Every writer's story is unique, but it can sometimes seem like dozens of creators are grappling with similar stories at once, each offering their own distinct perspective on a common theme. This month, the books I've been most excited to read are about history, family, and the connections we can forge with loved ones and strangers across long distances and over generations. A story about those shared connections might look like a picture book about a little girl who misses her mother, a well-researched graphic novel, or a complex multigenerational epic; it can cross the boundaries of genre from fantasy adventure to sci-fi thriller to contemporary fiction in verse. But what these stories share beyond their theme is their commitment to craft and their ability to captivate readers of all ages. I hope you'll find a title on this list that feels just right to share with the people you care about.
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Rashin Kheiriyeh, The Seasons of Parastoo
(Nancy Paulsen Books, August 6)
Recommended for ages 3-7
The Seasons of Parastoo is one of many recent picture books that I'll treasure as much for its artwork as for its storytelling. Rashin Kheiriyeh's colorful, comforting illustrations invite readers into the world of a little girl named Parastoo, who loves to observe how the natural world changes around her with the seasons. She's upset when the swallows fly away in the orange and gold autumn, and even more upset when her mom, who works as a nurse, has to leave for many months to take care of wounded soldiers. But the seasons pass, Parastoo's grandparents care for her, and her mom returns, just like the swallows do. This book is a treat for the eyes and a perfect pick for kids embarking on a new season of life.
Angela Burke Kunkel, World More Beautiful: The Life and Art of Barbara Cooney
Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
(Random House Studio, August 6)
Recommended for ages 4-8
If you're a reader who grew up on a steady diet of Miss Rumphius, Island Boy, and Roxaboxen, your heart will sing when you catch sight of World More Beautiful, a picture-book tribute to iconic children's book artist and author Barbara Cooney. Both the language and the art pay homage to their subject: Author Angela Burke Kunkel tells the story of Cooney's life through the familiar, comforting textual rhythms of Miss Rumphius, and illustrator Becca Stadtlander's colorful folk art-inspired illustrations are brilliant echoes—not copies—of Cooney's own work. Young readers who dream of creating their own books will be interested in the storytelling here, and older readers will appreciate this compassionate glimpse at a beloved creator's life and art.
Sarah Albee, The Painter and the President: Gilbert Stuart's Brush with George Washington
Illustrated by Stacy Innerst
(Calkins Creek, August 27)
Recommended for ages 7-10
Everyone loves Gilbert Stuart, the chatty and convivial portrait artist. Everyone, that is, except for George Washington. Washington's nearly out of office, "worn down and weary" from the burden of the presidency. He'd rather not sit still to have his portrait painted, and he'd really rather not have to suffer through Stuart's jokes. With lively language and whimsical art, Sarah Albee and Stacy Innerst give readers a humorous look at the contentious relationship between Washington and Stuart—and explain how Stuart was able to paint the portrait of Washington that eventually ended up on the one-dollar bill. This cheerful, voice-driven nonfiction picture book will especially appeal to young history buffs and aspiring artists, but it's good fun for everyone.
Tracey Baptiste, Carnival Chaos (Moko Magic #1)
(Freedom Fire, August 6)
Recommended for ages 8-12
Three kids embark on an adventure infused with Afro-Caribbean magic and lore in this enticing series starter from Tracey Baptiste, acclaimed author of The Jumbies. When twelve-year-old Misty moves with her mom from Trinidad to Brooklyn, she doesn't feel entirely at home—but she is excited to celebrate Carnival with her New York cousins Aidan and Brooke. During the Carnival preparations, when the cousins discover a magical creature—a fluffy, feathered and sequined confection of costume scraps that can move on its own—their parents reveal a long-held family secret: Misty, Aidan, and Brooke are mokos, young people with magical powers to protect their community in times of need. Now they have to use their newfound magic to save the festivities from a dangerous force trying to stop them. The characters' voices are compelling and believable, and Baptiste's worldbuilding will captivate young readers eager for a little magic of their own.
Ronald L. Smith, Project Mercury
(Clarion, August 6)
Recommended for ages 8-12
In Project Mercury, Ronald L. Smith, the award-winning author of excellent speculative fiction for kids, takes readers into the world of UFOs, aliens, and mysterious missions on a remote army base. Thirteen-year-old Ike isn't exactly thrilled when his mom, who's employed by the US Army, lets him know that his former friend Eesha will be moving to their base in Mercury, Nevada. Eesha is equally unexcited to hang out with Ike, with whom she thinks she's got nothing in common. Soon enough, though, the two kids find themselves in the middle of a page-turning, high-stakes adventure, working together to uncover the secrets of the military project their parents are working on—and confronting the men in black who don't want them to uncover the truth.
