New books hitting shelves this month include an imaginative girl transforming a coffee shop into a zooming train, a 12-year-old boy who is secretly an alien, an aspiring young musician who finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, and more.
Picture Books
Michael Emberley and Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4496-0. Ages 4–6.
When a girl shouts “I can make a train noise, now!” her imagination transforms a coffee shop into a speeding train, and her words clickity-clack across the tracks and blare like a train horn. In a flash, salt shakers and ketchup bottles become skyscrapers, and the girl’s voice rattles along the tracks. The book received a starred review from PW.
Sara Biviano. Starfish Bay, $16.95 (36p) ISBN 978-1-76036-110-5. Ages 4–7.
In this book encouraging self-awareness and self-acceptance, a child explores her feelings by naming and describing them, showing it is okay to have a variety of emotions, and that they can change depending on the circumstances.
My Body Is a Rainbow: The Color of My Feelings
Mallika Chopra, illus. by Izzy Burton. Running Press Kids, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-7624-9904-5. Ages 4–8.
Wellness expert Chopra helps children imagine a rainbow of colors radiating from their body and combines this color connection with breathing exercises to help them relieve stress, tension, fears, and sadness and to feel happier and more at peace.
Sophie Gilmore. Greenwillow, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-06-302518-9. Ages 4–8.
Five animal friends want to do something terrific together but can’t decide on what... until Snake slithers into the group and nearly upends their lovely afternoon. Eventually, with open minds, patience, and cooperation—and a surprising twist—the friends finally find a shared passion. The book received a starred review from PW.
Patricia MacLachlan, illus. by Chris Sheban. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4489-2. Ages 4–8.
Milo’s grandfather is fascinated with birds but can’t see like he used to, so Milo helps him spot and take care of some of his favorites. One day when Milo comes home, Grandpa isn’t there. When Milo sees a bald eagle swoop through the sky above, he knows Grandpa got his wish of being reborn in the skies. The book received a starred review from PW.
Middle Grade
Corpse Talk: Queens and Kings and Other Royal Rotters
Adam Murphy and Lisa Murphy. DK, $19.99 (128p) ISBN 978-0-7440-2767-9. Ages 8–12.
The fourth book in the Corpse Talk series of graphic novels answers questions about the lives of infamous leaders, from the struggles they overcame for their countries to their personal challenges. The book received a starred review from PW.
Leslie C. Youngblood. Little, Brown, $16.99 (336p) ISBN 978-0-7595-5520-4. Ages 8–12.
Georgie has no idea what to expect when her family moves to a small town and needs to take care of her Great Aunt Elvie. Georgie wants to help out, but everyone is too busy to show her the ropes. When she finally gets permission to go out on her own, Georgie befriends Markie, a foster kid who’d been under Aunt Elvie’s care. Then Markie asks Georgie to help her find her mother, and suddenly the summer has a real purpose. The book received a starred review from PW.
Greg van Eekhout. HarperCollins, $16.99 (208p) ISBN 978-0-06-297060-2. Ages 8–12.
Strange things are happening in Cedar Creek View, Ariz.. No one knows the reason, but Jake thinks it might have something to do with him. Jake is no ordinary 12-year-old. He’s weird—alien weird. Up until now, Jake and his parents have been able to keep his real identity under wraps. This year, though, something’s changed. The book received a starred review from PW.
Young Adult
Leah Johnson. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (336p) ISBN 978-1-338-66223-8. Ages 14 and up.
After Olivia’s last breakup left her an outcast, she’s determined to turn over a new leaf, and a crush-free weekend at Farmland Music and Arts Festival is just what she needs. Toni is unsure who she wants to become and is still reeling from the death of her musician father. Hoping to follow in his footsteps, she heads to the music festival that changed his life. When the two arrive, the last thing they expect is to join forces to get what they’re searching for. The book received a starred review from PW.
Elizabeth Lim. Knopf, $18.99 (464p) ISBN 978-0-593-30091-6. Ages 12 and up.
Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret: forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally able to conceal it, she loses control on the morning of her betrothal ceremony and catches the attention of her stepmother, who banishes her and turns her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. See our q&a with Lim. The book received a starred review from PW.
Kalynn Bayron. Bloomsbury, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-1-5476-0390-9. Ages 13 and up.
With a single touch, Briseis can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms. When Briseis’s aunt leaves her a dilapidated estate that is surrounded by plants, she hopes to learn to control her gift. But her new home is sinister in ways she never imagined. See our q&a with Bayron. The book received a starred review from PW.
Up All Night: 13 Stories Between Sunset and Sunrise
Edited by Laura Silverman. Algonquin, $17.95 (352p) ISBN 978-1-64375-041-5. Ages 12 and up.
Thirteen stories from bestselling YA authors and rising stars capture teens in the magical hours between sunrise and sunset in twist-filled mysteries, time-slip tales, and romances. When everyone else goes to bed, and a hush falls over the hum of daily life, anything is possible. See our q&a with Silverman here.
Axie Oh. HarperTeen, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-06-302499-1. Ages 13 and up.
When her estranged grandmother requires surgery, Korean American cellist Jenny Go, 16, briefly relocates from L.A. to Seoul with her widowed mother. As Jenny finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she has to decide whether their love is worth the drama.
