Soccer Trophy Mystery
by Fred Bowen

Award-winning author and Washington Post KidsPost sports columnist Fred Bowen returns with a new soccer- and mystery-packed addition to his popular Sports Story Series!

Meet Aiden and Ava, avid soccer-playing twins who are working toward a championship season and trying to solve the mystery of their town’s missing soccer trophy.

During a trip to the county library to snag copies of the book assigned to their English class, the twins stop to admire all the county league soccer trophies representing winning teams over the years. There’s just one problem: the librarian informs Aiden and Ava that the original championship trophy disappeared forty years ago and was never recovered. The twins leave the library with their English books, but they can’t stop thinking about the missing soccer trophy.

So with their friend Daniel in tow, and between games and practices for their own soccer championships, these young athletes decide to solve the case of the missing trophy. Will these amateur detectives be able to unravel the mystery and find someone who had both motive and opportunity to commit the crime in time to lead their teams to victory?

Fred Bowen’s newest installment in his Sports Story Series tackles important topics like equal recognition for women in sports and includes “The Real Story” behind the disappearance of the original World Cup trophy at the end of the book. A thrilling read for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green.

Check out an excerpt of this action-packed new story, and explore the rest of the Sports Story Series for more middle grade sports reads!

Boo Stew
by Donna L. Washington
illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler

There had always been scares in Toadsuck Swamp, but Curly Locks didn’t mind. The only thing she truly cared about was cooking. Unfortunately for Curly Locks, she’s an awful cook and all the townspeople know to steer clear of her cat hair cupcakes or toad eye toffees. Until one night when a fresh batch of her lizard skin lasagna goes missing from Curly Locks’s windowsill…

Pretty soon, Scares start appearing all over town, terrorizing the townspeople at mealtime shrieking “Gitchey Boo, Gitchey Bon! Gitchey Goo, Gitchey Gone!” With everyone else tremblin’ and squawkin’, Curly Locks gets to wonderin’ if she should try cooking for the Scares. Can Curly Locks use her smarts and unique culinary talents to help corral those Scares for good?

Internationally known, award-winning storyteller Donna L. Washington has cooked up a delightfully spooky fractured fairy tale with a diverse cast of characters and an imaginative twist on the classic “Goldilocks.” Donna’s clever, can-do protagonist and joyful language paired with Jeffrey Ebbeler’s imaginative illustrations will tempt readers into a ghostly, yet enchanting landscape that they won’t want to leave! A perfectly spooky read aloud for Halloween storytimes.

Start your adventure with Curly Locks in this excerpt, and test out some spooky recipes from Curly Locks’s Cookbook!

“Curly Locks is a plucky Black girl among a multiracial cast of characters whose country accents enhance the story’s setting. The inky, blotchy Scares are pretty scary, and Curly Locks’ food is stomach-turning, hilarious for lovers of gross humor. This fairy-tale–style story is a standout pleaser. . . .” —Kirkus Reviews

“A fun story about pursuing one’s passions even when other people might not understand. . . The characters’ exaggerated body proportions add the right amount of humor, while the inky and spooky Scares are the stuff of nightmares. . . [A] fun Halloween read sure to entertain in any season.” —School Library Journal

Find Boo Stew this September at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

Nina Soni, Halloween Queen
by Kashmira Sheth
illustrated by Jenn Kocsmiersky

Middle grade favorite Nina Soni returns for a brand-new STEAM adventure that’s perfect for Halloween reading! The fourth installment in Kashmira Sheth’s award-winning series, join charming and distractible Nina Soni for more laugh-out-loud misadventures with her family and friends.

Every year Nina Soni is ready for Halloween well before October 31st arrives. But this year is different. Her family’s Diwali celebration pushed thoughts of costumes and trick-or-treating out of Nina’s brain, so now it’s Friday and Halloween is on Sunday and Nina isn’t prepared. That doesn’t stop this spooky holiday from bringing out her competitive spirit, though. Nina’s best friend Jay already has the perfect costume planned, so naturally, Nina has to come up with something even better.

But what could be better than the perfect costume? The scariest haunted house, of course! So with a bunch of old boxes as the perfect building material and the bright idea to charge admission, Nina’s ready to open her haunted house. What could possibly go wrong for this lovable Halloween Queen?

Just in time for Halloween read alouds with chapter book fans and STEAM enthusiasts, don’t miss this new addition to a must-read series featuring stories of family, friendship, and Nina Soni’s slightly scatterbrained efforts to manage her life with lists, definitions, and more.

Explore the Nina Soni series.

Can’t wait to dive in to Nina Soni’s newest adventure? Read an excerpt!

