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Hello, friends! What children’s books are you reading these days? Recently, I have read and loved Detective Beans: Adventures in Cat Town by Li Chen (out in September, but the first one is available now), Bear and the Three Goldilocks by Patrick Horne and Dan Yaccarino (out July 1), and Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor) by Jessica Townsend (out June 24, and omg, you should read this whole series.) And here are a few more of my favorite recent picture books.
In today’s round-up of recent links about children’s books, I have stuff to share with you about upcoming picture books, books for Pride Month, Juneteenth, and more! And if you need further recommendations, be sure to check out Playful Picture Books for Summer Reading and Must-Read Middle Grade Novels Out Soon!
25 Middle Grade Titles for Pride Month and Beyond
We are halfway through Pride Month, but there are a bazillion great queer middle grade books to read all year long. School Library Journal shared a list of 25 titles, including Ollie In Between by Jess Callans, Roll for Love by M.K England, How It All Ends by Emma Hunsinger, and Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine by Nicole Melleby. And in keeping with the queer recommendations, you can also check out 15 Graphic Novels to Celebrate Pride This Month and Year-Round, 9 Biographies and Memoirs to Inspire Readers for Pride Month and Throughout the Year, and this great guest post from Lauren Magaziner about writing queer characters and her book The Incorruptibles.
“I wanted warmth to radiate off the page. Kids deserve a model of what respect looks like, what empathy looks like, what support looks like. Especially nowadays. Our current world feels increasingly sharp, harsh, and cruel. So many of our lives are being politicized, our very existence a threat to the status quo. I believe that The Incorruptibles demonstrates what a new status quo could look like, a model of kindness and connection and progress. If only we are brave enough to dream it, if only we have big enough arms to embrace it.”
A New Picture Book from a Grammy-Winning Singer-Songwriter
Corinne Bailey Rae is a Grammy-winning British singer-songwriter who had a big hit with her 2006 single “Put Your Records On.” Now she’s written a picture book by the same name, inspired by her song, about a young girl listening to her great-aunt’s records. From the publisher description:
“Today I’d like to do something I’ve never done before,” Bea tells her great aunt Portia during one of their Sunday visits. And before she knows it, she’s being led upstairs to an attic room she didn’t know existed—a wonderful haven full of Portia’s cherished items, including shelf after shelf of records. “There’s a song here for every emotion—for the whole rainbow of feelings,” Portia tells Bea. Then they listen together, dancing to a celebration song, laughing along with a circus-happy song, and feeling held by a song that comforts them during a thunderstorm. Bea heads home at the end of the day, excited to continue learning about herself and her world through music.”
“When I was a child, music helped me find myself. Through songs I discovered that others felt what I felt,” Rae said in a statement released Wednesday. “Playing music grew my confidence and writing and performing my own music allowed me to fully express myself. I want every child to know that they have music in their heart and a voice that should be heard.”
Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae is illustrated by Gillian Eilidh O’Mara and will be out from Rocky Pond Books on March 3, 2026.
A New Picture Book About Libraries!
As a library brat, I am very happy about this news. Librarian and literacy ambassador Mychal Threets has written a picture book and it’s about—you guessed it—libraries! The cover of I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy was recently revealed in Publishers Weekly, who talked to Threets and the other people who worked on the book.
“Threets recalled that the book’s text flowed easily, drawn from his own experience. “I just sat down and recorded audio into my phone of things I would always say to library kids when I was a children’s librarian,” he said. “I then transcribed it into a written format. And really, my process was, what do I want a kid to see in the local library when they go there? And for the kid who doesn’t feel seen, who thinks they’re invisible, who thinks that no one cares—how would I show them that the library cares and is glad that they’re in the world and at the library?”
From the publisher’s description: “Take a tour of the library with the internet’s favorite librarian, Mychal Threets! This heartwarming debut picture book from Mychal extends an invitation to anyone who could use a little library joy and a reminder that libraries are for everyone.”
In his bio for the book, Threets also included some very important information: “His cats, Machine Gun Kitty and Kissin’ Kat Barlow, did not help at all, but he still appreciates them.”
I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy by Mychal Threets and illustrated by Lorraine Nam will be out from Random House Books for Young Readers on February 3, 2026.
9 Titles to Learn About Juneteenth
Just in time for Juneteenth on Thursday, June 19, is this great round up of Juneteenth books for kids. “These offerings about Juneteenth include formats ranging from cookbooks to early readers to audiobooks, so all your young readers can find their preferred way to learn more about this holiday.”
Juneteenth is an annually observed federal holiday commemorating the end of enslavement in the United States. This list has several books that help explain the holiday and its importance, including Freedom Celebration: A Juneteenth Party by Angela Dalton and Keisha Morris, They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park by Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed, and Juneteenth Is by Natasha Tripplett and Daniel J. O’Brien. And for more Juneteenth reading, check out 4 Picture Books About Juneteenth and Celebrating Juneteenth Through Food, Music, and More.
I hope you found lots to love in this post! And remember, fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you, if you’re young at heart.
The following comes to you from the Editorial Desk.
This week, we’re highlighting a post that asks: Are reading parties the next big thing? People—especially readers—are clearly looking for community. Are reading parties the answer? Read on for an excerpt and become an All Access member to unlock the full post.
Reading communities are everywhere online. From Storygraph to Fable to BookTube to BookTok, the growth of online reading buddies feels exponential. The problem with social media as it exists online, however, is that it’s a stand-in for the true connections we all seek over the things we love. As much as reading roundups and reading tracking can be fun, meeting up with in-person book lovers is a great book lover community event. With that in mind, reading parties could be the next big thing.
A reading party is distinct from a book club because everyone shows up to read instead of having read something to discuss. At a reading party, you can make time to discuss what you are reading, but it doesn’t all need to be the same book. It’s more of a reading vibe check than a book discussion.
Sign up to become an All Access member for only $6/month and then click here to read the full, unlocked article. Level up your reading life with All Access membership and explore a full library of exclusive bonus content, including must-reads, deep dives, and reading challenge recommendations.
