February 2026 list by K. Pearson |
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At the Edge of Lost
by Martha Brockenbrough
Caleb and his dog Ronan are separated after tragedy strikes, and they embark on an impossible journey to reunite, facing dangers and a brewing storm along the way.
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The Bionic Boy
by Lynn Plourde
Benji feels like he's had more than his fair share of good luck—so it's frustrating that his disability tends to make people think the opposite. Adopted from an overseas orphanage when he was four, he’s grown up surrounded by the love of his dads and little sister. But it seems like the only thing people notice about him is that he was born without hands. He wishes that it didn't bother him so much when people stare at him and that he could be as confident as the superheroes he’s obsessed with. Then Benji meets a real-life hero and begins to dream about new possibilities.
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Broken Dolls
by Ally Malinenko
A girl learns to grieve her grandfather and the creepy antique dolls in his house that seem to come alive. Two. Three. Are you ready to play? Ever since Kaye's grandfather died, she's been obsessed with counting things: the steps to her bedroom, the dolls on her sister's bed, even the threads on her favorite blanket. It's arithmomania, and with the selective mutism that sometimes prevents her from speaking, she literally can't find the words to talk about how she feels now that Grampa is gone. When they take the summer to clean out and renovate his old house, Kaye finds herself counting the days. That is, until her younger sister, Holly, starts finding dolls.
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Dreki: My Icelandic Dragon
by Mary Logue
Twelve-year-old Johan and his grandfather travel from Minnesota to Iceland on an adventure to bring a young dragon home.
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Escape from the USS Indianapolis
by Andy Marino
The end of World War II is finally in sight. The Nazis have been defeated in Europe, and Albie hopes that means he and his brother, Joe, can get back to normal life. Or as normal as life can be following the death of their parents. But the war against Imperial Japan still rages, and when Joe's given a new assignment on the USS Indianapolis, Albie refuses to be left behind. Even if that means sneaking aboard and heading out to sea with the crew.
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Fooled
by Susan Haas
A classroom of middle schoolers with disabilities creates an imaginary wizarding school that seemingly becomes real and turns the whole school upside down.
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The Forbidden Room
by Nicki Pau Preto
In her second year at Last Hope, Lavinia 'Vin' Lucas balances new friendships, secrets, and her growing powers while outwitting a corrupt school board and warding off a threat to magical world in order to save her school and friends.
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Into the Fire
by Ann Brashares
Former best friends Henry, Frances, and Lukas thought they'd managed to restore history to its original path after their antics with a time-bending radio went awry. But they're still trapped in Westfallen, the version of present-day America where the Axis won WWII, living an alternate--and much darker--version of their lives. Henry has to work at the Home for Incurables, Lukas is on hard labor all day, and only Frances, whose parents are members of the Nazi elite, gets to go to school and move freely. And since they and their friends in 1944 destroyed the radio, they have to find cruder and ever-more-desperate ways to communicate across time.
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Keeper Chance and the Dubious Doppelgänger
by Alex Evanovich
When a plot to kidnap a senior member of E.V.I.L is unveiled, Keeper Chance and friends face off against a mysterious doppelgèanger and his flunkies who can bend time to their will.
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Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave
by Ally Russell
Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, Mystery James, who can see and smell the supernatural, must solve the mystery of a priceless heirloom stolen from her family's business.
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Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Book of Anansi
by Angie Thomas
All of Nic's dreams have come true. After years of living in hiding as a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world, she now has everything she'd ever wanted: certified hero status, a big family and a real home in the hidden city of Uhuru, and a chance to develop her Gift at a school for young Manifestors like her. So life is perfect, right?
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The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli
by Karina Yan Glaser
Familiar rhythms rule the contained-but-contented lives of Han Yu and Luli, [he in 731 C.E. China and she in 1931 New York]. But when plague strikes Chang'An and financial crisis threatens Luli's family, Han Yu and Luli must each venture out into the larger world--and into danger-filled adventure--to save what they love most.
