Best New Books Coming November 2024 for Kids and Teachers
In a month that’s all about gratitude, we can’t give enough thanks for new reads to add to our pile. We’ve scoured the reviews and rounded up all the new books coming in November 2024 that seem perfect for kids and classrooms. Here’s what we can’t wait to check out this month.
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New Fiction Picture Books
Thank You, Everything by Icinori
If you’re looking for a new book for your Thanksgiving collection, this one’s for you! But really, the dreamy illustrations and unique inclusions of things to be thankful for (spoon, surprise, slumber) work at any time of the year.
Buy it: Thank You, Everything
All Kinds of Things/Todo Tipo de Cosas by Bernadette Gervais
Help your young students build their vocabulary in two languages with this new picture book. The organization of the lists is fun: things that open, things that smell good, etc. Kids can learn both the English and Spanish words for each one!
The Creature of Habit Tries His Best by Jennifer E. Smith, illustrated by Leo Espinosa
Look who’s back! It’s the Creature of Habit, and this time around, he’s learning to ride a bike. The Creature already learned to try new things, but it turns out that trying doesn’t mean instant success. Nurture a growth mindset with this sweet and relatable tale.
Cold by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
By November, the temperatures are dropping in most places, making this new picture book the perfect read. Brew some hot chocolate and take a journey to discover all the animals that thrive in chilly weather!
Buy it: Cold
New Easy Reader/Chapter Books
Drag and Rex: Sweet and Silly by Susan Lubner, illustrated Blythe Russo
A year after their initial debut, Drag and Rex are back with all-new adventures. Follow their stories as they choose Valentine’s Day gifts, decide what to cook for dinner, and try their best to remember something important. If you love Frog and Toad, these two are sure to delight.
Buy it: Drag and Rex: Sweet and Silly
V. Malar: Greatest Host of All Time by Suma Subramaniam, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
V. Malar’s cousins are coming to visit her in India, all the way from Seattle! But things don’t go exactly as planned. Can she help her cousins see everything that’s wonderful about her life, even if it’s pretty different from their own?
New Middle Grade Fiction Books
Take It From the Top by Claire Swinarski
Eowyn and Jules have spent five summers as best friends at their theater summer camp. This year, though, something has gone wrong, and Jules won’t even talk to Eowyn. Find out why as they tell their stories in alternate chapters, and discover whether the two can patch things up before summer ends.
Buy it: Take It From the Top
Black Girl Power by Leah Johnson
Through 15 stories and poems by celebrated Black authors, tween girls of color can see themselves in the extraordinary—and the ordinary. From first sleepovers to haunted dollhouses, there’s something in this collection for every kind of reader.
Buy it: Black Girl Power
All the Best Dogs by Emily Jenkins
Four middle schoolers and their dogs (the best dogs in the world!) meet up in a dog park over one summer weekend. Each has their own adventure and story, which overlaps and intersects with the others. Dog lovers will adore this engaging new read that puts lovable pups at the center of the action.
Buy it: All the Best Dogs
Mallory in Full Color by Elisa Stone Leahy
In real life, Mallory lets others tell her who to be and how to act. It’s only in her anonymous sci-fi web comic that she shares how she really feels. When her comic goes viral and kids at school start recognizing themselves in her not-so-flattering writing, Mallory has to find the courage to come out of hiding at last.
Buy it: Mallory in Full Color
The Empty Place by Olivia A. Cole
On her 11th birthday, Henrietta’s dad goes missing while filming his reality series. When he returns exactly a year later carrying a strange necklace and a map, it starts Henry off an adventure to a land of the lost. There, she’ll have to discover more about herself in order to find her way back home again.
Buy it: The Empty Place
New Young Adult Fiction Books
Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
This sequel to What the River Knows carries readers back to 19th-century Egypt as Inez Olivera tries to find a way to make sure that those who harmed her family pay the price. But her uncle refuses to let her use her inheritance to finance her quest. When a former British soldier offers to marry her, it may provide just the opportunity she needs—or it could be a serious mistake. Fans of the first book will be glad to know its cliffhanger ending is fully resolved, and the conclusion of the story is as satisfying as the start.
Buy it: Where the Library Hides
Darkly by Marisha Pessl
Dia Gannon loves the twisty, terrifying underworld of the Darkly games. So she jumps at the chance to join a few other teens in a competition to win a million pounds by finding a boy who went missing while playing one of Darkly’s never-released games. Their deep dive into the company’s history and that of its mysterious founder, Louisiana Veda, leads them to discoveries they could never have imagined.
Buy it: Darkly
The Donut Prince of New York by Allen Zadoff
Eugene’s junior year is full of struggles: he’s battling his weight, serious writer’s block, and a crush he can’t find the self-confidence to follow through on. A chance to play on the football team seems to open new opportunities, but as he leaves his old friends and hobbies (like the drama club) behind, he starts to question who he is and what he really wants. Body image issues are common among female protagonists, but the subject hasn’t been explored nearly as much for boys, making this a welcome addition to the young adult bookshelf.
Buy it: The Donut Prince of New York
Thanks for Listening by Molly Horan
Mia always knows what’s best—but no one listens to her advice. So she sets up a social media account to offer advice anonymously. Now she knows more about her friends’ lives than she bargained for. Meanwhile, asexual Mia begins to explore what a relationship with allosexual Sadie might look like, adding an unexpected dimension to a teen romance story. This is an entertaining read very much grounded in issues familiar to today’s high schoolers.
