Authors & Illustrators

The Youth Media Award Winners are announced. Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer leads holds this week. Wonder by R.J. Palacio tops the NYT Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover Bestsellers list after 526 weeks on the list; new to the list are The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller at No. 6 and Basket Ball by Kadir Nelson at No. 10. The United States Board on Books for Young People releases its 2026 Outstanding International Book List.

As she dealt with grief herself, Watson wrote All the Blues in the Sky to give readers permission to feel all of the emotions related with loss and help them cope with it.

The anthology, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, includes established and new Indigenous authors in a title Smith says would not have been possible less than 10 years ago.

Halfway through the process, the heart of Matthew Burgess's book revealed itself to Cátia Chien, who then created a visual tribute to the freedom of childhood.

Carolina Ixta's sophomore novel, Few Blue Skies, publishes in February 2026. Here, the author reflects on the idea for this ambitious novel, blurring the lines between fiction and nonfiction, and comparing the work to her award-winning debut.

YA author Erik J. Brown speaks with SLJ about writing across genres, the value of found family, and the safety in thrillers.

The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller leads holds this week. The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, illustrated by Cynthia Yuan Cheng, enters the NYT Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover Best Seller list at No. 1. Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine announces Beth Is Dead as the inaugural pick for its new Sunnie Reads Book Club, which is run “by and for Gen-Z readers.”

StoryKind aims to connect with readers, spark an interest in reading and writing, and help wean kids off a steady diet of short-form video.

Sweet Valley Twins: Three’s a Crowd by Francine Pascal, illustrated by Claudia Aguirre and adapted by Nicole Andelfinger, leads holds this week. “Teen Librarian Toolbox” features their most anticipated YA books of 2026, two of which come out this week: Beth Is Dead, a thrilling reimagining of Little Women, and 16 Forever, about a teen who repeats his 16th year while the rest of the world moves on. Kate DiCamillo and Kelly Yang announce their new podcast, StoryKind.