Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book about the sounds of one’s neighborhood, a YA fantasy intertwining the lives of three women who are part of different castes, a picture book about a creative revenge on biting insects, a graphic novel set in the 1980s, and more.
All Good in the Hood by Dwayne Reed, illus. by Gladys Jose. Little, Brown, $18.99, ISBN 978-0-316-46198-6. Brothers help each other manage the overwhelming sounds of their bustling neighborhood, in this picture book by “America’s favorite rapping teacher.”
The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi. Del Rey, $29.99; ISBN 978-0-593-35697-5. El-Arifi’s second Ending Fire fantasy, after The Final Strife, again weaves African and Arabian myths into the tumultuous tale of a blood-caste-segregated empire mired in conspiracies. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Bug Sandwich by Brady Smith. Penguin/Paulsen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-46174-7. Unable to avoid the steady buzz of bites and stings plaguing him, a boy seeks revenge on the biting critters via his own recipe for a bug sandwich.
Constellations by Kate Glasheen. Holiday House, $22.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5071-8; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-0-8234-5488-4. 1980s high schooler Claire lands in a juvenile recovery program to combat a dependency on alcohol following unwanted attention around their gender identity. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Clementine by Ann Hood. Penguin Workshop, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-09410-5. Still grieving the loss of her sister, Clementine struggles with her mental health and with acclimating to her new high school.
Ever Since by Alena Bruzas. Rocky Pond, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-61617-8. When Virginia discovers an inappropriate relationship growing between her sister and a respected member of the community, she struggles to find the best path to telling the truth and protecting her family.
If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So. HarperTeen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06328-326-8. Former best friends Elsie Lo and Joan Tse reconcile after years apart and navigate new queer relationships in their lives.
Forever Is Now by Mariama J. Lockington. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-3743-8888-1. Black queer teen Sadie Dixon confronts police brutality while contending with mental health challenges. The YA novel in verse received a starred review from PW.
How to Ride a Dragonfly by Kitty Donohoe, illus. by Anne Wilsdorf. Random House/Schwartz, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5931-7564-4. Using a bit of magic, a girl shrinks herself to be small enough to go on an adventure with insects.
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-358659-63-1. When 12-year-old Hercules recognizes similarities between himself and the god of the same name in Greek mythology, he begins mirroring the god’s tasks. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06306-030-2. Following her unwanted first sexual encounter, Ariana Ruiz finds community with a group who share a difficult connection to one another.
Lost in Taiwan by Mark Crilley. Little, Brown, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-368-04088-4; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-1-368-04099-0. While visiting his older brother in Taiwan, American teen Paul gets lost without his phone and must open himself up to new experiences to find his way home in this graphic novel.
Of Light and Shadow by Tanaz Bhathena. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $21.99; ISBN 978-0-374-38911-6. New leader of the Shadow Clan Roshan Chaya hopes her kidnapping of Prince Navin will help free her people from an oppressive regime, but finds their powers are evenly matched as she tries to bring him to her people.
Oh No, the Aunts Are Here by Adam Rex, illus. by Lian Cho. Chronicle, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-7972-0794-0. Via a quartet of unconditionally, relentlessly loving aunts, Rex and Cho breathe new life into a staple of kid humor: the older, oblivious-to-personal-space relative. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Once Upon a Fairy Tale House: The True Story of Four Sisters and the Magic They Built by Mary Lyn Ray, illus. by Giselle Potter. Beach Lane, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-7982-0. Four sisters with unique skills work together to build the perfect house of their dreams together, in this biographical picture book.
Shakti by SJ Sindu, illus. by Nabi H. Ali. HarperAlley, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-06-309013-2; $15.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-309011-8. Indian American witch Shakti must harness her ancestral magic to defeat the dark spells plaguing her town. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
A Starlet’s Secret to a Sensational Afterlife by Kendall Kulper. Holiday House, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5361-0. Starlet Henrietta Newhouse and stuntman Declan Collins team up to solve a string of Hollywood disappearances, in this noir romance set in the 1930s.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of May, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
