Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a YA mystery about the sudden death of a teen’s best friend, a picture book featuring fairy tale favorites, a picture book about navigating first day jitters, and more.
After We Burned by Marieke Nijkamp. Sourcebooks Fire, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-7282-9120-8. Artistic high schooler Eden had plans to leave her abusive home with her best friend Payton, but when Payton dies the night before their escape, Eden is pulled back into their town by her investigation. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Bear and the Three Goldilocks by Patrick Horne, illus. by Dan Yaccarino. Holiday House, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5552-2. Poetic justice finally comes to three long-suffering bears of fairy tale fame.
Big Kids by K.L. Going, illus. by Reggie Brown. Little, Brown, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-316-50977-0. A young Black narrator reflects on what it means to be a “big kid” in this straightforward account of overcoming first-day fears.
Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-338-84991-2. Twelve-year-old Kaylani is spending her summer with cousins at Martha’s Vineyard, but when a local teenager is found dead Kalyani teams up with her new friends to investigate. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet by Goldy Moldavsky. Random House, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-593-81376-8. Moldavsky makes her middle grade debut in this sharp series starter about an amateur detective who reveres adult investigators from classic noir movies. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
Call Your Boyfriend by Olivia A. Cole and Ashley Woodfolk. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66596-714-3. Two high school seniors scheme against a heartbreaker classmate in this biting collaboration from Cole and Woodfolk.
Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C.B. Lee. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-250-77802-4; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-250-41733-6. Two ambitious heroines driven by personal and familial goals must contend with high-stakes conflicts surrounding prophecy, conspiracy, and potential catastrophe in this realms-hopping romantasy. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Daisy Rewilds by Margaret McNamara, illus. by Kerascoët. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5931-2567-0. A “born naturalist,” redheaded young Daisy is delighted to discover that when she skips bathing for five weeks, moss sprouts behind her ear and seeds start taking root. Her literal blooming alarms her parents, but horticulture-loving Auntie Betsy is all in, and together they transform Daisy into a walking garden.
Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson. Feiwel and Friends, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-32972-1. After forging a deal with the Thief to help break a curse in exchange for her freedom, Magnolia enters a [tournament with the Liar, the Thief’s brother, and struggles to steal his secrets as she’s falling for him.
The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby. Random House, $18.99 hardcover; ISBN 979-8-217116-62-1; $9.99 paper ISBN 979-8-217-11663-8. As a new school year progresses, Lottie turns to her diary to help navigate a shifting home life and her mother’s pregnancy while maintaining her long-distance relationship with her best friend Molly.
Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner. Simon & Schuster, $23.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-6659-3813-6; ISBN 978-1-6659-3812-9. A fast-talking ghost mentor, an endearing tween, and a possibly cursed musical instrument combine in this emphatically rock-’n’-roll graphic novel that riffs on themes of identity, legacy, and learning to own one’s sound.
Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina, illus. by Anna and Elena Balbusso. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1945-6. The Newbery Medalist delivers a beguiling aquatic adventure in her first fantasy offering, set in a fictional Spanish-inspired landscape. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
I Come from Another Galaxy by James Kwan. Abrams, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-4197-7114-9. An intrepid youth describes life among alien peers in this interstellar journal account turned school tale.
Junius Leak and the Spiraling Vortex of Doom by Allan Wolf. Candlewick, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5362-1745-2. Wolf blends swashbuckling mystery with ecological disaster in an epic novel about one family’s 100-year-old connection with Lake Peigneur in the Louisiana wetlands. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang. Random House, $20.99; ISBN 978-0-593-89736-2. In this beguiling series launch from Chang, two princes from warring kingdoms and one prophesied empress grapple with destiny in an intricately described alternate ancient China.
Peachaloo in Bloom by Chris Raschka. Holiday House/Porter, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-8234-5855-4. Optimistic 12-year-old Peachaloo Piccolozampa, who has “uneven legs,” and her feisty grandmother face off against scheming newcomer Major Gasbag, whose plot to construct an opulent resort over a beloved local swimming hole contradicts the wishes of the enigmatic organization that previously owned the property.
Pretty Girl County by Lakita Wilson. Viking, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-52564-7. Former friends Reya and Sommer must navigate class dynamics and economic divides to help each other accomplish their goals. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Snoop by Gordon Korman. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5461-2608-9. After a ski trip accident keeps him homebound, Carter hacks into public security cameras to spy on his classmates but instead discovers a group of endangered animals in need of his help.
Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone. Holt, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-250-34890-6. Lark Arriscane discovers she can save her brothers from financial ruin in exchange for marrying Therion—a god of salt and darkness, but when the wedding is interrupted Lark turns to her childhood friends who may know more about Therion and the ceremony than they let on. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
This Book Might Be About Zinnia by Brittney Morris. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66590-401-8. High school senior Zinnia, a biracial adoptee, suspects that a famous novelist might be her birth mother, and sets out to meet the writer, hoping to craft a stellar piece about the interaction before her college essay deadline.
This Is Where We Die by Cindy R.X. He. Sourcebooks Fire, $12.99 paper; ISBN 978-1-7282-9342-4. Eight friends went on a skiing trip last year and only six teens of them survived the avalanche that killed their peers. Ahead of graduation, the survivors choose to throw a party, but when another in their group dies, they find themselves turning on each other.
Tyger by SF Said, illus. by Dave McKean. Penguin Workshop, $18.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-0-593-88724-0; $9.99 paper ISBN 978-0-593-88725-7. Two young Muslim artists battle colonial tyranny in this hopeful parable.
Watch Out for Falling Iguanas by Edwidge Danticat, illus. by Rachel Moss. Black Sheep, $16.95; ISBN 978-1-636-14232-6. Danticat explores a grandparent’s words through the eyes of young Leila, who is stunned to discover that her grandmother’s advice about reptiles falling from the sky is true.
The Yomigaeri Tunnel by Kelly Murashige. Soho, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-641-29703-5. Eighteen-year-old Monika learns about the legend of the Yomigaeri Tunnel and its ability to resurrect the dead. She and her new friend Shiori head into the tunnel, setting into motion a series of events in which both girls encounter past recollections and new confrontations in ethereal visions—conjured by the tunnel—that challenge their self-perceptions and reveal uncomfortable truths. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of July, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.