Authors & Illustrators

Europa by James Ponti (S. & S./Aladdin) leads holds this week. Barnes and Noble Reads recommends the best audiobooks of February 2026, including two children’s titles. People exclusively reveals the cover of Jasmine Guillroy’s debut YA novel It’s Only Dancing (Scholastic).

In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Shannon J. Spann discusses A Stage Set for Villains in this latest installment.

Hypergifted by Gordon Korman leads holds this week. Also in demand are new titles by Lauren Tarshis, Katherine Quinn, Petra Lord, and Shannon J. Spann. Amazon releases its editors’ picks for February. ALA’s Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table announces its inaugural awards winners. The Hans Christian Andersen Award shortlist and the Audie Awards finalists are revealed. People recommends children’s books that celebrate Black History. Plus, bestsellers and interviews with Jeff Kinney, Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, and Melanie Florence and Matt James.

Author Ashley Hope Pérez teaches the 1960s movement to help her Ohio State University students understand the impact of the current book bans and learn how to take action against censorship now.

As she dealt with grief herself, Watson wrote All the Blues in the Sky to give readers permission to feel all of the emotions related with loss and help them cope with it.

Halfway through the process, the heart of Matthew Burgess's book revealed itself to Cátia Chien, who then created a visual tribute to the freedom of childhood.

The anthology, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, includes established and new Indigenous authors in a title Smith says would not have been possible less than 10 years ago.

The Youth Media Award Winners are announced. Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer leads holds this week. Wonder by R.J. Palacio tops the NYT Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover Bestsellers list after 526 weeks on the list; new to the list are The Moon Without Stars by Chanel Miller at No. 6 and Basket Ball by Kadir Nelson at No. 10. The United States Board on Books for Young People releases its 2026 Outstanding International Book List.