Best Children’s and YA Books of
April 2020

by the Brightly Editors

Our April reading theme is Togetherness, an encouragement to connect with your children (and teenagers!) through books. Below are 20 of the most exciting new children’s and YA books being published in April. We hope these reads are heartening, stimulating, and provide you and your loved ones with a moment of connection.

  • Young Adult

  • Girl Crushed

    by Katie Heaney

    Would You Rather? author Katie Heaney makes her triumphant foray into YA fiction with Girl Crushed, the story of Quinn and Jamie, BFFs turned girlfriends turned exes. Quinn is devastated when Jamie dumps her, especially now that she has to navigate senior year without her best friend. Quinn turns her broken heart to Ruby, the ultra-cool girl, but can she really move on from Jamie?
    (On Sale: 4/7/20

  • Dancing at the Pity Party

    by Tyler Feder

    Available from:

    Part homage to a beloved mother, part grief memoir, and part guide for fellow motherless humans, Dancing at the Pity Party is a poignant graphic memoir from a refreshing voice and talented illustrator. Tyler Feder was 19 when she lost her mom to cancer, and while the event itself was devastating, so was the isolating aftermath — she just wanted people to get it. With candor and humor, she beautifully recounts her experiences of love, loss, and resilience.
    (On Sale: 4/14/20)

    Also available from:
  • Girls Save the World in This One

    by Ash Parsons

    Available from:

    Best friends and zombie enthusiasts June, Imani, and Siggy are beyond excited for their day at ZombieCon, and it lives up to their expectations — and then crashes into undead territory. That is, an actual zombie apocalypse hits the con, and the girls have a whole lot of work to do if they’re going to save the world. This action-packed horror comedy is equal parts packed with girl power.
    (On Sale: 4/14/20)

    Also available from:
  • Time of Our Lives

    by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

    Deciding where to go to college is fraught enough without throwing family pressures into the mix, but that’s the fate of Fitz and Juniper, who meet on a college tour in Boston. Fitz is only on the tour to make his single mother happy; she has early onset Alzheimer’s, and he’s not going to move so far away. Juniper, meanwhile, is making her tightknit family totally unhappy with her desire for space. As the two reflect on their choices, they also lean on each other.
    (On Sale: 4/21/20)

  • Verona Comics

    by Jennifer Dugan

    The author of Hot Dog Girl returns with a modern, queer take on Romeo and Juliet. Ridley and Jubilee fall in love at a comic convention prom, but their lives (and thus their relationship) are complicated: their parents are in an all-out feud, Ridley’s coping with mental health challenges, and Jubilee has a high-pressure audition on the horizon. Compassionate and authentic, Dugan’s newest juggles several important conversations for teens and young adults.
    (On Sale: 4/21/20)