Alina Chau

MONKEY KING: UPROAR IN HEAVEN

Fall 2026, First Second/Macmillan, TBD pp

Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven is a captivating middle grade graphic novel by Alina Chau that reimagines the classic novel by Wu Cheng’en (吳承恩). This story delves into the origins of Sun Wukong, drawin...

Alice Chu

KIRI

Fall 2026, Fanfare/Abrams, TBD pp

KIRI is an early graphic novel about the humorous, everyday adventures of an exuberant little girl. In the first of three stories, Kiri and her dad go birdwatching and realize that they see nature in ...

Brooke Boynton-Hughes

IF I HAD A BOAT

Fall 2026, FSG/Macmillan, TBD pp

When the pressures of being an older sibling feel overwhelming, a young girl dreams of sailing far away. She yearns to explore the deep, dark sea and discover an unmapped land where no one will ever f...

Selina Alko

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS JUDY THE GREAT

February 2026, Christy Ottaviano Books/Hachette, 48 pp

Beloved and trailblazing author Judy Blume comes to life in this poetic picture book about her childhood. Judy Blume is known for fearlessly discussing topics that were once considered taboo. As a yo...

Tameka Fryer Brown

PRAYER IS

January 2026, Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan, 32 pp

For fans of Ainsley Earhardt and Matthew Paul Turner, this lyrical and heartwarming picture book introduces little ones to prayer and its infinite meanings, encouraging connection with God in moments ...

Brittany J. Thurman

COME CATCH A DREAM

November 2025, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 40 pp

Nothing is impossible—not even being brave enough to ice skate again after a fall! With a poetic text and dazzling illustrations, Come Catch a Dream will appeal to every child chasing their dream, and...

Aida Salazar

STREAM

May 2026, Scholastic, 304 pp

Two teens are sent to Mexico for the summer to unplug in this hilarious, richly drawn, and thought-provoking dual narrative, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, Adib Khorram, Erin Ent...

Shakirah Bourne

HERE LIES A GHOST

March 2026, Scholastic, 304 pp

India Hill Brown meets Sharon Draper in a spooky, poignant, tour-de-force from Shakirah Bourne -- an ode to Black Boy friendships, the richness of Caribbean history, and the power that comes from recl...

Kelly Quindlen

THIS MUST BE THE PLACE

June 2026, Roaring Brook/Macmillan, 336 pp

Inheriting a gay bar from your secretive great-uncle? Awkward. Trying to save it while catching feelings for the wrong girl? Complicated. From the author of She Drives Me Crazy comes an exuberant YA n...

Tracey Baptiste

KID X

February 2026, Little Brown/Hachette, 272 pp

The thrilling sequel to Boy 2.0, from New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste, perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers and Into the Spiderverse. Win “Coal” Keegan is starting to g...

Kelly Quindlen

HER NAME IN THE SKY

January 2026, Macmillan/Roaring Brook, 400 pp

Hannah wants to spend her senior year of high school going to football games and Mardi Gras parties with her tight-knit group of friends. She wants to relax on the beach during Spring Break, dance the...

William Alexander

SUNWARD

September 2025, Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, 224 pp

A cozy debut science fiction novel by National Book Award–winning writer William Alexander, this story of found family follows a planetary courier training adolescent androids in a solar system grappl...

Alexis Castellanos

LEMONS AND LIES

September 2025, Bloomsbury, 288 pp

A sweet meet-cute or a scheme destined to turn sour? Fake dating, family drama, and foodie fun combine in this YA paperback original. Valeria Morales' senior year is not off to a great start. Her twin...

Nina Crews

LIFTOFF!: HOW THE APOLLO MOON MISSIONS MADE ALMA THOMAS'S ART SOAR

November 2025, Millbrook Press, 32pp

The Apollo astronauts gave people a new way of looking at the world―and so did modern artist Alma Thomas. In this dual narrative picture book, author and illustrator Nina Crews describes the Apollo 10...

Tracey Baptiste

MOKO MAGIC 02: MUSEUM MAYHEM

September 2025, Disney-Hyperion/Freedom Fire, 384 pp

From the best-selling author of the Jumbies series comes another Afro-Caribbean–inspired story, about three cousins who are called on to use their moko (protector) magic when stolen art goes on the ra...

Ben Clanton

THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS

June 2025, Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada, TBD pp

Take the plunge into this interactive picture book spin-off of the Narwhal & Jelly series featuring the beloved anxious jellyfish, Jelly, who readers will attempt to safely navigate through the danger...

