Goat Magic by Kate Wheeler (August 19th)
Destinies collide when a village goat herder meets the palace princess in Goat Magic!
Trill, a spirited goat herder with a unique ability to communicate with her flock, yearns for a life beyond mountain pastures. Her “goat magic” feels common compared to the sorcery taught in the city’s prestigious magic schools, which are off-limits to her. Meanwhile, Princess Alya, known as the “Ordinary Princess” and heir to the kingdom of Capeya, doubts her own royal potential.
Their worlds collide when an assassination attempt on the queen leaves Alya cursed to transform into a black goat each sunrise. Seeking refuge in Trill’s goat herd, Alya discovers her new friend’s hidden talent is her only hope to break the spell. Together, they embark on a perilous journey back to the castle, facing treacherous foes and uncovering a web of betrayal and rebellion.
As Alya battles to reclaim her throne and restore order to Capeya, the girls discover a deep connection, their shared experiences forging an unbreakable bond. When Alya comes face to face with the ones who betrayed her, will she have what it takes to take back the crown and rule an unstable kingdom? Will Trill find confidence in her magic and the growing affection she has for her friend?
North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson (September 2nd)
Shy fourth grader Jess Jezowski turns the tables on her mom when she’s given yet another girly baby doll for Christmas. This time, instead of ignoring or destroying it, she transforms it into the boy she’s always wanted to be—a brave, funny little guy named Mickey. Making him talk, Jess finally lets the boy in her express himself.
But when Mickey evolves to become something more like an alter ego whose voice drowns out her own and the secret of him escapes the safety of her family, Jess realizes Mickey’s too limited and doesn’t allow the boy part of her a big enough presence in the world. She must find a way to blend him into her—so she can be that side of herself anywhere, around anyone.
Jess tries to wean herself from the crutch of Mickey’s loud, comical persona, and to get her family to forget about him, but she struggles to do both. What will it take for her to stop hiding behind Mickey and get people to see her for who she truly is? Based on the author’s experience growing up on Michigan’s rural Leelanau Peninsula in the ’70s, North of Tomboy includes artwork throughout.
Pasta Girls by Taylor Tracy (September 9th)
Hot-headed and energetic Romea Marino is starting ninth grade with a full plate. Between confusing social dynamics of high school and juggling extracurriculars, Ro can only find peace in the reliable comfort of her kitchen, where she’s able to follow in her dad’s culinary footsteps, whipping up Italian-fusion recipes.
Thoughtful and reserved Julianna Cangelosi is dying to help in her family’s restaurant, which serves traditional Italian dishes. But because Jules suffers from anxiety and struggles with overstimulation, her parents are wary of their daughter being in the chaos of a New York City kitchen.
When Ro and Jules meet on the first night of the San Gennaro Festival, sparks fly…until they learn that their fathers own dueling Italian restaurants across the street from each other. But the more the girls hang out—Ro teaching Jules how to cook; Jules taking Ro to her favorite spots around the city—the more their feelings grow. Can they rewrite the old tale of star-crossed kids from rival families and create a new recipe for love and friendship?
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N
The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro (September 23rd)
New York Times #1 best-selling authors Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro collaborate again on a new adventure in which Nico di Angelo teams up with his half-sister Hazel Levesque to protect . . . monsters?
Nico di Angelo is feeling antsy. It’s been almost three months since he and his boyfriend, Will Solace, returned to Camp Half-Blood from their journey to Tartarus, and there hasn’t been a demigod quest or a conflict with monsters in all that time. So, when Nico’s half-sister, Hazel Levesque, asks him and Will to join her at Camp Jupiter on the West Coast, he shadow-jumps at the chance to get away and do something.
In her Iris-message, Hazel had said that she needed the boys’ help with an “issue” with some “new guests.” What she didn’t say was that she’s providing a haven for a group of monsters who escaped the Underworld! Apparently, the self-proclaimed “mythics” learned from Nico and Will themselves that they have options and don’t have to be evil. But their integration into the Roman demigod camp isn’t exactly going smoothly.
As Nico and Will endeavor to build bridges between the refugees and the demigod campers, the mythics start disappearing from camp, one by one. A mysterious dark force is at work, and its plan is to punish all monsters for their past crimes. Things only get worse when Hazel learns that she is closely connected to that force . . .
Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | Old Town Books
A Little Too Haunted by Justine Pucella Winans (September 30th)
The only thing worse than having ghost hunters for parents is having fake ghost hunters for parents. Luna Catalano would know. Her moms are haunted house flippers who use their home reno skills and pretend psychic powers to turn spooky old houses into ghost-free modern homes. Not only does their job require the family to move all the time–meaning Luna is completely friendless–but the only thing haunting any of those houses is bad decor. For once Luna wishes there was an actual, for-real ghost.
When they move yet again, Luna isn’t expecting much. But this house feels…different. Things start out innocent enough–items not where they should be, strange noises–but soon things turn sinister. Her moms are waking up with cuts and bruises, and disturbing drawings showing them with even worse injuries are being left in Luna’s room. With the help of her next-door neighbors and a mysterious woman who seems to know a lot about the home, Luna starts to piece together what exactly happened in that house before she moved in. But not everything is as it seems. In order to save her moms, Luna will have to get the story right before everything goes completely wrong.
