Category: Tundra Books

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2024 ALA Youth Media Awards

The Youth Media Awards are presented annually by the American Library Association to honor books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media. 

American Indian Youth Literature Award

Awarded biennially, the American Indian Youth Literature Award identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. First presented in 2006, books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity. We would like to congratulate Cherie Dimaline whose novel, Funeral Songs for Dying Girls, has been selected as a 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book in the Young Adult category!

Funeral Songs for Dying Girls
By Cherie Dimaline
280 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735265639 | Tundra Books
Winifred has lived in the apartment above the cemetery office with her father, who works in the crematorium all her life, close to her mother’s grave. With her sixteenth birthday only days away, Winifred has settled into a lazy summer schedule, lugging her obese Chihuahua around the grounds in a squeaky red wagon to visit the neglected gravesides and nursing a serious crush on her best friend, Jack. Her habit of wandering the graveyard at all hours has started a rumor that Winterson Cemetery might be haunted. It’s welcome news since the crematorium is on the verge of closure and her father’s job being outsourced. Now that the ghost tours have started, Winifred just might be able to save her father’s job and the only home she’s ever known, not to mention being able to stay close to where her mother is buried. All she has to do is get help from her con-artist cousin to keep up the rouse and somehow manage to stop her father from believing his wife has returned from the grave. But when Phil, an actual ghost of a teen girl who lived and died in the ravine next to the cemetery, starts showing up, Winifred begins to question everything she believes about life, love and death. Especially love.

Funeral Songs for Dying Girls is available in paperback on May 14, 2024.

Sydney Taylor Book Award

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that exemplify high literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. We would like to congratulate Deke Moulton whose debut novel, Don’t Want to Be Your Monster, has been selected as a 2024 Sydney Taylor Honor Book in the Middle-Grade category!

Don’t Want to Be Your Monster
By Deke Moulton
304 Pages | Ages 10-14 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774880494 | Tundra Books
Adam and Victor are brothers who have the usual fights over the remote, which movie to watch and whether or not it’s morally acceptable to eat people. Well, not so much eat . . . just drink a little blood. They’re vampires, hiding in plain sight with their eclectic yet loving family. Ten-year-old Adam knows he has a better purpose in his life (well, immortal life) than just drinking blood, but fourteen-year-old Victor wants to accept his own self-image of vampirism. Everything changes when bodies start to appear all over town, and it becomes clear that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for the family. Can Adam and Victor reconcile their differences and work together to stop the killer before it’s too late?

Don’t Want to Be Your Monster is available in paperback on June 4, 2024.

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Cover Reveal: Into the Goblin Market

Tundra is very excited to be publishing Into the Goblin Market on July 30, 2024! Written by Vikki VanSickle and illustrated by Jensine Eckwall, Into the Goblin Market is a picture book ode to Christina Rossetti’s classic poem and a clever homage to familiar fairy-tale villains.

Cover Art: Jensine Eckwall
Cover Design: Gigi Lau

Into the Goblin Market
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall
48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735268562 | Tundra Books
Release Date: July 30, 2024
Millie loves her quiet life on the farm, but Mina longs for adventure. When the Goblin Market comes to town, Millie knows it’s a bad idea. They’ve been told stories their whole lives about the dangers of the Goblin Market. But Mina just can’t resist . . . When Mina doesn’t come back, it’s Millie’s turn to brave the market to bring her home. She will use all her smarts and all her courage to try to outwit the goblins and save her sister . . . but will it be enough? This gorgeous and intriguing tribute to both “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti and classic fairy-tale villains is also a story about the bond between sisters and a celebration of courage, intelligence and resilience.

Also written by Vikki VanSickle:

Anonymouse
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Anna Pirolli
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735263949 | Tundra Books
Art for the birds.
Art for the ants.
Art for the dogs, cats and raccoons.
Art to make them laugh, make them think, make them feel at home.
But who is creating it?
Only Anonymouse knows for sure . . .
This clever tale mixes street art, animals and gorgeous illustrations to create a meditation on how art can uplift any creature’s spirit – human or animal – when it speaks directly to them. Every page of Anna Pirolli’s stunning artwork is its own masterpiece with its bold pops of color and sly humor, elevating Vikki VanSickle’s subtle but evocative text.

How to Decorate a Christmas Tree
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Miki Sato
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735268586 | Tundra Books
A little girl shares the steps for the perfect tree trimming – a holiday picture book for fans of Pick a Pine Tree and The Little Christmas Tree. In this charming Christmas tale, readers will follow along with the main character as she shares all the things that go into decorating a tree:
Lights
Ornaments
Popcorn
Hot chocolate
Taffy the cat
Memories
And, most importantly, family!
With stunning three-dimensional art by Miki Sato and a delightful story by wordsmith Vikki VanSickle, including a twist ending, this book will quickly become a Christmas tree decorating tradition of its own.

If I Had a Gryphon
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Cale Atkinson
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback
ISBN 9781774880913 | Tundra Books
Sam just got a hamster for a pet. But the hamster is kind of boring . . . he just eats and sleeps and gets his shavings wet. Inspired by her book of mythological creatures, Sam longs for a more exciting pet. But she soon realizes that taking care of these magical beasts might not be as wonderful as she thought. Sasquatches are messy, unicorns are shy, hippogriffs scare the dogs at the dog park, and having a fire extinguisher handy at all times makes dragons seem like an awful lot of work. In the end, Sam realizes that her hamster is a pretty sweet and safe pet . . . or is he? If I Had a Gryphon is a raucous rhyming read-aloud about fantastical beasts in everyday situations – and the increasingly beleaguered heroine who has to deal with them.

Teddy Bear of the Year
Written by Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Sydney Hanson
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735263925 | Tundra Books
Ollie is a regular bear with a regular job. He listens to his girl’s stories about her days, he snuggles her to sleep and he is there waiting when she gets home from school. Just your typical teddy bear stuff. So when he is whisked away to the annual teddy bears’ picnic, he feels insignificant compared to the other bears who do daring and daunting things: sleepovers, hospital stays-even a night in the lost and found! Ollie feels even more small and unimportant but he soon learns that it’s not just the big things that matter, it’s the little things too.

Also illustrated by Jensine Eckwall:

Almost a Full Moon
Written by Hawksley Workman
Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall
32 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781770498716 | Tundra Books
Almost a Full Moon is a warm-hearted story of family, community, food and home. A boy and his grandmother host a gathering in their small cabin in the middle of winter. Friends travel from near and far, and some new friends even turn up. The walls of the cabin are elastic and the soup pot bottomless; all are welcome. Based on the lyrics of Hawksley Workman’s song from his holiday album Almost a Full Moon, this book evokes both the cold and the coziness of a winter’s night: crisp clean air, sparkling snow, the light of the moon, welcoming windows, glowing candles, family and friends. The spare text is beautifully complemented with the rich illustrations of Jensine Eckwall, a new talent to Tundra. She brings beauty and a hint of magic to Workman’s evocative lyrics; together, they create a world and a night that will enchant readers of all ages.

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Tuesdays with Tundra

Tuesdays with Tundra is an ongoing series featuring our new releases. This title is now available in stores and online!

New in Paperback:

The Pancake Problem (Weenie Featuring Frank and Beans Book #2)
By Maureen Fergus
Illustrated by Alexandra Bye
48 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Paperback
ISBN 9780735267961 | Tundra Books
Fans of Narwhal and Jelly will love this laugh-out-loud graphic novel: a pancake adventure with Weenie, Frank and Beans featuring wiener dog smooches, a huge pile of stinky brussels sprouts and a whole lot of syrup. Weenie loves his human, Bob. He loves his guinea pig friend Beans and his cat friend Frank. He loves naps, adventures and sharing. In fact, Weenie loves pretty much everything (except brussels sprouts). And Weenie SUPER LOVES pancakes. Maybe too much. When the SuperSonic Pancake Maker malfunctions, Weenie knows exactly what to do! Sort of . . .

We can’t wait to see you reading this title! If you share this book online, remember to use #ReadTundra in your hashtags so that we can re-post.

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Cover Reveal: Once Upon a Sari

Tundra is very excited to be publishing Once Upon a Sari on May 7, 2024! Written by Zenia Wadhwani and illustrated by Avani Dwivedi, Once Upon a Sari is a picture book about a little girl who gets into her mom’s saris and makes a glorious, colorful mess while discovering the memories attached to each sari.

Cover Art: Avani Dwivedi
Cover Design: Gigi Lau

Once Upon a Sari
By Zenia Wadhwani
Illustrated by Avani Dwivedi
48 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774880944 | Tundra Books
Release Date: May 7, 2024
Avani is having a wonderful time looking at all of her mother’s saris, but she soon realizes she’s made a big mess. When her mom comes in, Avani expects a scolding, but instead, her mom sits down with her and tells her about the memories associated with each sari: memories of weddings and celebrations, memories of when and where the sari came from. And, in case of one very special sari, memories that were passed down from her parents and grandparents. A beautiful and vibrant reflection on how what we wear connects us to big and small moments in our lives, Once Upon a Sari is a colorful feast for the eyes and the heart.

