The Best Children’s and YA Books of November 2019

by the Brightly Editors

This month’s best new book releases feature laugh-filled romps, intriguing mysteries, and out-of-this-world adventures. We’ve rounded up our favorites, so stock up your household’s TBR stacks and get a head start on holiday shopping!

  • Middle Grade

  • The Lacrosse Mix-Up

    by Mike Lupica

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    In the latest Zach and Zoe Mystery, the 8-year-old twins join the lacrosse club and have a winning first game. But the next day, one of the lacrosse sticks turns up damaged. Their coach blames old equipment, but Zach and Zoe suspect foul play, and they're determined to get to the bottom of things. Sportswriter Mike Lupica once again concocts an action-packed, sports-themed mystery.

    (On Sale: 11/5/19)

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  • Shine!

    by J.J. Grabenstein and Chris Grabenstein

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    Piper's hero is astronaut Nellie Dumont Frisse, whose catchphrase "Shine on!" isn't meant for someone like Piper. Or so Piper thinks - especially after she transfers to Chumley Prep, a fancy private school where everyone has seemingly extraordinary talents. Co-written by the author of the much-loved Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, Shine! is a heartwarming story that prizes kindness and generosity.

    (On Sale: 11/5/19)

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  • Sincerely, YOU

    by Savannah Maddison

    Seventeen-year-old Savannah Maddison founded Savannah's Soldiers, a letter-writing campaign between students and deployed military members. In Sincerely, YOU, Savannah shares the day-brightening (and sometimes life-changing) magic of penning a thoughtful letter. Packed with tips, prompts, and inspiring messages, this heartfelt instructional will put snail mail back in style.

    (On Sale: 11/19/19)

  • YA

  • Games of Deception

    by Andrew Maraniss

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    For fans of Jesse Owens and The Boys in the Boat, Games of Deception recounts the incredible story of basketball's beginnings in 1891 and its debut at the 1936 Olympic Games. The Americans who landed in Berlin for the event were presented with Hitler's façade and unable to see the troubling signs that would lead to WWII and the horrors of the Holocaust. Maraniss's rich account blends athletics with a pivotal moment in history.

    (On Sale: 11/5/19)

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  • The Guinevere Deception

    by Kiersten White

    Putting a female-centric spin on the Arthurian legend, White introduces Princess Guinevere as King Arthur's betrothed. Dark magic is closing in on Camelot and vying for Arthur's fall, so the powerful wizard Merlin orchestrates the arrival of Guinevere, a secret changeling, to help save the realm. Will she manage to navigate the court of old and new powers, and keep Camelot alive?

    (On Sale: 11/5/19)

  • Song of the Crimson Flower

    by Julie C. Dao

    Available from:

    Lan, the daughter of a wealthy nobleman, is in love with Tam, and she thinks it's him serenading her with a flute each night. But when she learns that was actually the poor apprentice, Bao - and that Tam never loved her - she takes her hurt out on Bao. Cursed by a witch and his soul trapped in his flute (with the knowledge that only love will set him free), Bao accompanies Lan on a life-altering journey of war, blood magic, and slow-burning romance.

    (On Sale: 11/5/19)

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  • Blood Heir

    by Amélie Wen Zhao

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    Like Elsa from Frozen, the crown princess of the Cyrilian Empire, Anastacya Mikhailov, has a dark secret: she's an Affinite, a reviled subset of the population with unique gifts they can use to control the world. Ana must go on the run when her father is murdered, and she seeks help from the most corrupt person she knows: Ramson Quicktongue. A tale full of cunning and intrigue, Blood Heir is the thrilling inception of a new trilogy.

    (On Sale: 11/19/19)

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  • Starsight

    by Brandon Sanderson

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    In the anticipated sequel to Skyward, readers get more of aspiring pilot Spensa, who has her hands full reckoning with the truth of her infamous father's fall from grace, the introduction of an alien race, and the not insignificant task of saving humankind. Unexpected and thrilling, Starsight promises another high-flying plot helmed by a fearless heroine.

    (On Sale: 11/26/19)

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