New Release Spotlight: May 12, 2026

May is such a great month for new book releases! With 21 new titles, I believe this is the biggest Spotlight so far in 2026.

Since this week’s Spotlight is features about twice as many books as I normally include, I have made “jump to” links below. These will take you directly to that section without a lot of scrolling to find what you want.

For me, middle grades look best this week! Shout-out to Roar by Varsha Bajaj and Song of the Yellow Dragon by Ying Ping Low for those gorgeous covers!

My top picks:

• Hear Ye Mortals by Yamile Saied Méndez (YA speculative historical fiction)
• Diamond Fever! by Steve Sheinkin (MG narrative nonfiction)
• The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada Kelly (MG science fiction)
• If You Went to the Bottom of the Ocean by Brooke McIntyre (informational picture book)

You can see the full list of May 2026 Spotlight titles here. I am adding new titles to the list weekly through the end of May. Because May is such a huge month for new releases, there may be some titles on the May list that do not appear in the Spotlight.

Canva links will be sent out via email on Tuesday morning, May 26, 2026. The links are free to my email list, which is here if you need to sign up.

This week’s titles are #5206 – #5226 on The Ginormous Booklist.

Jump to:

• YA Books
• Middle Grades
• Picture Books

YOUNG ADULT (GRADES 7+)

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

When Cedar was a child, fragmented, tortured souls woke up in the world’s most complex machines, destroying them and pushing technology back decades. A fall. The Fall, some said, and they called it Autumn.

Ten years later, following a family tragedy, Cedar moves to the nowhere town of Sawblade Lake only to find something hunting them. A long, bent shadow that reeks like rot and has the mouth of a deep crevice. It’s after Cedar, and it’s willing to go to any lengths to break them, including preying on Cedar’s new queer family.

The closer it circles, the more it seems to weave through Cedar’s whole life. It might stretch back to their mother’s gruesome, inexplicable death, to the murk of their missing family, to the house they grew up in. Back and back and back to the first day of Autumn.

Cedar thought they understood how their world had changed, but they’re far from dredging the bottom.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Some monsters are born. Some are made. All can be killed.

Once every few years, the Scavenge Moon rises. From beyond its pale glow steps the Breimar Stag, an otherworldly creature with eyes of burning gold. Any reckless adventurer who chooses to join the hunt for the stag only has until the Scavenge Moon sets to claim their prize―if they catch it, they are granted the death of any person of their choice. And if no one catches it, the stag will claim one of the hunters’ souls instead.

Katrin has lived on the border of the forest her whole life, raised on tales of the Folk that dwell within. As a gamekeeper for the baron who rules over the region, she is saddled with the onerous task of escorting the entitled nobles who descend upon her home for the Breimar Hunt. None of them respect the forest or its legends, and Katrin is only too happy to let them risk their foolish necks for what they see as a cheap thrill.

When her beloved cousin becomes the latest target of the baron’s lecherous appetites, Katrin knows only his death will keep her family safe, and the only way she can claim his life is to win the hunt herself. But something hungry has begun to stir in the woods, something even older and more powerful than the stag. As the horrifying, mutilated bodies pile up, Katrin begins to question where the true danger lies.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Summer in Cape Cod is what Amelia lives for. The months of June, July, and August are always reserved for three things: being inseparable from her best friend, Kat; spending as much time on the beach as possible; and admiring Myles Ford—her and Kat’s forever crush—from afar.

But this summer, Kat is abandoning Amelia to get a head start on tennis training at her new boarding school, and without her, Amelia feels adrift.

Amelia distracts herself from her loneliness with her new waitressing job at Pearl’s, her town’s best seafood restaurant. There, she happens to work alongside Myles, who inexplicably seems to be interested in her.

And when another boy comes into Amelia’s life as suddenly as a summer storm, Amelia will have to choose: Should she explore something with Myles at the expense of a friendship that seems to be sinking fast, or take a chance on a boy who might not stick around for long?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Ellie dates the Right Guy, says all the Right Things, and acts the Right Way to avoid being ridiculed for her autism. When that Right Guy unceremoniously dumps her right before they’re supposed to go to beach volleyball camp together, Ellie’s perfectly curated world comes crashing down and she’s labeled the boring, weird girl.

