9.10.0 / 2026-09-10

• feat: upgrade mongodb driver -> 7.6.0
• feat(model): add Model.findAndCount() wrapper for limit+skip based pagination with countDocuments #16460 #16454
• feat(schema): add Schema.prototype.queryHelper() to make it easier to define query helpers in TypeScript #16464 #16410
• feat: support middleware skip option for cursors and custom hooks #16350 #15883 #8768 AbdelrahmanHafez
• fix: apply defaults to undefined array elements #16542 #9232
• types: support for type narrowing when using projection in find and findOne #16500 #15545
• types: make Schema.prototype.static() return type with new static #16464