The Rundown
- Melanin in YA News
- Book Deals
- Tinseltown – Adaptation News
- Cover Reveals
- Bestseller Lists
- Awards/Honors
- Buzz – Starred Reviews
- General Updates
- Podcasts
- October 2026 Releases
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Melanin in YA News
- After a long, unexpected hiatus, Melanin in YA is back! For those new around here, Melanin in YA is your source for all things Black in traditional young adult publishing. This is our biweekly newsletter, a roundup of all Black YA news. Thank you for reading! If you like what you see here or in the database, please support as little as $5 to our current GoFundMe which helps maintain and scale Melanin in YA… which is still solely run by one person. This is a lot of work and we would love to scale though we do not have the funds to do so. Thank you for your help!
- As of now, our current directories that have been updated include: NYT Tracking, Adaptations, Literary Agents, Editors, & Narrators. The Cover Artists directory is currently being updated. An update to the Authors directory will follow. All other directories will be updated soon after. Also, check out the 2026 Book Release Schedule and Black YA Events to stay up to date on Black YA Authors making appearances near you. If there is anything missing from any of these pages, please feel free to kindly email info@melanininya.com. Thank you so much for your support. Now, let’s get into the Mid-October news!
Book Deals
- Kim Johnson has sold her YA Thriller, LUCKY NO. 8 to Random House, scheduled for Spring 2028 release.
- Emery Lee has sold a YA Speculative, MAYBE THIS IS MOVING ON to Tiny Ghost Press, scheduled for February 2027 release.
Tinseltown – Adaptation News
- TV rights have been acquired by Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins & Christina Elmore of Tomorrow/Today production company for BLACK GIRL, JUMP by Charlene Thomas. – Deadline
Cover Reveals
- Kosoko Jackson revealed the cover on Instagram for SHE WHO REMAINS, out July 27, 2027.
- Charlene Thomas revealed the cover on Instagram for BLACK GIRL, JUMP, out June 8, 2027.
Arriel Vinson revealed the cover on Instagram for the paperback of UNDER THE NEON LIGHTS, out January 12, 2027.
Bestseller Lists
NYT: ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW by Elizabeth Acevedo is an instant bestseller, debuting at #5 on October 4, 2026. THE SIREN by Tomi Adeyemi is an instant bestseller, debuting at #3 on October 18, 2026.
Indie: ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW by Elizabeth Acevedo debuted at #8 and THE SIREN by Tomi Adeyemi debuted at #6 on October 7, 2026.
USA Today: Nothing to report here so far in the month of October. The last YA book written by a Black author to appear on the USA Today Bestsellers List was THE HEART TRIALS by J. Elle on September 9, 2026.
Black Bookstore Coalition: Top 10 September 2026 Bestsellers are ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW by Elizabeth Acevedo, CLAP WHEN YOU LAND by Elizabeth Acevedo, THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo, YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT by Kaylnn Bayron, THE WHITE GUY DIES FIRST edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker, BREAKOUT by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk & Nicola Yoon, IMMORTAL DARK by Tigest Girma, THE SCAMMER by Tiffany D. Jackson, THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by Tiffany D. Jackson, ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson
Awards/Honors
- Elizabeth Acevedo (ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW) won the 2027 NSK Neustadt Prize for Childrens and Young Adult Literature as well as the 2026 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature and for her audiobook narration, the October 2026 Kirkus Earphones Award.
- Dean Atta received the 2026 British Blacklist Honour.
- The Young Adult Fiction Shortlist was announced for the 2026 Books Are My Bag Readers Awards sponsored by National Book Tokens. Included are ACES OF SPADES by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and THE HATE U GIVE by Angie Thomas.
Buzz – Starred Reviews
- Kirkus: THE DIVINITY THIEVES by Aislinn Brophy, JUBILEE FOSTER IS TOTALLY FINE by Elise Bryant, ELLIE ELLIE by K. Ancrum, THAT GIRL WON’T DIE by Jumata Emill, OKAY GIRL by Kelis Rowe
- Publishers Weekly: ELLIE ELLIE by K. Ancrum, THAT GIRL WON’T DIE by Jumata Emill, IF THIS WORLD WERE MINE by Arriel Vinson
- The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: DREAMWEAVING by O. O. Sangoyomi
General Updates
- ICYMI: The September/October 2026 Kids Indie Next List features ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW by Elizabeth Acevedo.
- IT’S ONLY DANCING by Jasmine Guillory was featured as one of Overdrive’s Biggest Books of October 2026 and was picked as the Good Morning America October 2026 Young Adult Book Club Pick.
- The Grio featured IT’S ONLY DANCING by Jasmine Guillory in 11 Books by Black authors releasing in October.
- Tianna Kelly was promoted to Literary Agent at Neighborhood Literary Agency.
- Justina Ireland wrote the third episode of Carrie on Amazon Prime, which dropped its entire first season on October 7, 2026.
- J.D. Myall has joined Tobias Agency as a Literary Agent. Visit our guide to Black Literary Agents Representing YA Lit here.
- Frederick L. Jospeh helped to raise over $12,000 for We Have Stories Literacy Fund.
- Children of Blood and Bone Director, Gina Prince-Bythewood was featured in Ebony Magazine’s Power 100.
- People Magazine featured Renee Watson (EVERYTHING NEW AGAIN).
- Today (October 15th) marks the end of National Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month. We send love to our Afro-Latinx family!
Podcasts
- Hung Up Podcast
- George M. Johnson – October 5, 2026
- No Write Way with V.E. Schwab
- Jasmine Guillory – September 30, 2026
October 2026 Releases
October 6, 2026
It’s Only Dancing by Jasmine Guillory
Being Amani by Annabelle Steele
October 13, 2026
Dreamweaving by O.O. Sangoyomi
Everything New Again by Renée Watson
October 20, 2026
Knight of the God King by Lauren Blackwood
Off Balance by Paula Chase
A Lake with No Bottom by H.D. Hunter
Everything’s Not Lost by Frederick Joseph
Soot & Sacrifice by Qurratulayn
The Queen’s Command by Sarah Raughley
October 27, 2026
Sun Chasers by Kacen Callender
Where We Go at Night by Ikwo Ntekim
Happy reading!
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Email Melanin in YA at info@melanininya.com with your news tip!
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