March/April 2026 Kids Indie Next List

IndieBound has published their new list of recommended upcoming books which are nominated by independent booksellers across the country.

PICTURE BOOKS

Cat’s New Book by Nathalie Belhassen

The Future Book by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris

The God of Sleep by Lev Grossman, illustrated by Huynh Kim Liên

I Really Want to Be a Cat by Helen Hancocks

Is This Spring? by Kevin Henkes

Judgy Bunny and the Terrible Beach by Scott Rothman, illustrated by Linzie Hunter

Loops by Jashar Awan

The Rare Bird by Elisha Cooper

Rumpelstiltskin by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Carson Ellis

Ruthie by Esmé Shapiro

MIDDLE GRADE

Aftermyth by Tracy Wolff

Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria by L. M. Wilkinson, illustrated by Lavanya Naidu

The Curse Breaker by Jen Calonita

A Kid Like Me by Norm Feuti

The Lion’s Run by Sara Pennypacker

Oh Brother by Georgina Chadderton

Phoenix by Kim Brubaker Bradley

Queso, Just in Time by Ernesto Cisneros

Sweet, Tart by Kara Thom

The Unlikely Tale of Chase & Finnegan by Jasmine Warga

When Tomorrow Burns by Tae Keller

YOUNG ADULT

Carnival Fantastico by Angela Montoya

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

The Free Verse Society by Delali Adjoa

Her Hidden Fire by Cliodhna O’Sullivan

If We Never End by Laura Taylor Namey

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean

Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord

Ramin Abbas Has Major Questions by Ahmad Saber

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

2026 Inclusive Book Awards

The Inclusive Book Awards recognize the best UK-published inclusive children’s books for ages 1-9. Winners share a £30,000 prize fund. Awards are given for different ages as well as including a children’s choice award. Here are the 2026 winners:

WINNERS

BABY AND TODDLER

Let’s Play by Alex Strick, Annie Kubler and Sarah Dellow

PICTURE BOOKS

The Beautiful Layers of Me by Sophia Payne and Ruchi Mhasane (available in US)

CHILDREN’S FICTION

Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy (available in US)

CHILDREN’S CHOICE

BABY AND TODDLER

Won’t Go! by Sumana Seeboruth and Fotini Tikkou (available in US)

PICTURE BOOK

Cloud Boy by Greg Stobbs (available in US)

CHILDREN’S FICTION

Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy (available in US)

The British Book Awards Shortlists

The shortlists for the 2026 British Book Awards Books of the Year have been announced. There are two specifically children’s categories, but the new Graphic Novels category has several children’s books in it and Illustrator of the Year is entirely children’s illustrators. Children’s author AF Steadman also represents in the shortlist for Author of the Year.

Here are the shortlists:

ILLUSTRATOR OF THE YEAR

Dav Pilkey

Emily Gravett

Huw Aaron

Ingela P. Arrhenius

Mikey Please

Tom Percival

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Bunny vs. Monkey: Intergalactic Monkey Business by Jamie Smart

Dog Man: Big Jim Believes by Dav Pilkey (available in US)

Ginseng Roots by Craig Thompson (available in US)

Investigators: Case Files by John Patrick Green with Steve Behling and Chris Fenoglio (available in US)

This Slavery by Ethel Carnie Holdsworth, adapted by Sophie Rickard, illustrated by Scarlett Rickard (available in US)

Who Killed Nessie? by Paul Cornell, illustrated by Rachael Smith (available in US)

CHILDREN’S NON-FICTION & ILLUSTRATED

Fold-Out + Play: Doll’s House by Ingela P. Arrhenius (In US it’s called Fold-Out + Play: House)

My Rice Is Best by Selina Brown, illustrated by Maxwell A. Oginni

Oh Dear, Look What I Got! by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (available in US)

Sammy Feels Shy by Tom Percival (available in US)

The Wizard’s Guide to Experiments by AJ Wood, illustrated by Jo Rioux (available in US)

You and Your Body by Dr. Punam Krishan, illustrated by Verónika Cháves Morales (available in US)

CHILDREN’S FICTION

The Adventures of Rap Kid by MC Grammar (available in US)

Fearless by Lauren Roberts (available in US)

A Language of Dragons by SF Williamson (available in US)

Lottie Brooks vs the Ultra Mean Girls by Katie Kirby

Skandar and the Spirit War by AF Steadman (available in US)

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (available in US)

2025 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award Finalists

IBBY Canada has announced the ten finalists for the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award. The awards are given annually for outstanding artistic talent in a Canadian picture book published in English or French during the previous year by a Canadian illustrator. Here are the finalists:

