Looking for new books to add to your library collection? Browse a selection of bestselling, award-winning 2024 paperback releases, including picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult crossover books!
Peach Heaven by Yangsook Choi
Available in paperback July 9th, 2024
The peaches grown in Bucheon are the best in all of South Korea, and a rare treat for a young Yangsook. She dreams of a peach orchard where she can play and eat as much of the delicious fruit as she wishes. Then one day, after hours of a sudden heavy downpour, the sky begins to rain peaches. Yangsook finds herself in peach heaven until she remembers the farmers who have lost their harvest and decides she must help them.
Fully revised and re-illustrated, Peach Heaven is a timeless ode to human kindness and childhood wonder based on the author’s early life.
“The colored-pencil artwork, full-and double-page spread, has an appealing simplicity.” Booklist
“Yangook’s vision of peace and harmony mirrors Choi’s personal experiences, and her thoughtful main character embodies the same pensive tone found in the soft brownish-greenish peachy palate, making the whole experience one tasty bite.” Kirkus Reviews
Northwind by Gary Paulsen
Available in paperback January 9th, 2024
This stunning New York Times Bestseller from the survival story master, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness.
Nowhere Better Than Here by Sarah Guillory
Available in paperback March 19th, 2024
In her stunning debut middle grade novel, Sarah Guillory has written a lush story about an indomitable girl fighting against the effects of climate change.
In a town slowly being destroyed by rising tides, one girl must fight to find a way to keep her community’s spirit from drowning.
Ghosts, Toast, and Other Hazards by Susan Tan
Available in paperback April 23rd, 2024
From APALA Honor award-winning author Susan Tan, a middle-grade novel about a girl who must overcome her worries to find the truth behind her town’s urban legend.
Greenwild by Pari Thomson
Available in paperback April 30th, 2024
The Secret Garden meets A Wrinkle in Time in Greenwild, the first book in the most extraordinary new fantasy series the perfect gift for the holiday season!
Open the door to a spellbinding world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself…
Skating on Mars by Caroline Huntoon
Available in paperback May 7th, 2024
A heartwarming debut from author Caroline Huntoon about a young figure skater discovering who they are on and off the ice.
“Mars’ identity is examined with nuance, given depth and consideration as life on and off the ice grows both more euphoric and increasingly complicated… a strong sports story and an earnest coming-of-age tale in one.” Kirkus Reviews
“Mars’s passion for figure skating is infectious, and their fight to stake out their own place in a system not built for them proves both gently affirming and joyful.” Publishers Weekly
Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis’ Secret Code by Rebecca E.F. Barone
Available in paperback May 14th, 2024
Unbreakable is the edge-of-your seat true story of the codebreakers, spies, and navy fighters who helped defeat the Nazis and turned the tide of World War II perfect for fans of The Imitation Game, Alan Gratz, and Jennifer Nielsen.
Every Bird a Prince by Jenn Reese
Available in paperback May 14th, 2024
A girl’s quest to save a forest kingdom is intertwined with her exploration of identity in Every Bird a Prince, a gorgeous middle-grade contemporary fantasy by Jenn Reese, the award-winning author of A Game of Fox & Squirrels, perfect for fans of Josephine Cameron and Barbara O’Connor.
“Reese’s splendid story skillfully combines everyday experiences with a fantastical world, and though the talking birds and ferocious frostfangs are a surface-level treat, they’re also thoughtful explorations of selfdoubt and asexuality. A powerful testament to self-knowledge and boldly living in your truth.” Booklist
“Using frostfangs as a metaphor for the debilitating effects of self-doubt, this contemporary fantasy realistically examines Eren’s confusion, fear of alienation, and suffocation as she grapples with her true sexuality. Multidimensional supporting characters with their own identity issues and vulnerabilities add veracity and depth..” Kirkus Reviews
In the Key of Us by Mariama J. Lockington
Available in paperback May 21st, 2024
From the author of the critically acclaimed novel For Black Girls Like Me, Mariama J. Lockington, comes a coming-of-age story surrounding the losses that threaten to break us and the friendships that make us whole again.