Desperate to regain her good reputation (and yeah, sure, the boy…), Ellie goes to Camp SMASH, which is nothing like she expected. There, she’s paired with Sierra, a mysterious, standoffish volleyball legacy who makes Ellie’s quest to get her boyfriend back even more complicated…

Dive into this sporty summer romance full of the classics: a ragtag group of friends, a tense game of capture the flag, and a swoon-worthy sapphic love story.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Adopted as a newborn, Tessa has always wondered who her biological parents are. After turning eighteen, she takes a DNA test in hopes of finding the answers.

With best friend El and lab partner Victor, Tessa uses the results to start building her family tree. But they find more dead ends than answers. Her biological mother, who was raised in a religious cult, has cut all ties with her controlling family.

And her biological father remains a complete mystery, at least until the police show up. For fifteen years, they’ve been trying to identify a serial killer known as the Portland Phantom. Tessa may be the link they’ve been waiting for.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

In 1976 Rosario, Argentina, brothers Daniel and Adrián Aguirre share a passion for music and a bond as best friends. However, under the authoritarian military government, artists and musicians are considered enemies of the state, even if they’re just teenagers playing at home.

When one of their songs unexpectedly gains popularity on the radio, Daniel and Adrián, along with their band Río Babel―comprised of children of immigrants from Spain, Palestine, and Germany―face a daunting choice. 
 
They must decide whether to pursue their dream of becoming musicians or to remain silent to protect their families. Ready to challenge the military regime, their resolve is tested when one of their own goes missing. 
 
This novel delves into the power of music in the fight for a better tomorrow, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate stories of courage, family, and the enduring spirit of resistance against a totalitarian regime.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Werth is trapped in what feels like a never-ending nightmare. She’s the only person onboard Aloha Airways Flight 1333 who’s stuck in a 28-minute time loop, one that repeats over and over again. During each loop, four things always happen:

1. The Internet goes out and the pilot warns of upcoming turbulence.
2. There are five minutes of moderate shaking.
3. A woman in the very last row collapses.
4. The plane tilts forward and begins to nosedive.

When Orion James –the cute boy who’s been asleep the entirety of each cycle– wakes, it triggers an alarming change in the events Evelyn has come to count on.

As the two grow closer and learn to trust each other, they discover there’s more to the loop than they initially realized. They must find the hidden clues, piece together the moving puzzle, and save everyone onboard –before it’s too late.

JUMP TO:

• YA Books
• Middle Grades
• Picture Books

MIDDLE GRADES (3rd – 8th GRADES)

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Late one night two travel-weary miners, Philip Arnold and John Slack, show up at a businessman’s office in San Francisco. The miners seem nervous. They’ve got something that needs to be locked in a safe overnight. What is it? Well, that really has to stay secret, but it’s…

DIAMONDS! And lots of them.

Had these two miners just discovered America’s first diamond mine? Well, this is the Gold Rush era after all. Plenty of people are striking it rich. Anything is possible.

When word of the find hits the streets, diamond fever sweeps the country. Wealthy investors are desperate to elbow Arnold and Slack aside and seize control―but can they persuade the miners to reveal the location of their bonanza? At the same time, thousands of prospectors fan out across the mountains and deserts of the West―will one of them find the site before greedy bankers grab everything for themselves?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Rohan loves animals—especially tigers—so he’s beyond thrilled when he gets to fly to India and stay near the tiger sanctuary where his grandfather works. At last, a chance to observe tigers in real life—especially Arya and her twin cubs—and when Ro finally sees them, the experience is even more breathtaking than he’d imagined.

When signs of poachers are discovered, he’s distraught, and unfortunately that’s not the only threat the tigers face—protesters have assembled to support a mining company that would encroach upon the tigers’ space.

