Shortlists Announced for the 2025 UKLA Book Awards
The shortlists are out for the 2025 UKLA Book Awards, the only national awards entirely judged by teachers. This year’s teacher judges have selected books that are positive, empowering or representative of children’s lives.
For UKLA, giving classroom practitioners the opportunity to read high quality new children’s books is as important as finding an overall winner. Research carried out by members of UKLA (Cremin et al 2008) clearly demonstrates the links between teachers’ knowledge of children’s books and the likelihood of pupils reading for pleasure. Despite this evidence, teachers are seldom given time to read new books or the funding to purchase them when they do.
The shortlisting meeting was held at Liverpool John Moores University, and preparations were carefully thought out. Chris Lockwood, Awards Chair says, ‘From the moment the Book Awards team met our 2025 teacher judges and their group leaders in Liverpool last September, we knew that we were in for a treat. They were a reflective, informed and enthusiastic group, serious about the responsibility of choosing just six books from each of the four wonderful longlists. At the shortlisting meeting, it was a joy to hear teachers reflecting on the advice we had received from Dr. Darren Chetty and Nikki Gamble on “how to be a good judge”, and they certainly were. The Book Awards Team have received a very warm welcome by everyone involved with children’s literature in Liverpool – the schools, the universities and other professionals involved in promoting the importance of Reading for Pleasure.’
The shortlists are:
3-6+ category
Gina Kaminkski Saves the Wolf, by Craig Barr-Green and illustrated by Francis Martin (Little Tiger Press)
There’s A Tiger on The Train, by Mariesa Dulak and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb (Faber)
Mr Mornington’s Favourite Things, written and illustrated by Karen George (Welbeck)
Geoffrey Gets the Jitters, written and illustrated by Nadia Shireen (Puffin)
Listening to the Quiet, written by Cassie Silva and illustrated by Frances Ives (Lantana)
Salat in Secret, by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Hatem Aly (Andersen Press)
7-10+ category
The Final Year, by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books)
Stitch, by Pádraig Kenny (Walker Books)
Code Name Kingfisher by Liz Kessler (Simon & Schuster)
Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan (Andersen Press)
And I Climbed And I Climbed, by Stephen Lightbown, illustrated by Shih-Yu Lin (Troika Books)
The Wrong Shoes, written and illustrated by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster)
11- 14+ category
The Things We Leave Behind, by Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster)
The Boy Next Door, by Jenny Ireland (Penguin)
If My Words Had Wings, by Danielle Jawando (Simon & Schuster)
King of Nothing, by Nathaneal Lessore (Hot Key Books)
Glasgow Boys, by Margaret McDonald (Faber)
Keedie, by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of)
Shortlist Information Books 3-14+
Brilliant Black British History by Atinuke, illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi (Bloomsbury)
Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales, by Catherine Cawthorne and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (Bloomsbury)
Wild Languages of Mother Nature, by Gabby Dawnay and illustrated by Margaux Samson- Abadie (Wide Eyed Editions)
Slug Life written and illustrated by Moesha Kellaway (Rocket Bird Books)
Homebody, written and illustrated by Theo Parish (Macmillan)
Stones and Bones, written by Rob Wilshaw and illustrated by Sophie Williams (Cicada)
The winners will be announced at the UKLA International Conference in Liverpool on 27 June.
