Spring 2016 Children's Books

Browsing through the Spring 2016 Children’s Books issue of Publishers Weekly, these are the recently released (or soon-to-be released) middle-grade and teen novels that most grabbed my attention:

The Head of the Saint by Socorro Acioli, trans. by Daniel Hahn. A Brazilian boy who lives in a giant, hollow, concrete head of St. Anthony can hear people’s prayers—and decides to answer them.

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando. Eleven years after six kindergartners went missing without a trace, five of them return—not knowing where they’ve been.

The Way Back to You by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott. Two teens take a road trip to meet three people who received their late best friend’s organs.

The Parent Agency by David Baddiel. Tired of his strict parents, Barry makes a wish that transports him to a world where kids choose their own parents.

Some of the Parts by Hannah Barnaby. Grieving her older brother’s death, Tallie tries to track down the recipients of his donated organs.

Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin offers a look at the days leading up to the tragic events and how that day impacted the lives of four middle schoolers in different part of the country.

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here by Anna Breslaw. A teen finds an outlet for her fanfic writing by posting a fanfiction narrative about her schoolmates online.

The Classy Crooks Club by Alison Cherry. AJ discovers that her strict grandmother’s “bridge group” is actually a club of crooks.

The Season of You and Me by Robin Constantine. After her boyfriend breaks up with her, Cassidy falls for a paralyzed fellow counselor at a summer camp.

Sticks and Stones by Abby Cooper. A girl who has a rare disorder that makes words people say about her appear on her body finds ways to accept who she is.

Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend by Alan Cumyn. Shiels falls for the first-ever interspecies transfer student at her school.

Breaker by Kat Ellis. The death count on campus rises after Kyle, son of an executed serial killer, arrives at his new school.

The Secret Destiny of Pixie Piper by Annabelle Fisher, illus. by Natalie Andrewson is the first of a duology about a girl descended from Mother Goose.

Cleo Edison Oliver, Playground Millionaire by Sundee T. Frazier. Inspired by a woman entrepreneur on TV, Cleo launches a tooth-pulling business at school.

Twisted by Hannah Jayne. When her father is accused of being a serial killer, Bex becomes the ultimate bait in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

The Deadly 7 by Garth Jennings. An ancient machine pulls the seven deadly sins from a boy’s soul, turning them into creatures who help find his missing sister.

Dreamology by Lucy Keating. After Alice falls in love with the boy who has long appeared in her dreams, he shows up at her new school.

The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder, photos by Jill Wachter. Penelope curates a mini-museum dedicated to all the different heartbreaks—love and friendship— in her life.

The Sleepover by Jen Malone. Three friends try to piece together the evidently outrageous antics of their sleepover the night before, when they may have been hypnotized.

Save Me, Kurt Cobain by Jenny Manzer. A girl who’s been adrift since her mother vanished suspects that Kurt Cobain is still alive—and that he’s her father.

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather. Sam discovers she’s at the center of a centuries-old curse affecting anyone with ties to the Salem witch trials.

Nowhere Boys by Elise McCredie. After four boys spend a stormy night in the bush, they return home to discover that no one knows them.

26 Kisses by Anna Michels. After a break-up, Veda finds the perfect solution to heal her heartbreak by embarking on a summer-long quest to kiss 26 boys—one for every letter of the alphabet.

Gemini by Sonya Mukherjee. The story of 17-year-old conjoined twins is told in alternating perspectives, marking Mukherjee’s debut.

The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever by Jeff Strand. Justin and his filmmaking buddies decide it’s time to make the greatest zombie movie ever.

The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian. Keeley and her friends make the most of their remaining time together after a storm floods their hometown and everyone is ordered to pack up 

and leave.

Demon Dentist by David Walliams, illus. by Tony Ross. Is the new dentist in town responsible for the creepy crawlies appearing under kids’ pillows in place of coins from the tooth fairy?

Dreamers Often Lie by Jacqueline West. After a high-school actress fractures her skull, she’s afraid to admit that she’s hallucinating about Shakespeare.