Lee Wind

LIKE THAT ELEANOR: THE AMAZING POWER OF BEING AN ALLY

June 2025, Cardinal Rule Press, 32 pp

What can you do when you see unfair things happening to other people? Eleanor’s not sure, but she wants to make things more fair, like her namesake Eleanor Roosevelt. Robin’s excluded from a boys-only...

Ben Clanton

PAPILIO

March 2025, Viking/Penguin, 48 pp

A tale told in three parts by three friends! Powerhouse creators, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, have come together to create a wholly inventive picture book that is perfect for fa...

Daria Peoples

BE THE LIGHT: HOW SHE BECAME ANGELA DAVIS

June 2025, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 56 pp

Somewhere between soil and sky, spirit and flesh, Angela imagined a new world that had not been seen yet. In BE THE LIGHT: How She Became Angela Davis, acclaimed author and artist Daria Peoples illumi...

Nina Crews

BIG FAMILY BEACH DAY

Summer 2025, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 32 pp

An extended family enjoys a day at the beach in this intergenerational tribute to family, friendship, new experiences, and summertime fun by the acclaimed author-artist Nina Crews. A fresh take on Cyn...

Tameka Fryer Brown

ALL THE GREATNESS IN YOU

November 2024, Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan, 32 pp

Bursting with warmth and words of encouragement, this lyrical picture book celebrates growing up and believing in yourself—the perfect gift for graduations, birthdays, the first day of school, and bey...

Alexis Castellanos

GUAVA AND GRUDGES

September 2024, Bloomsbury, 336 pp

Ana Maria Ybarra dreams of becoming a world-famous pastry chef, but dreams have a cost. Her family can barely keep the family business running, let alone pay for culinary school. Ana Maria helps out a...

Randi Pink

UNDER THE HERON'S LIGHT

October 2024, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 352 pp

On a damp night in 1722, Babylou Mac and her three siblings witness the murder of their mother at the hands of the local preacher’s son—so Babylou kills him in retaliation. With plantation dogs now on...

Dana Alison Levy

NOT ANOTHER BANNED BOOK

September 2024, Delacorte/Random House, 320 pp

A ripped from the headlines middle grade novel about a group of students who must fight book banning at their school to save their club…and their world as they know it. No matter what was going on i...

Tracey Baptiste

BOY 2.0

October 2024, Little Brown/Hachette, 304 pp

Win “Coal” Keegan has just landed in his latest foster home, with a big, noisy, slightly nosy family named the McKays. They seem eager to welcome Coal, but he’s wary of trusting them. So, he doesn’t t...

Ben Clanton

PAINT WITH PLOOF

October 2024, Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada, 56 pp

From the co-creator of Science Explorers Andy Chou Musser and NYT bestselling author of the Narwhal and Jelly series Ben Clanton. Ploof is a little cloud who’s eager to make their first rainbow! But ...

Ben Clanton

PLOOF

September 2023, Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada, 56 pp

Come play with Ploof! Meet a friendly cloud full of feelings in this interactive picture book for fans of Hervé Tullet’s Press Here. Ploof is a puffy cloud who’s a little lonely — but now you’re here...

Shakirah Bourne

BEWARE THE HEARTMAN

September 2024, Scholastic, 336 pp

Ten months after her terrifying escape from a sea spirit, Josephine is happy to settle back into life in Fairy Vale, playing on her cricket team, and spending time with her Dad, Miss Alleyne......

Aida Salazar

MY LIVING WORLD

WHEN SUN RISES

June 2025, Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House, 26 pp

Derived from Mexican Indigenous wisdom, this is the third title in a series of poetic board books centering around establishing an authentic, heartfelt connection with nature. Using Mexican concepts,...

Brittany J. Thurman

FOREVER AND ALWAYS

January 2024, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 40 pp

In this lyrical picture book from two breakout picture book creators, a young Black child waits for—and worries about—her father while he’s away from home. A sensitive, poignant portrayal of a family’...

Ellen Oh

THE COLLIDING WORLDS OF MINA LEE

January 2024, Crown/Random House, 304 pp

When a Korean American teenage artist gets sucked into the world of her own web comic, she must find a way out with the help of a cute boy all while facing off against a villainous corporation. Inspir...

Tracey Baptiste

MOKO MAGIC 01: CARNIVAL CHAOS

August 2024, Freedom Fire/Disney, 400 pp

Cousins Misty, Aidan, and Brooke discover that they carry the ancestral power of real moko healers from west Africa, and are the descendants of the first moko jumbie who followed a slave ship across t...

