Among all the frights this month, young readers can look forward to a bit of fun with notable releases including a picture book following an unlikely friendship between predator and prey, a middle grade novel following a group of Swifties, the story of an alien in hiding returning to his spaceship, and more.
Picture Books and Early Readers
Kevin Maillard, illus. by Rafael López. Roaring Brook, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-25082-198-0. Ages 4–8. A child remembers a late loved one in this emotionally centered picture book about the Indigenous concept of “walking on.” The book received a starred review from PW.
Bruce Handy, illus. by Julie Kwon. Chronicle, $17.99 (44p) ISBN 978-1-79721-504-4. Ages 3–5. After a bright orange balloon escapes its young owner’s grasp amid a flock of pigeons, the child spies evidence of the orb everywhere. The book received a starred review from PW.
Lian Cho. HarperCollins, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-0633-2184-7. Ages 4–8. Bear captures fish Eustace with intents to eat him, but the fish then attempts to escape its untimely demise. The book received a starred review from PW.
Joren Cull. Penguin Workshop, $19.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-593-65926-7. Ages 5–8. Lap Cat seeks “the perfect lap” in Cull’s quirky, medieval-meets-modern telling. The book received a starred review from PW.
Lena the Chicken (but Really a Dinosaur!)
Linda Bailey, illus. by K-Fai Steele. Tundra, $18.99 (56p) ISBN 978-1-7748-8013-5. Ages 3–7. Convinced she’s descended from mighty dinosaurs, fierce fowl protagonist Lena is confident she will be the one to scare off a predator. The book received a starred review from PW.
Eugenia Perrella, trans. from the Spanish by Sally Polson, illus. by Angela Salerno. Floris, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-7825-0925-7. Ages 4–7. A family’s forced migration prompts a new way of seeing home in this sensitively rendered tale of change. The book received a starred review from PW.
Clement C. Moore, illus. by Hayden Goodman. Holt, $14.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-250-34994-1. Ages 4–8. Goodman uses folk-style character and scene designs to visually enliven Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” set against a backdrop of a snow-capped city apartment building. The book received a starred review from PW.
Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship with a Side of Deliciousness!
Mika Song. Random House Graphic, $20.99 hardcover (160p) ISBN 978-0-593-30315-3; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-30314-6. Ages 6–9. A raccoon living in the walls of a fine dining restaurant finds herself the unexpected guardian of a baby crow in this wholesome graphic novel. The book received a starred review from PW.
Melanie Florence, illus. by Matt James. Tundra, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-77488-266-5. Ages 4–8. An instrument unites loved ones for a truly emotional effect across this time-spanning story. The book received a starred review from PW.
G. Brian Karas. Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-5936-2551-4. Ages 3–7. 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 book received a starred review from PW.
The Polar Bear and the Ballerina
Eric Velasquez. Holiday House, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-0-8234-4918-7. Ages 4–8. A polar bear and a human dancer form an instant bond in this lushly rendered wordless picture book from Velasquez. The book received a starred review from PW.
Maria Gianferrari, illus. by Hannah Salyer. Clarion, $19.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-0632-57252. Ages 4–8. Young Rain tends to Snow, the beautiful white horse she reads to, which helps her get comfortable with reading aloud. The book received a starred review from PW.
This Is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color
Rachel Poliquin, illus. by Julie Morstad. Candlewick, $18.99 (48p) ISBN 978-1-5362-3052-9. Ages 5–9. Poliquin takes readers on a journey that connects art, culture, geography, history, nature, and science while discussing orange’s many manifestations. The book received a starred review from PW.
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, illus. by Raissa Figueroa. Random House Studio, $18.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-593-70541-4. Ages 4–8. Sunshine becomes a metaphorical thread connecting three brown-skinned sisters during a frolicsome afternoon in this aptly written portrayal of sibling dynamics. See our q&a with Thompkins-Bigelow about her work as an author and educator.
Emma AdBåge, trans. from the Swedish by Melissa Bowers. Arctis, $18 (32p) ISBN 978-1-6469-0048-0. Ages 4–8. AdBåge combines the matter-of-fact and the awe-inspiring to capture a glimpse of social caretaking and minor fame in the kid world. The book received a starred review from PW.
Millie Von Platen. Calkins Creek, $18.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-6626-8155-4. Ages 4–8. This playful picture book debut takes inspiration from the 13-mile summer 2025 Manhattan campaign walk of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Read more about the making of the book here.
Middle Grade
Dan Gemeinhart. Holt, $17.99 (352p) ISBN 978-1-250-37836-1. Ages 8–12. An unlikely trio embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this laugh-out-loud romp by Gemeinhart. The book received a starred review from PW.
Confessions from the Group Chat
Jodi Meadows. Holiday House, $18.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-823461-22-6. Ages 8–12. Eighth grader Virginia Vaughn deals with social fallout when her group chat with her friends is posted online. See Meadows’s conversation with fellow author Susan Metallo about learning the social cues of girlhood.
Struan Murray. Dutton, $19.99 (336p) ISBN 979-8-217-11321-7. Ages 8–12. After Alex Evans discovers that she is a dragon, she is taken to the hidden island of Skralla, one of the last dragon strongholds on Earth, where she will study among other dragonlings and practice controling her new abilities. Read more about the series launch by Scottish author Murray.
