FICTION + 1: Ages 9-15+ / Fall 2026

This posting lists 10 fiction books (plus one terrific nonfiction title) that includes work by some familiar authors (Lois Lowry, Kwame Alexander, A. A. Milne, Eric Walters).  Two  titles are worthy of SHOUT OUT favourites of 2026. A list of 2026 CCBC book award winners wraps up this piece. 

 

BAD QUEER by Gayathiri Kamalaanthan / Trans identity / YA +

Surya is queer. She thinks of herself as a bad queer because she is struggling with self-acceptance and with open honesty with those who are important to her in her life. The opening sentence of the book reads: “I’m not a girl’ so readers, along with Surya navigate what it means for someone to live an authentic trans life. Suraya is perplexed by a first love,  her about-to-be entry into university, and her faithfulness to her Tamil culture and her loyalty to her two loving mothers. The free verse style of this novel not only provides clear narrative but takes us into the questions, reflections and soul of being true to one’s identity. For readers connecting too, or seeking understanding of what being non-bionary teenager means, Bad Queer is a compassionate, vivid journey into  family, acceptance, and transness.

Author’s note:

Bad Queer explores issues including bullying, transphobia, homophobia, gender dysphoria, racism, the Tamil genocide and experience of a refugee familuy. My focus ws to think abou these issues with care and present some of the realities that people live with.  

 

BUILDING 903 by Lois Lowry / Science Fiction

Lovers of science fiction can rejoice. Lois Lowry, author of The Giver quartet has written another fine fine story set in a dystopian future. The year is 2099: people; can live long lives well beyond 100, all pets are robots, and there is no danger of wars.  However, the world is ruled by Zokiris, a domineering, egoistical, lying tyrant (!!!!)  who suppresses anything connected to creativity. Books are banned and sent to Building 903. The word ‘story’ is unheard of. Tessa is the main protagonist of the novel. When her twin brother Theo disappears, Tessa and her parents come to discover the power of stories that can transport them to other worlds. With the help of an elderly neighbour,  Tessa sets her on a quest to discover of a real book that may help her mother and father to  rescue Theo who is trapped on a dangerous sailing ship.  Those keen on reading Science Fiction can once again rely on the genius of Lois Lowry to tell a compelling futuristic story that demonstrates the power of stories and imagination to change the world. 

Excerpt (p. 120)

“You felt it, didn’t you? Felt the cold, and the wind, and the threat of the enormous whale. Didn’t it make you want to read further?

“Yeah,” I acknowledged. “But it’s all a lie…?”

“It was designed to activate your imagination.” My father hesitated. “It’s called a story.”

Imagination? Story? I had never heard those words before.

 

FAR FROM THE TREE by Eric Walters / Poverty/ Resilience

James is the middle child of the Campbell family. Father is in jail as is two older siblings (J.J. and Jason). At thirteen years of age, James is burdened with the responsibility of taking care of his two younger brothers (Justin and Joshua) and taking on household chores.  James is very caring of his Mother who is doing her best to survive and keep things together.  When James when he is threatened by gangsters, he is caught in a car-stealing scheme* when his morals and choices are given a huge test. With the understanding and support of the school principal, James is challenged to live up to his potential of achieving good grades, showing leadership and making wise decisions day by day so he won’t be suspended, go to jail or be another fruit who falls ‘far from the tree.’  Eric Walters is a great storyteller. His narrative and dialogue are always clear, painting a clear scenes  of cinematic-like scenes.   In this new novel, he  conveys a strong picture of car theft. Moreover, he offers a troubled character who, if given the chance and encouragement can change and succeed. 

• Eric Walters always has his pulse on contemporary issues. In the past few years between 8,000 and 9.000 cars have been stolen in the province of Ontario. 

Excerpt

“I wanted to show them Ireally was smart, even if I did a lot of dumb things. That’s just what Campbells did. Was there any way around it or was it just it had to be? Was I nothing more than a falling furit. No, I wasn’t a fruit, and I wasn’t planning on falling… or failing.” (p. 156)

“Every day you make choices. They can be smart choices or dumb choics… The difficult thing is that even if you do wll for a hundred days, all it takes is screwing up on the hundred and first and you fail the test. It’s all about choices.” (p.181)

 

THE MIGHTY MACY by Kwame Alexander / Chapter Book / Verse novel

Readers are sure to love Macy,whose story is told through one or two page poems of all different forms.  Young readers will share in Macy’s everyday experiences and frustrations at home and school. When her school library is being threatened with a shut-down, readers are likely to cheer Macy on as she and her friends fight to protect a place that they care  so much about. Kwame Alexander has written a terrific  chapter book, where young  readers can learn about poetry, the need to  practice playing an instrument  (violin) and taking action to stand up and speak out for what you believe in.  Alexander’s genius of telling stories in free verse style (The Crossover, The Door of No Return) is now offered to younger readers in this gem of chapter book. Hooray for poetry! Hooray hooray ,for Kwame Alexander. 