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

YOU'RE BREAKING MY HEART

January 2024, Levine Querido, 304 pp

Harriet Adu knows that her brother's death is her fault. I mean, it's not actually her fault, but it still kinda is, isn't it? She would do anything to live in a world where she could take back what...

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

OPERATION SISTERHOOD: STEALING THE SHOW!

January 2025, Crown/Random House, 272 pp

The Operation Sisterhood series continues as the four sisters decide to put on a community musical! The creative sister Sunday is the director and writer, but she has lost her spark. Can she find her ...

Aida Salazar

ULTRAVIOLET

April 2024, Scholastic, 256 pp

Can love break your heart-literally? For Elio, eighth grade fizzes with change. In his body. With his pops, who makes them join a father-son group to talk about puberty and manly stuff and being Mexi...

William Alexander

GOBLIN SECRETS

January 2012, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, 256 pp

In the National Book Award–winning Goblin Secrets, a boy joins a theatrical troupe of goblins to find his missing brother. Rownie, the youngest in Graba’s witchy household of stray children, escapes ...

William Alexander

GHOULISH SONG

April 2014, Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster, 192 pp

Set alongside the National Book Award-winning Goblin Secrets, Ghoulish Song weaves a story of music and mystery through the charmed, cursed world of Zombay. The last day of Kaile’s life does not star...

William Alexander

AMBASSADOR

September 2015, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, 256 pp

Gabe Fuentes is in for the ride of his life when he becomes Earth’s ambassador to the galaxy in this alien sci-fi adventure from the National Book Award–winning author of Goblin Secrets. Gabe Fuentes...

William Alexander

NOMAD

September 2016, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, 288 pp

When we last left Earth’s ambassador, Gabe Fuentes, he was stranded on the moon. Things don’t get better after he gets rescued by another young diplomat. The Outlast—a ruthless and spacefaring civiliz...

William Alexander

A PROPERLY UNHAUNTED PLACE

August 2018, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, 208 pp

From National Book Award–winning author William Alexander comes a wryly humorous story about two kids who try to save their town by bringing back its ghosts. Rosa Ramona Díaz has just moved to the sm...

William Alexander

A FESTIVAL OF GHOSTS

May 2019, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, 228 pp

National Book Award winner William Alexander conjures up a spooky adventure full of excitement in this entertaining sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place, which was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Ro...

Ellen Oh

HARU, ZOMBIE DOG HERO

July 2023, HarperCollins Children's Books, 176 pp

An evil laboratory causes a zombie apocalypse through illegal animal testing and a kidnapped dog, Haru. When Haru turns into a zombie, it is his love for his human boy that keeps him from turning into...

Sean Rubin

THE IGUANODON'S HORN

March 2024, HarperCollins, 48 pp

Highlighting the role of artists in the scientific process, this crowd-pleasing look at dinosaurs explores how new discoveries deepen our understanding of the world. Ever since mysterious bones were ...

Jennifer Thermes

A PLACE CALLED AMERICA: A STORY OF THE LAND AND PEOPLE

August 2023, Abrams Books for Young Readers, 52 pp

Much of the story of human history has been about the quest for land and who controls it. A PLACE CALLED AMERICA: A STORY OF THE LAND AND PEOPLE explores the complex history of how the United States o...

C.G. Esperanza

KICKS IN THE SKY

September 2023, Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins, 40 pp

Pura Belprè Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner C. G. Esperanza delivers color, rhythm, and style in this rollicking tale about everyday treasures turned magical! Red kicks, green kicks, yellow...

Ellen Oh

YOU ARE HERE

March 2023, Allida/HarperCollins, 272 pp

An incident at a TSA security check point sows chaos and rumors, creating a chain of events that impacts twelve young Asian Americans in a crowded and restless airport. As their disrupted journeys cri...

Shakirah Bourne

NIGHTMARE ISLAND

May 2023, Scholastic, 304 pp

Serenity Noah has never told anyone about her recurring nightmare, where a silver butterfly leads her to a shadowy, silent monster. Her parents already favor her little brother, Peace, and as the "dif...

Ben Clanton

TATER TALES: THE SNEAKIEST IN THE WORLD

October 2025, Simon & Schuster, 88 pp

Mutant potato Rot and his friends team up for a super-sneaky mission in this third installment of the hilariously silly graphic chapter book series from the bestselling creator of the Narwhal and Jell...

Andy Rash

ECLIPSE

September 2023, Scholastic, 40 pp

In a sweet story based on a real-life experience, a curious kid brings his dad along on a mission to experience a total eclipse of the sun. Life is looking forward and looking back. We make plans, pr...

