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Our 2026 book recommendations immerse readers of all ages in many different worlds, including those of wild parrots, a tween medical detective’s Los Angeles, skateboarding’s SoCal origins and the search for a missing twin sister on a Hawaiian island.
“It's a hard time that we're living in and people want escapism,” says Llyr Heller-Humphreys, senior librarian of acquisitions at the Los Angeles Public Library.
Heller-Humphreys is one of several librarians and local booksellers who recommended titles for this year’s list. These books were all published in 2026 and written or illustrated by a creator with deep ties to Southern California.
How to find these books
Consider shopping in person at one of the many local children's bookstores in the L.A. area. (We include a list of some of our favorites at the end of this guide.) For your convenience, we link to BookShop.org, which supports independent bookstores. And finally, while this is a gift guide, you can also find many of these books at your local library — check them out for free with your library card!
Picture books
Typically for children ages 3 through 8 — though readers of all ages can enjoy them too!
Alight
Jennifer Torres (author) and Molly Magnell (illustrator)
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Courtesy: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
)
This vibrant picture book traces our cackling, cawing, clamoring parrots’ journey from Mexico’s forests to Southern California’s palm trees. “It’s a nice little local history, while also being environmentally focused,” says Jessica Palacios, manager at Montrose’s Once Upon a Time Bookstore. Be sure not to skip the endnotes for even more urban parrot facts and an index of the L.A. landmarks that inspired the illustrations.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
Lowrider for Sale
Laura De La Cruz (author) and Vanessa Morales (illustrator)
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Disney Hyperion
)
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Gabi is on a mission to save her family’s lowrider, Pico Nights, from being sold to pay the family’s mounting bills. LA County Library children’s fiction selector Grisel Oquendo says she immediately recognized this was an L.A. story when she spotted Whittier Boulevard in the book’s opening pages. “It's not the Hollywood ending … the perfect ending,” Oquendo says. “But it's still a happy ending in its own way, and I think it's important for kids to see that even though they don't get everything that they want 100%, that they're still gonna be OK.”
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
The Things We Hold
Vanessa Lewis-Porter (author) and Cornelius Van Wright (illustrator)
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Courtesy Lee & Low Books
)
Lewis-Porter’s debut draws on her experience as an L.A. elementary school educator who taught many bright students who lived in family cars, tents and motels. (The number of unhoused California students recently hit a record high.) However, the main character, Lilly, has a story that transcends her family’s circumstances and shows how school can be a source of anxiety but also escape, a duality that many children can connect to.
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Where to buy: Bookshop.org
The Shape of Love
Carren Jao (author) and Corinne Caro (illustrator)
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Courtesy Lee & Low Books
)
Discover what’s packed inside the “cardboard treasure chest” Celia sends across the sea to her family in the Philippines. Called balikbayan boxes, these packages are named for the Tagalog words meaning “to return” and “country,” and became a tradition for many families as more Filipinos went abroad to work in the 1970s.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
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The Women Before Us: Weaving Stories in My Huipil / Nuestras ancestras: Tejiendo historias en mi huipil
Nydia Armendia-Sánchez (author) and Dana SanMar (illustrator)
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Courtesy Candlewick Press
)
A Guatemalan girl explores the kaleidoscope of colors and experiences woven together in the threads of her traditional Maya blouse. “It serves as a wonderful book for both students and kids that can connect with those characters, but also for children to learn about a culture outside of their own,” says Stephanie Moran Reed, owner of MiJa Books.
Where to buy (English version): Bookshop.org
Where to buy (Spanish version): Bookshop.org
For Always Friends
Tootie Nienow (author) and Katherine Ahmed (illustrator)
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Courtesy Blue Dot Kids Press
)
The seeds of friendship are planted when a new family moves into the neighborhood, but the relationship between the boys from each home also has a few thorns. Oquendo says she loves how the text invites the reader to examine the conflict from each character’s perspective.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
Middle grade
For children between 8 and 12. We've also included some graphic novels, which are illustrated but can tell nuanced stories and help develop visual literacy skills.
Deepa, M.D.
Priya Swaminathan
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Courtesy of Priya Swaminathan
)
Deepa recently finished treatment for leukemia and is ready to reclaim her life as a “normal seventh grader” at an L.A. middle school. But life has other plans — including friendship drama and a chance encounter with her favorite pop star that leads to a medical mystery.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
The Froggy Library
Julie Fiveash (author) and Jess Lome (colorist)
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Courtesy Levine Querido
)
An unexpected summer job at the library introduces Anura to new aspects of their Southwestern desert community, from weaving and gardening to zine-making. The young frog wrestles with how to preserve a community’s knowledge and their grandmother’s wisdom as an uncertain future looms. This debut from Diné author Julie Fiveash was recently picked for Once Upon a Time Bookstore’s graphic novel club.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
Monkey King: Uproar in Heaven
Alina Chau
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Courtesy First Second
)
A colorful adaptation of the centuries-old Chinese tale about a supernatural troublemaker named Sun Wukong. “He's this combination of both mischief but also very warm and kind and loving,” Oquendo says. “I think everyone can identify with two sides of a personality — of wanting to have fun but also take care of the people that you love.”
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
¡Viva Valenzuela!: Fernandomania Erupts in Los Angeles
Nathalie Alonso (author) and John Parra (illustrator)
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Courtesy Calkins Creek
)
Meet Fernando Valenzuela, the Dodgers’ famed left-handed pitcher, who changed the team — and its fan base — with his 1981 World Series-winning rookie season. “The colors just pop off the page, and it really pulls you into the community and the feeling,” says Heller-Humphreys. It’s a perfect pick to connect a new generation of Angelenos to "El Toro.”
