Who’s ready to read their faces off? The leaves may be turning green but the pages are always turning everywhere! Magic is in the air and between the covers of so many great new children’s books this month. There’s something for every reader!
Below you’ll find a fishboy attending elementary school in disguise; a tearjerker about a girl grieving the loss of her brother who brings a baby bird skeleton to life; a notebook-carrying young detective investigating a mysterious carnival; a great-grandmother explaining the significance of the broken glass she keeps; a goatkeeper looking for an escaped goat in a book with its chapters out of order; a girl who must win an evil mega-corporation’s game in order to find her sister; a new fantasy adventure from the author of the Fablehaven series; and lots more!
On your mark, get set, reeeeeeeeeeead!
New Children’s Chapter Books
Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel by Kalynn Bayron (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, April 7)
Bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is back with a new spooky middle grade mystery, perfect for fans of Harriet the Spy! Olive Oakes carries a notebook to record everything around her. When she and her family visit the town of Whispering Woods, Olive learns about a creepy carnival and missing kids, and decides to investigate the disappearances herself.
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Little Bones by Sandy Bigna (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, April 7)
This magical debut-in-verse follows a grieving young girl named Bones. Since the death of her brother, Bones has become interested in finding and drawing animal skeletons. When she accidentally reanimates a baby bird skeleton and becomes attached to it, she must decide if she will honor its wishes and let it go, as much as she’d like to keep it.
A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm by Philip C. Stead (Neal Porter Books, April 7)
Up next is this delightfully wacky debut novel from illustrator Philip C. Stead. When one of the kingdom’s 24 goats gets loose, it’s up to Bernadette the goatkeeper to bring it back. That’s easier said than done, since the chapters are out of order and the author himself is racing to write her an ending.
Forbidden Mountain by Brandon Mull (Labyrinth Road, April 14)
The author of the bestselling Fablehaven series returns with a new fantasy adventure. In Anoran, the children await the day they can bond with a spiritual guide. Some bond with Advocates, who help them achieve success, while others are tempted to join up with the Accursed, who bring chaos and ruin. When one of the Accursed starts causing destruction in the empire, a young boy contemplates joining with another Accursed to stop it.
Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon by Van Hoang (Roaring Brook Press, April 21)
Domi Pham is sure her summer vacation is ruined when she’s sent to help out at her Auntie Q’s nail salon. But soon, she grows fond of her job, enjoying the stories told by the aunties and customers, and when she learns the salon might close, Domi is determined to keep that from happening. It’s a great story of family, culture, and responsibility.
The Genie Game by Jordan Ifueko (Amulet Books, April 21)
The author of the excellent Raybearer YA series has written her middle grade debut! It’s a wild dystopian fantasy about a girl searching for her missing sister. In order to find Mango, Valentine becomes a GENIE—General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers—and must compete in a wish-granting competition run by an evil mega-corporation.
New Picture Books
Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp by Minoru Tonai and Jolene Gutiérrez, Chris Sasaki (Abrams Books for Young Readers, April 7)
This is a comprehensive and thoughtful explanation of the imprisonment of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor, based on Tonai’s own experiences.
Robin and the Stick by E. B. Goodale (Abrams Books for Young Readers, April 14)
In this charming tale, little Robin is a fan of picking up sticks. But will he ever be big enough to lift the biggest stick?
Three Pieces of Broken Glass by Emily Barth Isler, Vesper Stamper (Abrams Books for Young Readers, April 14)
This colorful story about Jewish history is influenced by the author’s life, and explores the memories of Inge. When her great-granddaughter asks, she shares the meaning behind the three pieces of glass on her windowsill, which stand for memories both happy and sad.
Miles Ahead by Minh Lê, Lynnor Bontigao (Knopf Books for Young Readers, April 28)
Award-winning author—and former Rioter—Minh Lê has penned another wonderful story, this one about a young boy and his dog, who are trying to find the misplaced present for his new baby cousin.
New Children’s Graphic Novels
Fruitcake by Rex Ogle, Dave Valeza (Graphix, April 7)
Wildly prolific and award-winning author Rex Ogle continues his graphic memoir series with his eighth-grade year, where it feels like everyone is pairing up into couples except him. He’s still trying to figure out if he likes Charlotte or Drew, and how to care less what other people think.
Sashimi by Dan Santat (Roaring Brook Press, April 14)
In what is sure to be a huge hit with Dav Pilkey fans, be sure to pick up this extremely silly story from the amazing Dan Santat. Sashimi is a fishboy who comes up on land from the ocean, disguises himself as human, and starts attending elementary school in order to find more creatures like him.
Bonus New Children’s Books Out April 2026
Because I can’t stop recommending at just 12 books, there’s also Found Sound by Meg Wolitzer and Charlie Panek, Girl of Lore by Melanie Dale, Rialto by Kate Milford, When You’re Brave Enough by Rebecca Bendheim, and Chasing Eruptions: How Volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft Helped Save 60,000 Lives-But Lost Their Own by Curtis Manley and Katherine Roy.
And be sure to look for the picture books B Is For Bibliophile by O.E. Zelmanovich and Lauren Simkin Berke (illustrator), Mei Mei The Bunny by Laufey and Lauren O’Hara, When the Sun Goes Down: A Bedtime Book by Greg Pizzoli, Black Hands: Builders of Our Nation by Carole Boston Weatherford and R. Gregory Christie.
You can catch up with last month’s new kid lit here, and check out The Kids Are All Right archives for all things children’s lit.
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