School & Library Spotlight

New and Noteworthy Children’s and YA Books: January 2026 buff.ly/FbZ2ifT

“I’ve learned from my experiences that rainbows are always there even amid the clouds and storms”: Torrey Maldonado on finding the bright side amid troubling times in his picture book debut ‘Just Right’ buff.ly/hc1WHQd

Simon & Schuster Appeals to Advancing Readers with Star Chapter Books buff.ly/XdnauXf

U.S. Market, Children’s Titles Both Key to Growing Spanish-Language Audiobooks buff.ly/2JjqxwE

Jeffrey Mathews to Head Scholastic Education - buff.ly/EtbBGyV

HBG Invests $200K in Raising Readers Campaign buff.ly/wmPLygd

PW Notables: Mychal Threets buff.ly/mEsEgV3

Follett and Sora Partner for Expanded PreK–12 Reach buff.ly/Ap3a39G

John Green Tops PEN’s Banned Books List buff.ly/hEKfdbJ

SCOTUS Denies Petition to Hear Texas Book Banning Case buff.ly/1iToaWw

‘Kurt Vonnegut Estate v. Brown’ Challenges Utah's Book Removals buff.ly/5M4GMpC

Reintroduction of Federal Right to Read Act Aims to Bolster Literacy, School Libraries buff.ly/3VhqUQQ

Post-B&T, Vendors Jostle for the Library Market buff.ly/QonMKXl

The new year heralds exciting new titles such as a picture book highlighting an anecdote from a scientist, a middle grade novel about a tween chasing popularity, a YA mystery inspired by a literary classic, and more buff.ly/FbZ2ifT

Veteran middle school history teacher and acclaimed middle grade novelist Torrey Maldonado discusses his debut picture book, ‘Just Right,’ and the emotions that played a role in writing this highly personal story buff.ly/hc1WHQd

Simon & Schuster is introducing Star Chapter Books, an assortment of illustrated fiction for ages five through nine, designed to support developing reading skills buff.ly/XdnauXf

At the Guadalajara International Book Fair’s second annual audiobook forum, panelists discussed the development and challenges of the Spanish-language audio segment, identifying opportunities in the U.S. market and among young readers buff.ly/2JjqxwE

Jeffrey Mathews to Head Scholastic Education buff.ly/EtbBGyV

HBG Invests $200K in Raising Readers Campaign buff.ly/wmPLygd

PW Notables: social media star and PBS “resident librarian” Mychal Threets is continuing to spread “library joy” as the host of a ‘Reading Rainbow’ reboot and, soon, as a children’s book author buff.ly/mEsEgV3