Booklist: 2026

JANUARY

6

Carlotta’s Special Dress by Carlotta Walls Lanier. LBYR
The Claiming (The Last Resort #2) by Jasmine Warga. Scholastic Press
Ms. Marvel: Remnants of the Past by Saadia Faruqi. Random House/Marvel
Thick as Thieves: A Graphic Novel by Dan Santat. Graphix
A Sea Monster Conundrum (The Misfits) by Lisa Yee; illustrated by Dan Santat.  Random House
The Swan’s Daughter: A Possibly Doomed Love Story by Roshani Chokshi. Wednesday Books
V. Malar: Greatest Ranger of All Time by Suma Subramaniam; illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan. Candlewick

13

Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game by Kadir Nelson. LBYR
Hattie Begins Again by Sharon G. Flake. Knopf
Nadia Islam, on the Record by Adiba Jaigirdar. Harper Collins
Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone. Wednesday Books
Wallflower by Iasmin Omar Ata. Viking
A Year Without Home by V. T. Bidania. Nancy Paulsen Books

20

Destiny of the Diamond Princess by Sherri Winston. Bloomsbury
I Don’t Wish You Well by Jumata Emill. Delacorte Press
Fros, Fades, and Braids: A Brief History of Black Hair in America by Sean Qualls. HarperCollins
Lovely One (Adapted for Young Readers) by Ketanji Brown Jackson. Bright Matter Books
Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems by Langston Hughes; illustrated by various artists. HarperCollins

27

The Beasts of Winter by J. C. Cerantes. Harper Collins/Storytide
Enter the Wigmaster by Raúl the Third. Little, Brown Ink
Eureka by Victoria Chang. FSG
The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay by Ryan Douglass. HarperCollins
Just Between Us by Adeline Kon. Dial DEBUT
Run Home: A Graphic Memoir by Alyssa Bermudez. Roaring Brook Press
The Star of Moon Village by Jennifer Ann Richter. Holiday House
Sundown Girls by L.S. Stratton. Nancy Paulsen Books

FEBRUARY

FEB

3

Choir Grrl by Ashley Granillo. Carolrhoda Books
Few Blue Skies by Caroline Ixta. Quill Tree Books
Heart’s Gambit by J. D. Myall. Wednesday Books
Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean. Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Mighty Macy by Kwame Alexander. LBYR
Not So Neurotypical: A Fun and Illustrated Celebration of 30 Influential People with ADHD by Terrance Crawford; art by Rachel Cash. Andrews McMeel Publishing
Space Chases to the Moon (Space Chasers #2) by Leland Melvin, Joe Caramanga and Alison Acton. First Second
Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter by Joseph Coelho; illustrated by Hyun Song We. Candlewick. Candlewick
Stealing the Score by Sylvia Liu. Scholastic Paperbacks
Sibyline by Melissa de la Cruz. G.P. Putnman’s Sons
This Ain’t Our First Rodeo by Liari Tamari. Greenwillow Books
Twice Enslave: Liberty and Justice for Henrietta Wood by Selene Castrovilla; illustrated by Erin K. Robinson. Calkins Creek
Until the Clock Strikes Midnightby Alechia Dow. Feiwel and Friends

10

Ami Moon and the Galactic Peacekeepers: Book One by Frances Lee. Levine Querido
Call of the Dragon (Call of the Dragon #1) by Natasha Brown. Random House
Opal Watson: A Case Most Fowl (Opal Watson #2) by Brittany J. Thurman. FSG
To The Deathby Andrea Tang. G.P. Putnam’s Sons

17

The Cogs in the Machine (Clock Striker #3) by Issaka Galadima and Frederick L. Jones. Rockport Pulse
Coming Home (Adapted for Young Readers) by Brittney Griner and Michelle Burford. Bright Matter Books
Goodbye and Everything After by Mae Coyiuto. Feiwel & Friends
Goodbye, French Fry by Rin-Rin Yu. Nancy Paulsen Books  
They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours. Wednesday Books
Time for a Change by Questlove and S. A. Cosby. FSG
Ungodly Chaos by Selma Soren. Margaret K. McElderry Books
We Are Who We Are: An Ode to Indigenous Heroes Past and Presentby Wab Kinew and Janine Gibbons. Tundra Books

24

Amari and the Metalwork Menace (Super Investigations #4) by B. B. Alston. Storytide
Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi. Kokila
Just Between Us: A Graphic Novelby Adeline Kon. Dial Books
Korobá: The Case of the Missing Kolo by Àlàbá Ònájìn. Holiday House
Onward: 16 Climate Fiction Short Stories to Inspire Hope ed. by Nora Shalaway Carpenter. Charlesbridge
Kid X by Tracey Baptiste. LBYR

MARCH

3

The Dragon and the Sun Lotus by Amélie Wen Zhao. Delacorte Press
Estela Undrowning by René Peña-Govea.Quill Tree
If We Never End by Laura Taylor Namey. Bloomsbury YA
Kid Detective (Harper Sharp #1) by Jarrett Williams. Random House Graphic
My Bicentennial Summer: True Adventures from the Most Epic Family Road Trip of All Time by G. Neri; illustrated by Corban Wilkin. Candlewick
The Oks are not OK by Grace Shim. Kokila
Roohi and Nate are Not on the Same Page by Suprya Kellar and Jarrett Lerner. Amulet
She Drinks the Light by Yasmin Angoe. Feiwel & Friends
The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga. Balzer+Bray

10

Defying China: A Memoir by Tsultrim Dolma. Dial Books
Hafsa’s Way by Aisah Saeed. Nancy Paulsen Books
The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat by Tracey Baptiste. LBYR
Right as Rain by Tashie Bhuiyan. FSG

17
One Word Six Letters by Adib Khorram. Henry Holt and Co
Prodigal Tiger by Samantha Chong. GP Putnam’s Sons
Red River Rose by Carole Lindstrome. Bloomsbury

31
All That Chandni Knows by Khushboo Patel.  GP Putnam’s Sons
KPop Demon Hunters: The Official Deluxe Jr. Novelization: The Official Retelling by Jessica Yoon. Random House
Pet Placement Society by Primo Gallanosa.  Melissa de la Cruz Studio.

APRIL

7
When It’s Your Turn for Midnight by Blessing Musariri. Carolrhoda Lab

14
I Could Give You the Moonby Ann Liang. HarperCollins

JUNE

2
The Sweetest of Lemonsby Daniel Nayeri; illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell. Levine Querido