New Release Spotlight: May 26, 2026

Welcome to another Tuesday New Release Spotlight!

I don’t know about you, but I am so happy that school is finally out for the summer! Bring on the sunshine, the relaxed schedules, and most importantly, the endless hours of uninterrupted reading time.

Every Tuesday, we break down the latest and greatest books hitting the shelves for kids, tweens, and teens. Since today’s post is another lengthy May Spotlight, I’ll keep the intro brief so we can get right to the good stuff. Today, we are officially adding titles #5241 through #5252 to The Ginormous Booklist!

May has been a massive month for publishing. A little peek behind the scenes: I originally started with a whopping 191 new releases for the month! I whittled that down to 62 standout titles—and that’s not even counting the 26 sequels, adaptations, and favorite characters that also hit the shelves.

Out of this week’s batch, there are some incredible stories in the mix, but here are my top three absolute favorites:

• In the Country I Love by Alaa Al-Barkawi (YA realistic fiction)
• Bonebag by E.M. Elliott and David Elliott (MG scary stories)
• Fourteen Ways of Looking at Jellyfish by Carole Boston Weatherford (informational picture book)

A quick housekeeping note: The exclusive Canva links for this week’s Spotlight released to the email list this morning (May 26th) at 6:15 AM. If you missed them or want to make sure you get your hands on future templates, you can click here to join the email list!

Grab an iced coffee, settle in, and let’s dive into this week’s reviews!

Jump to links:

• YA books
• Middle grades
• Picture books

YA Books (Grades 7+)

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

As a seventeen-year-old single dad and a soon-to-be high school drop-out, Yassir Al-Azzawi’s lapsed Shia faith is just another thing convincing his parents he’s a failure. One more mistake, and they’ll send him back to their homeland, a war-torn Iraq.

Khaled Al-Hakim is perfect on paper: devout in his faith, a straight-A student, and captain of the debate team. But beneath the surface, Khaled is no saint either, and his worst sin yet is ignoring his parents’ command to stay away from Yassir.

When their secret friendship is exposed, the consequences set off a series of events that cause family secrets from both sides to come to light, and neither Yassir nor Khaled are prepared to learn the stains that taint their family names.

Told through multiple POVs across time, this authentic exploration of the Shia Muslim experience in the U.S. seamlessly combines classic YA themes of identity, coming-of-age, and relationships with timely social themes of racism, Islamophobia, and justice. This compelling, contemporary debut is perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage and Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it―especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.

When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible… if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.

As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.

When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple―along with the girl’s younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly…

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

These twelve stories showcase aromantic people breaking generational curses, finding acceptance, and protecting the vulnerable while highlighting the infinite ways people find connection and love without romance.

A high school matchmaker learns a lesson about love. A rebellious spaceship pilot defies his culture’s compulsory coupling. A boy magically transforms banned romance novels into living dragons. A teen immune to romance, and the zombie virus, fights to survive the apocalypse. Being Aro is full of stories throughout real and imagined worlds that cross genres and disrupt the status quo.

Jump to links:

• YA books
• Middle grades
• Picture books

Middle Grades (Grades 3-8)

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Listen. This book is kind of hard to describe. It takes place in a small town called Norse Ridge, Minnesota, which is a lot like any other small town in the Midwest except it has more subterranean caves and people named Olaf. (Also, they eat hotdish, not casserole.)

The main character is a kid named Danny Hall, who goes on a hunt with his friends to find their missing history teacher and maybe a little ancient Viking treasure, too. Oh, and I’m the narrator, and I’ll do my best to keep quiet and just tell the story.

But you should know that this book ALSO includes an evil descendant of a Spanish conquistador and his school principal sidekick who may or may not be up to no good. Also, it has cave pigs, seasick Frenchmen, a sentient rock, a mythological blue moose, and a super epic car chase. It’s a lot to describe in only a few paragraphs―enough to make you go . . . berserk (see what I did there?).

Uff-da! Just open up the book and read it already!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Trapped in a dark forest with his cold-hearted parents, Bonebag leads a cruel and isolated existence. However, he feels deep in his bones that things weren’t always this way: he has known happiness before. Why does it feel like it was in a past life?

