With Mid-March bringing the start of Spring, it also brings one of the best seasons to read books. I take advantage of these days to walk and listen to my audiobook or read on my deck with a light jacket. Luckily, our March books list has an incredible assortment of new releases for just about every mood and genre. Read on for 13 lucky selections!
Coyote Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart
If you’re in search of a life-affirming novel, I highly recommend one of the most hopeful and unforgettable middle-grade novels I’ve ever read, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. The existence of a sequel, Coyote Lost and Found, fills me with such joy. I cried happy tears at the end of the first book and I imagine (just by looking at the synopsis) that I will ugly cry through this one. I can’t wait.
Synopsis: It’s been almost a year since Coyote and her dad left the road behind and settled down in a small Oregon town. . . time spent grieving the loss of her mom and sisters and trying to fit in at school. But just as life is becoming a new version of normal, Coyote discovers a box containing her mom’s ashes. And she thinks she might finally be ready to say goodbye. So Coyote and her dad gear up for an epic cross-country road trip to scatter the ashes at her mom’s chosen resting place.
The only problem? Coyote has no idea where that resting place is–and the secret’s hidden in a book that Coyote mistakenly sold last year, somewhere in the country. Now, it’s up to Coyote to track down the treasured book . . . without her dad ever finding out that it’s lost. It’s time to fire up their trusty bus, Yager, pick up some old friends, discover some new ones, and hit the road on another unforgettable adventure.
On Sale: March 5, 2024, via Henry Holt & Company. Order here.
Ariel Crashes A Train by Olivia Cole
As someone who has also dealt with intrusive thoughts, I am grateful to Olivia Cole for writing. She shares the gutting truth of what people with OCD deal with. It’s a fierce, brave and important novel readers should pick up and be ready to share.
Synopsis: Ariel is afraid of her own mind. She already feels like she is too big, too queer, too rough to live up to her parents’ exacting expectations, or to fit into what the world expects of a “good girl.” And as violent fantasies she can’t control take over every aspect of her life, she is convinced something much deeper is wrong with her. Ever since her older sister escaped to college, Ariel isn’t sure if her careful rituals and practiced distance will be enough to keep those around her safe anymore.
Then a summer job at a carnival brings new friends into Ariel’s fractured world, and she finds herself questioning her desire to keep everyone out–of her head and her heart. But if they knew what she was really thinking, they would run in the other direction–right? Instead, with help and support, Ariel discovers a future where she can be at home in her mind and body, and for the first time learns there’s a name for what she struggles with–Obsessive Compulsive Disorder–and that she’s not broken, and not alone.
On Sale: March 12, 2024, via Labyrinth Road. Order here.
Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman
A queer baseball graphic novel about a nerdy teen who joins the team because of a crush on the short-stop? What an adorable, heart-felt pick for our March books list. Can’t wait to dive into this fun, heart-felt graphic novel.
Synopsis: Ninth-grader Jonah is not a jock. On the contrary, he loves history class and nerdy movies, and his athletic ineptitude verges on tragic. So, what’s he doing signing up for the baseball team? Could it have something to do with the cute shortstop, Elliot?For the rest of high school, Jonah faces challenges on and off the baseball field, from heteronormative social pressure to thrilling romance. Realizing who his real friends are, he figures out what really matters and finally recognizes and embraces his gay identity.Based on debut author-illustrator Jonah Newman’s coming-of-age experiences, Out of Left Field is a big-hearted and funny YA graphic novel about learning to be yourself.
On Sale: March 26, 2024, via Andrews McMeel. Order here.
The Baker and The Bard by Fern Haught
Cozy graphic novels are my thing. Think Mooncakes or The Tea Dragon Society. The Baker and The Bard fits right into this sub-genre. It is the perfect addition to any graphic novel lover’s bookshelf and our March books list.
Synopsis: Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going in Larkspur, spending their respective days apprenticing at a little bakery and performing at the local inn. But when a stranger makes an unusual order at the bakery, the two friends (and Hadley’s pet snake, Fern) set out on a journey to forage the magical mushrooms needed to make the requested galette pastries.
Along the way, Juniper and Hadley stumble across a mystery too compelling to ignore: Something has been coming out of the woods at night and eating the local farmers’ crops, leaving only a trail of glowy goo behind. Intent on finally going on an adventure that could fuel their bardic craft, Hadley tows Juniper into the woods to investigate. What started as a simple errand to pick mushrooms soon turns into a thrilling quest to save some furry new friends–and their caretaker, a softspoken little fey named Thistle–who are in danger of losing their home.
On Sale: March 5, 2024 via Feiwel & Friends. Order here.
The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste
A wholly original premise, this timely debut novel is by an exciting new voice in YA. Fans of Legendborn and other high-concept fantasies will love this addition to our March books list.
Synopsis: Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and being caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her.
Then an enemy’s iron bullet kills her mother, Venus’s life implodes. Keeping her reckless little sister Janus safe is now her responsibility. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother’s killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge. The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.’s most influential politicians.
