Here we round up new and forthcoming children’s titles including an illustrated book about a new student trying to make friends, a picture book homage to beach days, a graphic novel about a friendship that grounds two struggling teens, and more.
Amina Banana and the Formula for Friendship by Shifa Saltagi Safadi, illus. by Aaliya Jaleel. Putnam, $16.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-0-593-69922-5; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-0-5936-9914-0. Optimistic about her family’s move from Syria to Indiana, science-minded third grader Amina creates a four-step formula for making friends, but struggles when her plans go awry. The book received a starred review from PW.
Big Family Beach Day by Nina Crews. Greenwillow, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-063-39022-5. Crews pays homage to fond families and beatific beach days in this busy slice-of-life picture book.
Everyone Sux but You by K. Wroten. Holt, $27.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-25082-166-9; $19.99 paper ISBN 978-1-25082-167-6. In this gripping graphic novel by Wroten, high school senior Carson Flynn and her best friend, Ash, struggle to manage their unresolved grief over Carson’s mother’s recent death alongside claustrophobic feelings stemming from being queer in a small Midwestern town in the early aughts.
Flower Girls: A Story of Sisters by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman, illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser. HarperCollins, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-0622-7928-6. Daisy’s older and very different sisters Lily and Poppy share a similarly strong will, and the youngest sibling is soon overwhelmed when trying to get them all to work together to start a garden.
Gus and Glory by Sarah Guillory. Roaring Brook, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-250-34936-1. In this hopeful novel from Guillory, a rambunctious bloodhound bounding nose-first through life proves to be the glue that bonds a 12-year-old to biological and found families. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
The History of We by Nikkolas Smith. Kokila, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-61968-1. Using phrases that incorporate a communal we, and thickly stroked acrylic paintings that feel full of movement, Smith establishes a progression of humankind’s creativity—“a brilliant blueprint for all human beings to come.”
It Simply Can’t Be Bedtime by Pamela Paul, illus. by Steven Salerno. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5935-3216-4. Pretend play collides with domestic demands as a girl’s bedraggled father attempts to wrap up an evening’s events.
Jim!: Six True Stories about One Great Artist: James Marshall by Jerrold Connors. Dial, $20.99; ISBN 978-0-5938-5934-6. Nodding to the expressive, loose linework and gleefully direct prose of creator James Marshall. Connors chronicles six pivotal moments in the life of a children’s literature legend.
Let Them Stare by Julie Murphy and Jonathan Van Ness. Storytide, $22.99; ISBN 978-0-06-334624-6. A queer teen uncovers secrets from their town’s past via a pristine haunted vintage leather bag in this heartfelt novel by Dumplin’ author Murphy and Queer Eye star Van Ness.
One Day in June: A Story Inspired by the Life and Activism of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline, illus. by Charlot Kristensen. Putnam, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5935-2537-1. Tourmaline movingly explains how people still benefit from the work of Black trans woman and activist Marsha P. Johnson, and how Johnson’s dedication to creating change by showing up for others “has never been more alive.” The picture book received a starred review from PW.
Out of Step, Into You by Ciera Burch. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-374-38915-4. Former best friends Mari and Taylor reunite when Taylor moves back to their hometown and rejoins Mari on the cross-country team.
Papa's Coming Home by Chasten Buttigieg, illus. by Dan Taylor. Philomel, $19.99; ISBN 978-0-593-69398-8. Twins Rosie and Jojo and their father eagerly await Papa’s return home in Buttigieg and Taylor’s amiable picture book.
The Puzzling Fate of Millicent Graves by Dora M. Mitchell. Little, Brown Ink, $24.99 hardcover; ISBN 978-1-5235-2736-6; $12.99 paper ISBN 978-1-64375-277-8. In this thought-provoking graphic novel debut by Mitchell, a tween with the power to alter people’s personalities struggles to navigate her tumultuous reality.
Salvación by Sandra Proudman. Wednesday, $20; ISBN 978-1-25089-508-0. Lola de La Peña hides her identity as a Salvación, a sword-wielding vigilante who protects her hometown, and must thwart a militia leader’s plans to use an ancient stolen amulet and the upcoming full moon’s power to destroy everything.
Shark at Sister Tea by Barbara Joosse, illus. by Sergio Ruzzier. Random House/Schwartz, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-5936-4694-6. When Mama and Papa head out on an afternoon errand, leaving their daughters alone for the very first time, the sisters throw themselves a “sister tea.”
This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle. Simon & Schuster, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-6659-4867-8. This timely novel by LaDelle is a moving exploration of love’s potential to bridge cultural divides. The YA book received a starred review from PW.
Wish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, illus. by Nancy Carpenter (Penguin/Paulsen, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-5247-3968-3). In this picture book companion to middle grade novel Fish in a Tree, Oliver learns to appreciate that his brain functions differently than others.
Zarina Divided by Reem Faruqi. HarperCollins, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-0632-8499-9. Zarina and her Muslim family flee from India to the newly formed Muslim country of Pakistan; Zarina blossoms while attending a religious academy run by a British administration. The middle grade book received a starred review from PW.
For more children’s and YA titles on sale throughout the month of May, check out PW’s full On-Sale Calendar.
