The Best Children’s and YA Books of November 2020
by the Brightly Editors
We could all use a little escapism this month, and at Brightly, we believe there’s no better place to escape than into a good book. November’s best new books for kids and teens feature quirky characters, powerful lessons, and otherworldly journeys. Take your pick, and enjoy the trip!
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Picture Books
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Always Together at Christmas
The holidays may look different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t spend them together in one way or another. This timely Christmastime read shows families celebrating under the same roof and separate ones, mixing old traditions and new, for a safe and joyful holiday.
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Preorder from: -
Find Fergus
Available from:Fergus, a bespectacled bear, is not exactly a hide-and-seek champion. But it's more fun that way, at least for readers who will laugh their tails off about Fergus’s misguided hiding attempts. The book ends in a giant panoramic in which Fergus finally finds his hide-and-seek groove. Good luck spotting him then!
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Also available from: -
The Princess and the Pea
Available from:We adore the Penguin Bedtime Classics series, which modernizes beloved bedtime stories and makes them more inclusive. The latest addition about an unconventional princess and the offbeat task to test her bridely constitution is more charming than ever.
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Also available from: -
Wreck This Picture Book
Available from:Keri Smith has a happy reputation for making books literally interactive, starting with Wreck This Journal. Now, she invites readers to engage with this picture book with all the creativity they can muster. Reading is a verb, Keri points out, and we can bring all five senses to the page.
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Also available from: -
You Know How to Love
Available from:A modern classic in the making, this heartfelt picture book celebrates every human’s innate ability to love, even before they learn how to walk: Deep in your heart, the knowing is there. You know how to love and you know how to care. A life-affirming message for all, especially during difficult times.
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Also available from: -
Brenda is a Sheep
Available from:Brenda claims to be a sheep — grey fur, sharp teeth, and all. Brenda’s quite popular amongst the sheep, even though she’s planning a big feast with their names on it. You’ll laugh out loud over this mischievous story with a happy ending.
(On Sale: 11/17/20)Also available from: -
Llama Llama Loose Tooth Drama
Available from:Llama Llama is on the verge of losing his very first tooth, and there are so many questions to be answered. But when Llama Llama’s tooth disappears, he really doesn’t know what to expect! A must-read for kiddos anticipating their first visit from the tooth fairy.
(On Sale: 11/17/20)Also available from: -
Counting Creatures
Available from:Your little reader will be so busy pointing out all the adorable baby animals in this search-and-find book — from underwater tadpoles to bats in a cave — that they won’t even notice their accruing counting skills. With vibrant illustrations and tongue-twisting scientific names, it’s a real hoot.
(On Sale: 11/24/20)Also available from: -
Ordinary People Change The World: 22-Book Set
For the first time ever, you can collect the entire 22-book set of Brad Meltzer’s Extraordinary People Change the World series. Rosa Parks, Walt Disney, Gandhi, Marie Curie, and more — each celebrated for their change-making contributions to our world.
(On Sale: 11/24/20)Preorder from:
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Chapter Books & Middle Grade
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The Royal Ranger: The Missing Prince
Available from:In Book 4 of the Royal Ranger series, set in the world of the Ranger’s Apprentice series, apprentice Maddie and her teacher, Will, are dispatched by King Gallica to find the missing prince, whom the king believes has been kidnapped by the power-hungry Baron de Lassigny. The hope is that an undercover operation will avoid an all-out war, but if Maddie’s cover as Will’s “son” is blown on the road, they could all be in danger.
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Also available from: -
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963: 25th Anniversary Edition
Available from:Christopher Paul Curtis’s classic novel about a Flint, Michigan family’s road trip to Alabama — and toward the devastating Birmingham Church Bombing in 1963 — is as essential as it was 25 years ago. This anniversary edition includes bonus content, including personal essays about the book’s legacy from award-winning authors including Jacqueline Woodson.
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Also available from: -
Escape This Book! Race to the Moon
Available from:Antsy readers are big fans of the interactive Escape This Book! series, and in Race to the Moon, they get three chances to doodle, decide, and demolish their way to a successful moon landing. They’ll approach the task from three perspectives: Flight Director, Flight Commander, and Moon Buggy Driver. 3... 2... 1... Liftoff!
(On Sale: 11/10/20)Also available from: -
This Is Your Time
Available from:In 1960, when she was six years old, Ruby Bridges had no say in the matter when she was chosen to help integrate an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. Ruby accepted her task with grace and courage, not knowing that she would become a historical figure in the fight for racial equality. In her middle grade memoir complete with photographs, she tells her story in her own words and encourages readers toward activism.
(On Sale: 11/10/20)Also available from: -
Super Sidekicks #1: No Adults Allowed
Available from:J.J., otherwise known as Junior Justice, is over being a super-hero sidekick. Sidekicks do all of the dirty work and get none of the glory! In this quirky new graphic novel series set in Sydney, Australia, J.J., Dinomite, and Flygirl set about showing the world who the real heroes are.
(On Sale: 11/17/20)Also available from:
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YA
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All I Want for Christmas
Available from:You’ve never met anyone quite as obsessed with Christmas as Bailey Briggs; she’d wear her light-up reindeer ears to work at the bookstore year-round if it were socially acceptable. This year, Bailey’s asking Santa for a special someone — definitely the cutie with the British accent, not jock Jacob Marley. Will her holiday wish come true?
(On Sale: 11/3/20)Also available from: -
The Camelot Betrayal
In Book 2 of the Camelot Rising Trilogy, Guinevere has successfully pulled off her deception at the wizard Merlin’s behest: a secret changeling, she’s reigning at King Arthur’s side and keeping the kingdom safe. But when Guinevere’s younger sister arrives at court, her very appearance threatens to reveal Guinevere’s secret and unravel all the good she’s done.
(On Sale: 11/10/20)Preorder from: -
Matched (Deluxe Edition)
Available from:If your teen reader missed out on this bestselling dystopian romance a decade ago, they can jump in with the deluxe anniversary edition. In the Society, everything is decided for you, including your mate. So when Cassia sees not one but two faces appear on the Matching screen, she’s faced with the first choice of her life — and left to question her lifelong faith in the Society.
(On Sale: 11/10/20)Also available from: -
Rebel Sisters
Available from:In the stunning sequel to War Girls, 19-year-old Ify is helping humanity rebuild in the Space Colonies following the devastating Biafran War. On the ground in Nigeria, Ify’s homeland, Uzo and Xifeng are trying to stop the government’s efforts to bury the truth of the war. When a virus breaks out in the Space Colonies, Ify will have to travel to the last place she wants to go: home.
(On Sale: 11/17/20)Also available from: -
Super Fake Love Song
Available from:Sunny Dae will do anything to get the girl, even if it means pretending to be a rock star after Cirrus mistakes Sunny’s older brother’s electric guitars for his. The thing is, the cooler and more confident Sunny pretends to be, the cooler and more confident he feels — until, that is, his fake rock-and-roll band gets their moment in the limelight. Will Sunny fall on his face, and will Cirrus still like him when she finds out the truth?
(On Sale: 11/17/20)Also available from: -
The Way Back
Available from:In this absorbing fantasy steeped in Jewish folklore, the grandmothers' stories of ghosts and demons are an everyday part of life for young people like Yehuda Leib and Bluma. But when the Angel of Death comes to their shtetl and takes Yehuda Leib and Bluma to the Far Country - the very land of their grandmothers' stories - they'll have to band together to survive their perilous journey.
(On Sale: 11/17/20)Also available from:
