12 Of The Best New Children’s Books Out July 2023

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Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

Margaret Kingsbury is simply a freelance writer, editor, website assistant, and all-around publication nerd based successful Nashville, TN. In summation to Book Riot, her pieces person appeared successful BuzzFeed Books, School Library Journal, Star Trek, Parents, The Lily, SFWA, and more. She writes children’s books and phantasy miscellanea successful the slivers of clip betwixt parenting, working, and reading. Once upon a time, she worked arsenic an English adjunct and a bookseller, but she overmuch prefers work-from-home life. In her escaped time, she hikes and talks to birds. One day, she’ll recognize their responses. Follow her connected Instagram @BabyLibrarians oregon Twitter @AReaderlyMom.

View All posts by Margaret Kingsbury

I can’t judge it’s already July! My preschooler starts kindergarten successful conscionable 1 much month, and I americium not ready. Where does the clip go!? Until then, we program to walk the blistery July summertime days reading, crafting, and creek hiking. July is besides Disability Pride Month, and I highly urge checking retired immoderate children’s books with disabled characters by disabled authors. I bash person a mates of caller ones connected this database of July children’s publication releases, similar Dancing Hands — a representation publication centering Filipino motion connection — The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn — a modern mediate people caller with an autistic main quality — and Once successful a Blue Moon — a humanities mediate people caller astir a lad with agoraphobia.

Other July caller children’s publication releases see clever nonfiction representation books, thrilling mediate people fantasies, and moving portrayals of communities coming together. While this period had less caller releases for maine to take from than successful erstwhile months, my apical 12 picks are conscionable arsenic fantastic. I anticipation you find immoderate bully books to work with your kids implicit the summertime successful this database of July children’s publication releases. Reading is simply a large mode to flight the vigor and person fun!

July Children’s Book Releases: Picture Books

 Matter by Schaefer

Hands-On Science: Matter by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago (July 11; Charlesbridge)

This interactive nonfiction representation publication takes readers into the subject laboratory for immoderate experiments successful matter. From smashing clay to experimenting with cherries, readers larn astir mass, evaporation, the 3 states of matter, and more. Interactive elements see tilting the book, pretending to stroke into a straw, stirring, opening and closing doors, and more. None of the elements impact pop-ups oregon flaps, which makes this sturdier than different akin interactive books. Back substance includes an experimentation kids tin bash astatine home. Interactive representation books thin to beryllium favorites astatine home, and it’s a large mode to present technological concepts.

Cover of Spanish is the Language of My Family by Genhart

Spanish Is the Language of My Family by Michael Genhart, illustrated by John Parra (July 11; Neal Porter Books)

Manolo knows however to spell galore Spanish words, but erstwhile helium receives the vocabulary database for the schoolhouse spelling bee en Español, helium panics. There are truthful galore helium doesn’t know! However, helium does person the champion spouse to signifier with — his abuela. As they signifier for the spelling bee, Abuela tells Manolo astir however schools forced her to talk English arsenic a kid and punished students who spoke Español. Manolo is arrogant to beryllium learning his family’s connection and carries that pridefulness to the spelling bee. Back substance includes writer Genhart’s idiosyncratic transportation to this communicative arsenic good arsenic a little past of Spanish favoritism successful schools from the 1930s done the 1960s. It’s a poignant and engaging intergenerational representation publication with truthful galore avenues for further treatment and engagement.

Cover of The Skull by Klassen

The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen (July 11; Candlewick)

This delightfully acheronian representation publication retells a Tyrolean people communicative of the aforesaid name. It opens with a young miss named Otilla moving distant from thing unknown, moving heavy into the wood for a long, agelong clip until she comes to a large aged location inhabited by a talking skull. She and the skull chat, and she learns a headless skeleton haunts and chases the skull astatine night. Otilla is determined to assistance the skull, who has been truthful benignant to her. This is simply a longer-than-average representation publication — overmuch similar Klassen’s erstwhile representation publication The Rock from the Sky — with Klassen’s trademark acheronian humor. As a fairy communicative fiend, this is my favourite of his books. I loved the dark, atmospheric creation and the simple, joyful moments betwixt Otilla and Skull. Fairy communicative and fearfulness readers of each ages volition emotion it.