Aujourd’hui, promis! by Josée Bisaillon

Everybelly by Thao Lam

Grandes oreilles by Julie Delporte

Little Moments in a Big Universe by Todd Stewart

My Street Remembers illustrated by Cathie Jamieson, written by Karen Krossing

Qallupilluit: The Takers of Children illustrated by Megan Kyak-Monteith, written by Neil Christopher and Louise Flaherty

Ra! Ta! Ma! Cue! by Howie Shia

Rez Kid illustrated by Isabelle Fassler, written by Andrea Landry

The Thing about Birds by Christy Obalek

You Can’t Tame a Tiger illustrated by Julien Chung, written by Stephanie Ellen Sy

Hat tip to Quill & Quire.

2026 NZ Booklovers Awards Shortlist

The NZ Booklovers Awards have announced their 2026 shortlist. This New Zealand book award offers awards for Best Adult Novel and Best Lifestyle Book, plus three categories for younger readers. Here are the shortlisted titles for younger readers:

YOUNG ADULTS

Bear by Kiri Lightfoot (published in US in June 2026)

It’s a Bit More Complicated Than That by Hannah Marshall

Kings of this World by Elizabeth Knox

The Lost Saint by Rachael Craw (available in US)

The People I Know Now by Jasmine Donaldson

JUNIOR FICTION

Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town by Li Chen (available in US)

Dragonfall: The Fate of Dragons by Sarina Clark & Alba Gil Celdrán (publishing in US in September 2026)

Dreamslinger by Graci Kim (available in US)

The Last Journey by Stacy Gregg

The Secret Green by Sonya Wilson

Violet and the Velvets: The Case of the Missing Stuff by Rachael King

CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK

Anahera: The Mighty Kiwi Māmā by Ruth Paul

Granny McFlitter Stitches up a Storm by Heather Haylock and Lael Chisholm

Mum’s Busy Work by Jacinda Ardern

Pukapuka by Vasanti Unka, Te Reo Māori translations by Justin Kereama

Taniwha by Gavin Bishop

Te Ngahere i te Pō /The Forest at Night by Kiri Lightfoot and Pippa Keel Situ

The Tractor with the Wobbly Wheel by Tim Saunders (publishing in US in August 2026)

LA Times Book Prize Finalists

The LA Times has announced the finalists for their annual book prizes. The prizes span genres, including audiobooks, nonfiction categories, graphic novels, fiction, fiction genres, and YA literature. Here are the finalists for the Young Adult Literature category:

FINALISTS

Angelica and the Bear Prince by Tung Le Nguyen

The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum

King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin

My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser by Jamie Jo Hoang

Truth Is by Hannah V. Sawyerr

2025 Bram Stoker Award Nominees

The Horror Writers Association has announced the nominees for the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards which recognize achievement in horror writing. The award has a variety of categories including screenplay, graphic novel, nonfiction and age categories for fiction. Here are the nominees for the youth categories:

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL NOMINEES

Broken Dolls by Ally Malinenko

The Girl in the Walls by Meg Eden Kuyatt

The House Next Door by Ellen Oh

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell

Ride or Die by Delilah S. Dawson

SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL NOMINEES

Beautiful Brutal Bodies by Linda Cheng

A Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeleine Roux

Shiny Happy People by Clay McLeod Chapman

The Silenced by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

We’re Not Safe Here by Rin Chupeco

2026 Great Graphic Novels for Teens

The Young Adult Library Services Association has selected their list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens. The list includes nonfiction and fiction graphic literature. A top ten was selected; here are those titles:

TOP TEN

Eden of Witches by Yumeji (Volumes 1-5)

Halfway There: A Graphic Memoir of Self-Discovery by Christine Mari

Hunger’s Bite by Taylor Robin

Kindergarten Wars by You Chiba

Love, Misha by Askel Aden

Meat Eaters by Meredith McClaren

Monster Locker, Volume 1 by Jorge Aguirre

Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout

Spacewalking with You, Volume 1 by Inuhiko Doronoda

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne

2026 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has selected over 60 titles for its Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list. This is one of my favorite lists every year, since it often includes books that did not gather attention during the previous year but that teens will check out and use in our library. The books are selected for ages 12-18. A top ten list is part of the selection. Here are those titles:

TOP TEN

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson

The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting by Natalie C. Parker

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

The Factory by Catherine Egan

Family Force V: Book One by Matt Braly, illustrated by Ainsworth Lin

Out of Air by Rachel Reiss

The Story of My Anger by Jasmine Mendez

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now… by Jason Reynolds

When We Ride by Rex Ogle