When Bonebag discovers a locket that burns him to the touch, and a ghostly girl beckons him into the deep woods, he must grapple with the riddle of where he came from and how he came to be. Only then can he begin to rewrite his fate.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

A kestrel
is the smallest
bird of prey
in North America.

Kestrel doesn’t feel much like the fierce bird for which she is named. Not after being rushed away from her grandfather’s strict church community to the wilds of Montana. Her mother has gotten a job at a conservation institute, where she’ll work with a special breed of dog to help make interactions between humans and bears safer.

At first, Kes is terrified of the dogs and angry at her mother for ripping her from the only world she’s known. But with some distance from her grandfather, she starts to understand how badly his bark hurt. In this new terrain, can Kestrel discover a safe place to spread her wings and soar?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Diez Espada―named after the jersey number of his soccer-obsessed father’s favorite player, Lionel Messi―would rather be chasing clues than soccer balls. When the World Cup trophy disappears at a glitzy party in Miami, he’s suddenly at the center of the most thrilling match of his life―a race to find the trophy before it’s gone for good.

Teaming up with his crush, Rio, and the world-famous Detective Enzo, Diez dives headfirst into a one-night whirlwind of secret tunnels and a squad of suspicious suspects: a spoiled son of a Miami tycoon, a famous sportscaster, and even Rio’s two prankster younger brothers.

The clock is ticking, the suspects are slippery, and the stadium lights are ready to shine. Will Diez find the trophy in time for the World Cup championship match?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Have you ever wondered… Did Christopher Columbus REALLY discover America? What REALLY happened at the first Thanksgiving? Did Paul Revere REALLY shout “The British are coming!?” It’s time to pull the curtain back on these well-known myths to find out what REALLY happened and where these stories we’ve heard over and over again came from. 

Perfect for history-loving kids and educators looking to teach kids about information literacy, America’s Founding Myths is a must-have on any history lover’s shelf!

• Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with this exploration of the best-known stories about the founding of the United States.
• Interactive extras including silly speech bubbles, gatefolds, lift-the-flaps, and activities at the back make learning about American history fun and engaging for kids. 
• Encourages information literacy by empowering young people to ask questions, think critically and check sources.

Jump to links:

• YA books
• Middle grades
• Picture books

Picture Books

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

A graceful bundle of nerves three times as ancient as the dinosaurs, the jellyfish is no fish but a spineless invertebrate without brain, heart, blood, or bones. Inside glass tanks in crowded aquariums, jellies hold visitors rapt with their slow-motion water ballet.

Most of the world’s nearly four thousand species emit an otherworldly light, glowing red, yellow, violet, or blue in the underwater dark. Fifty species boast deadly venom, including pink meanies with boa-like tentacles, box jellies with two-dozen eyes apiece, and deadliest of all, cubozoans the size of human thumbnails.

Coretta Scott King Award–winning author Carole Boston Weatherford brings poetry and playfulness to natural science as she shares her fascination with a singular creature. Fourteen wildly divergent poems—by turns dramatic and serene—pulse with life.

From spreads of shimmering bioluminescence to graphic panels, stylish artwork blends poetry with science and fact with folklore and myth to form the ideal introduction to the “immortal” and mysterious jellyfish.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

“What are we doing today, Granddad?”
“How about a trip to town? Nan needs some things for dinner.”
“Let’s go!”
“How far to the market, Granddad?”
“No rush, son! We’re just spendin’ time.”

Upbeat lyricism and cheerful illustration bring to life this kid-friendly meditation on appreciating every moment—big or small—spent with the people you love.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Do not, under any circumstances,
Or for any reason,
Wear this underwear under the full moon.

Do you understand?

Get ready to howl with laughter as one rule-breaking, underwear-loving kid transforms into a—gasp!—UNDERWEARWOLF! Now he’s on an unforgettable nighttime adventure that may or may not include furry paws, sharp claws, uncomfortable wedgies, and an honest-to-goodness wild wolfpack! No butts about it—this is one read-aloud that’ll blow your undies off!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Explore the sizzling history of America’s favorite ballpark snack! Join Frank De Wienerdog, your outrageously funny guide, in HOT DOG!–a laugh-out-loud nonfiction adventure that tracks the hot dog’s journey from the streets of New York to grills nationwide.

This vibrant picture book is perfect for “young foodies,” curious readers ages 6-9, and anyone who loves a side of humor with their history.