The 2026 National Book Award Shortlist for Young People’s Literature

Last month, the National Book Award judges announced their longlists in five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. Today, they’ve shared the finalists in each category. Each finalist takes home $1,000, while the winner in each category receives $10,000 and a bronze sculpture. The winners will be announced on November 18 at the National Book Awards Ceremony and Dinner. This year’s judges for the National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature are Edith Campbell, Brandy Colbert, Tricia Ebarvia, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, and Anne Ursu. Here are the five finalists they’ve selected, along with praise from critics and authors. Holloway by Elana K. Arnold “Elana K. Arnold paints prose like a master. A fascinating journey through time, love, and forgiveness.” —A.S. King“Arnold successfully renders Nora’s sensory and intellectual overload through the protagonist’s lyrical reflections on perception, the societal connections between post–Covid pandemic and post-WWII eras, and the making of art as essential and eternal. Posing thought-provoking questions about time, love, and relationships, it’s an ambitious and immersive portrait of one ...