Aida Salazar

A SEED IN THE SUN

October 2022, Dial/Penguin Random House, 304 pp

A farm working girl with big dreams meets activist Dolores Huerta and joins the 1965 protest for migrant workers’ rights in this tender-hearted middle grade novel in verse, perfect for fans of Rita Wi...

Jennifer Thermes

THE INDESTRUCTIBLE TOM CREAN

January 2023, Viking/Penguin Random House, 55 pp

At the turn of the 20th century, Antarctica is the last unexplored continent. The ice is unforgiving. It can break the human spirit. It takes many men willing to face hardship, danger, and years away ...

Randi Pink

WE ARE THE SCRIBES

October 2022, Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan, 320 pp

Ruth Fitz is surrounded by activism. Her mother is a senator fighting for legislative social change, her father, a professor of African American history, is a walking encyclopedia, and her sister is a...

E.L. Shen

THE QUEENS OF NEW YORK

June 2023, Quill Tree/HarperCollins, 336 pp

Three best friends have one life-changing summer in this contemporary, Asian American Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang have been best friends since their paren...

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

OPERATION SISTERHOOD

January 2022, Crown/Random House, 272 pp

ans of the Netflix reboot of The Babysitters Club will delight in this blended-family story about four sisters who band together in the heart of New York City. A jubilant novel about the difficulties ...

Victoria J. Coe

MAKE WAY FOR FENWAY

FENWAY AND THE GREAT ESCAPE

October 2023, Putnam/Penguin Random House, 96 pp

The little dog with a GIANT personality from Fenway and Hattie is starring in his own chapter book series! The little dog with the GIANT personality from Fenway and Hattie just knows he is meant to r...

Nina Crews

I'm Not Small

March 2022, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 32 pp

What makes you big? What makes you small? From acclaimed author-illustrator Nina Crews comes a picture book that introduces young children to the concepts of size and comparisons. A great choice for e...

Andy Chou Musser

A Home Under the Stars

October 2021, Sasquatch, 40 pp

Magical and heartfelt, A Home Under the Stars explores the difficulties and anxieties that accompany moving, as well as the journey to find a sense of belonging in a new place and to call it home. Mo...

Alexis Castellanos

ISLA TO ISLAND

March 2022, Atheneum/S&S, 192 pp

A wordless middle grade graphic novel following a girl growing up in 1960s Cuba and New York City. Marisol loves her colorful island. Cuba is vibrant with flowers and food and people… but things are ...

Daria Peoples

AMERICA, MY LOVE, AMERICA, MY HEART

April 2021, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 40pp

America, do you love me? My black. My brown. My pride. My crown. Acclaimed author-artist Daria Peoples-Riley invites readers to answer timely—and timeless—questions beating inside the hearts of child...

Schuyler Bailar

OBIE IS MAN ENOUGH

September 2021, Crown/Random House, 352 pp

A coming-of-age story about transgender tween Obie who didn't think being himself would cause such a splash. For fans of Alex Gino's George and Lisa Bunker's Felix Yz. Obie knew his transition would ...

Ben Clanton

NARWHAL AND JELLY BOARD BOOK SERIES

BLANKIE

February 2021, Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada, 22 pp

Dive into a brand new Narwhal and Jelly story for the youngest readers! A big, yellow blankie is one of Narwhal's favorite things; not only because it keeps Narwhal warm and cozy, but also because it'...

C.G. Esperanza

BOOGIE BOOGIE Y'ALL

August 2021, Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins, 40pp

A rhythmic picture book celebrating the Bronx and street art culture....

Selina Alko

ONE GOLDEN RULE AT SCHOOL: A COUNTING BOOK

Summer 2020, Henry Holt/Macmillan, 40 pp

Award-winning creator Selina Alko's One Golden Rule at School is a charming story that's two books in one―a counting book and a school primer for little ones. Set against the familiar and dynamic back...

Kelly Quindlen

SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY

April 2021, Roaring Brook/Macmillan, 304 pp

From author Kelly Quindlen comes a new laugh-out-loud romp through the ups and downs of teen romance. After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game since their break ...

Ben Clanton

IT CAME IN THE MAIL

June 2016, Simon & Schuster, 40 pp

Liam really wants some mail, so he writes a letter to his mailbox asking for something in return. His mailbox delivers, sending Liam more than he could have hoped for…and how! But as the mail starts t...

Ben Clanton

REX WRECKS IT!