Also by Avani Dwivedi:

My Bollywood Dream
By Avani Dwivedi
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781536228427 | Candlewick
It’s Friday night, and on the bustling streets of Mumbai, a girl heads out with her family to the cinema. As she rides through the winding blocks with her maa, baba, and bhai, old melodies fill the car. And as she captures the sights and sounds of the city with her camera, she imagines a movie unfolding before her eyes. A choreographed dance sequence atop a long line of cars! When they arrive at the screening, the room is abuzz with people from all walks of life, waiting to lose themselves in the show. And finally comes the best part: time for everyone to jump up and dance! First-time author-illustrator Avani Dwivedi offers a buoyant, whimsically illustrated love letter to Mumbai and Bollywood – and to children everywhere eager to take mastery of their dreams.

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Cover Reveal: Team Park

Tundra is very excited to be publishing Team Park on September 10, 2024! Written by Angela Ahn, Team Park is about Evan Park who, after a wrist injury derails his plans to take part in an upcoming ninja competition, decides to enter into a local race – this time, with his whole family!

Cover Art: Chris Choi
Cover Design: Gigi Lau

Team Park
By Angela Ahn
240 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774883433 | Tundra Books
Release Date: September 10, 2024
Eleven-year-old Evan Park’s dad believes boys should play team sports, but as much as Evan has tried to like soccer and other team sports, he just doesn’t. And when an accident causes Evan to break his wrist, he is determined that once he heals, he’ll work on finding his thing. Alone. Inspired by his athletic physiotherapist, Evan decides to compete in an upcoming Dominator Ninja Junior Edition competition. It will be part rehab, part fun. If he trains hard enough, he’ll finally have something to put on his empty shelf in the family trophy cabinet. Maybe that would make his dad proud of him for once. But klutzy Evan strikes again! With a newly injured wrist, he can forget about competing in Dominator Ninja – he can’t even hold chopsticks. When his sister encourages him to look beyond a solo competition, they discover a local family race which is more about the experience than the results. Can Evan shift his perspective to rally the whole family to do this event . . . together?

Also by Angela Ahn:

Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm
By Angela Ahn
288 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9780735268296 | Tundra Books
Stephen loves pirates. What he doesn’t love is his name: Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll. He believes when his Korean mother and Irish father gave him this name, that it was just one cruel setup for being teased. Giving things the proper name is important, which is why Stephen thinks that it’s time to update the definition of “pirate.” They’ve got a bad rep, and maybe they deserve some of it, but Stephen still likes a few pirate traditions, like bandannas and eyepatches – he’s just not that into stealing things from people. He has the perfect new word: piventurate. A sailor who passionately seeks adventure. That’s what he wants to be. When he gets suspended from school for doing proper piventurate-in-training things (using sticks to practice sword fighting), his mother doesn’t let him sit around doing nothing, instead she takes him to a museum. At the museum everything changes. Stephen finds himself in a strange new place, face-to-face with a real pirate. A pirate ghost. Captain Sapperton needs Stephen’s help to cross to the other side, and his former ghost crew are intent on making sure Stephen follows through, whatever it takes. Stephen is about to discover the true meaning of piventurate, and much to his surprise, his adventure will not only take him farther into the ghostly realm, but also closer to home, where long-held family secrets reveal surprising ties to the spirit world.

Peter Lee’s Notes From the Field
By Angela Ahn
Illustrated by Julie Kwon
312 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Paperback
ISBN 9780735268265 | Tundra Books
Eleven year-old Peter Lee has one goal in life: to become a paleontologist. Okay, maybe two: to get his genius kid-sister, L.B., to leave him alone. But his summer falls apart when his real-life dinosaur expedition turns out to be a bust, and he watches his dreams go up in a cloud of asthma-inducing dust. Even worse, his grandmother, Hammy, is sick, and no one will talk to Peter or L.B. about it. Perhaps his days as a scientist aren’t quite behind him yet. Armed with notebooks and pens, Peter puts his observation and experimental skills to the test to see what he can do for Hammy. If only he can get his sister to be quiet for once – he needs time to sketch out a plan.

Swimming into Trouble: Julia on the Go! #1
By Angela Ahn
Illustrated by Julie Kim
176 Pages | Ages 7-10 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774881880 | Tundra Books
Available February 13, 2024
As a member of the Vipers Swim Team, Julia Nam’s always in the pool. Mountainview Community Center is like her second home, not only because swimming at the aquatic center is her favorite thing in the world, but also because her parents run the center’s sushi café. Julia would much rather be in the pool than sitting behind the counter of Sushi on the Go! watching other people swim. She’s the youngest swimmer on the team, but definitely not the slowest. Julia can’t wait for Personal Best Day – the most important day for all of the swimmers. If their times are good enough, they can enter a big regional swim meet. But then the worst thing happens. A sharp pain in Julia’s ear reveals an infection and she’s forbidden to swim for ten days. How can she get timed during Personal Best Day when she’s not allowed in the water? Julia is desperate to get back in the pool, even if it means having to go behind her parents’ backs in order to do so. But Julia’s solution lands her in a sticky situation, and it’s going to require the entire community center to come together to help her out of it!

Tundra Book Group