43 Top Titles by Kwame Mbalia, Jeff Zentner, Julie Flett and More | Starred Reviews, August 2021

This month's must-have reads include an anthology celebrating Black boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia, the latest tearjerker from Jeff Zentner, and another lovely volume by Julie Flett.


Picture Books

Alessandri, Alexandra. Isabel and Her ­Colores Go to School. illus. by Courtney Dawson. Sleeping Bear. 

Bates, Janet Costa. Time for Bed, Old House. illus. by AG Ford. Candlewick. 

Brown, Peter. Fred Gets Dressed. Little, Brown. 

Christie, Tory. A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth. illus. by Luciana Navarro Powell. Amicus Ink. 

Everington, Kristy. Isobel Adds It Up. ­illus. by AG Ford. Random House Studio.

Flett, Julie. We All Play. Greystone. 

Kalman, Maira. Darling Baby. Little, Brown. 

Locke, Katherine. What Are Your Words?: A Book About Pronouns. illus. by Anne Passchier. Little, Brown. 

Martin, David. The More the Merrier. illus. by Raissa Figueroa. Candlewick. 

Stein, David Ezra. Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise. Candlewick. 

Yaccarino, Dan. The Longest Storm. minedition. 

Yoon, Helen. Off-Limits. Candlewick. 

 

Chapter Books

Greenburg, Dan. Why I Was Late for School Again. illus. by Deborah Zemke. Creston. 

King, SJ. The Secret Explorers and the Missing Scientist. DK. 

 

Middle Grade

Allen, Josh. Only if You Dare: 13 Stories of Darkness and Doom. illus. by Sarah J. Coleman. Holiday House. 

Lee, Lori. Pahua and the Soul Stealer. Rick Riordan Presents. 

Mbalia, Kwame, ed. Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood. Delacorte.

Mott, Jody Lee. Hush-a-Bye. Viking.

Parr, Maria. Lena, the Sea, and Me. Candlewick. 

Rissi, Anica Mrose. Hide and Don’t Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories. HarperCollins/Quill Tree. 

Valenti, Karla Arenas. Lotería. Knopf. 

Wang, Andrea. The Many Meanings of Meilan. Penguin/Kokila.

 

YA

Cameron, Sharon. Bluebird. Scholastic. 

Glasgow, Kathleen. You’d Be Home Now. Delacorte.

Lackey, Mercedes. Briarheart. Little, Brown. 

Lee, Victoria. A Lesson in Vengeance. Delacorte. 

Longoria, Margarita, ed. Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America. Philomel. 

McBride, Amber. Me (Moth). Feiwel & Friends.

Nunn, Malla. Sugar Town Queens. Putnam. 

Richmond, Caroline Tung. The Great Destroyers. Scholastic. 

Zentner, Jeff. In the Wild Light. Crown. 

 

Graphic Novels

King, Thomas. Borders. illus. by Natasha Donovan. Little, Brown.

Murray, Duane. Better Place. illus. by Shawn Daley. Top Shelf. 

 

Nonfiction

Boyer, Crispin & Suzanne Zimbler. Top Secret: Spies, Codes, Capers, Gadgets, and Classified Cases Revealed. National Geographic.

Delargy, Flora. Rescuing Titanic: A True Story of Quiet Bravery in the North Atlantic. Quarto/Wide Eyed Editions. 

Drew, Helen. 3D Paper Crafts for Kids: 26 Creative Projects to Make from A-Z. Fox Chapel/Happy Fox.=

Levine, Sara. A Peek at Beaks: Tools Birds Use. illus. by Kate Slater. Millbrook. 

Saltz, Joanna. The Delish Kids (Super-Awesome, Crazy-Fun, Best-Ever) Cookbook: 100+ Amazing Recipes. Hearst Home Kids. 

Sandler, Martin W. Picturing a Nation: The Great Depression’s Finest Photographers Introduce America to Itself. Candlewick.

Taylor, Barbara. Inside Animals. illus. by Margaux Carpentier. Quarto/Wide Eyed Editions.

 

Adult Books 4 Teens

Adams, Sara Nisha. The Reading List. Morrow. 

Moniz, Dantiel W. Milk Blood Heat. Grove. 

West, Monica. Revival Season. S. & S. 

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?