Here’s a look at some of the books hitting shelves next week, from socially relevant picture books, middle grade capers, steampunk YA, and more.
Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic by Armand Baltazar. HarperCollins/Tegen, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-240236-3. In this middle grade adventure series opener, dinosaurs coexist alongside steam technology and giant robots, and four children team up with pirates to rescue their loved ones from marauders bent on destroying society. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Pup and Bear by Kate Banks, illus. by Naoko Stoop. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-399-55409-4. In this picture book an abandoned wolf cub finds a caretaker in a polar bear. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Far from the Tree by Robin Benway. HarperTeen, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-233062-8. Three siblings separated in infancy find each other as teens, in this emotional YA novel. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Good Day, Good Night by Margaret Wise Brown, illus. by Loren Long. Harper, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-238310-5. Created from two unpublished fragments written by Brown in 1950, this book could answer the question, “What happened to that bunny from Goodnight, Moon?”
Greetings from Witness Protection! by Jake Burt. Feiwel and Friends, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-250-10711-4. Sassy, snarky Nicki Demere—a 13-year-old foster kid with a big heart and the quick hands of a seasoned thief—is commissioned by the U.S. marshals to join a family in the Witness Protection Program and help them fly under the radar. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-50833-9. In a whimsical fantasy set in a “British Isles so old it did not know it was the British Isles yet,” Cowell (the How to Train Your Dragon books) launches a series featuring two feuding societies: the “Wizards, who were Magic” and the “Warriors, who were not.”
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani. First Second, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-087-9. In this graphic novel, Priyanka is the teenage daughter of a single mother from Calcutta who won’t answer her questions about why she came to the U.S. or who Priyanka’s father is. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-249128-2. In this high fantasy, steampunk-infused YA novel, 15-year-old Wil discovers her ability to transform people into stones, leading to their deaths.
La La La: A Story of Hope by Kate DiCamillo, illus. by Jaime Kim. Candlewick, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-5833-5. DiCamillo’s story, told with a single word, is one even the youngest readers can understand. Everyone wants to be seen, and everyone wants someone to sing back to them. The book earned a starred review from PW.
Brooding YA Hero: Becoming a Main Character (Almost) as Awesome as Me by Carrie DiRisio, illus. by Linnea Gear. Sky Pony, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5107-2666-6. DiRisio brings her @broodingYAhero Twitter persona to the page in this insider-y faux manual “written” by Broody McHottiepants, the sort of dangerously attractive love interest who can be “found in all your favorite books.”
Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, illus. by Shawn Harris. Chronicle, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-4521-6281-2. In this picture book exploring the history and symbolism of the Statue of Liberty, Eggers points out that the statue’s right foot is raised, as if in motion. “Liberty and freedom from oppression are not things you get or grant by standing around,” Eggers asserts. “These are things that require action. Courage. An unwillingness to rest.” The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-544-87639-2. Glaser sets her uplifting debut novel, the first of a new series, in contemporary Harlem, where the biracial Vanderbeekers rent the bottom two floors of a four-story brownstone, and must come up with a plan to avoid moving out of their home by year’s end.
A Skinful of Shadows by Frances Hardinge. Amulet, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-2572-2. As the English Civil War gains momentum, a girl named Makepeace Lightfoot attempts to uncover the shadowy secrets of her family history after her mother is killed. The YA novel received a starred review from PW.
That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston. Dutton, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-101-99497-9. What if the British Empire had never fallen, and its traditions of debutante balls and royal matchmaking survived into the 21st century? In this vividly imagined alternate history, set in the near future, the Church of the Empire runs a DNA-matching service to ensure that mates are biologically compatible, both for commoners and for royals. The book received a starred review from PW.
Where’s Halmoni? by Julie Kim. Little Bigfoot, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-63217-077-4. In Kim’s first outing as author, two clever modern-day kids meet characters from Korean lore as they search for their missing halmoni (Korean for grandmother). The book received a starred review from PW.
All the Wind in the World by Samantha Mabry. Algonquin Young Readers, $17.95; ISBN 978-1-61620-666-6. Posing as cousins, Sarah and James hide their true feelings to survive among the itinerant jimadors cutting maguey in New Mexico, in this YA novel.
The Five Forms by Barbara McClintock. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-216-3. In this picture book, a girl practices poses for Chinese martial arts with surprising results. The book received a starred review from PW.
The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid by Colin Meloy, illus. by Carson Ellis. HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-06-234245-4. Meloy and Ellis, co-creators of the Wildwood Chronicles, blend shades of Dickens, Rowling, and Robin Hood in the idiosyncratic tale of a 12-year-old American boy in 1960s Marseille.
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat. Roaring Brook, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-62672-682-6. What happened to Humpty Dumpty after his great fall? Santat’s tale about facing fear imagines a long recovery. The book earned a starred review from PW.
The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket, illus. by Matthew Forsythe. Little, Brown, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-316-39278-5. Snicket’s protagonist navigates many fluctuations of moods, in this picture book.
You’re All Kinds of Wonderful by Nancy Tillman. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-11376-4. Tillman’s latest picture book celebrates children’s unique qualities and talents while showing them in various pursuits, joined by animals that often take part in the fun.
Accident! by Andrea Tsurumi. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-544-94480-0. When an armadillo named Lola knocks a jug of red juice onto her family’s white sofa, she flees to the library to hide, and it becomes apparent that she is far from an outlier: the entire city is plagued by hapless inhabitants who aren’t owning up to the messes they’re making. The book earned a starred review from PW.
I Want That Nut! by Madeline Valentine. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-101-94037-2. When a “big, beautiful Nut” appears out of nowhere, Mouse and Chipmunk are instantly smitten, and they battle for ownership. The picture book earned a starred review from PW.
God’s Great Love for You by Rick Warren, illus. by Chris Saunders. Zonderkidz, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-310-75247-9. In simple, lilting language, pastor and author Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) describes God’s love in comparative terms.
Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin. Peachtree, $16.95; ISBN 978-1-68263-003-7. It’s about time that Rapunzel saved herself, and in Woollvin’s sly follow-up to 2016’s Little Red, she does exactly that.
Meow! by Victoria Ying. Harper, $15.99; ISBN 978-0-06-244096-9. Using only slight variations of the “meow” of the title as dialogue, Ying (Lost and Found; What’s That Sound?) follows an anthropomorphic gray kitten around his house as he looks for someone to play with. The book earned 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.