Matt Lamothe with Jenny Volvovski, All About U.S.: A Look at the Lives of 50 Real Kids from Across the United States
Illustrated by Matt Lamothe
(Chronicle Books, August 6)
Recommended for ages 8-12
One of my family's read-aloud favorites is This is How We Do It, Matt Lamothe's 2017 book that explores the lives of seven different kids from countries around the world. My kids love debating whether they'd prefer to eat dinner in Japan or Peru and comparing their own school experiences to those of children in Uganda and Italy. Now, in All About U.S., Lamothe and Jenny Volvovski take readers across the USA, peeking into the lives of kids from all fifty states. There's full-color art of each child's world, accompanied by a short biographical sketch. In Rhode Island, Ramon lives in a third-floor apartment and dreams of growing up to be a motorcycle-driving police officer; in Georgia, Aaron builds a Lego model of the Titanic; in Tennessee, Nila raises her pet rabbit, Flopsy. This cross-country journey will appeal to readers who love learning about the diverse and fascinating ways in which other families experience our shared world.
Frances Hardinge, Island of Whispers
Illustrated by Emily Gravett
(Amulet, August 27)
Recommended for ages 10-14
British author Frances Hardinge is well known for her fantasy novels for children, and this month's US publication of Island of Whispers (released last year in the UK) will delight her American fans. A novella of sorts, Island of Whispers introduces readers to Milo, whose father ferries the spirits of the dead from their home island of Merlank to the Island of the Broken Tower, the only place where they can safely pass to the next world. When Milo's father is killed, Milo finds himself unexpectedly forced into the role of ferryman, welcoming into his boat not only his father but also the daughter of a powerful lord who can't bear to let the girl's spirit depart. Emily Gravett's haunting, storybook-style illustrations add to the tale's timeless feel.
Sherri L. Smith, Pearl
Illustrated by Christine Norrie
(Graphix, August 20)
Recommended for ages 10-14
This historical graphic novel tells the story of thirteen-year-old Amy, who travels from her home in Hawaii in 1941 to visit her great-grandmother near Hiroshima, Japan. When Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, Amy is unable to return to her parents and baby brother, and in the years that follow, she is enlisted to work as a translator first for Japan's war effort and then for the United States. Amy's loyalties and emotions grow complicated over the course of the war, but she never loses hope that she will someday return home. The story of Amy's great-grandmother, who was once a pearl diver, is interwoven to great effect with Amy's own tale of survival, and the well-calibrated balance of text, images, and white space makes Pearl a particularly powerful read.
Tina Cane, Are You Nobody Too?
(Make Me a World, August 27)
Recommended for ages 11-14
My favorite novels in verse treat the concerns of poetry and those of fiction with equal respect, and Tina Cane manages this feat beautifully in her new novel for young people. Emily, an eighth grader who was adopted from China by her white parents, has just transferred from private school to a public school in Chinatown. For the first time in her life, Emily physically resembles most of her classmates, but she feels worlds apart, especially when she discovers that her parents have been keeping a secret about a family tragedy that occurred before she was born. Emily finds comfort in the poems of Emily Dickinson, who comes to feel like a true friend despite the time and circumstances separating her from her reader. With art and care, Cane, a former Poet Laureate of Rhode Island, crafts a story that's both lyrical and deeply relatable.
Randy Ribay, Everything We Never Had
(Kokila, August 27)
Recommended for ages 12-17
Randy Ribay's shimmering, image-rich prose made his 2019 novel Patron Saints of Nothing a National Book Award finalist, and it shines just as brightly in his new book for teen and adult readers. Everything We Never Had is a novel with generational scope, telling the stories of four Filipino American boys in the same family: Francisco, an immigrant who barely makes a living in the fields of 1930s California; Emil, his son, who tries to separate his own life from his father's history; Chris, who grows up in Denver in the 1980s and wants to learn more about his Filipino heritage despite his dad's objections; and Enzo, living in Philadelphia in 2020, who tries to bring the older men in his family at last to a place of understanding.
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