Scholastic has some potentially crowd-pleasing new releases lined up for the coming winter and spring seasons, including a new series from Dog Man creator DavPilkey, a new book by Jarrett J.Krosoczka, creator of the award-winning Hey Kiddo; an Animorphs graphic novel series, and new volumes of popular series including Baby Sitters Little Sister and Wings of Fire. Here’s a look at what’s in store for this winter and beyond.

Sunshine: Krosczka’s Hey Kiddo is a memoir of Krosczka’s childhood; he was brought up by his grandparents because his mother was addicted to drugs and his father was absent. The book broke new ground and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Sunshine picks up small incident in Hey Kiddo and expands it into an independent story of the time Krosoczka spent at a summer camp for children with terminal illnesses. Krosoczka told Publishers Weekly that going to the camp was a “crucial turning point” in his life. Like Hey Kiddo, Sunshine is recommended for readers 12 and up. It will be released as a hardcover in May 2021 with a MSRP of $24.99.

Cat Kid Comic Club: Pilkey brings his antic imagination to a new series, this one about a comics club where a cat, a fish, and a worm give a comics seminar to 21 baby frogs. This sounds like it will be about as chaotic as Pilkey’s other books, with mixed media, mishaps, and goofy minicomics-within-the-comic to keep the giggles coming. Like the Dog Man books, Cat Kid Comic Club is targeted at readers 7 and up; it will be available on December 2 with a MSRP of $12.99 for the paperback and $24.99 for the hardcover.

Marvel Avengers Assembly, Vol. 1: Orientation: This is the first of a series of illustrated novels created by Scholastic (see “Marvel, Scholastic Strike Deal for Licensed Novels”). In it Kamala Khan gets her Ms. Marvel superpowers in middle school and heads off to the Avengers Institute, where she makes friends with Miles Morales (Spider-Man) and Doreen Green (Squirrel Girl). The age range for the book is 8 to 12, and it will be available in comic shops on October 7 as a hardcover only with a MSRP of $13.99.

Baby-Sitters Little Sister. Vol. 3: Karen’s Worst Day: Vol. 2 of this series knocked Dog Man off the top spot on the Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels Chart (see “July 2020 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels”), and maybe that’s why we’re seeing Vol. 3 a little earlier than originally planned. The “Little Sister” books are based on the prose spinoff of the original Baby-Sitters Club books, and like those, are set in the same world but focus on a younger character and use a simpler, more cartoony art style. This paperback is rated for ages 7-10 and will be released on December 30 with a MSRP of $10.99 for the paperback and $22.99 for the hardcover. The fourth volume is scheduled for July 2021.

7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up: Jimmy Gownley, creator of the Amelia Rules series, is back with a new story about a kid at an elite school who seems to have it all: He’s smart, good looking, and the creator of a series of viral videos about the downside of growing up. That’s all a façade, though, and when his schoolmates find out the real truth, they have to deal with a new reality and, ironically, do some growing up. The suggested age range for this series is 9-12 years. The book will be available on November 11 as a paperback with an MSRP of $12.99 and a hardcover with a MSRP of $24.99. To accompany it, Scholastic has also done a new printing of Gownley’s earlier book, The Dumbest Idea Ever!,which will be available on November 25 with an MSRP of $12.99 (paperback only).

Twins: This new series by writer Varian Johnson (who will be writing DC’s YA Mister Miracle graphic novel) and artist Shannon Wright stars twin sisters who start to grow apart when they reach middle school. The age range for this story is readers 8 to 12, and it will be released on October 7 with a MSRP of $12.99 for the paperback and $24.99 for the hardcover.

The Dragon Prince: Vol. One: Through the Moon: The animated fantasy series The Dragon Prince is written by Aaron Ehasz, the head writer for Avatar: The Last Airbender (see “New Series from  ‘Last Airbender’ Writer”) and streams on Netflix; a video game is also in the works. This adaptation is set between seasons three and four of the series and brings the elf assassin Rayla and her human companions, the princes Callum and Ezran, to explore a portal between the worlds of the living and the dead. This graphic novel is pitched to readers 8 and up and will be available on September 30 with a MSRP of $12.99 for the paperback and $23.99 for the hardcover.

Allergic: Maggie’s mother is about to have a baby, and her twin brothers have each other, so she’s feeling a bit left out. She’s hoping a new puppy will help, but because she’s allergic to fur, the cuddles turn into rashes and hives. Writer Megan Wagner draws on her own childhood memories for this semi-fictional story about a girl’s who just wants to find a pet that won’t trigger her allergies. Pitched at readers ages 8-12, this book will be available in March 2021 as a paperback with an MSRP of $12.99 and a hardcover with a MSRP of $24.99.