Our school library

is a house

of hope

an imagination park

an opportunity store

a treasure chest

 

RAISING HARE by Chloe Dalton/ Children’s Edition/ Nonfiction

Raising Hare, Chloe Dalton’s memoir (2024) recounts her story of living with a hare found by her English countryside home. It is a story of a human helping an animal to survive and thrive at the same time as letting it be true to its animal instincts and behaviours. It is a story about a woman ‘finding herself’ through the committed care she gives to an animal. I was thrilled to see a New Children’s Edition of this story released. This is an extraordinary piece of nonfiction narrative where readers will learn much about caring for animals, about loyal friendship, and about being compassionate about others.  Raising Hare is an exquisite story, presenting a wealth of information about hares and of the behaviours and characteristics of creatures who live in the wild. 

Excerpt (pages 182-183)

“I hope I will always be able to remember the light and treusting touch of her paws in the palm of my hand, and her steady, gentle gaze. And when one day I can no longer see her, I will watch the hares in the field, knowing that her spirit is woven into theirs. I will know that I have only to look up at the night sky to see her symbol etched in the stars.” 

RED RIVER ROSE BY Carole Lindstrom / Indigenous History

Carole Lindstrom has written an exemplary work of historical fiction immersing readers in a significant event set amid the Northwest Resistance of 1885 where the Metis people fount to defend their homes. Rose and her family have lived on the land in Botoche, Saskatchewan for generations, but when the government wants to remove the Metis from their land, Rose takes action to join the Resistance to  protect the land they have respectfully tended to. (“She walked quickly, her feet falling across the land they knew and loved. It was theirs to lose, and Rose wouldn’t let it go without a fight.” (p. 59).  Lindstrom created Rose, imagining history through her eyes that provides contemporary readers with picture of life from an Indigenous perspective. Red River Rose puts ‘story’ in the one event in history and through the bravery and cunning ideas,of the young protagonist helps readers to thing that ‘doing something gives us the agency to fell like we did our best. We can feel good inside by trying our best. What happens next involves the same stamina and fortitude.” (Author’s note, p. 212)

 

WINNIE-THE-POOH and THE HOUSE OF POOH CORNER by A. A. Milne; Illus. Ernest H. Shepard/ 1926/ 2026 / a classic

I must have read this book sometime in my life, but in celebration of Winnie-the-Pooh’s 100th anniversary I decided to revisit this classic title. I purchased a new edition featuring Winnie-the-Pooh (October 14, 1926)  and The House at Pooh Corner (1928) and still accompanied by the  original whimsical black and white illustrations by Ernest H. Shepard.  The  anniversary publication is presented  hunny coloured velveteen with an image of a bemused Pooh and his hunny pot adorning the front cover. Each chapter in the book takes readers on an adventure with the friends of Hundred Acres Wood. 

This was a fun read that accompanied me on an airplane ride to Nova Scotia. I don’t think I remember this beloved character of a “bear of a very little brain” s but he is a mischievous, adventurous soul, a problem-solver, full of good ideas, who is loyal and loving to his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Owl, Rabbit and Tigger, and of course Pooh’s best friend, Christopher Robin (based on Milne’s only son).  And oh what escapades these group of friends had: (e.g., hunting for hunny, Catching a Wozzle, searching for a lost donkey tail,  meeting a Heffalump, taking an ‘expotition’ to the North Pole, inventing a new game, organizing a birthday party. navigating a flood, building a house for a friend) Pooh is also is remarkable poet and composer of often nonsensical songs(e..g. “Cottleston, Cottleston, Cottleston Pie / A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly.”) ( Milne has a rather sly, wry sense of humour (that i’m not sure will appeal to all readers) but who’s to argue with 100 years of millions and milli0ns of copies being read around the world. To celebrate Pooh’s birthday I also bought a new T-shirt that says…  `

OH BOTHER, I BOUGHT ANOTHER BOOK.  

Excerpts

 

“What about me? said Pooh sadly. “I suppose I shan’t be useful?

“Never mind, Pooh,” said Piglet comforting. “Another time perhaps.”