Where to buy (English version): Bookshop.org
Where to buy (Spanish version): Bookshop.org
My Name Is Harriet Mansoor (Not Hairy Man Suit!)
Haleh Massey (author) and Rashin Kheiriyeh (illustrator)
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Courtesy Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books
)
On top of the usual middle school woes, Harriet (real name: Hangameh, dubbed too hard to pronounce by her kindergarten teacher) faces the possibility that her family will move back to Iran as it gets more expensive to live in Southern California. But Harriet isn’t ready to leave her best friend, soccer team or crush — or miss out on the annual sixth-grade field trip — so she teams up with her sister to find a way to stay.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
Young adult
Typically best for readers 12 and up, these books often tackle more mature themes.
Encore
Miles Toriko Burks
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HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
)
A senior-year theater class reunites Clay and ex-best friend Aron, and he’s not excited about it — until a moment of costume closet vulnerability changes their dynamic. The cast of friends includes a crew of thespians, the swim team and a tabletop game master. Palacios says this high school romance is perfect for Heartstopper lovers.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
Stream
Aida Salazar
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Courtesy Scholastic Press
)
Elio's parents decide the Oakland teen needs a digital detox before he starts high school and send him to rural Mexico for the summer; Celi's parents have done the same. Salazar told LAist’s Adolfo Guzman-Lopez she wants young readers to see how the characters struggle to balance digital and in-person relationships. “I don't want our young people, especially, to lose their understanding of their source, of who we are as natural beings connected to land, to ancestors, to legacy,” she said.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
Skating Wilder
Brandon Dumais (author) and AJ Dungo (illustrator)
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Courtesy Flying Eye Books
)
Two friends, Dumais and Dungo, kick push through skateboarding’s SoCal origins from roller derby rinks and empty backyard pools to the DIY punk movement and eventual commercialization. “It's a good time,” says Emily Meehan, the young adult librarian at the Playa Vista branch of Los Angeles Public Library. “The narrative portion of the novel is very rooted in nostalgia,” she says. “But [the book is] also tracking the history of skateboarding as a whole sport, culture [phenomenon].”
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
That Which Feeds Us
Keala Kendall
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Courtesy Random House Books for Young Readers
)
When her twin sister vanishes on an island resort near Maui, Lehua sets out to find her and uncovers a plantation’s darker past. This thriller is steeped in Hawaiʻi’s colonial history and written with respect for its Indigenous culture and the factors that complicate life in a place many perceive as paradise.
Where to buy: Bookshop.org
New releases from past LAist favorites
Some of the creators featured in our past roundups also had new books out this year.
● For a fairy tale about how our feelings can make us feel small — and very, very tall: Shrinking Violet by Laurel Snyder (author) and LeUyen Pham (illustrator).
● For a modern fable that draws from Chinese myths and American folklore: Bing's Cherries by Livia Blackburne (author) and Julia Kuo (illustrator).
● For a taste of tamales from around the world: Please Pass the Tamales! / Por favor, ¡pasen los tamales! by Silvia López (author) and Mirelle Ortega (illustrator).
● For a unique take on middle school boyhood: Absent by Rex Ogle (author) and LJ-Baptiste (illustrator).
Some of our favorite places to shop for children's books
- Book Alley — A sprawling used bookstore with a sizable children’s selection. There are also some new books, and you can check its inventory online, but the magic is in wandering the aisles and picking up whatever catches your eye. Location: 1252 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
- Children’s Book World — A longstanding and vast West L.A. outpost for children’s books. Location: 10580 1/2 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles
- Gallery Nucleus — This art gallery has an eclectic shelf of books and gifts for kids, often highlights pop culture and carries prints from several illustrators featured in LAist’s coverage over the years. Location: 210 E. Main St., Alhambra
- LA Librería — The organization specializes in Spanish-language books for kids and hosts workshops and other events to share the diversity of Spanish-speaking cultures. Location: 4572 1/2 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, Mid-City
- Malik Books — This bookstore’s two locations focus on African American books and gifts, including for children. Location: 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 245, Crenshaw, and Westfield Culver City Mall, 6000 Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 2640, Culver City
- MiJa Books — A local online bookseller and schoolbook fair provider focused on multicultural children’s books. Watch its website for pop-up events.
- Octavia’s Bookshelf — This Pasadena bookstore is named for one of the city’s most famous authors, Octavia Butler, and carries titles mainly from authors of color. Location: 1353 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena
- Once Upon a Time Bookstore — The nation's oldest continuously running children’s book purveyor celebrates 60 years in 2026. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot Pippi, the now-famous shop cat. Location: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose | Holiday events: The shop will celebrate 60 years in business with a full day of readings and raffles on Saturday, Nov. 14. The shop has a creative take on several key shopping days, including Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cider Monday. Each includes discounts and in-store treats.
- Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural and Bookstore — The shop focuses on Xicane, Latine and Indigenous stories. The multiuse space also hosts arts workshops and other community gatherings. Location: 12677 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar
- Vroman’s Bookstore — Find the children’s section on the second floor of Southern California’s oldest independent bookstore. There’s also a nice selection of games and puzzles. Location: 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
- Wolfcat Books — A new children’s book shop in Atwater Village, this colorful, cozy store features lots of new titles but still makes room for the classics. Location: 3205 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles
Note: LAist reviewed dozens of books to make this list and got recommendations from several kind folks. Thanks to Once Upon a Time Bookstore manager Jessica Palacios, MiJa Books owner Stephanie Moran Reed, LA County Library children’s fiction selector Grisel Oquendo and several staff of the Los Angeles Public Library, including Joanna Fabicon, Llyr Heller-Humphreys, Philip Levie, Emily Meehan, Basya Samuels and Elizabeth Tracton.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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