It’s back-to-school time, which means reading these great new books will give you an excellent reason to avoid doing homework. Whether you or a young person you know likes novels, comics, or picture books (or all three), there are delightful new children’s books out in September for every reader!
Included in this exciting list is are books about three boys who meet in detention and learn about their lives, a dragon dog looking to find his place in the world, the true story of four rescued rabbits, three sibling ghosts trying to navigate the afterlife, a group of snowbound friends trying to solve a murder, a look at an historic chess match between man and machine, a crime-fighting babysitter and her little assistant; and lots more!
Now, put your pencils down and pick up a book!
Absent by Rex Ogle and LJ-Baptiste (Norton Young Readers, September 1)
This is a mixed media novel of verse, comics, and prose about three boys from different backgrounds who meet in detention and discover they’re not so different after all.
The Wild Season: The Remarkable True Story of a Rabbit Rescue by Dashka Slater and Jamey Christoph (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 8)
An exciting, joyous new work from the author of Accountable and The 57 Bus, this is the true story of citizens in a San Francisco neighborhood who worked together to save four rabbits abandoned in a local park.
The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (Sourcebooks Young Readers, September 15)
In the first book of a new middle grade mystery series, four young friends snowbound in a book-themed inn decide to solve the murder of one of the inn’s customers.
Mystery James Returns from the Grave by Ally Russell (Delacorte Press, September 15)
In the follow-up to the award-nominated Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, Mystery must deal with the fallout from her supernatural crime-solving caper, work out why her best friend has become distant, and solve the mystery of her aunt’s sudden illness.
The Lost Three by Annie Barrows and Chloe Bristol (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, September 29)
Barrow, author of Ivy and Bean, turns her talents to supernatural stories with this series about three siblings who are new ghosts trying to figure out the afterlife.
The Wump by Tony DiTerlizzi (Dial Books, September 29)
Since spooky season is almost upon us, it’s a great time to pick up a new chilling read. This one is about a young boy whose problems with bullies manifests itself in the form of a shadow monster who feeds off his fears.
New Picture Books: September 2026Dragon Dog by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang (Random House Studio, September 1)
From the creators of Grumpy Monkey comes this delightfully silly story of a dragon dog created by an evil wizard, who tries to work out where he belongs in the world after the wizard kicks him out of the castle.
Gruffalo Granny by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Dial Books, September 15)
The duo behind the best-selling Gruffalo books is back with their first Gruffalo story in over two decades. In this rhyming tale, Granny comes to visit with the Gruffalo family.
Hometown by Shaun Tan (Levine Querido, September 15)
Award-winning author and artist Shaun Tan has created a new book of striking art, about a young girl in an unusual world who questions if she really belongs there after a stranger appears.
Rebecca by Kate Beaton and Sydney Smith (Roaring Brook Press, September 22)
Best-selling cartoonist and writer Kate Beaton, famous for The Princess and the Pony, King Baby, and Shark Girl, has written a beautiful story about family, loss, and grief.
The Voice of The Snow! by Yuko Ohnari and Koshiro Hata, translated by Emily Balistrieri (Red Comet Press, September 22)
This fun book, translated from Japanese, is a celebration of the sounds of snow during a gentle storm.
New Children’s Graphic Novels: September 2026Detective Baby: Dance Team Drama by Meg Cabot, Amelia Allore (HarperAlley, September 1)
Meg Cabot, the author of the Princess Diaries series, returns with a new mystery series about a babysitter with the ability to understand baby talk. With the help of her young charge, Jenny is determined to find the dance team’s missing money.
Detective Beans and the Map of Mystery by Li Chen (Andrews McMeel Publishing, September 8)
Detective Beans is back in another adorable adventure! This time, Beans and his best friend, Biscuits, follow a treasure map all around their town, hoping to solve the case of misdelivered mail.
Mind vs. Machine: The Chess Match That Changed the World by Steve Sheinkin, Maurice Ashley, and Thien Pham (Roaring Brook Press, September 8)
This is an exciting account of when world chess champion Garry Kasparov agreed to a contest against the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue in 1997.
Sashimi and the Field Trip of Doom by Dan Santat (Roaring Brook Press, September 15)
Sashimi the Fishboy is back, and this time he’s accidentally gotten himself into all kinds of trouble on the class field trip, and maybe a little danger, too.
Bonus New Children’s Books Out September 2026Because I can’t stop recommending at just 16 books, there’s also Ghost Light by Sara Farizan, The Burn Beast by Mary Averling, The Unusuals by Gail Carson Levine, Quetzal’s Labyrinth by Karla Arenas Valenti, The Intergalactics by Erik Jon Slangerup, Wish You Well by Jamie Sumner, and Hijacked by Goats by Ann Braden.
And be sure to look for the picture books Nora at Night by April dela Noche Milne, The Uncles by Tunisia Williams and Lance Evans, Snowfall by Sun-jung Park, A Riddle of Eels by Nicholas Day and Corey R. Tabor, Who Knows the Way to Mr. Grimly’s Classroom? by Chris Priestley and Mariachiara Di Giorgio, Diffy by Brian Lies, That You Are Here Is No Small Thing by Traci N. Todd and Vashti Harrison, and Young Cat, Old Cat by Jillian Tamaki.
You can catch up with last month’s new kidlit here, and check out The Kids Are All Right archives for all things children’s lit.