ALA’s 2026 Rainbow Book List

We’re so excited to have 7 titles on ALA’s2026 Rainbow Book Listfor Teen Readers!

THE GOOD VAMPIRE’S GUIDE TO BLOOD & BOYFRIENDS by Jamie D’Amato (in the top ten!)
Brennan is surprised to wake up a vampire one day. He’s also surprised to find himself falling for a cute librarian who seems oddly accepting of his quirkiness. Both of these mysteries are quickly overshadowed by “animal” attacks that start to take place near campus. Can Brennan figure out what’s happening (with the help of the local vampires group) before someone else gets hurt?

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART by Lex Croucher 
Mariel, the granddaughter of Robin Hood, is grappling with the legacy of the Merry Men under her father’s leadership when she kidnaps Clem, a plucky apprentice to a local healer. As Mariel leads her band to rescue her father, Little John, and other leaders from the clutches of the Sheriff of Nottingham, Mariel and Clem’s combative relationship begins to blossom with romance.

WE CAN NEVER LEAVE by H.E. Edgmon
The Caravan exists to keep safe those who aren’t quite human… until one day five teenagers wake up to see that their families, and all they’ve ever known, are gone.

NOBODY IN PARTICULAR by Sophie Gonzales
Danni, a musically-gifted American scholarship student, feels out of place among her wealthy classmates at the elite Bramppath College. Princess Rosemary, who is struggling to rebuild her reputation after a scandal that resulted in the tragic loss of a friend. With both girls out to only a small group of friends and/or family, Danni and Rose endeavor to navigate grief, public scrutiny, and the pressures of royal life as they begin a secret relationship that will change both of their lives.

WHAT THE WOODS TOOK by Courtney Gould
Devin Green is sent into the woods as part of an experimental therapy program for troubled teenagers. The two counselors are less than qualified—and the monsters they find there are much more than personal demons. When their counselors go missing, the teens will have to rely on each other to get out alive.

OUR INFINITE FATES by Laura Steven
Evelyn and Arden are brought together in life after life only to die at each others’ hands before reaching the age of 18. Caught in a cycle that goes back centuries, the two navigate rich, beautiful, and terrifying historic moments, always drawn to each other—sometimes as a boy and girl, sometimes as two girls, and other times two boys—by their underlying love and sense of belonging.

THE ROMANTIC TRAGEDIES OF A DRAMA KING by Harry Trevaldwyn
Patrick “Patch” Simmons is a flamboyant and endearingly awkward drama enthusiast determined to find his first boyfriend before prom. In a school where he’s familiar with most students, he quickly settles on two new boys who join drama club, taciturn Sam and his close American friend Peter. Patch begins a hilariously chaotic quest for romance, aided by his mom’s outdated self-help books and the unwavering support of his best friend Jean. As Patch navigates the messy highs and lows of teenage crushes, friendship drama, and self-discovery, the novel delivers laugh-out-loud moments while still tugging on readers’ heartstrings.

The full 2026 Rainbow Book List can be found here.