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Big Books of the Week

Sweet Valley Twins: Three’s a Crowd by Francine Pascal, illustrated by Claudia Aguirre and adapted by Nicole Andelfinger (Penguin Random House), leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi (Wednesday Bks.)

Room to Breathe by Kasie West (Delacorte Romance)

Beth Is Dead by S.F. Williamson (HarperCollins)

A Blurmp in Time (Catwad’s Friend Blurmp #1) by Jim Benton (Scholastic/Graphix)

These books and others publishing the week of January 5, 2026 are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Eight Indie Next picks publish this week:

Picture Books

Indie Next’s #1 Pick: 

Bored By Felicita Sala (Holiday House/Neal Porter) *SLJ Starred Review

“What a magical adventure we take with Rita on her boring day! This story is a testament to how creativity comes from boredom. Wonderful illustrations and an engaging, silly story.” —Karlie Martens, Novel Bay Booksellers, Sturgeon Bay, WI

The Great Bear By Annie Booker (Two Hoots)

“A beautifully illustrated story of nature and conservation in the Arctic with a polar bear determined to keep her habitat in balance.” —Andrew King, Edmonds Bookshop, Edmonds, WA

The Wildest Thing By Emily Winfield Martin (Random)

“Eleanor loves the wild outdoors. When she invites the wild inside, she spins and leaps like the animals outside. This beautiful picture book inspires imagination.” —Rae Ann Parker, Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN

Your Truck (Your Things) By Jon Klassen (Candlewick)

“Beep beep! Make way for Your Truck! Jon Klassen is back again with a new board book in his signature style, letting his art run amok in kids’ imaginations everywhere.” —Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC

Middle Grade

Alice with a Why By Anna James, Matthew Land (Illus.) (Penguin/Flamingo)

“Anna James has written a masterful continuation of Lewis Carroll’s tale. Her style is true to his whimsical form, and yet new and fresh — perfect for today's young readers. A perfect book for parents and children to read together.” —Ashley Michael, Plenty Downtown Bookshop, Cookeville, TN

Secrets of the Broken House By Taryn Souders (Sourcebooks)

“As always, Souders’ books have great mysteries, characters and lots of heart. I was invested in every one of these characters and I can picture these sleuths working to solve the crime. Souders is always a great choice for our middle schoolers!” —Tania Galinanes, White Rose Books & More, Kissimmee, FL

Young Adult

Beth Is Dead By Katie Bernet (S. & S./Sarah Barley)

“Fantastic update to the classic story of Little Women — with modern sisters searching for Beth's killer (which definitely wasn't natural causes this time around). Great debut, excited to see what Bernet does next.” —Alissa Redmond, South Main Book Company, Salisbury, NC

The Swan's Daughter: A Possibly Doomed Love Story By Roshani Chokshi (Wednesday Bks.)

“A nostalgic, whimsy-filled novel for fans of Eva Ibbotson and Ella Enchanted, Chokshi’s return to YA features an evil sorcerer, a murderous marriage contest, a beautiful veritas swan whose song provokes truth, and a prince in search of love. An absolute delight to read!” —Matilda McNeely, Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, GA

Bestsellers

Links for the week: NYT Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover | NYT Children’s Picture Books | NYT Children’s & Young Adult Series| NYT Young Adult Hardcover | USA Today Bestselling Books

The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America's Test Kitchen Kids (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) tops the Children’s Middle Grade Hardcover list for the 270th week, but The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro (Disney Hyperion) has risen to no. 2, from its 4th position last week.

Christmas at Hogwarts by J.K. Rowling, Illustrated by Ziyi Gao (Scholastic), tops the Children’s Picture Books list with 17 weeks on the list. Bluey’s Night Before Christmas by Lauren Holowaty, Illustrated by Kiara Hankinson, Jemma Bayley and Costa Kassab (Penguin), takes the second spot rising from no. 5 last week.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (Abrams/Amulet) comes in at no. 1 on the Children’s and Young Adult Series list with 875 weeks on the list followed by The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic) at the no. 2 spot with 402 weeks on the list.

