New Release Spotlight: January 27, 2026

It’s a snow day for us here in north Texas! We are under a couple of inches of ice. I actually LOVE crazy weather, so I am here for it! Plus, I get to watch the live YMA Award presentations this week, so I am very happy for a snow day!

The titles on this week’s Spotlight are #5024-5034 on The Ginormous Booklist.

See my Amazon Idea List for all January 2026 New Release Spotlights.

The Canva presentations for January new releases will be sent to the MrsReaderPants email list on the morning of Jan 27, 2026. If you did not receive the email or want to sign up, you can click here to have the links sent to your inbox right now.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

When sixteen-year-old Naomi Ward and her family head to a secluded cabin in the Shenandoah Valley for summer vacation they don’t know the small, mountain town of Sparksburg, Virginia has a dark and twisted past.

But when they arrive, Naomi can’t shake the feeling that something about Sparksburg just isn’t right—and it smells god awful, but for some reason Naomi is the only who can smell the town’s stench. When she learns Sparksburg had once been a Sundown Town—a town where Black people weren’t allowed after sunset lest they be murdered—Naomi’s unease starts to make sense.

As Naomi digs more into Sparksburg’s violent origins, she finds herself haunted by the ghost of a girl, appearing nightly outside her window. Then she learns of two girls who’ve recently gone missing and suspects the past may still be present in Sparksburg and beneath the quaint façade of this tourist town is a palpable danger.

When Naomi decides to track the disappearance of the two girls herself, she becomes suspicious of a local man who has kindled fear in Naomi more than once. She soon learns he has a connection to one of the missing girls, and Naomi is certain he’s responsible for the disappearances.

When no one believes her, Naomi takes matters into her own hands. But to save the missing girls, she’ll have to finally face her own past trauma as a “missing girl” as she finds herself in a fight for survival.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Freddie and Stella are on a mission: take down their former best friend turned queen bee Levi Preston by depriving her of the one thing she wants more than anything: The Beaumont-Gardiner Award.

Only the coolest, smartest, and―let’s face it―hottest girls win. . . so Freddie and Stella are going to have to get a whole lot cooler, smarter, and hotter.

At first, it seems to work―Freddie and Stella slowly manage to worm their way in with the cool girls. With every shopping date, agonizing salon appointment, and hot yoga class, the girls get closer to the in-crowd and Levi fades more and more into the background.

The higher they rise, though, the more uneasy Freddie starts to feel. Stella’s gone from her lovable, goofy best friend to someone she barely recognizes, using her newfound power for evil at every opportunity. Soon, Freddie realizes she’s created a monster―and she needs Levi’s help to put a stop to it.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

It’s 2002, and 14-year-old Alyssa is a freshman at a new high school where she knows NO ONE and the uniforms are hideous! What a disaster…

Even worse? Her parents are forcing her to join the cross-country team. No one needs to run, or sweat, this much!

Over time though, Alyssa actually starts to like running. She’s getting better with practice, and some of the girls on the team are really nice. Alyssa begins to find a steady rhythm with high school, cross country, and her new stepfamily.

But Alyssa’s dad is sick, and she doesn’t know what to do. When the worst thing imaginable happens, Alyssa will need to count on her friends, family, and herself to keep running forward.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

The year is 1885. San Francisco is dangerous for Chinese immigrants like twelve-year-old Mei Mei. She must venture on her own, without her family or friends, to Eureka, California, where it is supposedly safe.

But 300 miles from home, Mei Mei misses her Ma Ma’s kindness, helping out in her Ba Ba’s store, and playing hide-and-seek with her best friend, Hua Hua. Despite her fear and the increasing violence against her community, she finds hope in an unexpected friend, the giant Redwood trees, and a new dream: learning how to read in English.

As the world around her grows more scary, Mei Mei discovers her own power, as well as the joy of found family, the importance of courage, and the nature of freedom.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Jasper’s favorite person is his older brother, Callan. They go on fossil-finding missions and stay up late while their parents work nights. Callan even helped Jasper pick out his new name when he came out as trans.

But Callan starts to grow distant and leaves for college without taking Jasper on a promised fossil dig. Jasper feels abandoned―and angry. Who needs Callan? He will dig by himself, in his backyard. As he digs, he hears a voice: the bones of a saber-toothed tiger. He’s buried deep, and he wants Jasper to DIG.

Jasper is sure a discovery like this could change the world, or at least get Callan to text him back. But as the saber-toothed tiger finds freedom, Jasper realizes he may have unleashed a monster that no one was ready for, and that anger can empower you―or destroy you.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Most of us define ourselves as lefties or righties based on the hand we use for writing. But what makes people prefer one hand over the other? And what if handedness doesn’t tell the whole story? Do we also favor one eye, one ear, or one foot? What about people who use different hands for different activities?

That’s where this book comes in. It examines all things lefty―from handedness in our ancient ancestors to lefty myths to current theories about the roles of genetics, environment, and brain structure. It also tackles intriguing questions: Why and when does someone become a lefty? Are humans the only left-handed animals? And what is it like to live a left-handed life in a right-handed world?

With a blend of pop culture, sports, history, and STEM, this middle-grade nonfiction book tackles these questions and more, while celebrating the traits that make us unique, no matter which hand we use.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Venus Washington isn’t sure why her parents named her that, since she was born on Earth and she’s never been to Washington. One thing she does know: her favorite food is cotton candy. But after that, it’s definitely lasagna. Yummy, gooey, cheesy lasagna.

Grandma makes the best lasagna. Venus wants to know her super delicious recipe—until Grandpa lets it slip that the secret ingredient may be toes. Yuck! With the help of BFF Summer, WEF (Worst Enemy Forever) Winter, and super-smart pet Hamsterburger, Venus sets out to save her family from the worst secret ingredient ever!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

At twelve years old, Riley B. King borrowed fifteen dollars from his boss to buy a used guitar. Before long, he was playing his music for jubilant crowds all over the world. Blues Boy chronicles B. B. King’s inspiring journey from his childhood in the Jim Crow South to global stardom.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

What does a small cat need? Two little eyes, two little ears, big whiskers, and a tail, to start. What else does a small cat need? Maybe a walk in the flowers, a sip of milk, or a warm spot to laze around in the sun.

But above all else, what a small cat needs is… someone big or little—maybe someone just like you!—with cuddly arms and a huge heart to pet it and hear it purr. Yes, every cat needs that!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

When Dante struggles with nightmares, his mother believes learning his family’s history will help him cope. The roots on both sides of his family tree run deep, with stories of survival through events Dante’s mother calls “daymares.”

Taking discovering his heritage into his own hands, Dante finds out hard truths—but also a love that shines through generations and, finally, a strength to sleep through the night.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Patiently, Suuban waits, and waits…until she can’t wait anymore! After some creative thinking and a head bump from a goat to help loosen her front tooth, Suuban is ready to prove she can herd the animals across the desert safely.

But with sneaky foxes prowling about, will Suuban learn the resilience she needs to protect her goats?