29 Wonderful Winter Titles for Children and Teens
The long, dark days of winter are around the corner and your readers are going to need a stack of new books to keep them company. We're ready to provide! With laugh out loud picture books, the return of favorite middle grade series, and teen titles that are sure to bring out the tears, there are titles on here for every kind of reader.
By Sergio Ruzzier
From award-winning creator Sergio Ruzzier comes a stunning and timeless picture book that’s perfect for young readers embarking on new experiences, from their first days of school to visiting new places, moving away, and beyond.
By Phuc Tran
Illustrated by Pete Oswald
In this second picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of the Food Group series, Pete Oswald, and acclaimed picture book author Phuc Tran’s bestselling Cranky series, Cranky is feeling extra cranky when a new crane joins the crew.
Faith Takes the Train
By Kesi Augustine
Illustrated by Mokshini
Follow Faith on a joyful journey on a New York City train, where she learns a delicious lesson about courage and being kind
Good Luck, Ice Cream Truck
By Sorche Fairbank
Illustrated by Terry Runyan
Neighborhood friends greet eight different trucks until the truck they're really waiting for—the ice cream truck—finally arrives. A sweet and colorful celebration of vehicles, community, friendship, and ice cream, illustrated by Terry Runyan.
By Tamron Hall
Illustrated by Ebony Glenn
From Emmy Award–winning journalist and talk show host Tamron Hall comes an endearing story about young Moses, inspired by her real-life son and his adventure visiting Harlem, New York’s most iconic spots, learning a valuable lesson about the meaning of home.
By Beth Ferry
Illustrated Tom Lichtenheld
Here's a heart-expanding story about an on-the-go inventor who makes homes for others before realizing the rewards of putting down his own roots.
Punch!
By Michael Hall
When Badger bullies his friends Frog, Moose, Elephant, and Bear, they teach him an unforgettable lesson about empathy, kindness, and forgiveness in this funny and thematically rich social and emotional read-aloud from the acclaimed creator of Red: A Crayon's Story.
Sadie Mouse Wrecks the House
By Elliot Kalan
Illustrated by Tim Miller
Can a good, obedient mouse go bad? Just watch! This hilarious story combines the literal-minded takes of Amelia Bedelia with the absurdist chaos of The Cat in the Hat, from the creators of Horse Meets Dog.
The Salt Princess
By Anoosha Syed
In the second book of the Everlasting Tales collection, multicultural folktales traditionally passed down through oral tradition now refreshed for a modern audience, acclaimed author-illustrator Anoosha Syed retells the Pakistani folktale of the Salt Princess, about a banished daughter finding her way back to her family.
Smiling Eyes
By Linda Sue Park
Illustrated by Lenny Wen
From Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Linda Sue Park comes a joyous and inclusive celebration of eyes—showcasing the variety of Asian eye shapes and hues—in lively rhyming text ideal for sharing with any child.
At Home in a Faraway Place
By Lynne Rae Perkins
From Newbery Medal winner Lynne Rae Perkins, this novel for younger middle grade readers explores themes of empathy, friendship, discovery, and the life-changing epiphanies of travel. Features black-and-white illustrations, including full spreads, comics, spots, and flash cards throughout.
Band Nerd
By Sarah Clauson Wills
Illustrated by Emma Cormarie
Perfect for fans of Roller Girl and New Kid comes a heartfelt coming-of-age story about music, family, and friendship, wherein twelve-year-old Lucy Carver must navigate life as a band nerd in a new school, all while competing for a top flute soloist spot. But for Lucy, facing the music means dealing with the problems at home.
Bat and the Business of Ferrets
By Elana K. Arnold
Illustrated by Charles Santoso
The bestselling Bat returns! Bat and the Business of Ferrets is the fourth title in National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold’s heartfelt and widely acclaimed series featuring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum.
Besties: Prank War
By Kayla Miller and Jeffery Canino
Illustrated by Sarah K. Turner
From the New York Times bestselling World of Click by Kayla Miller comes a graphic novel about besties Trent and Sawyer. When they accidentally start a class-wide prank war, the boys need to get especially crafty if they’re going to come out on top—with all of their friendships intact.
Coven
By Soman Chainani
Illustrated by Joel Gennari
A stand-alone upper middle grade fantasy graphic novel from New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani, with art by Joel Gennari, that follows the adventures of Hester, Anadil, and Dot, the witch coven from the School for Good and Evil series
A Day at the Beach
By Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge
Look Both Ways meets Seedfolks in this masterful novel from two titans of kid lit that follows a diverse cast of young people whose lives intersect in surprising and hilarious ways over the course of a summer day.
Lemonade War: Graphic Novel
By Jacqueline Davies
Illustragted by Karen De La Vega
The first book in the beloved Lemonade War series—a clever blend of humor, math wizardry, and business know-how—has sold more than 1.5 million copies and is now available as a full-color graphic novel.
The Strongest Heart
By Saadia Faruqi
Pakistani American author Saadia Faruqi has written a deeply empathetic story about a boy grappling with his father’s mental illness and trying to find home and family in a new place.
Old School
By Gordon Korman
From New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious story about a boy who is homeschooled in his grandmother’s retirement community…until he is forced to go to public school.
Very Bad at Math
By Hope Larson
High jinks, unexpected friendships, and math take center stage in this contemporary middle grade graphic novel from New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award–winning author Hope Larson.
A Wolf Called Fire
By Rosanne Parry
The stand-alone companion to Rosanne Parry’s New York Times bestseller A Wolf Called Wander tells the wilderness survival story of the wolf pup known as Warm and is illustrated in black and white throughout.
After Life
By Gayle Forman
A contemporary YA novel with a speculative twist—by a beloved, bestselling author—about a teenage girl who inexplicably returns to her family seven years after she died.
Fable for the End of the World
By Ava Reid
The Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in this stand-alone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything.
If We Were a Movie
By Zakiya N. Jamal
Booksmart meets Phantom of the Megaplex, for fans of Leah Johnson, in this enthralling enemies-to-lovers queer romance, set against the backdrop of a historic Black-owned movie theater.
Meet Me at Blue Hour
By Sarah Suk
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Past Lives in this emotional, gripping story of two childhood friends navigating the fallout of one erasing their memory of the other.
Rhino's Run
By Robert Lipsyte
The Breakfast Club meets Friday Night Lights in this powerful coming-of-age YA novel by celebrated author Robert Lipsyte, winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award, about a high school football player dealing with the aftermath of a violent incident at school that leaves him questioning everything.
The Shadow Bride
By Shelby Mahurin
In the thrilling conclusion of the duology set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series, a vampire and the woman who tried to hunt him prove that love is eternal.
(S)kin
By Ibi Zoboi
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Ibi Zoboi comes her groundbreaking contemporary fantasy debut—a novel in verse based on Caribbean folklore—about the power of inherited magic and the price we must pay to live the life we yearn for.
Watch Me
By Tahereh Mafi
Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.