Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including a YA drama about a competitive sports school, a middle grade novel about a tween embracing his disability, a middle grade novel following the social fallout among a group of friends when their group chat is posted online, and more.
Balancing Act by Paula Chase. Wednesday, $20; ISBN 978-1-250-80939-1. High school gymnast Chyna Thomas attends The Heights, an elite charter school, where she grieves the murder of her secret boyfriend. When venomous comments are posted by an anonymous social media account, Heights players find that much more is riding on this season’s outcome.
The Bionic Boy by Lynn Plourde. Penguin/Paulsen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-11137-6. Fifth grader Benji struggles with the attention he garners because he was born without hands, but upon encountering a sergeant amputee, determines to become more confident in himself.
Confessions from the Group Chat by Jodi Meadows. Holiday House, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-823461-22-6. Eighth grader Virginia copes with social fallout when her friends’ group chat is posted online.
The Demon and the Light by Axie Oh. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-85311-0. In the conclusion to The Floating World series, Sunho transforms into an unrecognizable monster as Ren fights to save the Floating World while a war with an empire heats up.
Fall of the Fireflies by Guadalupe García McCall. Tu, $23.95; ISBN 978-1-64379-699-4. Set in the world of García McCall’s Summer of the Mariposas, this mesmerizing novel follows 15-year-old Mexican American twins Velia and Delia as they determine to save their father’s soul from supernatural beings. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
The Free State of Jax by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-546166-08-5. Tween Jax establishes his own micronation, thus beginning his crash course in developing a new society where he must navigate both survival and interpersonal relationships.
Glitter Kittens by William Joyce. Athenenum/Dlouhy, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-665-95990-2. After getting into an argument with friends about their vanity, glittery kittens Flash, Flare, Twinkle, and Sparkle Tangerine step out of the spotlight to save themselves when their shine attracts a monster.
How to Save an Otter by Kate Messner, illus. by Jennifer Bricking. Bloomsbury, $17.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-5476-1757-9; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-1-5476-1642-8. Drawing from her own volunteer experience, Messner highlights themes of ecological conservation and wildlife preservation in the first entry in the Wildlife Rescue series.
K-Jane by Lydia Kang. Quill Tree, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-335462-3. With help from her grandmother, Korean American teen Jane educates herself in all things Korean, including the food, language, music, and more, which she documents on a private social media account. But when a video goes viral, Jane struggles to manage the emotional fallout of online infamy.
The One About the Blackbird by Melanie Florence, illus. by Matt James. Tundra, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-77488-266-5. An instrument unites loved ones for a truly emotional effect across this time-spanning story. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Our Air by G. Brian Karas. Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-2551-4. Acknowledging both that “I’ve been with you since you were born” and “You don’t give me much thought,” narrator the Air gently but firmly reminds readers that while it may be invisible, it’s keeping them—and everything else on the planet—going. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Our Vicious Descent by Hayley Dennings. Sourcebooks Fire, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-7282-9790-3. In the conclusion to the Ravenous Fate duology, vampire hunter Elise has escaped with her vampire love Layla, but the pair must work together as the political underworld begins to shift, and vampire powers evolve.
A Sound in the Night by María Coco. Rise x Penguin Workshop, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5938-9060-8. A camping getaway for a human and pet pooch becomes a tale of found family in this winsome, largely wordless story.
Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop by Martin Seneviratne and Krystal Sutherland. Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-1632-1. Upon time-traveling from contemporary London to ancient Egypt, genius Sri Lankan 12-year-old twins Pearl and Patrick accidentally kill the mosquito destined to infect King Tutankhamen with malaria, thus derailing history. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
This Is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color by Rachel Poliquin, illus. by Julie Morstad. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-3052-9. Poliquin takes readers on a journey that connects art, culture, geography, history, nature, and science while discussing orange’s many manifestations. The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Winging It by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illus. by Michelle Mee Nutter. Graphix, $24.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-338-81853-6; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-338-81852-9. Luna’s world is turned upside down when she and her father move from California to live with her distant maternal grandmother in a suburb outside of Washington, D.C., but she and her grandmother bond over their shared grief and love for Luna’s mom.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of October, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
