2026 ALA Awards for Youth All Ages

In 731 Chang'An, China, Han Yu rises every day with the first beat of the city drums to sell steamed buns in a bustling market full of whispers about his ability to summon tigers. In 1931 Chinatown, New York, Luli Lee spends her evenings gazing out at the city from the roof of her parents' restaurant, dreaming of dim sum and Chinese art. There is a comfortable rhythm to the small but content lives of Han Yu and Luli. But when plague strikes Chang'An...

"With Iran being squeezed between the forces of Great Britain and the Soviet Union, a boy valiantly tries to protect his sister from Nazi spies, soldiers, and hunger"-- Provided by publisher.

Part poem, part portable fireworks display with a vertical gatefold, this POB picture book from the award-winning team of Matthew Burgess and Catia Chien highlights the simple delights of a steamy July day in the city as two siblings eagerly await a spectacular fireworks display. POP! As a hot day sizzles into evening, everyone on stoops and sidewalks looks skyward on this special summer night--the Fourth of July! Words and art blossom into flowers...

Two grieving brothers visit the lake their father took them to for the first time.

"A look at the author's hometown of El Paso, where the sun reigns over the vast desert and shapes all that it touches"-- Provided by publisher.

Thirteen-year-old Henson Blayze strives to be seen as more than just a football player in his predominantly white small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, but when a horrific incident compels him to speak out, he must choose between playing football and seeking justice. In the small town of Great Mountain, Mississippi, all eyes are on Henson Blayze, a thirteen-year-old football phenom who many have wondered if he was super-human. The predominately...

Three African American boys, including one visiting from New York, form a meaningful connection during a summer trip to rural Mississippi.

Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world's best frybread.The road to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In slips through every rez and alongside every urban Native hangout. The menu offers a rotating feast, including traditional eats and tasty snacks. But Sandy...

When seventeen-year-old Penelope enters her childhood home, the house floods her with painful memories of her mother's opioid addiction that she must confront to mend her fractured past.

"Growing up in Puerto Rico, Wanda Díaz Merced wanted to study the stars. But when she lost her sight, she had to find a new way to work. Through the use of sonification, which turns data into sound, she was able to make a path for herself and other scientists with disabilities"-- Provided by publisher.