New Release Spotlight: October 2026, Week 4

How is it already the end of October? This has been a GREAT month for new book releases, and I plan to continue spotlighting October releases into November. Yes, that does mean I am planning to keep the Spotlight going after my little break since July. I guess a break was just what I needed!

All the titles below (and more!) have been added to my New Release Spotlight Amazon List for October 2026. The list is complete now, with a total of 55 new October releases. Be sure to check it out because only about half of them were featured in October Spotlights. All 55 meet my Spotlight criteria!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Morgan Slaughter, a seventeen-year-old trans boy with autism, put his serial killer father in prison years ago. Despite that, everyone thinks Morgan will grow up to be just like his dad: including his volatile mother, the documentary crew following their family, and maybe himself.

Desperately, Morgan latches onto his father’s final victim—the only one who was never identified—hoping that if he unravels the mystery, he’ll finally prove he’s better than the man who hurt him. But this puts Morgan in the crosshairs of classmate Felicity Keating, who knows the truth about Morgan’s childhood—that he wasn’t just a witness to his father’s brutality, he was an accomplice. And if he doesn’t let them help with his investigation? They’ll tell everyone.

Forced to confront his past, Morgan’s ugly but carefully controlled world unravels. The film crew is manipulative. His mother’s temper spirals into malice, then violence. And Morgan and Felicity may be more tightly intertwined than either of them can stomach…

You’re No Better is a gritty and unapologetic coming-of-age suspense about teens who grew up surrounded by cruelty and are clawing their way to adulthood the only way they know how.

MY NOTES

Ooh, a YA Halloween read! I have not read this author before, but I remember wanting to read his other YA books when I’ve spotlighted them over the past few years. The four books I’ve spotlighted are all horror novels that feature transgender male protagonists. All of them got multiple starred reviews. All look to be violent and bloody, so keep that in mind also.

I am a big fan of horror novels, so I just checked out Hell Followed With Us (2022) on Libby. I also see that it’s $2.99 on Kindle right now, so that’s an option if your library doesn’t carry it.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

As a sixteen-year-old Black girl with bipolar disorder, Ella Washington has plenty stacked against her. But following her beloved sister’s unexpected death and its turbulent aftermath, Ella is desperate to find any sense of normalcy. Worse still, someone at her school is determined to drive her deeper into despair.

It feels nearly impossible to find her way out of the fog of grief and loneliness, but through her love of art, some unlikely new friends, and the memory of her sister, Ella slowly learns that the pursuit of happiness and forgiveness is an endeavor that is more than worthwhile.

Told in Frederick Joseph’s perceptive and lyrical voice, Everything’s Not Lost is an achingly relatable story about finding points of light even in the darkest of times.

MY NOTES

So this one is probably not my cup of tea as it deals with the death of a teen girl’s sister. But I know there are many students who want or need to read about mental health issues. This is the fourth book by Frederick Joseph that I’ve spotlighted, including This Thing of Ours (2025), Better Than We Found It (2022), and The Black Friend (2020).

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Bliss knows there’s more to life than what she’s experienced in her small town. She’s ready to be the girl who isn’t just waiting anymore, who can make something happen.

Working in her family’s funeral home, she can’t help but ponder what it means to truly live and what it takes to leave a lasting legacy. Her existential questions have labeled her the weird “funeral home girl” to most of her peers, except for her best friend, Alex, and the new boy visiting from Portland for winter break.

Solomon isn’t put off by Bliss’s musings. He has questions of his own, like why his mother abandoned him and if she ever did–or ever will–love him. He has come to visit for answers, and to work at his mom’s flower shop, where he meets Bliss on a delivery to the funeral home.

Their chance meeting changes everything. As they open up to each other, share their hearts and experience something real, something new, they find that even if a relationship has an end, love can last forever.

Powerful, moving, and inspiring, Everything New Again is a story of first love perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Nicola Yoon, about falling in love and finding who you are–all at the same time.

MY NOTES

Renée Watson has made so many appearances on the Spotlight over the years! I counted seven Ginormous Booklist entries since 2021, and even before that, I reviewed Piecing Me Together way back in 2017. That book later won the Coretta Scott King Author Award in 2018.

On top of that, Watson won the Newbery in 2026 for All the Blues in the Sky, and her poetry collection, Black Girl You Are Atlas, won a Coretta Scott King Honor in 2025.

So, YES, many students and teachers will know this powerhouse author. Give this to students looking for a quiet, emotionally-resonant romance.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

This is the tale of a boy named Nothing the Younger, who lives in a city on the mountaintop of a far-off and long-lost country. Everyone calls him Ing, and while he has no parents, he does have two friends: a dog, Pöppy, and a mouse, mOmO.

When King Cyrus calls for a hero to find and defeat the Giantess ravaging the countryside, the king’s son, the Wander Prince, answers the call and Ing decides to follow. Along the journey, Ing (and his friends) must traverse the Land of the Dead, survive an encounter with the terrifying wimmelworm, and discover the truth of his mother and father . . . so that he may find what he’s been seeking all along—his best purpose.

The text on each page snakes, climbs, jumps, and explodes into shapes and forms that unravel the story. This Is a Door is full of fun surprises and poignant musings that flip the classic hero’s journey on its head—all in an artistic and inventive package that is a wonder to behold.

MY NOTES

Oh, there is a LOT to love here! We’ll start with teaching ideas and the hero’s journey. I have taught the hero’s journey using The Hobbit, Eragon, Star Wars, The Odyssey, and others. This is a Door will also work very well with it! If you aren’t familiar with the hero’s journey, check out The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. If you want something quick, or to share with your classes, try this 7-minute illustrated video about the 12 Steps of the Hero’s Journey.

