2026 RI Teen Book Award Nominees

Honor Book 2026

Becoming a Queen

by Dan Clay

Gay teen Mark Davis turns toward love, self-expression, and the power of drag to overcome grief when the unthinkable happens.

Bright Red Fruit

by Safia Elhillo

A novel in verse about Samira's journey into the slam poetry scene and the dangerous new relationship that could threaten all her dreams.

Call Me Iggy

by Jorge Aguirre & Rafael Rosado

Colombian American teen Iggy searches for his place in his family, his school, his community, and ultimately, his country - with a little help from the ghost of his abuelito.

The Color of a Lie

by Kim Johnson

In 1955, a Black family passes for white and moves to a “Whites Only” town in the suburbs, but Calvin puts his family at risk as he uncovers the town’s racist secrets.

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants

by Rebecca E. Hirsch

This entertaining compendium delves into nature's deadliest plants and their fascinating histories as implements of medicine, warfare, and foul play.

Honor Book 2026

Everything We Never Had

by Randy Ribay

In this emotionally charged, moving novel, four generations of Filipino American boys grapple with identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships.

Full Shift

by Jennifer Dugan & Kit Seaton

Equal parts action-packed and full of laughs, this graphic novel explores found family, the charm and intensity of first crushes, and what it means to truly embrace who you are.

Gather

by Kenneth M. Cadow

A resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction in this striking debut novel.

The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky

by Josh Galarza

Ever since cancer invaded his adoptive mother’s life, Brett feels like he’s losing everything, most of all control.

Greymist Fair

by Francesca Zappia

This suspenseful and inventive murder mystery is infused with magic and inspired by the lesser-known fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Homebody

by Theo Parish

Theo tells the heartwarming story of discovering how to live life on their own terms through beautiful illustrations and lyrical text.

Icarus

by K. Ancrum

Seventeen year old Icarus breaks into an art collector's home to steal valuable artworks and replace them with forgeries created by his father in this reimagined myth.

The Invocations

by Krystal Sutherland

A darkly seductive witchy thriller where, though both men and demons lurk in shadows, girls refuse to go quietly into the night.

I Shall Never Fall in Love

by Hari Conner

A romantic graphic novel mash-up of Jane Austen novels—where two friends discover their feelings for each other and find a space in their world for their love and identity.

Looking for Smoke

by K.A. Cobell

Four teens are suspects in their friend’s murder on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana in this thriller told through all four points of view.

The Maid and the Crocodile

by Jordan Ifueko

Orphaned Small Sade, a curse-eater, fights to make a home for herself while contending with a cursed god in this novel set in the same world as the Raybearer series.

Shadowed

by Carl Deuker

Nate forges a tentative relationship with outcast neighbor, Lucas, through one on one basketball games before they join a team and Nate learns that life is about more than just getting ready for the next game.

Winner 2026

Six Truths and a Lie

by Ream Shukairy

Six Muslim teens are falsely accused of a deadly attack in this timely and harrowing examination of America’s justice system.

Twenty-four Seconds from Now...

by Jason Reynolds

Neon and Aria are ready to take their relationship to the next level, if Neon can just get out of his own head (and the bathroom he has locked himself in).

The Wilderness of Girls

by Madeline Claire Franklin

Rhi discovers a pack of feral girls in the woods and is swept up in the ensuing mystery in this exploration of trauma, found family and the possibility of magic.

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