New Books

12 New August Children’s Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are 12 children’s books coming out in August that have gotten starred reviews and praise. Lots of familiar names and some new ones too.

Cover for Bad Sister

Bad Sister by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Rory Lucey

Cover for Being Clem

Being Clem by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Cover for Black Boy Joy

Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia

Cover for Dead Wednesday

Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli

Cover for Elvis and the World As It Stands

Elvis and the World as It Stands by Lisa Frenkel Riddiough, illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller

Cover for Erik vs. Everything

Erik vs. Everything by Christina Uss

Cover for Fast Pitch

Fast Pitch by Nic Stone

Cover for Indiana Bones

Indiana Bones by Harry Heape, illustrated by Rebecca Bagley

Cover for Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai

Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai by Debbi Michiko Florence

Cover for The Lost Things Club

The Lost Things Club by J. S. Puller

Cover for One Kid's Trash

One Kid’s Trash by Jamie Sumner

Cover for Why Longfellow Lied

Why Longfellow Lied: The Truth about Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride by Jeff Lantos

11 New Picture Books Coming in August to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are 11 upcoming picture books this month that have gotten starred reviews. There are some lovely treats from established authors, ones newly published in the U.S., and hopefully some nice surprises too.

Cover for Anteaters, Bats & Boas

Anteaters, Bats, and Boas: The Amazon Rainforest from the Forest Floor to the Treetops by Roxie Munro

Cover for Be Strong (Be Kind #2)

Be Strong by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jen Hill

Cover for Child of the Flower-Song People

Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jiménez, Daughter of the Nahua by Gloria Amescua, illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh

Cover for The Fastest Girl on Earth!

The Fastest Girl on Earth!: Meet Kitty O’Neil, Daredevil Driver! by Dean Robbins, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

Cover for The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess by Tom Gauld

Cover for Moon Pops

Moon Pops by Heena Baek

Cover for Negative Cat

Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall

Cover for New in Town

New in Town by Kevin Cornell

Cover for Poultrygeist

Poultrygeist by Eric Geron, illustrated by Pete Oswald

Cover for A Song of Frutas

A Song of Frutas by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Sara Palacios

Cover for Survivor Tree

Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Aaron Becker

July/August 2021 Kids Indie Next List

| Tasha

IndieBound has announced the books on their July/August Indie Next List. These are books selected and recommended by independent books stores across the United States. Here are the titles:

PICTURE BOOKS

Cover for Ten Spooky Pumpkins

10 Spooky Pumpkins by Gris Grimly

Cover for Amara and the Bats

Amara and the Bats by Emma Reynolds

Cover for Cat Problems (Animal Problems)

Cat Problems by Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith

Cover for Hardly Haunted

Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima

Cover for King of Ragtime

King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin by Stephen Constanza

Cover for Lala's Words

Lala’s Words by Gracey Zhang

Cover for Monster Friends

Monster Friends by Kaeti Vandorn

Cover for Never, Not Ever!

Never, Not Ever! by Beatrice Alemagna

Cover for Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster

Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster by Manka Kasha

Cover for Unbound

Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

MIDDLE GRADE

Cover for Chunky

Chunky by Yehudi Mercado

Cover for A Discovery of Dragons

Discovery of Dragons by Lindsay Galvin

Cover for The Ghoul Next Door

The Ghoul Next Door by Cullen Bunn, illustrated by Cat Farris

Cover for Ham Helsing #1

Ham Helsing: Vampire Hunter by Rich Moyer

Cover for Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom

Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna

Cover for The Last Super Chef

The Last Super Chef by Chris Negron

Cover for The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow

The Okay Witch and the Hungry Shadow by Emma Steinkellner

Cover for ParaNorthern

Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-Hop-Calypse by Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Mari Costa

Cover for Temple Alley Summer

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake, translated by Avery Fischer

Cover for Weird Kid

Weird Kid by Greg Van Eekhout

YOUNG ADULT

Cover for Blackout

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon

Cover for The Box in the Woods

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson

Cover for Don't Hate the Player

Don’t Hate the Player by Alexis Nedd

Cover for Me (Moth)

