Children’s & YA Reviews
FEBRUARY 2, 2026 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 109
Just One Gift Linda Sue Park, illus. by Robert Sae-Heng. Clarion, $18.99 (80p) ISBN 978-0-063-32463-3 This slim collection of poems, a companion to Park and Sae-Heng’s previous collaboration The One Thing You’d Save , both inspired by Korean sijo verse, invites readers to reflect deeply about the needs and desires of people in their lives. After drawing from a hat the word family , friend , or a question mark that represents “other,” Ms. Chang’s students must choose someone they know who fits in that category. Told to consider “if you could give that person just one gift, what would it be?” the youth must then pick something that the person has never asked for. Following initial confusion, the children brain- storm: a yard for a plant-loving dad, a vacation for a couple who owns a 24-hour convenience store, plane tickets for a grandparent to visit their grandchild in Nepal, and—in a private journal entry—a promise to support an older sister who recently confided in the writer that she “ likes likes” girls. While the racially diverse characters’ individual voices aren’t often distinct, the loose sijo format makes each page approachable, creating an easy-to-digest, poignant presentation that effectively engages readers. Final artwork not seen by PW . Ages 8–12. (Apr.) When You’re Brave Enough Rebecca Bendheim. Viking, $18.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-593-69513-5 ★ ❘ A Jewish eighth grader adjusts to a new environment while navigating societal pressure to uphold the status quo in Bendheim’s radiant debut. Though 13-year-old Lacey is devastated to leave her best friend Grace behind in Texas to move to Rhode Island, she’s excited to join her new school’s vibrant theater program. Despite her worries about not fitting in, Lacey quickly befriends fellow castmates, and surprises everyone—including herself—by landing the lead role in the musical. Her excitement sours upon learning about the more than 50-years-long
discarded snuggles with a menagerie of acquaintances—each hug a comic gem of interspecies awkwardness. A desperate newspaper ad seeking “the second half of the perfect hug” fails the amphibian but unites the rejected huggers; in a sweetly funny spread, everyone pairs off in happy clinches. Only when Truman accidentally tumbles into an unexpected pair of arms does he discover that a great hug “isn’t about holding tight but really about letting go.” For anyone seeking their own perfect something, this irresistibly funny title hints, the answer may lie in embracing imperfection. Ages 5–8. Author’s agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Apr.) FICTION This Book Stinks! Danielle Saint-Onge and Jeff Szpirglas, illus. by Alyssa Waterbury. Orca, $9.95 paper (96p) ISBN 978-1-4598-4341-7 Husband-and-wife collaborators Saint-Onge and Szpirglas ( Super Switch ) reteam in this tongue-in- cheek chapter book that humorously approaches the topic of book ban- ning. Alpine Elementary School student Drita’s favorite books follow Fart Face, a superhero who battles the evil Barfbeard with the help of super- pooch Poo Poo Poodle. Though the series captivates the whole school, the PTA—catching wind of the hero’s signature toilet humor—declares Fart Face a bad influence and removes the titles from school shelves. Drita, along with friends Josh and Aisha, decide to show the PTA that the books teach them about the human body via fun facts about digestion. Declarative text presents kid characters stepping up and taking charge as they exercise their agency and right to protest in an affirming novel that recalls the charm of Captain Underpants. Waterbury’s cartoony b&w illustrations depict bustling and visually exciting scenes throughout, including action-packed panels starring Fart Face. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 6–8. (Apr.)
tradition of the male and female leads sharing a kiss onstage during the final performance—the only costar she’s interested in is fellow new girl Violet. As opening night approaches, Lacey mourns the widening emotional rift between her and Grace, grapples with strained family dynamics, particularly between herself and her older sister, and decides to pursue becoming a bat mitzvah, along the way reflecting on her relationship with Judaism and tradition. Careful, attentive plotting centers one teen’s reckoning with intense emotions surrounding first love, self-reinvention, and maintain- ing genuine connections across long distances and during times of transition. Assured prose relays Lacey’s aching and empathetic first-person narration across this relatable story of belonging and becoming. Main characters read as white. Ages 10–14. (Apr.) Kestrel Takes Flight Joy McCullough. Atheneum, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-66597-265-9 McCullough ( Code Red ) chronicles one tween’s reckoning with religious faith and overcoming fear in this empowering verse novel. Eleven- year-old Kestrel Sinclair feels like she’s being kidnapped when her mother whisks her away from their San Diego home to Bozeman, Mont., without letting Kestrel say goodbye to her grandfather. Moving into a cozy guesthouse at the Rocky Mountain Bear Institute, Kestrel—who’s terrified of dogs—finds herself surrounded by them due to her mother’s new job caring for the institute’s pack of Karelians, which are trained to track down bears and keep them away from humans. Even as Kestrel yearns for her grandfather, though, she gradually realizes that, because he controlled every aspect of her life—including her attending their Catholic church’s private school and participating in daily worship activi- ties—Kestrel doesn’t feel like she has her own identity. As she learns harsh truths about her and her mother’s past and confronts her family’s belief system (“Grandpa is always right/
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