Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a middle grade novel about a grandmother-granddaughter duo, a detective story tracing a stolen artifact, a middle grade book following the surviving child of a grieving ghost, and more.
Audrey Covington Breaks the Rules by Karina Evans. Little, Brown, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-316-34042-7. Seventh grader Audrey Covington and her beloved Nana Rhea, a former Hollywood star, head out for an adventurous night out together in hopes of revisiting old memories and being more spontaneous.
Far Out! by Anne Bustard. Simon & Schuster, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-66591-419-2. Aspiring detective Magnolia Jean Crook investigates the case of a missing meteorite integral to her town’s festival, after it is stolen from the local library.
Felice and the Wailing Woman by Diana López. Kokila, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-59332-649-7. Kicking off the Los Monstruos series, Felice confronts the ghost of her mother who haunts the river where she and her sons died.
A Girl Can Build Anything by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo and Pat Zietlow Miller, illus. by Keisha Morris. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-46374-1. A group of girls prove their construction skills by building an array of items ranging from bookshelves to more elaborate projects.
Gilly’s Monster Trap by Cyndi Marko. S&S/Wiseman, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-0-7552. When the beach is closed due to fears of a sea monster, water-loving Gilly attempts to capture the creature.
Home Away from Home by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic Press, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-338-72611-4. During Mia’s first solo stay with her beloved grandmother, she finds an eagle nest and tries to protect it from becoming a tourist attraction.
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman, illus. by Jennifer Harney. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-3165-9329-8. A museum staffer explains how dinosaurs went extinct due to their lack of safety measures.
A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson. Delacorte, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-56266-6. Maude Jenkins must find a new way to interpret her magic when her best friend disappears and she’s the only one with answers on how to find her.
If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robbie Couch. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-9749-8. High school senior Clark Huckleton is stuck in an endless time loop of the same day until new student Beau appears for the first time, helping Clark make time-altering choices. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
I Kick and I Fly by Ruchira Gupta. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-82509-1. Hoping to escape the tyrannical rule of Ravi Lala, 14-year-old Heera attempts to learn kung fu and win a tournament for a cash prize.
Jude Saves the World by Ronnie Riley. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-3388-5587-6. Nonbinary Jude and their best friend Dallas take in an ousted popular student when rumors swirl that she’s queer.
Miss Irwin by Allen Say. Scholastic Press, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-338-30040-6. A child helps his grandmother remember his name by revisiting her memories as a schoolteacher.
Ode to a Bad Day by Chelsea Lin Wallace, illus. by Hyewon Yum. Chronicle, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-79721-080-3. After having a bad day, a child accepts life’s frustrations while holding hope for a better day tomorrow.
Pardalita by Joana Estrela, trans. from the Portuguese by Lyn Miller-Lachmann. Levine Querido, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-64614-255-2; $16.99 paper ISBN 978-1-64614-256-9. When Portugal native Raquel encounters senior schoolmate Pardalita, their friendship encourages Raquel to explore her identity. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Pieces of Me by Kate McLaughlin. Wednesday, $20; ISBN 978-1-250-26434-3. Dylan attempts to retrace her whereabouts over the past three days after waking up and discovering she’s been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and that numerous alternate personalities have been cultivating entire lives during her memory gaps.
Race Against Death: The Greatest POW Rescue of World War II by Deborah Hopkinson. Scholastic Focus, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-338-74616-7. Hopkinson chronicles the experiences of American prisoners of war in the Philippines during WWII, beginning just after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor and continuing through the 1945 Cabanatuan prison camp raid.
The Rhythm of Time by Questlove, with S.A. Cosby, illus. by Godwin Akpan. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-35406-3. Hip-hop enthusiast Rahim Reynolds is sent back in time before his favorite musicians disbands, and his neighbor Kasia attempts to bring him back to the present day.
Snow & Poison by Melissa de la Cruz. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-32668-8. In this retelling of “Snow White,” when 16-year-old Sophie falls for Prince Philip of Spain and their determination to marry sparks a war between Spain and England, causing her to flee into the woods to find shelter with seven young miners.
Sunshine: A Graphic Novel by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Graphix, $27.99; ISBN 978-1-338-35632-8; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-338-35631-1. Krosoczka chronicles working at a camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses over the course of a summer when he was 16, in this follow-up to his National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week by Sarah L. Thomson, illus. by Vin Vogel. Peachtree, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-68263-516-2. Nine-year-old Emily’s life is turned upside-down when a talkative girl named Rani moves solo into her building’s attic with her massive dog.
The Unofficial Lola Bay Fan Club by C.M. Surrisi. Putnam, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-53210-2. Longtime best friends Iris and Leez start a fan club for their favorite artist, Lola Bay, and their club attracts newcomers into their relationship.
Wings in the Wild by Margarita Engle. Atheneum, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-66592-636-2. When Soleida and Dariel meet in Costa Rica after harrowing incidents, the two work together to start a human rights campaign that will help liberate refugees and save endangered wildlife. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of April, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