Splinter & Ash 2: City of Secrets by Marieke Nijkamp (October 7th)
The second book in New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp’s immersive medieval fantasy trilogy! A shadowy conspiracy threatens the city, and two determined misfits must uncover the secret plot—and reveal their own secrets—in order to save everyone.
It’s only been a few months since Princess Adelisa, who goes by Ash, returned to the city of Kestrel’s Haven after her abduction by the treasonous group of nobles called the Larks. Ash’s best friend, Splinter, is slowly advancing in her squire training and feeling more protective of Ash than ever.
But Splinter and Ash’s work is not nearly done. Anyone could be a Lark, and it seems that everyone is hiding a secret. When the queen’s spies learn that the Larks plan to disrupt the city’s Harvest Festival, Splinter and Ash are determined to do their part to stop it. They’ll face traitors, assassins, and a ticking clock to prevent everything from going up in flames.
Sir Callie and the Final Stand by Esme Symes-Smith (October 14th)
In the conclusion of this bestselling fantasy series a nonbinary knight-in-training, a reluctant crown prince, a fierce young witch, and her resilient twin brother must fight for the heart of their kingdom against tyranny, once and for all.
Helston and its champions have been torn apart by war. Finally reunited after being scattered across the realm fighting personal battles, Callie, Elowen, Edwyn and Willow must prepare to step into the roles they’ve been training for: Champion, Witch, Knight and King.
Even if it feels like their best will never be enough to conquer the infection of hate that has spread across Wyndebrel, even when their numbers seem so small compared to the might of their enemies, they must hold true to their mission: to create a better and safer realm for everyone.
With the aid of Eyrewood, Fairkeep, and the dragons, they are as ready as they’ll ever be to ride on Helston and Dumoor, to confront the newly crowned King Peran and the Witch Queen, and finally define what peace truly means. And there is a single truth Callie and friends must cling to: The battle is still worth fighting even when victory seems impossible.
Jackson Bright in the Spotlight by Eureka O’Hara and Dan Poblocki, ill. by Ricardo Bessa (October 21st)
When Jackson Bright wears a dress to the last day of school, he expects to be complimented on the cute polka-dot design. Instead, he gets sent to the principal’s office.
Jackson doesn’t know why people are saying that he needs to “dress like a boy.” And with all the discussions of “dressing like a boy” and “dressing like a girl,” he wonders where people like his best friend Eva, who’s nonbinary, fit into all of this. Or why he felt so confident and happy while wearing that dress.
So when Jackson sees a flyer for the town’s beloved Little Miss pageant, he comes up with a plan: dress in drag in order to compete and show the town just how fabulous he can be! More than anything, though, he wants to push the boundaries of gender and learn how to better support Eva and other nonbinary kids like them, which is harder than he realizes.
Before he knows it, he’s thrust into a world of rhinestone gowns and fiercely applied makeup. With the help of Eva and Uncle Aaron, Jackson scrambles to come up with an array of dazzling costumes, a crowd-winning speech, and a killer talent act.
As he navigates the ups and downs of the competition—all while keeping his real identity a secret and hiding a growing crush on his rival’s brother—Jackson will have to figure out how to stand beside his friend and show his small town that #nonbinaryteaisvalid, unpack questions about his family and identity that he’s been hiding from, and learn how to stay true to himself and hold his head high no matter what!
Chris Makes a Friend by Alex Gino (November 4th)
This is not the summer Chris has planned…
Chris does not want to be spending the summer with her grandparents and her little sister. Her grandparents aren’t bad — they just don’t let Chris do what she wants to do, which is sit around and read all day. And her sister, Becca, is the opposite, never sitting still and never being quiet.
The good part is that Chris’s grandparents are always telling her to go outside and “get some air” — so she can escape into the woods with a book and get some alone time. Or at least it’s alone time until Mia comes along. Mia is also in town for the summer, and she understands Chris in a way that Chris’s family just can’t.
Soon Chris is sneaking off to spend as much time with her friend as possible. But is there more to Mia than Mia is saying?
Mixing Magics by Clare Edge (November 11th)
Young witch Ber uncovers buried secrets tying her family’s coven to the demon dimension in this sequel to Accidental Demons.
Bernadette Crowley feels like she’s finally getting a handle on her diabetes diagnosis. At least, she can finally manage to not summon a demon every time she checks her blood sugar. But without her Grandma Orla, who disappeared into the demon dimension while protecting their family’s coven, even big wins don’t seem to matter as much.
Frustrated that no one is trying hard enough to rescue Grandma Orla, Ber takes matters into her own hands, using her growing powers to try to reach the demon dimension. But nothing can prepare her for the truth, a history that ties together her family and demons back generations and a betrayal that has haunted them for years.
With her friends Cai and Phoebe and her alert dog Clio, Ber must venture into the unknown to save her grandma and the magical world as a whole.
