Book Picks: Sept./Oct. 2026

Free Spirit Publishing 

Based on the author’s childhood, this picture book tells the story of a young girl who fled Iran with her family and just a suitcase—though she carries her home in her heart. Kia, a professor of counseling, clinical, and school psychology, invites young readers to embrace change with resilience and appreciate new cultures and experiences. 

Around the World Consulting
For more than a decade the author has documented global adventures on her blog, Around the World with Kids, with tales about trips with children from toddlers to teens. In this memoir she offers tips on avoiding the hilarious, messy realities behind all those happy family photos.

Dogstar Press 

This coming-of-age novel follows several students as they leave their New England campus and head out into the world at a watershed moment—the eve of 9/11. Tait, the founder of Dogstar Press, weaves together vivid characters in a compelling and detailed story of romance, friendships, heartbreak, ambitions, and tragedy—with some surprising plot twists.  

Oxford University Press 

The Georgetown University professor emeritus details the major, often tumultuous global transitions to modernity of the 18th century. As revolutions, including in America, began to reshape political life, global trade expanded and religious and intellectual movements challenged the old ways of life.

Balzer + Bray 

The cartoonist, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, and MAD, debuts as an author-illustrator with this charming tale about a white whale that encounters a ship full of sailors and just wants to make friends. As Publishers Weekly put it, “Could the most famous whale in literature simply be terribly misunderstood? It’s a funny, bighearted twist on a classic.”

Atria Books/Beyond Words 

A mediator and former lawyer who cofounded the Prison of Peace Project, Noll says empathy in the workplace is the competitive edge distinguishing great leaders and thriving organizations. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and real-world examples, he reveals how calm authority, emotional intelligence, and compassionate communication can be the foundation for success.  

Bloomsbury Press
Coauthor Parrott, a counseling psychologist chartered by the British Psychological Society and life coach who works with parents of young children, delves into the inner world of kids’ brains. Focused on the impact worrying can have on children’s development, the book offers parents guidance on how to worry less.

Manuscripts LLC
A general partner at Creative Ventures, cofounder and chief technology officer of Lioness, and author of Substack Weighty Thoughts, Wang earned two International Book Awards—for best new nonfiction and best science—with this book reviewers have called “the lighthouse for anyone navigating the fog of AI hype and fear” and “a great starting point for those worried they’ll never catch up.”