The Best Children’s & YA Books of March 2020
by the Brightly Editors
Get ready to expand those libraries because March’s best new books for kids and teens are bursting with titles that will educate, inspire, and entertain every sort of reader. Ring in spring with fabulous new picture books, motivating middle grade reads, and trailblazing YA novels!
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Picture Books
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I Found a Kitty
Available from:Arfy the letter-writing dog stole hearts in his first book — Can I Be Your Dog? — in which he sent adoptive pleas to prospective homes. In I Found a Kitty, Arfy turns his talents to the plight of Scamper, a homeless kitten in search of the purrfect home. Complete with helpful tips on how children can help homeless animals, this heart-tugging story makes a pawesome read-aloud.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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Do I Have to Wear a Coat?
Available from:In her trademark cheerful style, Caldecott Honor winner Rachel Isadora explores the activities, accoutrements, and — as the refrain suggests — outerwear of all four seasons. A solid introduction to every season, the diverse cast of characters and detail-packed vignettes make it a memorable read that young children will want to pour over.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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How to Make a Better World
Available from:We can all agree that you’re never too young to make a positive impact on the world — just look at Jazz Jennings, Greta Thurnberg, and the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. How to Make a Better World is a guide for kids who dream of making a difference. It encourages them to start internally before expanding to community-based and global activism.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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Llama Llama Mother’s Day Present
Available from:Get ready to celebrate Mother’s Day with Llama Llama and his beloved mama. Will everyone’s favorite llama be able to pack all his love for his mom into one special day? It’s worth a try! Your little llamas will love relating to their favorite picture book character as he faces new and challenging situations.
(On Sale: 3/10/20)
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Child of the Universe
Available from:This cosmic picture book is one that your household will treasure. Written by an astrophysicist who gained a new appreciation for our interconnectedness when he became a parent, Child of the Universe is a sweeping yet intimate meditation on our relationship to a boundless universe. This out of the world picture book is bound to spark some interest in scientific exploration.
(On Sale: 3/17/20)
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To the Moon and Back for You
Available from:When Emilia Bechrakis Serhant and her husband, Million Dollar Listing's Ryan Serhant, announced the birth of their first daughter, they also recounted an emotional journey of IVF. To the Moon and Back for You is a poignant read for parents who have struggled to conceive and the miracle babies they welcome into the world.
(On Sale: 3/24/20)
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The Seed of Compassion
Available from:In this exciting addition to the burgeoning Kokila Press, the Dalai Lama offers his teachings directly to children — introducing them to his childhood (when he was an ordinary boy named Lhamo Thondup) and his first teacher of compassion (his mother, of course!), and showing readers how they, too, can recognize and cultivate kindness.
(On Sale: 3/24/20)
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Grandma’s Gardens
Available from:In a special matrilineal tribute, Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton pay homage to Hillary’s mother, Dorothy, and the love for gardening that she instilled in both women. Gardens, they write, are places for all sorts of things to blossom — plants and flowers, yes, but also quality family time, shared stories, and love.
(On Sale: 3/31/20)
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Mermaids Are Real!
We can’t get enough of all the whimsy in Holly Hatam’s Mythical Creatures Are Real! series, and this undersea edition is no exception. Packed with “facts” like how mermaids are vegetarian and can control the weather, there’s plenty of sparkles and magic to go around. Young mermaid-lovers will fall head over fin!
(On Sale: 3/31/20)
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Chapter Books & Middle Grade
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The Very Short, Entirely True History of Mermaids
Available from:Of course, mermaid fandom knows no age limit, and this historically-based middle grade read will satisfy curiosities about these mythical creatures. Where does the “mer” in mermaid come from? How far back do these legends go? Sarah Laskow answers those questions and more in this lusciously illustrated guide.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane
Available from:Plucky 11-year-old Maybelle Lane embarks on a road trip to meet the father she has never known. Maybelle’s collected sounds all her life, including a voicemail that captures her father’s laugh, and she recognizes his voice as a Nashville-based radio DJ. She’s joined on her journey by two unlikely characters, each with a secret held close to their heart.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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Rad American History A-Z
Available from:From the creators of Rad Women comes an unmissable collection of transformative movements from American history, and the courageous, ordinary people who led them. Some of the faces are familiar — Colin Kaepernick, Harriet Tubman, James Baldwin — while others are much-needed refreshers on the people and protests that have shaped our country.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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The Shadow Arts
In the heart-pounding sequel to Monstrous Devices, Alex and his grandfather plunge into the depths of Germany’s haunting Black Forest, trying to solve the mystery of a series of global art thefts and the disappearance of their friend, Harry. The stakes are high, and the is tension higher, in this page-turning read.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Available from:An immersive and imaginative epic the whole family will enjoy, The Wingfeather Saga introduces readers to an unforgettable sibling trio — Janner, Tink, and Leeli — the only ones who can protect their land from the Fangs of Dang and unlock the legend of King Wingfeather. Best of all, you don’t have to wait for the sequel: North! Or Be Eaten releases in tandem with Book 1.
(On Sale: 3/10/20)
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What Are the Paralympic Games?
Available from:Though the 2020 Summer Paralympics games have been postponed until 2021, you can still learn all about how this exciting event got its start. As part of Who HQ’s What Was? series, author Gail Herman dives into the first iteration of the event (held in 1948 and comprised of WWII veterans), its evolution into today’s Paralympics, and athletes to cheer for in 2021.
(On Sale: 3/17/20)
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Stand Up, Yumi Chung!
Available from:Prepare to meet your new favorite protagonist in Yumi Chung, a shy yet sassy girl who accidentally stumbles into a double life. In one life, Yumi’s a diligent daughter of immigrant parents who’s spending the summer studying for a private-school scholarship while her family’s restaurant weathers a rough patch. In the other, she’s attending a comedy camp hosted by her favorite YouTube star — though under a name that’s not her own. Will Yumi figure out how to merge her double lives into one?
(On Sale: 3/17/20)
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Wink
Available from:A poignant and bighearted story based on the author’s own experience, Wink follows seventh-grader Ross Maloy as he navigates a rare eye cancer diagnosis during the already tumultuous era of middle school. Full of comics and musical references, Ross’s journey balances resilience and humor, awkwardness and hard-won emotional insights.
(On Sale: 3/31/20)
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YA
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Stargirl Movie Tie-In Edition
Available from:Just in time for its 20th anniversary, Jerry Spinelli’s bestselling YA novel is being adapted into a film for Disney+. The timeless story of young love and unabashed individuality in an era of conformity has been stealing hearts since it first published. Revisit the beloved story or discover the hype in this new movie tie-in edition.
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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The Kingdom of Back
Available from:Perhaps best known for her futuristic
(On Sale: 3/3/20)
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When You Were Everything
It’s rare to find narratives of friendship breakups, as painful and ubiquitous as they are, but in When You Were Everything, Ashley Woodfolk approaches the topic with nuance and empathy. Cleo and Layla were once inseparable, but then their relationship broke. The two can’t seem to get the distance they need, however, as Cleo’s assigned to be Layla’s tutor, and their painful past keeps resurfacing. A moving coming-of-age story that feels vulnerable and achingly relatable.
(On Sale: 3/10/20)
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A Phoenix First Must Burn
Available from:“Black women are phoenixes,” Patrice Caldwell writes in the introduction to this must-read anthology. Inspired by the work of Octavia Butler, 16 writers center black women and gender-nonconforming individuals in folktales, science fiction, and fantasy, inviting readers to embrace their power and create their own wild, limitless futures.
(On Sale: 3/10/20)
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