“Round, flat, large, small” and made with a variety of differing ingredients, Fry Bread (Roaring Brook, $18.99) is a cultural staple to many American Indian cultures. Author Kevin Noble Maillard’s inaugural picture book shows readers that while “fry bread is food,” it is also much more. Maillard’s verse combined with illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, create a powerful depiction of history, joy, and family with each turn of the page. With backmatter just as nuanced and detailed, this debut is pure nourishment. Ages 4-8. Kasie Griffitts 

It's almost Thanksgiving in Hoboken, NJ, and young Arthur Bobowicz—whose family doesn’t like turkey—is nonetheless instructed to go out and procure one for Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, the entire city of Hoboken is out of turkeys, chickens, ducks, or any other sort of fowl fare. Desperate, Arthur has an encounter with the mysterious Professor Mazzocchi, who sells Arthur a giant 266-pound chicken named Henrietta! Having a huge bird in the Bobowicz apartment proves problematic, so Arthur is forced to return Henrietta. That would seem to be the end of the story. But when panic sets in over reports of a giant chicken terrorizing Hoboken, it becomes apparent that the Hoboken Chicken Emergency (Aladdin, $5.99) has just begun. With the perfect balance of wit, deadpan humor and pure craziness—and the brilliantly funny and expressive illustrations of Tony Auth—Daniel Pinkwater’s tale is a fun seasonal read for the entire family! Ages 6-10. Marc Villa

A Windfall ($10.99, Ember), or a sudden and unexpected influx of wealth, begins Jennifer E. Smith's young adult novel of the same name. When Alice buys her best friend Teddy a lottery ticket for his 18th birthday, she never expects he'll actually win, nor does she think that a tiny piece of paper will change everything. But when the winners are announced and Teddy is one of them, their lives are catapulted down a path neither expected. As Teddy struggles to adjust to his newfound millionaire status, Alice worries that their friendship will never be the same. To make matters worse, she never got the chance to tell Teddy how she really feels, and now it looks like she never will. Told with lush prose and perfect pacing, Smith's novel, newly out in paperback, packs the whimsy, heartache and romance in equal measure. Ages 14 and up. Colette Whitney