Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a graphic novel memoir of a late celebrated children’s author, a picture book series installment about navigating new family dynamics, a graphic novel following best friends, and more.
Bad Boy: A Graphic Memoir by Walter Dean Myers, adapted by Gary A. Sims, illus. by Dawud Anyabwile. Quill Tree, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-06-309992-0. This graphic memoir traces the life of the author, from his childhood in Harlem to dropping out of high school and his dreams of becoming an author.
Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb, illus. by Erin Kraan. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-81030-9. The titular buffalo struggles to acclimate to life with a younger sibling in this sequel to the bestselling Buffalo Fluffalo picture book.
Cabin Head and Tree Head by Scott Campbell. Tundra, $13.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-77488-505-5; $9.99 paper ISBN 978-1-77488-507-9. Oblong-shaped best friends Cabin Head and Tree Head—whose respective noggins sport a picturesque abode and a tree hung with a tire swing—star in this goofy early reader graphic novel series starter by Campbell.
Cat Nap by Brian Lies. Greenwillow, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0626-7128-8. Caldecott Honoree Lies turns a cat-and-mouse tale into a handcrafted visual tour through art history in this immersive picture book. The book received a starred review from PW.
Dasher and the Polar Bear by Matt Tavares. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-3631-6. The latest in the Dasher picture book series follows the reindeer as he attempts to make his new friend’s dream to fly a reality.
Fake Skating by Lynn Painter. Simon & Schuster, $21.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-2126-8. Childhood friends Alec and Dani reunite when Dani moves back to town, where Alec has now become a hockey star. With his reputation on the line and Dani in need of a social cushion, the pair fake date, rekindling their old feelings for each other.
The Family Tree by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick, illus. by Fiona Lee. Beach Lane, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66594-837-1. Garton and Vernick highlight the importance of mindfully slowing down in this account of a tree that sprouts up in the middle of a family’s residence and refocuses their priorities. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Fireblooms by Alexandra Villasante. Penguin/Paulsen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5255-1405-3. Villasante presents a raw meditation on grief and personal growth in this emotionally resonant speculative read about a teen attending a school that requires invasive surveillance. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Hollow by Taylor Grothe. Peachtree Teen, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-68263-777-7. Cassie Davis reconnects with her former friends while on a hiking trip, but when they find themselves separated, Cassie is rescued by teen Kaleb, who introduces her to his mysterious local community. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
The House Next Door by Ellen Oh. HarperCollins, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-0628-7582-2. Japanese American 12-year-old Rory Parker becomes convinced that the house next door is haunted following a frightening encounter with an elderly apparition, who cautions Rory that children aren’t safe there.
How to Say Goodbye in Cuban by Daniel Miyares Random House/Schwartz, $21.99; ISBN 978-0-593-56829-3; $13.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-56830-9. Using richly rendered watercolor illustrations accented by dark shadows, Miyares chronicles his father’s childhood in Cuba.
A Little Too Haunted by Justine Pucella Winans. Bloomsbury, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5476-1634-3. Thirteen-year-old aspiring ghost hunter Luna Catalano discovers that her family’s ghost hunting business is a scam but finds that her new house is genuinely haunted by an unfriendly specter. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Make Me a Monster by Kalynn Bayron. Bloomsbury, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-547615-86-5. Bayron explores grief, family ties, and rebirth in this tenderhearted riff on Frankenstein. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan. Atheneum, $24.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-6659-4333-8; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-6659-4332-1. Following a bonk to the head during a gym class rope-climbing incident, Eugenia dreams about her house catching fire and realizes that her dream will come true on her forthcoming birthday.
My Cat Is a Secret Agent by Daniel J. Mahoney. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-3743-9251-2. Young Samantha discovers Walter, the stray black cat her family has adopted, is a secret agent, but her family does not believe her.
Night Flight by David Barclay Moore, illus. by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-2326-2. Dreamy first-person narration and immersive art define this sweeping picture book, which tracks a child’s majestic after-dark flight astride a pterosaur.
Piccolo by Dan Yaccarino. Little, Brown/Ottaviano, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-3165-7456-3. Piccolo, a “very helpful” shrew sporting a jaunty scarf and cap, travels across an Italian cityscape rendered in golds, yellows, and oranges and radiates with promise. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
A Snow Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illus. by Erin E. Stead. Roaring Brook, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-32473-3. In this companion to the Caldecott-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee and its follow-up, Amos McGee Misses the Bus, the titular zookeeper leaves the zoo on a snowy night, and his beloved animals surprise him with a visit.
The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner. Delacorte, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-81478-9. A transgender teen’s recovery from top surgery takes a terrifying turn in this high-adrenaline horror novel from Kisner. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Wolf Club by James Bird. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-25036-240-7. Ojibwe author Bird infuses fantasy elements into an engrossing adventure novel about three middle schoolers becoming unlikely allies in a quest to protect an elusive white wolf. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
You’ve Found Oliver by Dustin Thao. Dutton, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-85847-9. Teen Oliver discovers that text messages to his late best friend’s phone have been received by the phone’s new owner and the pair decide to meet in this companion to You’ve Reached Sam.
Zip Zap Wickety Wack: A Story about Sharing by Matthew Diffee. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5871-4. When a goat pauses after a sheep’s “baa,” noting that the two share a manner of communicating, the story begins to unravel gleefully and irreverently.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of September, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
