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“After totally nailing her audition for the middle school play, April Xue learns she wasn’t cast because of her tracheostomy tube. So she makes a plan to show the director how perfect she is for the lead role…and only tells a couple fibs to put it in motion. April navigates friendships, overprotective parents, her love of the theater, and the ways people treat visible and invisible disabilities in this vibrant and heartfelt middle grade debut,” said Angela Whited of Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“Elsie is who I want to be when I grow up! She may be eleven, but she is also wise beyond her years, an advocate for change, surrounded by supportive adults, and an open book for all things puberty with no shame attached. This is a book for those who stand up for others and who have curiosity and empathy in abundance,” said Allie Cesmat of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona.

The American Booksellers Association’s health coverage partner, Gallagher, shares a brief introduction to health coverage options for independent contractors, 1099 workers, and sole proprietors.

Here is the Indie SciFi/Fantasy Bestseller List based on sales at independent bookstores nationwide for the eight-week period ending June 14, 2026. 

“You’ll love this romance that promises you one thing, while pulling the floor out beneath you. It’s a romance, it’s an adventure, it’s a mystery — you’ll love every minute with Cleo, Kei, and the cast of Camp Couple-Up,” said Coco Zephir of An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts.

“A novel with the spirit of a folktale, Rabbit, Fox, Tar is destined to be a classic. Stories like that of the Tar Baby take on new meaning as they are passed on, and the same will happen with this book as it is passed from person to person. I will continue to come back to this book and I will undoubtedly take away something new each time,” said Amani Jackson of The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore, Maryland.

Here is a preview of the titles on the July/August 2026 Kids’ Indie Next List flier, arriving at stores in the upcoming Kids’ Box mailing.