Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a graphic novel spin-off following two best friends preparing for their first school dance, a picture book showcasing trucks of all sizes taking a trip, a YA thriller following a girl’s growing obsession with a couple at her school, a graphic novel prequel to a bestselling series, and more.
Besties Find Their Groove by Kayla Miller, illus. by Kristina Luu. Clarion, $13.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-35-856192-7. In the second graphic novel in the World of Click series, best friends Beth and Chandra prepare for their first school dance with the hope of making it the best night ever.
Big Truck Day by Rosanne Parry, illus. by Niki Stage. Greenwillow, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-321886-4. Children and drivers take to the road in their trucks of varying sizes and colors to attend a book drive.
Creep: A Love Story by Lygia Day Peñaflor. Clarion, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-35-869292-8. Rafi admires a picture-perfect couple at school and grows increasingly obsessed with infiltrating their lives.
The Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo, adapted by Kyla Vanderklugt, illus. by Dani Pendergast. Roaring Brook, $23.99; ISBN 978-1-250-62464-2. This graphic novel prequel to the Shadow and Bone series follows Eryk before he becomes the Darkling, as he and his mother attempt to hide their dangerous powers from those looking to destroy them.
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-44186-5. In this novel in verse trilogy opener rooted in the Asante Kingdom in 1860, 11-year-old Kofi Offin faces life-altering consequences following an annual festival that ends in death.
The Flamingo: A Graphic Novel Chapter Book by Guojing. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-12731-5. A grandchild and grandfather bond as the elder tells the story of a child who finds an egg at the beach and finds themself the caretaker of a baby flamingo. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Forest Hills Bootleg Society by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux. Atheneum, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-6948-8. A group of best friends start selling bootleg anime DVDs in their conservative town and their off-the-books business soon interferes with their friendship.
Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong. McElderry, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-66590-558-9. Immortal assassin Rosalind Lang, codename Fortune, poses with Orion Hong as a married couple to infiltrate a newspaper company and uncover the reason behind the deaths in Shanghai. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Granny and Bean by Karen Hesse, illus. by Charlotte Voake. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1404-8. A grandmother and granddaughter duo take to the beach for a cherished day together.
Grumpy Monkey Who Threw That? by Suzanne Lang, illus. by Max Lang. Random House Studio, $9.99; ISBN 978-0-593-30605-5. In the latest in the Grumpy Monkey series, Jim Panzee’s temper gets the best of him, and he must learn how to apologize if he wants to get back into the jungle.
Holler of the Fireflies by David Barclay Moore. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-0128-4. Brooklynite Javari attends STEM camp in Appalachia and navigates racism and the region’s history as he attempts to win the camp’s competition. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
How to Succeed in Witchcraft Aislinn Brophy. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-35452-0. Lesbian witch Shayna Johnson enters her school’s theater club to pad her resume but faces off against her academic rival Ana for the top spot. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
I Am Me: A Book of Authenticity by Susan Verde, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds. Abrams, $15.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-4648-2. The sixth addition to the I Am Books series focuses on showing young readers how to embrace their individuality in the face of the world asking them to conform.
If You Laugh, I’m Starting This Book Over by Chris Harris, illus. by Serge Bloch. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-3164-2488-2. There’s a secret at the end of this comedic picture book that readers can only get to by resisting the urge to laugh throughout.
Lark & Kasim Start a Revolution by Kacen Callender. Amulet, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-5687-0. When Lark’s former best friend Kasim accidentally makes a viral post under Kasim’s account, Lark assumes responsibility and the two work together to keep their coverup a secret. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
The Little Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, illus. by Rafael López. Crown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-48423-4. This picture book from Nobel Peace Prize winners His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu pulls from their own childhood hardships to showcase how remaining positive can alter one’s perspective.
Miss Peregrine’s Museum of Wonders by Ransom Riggs. Dutton, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-399-53856-8. In this companion guide offering a new perspective on the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, readers will expand their knowledge of the Peregrine universe with character backstories and exclusive photographs.
Oh, Sal by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-324492-4. Middle sibling Sal struggles over the holiday season with welcoming a new sibling and losing a special gift in the sequel to The Year of Billy Miller and Billy Miller Makes a Wish.
