Maybe we’ll see a colossal change when fall rolls around, or maybe we’ll need to accept that 2026 is not the year where YA nonfiction thrives. While it is likely I’ve missed a title or two in my thorough searching of publisher catalogs, there appear to be virtually no new works of YA nonfiction published by major or large publishers for May. There is one work of comic nonfiction being pulled into the nonfiction category for this roundup, but the landscape over the last five months in YA nonfiction has been bleak.
This has been the lament every month this year. In April, we hit a high-water mark for new YA nonfiction with a whopping five titles, including an anthology, a work of sports history, and more. The numbers were not great in January, February, or March.
Nonfiction isn’t as sexy as YA fiction, and it’s certainly not as easy to sell and market to adult readers as, say, the latest romantasy title. But nonfiction is crucial for teen readers who love learning about the world around them, diving into niche interests, and exploring the real lives of people who’ve done interesting things. With so few new choices, where are YA readers to turn? Certainly, they can and do read adult nonfiction, but that shouldn’t be the only place teens can find books that meet their needs. In an era of rampant book banning, the lack of nonfiction for teen readers–and the fact that nonfiction continues to be uniquely targeted by book bans–is disturbing.
It is great to see that YA comics have kept pace this year. Indeed, bringing these two YA formats together every month has really highlighted the contrast. Where YA nonfiction continues to dip, YA comics are growing more robust. This is good news, but it’s news that’s hard to square with the diminishing works of nonfiction. Seeing the two pulled together in a single volume is good, too, but the question remains: why so few works of nonfiction for teens in 2026?
Here’s what you can look forward to on shelves this month.
Whats Up in YA
Sign up for What’s Up In YA? to receive all things young adult literature.
YA Nonfiction
Queer and How We Got Here by Hazel Newlevant
Blurbed by none other than Maia Kobabe eirself, this is a coming-of-queerness memoir.
When Hazel was 12, they told their parents that they were bisexual. That’s not who Hazel is today, and this book tells their story of coming to understand themselves as a nonbinary, transmasc individual in parallel with queer history. Readers will learn about the West’s origins related to sexual orientation as well as discover the cultural history of “coming out.” They’ll explore neopronouns and the evolution of health care for trans people.
It’s a book that’s both informative and full of heart, inviting exploration through history and Hazel’s personal journey.
YA Comics
As I Dream Of You by Jennifer Lee, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Franny and Sam are both cynical and have been raised to believe that love is meant to hurt and fall apart. Though they both believe these things to be true, they have real feelings for one another. Love, the two are discovering, can be magic. Electric. Amazing.
But their newly developing beliefs about the possibility of love are going to be tested. Can they stay together despite the challenges before them?
This graphic novel explores lucid dreaming and the blurry lines between reality and fantasy. It’s a fresh retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice with some gorgeous art.
Colossal, Volume 1 by Rutile, illustrated by Diane Truc
This one began its life as a hugely popular Webtoon, and now it’s getting the print (and ebook) treatment.
Jade is a French noblewoman, and she’s expected to marry rich and help save her family’s disappearing money and power. Jade has zero interest in that future, though. She’s obsessed with power lifting and building her muscles. It flies in the face of what society expects of her. So when she accidentally sends another high society teen flying through a wall at a fancy ball, her passion for the gym may no longer be a secret. Before anything happens, though, Jade says love made her act that way.
Now, she’s in the midst of a wild courtship situation, trying to balance her desire to pump iron with the desires being put upon her to marry. Can she balance both of these things and maybe, just maybe, open herself up to the possibility of love and muscle strength?
Landing in Place by Sherine Hamdy, illustrated by Myra El Mir
Anisa’s life is planned for her. She’s at the same school her sister went to, she’s studying premed like her sister, and she’s even using the same tech tools her sister used. It’s not what Anisa wants, but her parents don’t believe her dreams of becoming an artist will set her up for success. Not only does Anisa feel like an outsider in this situation, but she’s feeling that way among the other Muslim students on campus, too.
All of that pressure and the demands to do as her sister did have led Anisa to flunking her first semester. She asks her parents if she can take some time off to travel, specifically to Cairo to see her grandfather. Her parents agree, and finally free to learn who she is, Anisa’s on a powerful path of self-discovery. She takes in all she can in Egypt, including engaging in as much art as possible, and when she returns to the US, she finds she’s finally got a voice she can use to help her lay her own path for the future.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, adapted by Barbara Perez Marquez and illustrated by Akimaro and Li Lu
Lara Jean Covey has kept a series of love letters penned to her crushes tucked in a box beneath her bed. They’re for her eyes only. But when those letters accidentally get sent to the five boys, everything Lara Jean imagined about her love life is turned completely upside down.
This is the graphic novel adaptation of the mega-bestselling novel of the same name. I cannot wait to see this edition!
To The Stars and Back: Volume Two by Peglo
This is the second book in a two-part comic series that began as a popular Webtoons series. In the interest of not spoiling what happened in the first volume, here’s the description of the first book.
Kang Dae is quiet and introverted. He prefers to spend time alone in his apartment. When outgoing and energetic Bo Seon moves into the complex, Kang Dae is annoyed. But it doesn’t take long before he’s charmed by Bo Seon, and they become closer and closer.
What emerges between the two besties is something more than friendship, though. It’s romantic. This is rough for both of them, as neither has had a great relationship before, and that trauma may get in the way of their budding feelings. It might be too hard for them to resist giving it a go, though, even if they fear for the worst.
Pick this up or hand it to fans of Heartstopper.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
English (US) · 