Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Fall 2024

Fall will be here before we know it, and there are lots of new children’s books to be excited about! Here are some of the most highly anticipated children’s books releasing in fall 2024.

1. Good Night Thoughts by Max Greenfield. From actor Max Greenfield, the author of I Don’t Want to Read This Book and its two companion titles, comes a sweetly funny bedtime book about anxiety and being present. What do we do when we can’t fall asleep? The child in this story has racing thoughts–funny, silly, and scary–that are running on a cycle they can’t stop. It’s only when they begin to think to themselves: Do any of these thoughts have merit? Am I in any danger right here and now? that they are finally able to settle down.

2. Birthday Soup by Grace Seo Chang. Maia wakes up on her birthday to a delicious smell brewing in the kitchen. Her family is making Miyeok guk, a seaweed soup that new moms eat after giving birth to help replenish nutrients, and many Koreans eat this same soup on their birthdays to honor their mothers. Maia wants to share the miyeok guk that she made with all of her friends at her birthday party later in the day, but wonders if they’d rather have pizza and cupcakes instead. With a little encouragement from her umma, Maia blends the two cultures that she’s a part of to create a new birthday tradition.

3. Leo’s First Vote! by Christina Soontornvat. In this kid-friendly picture book introduction to voting and elections, Leo’s father teaches him about the importance of every single vote, and how to use their voices to uplift their community. Leo’s dad is voting in his first election as a US citizen, and he promises to take Leo to the polls with him. Leo can’t wait! But, after his cousin Ray casts doubt on the importance of a single vote, it’ll take Leo’s class mock election results, as well as a talk with his dad to convince him that each and every vote matters.

4. Sadie Soars into Space by Arezu Sarvestani. 3, 2, 1, blastoff! Learn all about planets, asteroids, stars, and more as you journey through the solar system with Sadie in this space storybook for toddlers. What are comets made of? Which planet is the hottest? Which one is the coldest? Join Sadie and her cat, Buckles, on a daring journey through the solar system to answer these questions and more. In this delightful tale, Sadie visits each planet, marveling at comets, asteroids, and more along the way. And with each stop, young readers are introduced to fascinating facts about outer space, sparking curiosity about the wide expanse of our universe.

5. The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz. The heroic tale of a tiny dragon with a heart of gold and a taste for treats! A scrumptious picture book for fans of funny fairytales and fantastic beasts. Ember has always been different from the other dragons. His fearsome roar sounds more like a polite sneeze, and when he breathes fire, the villagers just pat his head and say awwww. Ember fears he’ll never collect a respectable hoard of gold until a chance encounter with a baker causes his fortunes to turn (and his stomach to grumble). As the little dragon soon discovers, the gold you make is way better than the gold you steal—and gold that is shared? That’s best of all.

6. Where to Hide a Star by Oliver Jeffers. World-renowned artist and picture book creator Oliver Jeffers brings to life an endearing story about the magic of friendship — and sharing what brings us joy. Once there was a boy who would often play hide-and-seek with his friends, the star and the penguin. The star was always easy to find, but one day it went missing. So, the boy radioed the Martian for help, and soon found himself on an exciting spaceship rescue mission to the North Pole! But there, he discovered that he wasn’t the only one who had always dreamed of having a star as a friend.

7. The Kinda Sorta Normal Life of Joshua Jones by E A Carrington and Kitt Thomas. The start of sixth grade is just around the corner, and Joshua Jones isn’t happy about it. After all, starting middle school means growing up, and growing up means more responsibility. So when a wish-granting star crash-lands in his backyard, the possibilities for unlimited fun seem endless…until a wish goes wrong and chaos consumes their town. Joshua and his friends have to step up—or their kinda sorta normal lives will never be the same.

Which children’s books are you looking forward to this fall?

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services