New Release Spotlight: January 20, 2026

It’s a chilly morning here in North Texas, and I am looking forward to the possibility of my first winter weather since I returned to the US! I grew up in southwest Virginia, where we got plenty of big snowfall. Texas snow is rinky-dink in comparison, but it sure beats snowfall where we lived in Mexico (which was zero). So I will take it!

This week, middle grades and picture books look best to me.

MY TOP PICKS:

• Wrong Friend by Charise Mericle Harper (MG graphic fiction)
• Troubled Waters by Carole Boston Weatherford (informational picture book)
• Melodies of the Weary Blues by Langston Hughes (picture book poetry)

The titles on this week’s Spotlight are #5013-#5023 on The Ginormous Booklist.

See my Amazon Idea List for all January 2026 New Release Spotlights (so far).

The Canva presentations for January new releases will release with next Tuesday’s email (Jan 27, 2026). Click here to have the links sent to your inbox right now.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Sidney has one goal for their junior year. Well . . . two, if they’re being honest. Number one: become president of their school’s Queer Alliance club. And number two: keep their self-diagnosed anxiety in check so their grades don’t tank like they did last year.

But when the election results in a tie with none other than Sidney’s arch nemesis, the class clown Forrest, the two are forced to share the presidency until a revote at the end of term. Sidney expects Forrest to be insufferable, but it turns out that working together is . . . kind of nice?

As surprising feelings for Forrest emerge, Sidney’s techniques for managing their anxiety stop working. With the reelection approaching and assignments starting to pile up, will all this pressure be too much for Sidney to handle on their own?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Josephine Haven is about to find out exactly where she fits into the march of Progress. Her outbursts are infamous at the House of Industry, the school for children who can wield radiance, an electricity-like magic. She’s tried to follow the rules, but her fiery nature is at odds with the core tenet of the House: Never form attachments. If she is meant to feel nothing, why are her emotions so volatile?

No one is surprised when, upon graduation, Josephine is banished from the city to a remote Mission. In Frostbrook, she must work under standoffish Julian, the former golden boy of the House of Industry who seems determined to watch her fail. And then there’s Ezra, the flirtatious stranger who’s a little too curious about how the Mission operates.

But there are bigger problems than Julian and Ezra’s secrets. A deadly disease is spreading across the countryside, and in Frostbrook, not everyone is eager to embrace Progress. As Josephine questions the system that raised her—and gives in to desire she’s been taught to suppress—she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to expose not just corruption within the House, but the devastating truth about the radiance in her core.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Seventeen-year-old Katah Fustukian has always felt like the odd one out in his family of chefs. Unlike his older siblings, he is useless in the kitchen, and too young to have known their late father—a legendary Hye chef who’d made a name for himself in the Pars Empire.

But with his mom’s illness worsening, Katah hopes that his vision-like dreams are a sign of magic stirring within him—especially after they lead him to Az, a powerful div with some mysterious connection to his family. In an attempt to save their mom’s life, he and his siblings strike a deal: Az’s help in exchange for a dish that rivals their father’s.

But after the siblings clash over what to cook, Katah will have to make sense of his magic and family history—and wager far more than a single meal to meet Az’s demands…

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Charise and Casey have been best friends for years. It never mattered that Casey was older by two years―until she started high school.

Now, the two barely talk, and Charise is on a mission to get a new best friend. But can she find that perfect person while navigating long-distance friendships, guinea pig allergies, and the embarrassing quirks of her family?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

At twelve years old, Ruby Calvino is the youngest competitor in the Tooth & Claw championship.

It’s her fast legs and even faster mind that leaves her as the last human in the arena during the final game, and she’s ready to claim victory. But when the undefeated Alarick― the wolf player hunting her― is finally upon her, he…drops dead?

With poison found in Ruby’s bag, all fingers (and paws!) point to her. Desperate to prove her innocence, she teams up with a young wolf accused of helping her commit the crime. But figuring out who killed Alarick certainly won’t be easy while on the run from cops and another vicious wolf.

Luckily, Ruby’s Tooth & Claw training just might come in handy!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

For her twelfth birthday, the only thing Zahara-Grace wants is to figure out who she is. She knows she has the best mom and grandpa around, she knows she loves her friends, and she knows she likes to make a difference in her community.

But she also knows she’s adopted, and she wants to learn more about that side of herself.

Zahara-Grace is thrilled when her mom let’s her take a DNA test, but she never could have imagined that her biological grandfather would find her. And she definitely never imagined he’d be the king of a small African country!

Now torn between two worlds, Zahara-Grace is even less sure of who she is. Her worlds collide when a mummy exhibit opens at the local museum, showcasing the history and legends of her biological family’s country-including an ancient cult who believes with the help of a living heir, they can awaken the mummified remains of a powerful king and conquer the world.

Learning she’s a princess may have turned Zahara-Grace’s life upside down, but now her life is in actual danger. And in order to survive, she must find a way to embrace both sides of herself.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Hattie Mae is from Seed County, North Carolina. She knows hard work: milking cows, plucking chickens, minding the garden. Her hands are made for manual labor, her feet for dirt—that is, according to Lisa and some of the girls at Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies in Philadelphia.

In their eyes, Hattie Mae will never break into upper society and is unworthy of becoming a doctor or a lawyer.

Though Hattie Mae sticks out like a sore thumb and has more in common with the hundreds of Black folks pouring into the city looking for better opportunities during the Great Migration, she knows that she belongs.

She just has to prove it to the rest of the girls—and maybe even to herself.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Ever since Madam CJ Walker created some of the first Black hair care products, styles like the juicy jheri curl, buzzing beehive, and the fresh fades and braids we know and love today have cemented their coily, curly, and rightful place in hair history. However, Black hair has a rich and detailed past that not many may be aware of, that is, until now.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

For centuries, the Alabama River has been a witness. Buried in its riverbed are countless fossils and artifacts-as well as souls, secrets, and stories.

Troubled Waters brings history to life through the voice of this mighty waterway, from the earliest settlers on its shores to 1965, when Black citizens in Selma rose up like a river to demand their right to vote.

In this breathtakingly original picture book, celebrated creators Carole Boston Weatherford and Bryan Collier show that the Alabama River is much more than a witness to history. It is also a source of strength, keeping hope afloat through times of trouble; and a rising tide, coursing on a journey toward justice.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Roots are our ancestor’s Magick.

Summer for Juniper has finally arrived, which means rootwork with Grandma can finally begin! It’s time to collect healing herbs into protective mojo bags; to fill mason jars with all the love, history, dirt, and magick one can fit.

It’s time to talk to the tranquil willow trees and feel the soft earth between one’s toes; to hear Grandma share their ancestors’ stories, with her dog Shiloh underfoot.

From National Book Award finalist Amber McBride comes a loving story about rootwork, a powerful African spiritual practice, and the significance of familial connections and traditions, reminding us how sacred it is to reconnect with the people we love, the earth, one’s heritage, and the healing power that provides.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Brought to new life by lively illustrations on every page, Melodies of The Weary Blues introduces Langston Hughes’ intimate reflections on the Black experience in America to young readers in a fresh and approachable way.

Featuring poems like “Dream Variation,” “Winter Moon,” and “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”, Hughes’ still resonant words shine like never before for readers everywhere. 

Includes an introduction by the editor, Shamar Knight-Justice, Langston Hughes’ biography and timeline of life, and biographies of all the contributors.