Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a YA novel about a teen facing life after high school, a picture book about a whale longing for the sea, a story about a possum and her babies, and a book about a boy and the mermaids he admires.

The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik by David Arnold. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-425-28886-3. In this YA novel, Arnold (Mosquitoland) explores the stagnancy of a predetermined path and unanswered questions about reality, interpretation, and imagination, as the protagonist, a 16-year-old swimmer, starts to look at life after high school.

Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell, illus. by Richard Jones. Schwartz & Wade, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-1518-2. In this picture book, a girl helps a whale escape her tank for the ocean. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Possum and the Summer Storm by Anne Hunter. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-544-89891-2. When Possum and his three children lose their brush pile home during a storm, they go searching for a new one.

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-9045-8. In this picture book, a boy dresses up like the mermaids he admires, and joins a parade with his abuela. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton. Disney-Hyperion, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-4847-9062-5. 16-year-old Cliff Hubbard joins forces with the bullying football player at his school in order to save the day in this humorous YA novel. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro. Tor Teen, $17.99; ISBN 978-1-250-16702-6. Oshiro, creator of the Mark Does Stuff website, takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster in this powerful and timely debut novel that conveys a community’s bitter experience living within a culture of white supremacy.

Dog on a Digger by Kate Prendergast. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-0041-6. In this naturalistic picture book, a dog and his construction worker owner save a puppy.

In-Between Things by Priscilla Tey. Candlewick, $16.99; ISBN 978-0-7636-8983-4. “An in-between thing is a thing in the middle,” debut author Tey explains on the opening page of this picture book, and with dog and cat frenemies as readers’ guides, she gives a lowly preposition the star treatment. The book earned a starred review from PW.

For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of May, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.