March 2017, Candlewick, 32 pp

Uh-oh! Here comes Rex! Every time Gizmo, Sprinkles, and Wild build something with their blocks, Rex wrecks it! That’s just the way Rex plays. Is there a way to make playtime fun for everyone?...

Ben Clanton

BOO WHO?

August 2017, Candlewick, 32pp

A shy little ghost who’s new to the group has trouble fitting in — until his special talent comes to the fore. Boo is new. And even if the other kids are welcoming, it can be scary being new, especia...

Ben Clanton

MO’S MUSTACHE

October 2013, Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada, 32 pp

Mo is a monster who just got a mustache. A big, black, beautiful mustache. Everybody likes Mo’s mustache. Now Knot, Dot, Nib, Tutu, Bob, Bill, and Ben all have mustaches too. In fact, soon EVERYBODY h...

Ben Clanton

SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY

October 2014, Simon & Schuster, 32 pp

An autobiographical picture book which explores the world, wishes and ingenuity of a very imaginative boy....

Ben Clanton

VOTE FOR ME!

February 2020, Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada, 32 pp

Donkey and Elephant both want YOUR vote and will do just about anything to get it. Soon their efforts devolve into literal mud-slinging. Can they clean up their campaigns or will a third candidate (Mo...

Ben Clanton

ROT: THE CUTEST IN THE WORLD

December 2017, Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 40 pp

A mutant potato learns that he’s pear-fect just the way he is in this bright, fun, and silly picture book from the creator of It Came in the Mail that will have kids collapsing in giggles (and rescuin...

Ben Clanton

ROT: THE BRAVEST IN THE WORLD

June 2020, Simon & Schuster/Atheneum, 40 pp

Rot faces a scary, squirmy new challenge and finds what makes him feel brave in this sweet and slimy companion to Rot, the Cutest in the World! Rot is a mutant potato. Like most mutant potatoes, Rot ...

Ben Clanton

NARWHAL AND JELLY SERIES

A WAFFLE LOT OF LOVE

December 2025, Tundra/Penguin Random House Canada, 76 pp

Dive into three new stories with best buds Narwhal and Jelly! It’s PALentine’s Day and Jelly gives Narwhal a whaley nice card — but now Narwhal has no idea what to give him! One card isn’t nearly enou...

Jennifer Thermes

CHARLES DARWIN’S AROUND THE WORLD ADVENTURE

October 2016, Abrams, 40 pp

This picture book biography of Charles Darwin’s adventures on the Beagle features spectacular maps illustrating the route and tells the story of Darwin’s travels and his discoveries in each location....

Jennifer Thermes

GRANDMA GATEWOOD HIKES THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

May 2018, Abrams, 40 pp

Emma Gatewood’s life was far from easy. In rural Ohio, she managed a household of 11 kids alongside a less-than-supportive husband. One day, at age 67, she decided to go for a nice long walk…and ended...

Jennifer Thermes

MANHATTAN: THE STORY OF AN ISLAND

August 2019, Abrams, 64 pp

A nonfiction picture book about the history, humans, and natural events that have shaped Manhattan for over four hundred years. Through dramatic illustrations and detailed maps, the island’s story com...

Jennifer Thermes

HORSE POWER: HOW HORSES CHANGED THE WORLD

April 2021, Abrams, 48 pp

Horse and human life were intertwined for thousands of years, yet the role of the everyday horse throughout history is rarely mentioned. In HORSE POWER: HOW HORSES CHANGED THE WORLD, follow the horse ...

Hilary Wagner

NIGHTSHADE CHRONICLES

LORDS OF TRILLIUM

Book 3 – March 2014, Holiday House, 250 pp

Deep beneath a modern metropolis lies the Catacombs, a kingdom of remarkable rats of superior intellect. Following the Bloody Coup, the once peaceful democracy has become a dictatorship, ruled by deca...

Andy Rash

ARCHIE THE DAREDEVIL PENGUIN

Fall 2015, Viking/Penguin, 32 pp

A humorous read-aloud about a daredevil penguin with a secret fear. There’s a fish-fry on Iceberg 9 and all Archie’s friends are swimming over. But Archie’s afraid of the water and the strange creatu...

Andy Rash

THE HAPPY BOOK

Winter 2019, Viking/Penguin, TBD pp

A funny and sweet story about not always being happy, and how that’s okay. It isn’t always sunny for Happy Camper and Clam. But when the best friends fight over their newly discovered feelings, can S...

