Independent booksellers across the country have chosen Daniel Nayeri's This Is a Door (Stonefruit Studio) as their top pick for the November/December 2026 Kids' Indie Next List.
“This gorgeous book feels like the memory of a show about your own life that you woke up to playing in the middle of the night on a static-laced TV. For internet lovers and physical media fans alike, this is a book for the painfully nostalgic,” said Ramona Flores of White Whale Bookstore in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“A book about books, publishing, writing, the internet, and the very best, truly enemies to lovers, unexpected romance. What a timely read — from the constant pressure online to the ways AI is changing publishing. An incredible look at the power of words,” said Leighellen Landskov of Fabled Bookshop & Café in Waco, Texas.
Independent booksellers across the country have chosen Sid Sharps's Midnight Manor: A Backwards Bedtime Book (Annick Press) as their top pick for the September/October 2026 Kids' Indie Next List.
“A world descending into chaos. Another strangled by repression and surveillance. Imperfect choices…which do you fear more?" said Anmiryam Budner of Main Point Books in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
“A canine soldier survives war, only to go on an odyssey that may take more than it gives. The Art of Racing in the Rain meets Angel Down. A beguiling, poetic affair that's bathed in crimson, and barks hope into the dark,” said Dominic Howarth of Book + Bottle in St. Petersburg, Florida.
“Death comes calling in Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt — a modern take on the role personified as a 30 something Londoner who falls for the humanity around him, causing hiccups for his calling. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll turn the last page with a clearer outlook on life as only death can give you. For anyone fierce enough to look at death in all its forms and relish the humanity in us all,” said Coco Zephir of An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts.
“An absolute delight! The funny banter between Skeleton and Cat is equally matched by the adorable illustrations. This is a wonderful tale of friendship but just a so-so manual for sandwich eating. Loved it,” said Nancy Baenen of Arcadia Books in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
“Ann Patchett is a master storyteller. She has given us the gift of another beautiful novel with layers of stories within stories. This is a tale about how the past never stays in the past and how we need to tell our stories to heal and change the narrative,” said Amy Graham of The Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury, Vermont.
“A delightful and whimsical journey! From the rhyming play on all the dino words, to the vibrant colors in the illustrations, it is enjoyable in every way. If only all our time doing chores was as fun as it is in The Dino Door,” said Joanna Robertson of The Treehouse Reading and Arts Center in New York Mills, NY.
