The Best New Children’s and YA Books of July
by the Brightly Editors
Welcome to the dog days of summer! With temperatures rising, it’s an excellent time to check out some new and exciting books. From nonfiction picture books to fantasy for tweens and teens, these are the best books hitting bookstore shelves in July. Whether you’re looking for your next poolside read or a new addition to your storytime stack, you’ll find some excellent options on this list.
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Picture Books
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Everyone Loves Career Day but Zia
Buy from:As Career Day approaches, Zia can’t wait to introduce her seamstress mother to her class. However, language barriers and time constraints make Zia’s hopes fall until she comes up with a creative workaround for both problems. This delightful follow-up to Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia shows the unique challenges immigrants and their children face.
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I am Jesse Owens
Buy from:Introduce your little one to the amazing Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens with this picture book biography! Readers will learn about Jesse’s childhood, challenges, and how he rose to the top and shattered world records.
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Yum, Yum, Mexico!
Buy from:Dive into the delicious world of Mexican food with this colorful board book for babies and toddlers! From sweet to spicy, a different food represents each letter of the alphabet. It’s the perfect read for little foodies!
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Bridges Instead of Walls
Buy from:Young activists will enjoy this inspiring biography featuring Civil Rights activist and Grammy-winning singer Mavis Staples. Beloved poet and children’s author Carole Boston Weatherford brings Staples’s story to life alongside Steffi Walthall’s vibrant and joyful illustrations.
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Sheepwrecked
Buy from:Take to the high seas with this giggle-worthy pirate adventure! A group of pirate sheep set sail with their booty in tow. When a disaster befalls their ship, the sheep become trapped on an island, scared they’ll be lost forever. But a sense of adventure and an unexpected friend show them that every “baaad” situation has a silver lining.
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I Am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes
Buy from:It’s colorful, musical, and packed with people. It’s la chiva — the South American bus that winds its way through the Andes mountains. Readers tag along for an unforgettable ride through Columbia, exploring villages and the countryside and celebrating the vibrant culture.
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Raashi’s Rakhis: A New Celebration of Raksha Bandhan
Buy from:Raashi can’t wait to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with her family. She helps prepare the food, decorations, and music. But when it comes time to give all the boys a handmade bracelet, Raashi speaks up and inspires everyone to give bracelets to all the children, regardless of gender.
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The Imaginoodles
Buy from:From the illustrator of the Ordinary People Change the World series comes a funny new picture book about friendship and imagination. Henry is a quiet hedgehog who suffers from anxiety. Chester is an outgoing chipmunk with a taste for adventure. With encouragement from a new friend, this unlikely pair looks past their differences and becomes best friends.
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Ode to Grapefruit
Buy from:James Earl Jones is a legendary actor with one of Hollywood’s most recognizable voices. But when he was a child, he struggled to speak without stuttering. This picture book biography takes young readers through James’s struggle, his solution (not talking), and how writing poetry helped him overcome his fear of speaking and become the actor we all know and adore.
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Angélica and la Güira
Buy from:When summer ends, Angélica’s grandfather gives her a güira, an instrument to remind her of home in the Dominican Republic. In Washington Heights, Angélica uses the güira to keep her memory of home fresh and share her heritage with her neighbors.
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Chapter Books & Middle Grade
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Who Is Lionel Messi?
Buy from:Soccer enthusiasts will love reading the latest novel in the Who Is series. Kids will learn about Lionel Messi’s upbringing and how he became interested in soccer. From making his team debut at 16 years old to winning the World Cup in 2022, readers will discover all the details about this fascinating and ambitious footballer.
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The 66th Rebirth of Frankie Caridi #1
Buy from:Frankie has always looked after her younger brother, who has horns sprouting from his head. When the siblings enroll in a new boarding school for kids like her brother, it doesn’t take long for Frankie to realize something is amiss. As Frankie learns about the school, she uncovers long-kept secrets, gains immense power, and must deal with the fallout of both.
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Penny Draws a Class Trip
Buy from:Series fans will eagerly dive back into the world of Penny Draws with her latest graphic novel adventure. Penny is a young girl with anxiety who uses her sketchbook to manage her nerves. In this installment, Penny goes on a field trip to New York City with her class. This series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars is an excellent choice for young readers who love stories about humor, friendship, and small acts of bravery.
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Meesh the Bad Demon #2: The Secret of the Fang
Buy from:This is the second book in the Meesh the Bad Demon graphic novel series. When an evil force starts threatening residents of the underworld, newly appointed Guardian Meesh finds herself saving the world — again. Colorful artwork, magic, and adventure make this series a must-read for fantasy fans.
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It Came from the Trees
Buy from:Bigfoot, scouts, and a missing girl — this dark adventure novel has enough thrills and chills to keep young readers up all night. When a mysterious creature kidnaps her best friend, Jenna joins a local scout troop to look for her. Before long, Jenna and her new troop find themselves alone in the woods with nothing but their wits to help them get home alive.
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The Night Librarian
Buy from:Twin siblings Page and Turner join forces with a mysterious librarian and characters from classic literature to save the New York Public Library in this graphic novel adventure. If your young reader enjoys reading books about books or stories like Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, add this book to their “to read” list this summer!
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YA
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Two Sides to Every Murder
Buy from:Seventeen years after an infamous murder at Camp Lost Lake, two teens return to the camp, searching for answers. Olivia and Reagan each have their own reasons for returning, but as they search for clues to the past, they learn that someone is willing to do anything — even murder — to keep those secrets hidden.
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The Midnight Game
Buy from:The next time you are in the mood for an addictive thriller you can’t set down, pick up this novel. It’s about a group of online friends who decide to meet in person to play a sinister game they all obsess over. But once they start playing, there’s no way to stop, and the players realize that losing the game will cost them their lives.
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On the Bright Side
Buy from:When Ellie’s school for deaf students closes, she must return home and attend her mainstream school. She struggles to fit in until she meets Jackson, a boy dealing with his own disability. The teens become a lifeline for each other in this hopeful novel about friendship, romance, and community.
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Such Charming Liars
Buy from:From the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes a new thriller to keep you turning pages long into the night. A jewelry heist at a billionaire’s birthday party goes sideways when Kat and her mother run into her ex-stepbrother and his father. When the billionaire gets murdered, Kat and Liam must work together to expose the killer before they become the next victims.
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Our Wicked Histories
Buy from:If you love things that go bump in the night, pick up this chilling YA horror novel about a Halloween weekend gone wrong. When Meg gets invited to spend the weekend at an Irish estate, she hopes to mend the divide between herself and her old friend group. But Wren Hall has secrets, and when the weekend takes a horrifying turn, Meg realizes she and her friends might not survive.
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