★ “Navigating sensitive topics like body image, mental health, racism, grief, and healthy relationships with a gentle hand, this moving coming-of-age story is perfect for tweens and young teens.” School Library Journal, starred review
Second Chance Summer by Sarah Kapit
Available in paperback May 21st, 2024
Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it’s with your best friend. Can these two ex-besties survive summer camp together?
“[The main characters are] each figuring things out about themselves, and what seems a simple case of an unbalanced friendship reveals itself to be more complex.” Horn Book
“A sincere exploration of friendship’s ups and downs.” Kirkus Reviews
The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
Available in paperback May 28th, 2024
From the author of Nowhere Boy called “a resistance novel for our times” by The New York Times – comes a brilliant middle-grade survival story that traces a harrowing family secret back to the Holodomor, a terrible famine that devastated Soviet Ukraine in the 1930s.
A National Book Award Finalist
“A moving presentation of a long-suppressed piece of history.” Kirkus Reviews
Buzzkill: A Wild Wander Through the Weird and Threatened World of Bugs by Brenna Maloney; illustrated by Dave Mottram
Available in paperback June 25th, 2024
The praying mantis is the only animal on Earth with one ear and it’s in the middle of its chest. Aphids are born pregnant. Moths can’t fly during an earthquake. If you didn’t know these things, you soon will. Packed full of jaw-dropping facts, Buzzkill presents the big picture on bugs. You might think ew, gross. Insects are icky. Or scary. Or dangerous. They can be. But there’s so much more you need to know.
Insects play a critical role on our planet, from sustenance to pollination to medicines and more. Brenna Maloney tackles both the wacky and weird, as well as threats to insects and their habitats, their possible extinction, and ways that everyday people, like you, can prevent their decline.
How to Stay Invisible by Maggie C. Rudd
Available in paperback June 25th, 2024
My Side of the Mountain meets How to Steal a Dog in this high-stakes and heartfelt middle-grade story of a young boy and his dog surviving on their own in the woods.
Wild Bird by Diane Zhaler
Available in paperback July 2nd, 2024
Get lost in a sweeping middle-grade adventure following Rype, an abandoned girl in fourteenth-century Europe, as she walks from Norway to England looking for safety from the plague.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
“Something special. Don’t miss it.” Karen Cushman, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Midwife’s Apprentice and Newbery Honor-winning Catherine, Called Birdy
“A quick-paced treasure.” Donna Jo Napoli, author of In a Flash
“A deeply moving tribute to the power of art and memory.” Laurel Snyder, author of My Jasper June and National Book Award longlist Orphan Island
Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by Her Granddaughters by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Léna Roy
Available in paperback August 6th, 2024
This middle-grade biography explores the life and works of Madeleine L’Engle written by her granddaughters.
No Place Like Home by James Bird
Available in paperback August 13th, 2024
A middle-grade novel by James Bird about homelessness and hope.
“Author Bird crafts this deeply felt ode to familial love with authoritative prose… Opin’s palpable fears, joys, and unrelenting hope buoy this tale of resilience.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
“James Bird, who has been homeless and is of Ojibwe descent, writes with rare authority, insight, and compassion that invites deep empathy from readers. He has done a beautiful job of creating an unforgettable family, who, as Inde says, “may be broke, but we’re not broken.” Booklist, starred review
Willodeen by Katherine Applegate
Available in paperback September 17th, 2024
From #1 New York Times bestseller Katherine Applegate, a singular middle-grade novel about a girl who risks everything to help a handmade creature who comes to life.
All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
Available in paperback January 16th, 2024
In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia.
“An absolute necessity… the personal stories and the healing and reconciliation of self in this title are all undeniably honest and relatable a reminder of our shared imperfection and humanity.” Booklist
“The conversational tone will leave readers feeling like they are sitting with an insightful friend… This young adult memoir is a contemporary hallmark of the blossoming genre. Johnson anchors the text with encouragement and realistic guidance for queer Black youth.” School Library Journal
We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride
Available in paperback January 30th, 2024
They Both Die at the End meets The Bell Jar in this haunting, beautiful young adult novel-in-verse from Amber McBride about clinical depression and healing from trauma.
