New Release Spotlight: June 16, 2026

Summer reading is just THE BEST! I’ve been reading like crazy and enjoying every single minute of that. I hope you are also able to squeeze in some reading and make a dent in your TBR this summer. Researching these Spotlights every week means I have an endlessly-growing TBR to tackle!

June is a lighter month for the Spotlight, but I’ve still found some great new titles. From unputdownable page-turners to the books everyone will be talking about at the beach, here are my top three picks for the week:

• Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb (YA mythology) – Remember the Anansi the Spider picture books? This is Anansi for teens! This YA fantasy book is steeped in Ghanaian folklore and African mythology – so fun!

• Serpent on the Mountain by J. Kasper Kramer (MG historical fiction) – This book is set in rural Tennessee and features Appalachian culture. I am originally from southwestern Virginia, and I always love reading books set in Appalachia.

• The Wise Pickle by Sarah Howden – This picture book features a talking, philosophical pickle on a sidewalk outside a dry cleaner’s. I mean, what’s not to love there?

If you want to check out these titles—plus all the other amazing books I’ve spotlighted so far this month—be sure to bookmark my Amazon List for the June 2026 Spotlight. I’ll be updating it with new titles all month long.

Before you dive into this week’s picks, I do want to give you a quick heads-up: there will be no New Release Spotlight in July. I’m going to be doing some traveling and hitting the ground running to get my store fully prepped for the back-to-school season!

For now, let’s talk about this week’s books…

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Akoma Addo has one rule: don’t get too close to the supernatural.

Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she’s buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco’s AfricaTown — just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma’s pulled into something much bigger — and far more dangerous.

At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood… and in return, he’ll give her a chance to bring her father back.

To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she’s spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust — especially when she’s no longer sure she can even trust herself.

Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Rhys Moore is worried as he starts his first year of university. And not just about the usual things. Rhys has face blindness, which means he struggles to recognize and remember people’s faces. He has ways of coping, but they don’t always work, so he isn’t sure how to manage being around so many new people.

There is one bright note, though. Malcolm. He’s caring and kind, and he’s empathetic when Rhys finally reveals his disability to him. Could Malcolm be just what Rhys needs to get through the year?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

When seventeen-year-old up-and-coming video game streamer and content creator, Fallon, earns a coveted spot in the new murder-mystery reality game, SleuthIt, her objective seems pretty straightforward: play the game, solve the mystery, and win the million-dollar prize.

The fact that she’ll do it all on livestream with seven other young content creators only makes things better—after all, increased exposure is influencer gold, and winning will catapult her gaming channel to the next level.

But unbeknownst to each other, the contestants are interconnected, and when one of them turns out to be Fallon’s online gaming partner, Dante, she starts to doubt the objective of the game.

The intrigue runs much deeper than Fallon ever thought—the eight contestants chosen for the show are not the only players in the game, and the interlopers have hidden agendas and competing interests.

As secrets come out and the lines between ally and adversary blur, Fallon will have to figure out what game she’s really playing, who might be playing her, and what she’s willing to sacrifice in pursuit of fame and fortune. Because, in the end, no one can have it all.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Delilah knows a rattlesnake when she hears one.

After all, she was born and raised in Blackberry Holler, so when she hears that telltale rattle, she doesn’t panic. She knows her pet racoon, Freddy, will come catch the snake for his breakfast. But Freddy doesn’t come, and disaster almost strikes—until Delilah is rescued by a traveling preacher. Turns out, Brother Jones is setting up a revival church on their rural Appalachian mountain.

At first this seems like a godsend to Delilah. Her older sister, Eve, used to be her best friend, but now Eve is acting all grown up. Church might bring them back together. Their wild little sister, Jezzie, sure could use some religion too. But when the churchgoers start to speak strange words and handle venomous snakes, Delilah isn’t so certain—especially after Brother Jones condemns her hill magic as witchcraft. Worse yet, an old, frightening folktale seems to be coming true. Now worried for herself and her sisters, Delilah must figure out what she believes—and fast.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Selah is a dragon.

Or at least, she feels like one. And she finally figured out how to spread her wings and soar.

Armed with her sensory tools, her notebooks and poems, and her newfound knowledge about her autism, Selah is heading to writing camp for the summer. She’s excited to work on her writing, perform at the final showcase, and to meet more kids like her.

Things aren’t so simple though. As soon as she arrives, she realizes that her bully from home is there too. Ezra is chaotic, attention-seeking, and always teasing her.

Selah is determined not to let him ruin her summer. But soon it turns out that it’s not just Ezra causing problems. . . . As kind and enthusiastic as Selah’s new friends are, they don’t fully understand her autism and how overwhelming this new environment is for her.

Friend drama, classes, overstimulation, and her relationship with Ezra all start to feel like a lot. But surely Selah can make it through just a few weeks without reaching her breaking point again . . . right?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Frankie Wilkins waits all year for her favorite thing—summers in coastal Maine. This time, she and her best friend, Parker, are Leaders-in-Training at Camp Asticou on nearby Walker Pond. For Frankie, it’s not just about proving her skills but also the hope that a successful LIT run will convince her dad and stepmom to stay in the area, rather than move them all to Long Island.

During their first night there, the LITs learn about a local legend called The Bride of Rippowam. A young woman named Eugenie fell in love with a sailor, but after a tragic accident, she and her fiancé, Raleigh, both drowned. And weird happenings have occurred at the camp ever since, with incidents increasing in recent years.

People suspect that something is keeping Eugenie from officially crossing over, and Frankie realizes Eugenie is trying to send urgent messages about what really happened with her and Raleigh. With their campers in danger, Frankie, Parker, and the rest of the LITs are determined to help Eugenie cross over. But are they willing to break almost every camp rule to do so, and will they find what Eugenie is after—and why—before tragedy strikes again?

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

While serving in World War II, Earl Shaffer lost his best friend in combat. After the war ended, he returned home and set off on a hiking adventure to walk off his troubles and find solace in the beauty and “power of nature,” as he put it in his diary.

Earl didn’t use a tent, preferring to sleep under the stars. He survived the cold, harsh rain, mud, blisters, steep mountaintops, and a plethora of bugs. But among the challenges, Earl also discovered wildlife, beautiful plants, and breathtaking views.

Since that first historic hike, Earl’s story has inspired generations of people to quite literally follow in his footsteps. And now, utilizing snippets from Earl’s diary and poetry, this book allows young readers to join Earl on that record-breaking hike.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

A pickle arrives out of nowhere.

“I have lived a lot of life,” it says.

As the pickle slowly withers in the hot sun, the local animals ask it questions. Questions like “Do you ever get bored?” and “Are you hungry?” and “Why are we here?”

The pickle has all the answers.

Except one: what happens next?