New Release Spotlight: November 2026, Week 1

Happy Election Day! I am happy to say that I voted early this year, so I won’t miss book club tonight because I’m standing in line! November is going to be a great month of new book releases, but they will start winding down during the week of Thanksgiving. I plan to keep the Spotlight going that week with titles from 2026 that I either missed or did not Spotlight when they were released.

All the titles below (and more!) have been added to my New Release Spotlight Amazon List for November 2026. The list will grow throughout November 2026. Be sure to check it out because only about half of them were featured in November Spotlights, but all titles in the list meet or exceed my Spotlight criteria.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Mirae has a dangerous secret: She has faked her way into a job as a royal kitchen maid with the hope of sending money to her family. And life in the kitchens isn’t easy. The palace is in an uproar after a recent assassination attempt on the king, and Mirae nearly gets fired after inadvertently getting in the crosshairs of Jae, the prickly crown prince, during his investigation.

Her position gets even more precarious when a chance encounter with a witch in the mysterious spirit woods makes her the vessel of ten thousand spirits and deities. When her new powers spill out into the palace kitchens, Wonshik, a kind nobleman, lends a helping hand. Soon Mirae finds herself embroiled in a power struggle between the queen and Wonshik’s best friend, Prince Jae.

With the help of a fellow kitchen maid and a meddlesome ghost, Mirae must untangle the web of lies to find the traitor within the palace. But an encroaching threat from the empire to the east looms ever closer, and the palace is rife with lies and shadowy allegiances. Who can Mirae trust?

MY NOTES

This romantasy world is based on Japan’s colonization of Korea in the early 20th Century until just after WWII ended. Reviews mention strong worldbuilding and the potential for a sequel.

The Queen of the Spirit Woods reminds me of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince. It’s a romance where a commoner wields power in a situation where the commoner would normally have zero power. There’s lots of political intrigue, betrayal, and ambiguous motives. I devoured Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series, so I am excited to read this one myself.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Jane Bushyhead dreams of one day becoming a teacher. But everything changes when she and her family are forced from their ancestral Cherokee homeland by US soldiers at gunpoint. After months of imprisonment and uncertainty, Jane and her people are then ordered to march eight hundred miles to “Indian Territory” (modern-day Oklahoma) during one of the worst winters of the 19th century.

It’s a grueling journey–many of the Cherokee people are barefoot and unprepared for the freezing weather–and all go hungry as supplies dwindle and sickness abounds. Yet, Jane finds romance with a young man who has been adopted by the Cherokees and comfort within the loving embrace of her family.

As the dangerous journey unfolds, and Jane finds purpose in teaching and recording the stories of her people, she will be forced to bear witness as they perish from starvation, disease, and deadly hazards of the trail. Soon, Jane will have to face an impossible choice between love and her own family.

Award-winning author and enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, Anne Broyles brings the Trail of Tears to desperate, vivid life in this beautiful story about courage, community, memory, and love.

MY NOTES

I am a big fan of historical fiction, and I definitely plan to read this one! I don’t actually know very much about the Trail of Tears, beyond a basic when and what. I’d like to know more, and this looks like a great story of a survivor (at least I hope Jane is a survivor).

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Prince Zayd, heir to Dakaria, the Silver Kingdom, spends his days defending the land from pirate raids. Princess Layla, heir to Sawan, dreams of running away and escaping her cruel, power-hungry mother.

When the two meet, sparks fly. But the royals are destined to marry other people and tensions between their kingdoms are high—one wrong move could threaten the fragile peace between them.

As dark forces begin to threaten Dakaria, a centuries-old prophecy is set into motion, and Layla discovers she has a latent power, one that she doesn’t understand and begins to fear. Magic has been forbidden for a hundred years. Could Layla be the key to uniting their kingdoms, or will the young royals’ forbidden love plunge them all into a devastating war?

MY NOTES

Give this to fans of Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR series!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

It’s 1938, and ten-year-old Don Heath Jr. moves with his mother and American diplomat father to Berlin, Germany.

This move is different—now they are under the nose of the Führer Adolf Hitler. Over the next three years, Don falls in love with this diamond of a city, makes heart-deep friends, and watches the country descend into a propaganda-fueled state of terror and danger.

He fears for his Jewish friends, their families torn apart. He becomes increasingly wary of his friend Mole, whose actions seem at odds with the Hitler Youth uniform he wears—for now.

When Don’s tutor, Mildred Harnack, gives him a banned book with a secret note inside, he jumps at the chance to become a covert courier between his parents and the resistance—a perilous prospect in a city where anyone could be an enemy.

