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Batten down the hatches for a HUGE 2026
We’re five days into February and already the year has been ten years long, hasn’t it?
In the first podcast episode for 2026 this week, Megan and Allison are unpacking some big feelings and useful books around the theme of ‘Change’ – and part of the reason for that can be seen below in ‘Hello From Megan Daley’.
It doesn’t matter if you’re five or (ahem) a few years older than that, change is unsettling and books can help.
But Team YKNR has other changes afoot this year as well, including, but not limited to:
• The Your Next Read junior fiction series
We’re launching in March with four brilliant titles in the Silver series (readers 5-8) and the buzz is really building.
Books + Publishing had this to say about the series while giving a glowing review to launch title ‘The Lonely Lunch Club’ by Maddy Mara, illustrated by Laura Stitzel:
‘The series, developed by the creators of Your Kid’s Next Read, features short, approachable stories to build reading confidence. Judging by The Lonely Lunch Club, it’s off to a strong start and will be a welcome addition for parents, teachers and librarians who want to support their children on their reading journeys.’
Find out more about the first four titles (and pre-order) here.
• A new series of YKNR Author Talks
Our survey last year showed us that you are KEEN for author events online – and so we will deliver them!
Our free Zoom events with incredible Australian authors will run quarterly and will be suitable for both kids and adults. The author will talk about their latest book/s and there’ll be time for questions.
Look out for details of the first Author Talk in the March YKNR newsletter – but we reckon you’ll be excited to meet this YKNR favourite!
• A YKNR live event in Queensland!
Look out for more details very soon for your chance to meet Team YKNR.
UPDATES FROM TEAM YKNR
Look at us, ready for lift off....
HELLO FROM MEGAN DALEY
Megan is an award-winning teacher-librarian working in Brisbane, the author of Raising Readers: How to nurture a child’s love of books (now fully revised and updated) and THE BEEHIVE, and co-host of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast. More about Megan here.
My golly gosh – how can we possibly be in 2026 already! This one is set to be a huge year for me as I leave teaching to take up a position as Head of Education at StoryBox Hub and I have spent January going through all the big feelings (just ask my family!). I love a challenge and I’m so excited to step into this role with a company I have long admired, it really feels like an incredible opportunity and privilege.
On the home front, the kids went back to school in just in time – things were getting raucous and there was a lot of ‘don’t come back inside the house for a least three hours’ from me. We’re lucky to have lots of kids around the same age in our street and so it’s been lovely, but we were all ready for first day back. Why do children constantly want to be fed? And why are school shoes so incredibly expensive and why do my children keep on growing?!
MEGAN’S BOOKMARK REVIEWS
Each month, I share full reviews outstanding books that have crossed my desk, and this time I’m sharing two from our very first poddy episode of 2026. Bookmark these for your young readers.
‘Don’t Forget’ by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker
Don’t forget to make your bed,
and wear socks that fit your feet…
Don’t forget to care, to play,
To run, to laugh…
This one originally came out in 2021 and has just been released as a board book. Aimed at an early childhood audience from 5+, but utterly timeless, ‘Don’t Forget’ encourages us all to reflect on what is important for each of us and things we can do to be a part of the joy that exists in the world.
As is often the case with text by Jane Godwin, the pacing is masterful, with each ‘don’t forget’ idea building to a crescendo. And of course, Anna Walker’s stunning imagery melds beautifully with the words. This is the team that brought us ‘All Through the Year’ and ‘Today We Have No Plans’, which should also be sought out!
‘A Light on the Rocks’ by Helen Edwards
Told across two timelines, this historical middle-grade novel blends adventure, mystery and magic. Connected by place, the dual narratives echo across time with a ghost horse, a singing whale, and real events woven throughout.
In 1859, fourteen-year-old Daisy is travelling by ship from Adelaide to Melbourne, when the steamship is wrecked on a submerged reef near Cape Banks, in what became known as one of Australia’s worst maritime disasters. A century later, siblings Max and Rose spend their summer holidays at Cape Jaffa Lighthouse, perched on a reef, eight miles out to sea, where their father is head keeper. While exploring the reef, they encounter a ghostly horse, one of six aboard the ship when it went down
‘A Light on the Rocks’ would be an excellent choice for classroom study, particularly for readers and educators interested in Australian history, maritime stories, or novels that blend fact with imaginative storytelling. The novel brings the almost-forgotten history of the SS Admella and the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse to life in a well crafted tale.
