Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a picture book about a child exploring an Indigenous concept tied to grief, a picture book tracing a balloon’s escape, a middle grade prequel that follows a tween’s search for his missing sneakers, and more.
And They Walk On by Kevin Maillard, illus. by Rafael López. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-25082-198-0. A child remembers a late loved one in this emotionally centered picture book about the Indigenous concept of “walking on.” The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Balloon by Bruce Handy, illus. by Julie Kwon. Chronicle, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-79721-504-4. After a bright orange balloon escapes its young owner’s grasp amid a flock of pigeons, a child spies evidence of the orb everywhere. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Coach by Jason Reynolds (Atheneum/Dlouhy, $17.99; ISBN 979-8-347-10237-2). In this prequel to Jason Reynolds’s Track series, Otie, later known as Coach, is gifted a pair of Jordans from his father and investigates when the shoes suddenly go missing.
Don’t Eat Eustace by Lian Cho. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0633-2184-7. Lighthouse keeper Bear captures fish Eustace and initially plans on consuming him but instead opts for tomato soup—and friendship with Eustace. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Dragonborn by Struan Murray. Dutton, $19.99; ISBN 979-8-217-11321-7. Two years after her father’s death, 12-year-old Alex Evans uncovers a secret about her parentage that her overprotective mother has been trying to hide: Alex is a dragon like her dad. She’s taken to a hidden island where she will study among other dragonlings and practice controlling her new abilities.
The First Boat by José Saramago, illus. by Amanda Mijangos, trans. by Margaret Jull Costa. Seven Stories/Triangle Square, $18.95; ISBN 978-1-64421-472-5. A man who lives at the edge of the sea appreciates the ocean’s beauty and strength in this picture book by the Nobel Prize winner.
The Five Wolves by Peter McCarty. First Second, $29.99; ISBN 978-1-250-17062-0. Caldecott Honoree McCarty makes his graphic novel debut with an otherworldly feeling poem in comics form. The graphic novel received a starred review from PW.
Invisible: The (Sort Of) True Story of Me and My Hidden Disease by David Soren. Penguin Workshop, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-88662-5. A tween struggles to adapt to his chronic illness as well as the arrival of a fantastical and unwelcome new roommate in Soren’s lively debut, which the author notes was inspired by his experience growing up with an invisible disability. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault by Megan Clendenan, illus. by Brittany Cicchese. Charlesbridge, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62354-480-5. The critical importance of seed-saving is the focal point of this picture book profile of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the “priceless treasure” it protects.
Kindred Dragons by Sarah Mensinga. Abrams Fanfare, $24.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-4197-7116-3; $15.99 paper ISBN 978-1-4197-7115-6. When young Alice encounters an ailing reclusive dragon and she undertakes a solitary quest to save him, along the way uncovering more about her own unusual magical abilities that set her apart from other Kindreds, humans able to telepathically communicate with dragons. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin. Atheneum, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-7312-0. A Black teen navigates burgeoning Y2K panic as he determines to overcome internal and external obstacles to forge a better path.
The Leaving Room by Amber McBride. Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-90808-7. A teen steward acting as a bridge to the afterlife wonders if there’s more to her existence in this achingly tender verse romance by McBride. The novel in verse received a starred review from PW, and is a finalist for the National Book Award.
My Life as an Internet Novel Vol. 1 by Yu Han-ryeo, illus. by A Hyeon. Random House Graphic, $24.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-0-593-90128-1; $17.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-593-90127-4. Teen Dani is sucked into a fictional world where she’s cast as the best friend and must find a way to get home.
The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore, illus. by Hayden Goodman. Holt, $14.99; ISBN 978-1-250-34994-1. In this novel set against the backdrop of a snow-capped city apartment building, Goodman uses folk-style character and scene designs to visually enliven Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” .
An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew. Joy Revolution, $19.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-0-5939-0394-0; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-0-5939-0395-7. A galvanizing love triangle in a Miami impacted by rising sea levels lights up this standalone dystopian romance. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
The Polar Bear and the Ballerina by Eric Velasquez. Holiday House, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-4918-7. A polar bear and a human dancer form an instant bond in a lushly rendered wordless picture book from Velasquez. The book received a starred review from PW.
The Tear Collector by R.M. Romero. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-57804-2. In this affecting fantasy, Romero utilizes a devastatingly candid third-person narrative to render a group of climate crisis survivors fighting for a brighter future. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
There Are No Silly Questions: More Than 200 Weird and Wacky Questions, Expertly Answered! by Mike Rampton, illus. by Guilherme Karsten. Nosy Crow, $24.99; ISBN 979-8-887-771960. This collection asks all the questions young readers may never ask aloud about science, math, and zoology, with responses from experts from the University of Cambridge.
Year Round by Audrey Helen Weber. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5720-5. Weber organizes a northerly annum’s chronology into winter questions, spring feelings, summer wishes, and fall thoughts in this exuberant seasonal accounting, which features appealing, perspective-distorted gouache and acrylic paintings. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of October, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
