Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a picture book highlighting a Hawaiian cultural practice, a middle grade tale about a boy tracking down missing art, a graphic novel memoir about growing up nonbinary, and more.
Aloha Everything by Kaylin Melia George, illus. by Mae Waite. Red Comet, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6365-5112-8. A Hawaiian girl learns about her cultural heritage through hula.
A Case for the Van Gogh Agency by Christina Wolff, trans. from the German by Claire Storey. Arctis, $16; ISBN 978-1-64690-029-9. Thirteen-year-old Vincent Fox can jump inside paintings to experience their internal worlds, and after learning of a stolen masterwork, he determines to use his ability to track down other missing paintings.
Homebody by Theo Parish. HarperAlley, $26.99; ISBN 978-0-06-331959-2; $18.99 paper ISBN 978-0-06-331958-5. In this graphic novel memoir, debut creator Parish presents an earnest portrayal of their experience growing up as a nonbinary transgender person. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee. Putnam, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-59353-204-1. In 1932 Chinatown Los Angeles, sisters May, Gemma, and Peony Chow investigate the murder of movie star Lulu Wong, their hometown celebrity.
A Little Bit Super, edited by Leah Henderson and Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-35-868342-1. This collection gathers authors such as Kyle Lukoff, Meg Medina, and more to explore a myriad of middle graders with superpowers ranging from hearing animal’s thoughts to shapeshifting.
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller. Philomel, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-2452-4. Magnolia Wu, the daughter of Chinese immigrant parents who own a New York City laundromat, makes a new friend who encourages her to track down the owners of Magnolia’s prized collection of lost socks.
Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams, illus. by Danica Novgorodoff. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4814-6583-0. Black eighth grader Isaiah struggles to come to terms with the death of his best friend and tries to break a skateboarding world record in his honor.
Olivette Is You by Nico Tortorella, illus. by Melissa Kashiwagi. Random House, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-38153-3. The titular narrator of this picture book models empowerment via their own self-assurance.
A Place for Feelings by Corey Ann Haydu, illus. by Geeta Ladi. HarperCollins/Tegen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-326945-3. Used to the neat and tidy world around her, Mara struggles to find a place to put her messy feelings.
Punk Rock Karaoke by Bianca Xunise. Viking, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-593-46450-2; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-46452-6. As lead singer Ariel Grace Jones begins to question the viability of their band’s dreams to make it big in the music industry, a local punk luminary steps in to provide a final glimmer of hope. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $20.99; ISBN 978-1-250-87161-9. Seventeen-year-old apprentice qin player Guxue draws the attention of Duke Meng Jinglang, who hires her to help him unlock hidden memories of his deceased mentor. The YA fantasy received a starred review from PW.
Too Many Golems by Jane Yolen, illus. by Maya Shleifer. Chronicle, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-79721-214-2. Golems come to the rescue of Abi, a rabbi’s son who is struggling to learn Hebrew.
Tree. Table. Book. by Lois Lowry. Clarion, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06329-950-4. Two Sophies who are next-door neighbors, widowed 88-year-old Polish-born Sophie Gershowitz and 11-year-old Sophie Winslow, form an intergenerational friendship in a small New Hampshire town.
The Truth About the Couch by Adam Rubin, illus. by Liniers. Putnam, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-61913-1. Young readers speculate about the origins and abilities of a seemingly normal piece of furniture.
Two Together by Brendan Wenzel. Chronicle, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-79720-277-8. Caldecott Honoree Wenzel continues to explore perspective in this companion to They All Saw a Cat and Inside Cat—a story about a feline, Bell, and a hound, Bone, headed homeward. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Unhappy Camper by Lily LaMotte, illus. by Ann Xu. HarperAlley, $15.99; ISBN 978-0-06-297389-4. Sisters Claire and Michelle have grown apart due to their drastically different personalities, but a summer spent at a Taiwanese American summer camp offers them the chance to reconnect.
Wild Dreamers by Margarita Engle. Atheneum, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-665-93975-1. A chance encounter in the park between 17-year-old Ana, who struggles with the disappearance of her father, and Leo, who suffers from anxiety, gives both the opportunity for love.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of April, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