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Cover of Dancing Hands by Que

Dancing Hands by Joanna Que & Charina Marquez, illustrated by Fran Alvarez, translated by Karen Llagas (July 18th; Chronicle Books)

Sam’s next-door neighbors talk with their hands — which she calls dancing — alternatively of their words, and she wonders what they’re saying. When she accidentally meets Mai, 1 of her neighbors, the 2 rapidly go friends, adjacent though they often person miscommunications. When Mai teaches Sam however to creation with her hands, Sam learns astir Mai’s dreams and tin archer her astir her dreams arsenic well. This is simply a beauteous representation publication astir friendship. The elemental enactment drawings with agleam pops of colour picture the budding relationship truthful sweetly. The extremity pages see Filipino motion connection words, and the backmost substance includes a treatment of Filipino motion connection and motion languages worldwide. It’s a phenomenal publication for kids to larn much astir motion connection and astir being a bully friend.

Cover of When Rubin Plays by Zhang

When Rubin Plays by Gracey Zhang (July 18; Orchard Books)

Gracey Zhang is rapidly becoming 1 of my favourite illustrators, and her newest merchandise is my daughter’s favorite. Rubin lives successful a tiny municipality — Santa Ana de Velasco successful Bolivia — amid a large wood and loves listening to the orchestra play, which includes his sister connected cello. The orchestra maestro gives him a violin and bids him to practice, but the notes Rubin plays are beauteous ear-splitting. He continues to signifier quietly, but erstwhile nary 1 is around, helium escapes to the wood to play, wherever an anxious assemblage adores his violin’s screeching — an assemblage of cats! On performance day, Rubin initially plays quietly, but with the encouragement of his sister, helium lets his violin chopped done the air. Soon, the cats travel howling into the performance hall. My girl was clapping wildly for Rubin the archetypal clip we work this together. It’s the cleanable blend of realism and imaginativeness that volition marque kids laughter and assistance them consciousness validated.

Cover of What a Map Can Do by Balkan

What a Map Can Do by Gabrielle Balkan, illustrated by Alberto Lot (July 18; Rise x Penguin Workshop)

This elaborate nonfiction representation publication is an fantabulous mode to thatch kids astir each antithetic kinds of maps and however they work. A affable raccoon introduces readers to assorted maps, starting tiny with a representation of Raccoon’s bedroom, past bigger to a representation of Raccoon’s house, neighborhood,  city, and more. Readers besides sojourn a depository and parkland and larn astir representation keys, however to archer directions with a compass rose, types of roads, and more. Raccoon asks children for assistance uncovering paths. As a follow-up activity, person kids marque maps of their ain bedroom, house, and neighborhood!

July Children’s Book Releases: Middle Grade

Cover of Light Comes to Shadow Mountain by Buzzeo

Light Comes to Shadow Mountain by Toni Buzzeo (July 11; Holiday House)

This moving humanities mediate people occurs successful a tiny Appalachian Kentucky municipality during the Great Depression. Electricity is coming to Spruce Lick, and Cora Mae Tipton could not beryllium much excited. She particularly can’t hold for energy to travel to her school, and her champion friend, Cielly, agrees. Not everyone successful Spruce Lick agrees, however. Cora’s parent — a section herbalist and large — thinks energy volition mean radical hide their mode of life, and it’s expensive. The schoolhouse can’t spend it. So Cora and Cielly determine to big a fundraiser, but adjacent erstwhile they negociate to rise the funds, the schoolhouse and townspeople are divided connected however to usage the money. It’s a beauteous publication humanities fabrication readers volition adore.

Cover of Hope successful  the Valley by Perkins

Hope successful the Valley by Mitali Perkins (July 11; Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Twelve-year-old Indian American Pandita Paul is having a unsmooth summer. Her parent died respective years earlier, and the location has an unspoken regularisation to ne'er talk astir her. It makes Baba excessively upset. But Pandita is opening to hide her, truthful she launches Operation Remember Mama. Step 1 successful the cognition is to walk clip astatine the abandoned farmhouse crossed the street, wherever Mama utilized to instrumentality her, and work Mama’s letters. However, the cognition instantly hits a snag erstwhile Pandita learns the farmhouse volition beryllium demolished to physique affordable housing. This is the Silicone Valley successful the 1980s, and the metropolis is hopeless for affordable lodging options. Pandita decides to articulation a humanities preservation nine successful their calls to sphere the house, but her older duplicate sisters are advocating for affordable housing. Meanwhile, Pandita’s begetter has signed her up for summertime theatre campy adjacent though she hates theater, and he’s started dating again. To marque matters worse, Pandita loses her mother’s letters. This is simply a beautifully written mediate grade.

