, a civil war rages in Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra fights for independence in battles using advanced tech and giant mechs. The YA novel earned a starred review from PW.
The Clothesline by Orbie, trans. from the French by Karen Li. Owlkids, $16.95; ISBN 978-1-77147-390-3. A boy gets stuck hanging from a clothesline in this tale about dealing with the consequences of our choices.
Wintercake by Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-289487-8. Brimming with whimsy, this picture book by Newbery Medalist Perkins (Criss Cross) introduces two pals who find a new friend when they set out to right a wrong.
Naked Mole Rat Saves the World by Karen Rivers. Algonquin, $16.95; ISBN 978-1-61620-724-3. This middle grade novel about a girl born small and with alopecia takes an unvarnished look at what it means to be true to oneself as well as loved ones.
Jackpot by Nic Stone. Crown, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-984829-62-7. On Christmas Eve, Gas ’n’ Go employee Rico Danger, 17, sells two lottery tickets to a woman with memory troubles. After Rico realizes that one of the tickets may be worth $106 million, she begins obsessing about its whereabouts.
Full of Beans: Henry Ford Grows a Car by Peggy Thomas, illus. by Edwin Fotheringham. Calkins Creek, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-62979-639-0. While many know about Henry Ford’s automobiles and assembly line refinements, Thomas’s latest nonfiction work describes his fascination with the soybean.
Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-31227-0. In this YA science fantasy debut, the population is divided between preindustrial settlers who live on Earth Adjacent and the aristocratic people of the Tower, a space station ruled by the enigmatic Queen Elizabeth.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of October, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
