Spring Children’s Preview
FEBRUARY 2, 2026 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 63
13 Little Love Stories: An Anthology Inspired by Taylor Swift Songs by Elise Bryant et al. (July 7, $12.99 paper, ISBN 979-8-217-11202-9). Thirteen best- selling YA authors reimagine Taylor Swift songs as contemporary love stories in this music-inspired anthology. Ages 12 and up. Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride (Mar. 24, $12.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-593- 86040-3). When yearbook superlatives are replaced with deadly predictions, the stu- dent body thinks it’s a prank—until bodies start turning up in the exact ways the year- book promised. Ages 12 and up. Prodigal Tiger by Samantha Chong (Mar. 17, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-593-86010-6). After Caroline’s brother Aaron is kidnapped by ghosts, she returns home to Malaysia, determined to save him before the Hungry Ghost Festival, when the ghosts will take over as rulers of the island. Ages 12 and up. Lies Between Us by Jessica Goodman (June 30, $12.99 paper, ISBN 979-8-217-00525-3). A teen’s suspicious death at a beach party exposes the devastating secrets that the three Gold sisters have been keeping. Ages 13 and up. The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss (Apr. 7, $22.99, ISBN 979- 8-217-00612-0) is a YA murder-mystery set in an escape-room themed game show. Ages 14 and up.
Sibylline by Melissa de la Cruz (Feb. 3, $20.99, ISBN 979-8-217-00261-0). When three teens are rejected from a prestigious magical university, they decide to infiltrate the school and steal an education. Ages 14 and up. Penguin/Rise X Penguin Workshop On Our Bikes by Dan Saks, illus. by João Fazenda (June 16, $18.99, ISBN 979-8-217- 14279-8), celebrates bicycle culture, high- lighting the joy of learning to ride. Ages 2–5. Penguin/Rocky Pond Can You Grow a Striped Banana? by Jill Santopolo, illus. by Momoko Abe (Apr. 21, $18.99, ISBN 978-0-593-85885-1). A mother assures her daughter that while she can’t fulfill all of her whimsical requests, she will always find ways to show her love. Ages 2–5. Lucky & Norman: Saying Goodbye Is Bittersweet by Susan Cain and the Cain Family, illus. by Stella Lim (June 2, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-593-69568-5). Inspired by the adult book Bittersweet, Cain collaborates with five family members to tell the tale of brothers Sam and Eli, who formed a friendship with two donkeys during a farm vacation. Ages 4–8. Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae, illus. by Gillian Eilidh O’Mara (Mar. 3, $18.99, ISBN 978-0-593-53302-4). In a story inspired by the Grammy Award winner’s song of the same name, young Bea discovers her great- aunt Portia’s attic filled with records. Ages 4–8.
captain of her high school cheer team, is caught in a bitter rivalry and turns to an ancient, supernatural creature for help, not knowing she’s just made a deal with a devil. Ages 12 and up. Gods & Comics by Kat Cho (Apr. 21, $20.99, ISBN 978-0-593-40681-6). Seventeen-year- old Grace’s life is upended when the gods in her anonymous viral web comic inspired by a Korean myth come to life and the hero falls in love with her. Ages 12 and up. Penguin/Philomel Christian’s Soccer Superpowers by Christian Pulisic, illus. by Marta Kissi (Apr. 28, $18.95, ISBN 979-8-217-04189-3). This soccer star known as Captain America tells a story of focus, determination, and most of all, confi- dence. Ages 4–8. A Day Off School by Oliver Jeffers, illus. by Kevin Waldron (July 7, $18.99, ISBN 979- 8-217-03999-9), imagines what incredible things a child might miss if they take the day off school. Ages 4–8. Forty the Fortune Teller by Drew Daywalt, illus. by Kevin Cornell (Feb. 24, $18.99, ISBN 978-0-593-69146-5). A paper fortune teller left behind at recess makes friends with Potato Chip and Basketball and convinces chewed-up gum to help repair the play- ground slide so no one gets hurt. Ages 4–8. Teeny and Tilly by Beanie Feldstein, illus. by Laura Watkins (May 19, $19.99, ISBN 979- 8-217-03926-5). Teeny, who gets teased for being so short, starts at a new school and finds a best friend in Tilly, the tallest kid she’s ever seen. Ages 4–8. Penguin/Putnam The Great Escape by Deborah Marcero (Feb. 17, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-593-85795-3). Tired of her siblings always following her around, Evie uses magic to escape to an upside-down world, only to find her siblings tagging along. Ages 3–7. The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp (May 26, $9.99 paper, ISBN 978-0- 593-85978-0). As they start ninth grade, four friends form the Chismosas Only Book Club, a gathering at the magical Milagros Book Store, where they learn the power of friend- ship and stories. Ages 10 and up.
From Can You Grow a Striped Banana? by Jill Santopolo, illus. by Momoko Abe (Rocky Pond)
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