Secondly, this book is a unique format in that it tells the story through text that serves as illustrations. Think concrete poetry, but for a book. This is a great pick for reluctant readers! You can see sample pages in the Titlewave record or Amazon preview images for this book.

And third, author Daniel Nayeri is already a well-known and decorated author for young readers, having already won two Newbery Honors, the Printz Award, and the National Book Award. I’ve added This is a Door to my 2027 Newbery contender list as well.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

In her cage at the Mount Charles Animal Shelter, Kitty has no other choice but to be the captive audience of the opinionated Bunny Van Hopper. But it’s better than the woods. Kitty can still remember the rain that came and swept everything… everyone… away. Here, at least she has food and company, even if Bunny’s words scare her.

And then Max appears at the shelter. Max has adopted all sorts of pets over the years. Rumor has it that he treats all of his pets with care and kindness. And of all the animals at the shelter, he actually chooses her―a scrawny and scared kitten. Kitty is going to be home at last. But she can’t seem to get Bunny’s words out of her head as Max takes her away in her carrier…

“You’re going to regret this! I just know it!” Bunny Van Hopper cries. And perhaps Bunny is right…

There is a scent lingering in the house on 5 Manderley Road. The scent rises from every chair leg, every carpet fiber, every throw pillow, even inside the bathtub. Everything smells like Licorice. It is the strongest upstairs in Max’s room, almost overpowering. If the smell isn’t enough, Duchess, the family’s old parrot, won’t let Kitty forget that she is a replacement. And soon, Kitty finds herself trapped in the long shadow of the cat that came before her. But is it just a shadow? Or is there something really there on the other side of it…haunting her…

Licorice is a fantastically kid-friendly book full of mystery and suspense, for fans of Kate DiCamillo, Katherine Applegate, and Aaron Reynolds.

MY NOTES

Gothic literature for middle graders? Oh yeah! This is a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne du Marier (1938), with a newly-adopted stray kitten called “Kitty” taking the starring role. The parrot, Duchess, represents Mrs. Danvers. And of course, Max is the little boy who adopts Kitty.

It’s not always easy to find gothic literature that works for middle school, but Licorice fits that niche nicely. With pencil drawings throughout the story, this could be a nice choice for reluctant readers looking for scary stories. I’ve added this to my 2027 Newbery contender list!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Rowan Monahan has lived in the town of Friendship Prairie forever. He knows everyone, and they know him. Some folks judge him, too, for being a slow learner. But Rowan knows in his heart that he’s capable of more than people think.

Gemma Caplan is new in town. Back in the city, people understood she used her assistive device (AAC) to speak. But here in tiny Friendship Prairie, she’s afraid she won’t fit in.

When Rowan and Gemma meet, they form an instant, magic bond. But just as the two are growing close, their mothers start a feud: they’re running terribly nasty campaigns against each other for school board.

Since their moms detest each other, Gemma and Rowan feel they must keep their connection a secret.

When they’re discovered and punished, Rowan and Gemma decide it’s time to take a stand — and show their families what a place called Friendship Prairie is supposed to be about.

MY NOTES

I’m always excited to see middle grade romances! This one also stars two 9th graders, an underrepresented grade level in children’s fiction. On top of that, it’s loosely based on Romeo & Juliet and features a nonverbal protagonist.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Every night, Noor listens for the sound of the gong and the storyteller’s drum.
GONG, GONG, GONG! Tap! Tap! Tap!

With each beat, fantastic tales swirl and sway and unfold around her. One night, she waits and waits, but no drumbeat comes her way. Can Noor tap the drum and keep the storyteller’s magic alive?
Find out in this modern fairy tale about a young Nigerian girl who taps stories on her drum and carries tradition in her heart.

MY NOTES

Okay, this one could qualify as a bedtime story, which I do not normally feature in the Spotlight. But the vibrant illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and I love that this is set in Nigeria.

PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY

A young girl’s stomach dips when she passes the house where her best friend once lived.

The friend hasn’t moved away, but she may as well have. The girls used to walk to school together. They liked the same things. They fought and then made up—until the next time, and the next. But the rotten feelings have piled up, and now the girls avoid each other.

Dad says that happens. Friends drift apart. Remembering the fun times helps, and as new bonds bloom, the anger and hurt fade.

Illustrated with gentleness and warmth, this honest, moving text evokes an authentically childlike voice to help children master with hope and confidence the complex emotions that come from a changing relationship.

MY NOTES

Oh, this is one that I think everyone can relate to, and I’m so glad there’s a book to address the breaking up of a friendship. This features two girls who were once best friends but are not anymore. We don’t really know exactly what happened, but we know that it is not going to be fixed.

I like that the protagonist’s father acknowledges her sadness and grief over a lost friendship. I think too often, kids are expected to just move on and make a new friend. If only it were that simple. I like that this book exists so readers know they are not alone when friendships dissolve.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

At the Jigokudani monkey park in Nagano, nihonzaru—Japanese macaques—have a unique way of de-stressing from life in a cold climate: gathering in their very own onsen, or hot spring “spa,” to lounge and snack.

Peek into this magical world in the mountains, hushed by snow, where the macaques reign over their onsen, huddling together.

As a playful baby monkey splashes, the others don’t want to join in, and as the baby’s amusing antics wind down, parents and little ones reading the story will happily snuggle together like the macaques, warm and safe.

Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s soothing narration, written entirely in haiku form—as befits its Japanese subject and natural themes—pairs with gorgeous illustrations by Yas Imamura. An author’s note offers insight into the habitat displacement and human intervention that led to the monkeys taking over this toasty, tranquil gathering spot.

MY NOTES

This cozy winter read will go great with a cup of hot chocolate! I love that this is written in haiku format, a form I love teaching students to write.