Ellen Oh

THE DRAGON KING CHRONICLES

KING

Book 3 – December 2014, HarperCollins/HarperTeen, 288 pp

This thrilling and romantic conclusion to the Prophecy series brings Kira her final quest. Kira, once an outcast in her home village of Hansong, is now the only one with the power to save her kingdom....

Ellen Oh

SPIRIT HUNTERS

SPIRIT HUNTERS: SOMETHING WICKED

July 2022, HarperCollins, 240 pp

Harper is dealing with a lot of new changes in her house. Her cousin Leo is now living with them, her sister Kelly has started a new job at a local makeup store, and Harper’s abilities have grown incr...

Ellen Oh

THE DRAGON EGG PRINCESS

March 2020, HarperCollins, 256 pp

A must-have middle grade novel perfect for fans of the Wing & Claw series by Linda Sue Park. In a kingdom filled with magic, Jiho Park and his family are an anomaly—magic doesn’t affect them. Jiho co...

Ellen Oh

FINDING JUNIE KIM

May 2021, HarperCollins, 368pp

From We Need Diverse Books cofounder Ellen Oh comes an extraordinary story about a girl who must understand her family’s past to embrace her present, finding herself along the way. Junie Kim just wan...

Jennifer Black Reinhardt

YAKS YAK

March 2016, Clarion/HMH, 40 pp

At once funny and informative, Yaks Yak presents animals acting out the verbs made from their names. Illustrations rich in comic details show hogs hogging, slugs slugging, and other spirited creatures...

Jennifer Black Reinhardt

BLUE ETHEL

May 2017, Margaret Ferguson Books/Macmillan, 40 pp

Ethel was old. She was fat. She was black. She was white. And she was very set in her ways – until the day she turned blue. Ethel, with the help of her friend Fluffy, learns to appreciate the wonders ...

Jennifer Black Reinhardt

PLAYING POSSUM

July 2020, Clarion/HMH, 32 pp

Alfred the possum, who plays dead, and Sophia the armadillo, who rolls up in a ball, stand in for shy or anxious humans whose discomfort keeps them from fitting in. Jennifer Black Reinhardt has cast a...

Jennifer Black Reinhardt

ALWAYS BY MY SIDE

March 2021, Random House, 32 pp

A sweet story about a boy and his stuffed animal (standing in for a guardian) that has seen him through his ups and downs, and will always be there for him as he grows up....

Dana Alison Levy

THE MISADVENTURES OF THE FAMILY FLETCHER

July 2014, Delacorte/Penguin Random House, 260 pp

Modern Family meets modern classics like Beverly Cleary’s Quimbys and Judy Blume’s Hatchers in this heartwarming and hilarious middle grade novel. Four adopted brothers, two dads, and an ever-changing...

Dana Alison Levy

THE FAMILY FLETCHER TAKES ROCK ISLAND

May 2016, Delacorte/Penguin Random House, 272 pp

Fans of The Penderwicks and other summer tales will enjoy this stand-alone companion novel to the acclaimed Misadventures of the Family Fletcher. Set on a fictional New England island, the boys, ages ...

Dana Alison Levy

THIS WOULD MAKE A GOOD STORY SOMEDAY

Spring 2017, Penguin Random House, 260 pp

Fans of Dan Santat’s Are We There Yet and Geoff Rodkey’s The Tapper Twins will enjoy this cross-country train trip of a middle grade novel. Twelve-year-old Sara loves her family, but she’s less than t...

Dana Alison Levy

IT WASN’T ME

November 2018, Delacorte/Penguin Random House, 336 pp

The Breakfast Club meets middle school in this story of six 12-year-old students — five potential perpetrators and Theo, one seriously annoyed victim — forced to spend vacation week together in school...

Dana Alison Levy

ABOVE ALL ELSE

April 2020, Charlesbridge, TBD pp

Into Thin Air meets The Sun is Also a Star in this tale of two teens who trained their whole lives to summit Mount Everest. High school seniors and best friends Rose and Tate have always climbed toget...

Aida Salazar

THE MOON WITHIN

Spring 2019, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 250 pp

This free verse middle grade novel tells the story of 11-year-old Cely, whose life swirls with questions about her changing body, her first attraction to a boy, her best friend’s exploration of what i...

Aida Salazar

LAND OF THE CRANES

September 2020, Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 256 pp

This free verse middle grade novel, inspired in part by the author’s own childhood as an undocumented immigrant, tells the story of 9-year-old Betita, who believes that she and other migrants follow a...

Randi Pink

INTO WHITE

September 2016, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 288 pp

Sixteen-year-old Latoya Williams, who is black, attends a mostly white high school in the Alabama. In a moment of desperation, she prays for the power to change her race and wakes up white. Randi Pink...

