Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a middle grade novel about newcomers to smalltown drama, a YA novel about a teen tricked by a malevolent spirit, a middle grade novel about the terrors at an abandoned park, and more.
Candle Island by Lauren Wolk. Dutton, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-69854-9. Artistic 12-year-old synesthete Lucretia Sanderson and her painter mother move to tiny Candle Island, Maine, and find themselves at the center of a simmering feud between the year-round islanders and the seasonal vacationers. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06328-583-5. After Hollis is wrongfully accused of inflicting severe, mysterious injuries on a classmate, he strikes a deal with an apparent unhoused teen only to discover he’s been possessed by a spirit that takes over his life and body and banishes Hollis to the recesses of his own mind. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Darkness at Dreamer Mountain by Ryan Wolf. West 44, $16.35 paper; ISBN 978-1-9785-9781-5. Thirteen-year-old Teddy tags along with his father to shoot a TV show about an abandoned theme park, but things take a turn for the worse and the crew’s only goal is to escape alive. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Here Is a Book by Elisha Cooper. Abrams, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-6675-6. In a winningly granular work that shows how components make up a whole, Caldecott Honoree Cooper uses list-forward lines and thumbnail-like sketches to trace a book’s creation, from inspiration onward. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson. Delacorte, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5933-0103-6. Three teens form an uneasy alliance to prove a classmate’s innocence in this appealing murder mystery.
The Reel Wish by Yamile Saied Méndez. Tu, $22.95; ISBN 978-1-6437-9643-7. Méndez examines the toll that participating in elite dance has on one child’s friendships and mental health in this emotionally raw and honest offering. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Ripening Time by Patrice Gopo, illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera. WorthyKids, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5460-0539-1. Delectable prose and jewel-toned illustrations come together as a young narrator counts down until a bunch of plantains are ripe enough for eating. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Rose Weaves a Garden by Rashin Kheiriyeh. Random House/Schwartz, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5937-0510-0. Rose learns from her grandfather Baba joon how to turn one of her garden drawings into a rug. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Sadie Mouse Wrecks the House by Elliott Kalan, illus. by Tim Miller. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0629-9839-2. Faced with yet another list of chores when her mother leaves the house, typically well-behaved little mouse Sadie declares she’s going “to do them... BAD,” and a spectacular rebellion erupts.
The Secrets of Lovelace Academy by Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel. Aladdin, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-5021-3. A precocious London tween’s love of learning changes her life in this 1904-set feminist adventure from collaborators Benedict and Sheinmel.
The Summer I Ate the Rich by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-374-39053-2. Sisters and previous collaborators Maika and Maritza Moulite lean on Haitian folklore to examine class and racial inequality in this biting novel.
Tales from Beyond the Rainbow: Ten LGBTQ+ Fairy Tales Proudly Reclaimed by Pete Jordi Wood, illus. by Anshika Khullar et al. Penguin Workshop, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-88972-5. In this assemblage of 10 adapted folk and fairy tales collected from around the world, British author Wood presents “stories featuring positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people: stories about love in its many forms, transformation, identity and gender, hope, survival, and living life as your true self.” The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Under the Fading Sky by Cynthia Kadohata. Atheneum/Dlouhy, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-5344-8239-5. In this intense novel about substance reliance, a teenager in Southern California chronicles how his vaping habit influences his life and relationships.
We’re in This Together: Leo’s Lunch Box by Raphael G. Warnock, illus. by TeMika Grooms. Philomel, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-69152-6. When Leo receives a new lunch box, it provides him and his peers with new and exciting meals the more Leo shares.
Wheetle: A Little Wagon with a Big Heart by Cindy Derby. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-2503-2550-1. Red wagon Wheetle loves being relied on by his insect neighbors but struggles when he overworks himself and finds himself without help.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of April, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