Without Pooh” said Rabbit solmenly as he sharpened his pencil, “the adventure would be impossible.” (p. 104)

~~~~~

“I’m not saying there won’t be an accident now, mind you. They’re funny things, accidents, You never have them till you’re having them.” (p. 251)

~~~~~

“By the time it came to the edge of the forest, the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river, and being grown up, it did not run and jump and sparkele along as it used to do when it was younger, but moved more slowly. For it know now where it was going, and it said to itself, ‘There is no hurry. We Shall get there someday.” ((p. 273)

 

>>>>>>>>>>>    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

SHOUT OUTS

If I was a judge for a  children’s novel book award for 2026, I would have a hard time deciding which of these two titles would win. Each of these is original and compelling. Each of these is magnificent. Each of these should be read and enjoyed by readers, young and old.

 

SHOUT OUT #1

ABSENT by Rex Ogle /

Absenteeism/ Poverty / Bullying /Resilience

I loved this book.  Reading this book aroused as much compassion as Palaccio’s wondrous Wonder. This is a novel that deals with trying to cope with every day challenges that many working class youth face both at home and school.  The unique narrative alternates between three middle-school boys who skip classes and find themselves  coming together in after-school detentions for three weeks where without talking, listening to music or using phones.  Rex Ogle , author of Free Lunch, cleverly uses a different format for each boy’s story using free verse/ rap lyrics (Manny); journal entries (Liam) and comics (Calvin). Each character’s voice is featured on its own paper type (lined, grid, comics)These young adolescent voices are distinct but their troubled worlds unite them.  Many readers are likely to connect to these guys. They will sympathize with them and surely cheer them on.  Rex Ogle ‘knows’ these kids and understands that that the circumstances they find themselves aren’t necessarily necessarily their faults. To quote John Lennon “All you need is love…” and in this book, a caring principal and a librarian play a part in listening and helping these boys. This novel  has depth and pain, humour and hope. It deals with issues of absenteeism, poverty, resilience and camaraderie gets high high praise from me… and hopefully the Newbery committee.

Manny: Mexican boy, living with his grandparents.

Calvin: late every day for school because of the huge responsibility of taking care of his younger brothers.

Liam: burdened by bullies and chooses to hide in the library storage room. 

 

Excerpts from Manny’s notebook (written in free verse) 

 

“Still /it aint’ fair. but ain’t nothing fair. 

I learned that a long time ago. /not at school /but just from, /you know, /living.”

~~~~

“I couldn’t help it… sometimes i get so mad, so angry, so furioso…I  can’t control me… myself …and I. what i do what I say, how i act… I turn into ..a dark reflection of the me I see… in the mirror before I punch it… bleeding my knuckles… instead of crying.. about… hating a world that hated me first. (p. 166)

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  SHOUT OUT #2 !!!  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

 

 *** THIS IS A DOOR by Daniel Nayeri ***

A Hero’s Journey

 

In the beginning of his review of this title for the New York Times (Sunday October 15, 2026), author Adam Gidwitz  cites s W.H. Auden by stating, “There are good books that are only for adults, but there are no good books that are only for children.” This new novel by award winning author Daniel Nayeri (Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story); and The Teacher of Nomad Land is unlike anything published for young people this year. It is a artistically bold publication full of suprises. It is 400 pages in length, but that shouldn’t be intimidating because there are pages with only one or two words, one sentence and even some that are left blank. Nayeri tells his story with visual poetry, where fonts sizes and tones of grey are played with. Shape poems appear throughout. Words sometimes explode and tumble over the page. The author claims this book to be an “lllustrated story with no pictures.”  The brightly  die-cut cover of the book seduces someone to pick up the book. Once readers come to accept this playground of playful print, they are likely to delight and marvel at the author’s brilliant way of telling a story.  In his author’s note, Nayeri writes “I want to create original stories that offer new experiences for readers.” Mission accomplished,Mr. Nayeri. You have created an astonishing book. 

And what a story! From the opening line: “This is the story of Nothing The Younger, who was born nothing, and who died nothing – but who never never never ever never ever ever stopped trying. Not even after.” The orphaned Nothing embarks on a quest to discover his purpose in life. Nothing is joined on his journey with his mouse friend, mOmO and a loyal dog compion, Poppy. A major hiccup in his journey is the challenge to cross the Land of the Dead where the boy encounters a terrifying wimmleworm but comes to learn the truth about his motehr and father. The book is framed in twelve chapters, which apparently complies with the monomyth (Hero’s Journey) an idea formed by Russian scholars who described twelve essential elements of a story of a hero who goes out on a perilous journey experiences trials and returns home changed. (e.g.., Chapter 1: The Known World; Chapter 2: The Call (to Adventure); Chapter 3: Refusal: Chapter 4. Intitation)

This is the book I am gifting to the young (and old) people in my life. It is a gift. It deserves to win an award. Gidwitz concludes his review by challenging Auden: “There are good books that are only for children but there is children’s literature – books to inspire connection and conversation between children and their grown-ups. This is a Door is literature.”

 

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