New Book Tuesday

Read on to hear about some amazing new books for children and teens hitting shelves on March 5th!

A GEISEL HONOR BOOK

School Library Journal Best Books of 2024

The clever and hilarious star of the Geisel Award winners Fox at Night, Fox the Tiger, and Fox Has a Problem is back in another I Can Read adventure.

There’s only one Fox . . . except when there are two!

Will Fox outfox this new fox? Or will he make a new friend?


Carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and whimsical illustrations, Fox versus Fox is ideal for sharing with your emergent reader. The active, engaging My First I Can Read stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey. Other Fox books include Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night, Fox versus Winter, Fox the Tiger, Fox Is Late, Fox and the Jumping Contest, and Fox and the Bike Ride.


A gentle child embarks on a magical journey and transforms their worries into wonder by simply asking "What if?" 

When a spring breeze blows,

a quiet promise whispers,

What if?

What if you close your eyes and

make a wish?

In this sweet and inspiring book by Anne Appert (Blob), one child learns the true power of positive thinking, perseverance, and wonder. Perfect for fans of When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left, Just One Little Light, What the Road Said, and other graduation, baby shower, springtime, and birthday books for little dreamers and optimists.


WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL

A FINALIST FOR THE 2024 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

INDIE BESTSELLER

Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2024

Shelf Awareness Best Books of 2024 for Kids and Teens

BookPage Best Middle Grade of 2024

Common Sense Media Best Books of 2024

2025 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable List

When twelve-year-old Michael Rosario meets a mysterious boy from the future, his life is changed forever. From bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly, also the winner of the Newbery Medal for Hello, Universe and a Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space, this novel explores themes of family, friendship, trust, and forgiveness. The First State of Being is for fans of Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me.

It's August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever—except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his sixteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby.

It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident, and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn’t where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999—fascinated by microwaves, basketballs, and malls—Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years, and his curiosity morphs into something else: focused determination. Michael wants—no, needs—to get his hands on that book. How else can he prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it?

A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves, this thematically rich novel is distinguished by its voice, character development, setting, and exploration of the issues that resonate with middle grade readers.

Finalist for the National Book Award and Winner of the Newbery Medal.

 


From Newbery Honor and Walter Award–winning author Rajani LaRocca comes a gripping middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent’s Secret and The Last Mapmaker.

Though music is outlawed in the land of Devia, Sona hears it everywhere. Sona is a Malech, a member of the ruling class that conquered Devia centuries ago. Malechs forbade music to prevent the native Devans from using their magic, and Sona hides her abilities lest they put her in danger.

Then Sona discovers an orphaned wolf pup. She believes the pup, with its golden ears, might be related to one of the five sacred beasts of Devia, and she vows to keep it safe. That means bringing the pup in tow when Sona embarks on a perilous quest, along with a Devan boy, to secure the nectar of life for a loved one who has fallen gravely ill. On the journey, as Sona uncovers secrets about the Malechian empire and her own identity, she realizes that the fate of the sacred beasts, and the future of Devia, just might come down to her.

This captivating fantasy novel by award-winning author Rajani LaRocca will sweep readers into Sona’s quest across the land of Devia as she grapples with the lasting impact of colonial rule and learns to fight for what she knows is right. 


The next semiautobiographical graphic novel from Jarad Greene continues to follow Jay, this time as he faces his freshman year of high school—and a whole new world of friendships, self-discovery, and stress about the future.

The start of Jay’s freshman year is full of new things . . . New friends. New classes. New challenges.

All of which are expected, until his new friend group’s obsession with perfect grades puts the pressure on—especially when his best subject, art, is full. Without it to anchor him, Jay hopes theater class will be the easy A he’s looking for. But when the class begins, Jay finds himself struggling like never before. Turns out balancing Shakespeare with biology and geometry is a lot harder than he thought. Will Jay be able to step into the spotlight and deliver an A+ performance? 

Perfect for readers of Yehudi Mercado and Rachel Elliott, A for Effort’s refreshingly witty and honest story is a heartfelt exploration of how it’s not always the outcome but the journey itself that truly matters. 


A rich and romantic new stand-alone fantasy loosely inspired by the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, from the New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty!

Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights and The Shadow Queen.

Centuries ago, the heretic sorcerer Ruven raised a deadly briar around Runakhia's palace, casting the royal family into an enchanted sleep—and silencing the kingdom's gods.

Born with a miraculous gift, Lia's destiny is to kill Ruven and wake the royals. But when she succeeds, she finds her duty is not yet complete, for now she must marry into the royal family and forge a pact with a god—or die.

To make matters even worse, Ruven's spirit is haunting her.

As discord grows between the old and new guards, the queen sends Lia and Prince Araunn, her betrothed, on a pilgrimage to awaken the gods. But the old gods are more dangerous than Lia ever knew—and Ruven may offer her only hope of survival.

As the two work together, Lia learns that they're more alike than she expected. And with tensions rising, Lia must choose between what she was raised to believe and what she knows is right—and between the prince she is bound to by duty...and the boy she killed.