August New Releases

Can you believe it’s August already? Time to start thinking about gathering school supplies and shopping for clothes. Don’t forget to throw some new books into your basket. Here’s a few new releases that would add a whole lot of fun to your back-to-school purchases!

First off, a few of our very own MUF authors have new releases. Congratulations to  Jonathon Rosen, and Dori Hillestad Butler!!

Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies By Jonathan Rosen (Sky Pony Press)

Twelve-year-old Devin Dexter has a problem. Well, actually, many of them. His best friend, Tommy, sees conspiracies behind every corner. And Tommy thinks Devin’s new neighbor, Herb, is a warlock . . . but nobody believes him. Even Devin’s skeptical. But soon strange things start happening. Things like the hot new Christmas toy, the Cuddle Bunny, coming to life.That would be great, because, after all, who doesn’t love a cute bunny? But these aren’t the kind of bunnies you can cuddle with. These bunnies are dangerous. Devin and Tommy set out to prove Herb is a warlock and to stop the mob of bunnies, but will they have enough time before the whole town of Gravesend is overrun by the cutest little monsters ever? This is a very funny “scary” book for kids, in the same vein as the My Teacher books or Goosebumps.

 

The Underground Ghosts #10 A Super Special By Dori Hillestad Butler (Grosset & Dunlap)

It’s almost Halloween, and Kaz and Claire are off to Seattle to visit Claire’s cousins. They explore the local library…and find a ghost living there The ghost’s family has been missing, so Kaz and Claire decide to investigate. When they discover ghostly activity in the city’s subterranean passages, they put their detective skills to work. Kaz and Claire are on the case.

 

Laugh Out Loud By James Patterson; Chris Grabenstein (Jimmy Paterson Books)

Get ready to Laugh Out Loud (a lot ) with James Patterson’s newest illustrated middle grade story 
Jimmy loves reading so much that he’s inspired to start a book company for kids–run by kids. It’s a bit dream for a twelve-year-old boy–some would even say it’s laugh-out-loud ridiculous
But that doesn’t stop Jimmy from dreaming even bigger His company will be as imaginative and fun as Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory…with a Ferris wheel instead of an elevator, a bowling alley in the break room, and a river filled with floating books He just has to believe in himself and his idea. (And maybe win the Lotto.)

 

Patina (Track) by Jason Reynolds (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books)

A newbie to the track team, Patina must learn to rely on her teammates as she tries to outrun her personal demons in this follow-up to the National Book Award finalist Ghost by New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds.

Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.

Lucy & Andy Neanderthal: The Stone Cold Age by Jeffrey Brown (Crown BFYR)


Neanderthal siblings Lucy and Andy are back to their paleo pranks. This time, they have to put up with more than just each other—the cave is feeling awfully cramped since the humans moved in. They’re in the Ice Age, and legroom comes at a real premium!

Jeffrey Brown skillfully blends humor and history with paleontologist sections: Timeline of Key Discoveries, Ice Age Fact vs. Fiction, Silly Cavemen Myths, and more.

I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 By Lauren Tarshis (Scholastic Press)

The battlefield was soaked in blood. Screams of injured soldiers rang through the air. Eleven-year-old Nathaniel Knox knelt behind a rock, his gun clutched in his shaking hands. Nate had been heading to New York City to find his father. But now he was trapped in a terrible gunfight between American and British troops.
Thousands of American troops were either dead or dying in filthy British prison ships. General George Washington’s army was in tatters.
All Nate wanted was to find his father…and to get out of here alive.

 

Who Was Alexander Hamilton? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso (Penguin Workshop)

Born in the British West Indies and orphaned as a child, Alexander Hamilton made his way to the American Colonies and studied to become a lawyer. He joined a local militia during the American Revolution, rose to the rank of Major General, and became the chief aide to General George Washington. After the war, he became the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. He founded the Bank of New York and The New York Post newspaper. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and is also celebrated as a co-author of The Federalist Papers, a series of essays that are still used today to interpret the U.S. Constitution.

The Friendship Code #1 (Girls Who Code) by Stacia Deutsch (Penguin Workshop)


Loops, variables, input/output – Lucy can’t wait to get started with the new coding club at school. Finally, an after school activity that she’s really interested in. But Lucy’s excitement turns to disappointment when she’s put into a work group with girls she barely knows. All she wanted to do was make an app that she believes will help someone very special to her.

Suddenly, Lucy begins to get cryptic coding messages and needs some help translating them. She soon discovers that coding – and friendship – takes time, dedication, and some laughs!

 

Vanished! (Framed!) by James Ponti (Aladdin)

Florian Bates—the only kid on the FBI Director’s speed dial and several international criminals’ most wanted lists—must uncover the truth behind a series of middle school pranks that may or may not involve the daughter of the President of the United States in this hilarious second novel in the T.O.A.S.T. Mystery series.

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Jennifer Swanson
Science ROCKS! And so do Jennifer Swanson's books. She is the award-winning author of over 40 nonfiction books for kids. Jennifer Swanson’s love of science began when she started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. While no longer working from the garage, you can find Jennifer at her favorite place to explore the world around her. www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com
Jennifer is also the creator and administrator of #STEMTuesday and #STEAMTeam2020
2 Comments
  1. Nice mix of August releases, off to add a few to the TBR.

  2. Thanks, Jennifer! Looks like a lot of good ones to pick up this month! 🙂