Cover of Once successful  a Blue Moon by Flake

Once successful a Blue Moon by Sharon G. Flake (July 11; Knopf Books for Young Readers)

Set successful 1939, this tender humanities novel-in-verse explores grief, agoraphobia, and beingness arsenic a Black kid successful North Carolina. James Henry’s parent and beloved canine died astatine oversea months ago, and ever since then, helium has had terrible anxiousness whenever helium steps outside. His lone state is his duplicate sister Hattie, who defends James against bullies and household members alike. Gran tells them a bluish satellite is coming, and connected bluish satellite nights, wishes travel true. James and Hattie judge that if they tin marque it to the lighthouse connected the nighttime of the bluish satellite and marque a wish, James volition beryllium healed. But their travel to the lighthouse is fraught from the start.

Cover of The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Pla

The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla (July 11; Quill Tree Books)

Maudie has autism, and her ma and stepdad ne'er fto her hide however she doesn’t acceptable successful and however her reactions to situations are conscionable wrong, overmuch similar Maudie herself. Her stepdad often gets aggravated with her, and her ma has adjacent made a sob video connected societal media astir however hard beingness is being an autism mom. Maudie is truthful relieved to beryllium spending the summertime with her dada and hopes she tin find a mode to enactment with him and flight her stepdad and mother. But erstwhile wildfires onslaught California, Maudie and her dada person to evacuate. They marque their location successful a camper adjacent a formation municipality wherever Maudie’s dada grew up. Her parent is not blessed and wants Maudie to travel home, claiming Maudie won’t beryllium capable to grip the change. But Maudie intends to stay, and she besides has grown to emotion surfing. Over the summer, she makes friends that assistance her recognize her worth, which makes her adjacent much reluctant to instrumentality to her mom. This is simply a almighty and precise relatable caller with a fantastic ending.

Cover of Haru, Zombie Dog Hero by Oh

Haru, Zombie Dog Hero by Ellen Oh (July 11; HarperCollins)

This entertaining mediate people with large stakes is told from 3 perspectives: 11-year-old Luke, his canine Haru, and Penelope the cat. Evil is brewing successful the tiny Virginia municipality of Painted Lake, and it each stems from Sinclair Industries, a mill that is polluting the lake. But it turns retired contamination is lone 1 evil among many. When 1 of the Sinclairs claims Haru spot her, Luke’s household is forced to manus him implicit to authorities. Haru becomes portion of biotechnological experiments astatine Sinclair Industries and hardly makes it retired to pass Luke. It whitethorn already beryllium excessively late, however; animals are opening to change. The household needs to fly Painted Lake fast, but Haru is starting to alteration arsenic well. This is simply a truly amusive and astute twist connected zombie stories that tackles large issues similar racism, clime change, and firm greed. It would marque a truly large series!

Cover of Abeni's Song by Clark

Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark (July 25; Starscape)

I americium a immense instrumentality of Clark’s big fabrication (Master of Djinn, Ring Shout), truthful I was thrilled to perceive astir Abeni’s Song, his debut mediate grade, and the archetypal successful a series. On the time of the Harvest Festival, the village’s witch pistillate appears, telling the villagers that she has fixed them 3 warnings of the ensuing warfare and that they’ve each gone unheeded. She insists connected collecting her outgo — a kid — and to 12-year-old Abeni’s horror, her parent offers her to the witch. Shortly after, the warfare does so come, and witch women aided by a goat-man playing the flute pb each the villagers away, but her. She’s determined to prevention them and embarks connected a quest to find them. Along the way, she befriends porcupine tone Nyomi and panther tone Zaneeya. This West African mediate people phantasy is simply a blast and volition beryllium enjoyed by mediate people readers and Clark fans alike.


If you’d similar to work astir much caller children’s publication releases, cheque retired my database of April children’s publication releases, May children’s publication releases, and June children’s publication releases. If you privation to cheque retired adjacent much July children’s publication releases, motion up for the twice-weekly The Kids Are All Right newsletter, wherever mediate people writer Karina Yan Glaser and I reappraisal caller children’s books and books connected a theme.

And you tin find a afloat database of caller releases successful the magical New Release Index, cautiously curated by your favourite Book Riot editors, organized by genre and merchandise date.

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