Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles, including a picture book about a snail’s spooky transformation, a middle grade novel tracing an immigrant’s journey, a YA memoir grappling with the effects of sexual assault, and more.

Bob the Vampire Snail by Andrea Zuill. Random House Studio, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5938-1496-3. Something going “THUD!” in the night has turned the once-ordinary snail protagonist of this picture book into a vampire—he gains not only wings but fangs, too. The picture book received a starred review from PW.

The Freedom Seeker by Ruchira Gupta. Scholastic Press, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-3390-1242-1. Gupta follows one immigrant child’s experience attempting a dangerous border crossing to seek refuge in this wrenching family story. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.

Knocking on Windows by Jeannine Atkins. Atheneum, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-7754-8. In this lucid verse memoir, Atkins chronicles her experiences as a college freshman healing from the trauma of sexual violence and finding her voice through poetry. The YA book received a starred review from PW.

The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall, illus. by Matt Phelan. Knopf, $17.99; ISBN 978-0-525-57905-2. Gwen MacKinnon is sent to Dalgety, Mass., to stay with her great-uncle, where she discovers mythical beings living in the library founded by her family. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.

The L.O.V.E. Club by Lio Min. Flatiron, $20.99; ISBN 978-1-250-35982-7. The once tight-knit friend group, the L.O.V.E. club comprised of Liberty, O, Vera, and Elle, has fallen apart since Elle’s disappearance. But three years later, the remaining trio discover a video game seemingly left behind by Elle, that is coded with each of their complicated histories, memories, and insecurities.

Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina. Wednesday, $20; ISBN 978-1-250-88823-5. In Medina’s emotionally charged debut, a teen necromancer must hold her own against the gods in a battle of life and death.

A Place for Us by James E. Ransome. Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-32488-2. In spectacularly composed signature-style spreads, Ransome crafts a wordless story that centers an unhoused child and caretaker. The picture book received a starred review from PW.

The Pink Pajamas: A Story About Love and Loss by Charlene Chua. Simon & Schuster, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-665-94316-1. Ah Yi finds appreciation for her least favorite pair of pajamas that her aunt makes for her after her aunt suddenly falls ill.

Sundust by Zeke Peña. Kokila, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-5937-0011-2. In a solo debut, Peña imagines two Latinx-cued children exploring a sweeping desertscape where, though bulldozers work “to build/ things that don’t belong,” natural elements “will always grow wild and free.” The picture book received a starred review from PW.

Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire by Don Martin. Page Street, $18.99; ISBN 979-8-89003-270-6. Teenage witch in training Verity Vox arrives in a forgotten Appalachian mining town where the townsfolk are being conned by wicked salesman Earl, and Verity struggles to find ways to weaken his magic. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.

Wish I Was a Baller by Amar Shah, illus. by Rashad Doucet. Graphix, $24.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-5461-1051-4; $14.99 paper ISBN 978-1-3390-4244-2. In 1995, 14-year-old Shah becomes obsessed with learning everything about sports journalism, but Shah’s often-single-minded determination also sows tension between him and his friends.

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