Me (Moth) by Amber McBride

Cover for The Passing Playbook

The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

Cover for Rise to the Sun

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson

Cover for The River Has Teeth

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters

Cover for The Sea Is Salt and So Am I

The Sea Is Salt and So Am I by Cassandra Hartt

Cover for Six Crimson Cranes

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

Cover for We Can't Keep Meeting Like This

We Can’t Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon

7 July YA Novels to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are a collection of diverse realistic and fantasy novels to fill up your summer reading. All are being released in July! Enjoy!

In the Same Boat by Holly Green

Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

Walls by L.M. Elliott

When We Were Strangers by Alex Richards

12 July Children’s Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are a star-filled and dynamic mix of graphic novels, true stories, nonfiction and novels for middle grades coming out in July. Enjoy!

The Accursed Vampire by Madeline McGrane

Bad Sister by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Rory Lucey

Forever This Summer by Leslie C. Youngblood

Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne

Lilla the Accidental Witch by Eleanor Crewes

Linked by Gordon Korman

Looking Up: An Illustrated Guide to Telescopes by Jacob Kramer, illustrated by Stephanie Scholz

Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba, illustrated by Miho Satake

Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie

Weird Kid by Greg van Eekhout

When Grandfather Flew by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Chris Sheban

World in Between by Kenan Trebincevic and Susan Shapiro

13 July Picture Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are 13 picture books coming out in July that have gotten starred reviews and attention. Enjoy!

Bird Boy by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani

Blueberry Cake by Sarah Dillard

The Caiman by Maria Eugenia Manrique, illustrated by Ramon Paris

Cat Wants Cuddles by P. Crumble, illustrated by Lucinda Gifford

Except Antarctica by Todd Sturgell

I Can Make a Train Noise by Michael Emberley and Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick

I Love Insects by Lizzy Rockwell

Lala’s Words by Gracey Zhang

A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla by Azadeh Westergaard, illustrated by Julia Sarda

Make Meatballs Sing: The Life and Art of Corita Kent by Matthew Burgess, illustrated by Kara Kramer

The Perfect Plan by Leah Gilbert

Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla Cover

Sing with Me: The Story of Selena Quintanilla by Diana Lopez, illustrated by Teresa Martinez

Terrific! by Sophie Gilmore

18 June YA Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are 18 of the YA books released in June that are garnering a lot of attention and starred reviews. Enjoy!

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O’Donoghue

An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi

Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

Eat Your Heart Out by Kelly deVos

The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Girls at the Edge of the World by Laura Brooke Robson

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows

One Great Lie by Deb Caletti

The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons

Strange Creatures by Phoebe North

Violet Ghosts by Leah Thomas

We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman

The Witch King by H. E. Edgmon

15 June Children’s Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

Here are 15 of the buzziest books for middle schoolers and elementary ages that are coming out in June. Enjoy!

Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year by Nina Hamza

Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War by Imogen Greenberg, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg

Chibi-Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis by Julie and Stan Sakai

Chunky by Yehudi Mercado

Crossing the Stream by Elizabeth-Irene Baitie

A Glasshouse of Stars by Shirley Marr

Harry versus the First 100 Days of School by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Pete Oswald

Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani

The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor

Matasha by Pamela Erens

Monster Friends by Kaeti Vandorn

The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb

My Own World by Mike Holmes

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac

To Tell You the Truth by Beth Vrabel

9 June Picture Books to Wake Your Brain Cells

| Tasha

A crop of new starred fiction and nonfiction picture books coming out this month to enjoy! Lots of diversity and inclusion titles to share and love.

Best Day Ever! by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Leah Nixon

Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder

A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi by James Yang

Dumplings for Lili by Melissa Iwai

Faraway Things by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Kelly Murphy

I Is for Immigrants by Selina Alko

My America by Karen Katz

Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player

Unbound: The Life and Art of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler, illustrated by Melissa Sweet