Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a YA debut about a queer Indian American artist, a picture book about a nervous backpack on the first day of school, a picture about learning to love one’s name, a picture book series addition with a spooky twist, and more.
All the Yellow Suns by Malavika Kannan. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-44732-4. Queer Indian American 16-year-old Maya Krishnan joins a vigilante art group fighting for justice at her school, but questions the leader’s intentions and grows distant from her family and friends.
Back to School, Backpack! by Simon Rich, illus. by Tom Toro. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-62834-1. An anthropomorphic knapsack is just as nervous as students on the first day of school.
Banana Dream by Hasan Namir, illus. by Daby Zainab Faidhi. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99, ISBN 978-0-8234-5100-5. Moox comes to appreciate his name, which means banana, when he learns the fruit is unavailable due to warfare in his country.
Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow by Ryan T. Higgins. Disney Hyperion, $18.99; hardcover; 978-1-3680-5958-9. The latest in the Mother Bruce series follows as Bruce’s friends try to get the bear in the Halloween spirit but are visited by a ghost instead.
Clouds Over California by Karyn Parsons. Little, Brown, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-3164-8407-7. In 1970s Southern California, 11-year-old biracial Stevie struggles with acclimating to her new town and learns how the Black Panther movement has affected her family.
Code Name Bananas by David Walliams. HarperCollins, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-284015-8. In this historical novel set in 1940s London, an 11-year-old grows concerned over the well-being of his favorite zoo animal, Gertrude, as war efforts intensify.
Dear Rosie by Meghan Boehman and Racheal Briner, with Tom Pickwood. Knopf, $13.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-57185-9. Animal best friends Millie, Gabby, Florence, and Claire work through their collective grief after the recent death of one of their friends.
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla. Quill Tree, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-326879-1. When Maudie McGinn spends the summer away from her mother and stepfather and with her father in California, she worries that her exciting adventures will come to an end when she must return home. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Haru, Zombie Dog Hero by Ellen Oh. HarperCollins, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-0632-7229-3. When dog Haru Haru is taken away from his human Luke and transferred to a research laboratory, Haru Haru attempts to escape. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Hope in the Valley by Mitali Perkins. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-374-38851-5. Thirteen-year-old aspiring poet Pandita tries to fight the construction that would destroy a beloved apricot tree by uniting with her community. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
I’d Rather Burn Than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-84566-5. Marisol and her mother share a tumultuous relationship, and when her mother suddenly dies, Marisol struggles with her grief and anger. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Monster vs. Boy by Karen Krossing. Charlesbridge, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-6235-4356-3. Eleven-year-old Dawz questions if monsters are really so bad when the one in his closet becomes fond of his family’s read-aloud sessions.
My Week with Him by Joya Goffney. HarperTeen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-325474-9. Aspiring singer Nikki contends with the complicated dynamics of her family and her best friend one week before she leaves her hometown to audition for a producer.
Not Really Buddies by Jan Carr, illus. by Kris Mukai. Peachtree, $14.99; ISBN 978-1-68263-534-6. On Buddy Finn-Lee’s first day of second grade, a friendship with new student Bea leads to nervewracking experiences.
Once in a Blue Moon by Sharon G. Flake. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-59348-098-4. In Jim Crow–era North Carolina, 11-year-old Black twins James Henry and Hattie Mae deal with the fallout of their mother’s hospitalization.
The Prince & the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell. Wednesday, $24; ISBN 978-1-250-87304-0; $12 paper ISBN 978-1-250-87306-4. American teen Wren Wheeler gets stranded in England and must rely on European royal Theo to navigate an imminent world-ending comet collision.
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen. Candlewick, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2336-1. Otilla discovers and begins caring for a talking skull living inside a mansion in this reworking of a Tyrolean folktale by Caldecott Medalist Klassen. The illustrated book received a starred review from PW.
Sky Ropes by Sondra Soderborg. Chronicle, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-79-721564-8. When Breanna learns that she’ll have to climb the Sky Ropes, the highest rope obstacle course in Michigan, she worries about how it will remind her of her abusive father.
Spanish Is the Language of My Family by Michael Genhart, illus. by John Parra. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5004-6. A boy studying for a spelling bee gets help from his grandmother, who reminisces about her time in school and how Spanish was once banned in schools in this picture book that will be published in English and Spanish simultaneously.
Stars, Hide Your Fires by Jessica Mary Best. Quirk, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-68369-351-2. While attempting to rob the emperor’s Ascension Ball of all its expensive luxuries, Cass is trapped when the emperor is murdered, and she is accused. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
There’s a Beach in My Bedroom by Kevin Jonas and Danielle Jonas, illus. by Courtney Dawson. Razorbill, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-35210-6. Musician Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle Jonas make their picture debut with a tale of a girl named Bella finding an innovative way to turn a bad beach day into a good one.
A Warning About Swans by R.M. Romero. Peachtree Teen, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-68263-483-7. Tired of the burden of her powers, Hilde escapes to a baron’s mansion where she fears those around her will discover her capabilities.
Where the Water Takes Us by Alan Barillaro. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2454-2. Eleven-year-old Ava cares for a sick bird while staying with her grandparents and worries about her mother’s complicated pregnancy.
The Worry Balloon by Mónica Mancillas, illus. by Betty C. Tang. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-85293-9. A child faces an anxiety-filled first day of school through mindfulness practices.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of July, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.