We are proud to share our 2026 ALA Award winners and honorees from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
Newbery Honor Book and
Pura Belpré Award Children’s Author Honor Book
A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez by María Dolores Águila
Based on the true story of Roberto Alvarez and the Lemon Grove Incident, this is a vivid and uplifting middle grade debut novel in verse about one young child’s courage to stand up for what is right, and the determination of the Mexican community.
Read an interview with the author, María Dolores Águila, by clicking this link.
Michael L. Printz Honor Books
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.
Download the teacher’s guide for Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley by clicking this link!
The House No One Sees by Adina King
Penelope Ross has always felt like a passenger in her mother’s fairytale – until the night of her 17th birthday, when she is forced to enter her own.
Read an interview with the author, Adina King, by clicking the link!
Song of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout
This timely graphic novel weaves together two timelines to reveal how art, in the face of political upheaval and nearly insurmountable adversity, can become our greatest lifeline.
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Winner
Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru’s Famed Scientist and Potato Expert by Sara Andrea Fajardo; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
What can a potato do? To Peruvian scientist Alberto Salas, they have the power to change the world. Go on the hunt with Alberto for for wild potatoes before they go extinct in this playful picture book biography, gorgeously illustrated by Caldecott-honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.
Download an activity kit and memory card game for Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa by clicking on the link!
Schneider Family Book Award Winner
Where Only Storms Grow: A Novel About the Dust Bowl by Alyssa Colman
For Fans of the I Survived series and The War That Saved My Life, this gripping middle grade novel is set during one of the most dangerous storms in American history.
Coretta Scott King Book Award
Illustrator Honor
André: André Leon Talley—A Fabulously Fashionable Fairy Tale illustrated by Lamont O’Neal; written by Carole Boston Weatherford and Rob Sanders
This captivating biography chronicles the remarkable journey of fashion legend André Leon Talley–from humble beginnings in rural North Carolina to the pinnacle of the international world of fashion.
Learn more about André: André Leon Talley—A Fabulously Fashionable Fairy Tale in our Picture Book Preview by clicking the link!
Stonewall Book Award Honor Book
Ollie in Between by Jess Callans
In his debut, Jess Callans delivers a tender, queer coming of age story about finding your voice and choosing to live authentically, even when it’s easier to blend in.
American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book
Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley
From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.
Download the teacher’s guide for Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley by clicking this link!
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist
White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History by Ann Bausum
This powerful and unflinching examination of racism in America by award-winning historian Ann Bausum deconstructs the warped history of the Civil War, perfect for fans of Stamped From The Beginning and Just Mercy.
Download the teacher’s guide for White Lies by clicking the link!
William C. Morris Award Finalists
Love, Misha by Askel Aden
In this stunning YA adventure, debut author Askel Aden weaves a story of family schism and reconciliation that effortlessly enriches the complex dynamics of mother and child.
You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne
For fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and Groundhog Day, this delightful rom-com follows two childhood friends who are trapped repeating their high school graduation day over and over and over…and catch feelings along the way.
Learn more about You and Me on Repeat in our Graphic Novel Preview by clicking the link!
Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book
Finding Forgiveness by Rebecca Gardyn Levington; illustrated by Diana Mayo
A loving, heartwarming picture book about empathy, sisterhood, and finding the courage to ask for forgiveness—and having the grace to give it—to others and to ourselves.
Sydney Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Uri Shulevitz
The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe by Uri Shulevitz
The final work from celebrated Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Uri Shulevitz, this gripping and revealing true story follows a young Polish exile fighting to survive in war-torn Europe.
Click the covers below to find more works from Uri Shulevitz!
Margaret A. Edwards Award Winner and Children’s Literature Legacy Award Winner Candace Fleming
Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West by Candace Fleming
Everyone knows the name Buffalo Bill, but few these days know what he did or, in some cases, didn’t do. Was he a Pony Express rider? Did he serve Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn? Did he scalp countless Native Americans, or did he defend their rights? This, the first significant biography of Buffalo Bill Cody for younger readers in many years, explains it all.
Click the covers below to find more works from Candace Fleming!