HELLO FROM ALLISON RUSHBY
The award-winning, bestselling author of many, many books for children and adults, Allison Rushby’s novels are firm favourites in the Your Kid’s Next Read community. Her illustrated junior fiction series, The Wish Sisters, is a fan favourite, and her latest adult novel Slashed Beauties is out now. More about Allison R here.
Did you all have a lovely holiday? I didn’t! Ha ha, not quite true. I should be having a very lovely four days in Queenstown when this newsletter goes live. Now that my kids are out of school, we are taking our breaks when school goes back in. And also spending them on winery tours. Can’t complain about that!
I think in our last newsletter I told you about the staggering amount of writing I was going to do over December/January (because no holidays). Did I? Hmmm. Not really.
I did the copyedits for the US and the UK versions of my next adult novel, All Her Beautiful Deaths (out in September). It’s a whopping 135,000 words, so that was a whole lot of reading. I did write 15,000 words of the next adult book in the line up, so that’s something. And I did a little light editing on the lovely little Middle Grade manuscript my agents are about to start shopping. I can’t wait to see what editors think of that. I might have accidentally written a picture book too, which is something I said I’d never do!
So maybe I did get some writing done after all?
Of course you’re all waiting for my ice-skating update (how could you not be?). My synchronised skating team has kicked the year off with two skills classes – where we promptly learnt we have very few skills. We also did a stretching class with a group of children. We won’t make that mistake again, for they were much… stretchier than us.
THREAD OF THE MONTH
Every so often a post will pop up in the YKNR Facebook group where someone will begin with, ‘I know this is a group for advanced readers, but…’ Um, no! This is not ‘a group for advanced readers’ – it’s a group for ALL readers!
The below was not one of these posts, but was an example of the way in which our fantastic YKNReaders will pitch in to try to find the perfect next read for every reader – which is EXACTLY what this group is all about. Thanks for all your great responses, YKNReaders!
HELLO FROM ALLISON TAIT
Writing as A. L. Tait, Allison is the internationally published, bestselling author of 11 middle-grade novels, including The Mapmaker Chronicles, The Ateban Cipher and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. She is an in-demand speaker, a writing teacher for kids and adults, and co-host of the YKNR podcast. Her latest novels include THE FIRST SUMMER OF CALLIE McGEE, WILLOW BRIGHT’S SECRET PLOT, and DANGER ROAD. More about Allison here.
After a great holiday in Tasmania, I’ve spent January working on the structural edit of a new middle-grade crime novel, which should hit bookshelves in September 2026 all going to plan.
I’ve also seen the first colour pages of my very first picture book, which was a thrill – seeing a world come to life like that is a truly joyful experience for someone who thinks in words. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until 2027 to see the finished book, but we all know publishing works at glacial pace, right?
But I won’t keep you waiting that long for my next middle-grade book … ‘The Last Word’, book #3 in Scholastic’s Two Hearts tween romance series, will be out on 1 April. See the cover reveal by clicking the pic – and pre-order via the red button.
In other exciting news, Curriculum-linked Teachers’ Notes are now available for ‘Danger Road’!
You’ll find Teachers’ Notes for my books here!
CATCH UP WITH OUR PODCAST SUMMER SERIES
If you missed the YKNR Summer Series, now is the perfect time to catch up. We interviewed nine incredible creatives, mostly illustrators, about their process, their style and building successful publishing careers.
It’s a masterclass for anyone interested in how books are made and how creative brains work. Plus, all of the creators interviewed are involved in the Your Next Read series, so it offers some exciting insights into what’s to come!
FEBRUARY BOOKMAIL WINNER
Each month, we give away a prize pack consisting of some of the brilliant bookmail sent to us for the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast. One winner** is chosen from our full subscriber list by random draw and announced here!
There are SIX books in the FEBRUARY prize pack.
The FEBRUARY bookmail giveaway winner is … Georgia.Marks
Congrats! We’ll be in touch by email.
Want a chance to win next month? All you have to do is subscribe.
Thanks for being part of the YKNR Village – we are so looking forward to sharing 2026 with you!
Allison T, Allison R and Megan
**Australian mailing addresses only. Prize consists of one copy of each book pictured, sent as a pack to the winner by Australia Post. Winner will be contacted by email and prize must be claimed within 14 days or a redraw will take place. You must be subscribed to the YKNR newsletter by midnight (AEST) the night before publication each month to be eligible to win. No correspondence will be entered into.
What a fabulous first newsletter. Welcome back YKNR!!
Looking forward to all the podcasts, newsletters, posts, stories, book reveals and more!
Great newsletter. I loved A Light on the Rocks too!