Normally, I think of the summer months as a time to play outside, just like when I was a kid. But the scorching temperatures brought about by climate change make it almost impossible to play outside after lunch, especially where I live in the South. That means I spend a lot of time inside reading and playing instead. These new children’s book releases for July 10 are a great way to pass the time on those too-hot afternoons. Just make sure to keep your water bottle full while you’re indoors, too.
In July’s new releases for picture books, I review five phenomenal books about the Summer Olympics, rocks, grief, birds, and Colombian buses. In July’s new releases for middle grade, I review four excellent books about con artists, autism, genies, and climate activism. From detailed fantasies to silly graphic novels for beginning readers that will make kids laugh, there’s something for every reader on this list of July’s new releases for children’s books. If you want even more book recommendations, be sure to subscribe to Book Riot’s The Kids Are All Right newsletter, where I review new releases and children’s books on a specific topic twice a week.
Which of these children’s books published in July would you like to read?
New children’s book releases in July: Picture books
Wings of an Eagle by Billy Mills, Donna Janell Bowman, and SD Nelson (July 2; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
In this beautiful picture book biography, Mills tells his life story and how he won a gold medal at the 1964 Olympics. He grew up on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation. Both his mother and father died when he was a child, and he worked to provide for his siblings, though he also trained as a runner. In school, he was bullied because of his race and had health problems that were later revealed to be prediabetes. He didn’t make it to the Olympics at first, but when he did make it, he won the gold medal. The extensive appendix includes photos, a timeline, additional details on his life, and more. Nelson’s illustrations are gentle yet energetic. It’s a perfect read before this year’s Olympics.
I am La Chiva!: The Colorful Bus of the Andes by Karol Hernández and Lorena Alvarez Gómez (July 9; Dial Books)
Told from the perspective of a Colombian bus, this lively rhyming picture book takes readers on a journey through the Andes. La Chiva picks up farmers before sunrise with their produce for sale. Then come Doña Inez and her chicken, Don Ernesto and his pig, and more and more. As people board, La Chiva plays music and everyone sings along. But oh no! A flat tire stops their journey. Children will love this delightful read-aloud book with a little Spanish thrown in.
Just What to Do by Kyle Lukoff and Hala Tahboub (July 16; Dial Books)
In his latest, deceptively simple picture book, Lukoff explores how to help loved ones grieve. It begins with a child trying to help his older brother feel better after his cactus dies. The younger brother draws a picture of the cactus, but instead the older brother wants him to tell jokes to make it feel better. Subsequent scenes feature more people experiencing death as the same child tries to figure out what to do to help them feel better: a cousin’s goldfish dies, the teacher’s hamster, the babysitter’s dog. It culminates in the death of his friend’s grandmother. How can he help? The friend doesn’t know, but they decide to figure it out together. This picture book perfectly captures the complexity of grief in such a simple, direct way.
All the Rocks We Love by Lisa Varchol Perron, Taylor Perron and David Scheirer (July 16; Rise x Penguin Workshop)
This is a fun, rhyming tribute to rocks and rock collecting. Each double-page spread features a different type of rock, such as chert, slate, pumice, and more. Different children find and examine the rocks while the energetic text describes an aspect of the rock: “I squeeze my rock, which is cool and smooth. / That helps me feel prepared.” The appendix includes a description of the three main types of rocks, as well as more details about the rocks featured in the book. The illustrations are perfect – colorful, expressive, and kid-friendly.
A Terrible Place for a Nest by Sara Levine and Erika Meza (July 30; Roaring Brook Press)
When Juno and his mother lose their home, they must move to a new place. Juno hates everything about his new home and when he scares nesting mourning doves, he tells them it’s a terrible place to nest. Juno learns more about the mourning doves at school and as he watches them grow, he slowly gets used to his new home and learns to love the birds. This is a beautiful picture book about moving and being inspired by nature.
New children’s book releases in July: Early Readers
Narwhal’s Sweet Tooth by Ben Clanton (July 2; Tundra Books)
My daughter and I love the Narwhal and Jelly graphic novel series for young readers, and this ninth book is just as entertaining as the others. They can be read in any order. In this book, Jelly is frightened when she sees Narwhal’s tusk hanging from a thread. What happened? It turns out Narwhal has been using it as a snack rescue device by piling candy on it. Jelly decides they need to see Shark for advice on how to fix Narwhal’s tooth. Everyone is worried about this – except Narwhal.
New children’s book releases in July: Middle Grade
Faker by Gordon Korman (July 2; Scholastic Press)
Korman needs no introduction to middle grade readers. His books are always a lot of fun, and his latest has a unique perspective that will intrigue kids. Trey’s father is a con artist who uses Trey and his younger sister Arianna to target people. Trey befriends rich kids at a new school; their parents meet his father, Junior, who draws them into his latest scheme. When the parents “invest” in the idea and the money is in the bank, the family moves to a new town. Trey is tired of life as a con artist. After fleeing the last scam, Junior has them move to Boxelder, Tennessee, where Trey takes an ethics class and begins to question whether or not what he and his father are doing is ethical.
Invisible Isabel by Sally J. Pla & Tania de Regil (July 9; Quill Tree Books)
This sweet, illustrated novel in verse is intended for the younger middle grade readers. Isabel Beane lives in a full house with five siblings, busy parents, and pets. She prefers peace and quiet, something she rarely experiences. She suffers from undiagnosed autism and anxiety. She tries to gently explain to her mother that she believes something sets her apart, but her mother brushes her off. Isabel longs to find a real friend, and when new girl Monica starts school, Isabel thinks this is her chance. Unfortunately, Monica tends to be popular at Isabel’s expense. Meanwhile, impending standardization causes even more worry moths to gather in Isabel’s belly. Pla switches perspectives between Isabel and Monica.
Amir and the Genie Princess by MT Khan (July 23; JIMMY Patterson Books)
This middle grade standalone fantasy is set in the same world as Nura and the Immortal Palace. Amir, whose rich father owns a brick-making empire in Pakistan, misses his mother, who disappeared a year ago. When his father announces he is remarrying and the family will move to their summer home, Amir despairs of ever finding his mother again. Then he learns that workers from the brick factory near their summer home are disappearing. Could his mother’s disappearance be related? When a cat that follows him home in search of candy turns out to be a genie, Amir agrees to return to her world to help her in a contest to become the next heir to the throne in exchange for her help finding his mother. This is a sophisticated, complex fantasy with a fantastical world and fantastical characters.
Save our forest! by Nora Dåsnes, translated by Lise Laerdal Bryn (30 July; Hippo Park)
This sequel to Cross My Heart and Never Lie, a graphic novel for middle school, is about climate change and child activism. Bao is a student member of the parent council who ignores her most of the time. To Bao’s horror, they want to cut down the forest near the school to expand the parking lot. They refuse to take her arguments about climate change and the importance of the forest seriously. When Bao sees bulldozers in the forest, she gathers her friends and leads a protest. This is an important and compelling graphic novel translated from Norwegian.
If you’re looking for more new children’s book releases beyond this list of new children’s book releases in July, check out my lists of new children’s book releases in June, May, and April.
For a complete list of new releases, check out the magical New Release Index, carefully curated by your favorite Book Riot editors and sorted by genre and release date.