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter (S. & S.) moves into no. 1 on the Young Adult Hardcover list from its previous no. 2 spot, followed by Laura Nowlin’s If Only I Had Told Her (Sourcebooks Fire), coming in no. 2 from its previous no. 3 position.

Two children’s titles feature on the USA Today Bestselling Books list, last updated on 12/31/2025: 

Dog Man: Big Jim Believes: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #14): From the creator of "Captain Underpants" Dav Pilkey (Graphix), sits at No. 1.

Partypooper (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 20): Volume 20 by Jeff Kinney (Abrams/Amulet) celebrates at No. 4.

Reviews

NYT Reviews Calamity Before Jane by Noah Van Sciver (TOON Books): “A key ingredient that sets this book apart — in addition to the extraordinary historical photos of Jane that bookend Van Sciver’s comics — is its insightful postscript by the Indigenous scholar Dr. Susana Geliga. Entitled “The Black Hills and the Fiction of Calamity Jane,” this essay provides historical and political context for Martha Jane Cannary’s life and times as they relate to the struggles of the Lakota Sioux, with whom she became acquainted both early on in South Dakota and through their participation with her in Wild West shows across the country”; The Adventures of Cipollino by Gianni Rodari, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova, translated by Antony Shugaar (Enchanted Lion); and The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen (Macmillan/Balzer +Bray): “Observant readers will find Lucas’s fate foreshadowed in the illustrator Jon Klassen’s dramatic, kinetic cover of a horse and a boy racing away to … freedom? Capture? No matter what the outcome, Pennypacker’s illuminating and stirring historical fiction will leave middle grade readers feeling deeply inspired, righteously angry and firmly resolved”

Briefly Noted

Amazon’s editors chose their best books of January, including YA title Beth Is Dead (S. & S./Sarah Barley). 

Barnes & Noble released its Most Anticipated Kids’ Books of 2026, including Alice with a Why by Anna James, illustrated by Matthew Land (Penguin/Flamingo), coming out this week.

Black Children’s Books and Authors released a list of January 2026 Children’s & YA New Releases featuring characters of color including Do I Love You? Yes I Do! by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa (S. & S./Little Simon), publishing this week.

Good Comics for Kids spotlights upcoming comics for kids 12 and under.

LitHub released its most anticipated children’s books of 2026.

“Teen Librarian Toolbox” features their most anticipated YA books of 2026. Two come out this week: Beth Is Dead, a thrilling reimagining of Little Women, and 16 Forever, about a teen who repeats his 16th year while the rest of the world moves on

“Teen Librarian Toolbox” features their most anticipated Middle Grade books of 2026.

Slate asked tweens to review The Amazing Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price, illustrated by Cynthia Yuan Cheng, (Penguin/Rocky Pond; SLJ Best Nonfiction 2025).

The Historical Novel Society published its list of upcoming 2026 children’s and YA historical novels, including this week’s release The Road from Nowhere by Avi (Scholastic).

The Yarn features its 2026 Preview Episode.

Authors on Air

Kate DiCamillo and Kelly Yang announce their new podcast, StoryKind, exclusively to People.

Jewell Parker Rhodes met with Book Riot to discuss the graphic novel adaptation of Ghost Boys (Little, Brown Ink).

With Dog Man: The Musical premiering in London, The Guardian interviews theatre makers on screen-to-stage adaptations.

Katie Bernet, author of Beth Is Dead (S. & S./Sarah Barley), discusses exclusively with People what your favorite YA mystery-thriller trope says about you.

Randy Ribay talks to Nerds of Color about returning to the “Roku” Duology to write Avatar: The Last Airbender; The Awakening of Roku (Chronicles of the Avatar, Book 6) (Abrams/Amulet).

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