I often think of fall as harvest time for bibliophiles; the season always brings plenty of new children’s books. This year, I’m thrilled to see collaborations from several literary dream teams, graphic fiction galore, and compelling nonfiction. Below are some highlights from our Fall Preview selections.

Picture books make a strong showing this season. With Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair (Candlewick, Sept. 3), author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Ekua Holmes team up again, following the award-winning Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement (2015). Writing in mesmerizing verse, Weatherford sings the praises of cornrows, ’fros, Bantu knots, and more styles, conjuring up images that Holmes captures with her eye-catching digital collage art.

With the war in Gaza making headlines over the past 10 months, many young people are understandably confused and upset; Maysa Odeh’s A Map for Falasteen: A Palestinian Child’s Search for Home (Henry Holt, Oct. 22), illustrated by Aliaa Betawi, offers child-friendly historical context for the current situation. When Falasteen can’t find her country of origin on her classroom map, she turns to her family for guidance. Their gentle but honest responses buoy her—and will enlighten young readers. Tinged with melancholy, yearning, and hope, this moving story reflects the experiences of many Palestinian refugees.

Mo Willems and Dan Santat know how to make kids laugh—and how to make them think. Framed as a conversation between a pair of hands, Lefty (Union Square Kids, Dec. 3) examines the historical stigma against left-handedness. Willems’ probing text will have kids contemplating the nature of prejudice, while Santat’s dynamic illustrations—featuring photographs of his own hands—keep the mood lively.

Middle graders are in for some treats this fall, too. Cynthia Leitich Smith’s On a Wing and a Tear (Heartdrum, Sept. 17) offers a modern take on Muscogee folklore as a group of friends—both human and beast—head to the Great Ball Game for a showdown between the Birds and Animals. Smith (Muscogee) incorporates themes such as environmentalism and explores Native history; an especially noteworthy subplot sees a young Indigenous girl learning about the Trail of Tears. The result is a layered tale that’s by turns funny, poignant, and inspiring.

Known for their wildly popular Ivy & Bean stories, Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall return with Stella & Marigold (Chronicle Books, Oct. 1), the first in a new chapter-book series about another dynamic duo. Centering on two loving sisters who support one another through sickness, school woes, and more, Barrows’ slice-of-life narrative speaks to the quiet joys and dramas of childhood. Blackall’s sweetly cartoonish art soars when it’s depicting the siblings’ wild fantasy life.

In Paul Gilligan’s graphic memoir Boy vs. Shark (Tundra Books, Oct. 15), his 10-year-old self, terrified after a viewing of Jaws in 1975, finds himself conversing with an imaginary shark who pressures him to squelch his softer side and act out to impress his peers, who have fallen under the spell of a mean older boy. With self-deprecating humor and honesty, Gilligan explores toxic masculinity, growing pains, and the challenges of staying true to oneself.

Mahnaz Dar is a young readers’ editor.