Alterations is like the century egg Kevin eats: On the outside, it looks like a story about middle school drama, but once you bite in, you realize the family dynamics are the umami flavor you can’t ignore.
Sheine Lende focuses on a girl who must use her experience finding missing persons with ghost dogs to track down her own mother.
Queen of unique tales that stick with readers for years afterwards, Kate DiCamillo has left an outsized impact in children’s literature with books such as Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux. But don’t expect the two-time Newbery Medalist to rest on her laurels: She’s back to capture more hearts and minds with Ferris, which follows Ferris Wilkey as she navigates a chaotic summer of raccoons, a wannabe outlaw, a ghost and wildest of all—family.
There is so much to love about My Daddy Is a Cowboy, a gorgeous book that celebrates Black urban horsemanship.
Moving and gently passionate, The Last Stand by Antwan Eady with illustrations from Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey explores determination, tradition, community and love.
Zakiya Dalila Harris, Brittney Morris, Monica Brashears and more unite in this star-studded horror anthology of 15 stories about Black girls who face all sorts of terrors—and survive. Modern horror audiences are lucky to witness all the fresh, exciting ways in which the genre continues to evolve, and The Black Girl Survives in This One promises to push the “Final Girl” trope toward new horizons that will thrill and terrify readers. Bonus: Tananarive Due writes the forward.
Anoosha Syed has illustrated over 40 children’s books, including titles such as Monster and Boy and her authorial debut, That’s Not My Name! We’re looking forward to seeing how she brings her vibrant, winsome illustration style to the story of Louise, her dog, Milo, and Milo’s favorite Stick. Lost Stick follows Milo as he searches for Stick—while unbeknownst to him, Louise searches for him.
David Sedaris is beloved by adult audiences as a humorist, frequent New Yorker contributor, and guest star on shows including “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Bojack Horseman.” The author of Me Talk Pretty One Day joins forces with Ian Falconer—creator of the bestselling Olivia series—to spread his legendary humor to juvenile audiences with Pretty Ugly. Anna Van Ogre finds herself stuck with the ugliest, grossest face of all: that of a sweetly cute human girl. How will she return to looking like a monster?
In the sequel to Terry J. Benton-Walker’s much-lauded debut, Blood Debts, Cris and Clem Trudeau find themselves defending their recently won throne in a version of New Orleans that is alive with deadly magic. Tensions run high as mighty forces descend upon the siblings amidst murders, power plays and quests for revenge. Readers will look forward to seeing how Benton-Walker once again pulls off untangling a knot of intricate plotting.
With A Tempest of Tea, Hafsah Faizal plugs fully into the young adult fantasy zeitgeist, weaving serious themes into a fast-paced and thrilling heist story.
Holly Black captivated legions of fans with the Folk of the Air series, then she whisked them away once more to Elfhame with the Stolen Heir duology. The Prisoner’s Throne picks up where The Stolen Heir left off, switching to Prince Oak’s perspective as he struggles through the explosive consequences of his journey north with Wren.
It would probably be easier to win the Hawthorne fortune than to ignore the blockbuster success of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ Inheritance Games series, which has won over global audiences, having been translated into 31 languages. Barnes invites us back into another lavish competition with The Grandest Game, in which Avery Grambs is now a billionaire giving seven contestants their own chance to win a fortune and change their lives forever.
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