Randi Pink

GIRLS LIKE US

October 2019, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 320 pp

This historical fiction novel set in the summer of 1972, months before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade, is an introspective look into abortion rights. The novel weaves togethe...

Randi Pink

ANGEL OF GREENWOOD

January 2021, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 304pp

ANGEL OF GREENWOOD is a historical fiction novel set in the Tulsa, Oklahoma neighborhood of Greenwood, affectionately known as Black Wall Street, in which sixteen-year-old Angel and seventeen-year-old...

Kelly Quindlen

LATE TO THE PARTY

April 2020, Roaring Brook/Macmillan, 304 pp

A story of friendship and first love, featuring a diverse cast of LGBTQ+ characters. Codi wants to score her first kiss—with a girl—but she may have to expand her social world first. Can she fall in ...

Megan Jean Sovern

THE MEANING OF MAGGIE

May 2014, Chronicle, 220 pp

Twelve-year-old Maggie lives in a house too small for all the big problems plaguing a shy girl just trying to survive adolescence armed with Little Debbies and deep thoughts. When her father’s legs p...

Josanne La Valley

THE VINE BASKET

April 2013, Clarion/HMH, 256 pp

Things aren’t looking good for fourteen-year-old Mehrigul. She yearns to be in school, but she’s needed on the family farm. The longer she’s out of school, the more likely it is that she’ll be sent of...

Josanne La Valley

FACTORY GIRL

January 2017, Clarion/HMH, 256 pp

In order to save her family’s farm, Roshen, sixteen, must leave her rural home to work in a factory in the south of China. There she finds arduous and degrading conditions and contempt for her minorit...

Cynthia Leonor Garza

LUCÍA THE LUCHADORA

April 2017, POW!, 32 pp

Girls can be superheroes, too. When the boys on the playground tell Lucía that girls can’t be superheroes – despite her high-flying leaps – she comes up with a plan to disguise herself as a masked luc...

Cynthia Leonor Garza

LUCÍA THE LUCHADORA AND THE MILLION MASKS

October 2018, POW!, 32 pp

A splendiferous sisterhood adventure in the follow-up to Lucía the Luchadora. Lucía’s little sister Gemma wants to be a luchadora too, but she seems to find trouble wherever she goes. When Gemma makes...

Daria Peoples

THIS IS IT

February 2018, Greenwillow/Harper, 40 pp

A young ballerina, uncertain of her talent, follows the poetically compelling voice of her shadow to discover the courage she needs to audition....

Daria Peoples

I GOT NEXT

July 2019, Greenwillow/Harper, 40 pp

A perfect read-aloud for all young athletes on game day, featuring text that mimics spoken-word poetry. When a young basketball player wants to play in the next game at the local playground, his shad...

Wook Jin Jung

BLACK CAT, YELLOW BUNNY

October 2019, Newmark/Reycraft Books, 32 pp

This nearly wordless book shows the slowly developing friendship between a cat and a bunny who meet on a chance encounter in the park. Through small acts of kindness, they reveal the powerful effect t...

Kayla Harren

HANNAH’S TALL ORDER: AN A TO Z SANDWICH

August 2018, Sleeping Bear Press, 32 pp

Hannah is feeling just a bit peckish and knows exactly what she wants to eat: an A to Z sandwich on thick whole wheat bread! From avocado to zucchini, Hannah’s whims throw Mr. McDougal at the cafe int...

Kayla Harren

THE BOY WHO GREW A FOREST

March 2019, Sleeping Bear Press, 32 pp

As a boy, Jadav Payeng was distressed by the destruction deforestation and erosion was causing on his island home in India’s Brahmaputra River. So he began planting trees. What began as a small thicke...

Kayla Harren

A PUPPY LIKE YOURS

April 2026, Sleeping Bear Press, 32 pp

Dogs are more than pets or furry fixtures around the house. Dogs are constant companions who show us what it means to be curious, enjoy the little moments of life, and care for those who need us. Dogs...

David Kreizman

THE YEAR THEY FELL

September 2019, Imprint/Macmillan, 384 pp

In the wake of their parents’ tragic plane crash, five very different teenagers must find a way to navigate their senior year of high school and forge a new family. Josie, Jack, Archie, Harrison, and...

David Kreizman

THE UNEXPLAINABLE DISAPPEARANCE OF MARS PATEL

October 2020, Candlewick, 304 pp

When his friends begin disappearing, eleven-year-old Mars Patel uncovers a mystery that will take him to the stars…and beyond.The first novel in a series written by Sheela Chari based on the award-win...