Rohan knows there are always two sides to an argument, and the mines might provide jobs, but it’s clear to him that he must be on the tigers’ side. Then a horrible crime occurs, filling him with determination to do all he can to make sure people know how important it is to protect the tigers.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Twelve-year-old Zuzu Santos doesn’t want a robot. She and her best friends, otherwise known as “the Valleycats,” would rather explore Bright Valley on their own. But then Zuzu meets Snap, a know-it-all guardian robot with a limited battery life and an abundance of hope. A gripping, stand-alone, thematically rich survival story by two-time Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly, for fans of The Wild Robot and A Rover’s Story.

Bright Valley Subsidized Camp #5 is not a perfect place to live. It’s dusty, there are no trees to provide respite from the beating sun, the trailers are falling apart, and the water supply is heavily rationed. But to twelve-year-old Zuzu Santos and her three best friends, Bright Valley is home.

When Zuzu’s dad loses his job at Lockwood, the corporation that controls everything from rations to education, he isn’t given money or food or water as severance, but a dated, first-generation robot. They do not provide a working charging station.

Zuzu names the robot Snap, and he soon becomes part of the Bright Valley family. But Snap’s battery is dwindling every day, and though Snap is prepared for his inevitable reset, Zuzu isn’t. She would do whatever it takes to keep Snap alive. The problem is, Snap would do the same for Zuzu and her friends, no matter the cost.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Sadie and Olive have never been part of their class’s popular friend group. Those girls—Pella, Annabelle, Cleo, and The Other Sadie—seem like creatures from another planet. They wear the trendiest clothes, have the best hair, flirt with the cutest boys, and speak their own language.

By comparison, Sadie and Olive are invisible . . . until Sadie is accidentally added to the popular girls’ group chat. Armed with an inside perspective, Sadie sets out to join the friend group—IRL—before they figure out that they’ve got the wrong Sadie.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Siblings Olly and Jenny Atwood have never met a dragon―Olly doesn’t even think they’re real. But when the strange and brilliant Dr. Lady Abernathy offers Olly a job at her mysterious house, the Atwoods learn that these incredible beasts are very much alive―and they need help.

Dragons have been forced into hiding, and as caretakers of the Dragon House, Dr. Lady and Olly are the only protectors these magnificent creatures have left. But when evil forces conspire to poison Dr. Lady, Olly and his dragon friends find themselves locked in a race against time, political conspiracies…and one very large corgi.

Can Olly recover the antidote before it’s too late? And can Jenny harness her stirring powers to keep Dr. Lady alive until then? Or could this be the end of the Dragon House―and dragons―as they know it?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

There is a secret that every child knows: Magic is real. But by the time children turn thirteen, they forget that magic is anything but make-believe.

Mengyao wants to remember. Born in a village nestled in a secluded vale, Mengyao wants to hold on to magic and become a Divine Healer. But with her thirteenth birthday fast approaching, she is losing hope.

Young emperor Kai is on the run from traitorous advisors. He’s searching for the fabled Dragon’s Pulse, a magic capable of defeating his enemies. On the brink of his thirteenth birthday, Kai doesn’t have much longer. So when he meets Mengyao—the girl whose name is mentioned in his legend—he forces aside his instinctual distrust and recruits her to help him on his quest.

On their perilous journey, Kai and Mengyao find aid in unexpected forms like a jade hare, a moon goddess, and a handful of promises. But as enemies close in and time runs out, secrets that will reshape the fate of their kingdom forever come to light.

JUMP TO:

• YA Books
• Middle Grades
• Picture Books

PICTURE BOOKS (USUALLY PreS-GRADE 5)

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

There are as many ways to be a dad as there are dads in the world. Dad is a big-hearted love letter to all of them, reflecting the range of relationships that dads, both animal and human, have with their little ones.

Dad is destined to be a classic, an evergreen gift for new fathers, and one of those rare picture books that resonates with every reader at any age.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

A kaleidoscope is a tube with mirrors and pieces of colored material that reflect beautiful moving patterns. Kaleidoscope is also the collective noun used to describe a group of butterflies. This narrative nonfiction picture book uses both definitions to highlight the cyclical nature of caring for the environment.