Praise for the third book in the series, Nina Soni, Master of the Garden

“As in previous books in this series, Nina’s sincere and circumspect narratorial voice—and her beautifully illustrated lists and asides—renders this story a delight to read. Sheth expertly weaves in details about Nina’s Indian heritage together with her pride in being a Wisconsinite…. Plants aren’t the only things that grow in this book about perseverance, friendship, and personal growth.” —Kirkus Reviews

Find Nina Soni, Halloween Queen this September at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

A Shelter for Sadness
by Anne Booth
illustrated by David Litchfield

A young boy is building a shelter for his sadness. The shelter will have light from the sun or curtains to draw. The shelter is strong enough to weather any winter storm and surrounded by a beautiful garden in the spring filled with sweet-smelling blooms. The boy can visit his sadness whenever he needs to, and the two of them can sit, cry, lie down, curl up very small, run around, and everything in between. It doesn’t matter if the boy can’t visit his sadness for a while. He knows his sadness is safe inside the shelter, patiently waiting for the boy’s return.

In this poignant, timely consideration of sadness and mental health, author Anne Booth offers a beautiful depiction of how kids (and readers of all ages) must care for their emotions and give attention to their grief on a regular basis. Illustrator David Litchfield’s stunning art brings the beautiful concept to life with a manifestation of sadness that the young boy protagonist interacts with throughout the story. A child-friendly approach to mental health for young readers, explore the many faces of sadness and the importance taking care of each and every emotion with little ones learning to take care of their mental health.

Read an excerpt, and get a peek at David Litchfield’s beautiful illustrations below.

“[A] sparkling, hushed story about making spaces for less glamorous feelings, too. . . .”—Foreword Reviews

Amara’s Farm
by JaNay Brown-Wood
illustrated by Samara Hardy

Amara has lots of plants on her farm, but today she’s searching for pumpkins for her autumn potluck! She searches all over the farm, finding apples, persimmons, potatoes, and more, but no pumpkins. Where, oh, where could those pumpkins be? Little readers can follow along as Amara identifies the unique characteristics of all the tasty fall fruits and vegetables growing on her farm, until she finds a perfectly round, orange pumpkin to share with her friends and grandparents at the potluck.

This first entry in the new Where in the Garden? series features simple, playful text from author JaNay Brown-Wood and vivid, cheerful watercolor illustrations from artist Samara Hardy that bring this vibrant story to life. Perfect for early childhood and elementary education units on agriculture, farming, and healthy eating, and great for lessons on comparing and contrasting. And don’t miss the yummy molasses pumpkin bread recipe in the back of the book for little chefs to try!

Read an excerpt, and get a peek at Samara Hardy’s adorable illustrations below!

“The premise of this story will delight preschoolers who like to show off what they know, answering questions and searching the pages for pumpkins. . . . The illustrations are full of delightful details, and the wonderfully busy endpapers are scrumptious. A fun fall pick for interactive storytelling.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The repetition in Brown-Wood’s engaging, informative text reinforces comprehension, while Hardy’s digital illustrations, featuring hand-painted ink and watercolor textures for added depth, provide a festive atmosphere with their vibrant autumnal hues.” —The Horn Book (text not final)

Find Amara’s Farm this August at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

Now You Say Yes
by Bill Harley

Fifteen-year-old Mari has just lost her mother, and in a desperate attempt to avoid getting caught up in the foster system—again—she convinces her super-smart and on-the-Autism-spectrum nine-year-old stepbrother, Conor, to take a cross-country road trip to find a new family and a place to call their own. Mari is too young to have a driver’s license, but she and Conor set out to drive all the way from Los Angeles to Massachusetts with the hope of finding their estranged grandmother.

After fighting the snarls of LA traffic, navigating the winding backroads of the Midwest, and learning all about the inner workings of Conor’s mind and the fascinating way he views the world around him, will these two siblings find a new home? Will their grandmother take them in despite everything that’s happened in the past?

An epic road trip novel filled with family, a stunning solar eclipse, and the perfect barbecue chips, don’t miss this touching tale from Grammy Award-winner and author Bill Harley. This beautiful exploration of identity is truly an unforgettable story perfect for middle grade read alouds and end-of-the-summer road trip reading.

Get a peek at this new middle grade must-read in this excerpt and video introduction from author Bill Harley, and dive in to the story in this first chapter read aloud.

Want to follow along with Mari and Conor on their road trip? Download their map and playlist!

“This poetically written and economically plotted hero’s journey by Harley (the Charlie Bumpers series) makes a heartwarming, hopeful case for self-forgiveness and second chances.” —Publishers Weekly

“A grand journey measured in both physical and emotional distance” —Kirkus Reviews

“As hopeful as it is heartbreaking.” —Foreword Reviews

“I rooted for outcast-misfit protagonists Mari and Conor every mile and (every single page!) of their intimate and epic, grief-fueled road trip. Bill Harley’s Now You Say Yes reminds us that acts of kindness—big and small—make all the difference.” —Patrick Flores-Scott, award-winning author of Jumped In and American Road Trip

“Now You Say Yes is an engaging and, at times, wild and hilarious road trip…[Harley’s] portrayal of autism and sibling relationships is spot-on, respectful, and insightful, adding immeasurably to the richness of the journey. Now You Say Yes is a page-turner that will entertain you, keep you laughing, and touch you as well.” —Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Brown University, author of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism

Find Now You Say Yes this August at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

Red Truck, Yellow Truck
by Michelle Robinson
illustrated by Jez Tuya

Red truck, yellow truck.
Red truck, yellow truck.
Tug truck. Tow truck.
Steady as you go, truck!