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Nox Winters and the Stygian Serpent
by Rochelle Hassan
After Nox's narrow escape from the Nightwood last fall, he had no intention of ever returning. It doesn't matter that he's a Keeper of Night, destined to guard and rule over the forest. He never wanted the title or the power; it wasn't his choice, so as far as he's concerned, it's not his problem. But when an old friend comes to Nox for help, he can't refuse. He agrees to go back to the Nightwood one more time, a decision that sends him on a harrowing journey into the mountains at the edge of the forest. There, he and his friends fall prey to a trickster deity of good fortune, whose games they must win if they want to survive.
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Pennies
by Lora Senf
In the summer of 1921, four best friends in Blight Harbor stumble upon a mysterious door to an alternate world, uncovering dark secrets and strange disappearances that threaten their lives and their town.
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A Recipe for Robbery: Mystery at the Biltmore #3
by Colleen Nelson
Elodie LaRue is back for a new page-turning mystery. Someone has stolen Chef Sebastian's recipes and with few suspects, a tight timeline, and the LaRue Detective Agency's perfect success rate on the line, could Elodie be biting off more than she can chew?
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Rock Paper Incisors
by Amy Timberlake
Badger has a very important article about rocks to finish, but Skunk's cooking, two mischievous young rats, and the looming specter of hibernation keep getting in the way.
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Scepter of Memories (Witchlings #4)
by Claribel A. Ortega
Seven, Thorn, and Valley are determined to stop Ambert Lophiifor’s plan of taking over the Twelve Towns. With Seven’s Uncle powers and their new coven behind them, surely they’ll be able to defeat him at last.
But strange things are happening around Ravenskill―the Witchlings’ allies are starting to forget them! When the Witchlings are charged with the crime of practicing unnatural and dangerous magic, no one is there to come to their defense.
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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 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.
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Secrets of the Purple Pearl
by Kate McKinnon
Three orphaned siblings discover more about mad science and themselves under the tutelage of their beloved professor, Millicent Quibb.
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The Taylors
by Jen Calonita
Taylor (aka Teffy to her family) is terrified to start middle school. She wishes she could fade into the background, unnoticed. But on the first day of school, she finds herself in the spotlight when it's revealed that her homeroom class has four girls all named Taylor! There's a couple of things they can agree on: Taylor Swift is the greatest singer-songwriter of all time--and they are definitely going to need nicknames. Soon, Teffy's outside her comfort zone, going out for cheerleading and starting a friendship bracelet-making business. And when the Eras tour comes to town, the four friends will do whatever it takes to get tickets.
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The Tear Collector
by R. M. Romero
In a post-apocalyptic world created by climate change, Malka and her brother, Ezra, learn to survive on an isolated island, where people afflicted by a mysterious illness change into monsters.
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Teddy vs. the Snuggly Menace
by Braden Hallett
It was hard enough living next to Ravensbarrow's mysterious forest, where evil may lurk behind every tree. Now, Teddy is being tormented by the adorable horror known as Hashbrown--a frightful corgi who gnaws on his frazzled nerves with unfettered corgish malice. Thank goodness Teddy's beloved cat, Mr. Fuzzikins, knows how to soothe an anxious soul--that is, until Mr. Fuzzikins transforms from a snuggly floof into the indomitable Hunter Hollowfang.
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This Way to Happy
by Alison Green Myers
Reilly Rhoades struggles to keep her family's amusement park afloat while grieving the death of her beloved grandfather.
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Three Blue Hearts
by Lynne Kelly
Max can't seem to escape the big, looming shadow of his politician dad. But for the next few months, Max and his mom are going away to a quiet Texas beach town where Max can be someone else. Someone who doesn't make dumb mistakes that embarrass his father--someone who knows how to be strong. He stumbles on his fresh start right away, when he finds an injured octopus washed up onshore after a storm. With the help of a local wildlife center and a couple of new friends, Max rescues the octopus--who they name Ursula--and vows to take care of her until she's ready to return to the sea.
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Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop
by Krystal Sutherland
Twelve-year-old twins Pearl and Patrick travel back in time to enlist the help of the inventor of time travel in order to save the future and to maintain the fabric of time itself.
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