As Venus crawls deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, the line between magic and power blurs, and it’s hard to tell who to trust…Herself included.
The Poisons We Drink is a potent YA debut about a world where love potions are weaponized against hate and prejudice, sisterhood is unbreakable, and self-love is life and death.
On Sale: March 26, 2024, via Sourcebooks Fire. Order here.
Icarus by K. Ancrum
If you’re a K. Ancrum fan, you know why she deserves a place on our March books list. Her award-winning novels are diverse and thrilling. Icarus is a queer YA reimagining of the myth and is as suspenseful and lyrical as her previous books.
Synopsis: Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man–the wealthy Mr. Black–has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught.
Until one night, he does. Not by Mr. Black but by his mysterious son, Helios, now living under house arrest in the Black mansion. Instead of turning Icarus in, Helios bargains for something even more dangerous–a friendship that breaks every single one of Icarus’s rules.
As reluctance and distrust become closeness and something more, they uncover the gilded cage that has trapped both their families for years. One Icarus is determined to escape. But his father’s thirst for revenge shows no sign of fading, and soon it may force Icarus to choose: the escape he’s dreamed of, or the boy he’s come to love. Reaching for both could be his greatest triumph–or it could be his downfall.
On Sale: March 26, 2024, via HarperTeen. Order here.
In The Orbit of You by Ashley Schumacher
Ashley Schumacher knows just how to craft emotionally beautifully books, earning her a spot on our March books list. Her latest follows childhood friends who reconnect after a fateful personality test brings them together. Read it for a good cathartic cry.
Synopsis: It’s been years since Nova Evans last saw Sam. She was too young then to understand why he had to move away–and what it had to do with the cuts and bruises he got from home and never wanted to talk about. All she knew is that they promised to find each other when they were older, something she thought was impossible thanks to her and her mom moving around constantly. Until she bumps into Sam in her new school, and realizes he has clearly forgotten their childhood promise.
Sam Jordan has a plan for his life: accept his college football scholarship, date his girlfriend Abigail, and–most importantly–hide how much he wants to do something, anything other than The Plan(TM) his parents and coaches have set before him. It doesn’t matter if sometimes he finds himself thinking about the new girl he met in the cafeteria, a girl who reminds him of a past that hurts to remember.
When a school-wide personality test reveals Nova and Sam to be each others’ top matches–not only that, but a match of 99%, the highest in the school–they begin to remember why they were such close friends, all those years ago. As well as the myriad of reasons this new-yet-familiar, magnetic, sparkling thing between them will never, ever work out. In the Orbit of You is a story about the enduring and changing nature of friendship, of the strange struggle between who you are and who you want to be, and finding your voice after trauma.
On Sale: March 19, 2024, via Wednesday Books. Order here.
The Last Blood Carver by Vanessa Le
The Last Bloodcarver is a compelling and intense YA fantasy. It’s inspired by author Vanessa Le’s Vietnamese heritage and her studies as a medical student. Authors such as Chloe Gong and Marie Lu have offered praise for this debut.
Synopsis: Nhika is a bloodcarver. A coldhearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch.In the industrial city of Theumas, Nhika is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure. And in the city’s criminal underbelly, the rarest of monsters are traded for gold. When Nhika is finally caught by the infamous Butchers, she’s forced to heal the last witness to a high-profile murder.
As Nhika delves into the investigation, all signs point to Ven Kochin, an alluring yet entitled physician’s aide. Despite his relentless attempts to push her out of his opulent world, something inexplicable draws Nhika to him. But when she discovers Kochin is not who he claims to be, Nhika will be faced with a greater, more terrifying evil lurking in the city’s center…Her only chance to survive lies in a terrible choice–become the dreaded monster the city fears, or risk jeopardizing the future of her kind.
On Sale: March 19, 2024, via Macmillan. Order here.
The Revenant Games by Margie Fuston
We loved Vampires, Hearts, & Other Dead Things here at In Between Drafts and so Margie Fuston’s new book needed to be mentioned in our March books roundup. If you like vampires and high-stakes, forbidden romances, you’ll love this YA fantasy.
Synopsis: Blood is survival for seventeen-year-old Bly, who lives in the poverty-stricken human villages caught between enemy vampire and witch kingdoms. Most of the time, vampires and witches live in uneasy truce, buying human blood for their food and spells. But for two weeks a year, the ceasefire dissolves, and they hold the Revenant Games.
Any human can play in the games for either the witches or the vampires. Alongside life-changing riches, the witches will raise one person from the dead for whoever captures the highest-ranking vampire. In turn, the vampires offer immortality to whoever captures the most powerful witch. For most humans, the games are a ticket out of poverty. For Bly, it’s a chance to get back her dead sister, Elise, and save the life of her dying best friend, Emerson.
Together, she and Emerson forge a dangerous plan to play both sides and win both prizes: resurrection for Elise and immortality for Emerson. But when the vampire they capture stirs a passion in Bly that she hasn’t felt in a long time, she’ll have to make a choice: her sister or the boy who’s shown her there’s more to life than just survival.