Red truck, yellow truck and their dog drivers are on their way to the construction site! Follow along as they drive through a busy city, plow through a snowy forest, and a pass by a cow-filled farm. A slow garbage truck, tall snow drifts, and a speeding tractor can’t stop these hard-working vehicles! But will all the trucks be able to get their jobs done before they have to drive all the way back home?

Introducing a colorful case of tractors, diggers, mixers, bulldozers, and more in this vibrant salute to things that go. Little vehicle aficionados and fans of Richard Scarry’s Busytown will eagerly turn page after page to find rolling trucks, lifting trucks, trucks that that dump, mix, climb, squash, and keep going when the going gets tough! Author Michelle Robinson’s delivers a rhythmic, action-packed story that builds excitement with every page turn, and Jez Tuya’s brightly colored trucks, townscapes, and adorable dogs on-the-go are perfect for storytime and interactive read alouds. But the vehicle fun doesn’t stop at the end of the story… End papers bursting with trucks of all kinds are sure to delight young readers!

Can’t wait to explore this action-packed new read aloud? Read an excerpt, and get a peek at Jez Tuya’s colorful illustrations below!

Stanley’s Library
by William Bee

It’s going to be another busy day at Stanley’s library! Charlie tidies the bookshelves while Stanley gets his cart ready with books to stock his bookmobile to take to the local park. Myrtle is returning some books about cheese, and Stanley is picking the perfect books for Hattie, Shamus, and Little Woo. Hurry! Stanley has to get back to the library in time to set up for a special event… After another day on the go, Stanley returns home for his comforting nighttime routine of supper, bed, and bath.

A must-read addition to the Stanley series and a brightly colored salute to reading, libraries, and librarians, little Stanley fans won’t want to miss this new adventure with everyone’s favorite community helping hamster. Perfect for read alouds with fans of Maisy, William Bee’s beloved Stanley series is ideal for readers at a transitional age between board books and picture books.

Visit the Stanley Fan Page to explore more Stanley picture and board books, meet the lovable characters, and download activities, recipes, and more! Join the Stanley Fan Club to keep up with the latest news for the hardest working hamster in the book business.

“Delightfully celebrates the art of librarianship.” —Kirkus Reviews

Find Stanley’s Library this August at your local library, indie bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, and be sure to check out the rest of our brand-new picture books and middle grade and YA titles coming to Peachtree this season!

Curious About Fish
by Cathryn Sill
illustrated by John Sill

Welcome to the fascinating world of fish! These beautiful, diverse creatures come in all shapes and sizes, and now even the littlest ocean enthusiasts can start learning about our finned underwater friends. A simple, realistic first glimpse into the natural world of fish, Curious About Fish is the fourth addition to the Discovering Nature board book series.

From the award-winning team of the acclaimed About… and About Habitats series comes another early nature introduction for toddlers and preschoolers to learn basic facts about the world around them. Author Cathryn Sill offers easy-to-understand descriptions of how fish look, where they live, what they eat, and how they move around, and noted wildlife illustrator John Sill’s detailed and realistic art brings this colorful book to life. A dependable and informative resource for budding oceanographers as well as for early childhood education units on animals, environments, fish, oceans, and pets, and perfect for a first trip to the aquarium with little ones hoping to spot sharks, seahorses, clownfish, and more!

Get to know some of the fish from the book in this excerpt.

Explore the Sills’ award-winning About… and About Habitats picture book series, perfect for further exploration with young nature enthusiasts.

Check out the rest of the Discovering Nature series, and download the activity sheets for more nature fun!

Nina Soni, Master of the Garden
by Kashmira Sheth
illustrated by Jenn Kocsmiersky

Everyone’s favorite Indian-American middle grade series star Nina Soni returns in the newest laugh-out-loud addition to the award-winning, relatable Nina Soni series! Nina’s done science experiments and school projects, and she’s come up with elaborate plans (that don’t always work out), and now she’s back to become a master of the garden!

It’s Take Your Child to Work Day, and Nina, Kavita, and Jay are all going to work with Mom, a landscape architect, to learn how to start a garden. At first, everything goes according to plan, but soon enough, unwelcome bugs, slugs, and rabbits and some screechy singing ukulele-playing from her little sister quickly derail Nina’s plans to grow enough tasty veggies to start her own vegetable-selling business. Through trial and error—and a few mosquito bites—Nina, Kavita, and Jay learn how to care for their gardens and, of course, make some delicious meals with what they’ve grown to share with friends and family.

Just in time for Earth Day reading and planning spring gardens, this third installment in the Nina Soni series is sure to be a fan favorite with STEAM enthusiasts and young bookworms looking to test out their green thumbs. From Own Voices author Kashmira Sheth, Nina Soni, Master of the Garden will make the perfect addition to diverse book collections.

Get to know Kashmira Sheth and her inspiration for Nina Soni, Former Best Friend—the first title in the series—with our author Q&A, and use this discussion guide to answer fun questions about food, family, and the power of friendship.