This remarkable true story delves into the fear, hope, anger, and paranoia of World War II Berlin. Back matter includes an author’s note with more information about the people in the story, a glossary, and a selected bibliography.

MY NOTES

In Refugee by Alan Gratz, one of the characters is on the St. Louis, the Jewish refugee ship rejected by the US. This book mentions the same ship, which makes this a great companion to Refugee. The illustrated verse format may also appeal to some reluctant readers looking for stories with lots of white space on the pages.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Our Starry Starry Night is the story of two quiet souls who find each other when the world feels too big.

She is an awkward girl struggling with troubles at home and school.

He is the silent new neighbor who can only truly be himself when he is alone.

Drawn together by feelings neither can name, the two form a fragile, fated friendship―one that offers comfort, escape, and a fleeting sense of wonder beneath a vast, star-filled sky.

In this breathtaking illustrated work, Jimmy Liao blends the intimacy of a picture book with the emotional depth of a graphic novel. Spare, poetic text pairs with illustrations that expand the story with eye-opening details and even deeper feelings, inviting readers to linger, reflect, and return again and again. The result is an immersive reading experience that speaks as powerfully to adults as it does to young people navigating their own inexpressible emotions.

MY NOTES

Your artists are going to love this one! This quiet story is a picture book and graphic fiction hybrid. Text is minimal, and the illustrations are reminiscent of Vincent van Gogh and René Magritte.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Nearly every member of the Brittle family has an extraordinary talent—except Shiloh.

Her aunt makes pickles that tell your fortune. Her great-aunt brews tea that gives you good dreams. Her sister can grow pumpkins the size of a small house. And her older brother—who died before Shiloh was born—had a gift no one will talk about. Her mom says Shiloh doesn’t need a talent to be special. But Shiloh knows she’s destined for greatness. And with the Brittle family reunion coming up, she’s determined to prove it to all her relatives.

When Auntie Dee’s fortune-telling pickles reveal that Shiloh does have a talent—and that it’s somehow connected to her late brother—Shiloh feels more confused than vindicated. Why would her mom have kept this from her?

The pickles’ prophesy offers cryptic clues for finding her talent—something involving an oven? and a new friend?—and Shiloh throws herself into the search. But discovering the truth about herself means digging up secrets her mom would rather keep buried.

This year’s family reunion may well be the most dramatic one yet…

MY NOTES

This book’s protagonist is the one non-magical member of a magical family, which reminds me of Ingrid Law’s Savvy!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

This little girl’s sister is always good—smart and tidy and talented. She can’t be always good like that, so instead, she’s always bad.

When Mom brings home matching bears for them, her sister names hers Good Bear; they play nicely together, and Good Bear stays pristine and perfect. “Bad” sister’s Bad Bear, on the other hand, soon gets dirty, and even loses an eye!

But her sister still wants to play with Bad Bear. In fact, she thinks he’s pretty special. Love has a strange way of changing the look of things, and maybe two bears can both be good, even if they’re not exactly alike… maybe two sisters can, too.

Hyewon Yum brings her gentle lens and warm, irresistible art style to feelings she remembers well from growing up as a twin. Good Bear, Bad Bear is perfect for any kid grappling with self esteem and comparison with peers, especially siblings.

MY NOTES

Got siblings? Maybe you have a story like this one! For me, I know I had the “baby with the scribble on her face” while my sister’s baby doll stayed pristine. So this book hits close to home for me!

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

Bears are full of surprises. Luckily, the author of this picture book found out exactly what NOT to do when meeting a bear so that YOU can be totally prepared. For example, DO NOT make fun of the bear’s silly little ears and big hairy nose. And definitely DO NOT let the bear draw you a picture, even if he is a surprisingly good artist. Otherwise, you might end up on a wild adventure that could cost you your very favorite pair of pants…and win you an unexpected new friend.

MY NOTES

No starred reviews, but this is the author-illustrator duo behind the popular Don’t Trust Fish.

PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY

When you’re growing up, it can be hard to tell if you’re really growing. You wonder if you’re growing when you wake up in the morning. You wonder when you look in the bathroom mirror. You wonder when you eat your sandwich. You wonder . . . and you wonder . . . until one day — HEY! you can finally reach the tap now, for the very first time today.

A song on Raffi’s first album, illustrated for the first time by the incomparable Jon Klassen, “I Wonder If I’m Growing” celebrates one of the little milestones and simple joys of growing up from a kid’s perspective.

Whether you’re growing up or all grown up, whether the song is new or deeply familiar, whether you’re reading it or singing it, this timeless picture book by two of the most celebrated artists for children in the world today is guaranteed to make you smile.

MY NOTES

I actually didn’t know this song before today, but I found it here on YouTube. Pretty!