Q&Q 2026 BooksellersList Childrens20

The Canadian Independent Booksellers’ Association (CIBA) has revealed indie booksellers’ top 20 books for the inaugural edition of The Booksellers’ List: Best Kids Books of the Year.

CIBA is adding the new annual list to its marketing initiatives after launching the quarterly The Booksellers’ List for adult titles in September 2025. The Best Kids Books of the Year will be released each year in advance of the holiday season.

The list is dominated by Canadian-authored books, with A Door Is to Open written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Julie Morstad chosen as the top title of the year.

The selections for the Best Kids’ Books of 2026 are:

TOP PICK: A Door Is to Open by Kyo Maclear and Julie Morstad, ill. (Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada)

● We All Love by Julie Flett (Greystone Kids) Author profile

● Midnight Manor: A Backwards Bedtime Book by Sid Sharp (Annick Press)

● Whale, That Was Unexpected by Casey Lyall and Kathryn Durst, ill. (Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada)

● Canada: We Are the Story by Richard Wagamese and Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, ill. (Swift Water Books/Penguin Random House Canada) Profile

● My Friend Fear by Elise Gravel (Scholastic Canada)

● Story Rug by Sophie Blackall and Phoebe Wahl, ill. (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette Book Group)

● Henri and Miko: Winter in Bosk Olivette by Rebecca Green (Tundra Books/PRHC)

● The Cow in the Dark at Night by Jess Hannigan (Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins)

● The Wise Pickle by Sarah Howden and Sabina Hahn, ill. (Tundra Books/PRHC)

● The Skeleton and the Cat by Brandon James Scott (HarperCollins)

● Goodbye, Koi by Jack Wong (Orchard Books/Scholastic)

● Fiddlehead Forest by Jana Curll (Greystone Kids)

● The Healer and the Phoenix by Linda Trinh and Quynh Anh Nguyen, ill. (Annick Press)

● The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen, ill. (Balzer + Bray/Macmillan Publishing)

● Lightfall: A Place Between (A Graphic Novel) by Tim Probert (HarperAlley/HarperCollins)

● The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Gym Class by Kai Cheng Thom (Simon & Schuster)

● Witchward Bound: A Butter and Owl Adventure by Erin Bow and Kelly Murphy, ill. (Scholastic Canada)

● The New Girl: First Crush: A Graphic Novel by Cassandra Calin (Graphix/Scholastic) Author profile

● Ghost in the Night by Tiffany D. Jackson (Scholastic Press/Scholastic)

“What a sweet and unexpected honor to hear that A Door Is to Open was chosen as the Top Pick for the Best Kids’ Books of 2026 by Canadian indie booksellers!,” said Kyo Maclear in the press release. “Every time I step inside an independent bookstore, it feels like stumbling into Frog and Toad’s cottage or Moominvalley, but with slightly taller creatures. As a former bookseller, I know the magic of these spaces built entirely on the lavish spirit of people who adore books and adore opening doors for others. Thank you, wonderful booksellers! Your support means the world to Julie and me.”