Day: January 21, 2026

2026 Edgar Award Nominees

| Tasha

The Mystery Writers of America has announced their nominees for the 2026 Edgar Allan Poe Awards that focus on the best mystery fiction, nonfiction and TV produced in the previous year. The award has two categories which focus specifically on titles for youth. Here are the nominees in those categories:

BEST JUVENILE

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell

Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell

A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence

What Happened Then by Erin Soderberg Downing

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron

Codebreaker by Jay Martel

The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson

This Is Where We Die by Cindy R. X. He

Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray

Melodies of The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes – Book Recommendation

| Tasha

Melodies of The Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People by Langston Hughes, compiled by Shamar Knight-Justice

  • Publisher: HarperCollins
  • Publication Date: January 20, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9780063327054

Celebrate the centennial  of Langston Hughes’ first book of poetry with this new collection of selected poems paired with art from twenty gifted Black artists. This collection takes the poems in The Weary Blues and skillfully pairs them with illustrators who capture the essence of each poem in their unique ways. The result is a nonfiction poetry book with each poem separate but also part of a whole. Turning these pages is a journey through Hughes’ work and also through beautiful and distinct artistic reactions to each poem. 

With poems like “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” included in the collection, children will discover Hughes anew. The book ends with a biography of Langston Hughes as well as biographical information on each of the illustrators. The sweep from one illustrator to the next has been done with care, creating a full story as the pages turn and still allowing them to stand on their own. 

This belongs in every library. Appropriate for ages 8-12.