10 to Note: Fall Preview 2024

Before all the leaves fall off the trees here in Michigan, I want to share ten books publishing in September, October, and November that I’m looking out for.

Picture Books

Pig Town Party by Lian Cho

HarperCollins | October 29 | Grades K-2

A girl receives an invitation to a mysterious party. Great way to start, right? As you can guess from the title, the party is a fully porcine operation, loaded with humor and general ridiculousness.

Towed by Toad by Jashar Awan

Tundra Books | September 3 | Grades PreK-2

Title of the year? After Jashar Awan’s delightful I’m Going to Build a Snowman, I’m excited about this new series.

Santa’s First Christmas by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Sydney Smith

Viking (Penguin Random House) | October 22 | Grades K-2

Can someone tell me why I can’t pick which books are classics? Because as much as I love a book, I seem to have no say in the matter. Well, anyway, if I was picking the classics, this would be one.

Early Readers

Lone Wolf Goes to School by Kiah Thomas, illustrated by K-Fai Steele

Neal Porter Books (Holiday House) | October 8 | Grades 1-3

We need more books in this early reader/beginning chapter book zone. So I was thrilled to see this new series about a grumpy wolf who wants to be left alone. The publisher is calling this Oscar the Grouch meets Frog & Toad, which sounds pretty great to me.

Chapter Books

Stella & Marigold by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Chronicle Books | October 1 | Grades 1-3

The duo behind Ivy + Bean are back with a new series about siblings.

Middle Grade Fiction

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Tim Miller

Walker Books US | September 3 | Grades 3-6

One of the most unique books of the season, this story by the Monster Calls author takes all sorts of left turns, as a monitor lizard is made hall monitor and ends up at odds with an international supervillain. Featuring black and white illustrations by the wonderful Tim Miller.

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Knopf (Penguin Random House) | September 10 | Grades 3-6

Perhaps the most buzzed about book of the fall, this one already hit the New York Times bestseller list. And I’m not a big blurbs guy, but when Newbery Medal winner Katherine Applegate calls a book “An astonishing miracle”, I’m intrigued.

Graphic Novels

Monster Locker by Jorge Aguirre, illustrated by Vera Martinez

First Second (Macmillan) | October 1 | Grades 4-7

You had me at: middle school locker as portal to a world of monsters. This is the first in a planned graphic novel series.

Hearing Things by Ben Sears

TOON Books | September 3 | Grades 1-3

It’s October – we need some spooky stuff. And what’s more spooky that weird sounds?

Nonfiction

The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix

Abrams | September 24 | Grades 4-8

This is a graphic novel, but it’s also nonfiction, so I’m putting it in this section. Sometimes you look at a book and you think “Good god that must have taken a lot of work.” But with John Hendrix, you also know that it’s going to be well-crafted and a page turning read. Looking forward to this book about the friendship between to literature greats.

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