Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a speculative YA novel about a teen entering a social experiment, a graphic novel following best friends navigating their first fight, a picture book highlighting a family’s tradition, and more.
Another First Chance by Robbie Couch. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66593-530-2. Grieving gay teen River joins the Affinity Trials, a weeklong social experiment for individuals struggling to connect with others.
Cloud Puppy by Kelly Leigh Miller. Atheneum, $12.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-3212-7. Cloud Puppy and her best friend Berry Rose are preparing to attend a cosplay convention, but conflict arises when the pair each choose to portray the same character, resulting in their first-ever disagreement.
Emergency Quarters by Carlos Matias, illus. by Gracey Zhang. HarperCollins/Tegen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-327145-6. When Ernesto leaves for his first day of school, his mother gives him a quarter in case of emergencies, which Ernesto saves up to use at the right moment. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow. Putnam, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-85572-0. After the death of her best friend Hayley, Ella grapples with guilt over the accident and her growing feelings for Hayley’s boyfriend.
Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $20.99; ISBN 978-1-2508-6963-0. The grandmother of sisters Isla and Renata enrolls them at Alarie House, a prestigious finishing school, but when Renata returns home unrecognizable, threatens Isla, and runs away, Isla endeavors to win her sister back by becoming an Alarie girl.
Freedom on the Sea: The True Story of the Civil War Hero Robert Smalls and His Daring Escape to Freedom by Michael Boulware Moore, illus. by Bryan Collier. Holt/Godwin, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-81835-5. Debut author Boulware Moore recounts the true story of his great-great-grandfather, U.S. politician Robert Smalls (1839–1915), who freed 16 enslaved individuals—including himself, his crew, and their families—during the Civil War.
The Labyrinth of Lost and Found (The Whisperwicks #1) by Jordan Lee, illus. by Vivienne To. Simon & Schuster, $8.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-66595-012-1. Realist Benjamiah Creek discovers the labyrinthian magical realm of Wreathenworld and, while navigating new adventures, struggles to find a way home.
Lighthouse and the Little Boat by Katie Frawley, illus. by Ben Mantle. Quill Tree, $19.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-311423-4. When new boat Brightness appears in the harbor, Lighthouse befriends them until Brightness ventures beyond Lighthouse’s limits.
Maelstrom: A Prince of Evil by Lorian Merriman. Holt, $24.99; ISBN 978-1-250-82283-3; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-82284-0. When rebel assassin Twigs attempts to kidnap Maelstrom, the half-demon son of the Queen, Maelstrom seizes the opportunity to create a more exciting origin story for himself: allying with his prophesied nemesis to help her take his mother down—and to double-cross her at the opportune moment.
A Mind of Her Own: The Story of Mystery Writer Agatha Christie by Robyn McGrath, illus. by Liz Wong. Beach Lane, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-66591-793-3. This imagination-oriented biography of mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890–1976) foregrounds the role Christie’s internal world played in both her childhood and her later success.
Mr. Pei’s Perfect Shapes: The Story of Architect I. M. Pei by Julie Leung, illus. by Yifan Wu. Quill Tree, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0630-0630-0. Leung and Wu portray renowned modernist architect I.M. Pei (1917–2019) as perceptive, serious, and determined from an early age.
The Squish by Breanna Carzoo. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0633-3493-9. After it is stomped by one of its kid creators, this picture book’s googly-eyed sandcastle protagonist struggles with feeling respected. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Through a Clouded Mirror by Miya T. Beck. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-323824-4. Outcast 12-year-old Yuki Snow escapes into a portal within a mirror and finds a new world where her creativity can finally be appreciated, but can’t help but wonder about life back home.
Upstaged by Robin Easter. Little, Brown Ink, $24.99; ISBN 978-0-316-42942-9; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-0-316-42952-8. Ash Price has one last summer at theater camp before high school. But when they are separated from their best friend and start feeling left out, Ash’s jealousy festers. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Wildcat Under Glass by Alki Zei, trans. from the Greek by Karen Emmerich. Yonder, $18; ISBN 978-1-63206-364-9. On the 50th anniversary of the original publication, Emmerich offers an approachable translation of this 1936–set historical novel by Zei, which takes place on a small Greek island as authoritarianism overtakes the country.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of May, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