Buy it: Thanks for Listening
In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price
Fans of the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series (or those who love regency romances) will love this lighthearted new bit of fan fiction. Lizzie and Darcy (yes, that Lizzie and Mr. Darcy) are out to solve a new mystery set in Jane Austen’s universe, with help from the Dashwood sisters, Mr. Bingley, and more beloved characters. If readers haven’t already gobbled up Austen’s classic books, this new read will inspire teens to seek them out.
Buy it: In Want of a Suspect
New Graphic Novels in November 2024
(Be Smart About) Screen Time! by Rachel Brian
A vital but not-so-exciting topic gets the graphic treatment in this new read. It’s a fun way to share important information that keeps kids safe online, now and in the future. (Grades 1-4)
Buy it: Be Smart About Screen Time
Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock by Vikram Madan
You’ve read graphic novels, but what about a graphic poetry collection? This new offering is unique, and it’s a terrific way to draw young skeptics into the world of poetry. In addition to the Nozzlewock, you’ll meet squishasaurs, ghost puppies, and Stan the Slouching Man. This entertaining find is ideal for elementary readers, but older kids will love it too! (Grades 2-6)
The Squad by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Joanna Cacao
Christina has more confidence at this year’s cheerleading tryouts, but worries that not all her friends might make the squad. To complicate things, her parents are getting divorced, and life suddenly feels scary and uncertain. This stand-alone graphic novel takes place in the same world as bestseller The Tryout, but readers will enjoy it even if they haven’t read the first one. (Grades 5-8)
Buy it: The Squad
The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho, illustrated by Deb JJ Lee
North Korea is mostly a mystery to the rest of the world, and today’s kids likely know little of what life is like there. This graphic novel in verse will open their eyes to a country full of corruption, poverty, and hunger. They’ll follow the story of two children desperate to escape the most oppressive society in the world with breathless anticipation and hope. (Grades 4-8)
Buy it: The Other Side of Tomorrow
Visitations by Corey Egbert
Corey’s parents divorced when he was young, and his Mormon mother took him to live deep in the desert to escape Corey’s dad, whom she insisted was a sexual predator. But as Corey’s mom becomes increasingly paranoid, insisting his father is the devil (among other things), he starts to wonder what’s real. Hungry and alone, he begins to be visited by a ghost girl who urges him to look for answers and fight for a better life. Readers can learn more about the author’s real-life experiences in the notes at the end of the book. (Grades 6-12)
Buy it: Visitations
Toxic Tropics by Jessica Oublié, illustrated by Nicola Gobbi
Long after chlordecone was made illegal, banana farmers in Guadeloupe and other French Antilles islands continued using the dangerous pesticide. Now, nearly 50 years after the dangers became known, the islands are so polluted that nearly everyone living there is contaminated, and their cancer rates are among the highest in the world. This graphic nonfiction book explores this environmental disaster and its causes, and urges us to prioritize human and wildlife health over greed and commercialism. (Grades 6-12)
Buy it: Toxic Tropics
New Nonfiction Books in November 2024
Up Periscope! by Jennifer Swanson, illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison
In 1971, Black engineer Raye Montague became the first person to computer-generate a ship design. She was later made the first female program manager of ships in the U.S. Navy. Learn her underappreciated story in this new picture book. (Grades pre-K to 2)
Buy it: Up Periscope!
I Am Wind by Rachel Poliquin, illustrated by Rachel Wada
This “autobiography” picture book provides plenty of fascinating facts about the wind. From legends and cultural stories to scientific and technical information, readers will learn more about the ever-present wind they encounter every day. (Grades 1-4)
Buy it: I Am Wind
Coming Home by Mavasta Honyouti
When Hopi carver Honyouti’s kwa’a (grandfather) Clyde was a child, he was forced to attend a residential school. There, white people cut his hair, gave him a new name, and forbid him from speaking his native language. This heartbreaking true story was the same for many thousands of Native American children and is a powerful reminder of the centuries of oppression these cultures faced. (Grades 1-5)
Buy it: Coming Home
Power to the Parasites! by Chelsea L. Wood, illustrated Dave Mottram
Parasites get a bad rap (sometimes rightfully), but they’re also fascinating. They occupy necessary roles in our world, as this nonfiction middle grade book shows. Once they get past the ick factor, kids will learn so much! (Grades 4-8)
Buy it: Power to the Parasites!
Heartbreak Is the National Anthem by Rob Sheffield
Taylor Swift’s music has come to define a generation of teens, who will gobble up this new exploration of the singing sensation. Author and fan Sheffield explores T-Swift’s impact on music and what makes her such a cultural lightning rod. (Grades 9-12)
New Books for Teachers in November 2024
Toxic Productivity by Israa Nasir
This new self-help tome promises to help you “reclaim your time and emotional energy in a world that always demands more.” That certainly sounds like a teacher’s world to us! This new book makes the case for managing emotions instead of time, a theory that may be worth exploring if you’re experiencing symptoms of teacher burnout.
Buy it: Toxic Productivity
Big Goals by Caroline Adams Miller
Teachers spend a lot of time teaching students how to set goals, in addition to setting learning goals for lesson plans and the like. Learn more about setting and achieving meaningful goals, for your students and in your own life, with this new November 2024 book.
Buy it: Big Goals
Looking for more great new books to read in November? Check out our list of Diverse and Thoughtful Thanksgiving Books for the Classroom.
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