In a richly layered text, acclaimed author Miranda Paul explores each stage of a butterfly’s life cycle, while providing lessons in care and responsibility and encouraging hope for the future of our planet. 

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

When little Willi Leake watched karate movies with his mother in their cozy Queens apartment, he’d slice the air with his arms like swords. He’d swish his hips like the models he saw in magazines and copy ancient pharaohs’ poses from Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Bursting with energy, Willi would strut his way down the street, and his mother would tell him not to mind the puzzled looks he’d get. When she took him to the Apollo Theater to watch ballerinas twirling, Willi allowed himself to dream—and the more he dreamed, the more he danced.

With an accessible text and dynamic illustrations, Joy Michael Ellison and Nabi H. Ali trace Willi’s path against the odds as he brings his signature moves to the dance style known as vogue and finds his spotlight at the Harlem drag balls where a performer known as Willi Ninja is born.

Providing context, community, and comprehension of queer and trans culture for young history buffs, the lively narrative is followed by back matter delving into more details about Willi Ninja and what life was like during his time.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Play is how children make sense of the world, and hide and seek is no exception. Readers of any generation will immediately recognize the negotiations that go on in this family’s games: Dad should seek, but shouldn’t find his son Ro too fast. Siblings always spill the beans if they see you hide. And no one is as good a finder as Mom.

But sometimes you find a hiding place that is really, really hidden. And if a loud storm kicks up outside, seeming to hiss your name, you might wonder if Dad is ever going to find you. Is he even still looking?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Dive into this compelling, content‑rich nonfiction picture book and find yourself on an underwater adventure: a marine mission that takes you past reefs, beyond the near‑shore sea floor, down, down, down through the sunlight layer, the twilight layer, the midnight zone―all the way (as in seven miles!) down to the bottom of the ocean!

Keep your eyes peeled―if you’re lucky, you might see a 400-year-old shark, a dumbo octopus, or . . . a xenophyophore! Layer by layer, you will get to know all of the mysterious sea life that dwells in the deepest depths while finding out just how interconnected―and crucial―the ocean’s ecosystems really are.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Dot is a monster healer. She treats bruises and burns and sore throats and sniffles for all sorts of creatures ― dragons, krakens and gryphons included.

But when Sea Serpent comes to see her because he’s feeling sad, Dot is stumped! She goes looking for the rarest ingredients to make something to get rid of Sea Serpent’s sad, but the potions and salves don’t help, and Sea Serpent doesn’t seem too keen on trying any more exotic teas.

Dot is worried that she’ll never be able to help Sea Serpent feel better. Lately, all she’s brought Sea Serpent has been her own company, and not-at-all-special tea. Does this mean she isn’t a very good monster mender, after all? When Sea Serpent comes to her with an unexpected revelation, Dot learns the healing power of being a true friend.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

It’s hard to see a seahorse! They like to hide alone, they change color to blend in with their surroundings, and they’re able to hold very still. But another reason seahorses are so hard to see is that humans have taken so many from the ocean, for trinkets, teas, and tonics.

What’s more, the animals’ habitats—seagrass meadows, coral reefs, and mangroves—are vulnerable to pollution, fishing, and other human activities, as well as the ongoing effects of climate change.

With a clear text and brilliantly colorful artwork, this window into the world of an enchanting creature includes engaging final notes about climate change and seahorses—and how we can come to their aid.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Teeth are amazing! They help us smile, speak, and chew. Adult humans have 32 teeth that grow twice during our lifetime, while some other animals, like sharks, have hundreds of teeth that can grow up to 30,000 times! And just like fingerprints, every animal’s teeth are completely unique. Each tooth has its own shape, job, and special features.

Packed with surprising facts—Vikings had lots of cavities—and amazing animals like dogs, alligators, bats, and elephants (among many others), Chomp! will help kids satisfy their curiosity and value their dental health.

They’ll understand how and why they need to take care of their teeth every day—all while learning, exploring, and having fun!

JUMP TO:

• YA Books
• Middle Grades
• Picture Books