10 Canadian Middle-Grade Books coming in Winter/Spring 2026!
10 Junior Fiction books coming in early 2026!
New year = a ton of new books for kids! Here are 10 upcoming Canadian middle-grade books I can’t wait to read.
Briarwood by Natalie Hyde
DCB Young Readers | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
Can you keep a secret?
It seems everyone who spends the summer at Camp Briarwood can. But what actually goes on inside this elite, top-secret summer camp for the most brilliant young minds?
Callie Garcia would do almost anything to see for herself. But the camp is invitation only. And that invitation depends on writing a strange exam that tests not only your scientific knowledge, but your character as well.
Callie’s not sure about her character, but she has her great-grandfather Theo’s gift of a scientific mind. When her teacher accuses her of cheating, Callie believes her chance to go is lost … until a different kind of invitation arrives. With it, Callie is thrown into a world of marvelous inventions and a perilous game of cat and mouse between inventors and frauds.
The Case of Movie Mayhem by Michael Hutchinson
Second Story Press | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
School’s out for the four Cree cousins, but this is no ordinary summer—a movie is being filmed in Windy Lake First Nation. With superheroes in their backyard, the cousins can’t wait to show the actors and stunt doubles all that Windy Lake has to offer—as soon as they actually meet them, that is.
As Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee take care of catering for the cast and crew, a truck filled with specialty props and equipment disappears. Filming is halted and Windy Lake’s reputation is suddenly at stake. It’s up to the Mighty Muskrats to find the culprits and get the filmmaking back on track!
Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge by Dian Day and Amanda White
Second Story Press | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
In this graphic novel, best friends Mila and Kit spend their days doing fun things: they go to the skate park, play Truth or Dare, and pet the neighborhood cats. Mila’s favorite thing to do is draw her Shy Cat comics. But Kit’s is probably eating afternoon snacks. The first time Kit went to Mila’s house, he ate three bananas in a row without asking! Mila thinks rude is rude, but her mom says that sometimes, rude is just hungry.
When Kit has a meltdown at school over a “best before” date, a bag of apples, and a dented can—Mila realizes there’s something important she might have missed about her friend. And it all starts with their school’s Stuff-the-Bus food drive challenge.
Izzy Wong’s Drama Disaster by Marty Chan
Orca Books | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
Izzy's starting at the local arts-based middle school where she'll be in both the performing and technical programs, since podcasting requires both sets of skills.
Soon Izzy learns that a rivalry divides the acting students, known as "the Talent", and the tech students, called "the Techies". Lately the rivalry is more bitter than ever because someone has been making nasty memes of Brody Hogan, one of the Talent.
Before long Izzy's podcast is up and running as she interviews classmates and gathers clues about who might be behind the memes—but it isn't easy keeping socially afloat in two different programs, let alone snooping around treating everyone like a suspect. Soon the memester moves on to other targets, including Izzy, and when Izzy's parents find out, they want her to go to the principal. Now Izzy has a deadline. Can she find the culprit before the case is out of her hands?
The Water You’re Swimming In by Rachel Schwartz Fagan
Orca Books | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
Noah is used to being a straight-A student, swim champ and all-around easy kid.
But things haven't been the same since Noah's older brother Jamie ran away to Halifax, leaving only a note behind. His parents spend every free second on the phone or driving to Halifax to try to find Jamie, and Noah is left trying to mask his anxiety and grief by pretending to be the perfect son who does everything right.
Some warmth returns to their home when Grandma Aisling comes to stay, bringing her fiddle and her genius for making chocolate cake with her. At school, funny and kind Alysha joins his class and Noah has a new friend to distract him from his worries. When a swim competition is announced with the grand prize being a trip to Halifax, Noah knows he has to win it so he can go to Halifax himself—and get Jamie back.
Werewolves Don’t Keep Diaries by Suzanne Sutherland
Orca Books | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
Lou Chandra-Pine is tired of being teased by his older brothers and getting lectured for what his parents call "bad choices."
When his birthday comes and all he gets is a dusty old book and a card with his name spelled wrong, Lou makes a secret wish as he blows out his birthday candles: to be a huge beast. That way, his family would treat him with more respect.
Soon afterwards, though, his body starts doing weird things—like growing hair on his feet, sprouting extra-sharp fingernails and craving foods like raw steak. Could it be his careless wish coming true? Tired of hiding all these strange changes, and worried he might actually be dangerous, Lou decides to run away. But, with the help of a surprising ally, Lou finally discovers that he belongs in his family pack after all.
Last Stand by David Starr
Lorimer | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
Teen environmental activist Bella decides to take part in a pipeline protest in northern BC. But once she arrives, Bella realizes the situation is more complicated than she imagined, as she crosses paths with long-time activists, militant university students, protesters from across the country, and local residents, all with their own experiences and perspectives. This includes Maggie, an Indigenous veteran of environmental battles, who helps Bella understand the issues at stake.
When the courts rule in favour of the pipeline company, Bella and her fellow protesters clash with the police and arrests follow. Bella must make decisions about activism and her future.
Last Year With Maddy by Anna Rosner
Yellow Dog | Indigo | indiebookstores.ca
Twelve-year-olds Maddy Li-Quinn and Aviva Adelman are the best of friends, innately connected through their love of the arts: Aviva loves to read poetry and Maddy is a gifted violinist. However, over the course of a painful year, very different family struggles drive the two girls apart. Maddy encounters violence in the home, and Aviva’s baby brother faces a difficult diagnosis.
To cope with the stress, Aviva’s mother suggests she write a book about her friendship with Maddy. In an attempt to heal through the written word, Aviva becomes the funny, feisty protagonist of her own book, reflecting back on her life, and realizing that she, too, has made many mistakes along the way.
Still Alive by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
This gripping, accessible novel by celebrated Ukrainian Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch follows two sisters as they struggle to survive the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
12-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldn’t be more different. Dariia is outgoing and chatty while Rada is quieter and artsy. But what they have in common is their love for each other and their home. The family lives in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is attacked by the Russians on Feb 24th, 2022. The attack separates the family. Dariia is with her mom and Rada with her dad. The thrilling conclusion to this trilogy will have readers reaching for tissues on the edge of their seats.
Asha and Baz Meet Sylvia Earle
Asha and Baz are learning about the ocean in school, and though Baz seems mysteriously more confident than usual, the pair know that a trip back in time is sure to help them solve the Great Ocean Zone Challenge.
Together, they journey to 1970, where oceanographer Sylvia Earle is working in the US Virgin Islands.
Syvia is set to lead an all-women team on a mission to study the ocean while living in an underwater habitat called Tektite II. Who better to teach Asha and Baz about the ocean zones and the creatures that live in them?