Jessie Haas

RESCUE

April 2018, Boyds Mills, 200 pp

In this coming-of-age story perfect for horse fans, twelve-year-old animal lover Joni clashes with her new neighbor and animal rights activist Chess. Their bumpy friendship reaches a crisis when Chess...

Jessie Haas

THE HUNGRY PLACE

October 2020, Boyds Mills, TBD pp

A middle-grade novel told in 2 points of view. Rae grows up longing for, and working to afford, a pony, until at age twelve she crosses paths with Princess, a show-ring champion left to starve by an u...

Mike Dutton

FOOD TRUCK FEST!

March 2018, Macmillan/FSG, 40 pp

The rhyming story follows a fleet of food trucks as they get ready for the biggest and best day of the year – the food truck fest....

Stephanie Barden

CINDERELLA SMITH SERIES

CINDERELLA SMITH: THE SUPER SECRET MYSTERY

Book 3 – April 2013, HarperCollins, TBD pp

Stephanie Barden has created a great role model for tweens. Cinderella Smith is confident, smart, and very real. Readers will love watching Cinderella conquer the problems of third-grade life, with en...

Paige Britt

THE LOST TRACK OF TIME

March 2015, Scholastic, 320 pp

Penelope longs to be a writer, but her mother won’t allow it—scribbling in your notebook all day is a complete waste of time! One morning, a strange hole opens up in her otherwise busy schedule, and s...

Tameka Fryer Brown

BROWN BABY LULLABY

Winter 2020, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux/Macmillan, TBD pp

A beautifully illustrated portrayal of parental love in a family of color. When the sun sets, it’s time for Momma, Papi, and their tired toddler to begin the evening’s routine, which includes clangin...

Nina Crews

SEEING INTO TOMORROW: HAIKU BY RICHARD WRIGHT

February 2018, Millbrook/Lerner, 32 pp

Richard Wright’s haiku put everyday moments – walking a dog, watching a sunset, finding a beetle – into focus. Now, more than fifty years after they were written, these poems continue to reflect kids’...

Arthur Salm

ANYWAY*

May 2012, Simon & Schuster, TBD pp

Max is a good kid floating in the netherworld of being not quite a teenager. A summertime interlude at a family camp allows him to re-invent himself for a week as Mad Max, a much wilder kid; he’s expe...

Isaiah Campbell

THE STRUGGLES OF JOHNNY CANNON

October 2014, Simon & Schuster, 336 pp

The sequel to TROUBLES finds Johnny embroiled in a Mafia blood feud as he searches for his happy ending....

Isaiah Campbell

THE TROUBLES OF JOHNNY CANNON

October 2015, Simon & Schuster, 296 pp

In 1961 Alabama, a Superman obsessed 12-year-old, Johnny Cannon, has to dodge the CIA, outwit the Klan, and escape from Cuba to prove his Pa didn’t sabotage the Bay of Pigs invasion. THE TROUBLES OF J...

Isaiah Campbell

ABRAKAPOW

November 2016, Simon & Schuster, 304 pp

Based on a true World War II story, Isaiah Campbell tells a charming mystery about a mishap at a magic show in a POW camp—featuring magic how-to diagrams throughout....

Pat Cummings

TRACE

December 2018, HarperCollins, 320 pp

Coretta Scott King Award winner Pat Cummings’s debut TRACE, about a boy who stumbles into a ghost story born in the turmoil of New York City’s 1863 Draft Riots. Weighed down by guilt for an accident ...

Victoria J. Coe

FENWAY AND HATTIE SERIES

FENWAY AND HATTIE IN THE WILD

Book 4 – May 2019, Putnam/Penguin Random House, 176 pp

In the fourth book in this adorable middle-grade series, all told from the dog’s point of view, Fenway gets a taste of the wild when he goes on a back-to-school camping trip with his human, Hattie. Th...

Alina Chau

MARSHMALLOW AND JORDAN

October 2021, First Second/Macmillan, 384 pp

Beautiful watercolor illustrations bring to life this middle grade graphic novel about former youth basketball star Jordan, who was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident. She misses playing her...

Shakirah Bourne

JOSEPHINE AGAINST THE SEA

July 2021, Scholastic, 304 pp

The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste meets R.L.Stine’s The Girl Who Cried Monster. 11 year-old Jo discovers that her Dad’s new girlfriend is a powerful sea creature and has to convince everyone of the woma...