Omega Morales and the Legend of la Lechuza by Laekan Zea Kemp. Little, Brown, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-316-30416-0. The appearance of a magical creature forces struggling Empath Omega Morales to trust her powers and explore the legendary creature’s intentions.
Once Upon a Messy Whisker by Jennifer L. Holm, illus. by Matthew Holm. Random House, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-43093-4. The BabyMouse series returns with a graphic novel adaptation in which BabyMouse’s hopes of being the best come to life with unanticipated consequences.
On Her Wings: The Story of Toni Morrison by Jerdine Nolen, illus. by James E. Ransome. S&S/Wiseman, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-7852-7. This picture book biography chronicles the life and career of legendary writer Toni Morrison, from her birth in Lorain, Ohio, to her 1993 acceptance of the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne, adapted by Jenny Laird, illus. by Kelly Matthews. Random House, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-593-17480-7; $9.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-17483-8). Siblings Jack and Annie’s time-traveling tree house drops them on a beach with a pirate who demands their help to find treasure, in this graphic novel adaptation of book #4 in the Magic Tree House series.
Play Like a Girl by Misty Wilson, illus. by David Wilson. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-306468-3. Seventh grader Misty is discouraged by the hostility she receives from boys who resent having a girl on their football team.
Rain Rising by Courtne Comrie. HarperCollins, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-315973-0. Middle schooler Rain’s struggles with her mental health intensify after her brother is harmed during a racist incident at school. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco. Sourcebooks Fire, $10.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-7282-5591-0. Nonbinary Filipino teen Alon Budhi guides an all-white American TV crew filming a documentary through Kisapmata, a purportedly cursed island off the coast of the Philippines.
Secrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain. Razorbill, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-40399-0. Twelve years ago, Avril’s mother drowned at Whisper Cove. When Avril returns to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death, she discovers that paranormal activity may be the answer.
Soul of the Deep by Natasha Bowen. Random House, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-12098-9. In the sequel to Skin of the Sea, mami wata Simi faces the consequences of her trade for her family’s safety for guarding the Land of the Dead, when she opens a route for demons to enter the human realm.
Still This Love Goes On by Buffy Sainte-Marie, illus. by Julie Flett. Greystone Kids, $18.95; ISBN 978-1-77164-807-3. Based on the author’s song “Still This Love Goes On,” this picture book centers feelings of grief over a loved one and hopeful words for the future.
Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy by Jonathan Hill. Walker Books US, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1646-2. After Booger Lizk’t and his family move to the human world, Booger navigates assimilating to human life and middle school dynamics.
Vampiric Vacation by Kiersten White. Delacorte, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-37908-0). The Sinister-Winterbottoms siblings’ latest stop on their vacation lands them at a spa with caretakers who are eerily similar to vampires, and who may hold more answers to what happened to their parents, in the second book in the Sinister Summer series.
A Very Mercy Christmas by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by Chris Van Dusen, Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1360-7. When all of Mercy’s human friends and family are too busy to go caroling with her, she turns to her gang of animal friends to kick off the holidays with song.
Ways to Share Joy by Renée Watson, illus. by Nina Mata. Bloomsbury, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-0909-3. The third title in the Ryan Hart Story series finds Ryan navigating middle child exclusion, a classroom bully, and best friends competing for her friendship. But Ryan Hart tackles all her troubles with positivity and empathy.
Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Delacorte, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-43397-3. Sharlot’s mother and George’s father role-play as their children online in hopes of finding them a suitable partner. It seems like a recipe for disaster, but when Sharlot and George meet in real life, they find that their parents may have picked a perfect match.
When You Take a Step by Bethanie D. Murguia. S&S/Beach Lane, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-534-47367-6. A child discovers a chance for peaceful alone time when they decide to take a walk.
Yellow Dog Blues by Alice Faye Duncan, illus. by Chris Raschka. Eerdmans, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8028-5553-4. Bo Willie and Aunt Jessie take a trip through the Mississippi Delta to find their dog who hasescaped from their home.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of September, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