Wings of Fire, Vol. 4: Dark Secret: The graphic novel adaptation of Tui T. Sutherland’s middle-grade prose novels continues with a fourth volume; this series is another that perennially makes the top 20 kids’ graphic novel chart. This series is created for readers ages 8-12 and will be available on December 30 with a MSRP of $12.99 for the paperback, $24.99 for the hardcover.

Animorphs, Vol. 1: The Invasion: Retailer Steve Bennett picked up on this as a graphic novel that retailers should check out (see “Confessions of a Comic Book Guy—Where the Action Is”). It’s an adaptation of a series of books about teenagers fighting off alien invaders that was popular in the 90s, and as Bennett points out, that could be a double whammy, attracting nostalgic adults as well as its intended audience, kids aged 8 to 12. This first volume goes on sale on October 7 with a MSRP of $12.99 for the paperback and $24.99 for the hardcover.

Hello Neighbor: The Secret of Bosco Bay: The original Hello Neighbor is a kid-friendly horror video game about a kid who tries to sneak into his neighbor’s house; there’s a party game as well (see “Arcane Wonders Reveals ‘Hello Neighbor: The Secret Neighbor Party Game’”). This adaptation follows a girl who is searching for her missing brother in a deserted theme park. The age range for this book is 9 to 12, and it will be available on October 7 with a MSRP of $12.99 for the paperback and $23.99 for the hardcover.

Clifford the Big Red Dog: The Movie Graphic Novel: The original Clifford the Big Red Dog books came out in the 1960s and were published by Scholastic. Since then they have been through numerous adaptations, most recently an animated series that runs on PBS Kids and Amazon prime. A live-action film is in the works, but Deadline reports that its release has been postponed by a year, from November 2020 to November 2021. That means readers will get this story early. Like the original books, this one is pitched to younger readers, ages 7-10. It will be available on October 7, with a MSRP of $9.99 for the paperback and $24.99 for the hardcover.

Grumpy Unicorn: A Graphic Novel: This is a graphic novel based on the Grumpy Unicorn books that Scholastic already publishes, featuring a unicorn who hates everything and his cryptid posse: Sassy the Sasquatch, Jack the Jackalope, and others. It’s good-old fashioned funny-animal fun for kids aged 7-10. Grumpy Unicorn: The Graphic Novel will be released to comic shops on October 7 as a paperback, with a MSRP of $8.99.

Sparks, Vol. 2: Double Dog Dare: In the first volume of this series, two cats dressed up in a super-powered dog suit to defeat alien invaders, assisted by an overly talkative squirrel and a sentient litter box (see “Review: ‘Sparks!’ GN”).Now they are back, battling a second superpowered dog who is wreaking havoc. These graphic novels have a true Saturday morning cartoon feel to them and are aimed at readers aged 7 to 10. Vol. 2 will be available on October 7 with a MSRP of $14.99 for the paperback and $26.99 for the hardcover.

Heartstopper, Vol. 2: This LGBTQ+ graphic novel is part of Scholastic’s move to extend their Graphix line to include young adult titles (see “Graphix to Publish ‘Heartstopper,’ LGBTQ GN”); it’s recommended for readers 12 and up and will be available on November 11 with a MSRP of $14.99 for the paperback and $24.99 for the hardcover.

Mr. Wolf’s Class, Vol. 4: Field Trip: Steinke draws on his own experiences as a teacher for his lighthearted slice-of-life school stories. In this volume, the class meets up with a class from another school for a trip to the woods, sleeping in log cabins, making S’Mores, learning about nature, and wandering through a ghost town. The age range for this series is 7 to 10, and this volume will be available on October 7 with an MSRP of $9.99 for the paperback and $24.99 for the hardcover.

Cleopatra In Space, Vol. 6: Queen of the Nile: Mike Maihack wraps up his six-volume space opera with a final between Cleopatra and her arch enemy, with the friends Cleo has made over the past five volumes rallying to her side. Recommended for ages 8-12, this book will be available in comic shops on October 7 with a MSRP of $14.99 for the paperback and $24.99 for the hardcover.

Catwad, Vol. 4: Four Me?: Jim Benton’s grouchy cat and his dim-witted friend Blurmp return for more irreverent adventures to amuse kids aged 8 to 12. This paperback goes on sale on October 7 with a MSRP of $8.99.

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