The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia (9781250079190; Oct. 4) mixes romance and action in a tale of two star-crossed lovers. Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux embraces a nihilistic "nothing matters" approach to life after the death of her boyfriend. That attitude, and resulting missteps, cost her a privileged life in the Heights. Now living with her undercover-cop father in the Downs, Frankie enrolls in a public high school, where she meets Marco Leone, a star in the illegal street racing circuit. When Frankie and Marco fall for each other, they begin a reckless romance that holds dire consequences for them both. Kami Garcia is co-author of the Beautiful Creatures and Dangerous Creatures series. She is also the author of the Legion series, which includes the New York Times bestsellers Unbreakable and Unmarked. Garcia was a teacher for 17 years before writing her first novel.
Tomo Explores the World by Trevor Lai (9781250085450; Oct. 25) is a picture book for young children with echoes of Dora the Explorer and Bob the Builder. Tomo is a little boy living on an island of expert fishermen. Tomo would rather construct elaborate contraptions than learn how to fish. With the help of his great-grandfather's Adventure Journal, his best friend, Maya, and his dog, Captain, Tomo sails off to see the wide world in a boat of his own making. Author/illustrator Trevor Lai is the CEO and creative director of UP Studios, an animation company.
Super Happy Party Bears: Gnawing Around by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Steve James (9781250098078; Sept. 6) is an illustrated chapter book, the first in a series, about a family of all-too-happy bears in Grumpy Woods. The bears love doughnuts and dancing, much to the dismay of their sourpuss woodland kin. But when meddlesome beavers dry up their river, the residents of Grumpy Woods are pleased to have the partying bears dance that pesky dam away. Super Happy Party Bears is Marcie Colleen's first book. It is also illustrator Steve James's debut children's book. Colleen is a former teacher, and James has worked in the art industry for 10 years.
Super Happy Party Bears: Knock Knock on Wood by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Steve James (9781250098085; Sept. 6) is the second book in the Super Happy Party Bears series, released simultaneously with Gnawing Around. Grumpy Woods has a new menace, Wallace Woodpecker, but where the other woodland creatures hear pesky tapping, the party bears hear a sweet rhythm. Can the bears convince the other residents of Grumpy Woods to tolerate Wallace?
Disaster Diaries: Zombies! by R. McGeddon, illustrated by Jamie Littler (9781250090843; May 24) is the first in a middle-grade series about a group of friends confronted with various potentially apocalyptic scenarios. Sam, Arty and Emmie are on the verge of summer vacation when their science teacher's experiment turns classmate Simon into a zombie. Soon their town is overrun with the undead, and the adults are too busy panicking to do anything about it. Sam (the leader), Arty (the brains) and Emmie (the rebel) must save the town of Sitting Duck.
Disaster Diaries: Aliens! by R. McGeddon, illustrated by Jamie Littler (9781250090881; May 24) returns to the town of Sitting Duck, which has just survived a zombie infestation thanks to the heroics of Sam, Arty and Emmie. Now there's a UFO hovering over town, and when the mayor's impoliteness leads to an alien attack, the trio are forced to save the day once again. The third Disaster Diaries book, Brainwashed!, comes out November 8.
The Ones by Daniel Sweren-Becker (9781250083142; Sept. 6) is a YA series debut about a world where 1% of the population is gifted with extraordinary beauty and ability through prenatal genetic engineering. Seventeen-year-old Cody and her boyfriend, James, are two of these lucky Ones. The Equality Movement, born of fear and jealousy, soon turns the Ones into second-class citizens. As the social strife becomes violent, Cody and James scramble for protection. Daniel Sweren-Becker is a television writer and playwright. The Ones is his first novel.
SPACEPOP: Not Your Average Princesses by Erin Downing (9781250102270; July 26) begins a middle-grade series about five galactic princesses. Athena, Luna, Rhea, Hera and Juno flee when their planets are invaded by the evil Empress Geela. To save their homeworlds, they form a band, SPACEPOP, to spread their message of resistance to the stars. SPACEPOP includes two graphic-novel sections inside, illustrated by Jen Bartel, a South Korean artist who lives in Minnesota. Erin Downing is the author of more than 50 YA and children's books, including the Best Friends, Quirks, and Puppy Pirates series. The second SPACEPOP book, Rocking the Resistance, comes out November 29.
Project Mc2: Smart Is the New Cool by Jade Hemsworth (9781250098900; March 1), a middle-grade adventure based on a Netflix original series, follows four super-smart girls at Maywood Glen Academy: Adrienne Attoms loves chemistry, Bryden Bandweth loves technology and Camryn Coyle loves engineering. The weird but likable new girl, McKeyla McAlister, is a natural leader, and turns out to be a secret agent with the mysterious group NOV8 who is charged with protecting the charming Prince Xander before his mission to outer space.
Babies Ruin Everything by Matthew Swanson, illustrated by Robbi Behr (9781250080578; July 19) is a picture book about a reluctant older sister forced to deal with her new baby brother. The baby drools on her toys, makes a mess of her room, and can't even catch a Frisbee, but she learns to love him anyway. Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr are married creative collaborators on many picture books, including the upcoming Everywhere, Wonder (Feb. 7, 2017).
