May 2026 Loan Stars Junior Canadian top picks

Loan Stars is the readers’ advisory tool that allows libraries across Canada to indicate popular upcoming titles. Using LibraryData, the library data aggregation service, the forthcoming titles with the most orders become Loan Stars top picks!

The May 2026 Loan Stars Junior Canadian top 10 list features ten books that have at least one author, illustrator, translator, or editor (in the case of an edited collection of material) who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.

You can see each book and find out a bit more about them in the list below, or you can download our poster if you want to display it, say in your library or on social media. (Tag us: @LoanStarsCA!) You can also view these titles on CataList in this catalogue.

May 2026 Junior Canadian List

Loan Stars top pick:

The New Girl: First Crush

by Cassandra Calin 🍁

9781338762495 | Comics & Graphic Novels

Description:

Cassandra Calin returns with this charming and comical follow-up to The New Girl, her long-form graphic novel debut that became a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Indie bestseller! This middle-grade graphic novel about crushing and being crushed is the perfect next read for fans of Guts by Raina Telgemeier, Fruitcake by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang.

Lia is finally feeling settled into her new life. Her friends are amazing, her French is improving, and her periods... ugh, those are still terrible. But Lia's crush, Julien, is noticing her. Lia thinks he likes her, but she can't tell for sure. And while she's obsessing over him, Lia's not noticing another person's growing crush on HER. With so many big feelings and even bigger changes, could things get any worse?

In this sophomore follow-up to the breakout hit The New Girl, Lia's relationships — with her friends, her crush, her mom, and even herself — are all tested like never before.

I Will Not Walk to School

by Naseem Hrab, 🍁 Illus. by: Kelly Collier 🍁

9781525314391 | Social Themes

Description:

From award-winning author Naseem Hrab, an uproariously funny and totally relatable tale of a monster who loves school, but hates the commute! It's eight o'clock, Bird tells Monster - time to walk to school. Monster stays in bed. It's not school he's resisting. He loves school! It's the getting there he hates. And, today, Monster declares, he will not walk to school. Will Bird's cajoling help? Nope. How about Bird's reminder that the pancake breakfast is today? Hmm. Will there be pepperoni and pineapple on those pancakes? Erm ... yes? With maple syrup on the side? Yes. Okay. Monster will drag himself out the door. But, no matter what, he will not walk to school! Author Naseem Hrab's hilarious story, told entirely in speech balloons, is sure to resonate with young children everywhere (and their grown-ups!). Who hasn't had one of those days? With an absurdity and nuttiness reminiscent of Mo Willems, this book will keep readers laughing out loud, unable to resist Monster's hilarious antics as he sticks to his promise! Kelly Collier's playful illustrations perfectly capture the emotional state of Monster and of Bird's growing exasperation. While books about going to school are perennial favorites, this one's focus on simply getting there sets it apart from other picture books about school readiness. It's just the right weekday morning story for children who are delaying their own walks to school ... and looking for ways to make them more fun!

When I'm a Moshom

by David A. Robertson, 🍁 Illus. by Corrie Hill 🍁

9781774881743 | Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island

Description:

This companion to the Governor General's Award–winning picture book On the Trapline is a loving and inspiring ode to grandparents.

When I’m a moshom, a long, long time from now, I will watch my grandchildren dance and play hockey, and I will be the loudest one cheering. I will take them on the trapline and teach them how to fish. I will feed them Bannock and share stories about our community. I will tell them I love them, just like my moshom did.

This heartwarming story thoughtfully explores the legacy of love, traditions and heritage passed down from generation to generation. Through the eyes of three siblings and their moshom (grandfather), readers are taken on a journey filled with cherished moments, from cheering at sports events to sharing traditional Cree knowledge and language. This picture book beautifully captures the bonds between grandparents and grandchildren, making it perfect for shared reading and an ideal gift for special occasions like birthdays, holidays or family celebrations.  

Includes a glossary of Swampy Cree words and an author's note.

Worm on the Job

by Maureen Fergus, 🍁 Illus. by Paul Hammond 🍁

9781525313165 | Action & Adventure

Description:

Size isn't everything. Especially when it comes to Worm, who's willing to stretch his limits to get the job done! Worm loves being a librarian but has decided it's time for a new job. He considers many options - lifeguard, deep-sea fisherman, window washer - but none of them quite fits his, um, skill set. Until he comes across a posting looking for a courageous security guard to keep a thief from stealing the Invention Convention's exhibits during the night. It sounds like the perfect job for him! Unfortunately, the hiring manager doesn't agree. Worm is too small! Also, he's a worm. Can Worm convince the manager he's got what it takes? And, if he does get hired, will he really be able to capture the dastardly thief? Award-winning author Maureen Fergus's story about the loveable, winsome Worm is just the right kind of absurd to tickle the funny bones of young children everywhere. With his outsized self-confidence and can-do spirit, Worm is sure to steal their hearts as well. Some facts about worms are introduced right into the story, such as when Worm sells himself to the manager by asking, “Can you survive being cut in half, eat your own weight in soil every day and turn kitchen scraps into valuable fertilizer?” Award-winning illustrator Paul G. Hammond's artwork is packed with loads of clever details (and hilarious inventions!) and manages to make Worm the star of every page, even as he's interacting with the much larger creatures in the human world. This is a great story for character education lessons on optimism and perseverance.

Beast Ballerz

by Wesley King, 🍁 Illus. by Steve Wolfhard 🍁

9781774886458 | Sports & Recreation

Description:

Basketball meets monsters in this first book in a hilarious middle-grade series for ages 10 and up by #1 New York Times–bestselling author Wesley King!