Rebecca Stead. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-250-37476-9. Ages 8–12. In the latest middle grade novel from Newbery Medalist Stead, Nathan and his family—members of an alien species called Kast—are caught masquerading as humans in New York City and sent back to their mothership, where Nathan discovers it to be a place of inequity and deprivation.
Holly Goldberg Sloan. Rocky Pond, $17.99 (208p) ISBN 978-0-593-53025-2. Ages 9 and up. Grieving the death of her father, tween Cordy and her family adopt a lovable dog which sets into motion gradual changes that result in emotional conflict. See our q&a with Sloan. The book received a starred review from PW.
Peter McCarty. First Second, $29.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-250-17062-0. Ages 9–14. Caldecott Honoree McCarty makes his graphic novel debut with an otherworldly feeling poem in comics form. The book received a starred review from PW.
Dusti Bowling. Bloomsbury, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-5476-1606-0. Ages 8–12. Thirteen-year-old Canyon must navigate the politics of an elite bull riding competition on his own when his mother dies suddenly and his father turns to drinking. The book received a starred review from PW.
Invisible: The (Sort of) True Story of Me and My Hidden Disease
David Soren. Penguin Workshop, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-593-88662-5. Ages 8–12. 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, inspired by his experience growing up with an invisible disability. The book received a starred review from PW.
Sarah Mensinga. Abrams Fanfare, $24.99 hardcover (208p) ISBN 978-1-4197-7116-3; $15.99 paper ISBN 978-1-4197-7115-6. Ages 10–13. Young Alice encounters an old, reclusive dragon named Brim and when she learns that Brim is sick, she undertakes a solitary quest to save him. The book received a starred review from PW.
Jennifer Holm. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-1-5461-3814-3. Ages 9–12. In this riveting survival novel by Newbery Honoree Holm, 12-year-old Razzi ventures for the first time beyond her secluded doorstep. See our q&a with Holm. The book received a starred review from PW.
Jen Calonita. Scholastic, $8.99 paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-5461-7677-0. Ages 8–12. Hardcore Swift fan Taylor Bennett shares a class with three other devoted Swifties, and the group soon makes a pact: if they don’t all manage to obtain elusive tickets to the Indianapolis stop of the Eras Tour, none of them will attend the concert. The book received a starred review from PW.
Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop
Martin Seneviratne and Krystal Sutherland. Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99 (272p) ISBN 978-0-5936-1632-1. Ages 10 and up. 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 book received a starred review from PW.
Alan Gratz. Scholastic Press, $18.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-3387-3610-6. Ages 9–12. In a smartly plotted page-turner, young athletes competing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics literally go for the gold upon becoming embroiled in a plot to rob the German national bank. See our author profile here. The book received a starred review from PW.
Young Adult
Jill Tew. Joy Revolution, $19.99 hardcover (352p) ISBN 978-0-5939-0394-0; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-0-5939-0395-7. Ages 12 and up. In 2190, Eden Lowell lives in the impoverished Marshes of flooded former Miami, and wealthy Cruisers indulge in carefree luxury on ocean liners while hoarding the nation’s resources. When a scavenging venture leaves a loved one hurt, Eden decides to fight back by overturning the system responsible for these inequities. The book received a starred review from PW.
Jihyun Yun. Knopf, $20.99 (400p) ISBN 978-0-59390-487-9. Ages 14 and up. A grieving Korean American teen accesses forbidden magic and contends with the spine-tingling results in this chilling YA debut. The book received a starred review from PW.
Trung Le Nguyen. Random House Graphic, $24.99 hardcover (224p) ISBN 978-1-9848-9267-6; $17.99 paper ISBN 978-1-9848-9266-9. Ages 12 and up. Nguyen spins a captivating tale of romance, grief, and community in a graphic novel that draws inspiration from “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” and Cyrano de Bergerac. See our q&a with Nguyen. The book received a starred review from PW.
Fall of the Fireflies (Seasons of Sisterhood #1)
Guadalupe García McCall. Tu, $23.95 (352p) ISBN 978-1-64379-699-4. Ages 13–17. 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 book received a starred review from PW.
Amber McBride. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99 (224p) ISBN 978-1-250-90808-7. Ages 12 and up. A teen steward acting as a bridge to the afterlife wonders if there’s more to her existence in this tender verse romance and National Book Award finalist. The book received a starred review from PW.
Vivi Partridge. Emanata, $20 paper (120p) ISBN 978-1-77262-113-6. Ages 13 and up. Debut creator Partridge leverages fantasy allegory surrounding death and grief for a reflective and heartfelt speculative graphic novel. The book received a starred review from PW.
Farrah Penn. Viking, $20.99 (432p) ISBN 978-0-593-52833-4. Ages 14 and up. In this fantasy adventure, teens navigate a slow-burn love triangle and physics-bending time-travel shenanigans. The book received a starred review from PW.
Tiffany D. Jackson. Quill Tree, $19.99 (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-327127-2. Ages 14 and up. A Black college freshman and her roommates find themselves caught in the web of a charismatic but dangerous older man. Read about the making of the thriller here and see our q&a with Jackson here.
