At Random House Children’s Books, we are fortunate to have an abundance of riches when it comes to new and emerging talent! Get to know the RHCB authors and illustrators with their middle grade and young adult debuts publishing in the first part of 2026.
Book Lists
RHCB Debut Class of 2026
Meet Sadie Turner, author of TIDESPEAKER
Four Quick Questions with Sadie Turner
Describe your book in three words.
Atmospheric. Romantic. Twisty.
What’s the most unusual place you’ve found inspiration for your story?
Lindisfarne, a windswept tidal island off the north-east coast of England. I got stranded there for hours after miscalculating the tide times!
If your story had a soundtrack, what is the one song that must be included on the playlist?
“Which Witch” by Florence + The Machine—I listened to that song so much while daydreaming about the novel. Gothic, witchy, and emotional.
Which scene in your book was the most fun or challenging to write, and why?
I had a great time writing the sailing race scene in Tidespeaker—it’s a rare moment of fun for the characters—but it was challenging too, since I’ve never sailed!
Meet Jessica L. Cozzi, author of WE'VE HIT TURBULENCE
Four Quick Questions with Jessica L. Cozzi
Describe your book in three words.
Worst. Seatmate. Ever.
Which character in your story would you love to swap lives with for a day, and why?
Tyler! I’m very much like Olive in the whole “sticking to a plan” sense, but Tyler’s craving for adventure and trying new things would be a fun hat to try on for an afternoon.
Did any of your characters surprise you with a decision or trait you didn’t see coming?
I was not expecting Delia (Olive and Tyler’s best friend) to be as snarky and funny as she is. But the more I wrote about her, the more her personality started shining through, and I ran with it
because it was so fun to bring that version of her to life.
If your story had a soundtrack, what is the one song that must be included on the playlist?
“You + the Sun” by Old Daisy is the perfect vibe for the entire book. There’s a reason it’s the first track on the book’s official playlist!
Meet Myra Rose Nino, author-illustrator of LOVELY RECIPE
Four Quick Questions with Myra Rose Nino
Describe your book in 3 words.
Silly, romantic and relatable
What’s one interesting or quirky aspect of your book that didn’t make it into the final version?
Originally Sofia was going to blackmail Anna Marie into teaching her how to cook because they were arch-enemies. We felt it made Sofia a little too evil and would make it harder for them to eventually become friends, so just making them classmates who didn’t really know each other gave us more time to watch their relationship develop into something truly special!
What’s the most unusual place you’ve found inspiration for your story?
I was washing dishes and realized I was washing my great grandmother’s crystal cup she would always put dessert spoons in, which made me think about my favorite dessert she would make, Easter Bread! That’s when I ran to my desk and started scribbling down the idea for Lovely Recipe!
Which scene in your book was the most fun or challenging to write, and why?
Anna Marie’s family dinner scene was one of the hardest. I think I re-wrote (and re-drew) it a handful of times before it felt right. I used a lot of people in my own family to inspire some of the characters so trying to fit in as many silly personalities as I could into a couple pages definitely was a challenge!
Meet Micah Johnson, author of AKU: JOURNEY TO IBRA
Four Quick Questions with Micah Johnson
Describe your book in three words.
A Warm Hug
Which character in your story would you love to swap lives with for a day, and why?
I’d want to swap lives with Bizzy. She is so quirky and carefree and fun and spends her day making the craziest stuff. Knowing what she invents in Book 2 really makes me want to be her!
If you could have a conversation with one of your characters, what would you ask them?
Aku’s grandfather. He reminds me so much of our grandparents—work, work, work. I’d want to ask him, “Knowing what you know and how it affected your son, how would you better balance chasing your dreams with being there for your kids?” It’s something I still struggle with.
If your book was a theme park ride, what would it be called and what kind of ride would it be?
Ibra would be an immersive ride where guests board Bizzy’s space cruiser and race through glowing bioluminescent forests while evading Nash’s goons. Wind effects, near misses, and splashes of MatterBlaster gel make riders feel like they’re inside a high-speed escape… as you can tell, I haven’t thought too much about it 🙂
Meet Noah Corey, author of CLEMENTINE H. HOPEFUL IS NOT A HERO
Four Quick Questions with Noah Corey
Describe your book in three words.
Support queer wrongs 🖤
If your book was a theme park ride, what would it be called and what kind of ride would it be?
It would be called The Centipede Bus: You get into a wagon at the top of a steep forest hill, then race down it — but if you close your eyes and imagine as hard as you can, the wagon transforms into a gigantic, magical centipede bus. The ride does not have brakes, and stops by splashing you into an ice-cold mountain lake… so it doesn’t get very good reviews.
If your book were turned into a movie, who would you cast as the main characters?
Isabelle Fuhrman circa 2009 would do a fantastic job playing Clementine, but unfortunately we would need a time machine to make that happen. As for the rest of the film, think Labyrinth (1986): Jim Henson-style Muppets as all the inhuman creatures, Aunty played by a drag queen, and at LEAST three fog machines.
If your story had a soundtrack, what is the one song that must be included on the playlist?
Clementine’s a kid with world-changing, only-slightly-evil aspirations, so his anthem would be “Queendom” by AURORA.
Meet Kat Schneider, author-illustrator of SOMEDAY PERFECT
Four Quick Questions with Kat Schnider
Describe your book in three words.
Introspective, Sensitive, Lovesick
If your story had a soundtrack, what is the one song that must be included on the playlist?
“Playing God” by Paramore is a song that centers around calling out hypocrisy and self-righteousness, which miiiight show up a bit in Someday Perfect. I’m also convinced that my main character, Meg, would have that song on repeat on her iPod Nano.
If your book was a theme park ride, what would it be called and what kind of ride would it be?
“Turn or Burn Rapids” – an indoor boat ride that begins as a gentle, picturesque excursion but becomes slightly disorienting and rocky as the ride continues. Sections of the ride might include flashing lights, dream sequences, and an artist’s rendering of hell.
What’s the most unusual place you’ve found inspiration for your story?
Ancient Facebook photos of myself! Clicking through pics of myself as a puka-shell-necklace-wearing 15-year-old at a summer camp brought back embarrassing memories and feelings that I hadn’t thought about in years. Oof!
Meet Emma Jackson, author of A HOUSE OF VIPERS
Four Quick Questions with Emma Jackson
Describe your book in three words.
Twisty, atmospheric, and angsty.
What’s the most unusual place you’ve found inspiration for your story?
There is one detail hidden in the mystery plot that was inspired partly by the Animal Crossing video game! It’s so subtle that I don’t think many people will catch it, but it makes me laugh that I found some inspiration for my dark academia mystery in a cozy video game.
If your story had a soundtrack, what is the one song that must be included on the playlist?
That would be “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift, hands down!
Which scene in your book was the most fun or challenging to write, and why?
There’s a scene that takes place at the bell tower on Meddlehart Academy’s campus. We added this part to the book in the very last major revision. It initially felt difficult to write, but it turned out to be really fun to execute.
