Barnes & Noble Announces Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane as its 2026 Book of the Year11/12/2026

The bookseller also crowns a Children's Gift Book of the Year, a Children's Book of the Yearand a Nonfiction Book of the Year

New York, NY - November 12, 2026

Barnes & Noble is pleased to announce Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane, published by Scribner, as the winner of the 2026 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year.

The bookseller also celebrates Is This a Plum? by Dan and Finn Ojari (Random House Children's Books) as Children's Gift Book of the Year, The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by Jasmine Warga (Balzer + Bray) as Children's Book of the Year and This Vast Enterprise by Craig Fehrman (Avid Reader Press) as Nonfiction Book of the Year.

"2026 has been a wonderful year of publishing," says James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. "Our stores have enjoyed a level of excitement with new publishing, month in, month out, that brings back misty-eyed memories of bookselling life before Amazon. With so many stand-out successes, our booksellers naturally look to the gems as yet unrecognized. Whale Harbor is an outstanding novel and, to pick just one of the others, Is This a Plum? a joyous picture book of which our youngest customers will demand endless rereading."

"It's been an incredible year for books," says Shannon DeVito, Senior Director of Books at Barnes & Noble. "From stories buzzed about online to word-of-mouth bestsellers that fly off our shelves, it's no secret that there is an increased interest in physical books, in tangible stories that our customers and booksellers can share with everyone."

Booksellers at over 740 Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide vote for the book that they have been most proud to sell. Their first round of voting produced a diverse range of nominations and finalists. In the second round, votes from several fervently supportive stores ensured that Whale Harbor triumphed. A poignant multigenerational story of eleven brothers and the vastly different life paths they take, Whale Harbor examines ambition, masculinity and responsibility from Ireland to Montana to New York City.

"I fell in love with the Joyce clan and the seaside village of Connemara from the very first pages of Whale Harbor," says Lexie Smyth, Campaign Manager of Fiction at Barnes & Noble. "The excitement for a new Mary Beth Keane novel, especially after the success of Ask Again, Yes was apparent in the fantastic early reads, and that enthusiasm continued to build among our booksellers as early copies were passed from hand to hand. This novel is for everyone - it feels like an instant classic. Our booksellers will find joy in recommending it throughout the holiday season and beyond."

"I'm honored and astonished that Whale Harbor has been named the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year," says author Mary Beth Keane. "To have this particular novel be recognized means more to me than I can say. I'm so grateful to the B&N booksellers who voted for it, and I hope B&N readers find it worthy! Thank you!"

With an exceptional array of books to choose from, several titles were vociferously championed by booksellers across the country. After passionate debate, Barnes & Noble honors three additional books this year.

The Barnes & Noble Children's Gift Book of the Year for 2026 is awarded to father-son duo, Dan and Finn Ojari, for their interactive peek-through picture book, Is This a Plum?, a delightfully silly and sweet take on seeing the world from a new perspective.

"Sweet illustrations coupled with clever wordplay and a gorgeous package make Is This a Plum? the perfect interactive book for families to read together over and over (and over) again this holiday season," says Stephanie Pinheiro, Campaign Manager of Children's Books at Barnes & Noble. "Prepare for plenty of giggles as surprises are unveiled on each page, demonstrating that things are not always as they first appear."

"It's a surreal feeling knowing that something we made just for fun is now out in the world and being enjoyed by so many people," says Dan Ojari. "We love the fact that it's no longer our little book - it now belongs to anyone who picks up a copy and turns a page!"

The Barnes & Noble Children's Book of the Year for 2026 is awarded to Jasmine Warga for The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan, a heartwarming story of the incredible bond between a cheetah and a dog, inspired by true animal stories from zoos across the country.

"Chase and Finnegan will warm your heart and remind you that in challenging times, the way through is connection and friendship," says Bridgett Strawbrich, Children's Buyer at Barnes & Noble. "You will root for this troubled cheetah and pup as they deal with difficult pasts but find their way together to their happily-ever-after. This amazing story is based on true accounts from zoos; it is perfect for readers who love animals and are fans of A Wolf Called Wander and The One and Only Ivan."

"I am honored and delighted that The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan has been chosen as the Barnes and Noble Children's Book of the Year," says author Jasmine Warga. "Knowing that so many kids will have the chance to read this story about friendship and acceptance fills me with gratitude for the incredible Barnes and Noble booksellers."

The Barnes & Noble Nonfiction Book of the Year for 2026 is awarded to Craig Fehrman for This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis & Clark. A deeply researched history that reads like an adventure story, Fehrman shines a light on newly discovered documents and perspectives from the original expedition that offers a fresh account of our nation's founding.

"This Vast Enterprise is nonfiction at its finest," says Jess Lane, Campaign Manager of Narrative Nonfiction at Barnes & Noble. "Craig Fehrman has given a voice to the voiceless, bringing forgotten figures to the forefront and spotlighting their integral contributions to the evolution of our fledgling nation. I flew through this book and truly believe it's a must-read for anyone who thinks they know the story of Lewis and Clark."

"I am honored that This Vast Enterprise is Barnes and Noble's Nonfiction Book of the Year," says author Craig Fehrman. "The expedition is America's best adventure story, our national Odyssey. I'm thrilled that more readers will get to go on this adventure and meet the amazing people who gave everything they had to it -- not just Lewis and Clark but Sacajawea and York and John Ordway, too. I loved all ten people I wrote about, even if some of them broke my heart. I can't wait for readers to meet them, too."

The other Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Finalists were:

• Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden (Random House Publishing Group)
• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)
• Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up by David Byrne (Penguin Publishing Group)
• London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)
• Partita: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins)
• The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss by Robert Macfarlane, Jackie Morris (Norton, W.W. & Company, Inc.)
• Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy by Ben Macintyre (Crown Publishing Group)
• This Is a Door by Daniel Nayeri (Sourcebooks)
• Land: A Novel by Maggie O'Farrell (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)
• Ottolenghi Simple Too: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi (Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed)
• The Calamity Club: A Novel by Kathryn Stockett (Spiegel & Grau)
• Cool Machine: A Novel by Colson Whitehead (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)

The first Barnes & Noble Book of the Year was awarded to Charlie Mackesy's The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, where bookseller enthusiasm propelled it onto bestseller lists. In 2020, booksellers were in awe of the axolotls featured in World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments and shone a much-deserved literary spotlight onto Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present by Paul McCartney went on to become a holiday bestseller after being announced as the 2021 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. The 2022 Book of the Year, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, continues to top sales charts and was adapted as an Apple Original Series.

In 2023, James McBride's The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store triumphed, and Percival Everett's remarkable reimagining, James, took home the honor in 2024, going on to win both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for Fiction. Originally published in French, the 2025 Book of the Year, Mona's Eyes, garnered widespread love and attention from booksellers and readers, reaching the NYT bestsellers list for the first time shortly after being announced as our winner.

The Book of the Year is the culmination of an incredible roster of programs that identify and elevate the best of the best. This annual celebration joins the bookseller's Book Clubs, Discover Prize, Children's & YA Book Awards, Monthly Picks, and Game of the Year.

Customers can find the Book of the Year Finalists at their local Barnes & Noble and at bn.com/bookoftheyear. They can also join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, using the hashtag #BNBoTY.

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