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
Available in paperback February 6th, 2024
Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations.
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2022
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Available in paperback February 27th, 2024
With five starred reviews, Tomi Adeyemi’s West African-inspired fantasy Legacy of Orïsha series debut, and instant #1 New York Times Bestseller, Children of Blood and Bone conjures a world of magic and danger, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir.
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu
Available in paperback April 2nd, 2024
This smoldering enemies-to-lovers novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu puts a superstar global phenomenon and a hotshot young spy on a collision course with danger and Cupid’s arrow in an electric new series perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Ally Carter.
“The propulsive, high-stakes plot will hook any spy-novel fan.” Booklist
“The fantasy of a larger-than-life pop idol hero is balanced by Winter’s heart and vulnerability, and there’s depth and a great partnership between Sydney’s edgy Kim Possible and Winter’s pop star James Bond, both in the field and off.” The Bulletin Center for Children’s Books
“A lively action adventure full of espionage, mystery, and starry-eyed glamour.” Publishers Weekly
“An engrossing thriller that centers the characters at its heart.” Kirkus Reviews
The Minus-One Club by Kekla Magoon
Available in paperback May 7th, 2024
From the Coretta Scott King and Printz Honor-winning author of How It Went Down, Light It Up, and Revolution In Our Time comes a moving contemporary YA novel about the bonds between a group of teens whose lives have been upended by tragedy.
adolescence alongside grief, religious dissent, and healing.” Booklist, starred review
Icebreaker by A L Graziadei
Available in paperback May 14th, 2024
A L Graziadei’s Icebreaker is an irresistible YA debut about two hockey players fighting to be the best and the romance that catches them by surprise along the way.
“Graziadei’s empathetic first novel is richly plotted and handles its gay themes and hockey action well, making it a natural read-alike for Ngozi Ukazu’s Check, Please! #Hockey (2018). The author shoots and scores!” Booklist
“A thoughtfully rewarding read for those who need one most.” Kirkus Reviews
“Debut author Graziadei clearly knows the sport, but even readers who don’t will enjoy a tale that’s more than just enemies-to-lovers . . . A complex read.” Publishers Weekly
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
Available in paperback May 14th, 2024
After her father vanishes while investigating the disappearance of 13 young women, a teen returns home to pick up the trail in this YA historical mystery from the author of The Silence of Bones. Suspenseful and richly atmospheric, June Hur’s The Forest of Stolen Girls is a haunting historical mystery sure to keep readers guessing until the last page.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore
Available in paperback May 28th, 2024
In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake – but can they keep their worlds above water intact?
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
Available in paperback July 9th, 2024
In Gilded, #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer returns to the fairytale world with this haunting tale.
“Cornered by the wicked Erlking on the night of the wild hunt, Serilda claims that she can spin straw into gold, a lie that saves her life but lands her in the Erlking’s castle on the next full moon with a room full of straw and an impossible task. Fortunately, Gild, an impish (and attractive) poltergeist shows up, offering help in exchange for Serilda’s golden necklace. Gild easily fulfills his end of the bargain and does so a second time for Serilda’s ring; when the Erlking makes the third demand, however, Serilda has nothing left to give Gild, and the romance that has sparked between them only complicates things further.” Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, recommended
“Meyer explores the power of fiction in this inventive “Rumpelstiltskin” reimagining. Intricate worldbuilding and star-crossed romance help temper the Erlking’s brutality, and well-drawn characters will leave readers craving a sequel.” Publishers Weekly
“Meyer flips tradition with a simple question: What if the king whom the miller’s daughter marries is the villain, and Rumpelstiltskin is her only way out?… The queen of fairy tale retellings has spun what is sure to be another best seller.” School Library Journal