Young readers are sure to welcome spring and new installments of their favorite series with open arms. Out this month are a picture book about mixing colors, a series installment about an invasion by adorable felines, a YA fantasy sequel about a demon takeover, and more.
Picture Books and Early Readers
Ador-a-butts! by Kari Lavelle (Sourcebooks Explore, Mar. 3 $14.99; ISBN 978-1-4642-3306-7). Readers continue to figure out which ends of animals they’re looking at in close-up in the fourth book in the Butt or Face series.
Bear Worries by Natalia Shaloshvili (Frances Lincoln, Mar. 3 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-80570-101-9). The companion picture book to Bear follows the titular creature navigating anxieties around eating a cookie.
Come What May by Debi Gliori (Beach Lane, Mar. 3 $19.99; ISBN 978-1-665-98276-4). In the picture book companion to No Matter What, when Small is having a difficult day, Large is there to show them support through all their worries.
Father’s Day Fuss by Suzanne Lang, illus. by Max Lang (Random House Studio, Mar. 31$12.99; ISBN 978-0-593-70940-5). Different generations of Grumpy Monkey’s family celebrate this holiday in the latest addition to the Grumpy Monkey series.
Fox Catches a Wave by Corey R. Tabor (Greenwillow, Mar. 31 $5.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-337094-4). In the latest companion to Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night, and Fox the Tiger, Fox is once again off on an adventure and taking a unique mode of transportation along the way.
Honor Flight: Celebrating America's Veterans by Jeff Gottesfeld, illus. by Matt Tavares (Candlewick, Mar. 3 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-536-23015-4). A U.S. veteran narrates a once-in-a-lifetime visit to the military memorials of Washington, D.C., in this companion picture book to Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Just Try It! Someplace New! by Phil Rosenthal and Lily Rosenthal, illus. by Luke Flowers (Simon & Schuster, Mar. 10 $19.99; ISBN 978-1-665-94265-2). In the second book in this series from the host of Somebody Feed Phil and his daughter, Phil attempts to help Lily grapple with difficult feelings about staying in a new place.
Maya’s Big Question by Meena Harris, illus. by Marissa Valdez (Little, Brown, Mar. 3 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-56134-1). In the third book of the Ambitious Girl series, Maya’s curiosity about a lack of representation at a museum exhibit leads to big change.
What’s That Color? by Andrea Beaty, illus. by David Roberts (Abrams Appleseed, Mar. 10 $19.99; 978-1-4197-8666-2). In the newest installment of The Questioneers series, the cast of curious children mix colors together to create something new.
Where Do Race Cars Sleep at Night? by Brianna Caplan Sayres, illus. by Christian Slade (Random House, Mar. 24 $10.99; ISBN 978-0-593-89803-1). Vehicles known for their speed prepare to slow down in this bedtime story in the Where Do… Series.
Illustrated and Graphic Novels
The Bad Guys in Attack of the Zitten by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic, Mar. 3 $12.99 paper; ISBN 979-8-225-03741-3). The Bad Guys must survive a zombie kitten apocalypse with the help of some old friends in the fourth title in The Bad Guys series.
Bat and the Case of the Yips by Elana K. Arnold (Clarion, Mar. 24 $18.99; ISBN 978-0-06-338518-4). Young Bat only signs up to play baseball to bring his pet skunk along with him on a trip, but soon discovers the joys of teamwork in the fifth book in The Bat Series.
Hikaru in the Light! (Vol. 3) by Mai Matsuda (Scholastic/Graphix, Mar. 3 $11.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-546-14104-4). In the third installment of this graphic novel series, Hikaru grows worried about competing against her friends in the Girls in the Light pop idol competition.
How to Save a Tortoise by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury, Mar. 3 $8.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-547-61649-7). When a tortoise gets injured, Ana, Sofia and their cousins help get the animal to the hospital and fight for more safety precautions for animals, in the third installment of the Wildlife Rescue series.
Let’s Have a Sleepover! by Salina Yoon (Bloomsbury, Mar. 3 $12.99; ISBN 978-1-547-61245-1). The animal besties struggle to find an activity they can both enjoy at their sleepover in the second Kat & Mouse graphic novel.
Speak of the Devil by Sweeney Boo (HarperAlley, Mar. 3 $18.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-305633-6). In the second Over My Dead Body graphic novel, a fissure suddenly appears on school grounds and in Abigial’s attempts to fix it, she accidentally awakens a vengeful entity.
Sneak Attack by Scott Kurtz (Holiday House, Mar. 10 $24.99 and $14.99; simultaneous hardcover and paper, ISBN 978-0-823-45317-7 and ISBN 978-0-823-46111-0). Val, Kate, Alan, Andrew, and Darius are excited to attend live-action roleplay camp, until they learn they’ve all been divided into different teams, in the second book in the Table Titans Club series.
Novels
Ape Escape by Stuart Gibbs (Simon & Schuster, Mar. 24 $17.99; ISBN 978-1-665-98677-9). In the 10th installment of the Funjungle series, Teddy races to find a baby gorilla that is stolen from an orphanage.
Be Right Back by Bill Wood (Scholastic, Mar. 3 $14.99 paper; ISBN 979-8-2-2500619-8). The second installment of the Let's Split Up series brings together the Sanera gang for a Halloween party, but a new killer wants to make their mark by killing the group that has already survived one slaughter.
Chasing Shadows by Erin Hunter (Harper, Mar. 31 $19.99; ISBN 978-0-06-335716-7). Moonpaw worries that her visions make her a threat to the clan; Tawnypelt returns to the clan after being silenced about a prophecy; and apprentice Starlingpaw believes he can save them in the third book of the Warriors: Changing Skies series.
Cup of Nations by T.Z. Layton (Sourcebooks, Mar. 3 $9.99; ISBN 978-1-4642-6829-8). Leo has achieved his goal of playing with team U.S.A. at the Cup of Nations but fears his dreams may shatter when his teammates can’t get along, in the fifth installment of The Academy.
The Dragon and the Sun Lotus by Amélie Wen Zhao (Delacorte, Mar. 3 $22.99; ISBN 978-0-593-81388-1). In the second book of The Three Realms series, still stinging from the betrayal of her lover, Àn’yīng is more determined than ever to banish all deadly demons from her kingdom and will need the help of a mysterious heir to end this battle.
Relic of Thieves by Shana Targosz (Aladdin, Mar. 24 $18.99; ISBN 978-1-665-95766-3). In hopes of reuniting with her sister, Anya steals a witch’s key that can take a person anywhere, but winds up transporting her and her sister to a dangerous land in the second book of The Underwild series.
The Secret Cave by Anh Do (Harper, Mar. 10 $9.99 paper; ISBN 978-0-06-334610-9). Right as Gwen finally gets close to returning home, she and the rest of the wolf pack must slow down for an injured member as soldiers gain ground on them in the third book of the Wolf Girl series.