On Sale: March 19, 2024, via Margaret K. McElderry Books. Order here.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
After Ace of Spades, I trust Faridah with thrilling dark academia novels that expose the ugly reality of the world. Her sharp and daring characters are among the many reasons that I’ve added her latest to our March books list.
Synopsis: Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school after being home-schooled all her life. Misfortune has been a constant companion all her life, but even Sade doesn’t expect her new roommate, Elizabeth, to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it
.With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the girls collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them–especially Persephone, who Sade is inexplicably drawn to–and playing catchup in class, Sade already has so much on her plate. But when it seems people don’t care enough about what happened to Elizabeth to really investigate, it’s up to she and Elizabeth’s best friend to solve it. And then a student is found dead.
As they keep trying to figure out what’s going on, Sade realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she thought. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.
On Sale: March 19, 2024, via Feiwel & Friends. Order here.
Gut Reaction by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt
I have a soft-spot for middle grade books about baking. And I have an even softer spot for books about chronic illness. This big-hearted and hopeful novel by a mother-daughter team deserves a spot on our March books list and the TBR of every middle-grade reader of all ages.
Synopsis: Tess Medina is still dealing with the loss of her father when she starts at a new school. One way she is still able to feel close to him is by doing what she does best: baking. He taught her everything she knows. But when tasting her creations causes a deep stabbing pain in her abdomen, she tries to power through and be strong in the same way she powers through her emotional pain. She doesn’t mind too much–she’s okay with sharing her baked goods at school in the hopes of making new friends.
Lucky for Tess, her baking skills attract the right kind of attention, and she assembles a ragtag team to help her taste her new and classic creations in preparation for the Jubilee Flour Junior Baker West Coast competition. This is a chance to redeem herself and prove that she’s a star baker. Above all, Tess is desperate to win first place and make her dad proud.
But leading up to the competition, Tess’s pain gets worse and worse, and, soon, she finds that she’s avoiding so many foods that she’s barely eating. When the physical pain becomes too great, Tess will be forced to confront everything she has been trying so desperately to hide.
On Sale: March 5, 2024, via Scholastic Press. Order here.
The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
Erin Entrada Kelly’s are some of the best of the middle-grade genre, deserving of all the awards and accolades. I love how her books explore family and friendship. It’s being compared to one of my favorite middle-grade novels When You Reach Me, rightfully earning a place on this list.
Synopsis: It’s August 1999. For twelve-year-old Michael Rosario, life at Fox Run Apartments in Red Knot, Delaware, is as ordinary as ever–except for the looming Y2K crisis and his overwhelming crush on his fifteen-year-old babysitter, Gibby. But when a disoriented teenage boy named Ridge appears out of nowhere, Michael discovers there is more to life than stockpiling supplies and pining over Gibby.
It turns out that Ridge is carefree, confident, and bold, things Michael wishes he could be. Unlike Michael, however, Ridge isn’t where he belongs. When Ridge reveals that he’s the world’s first time traveler, Michael and Gibby are stunned but curious. As Ridge immerses himself in 1999–fascinated by microwaves, basketballs, and malls–Michael discovers that his new friend has a book that outlines the events of the next twenty years, and his curiosity morphs into something else: focused determination. Michael wants–no, needs–to get his hands on that book. How else can he prepare for the future? But how far is he willing to go to get it?
A story of time travel, friendship, found family, and first loves, this thematically rich novel is distinguished by its voice, character development, setting, and exploration of the issues that resonate with middle grade readers.
On Sale: March 5, 2024, via Greenwillow Books. Order here.
The World Divided by Piper by Caela Carter
Caela Carter’s Forever, Or A Long, Long Time is one of my favorite middle-grade books. It proves that the author can write about sensitive subjects for a younger audience. The book follows a pre-teen facing the trials and tribulations of growing up. I wish I had it growing up — it’s an important book for young girls.
Synopsis: Piper Franklin has big plans. First, she’ll win the Academic Decathlon with her best friend, Tallulah. Then, she’ll finish her life’s work: Metaphorical Math. And in the meantime, she and Tallulah will maintain their secret, El Jardin Muerto. Nothing can stop Piper . . . except for puberty.
Piper was diagnosed with early-onset puberty, and she’s been taking blockers to keep it at bay since she was six years old. But now her doctor thinks it’s time for her treatment to end, and Piper’s eyes are opened to a completely new world.
Piper sees the issues that her older sister and her mom struggle with and gets a very clear picture of her own future–one that she’s not sure she likes. Will a changing body change all of Piper’s plans? And why does she have to grow up in the first place? Or does she?
On Sale: March 19, 2024, via Quill Tree Books. Order here.
Brianna Robinson is a book publicist and Sarah Lawrence College alum. She lives in New York with too many books and two enthusiastic dachshunds. You can find her on twitter @blrobins2.
No Comments