New & Upcoming for Kids from NC Authors

Laika is a Cold Dog, a stray pup fighting for her life on the streets of Moscow. Then, one winter night, she is plucked from her alley to become a starflyer, a dog trained to travel into space. Distrustful of people, Laika tries to do everything she can to escape. That is, until she meets Nina. Nina is a Cold Girl, lonely and full of questions. Her best friend has moved to America in a rush, leaving Nina to face the school bullies all by herself. Plus, her father’s work as a scientist in the Soviet Space Program grows more secretive by the day. When the two meet in her father’s laboratory, their growing bond slowly warms the chill that has settled in each other’s hearts. As the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union grows fierce, Laika and Nina uncover shocking secrets and hard truths that will test their friendship. How will they find the courage to chase their dreams all the way to the stars?

Middle-schooler Bina has everything she's ever wanted. She has new friends and a new band whose song is about to be featured on her favorite television show. But being in the spotlight is hard. When Bina and her band are offered a record deal, her parents are not thrilled. Now, Bina is barely speaking to her mom and dad. To make matters worse, Bina and her best friend, Austin, are still awkward around each other after their failed first date. Can Bina untangle the various melodies in her heart? Or will fame go to her head?

Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash achieved the impossible and journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and keep his vow to always stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey. Now he faces even more incomprehensible odds. Their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything Ash has faced in a millennium is rising as Evenfall approaches. And if Ash and his allies cannot stop it, the chaos that has begun to divide the world will shatter it for eternity.

Twelve-year-old Noura Alwan's family is granted asylum in the United States, after spending two years in a Turkish refugee camp, having fled war-torn Aleppo. They land in Tampa, Florida, on January 30, 2017, just days after the president restricted entry into the US from nations with a Muslim majority population. Twelve-year-old Jordyn Johnson's family has volunteered to help the Alwan family through their church. She knows very few people of Arab descent or who practice Islam. The girls' lives intersect at Bayshore Middle School where Jordyn serves as the Alwan children's school ambassador. Noura knows that her family is safe from the civil unrest in her home country, but is not prepared for the adversity she now faces on American soil. Jordyn is sympathetic to Noura's situation, but there are other members of their Florida community who see the refugees' presence to be a threat to their way of life. While the president's Muslim ban tests the resolve and faith of many, it is friendship that stands strong against fear and hatred.

Every person’s skin has a particular shade—or hue—that we can appreciate. Children naturally wonder: Why are there so many skin colors? Why do I look a lot like some people and different from others? Which words best describe my skin color? But sometimes we feel uncomfortable talking about skin tone, ethnicity, and race. That’s about to change! Inside these pages, kids will get to explore the ways each of us is uniquely designed and discover positive, creative ways to think and talk about the wonderful diversity of hues found in humanity. This activity book offers a smart and honest starting point to spark natural, effective, and meaningful conversations in our families, schools, and communities.

Laz is a side-stepper: a teen with the incredible power to jump his consciousness to alternate versions of himself in parallel worlds. All his life, there was no mistake that a little side-stepping couldn’t fix. Until Laz wakes up one day in a cloning facility on a seemingly abandoned Earth. Laz finds himself surrounded by hundreds of other clones, all dead, and quickly realizes that he too must be a clone of his original self. Laz has no idea what happened to the world he remembers as vibrant and bustling only yesterday, and he struggles to survive in the barren wasteland he’s now trapped in. But the question that haunts him isn’t why was he created, but who woke him up…and why? There’s only a single bright spot in Laz’s new life: one other clone appears to still be alive, although she remains asleep. Deep down, Laz believes that this girl holds the key to the mysteries plaguing him, but if he wakes her up, she’ll be trapped in this hellscape with him.

A celebration of family love from award-winning children's author Carole Boston Weatherford, this beautiful rhyming board book is filled with all the sweet reasons why Grandma's love is so special! With simple rhyming text, a young child reflects on the many reasons they love their Grandma. From the games they play together to the way she understands her grandchild, this sweet story show us all just how much our grandmas love us! This is adorable board book is the perfect way for children to feel the love and security grandmas give and to celebrate the diverse ways that love is shown and celebrated!

Daryl loves to play with his favorite library book about dinosaurs. His imagination takes him to prehistoric places, and he pretends to be a triceratops, microraptor, and even a T. Rex! But Daryl does not want to share his book, so when he has to return it to the library, Daryl goes wild. Using all of his dinosaur skills, Daryl tries his best to get his book back! But when a clever librarian notices Daryl's passion, she encourages him to share his favorite book and make some new friends along the way. This playful, silly, funny, tale about reading, books, and sharing is sure to be a hit with any child.

Jada is thrilled when she gets to go on an outdoor class field trip with her Pop Pop, a nature lover, as a chaperone. She can't wait to show him off to her friends--and show him what she knows. But the trip has some twists along the way, including a soaring zip line she's not sure she wants to try. What happens when Jada's shining moment starts to lose its luster?

Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s managed to behead the evil king, he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next. As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your 18th birthday, or wither away into nothing. With his 18th birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.