When eleven-year-old Baxter Brooks wakes up one morning with a sweet beard, he's pumped. How many fifth graders get to sport cheek mittens in math class? It's pretty much the greatest day of his life. 

What he first assumes is insta-puberty, escalates . . . rapidly. He grows fangs, people scream, he almost gives a cat a heart attack . . . it's a total mess. When Bax gives his whole school a were-scare during a play, he's shuttled off to an academy for misfit monsters . . . and into the zany world of beast ball. But if Bax wants to lead the long-suffering Pugs to triumph and solve the mystery of the Extremely Inconvenient Phantom, he'll have to learn to embrace his hairy werewolf alter ego. Yes . . . even the ankle scarves. 

Welcome to Prodigium Academy, where Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Hotel Transylvania in this middle-grade series featuring ludicrous artwork, loads of humor and a monster-sized heart.

Behind Five Willows

by June Hur 🍁

9781250348081 | Romance

Description:

From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a warm and romantic homage to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice set in historical Korea, about a reader and a writer who secretly fight against government book banning and find themselves irresistibly drawn together.

As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it—especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.

When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible... if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.

As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.

When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple—along with the girl's younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly...

When We Go Home

by Heather Beaumont, 🍁 Illus. by Nátali de Mello 🍁

9781525312519 | Diversity & Multicultural

Description:

A touching and warmhearted picture book that explores what it means to belong to two cultures. Marlee's parents are excited. “We are going back home!” they tell her and her brother. “Not my home,” Marlee says. She knows the island is where her mum and dad grew up, and that she and her brother will get to do lots of fun things when they visit. But she's never been there. And though her dad says a person can have two home countries, Marlee isn't sure she believes him. But slowly, the warm welcome from her large, loving family, the coconut water she drinks on the beach and the many other delights she discovers on the island, from pigs on the beach to music at bedtime, help Marlee see that what her dad says is true. Heather Beaumont's poetic story portrays an experience that many children with family heritage in another country or culture can relate to, and it affirms the experience in loving detail. The book's expressive, rhythmic text, using the refrain “when we go home,” and the rich, vibrant art by Nátali de Mello make it an excellent read-aloud choice. Perfect to spark meaningful discussions about what home can be, it highlights for young children what a treasure it is to have a family and a place - or two - that feels like home. The book also lovingly captures aspects of life on a Caribbean island, from the food to the music to the beach.

The Outermost Mouse

by Lauren Wolk, 🍁 Illus. by Kristen Adam

9780593407776 | Social Themes

Description:

A tiny-but-mighty little mouse faces down an incoming storm to protect her home. A tribute to courage and the rugged beauty of Cape Cod from Newbery Honor–winning author Lauren Wolk.

The Outermost Mouse loves her life at the tip of the beach. She has blue sky above and sand as warm and soft as her mother below.

Best of all is the house, a huge nest she has made her own. There are jam-jar posies, lanterns full of gold, and a clock that tick-tocks her to sleep at night.

But a storm is coming. When the sky goes dark and a cold wind rises, the little mouse must do everything she can to protect her home. Even though she’s small enough to fit into a teacup, the Outermost Mouse is smart, strong, and brave—and ready to face the wild waves.

Illustrator Kristen Adam brilliantly captures the snug warmth and fierce beauty of the Outermost Mouse’s shoreline world in Newbery Honor–winning author Lauren Wolk’s glorious tribute to the courage and tenacity of a tiny-but-mighty heroine.

Tom's Wild Ride

by Isabelle Arsenault 🍁

9780735267626 | Sports & Recreation

Description:

Beloved author/illustrator Isabelle Arsenault returns to the Mile End Kids of Montreal in this charming picture book told in comic book-inspired panels about practice, overcoming fears and getting back on the wagon . . . er, bike. A perfect pick for introducing 4-to-8-year-olds to graphic novels.

Tom is ready to take the training wheels off his bicycle, but his friends aren't so sure. How will he convince them that his next stop is the Tour de France?!

Tom won't let a few mishaps keep him from becoming the cyclist he knows he was born to be; that's what bandages are for. But his friends in the Mile End neighborhood think he needs more practice. Helping him train, they build an obstacle course to get ready for the road . . . but when Tom announces he's ready for a longer ride, without training wheels, his friends are overwhelmed with worry! What if he gets lost? What if he falls? What if he just goes and goes FOREVER?

But Tom knows he has what it takes. A combination of experience, grit and determination is all he needs to prove to his friends he's ready for the ride of a lifetime!

Join Tom and familiar faces Colette, Maya, Albert, Jimmy and the rest of the gang on a Mile End Kids adventure in this beautiful picture book told in graphic novel-style panels from Isabelle Arsenault, one of Canada's most beloved children's illustrators.

Mini Golf Fun!

by Tasha Hilderman, 🍁 Illus. by Kaly Quarles

9780593901892 | Readers

Description:

Putt! Putt! It's time for miniature golf! Join the family fun as everyone tries to get a hole-in-one. This Step 1 reader is perfect for children who know their alphabet and are eager to learn to read!

Lots of fun awaits at the mini-golf course. Pirate ships! Waterfalls! There are so many exciting courses to try, but it is not so easy. The ball keeps rolling up, down, or into the obstacles! Look out for that windmill! It will take practice and patience, but no matter what, kids won't want the fun to end! 

Step 1 Readers feature big type and easy words to decode. They are for children who know the alphabet and are eager to begin reading aided by rhymes and rhythmic text paired with picture clues.

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