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Yuval Zommer, Katya Balen and Benjamin Zephaniah shortlisted for The Wainwright Prize 2025

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The shortlists for The Wainwright Prize, a celebration of nature and conservation writing, have been announced. Following the prizes recent expansion, The Children’s Wainwright Prize now includes the Prize for Fiction, the Prize for Non-Fiction and the Prize for Picture Books.

The Wainwright Prize showcases writing that reflects its namesake Alfred Wainwright’s values of celebrating nature and our environment, nurturing respect for our planet, and informing readers of the threats that the earth currently faces.

The official shortlists for The 2025 Wainwright Prize children’s awards are:

The Children’s Wainwright Prize for Fiction

Ghostlines by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold & illustrated by Levi Pinfold (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Ettie and the Midnight Pool by Julia Green & illustrated by Pam Smy (David Fickling Books)

Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto (Pushkin Children’s Books)

Wildlands by Brogen Murphy (Puffin Books)

Land of the Last Wildcat by Lui Sit & illustrated by David Dean (Macmillan Children’s Books)

 

The Children’s Wainwright Prize for Non-Fiction

National Trust: Look What I Found by the River by Moira Butterfield & illustrated by Jesús Verona (Nosy Crow)

University of Cambridge: Think Big: Secrets of Bees by Ben Hoare & illustrated by Nina Chakrabarti (Nosy Crow)

MEGA by Jules Howard & illustrated by Gavin Scott (Nosy Crow)

Cloudspotting for Beginners by Gavin Pretor-Pinney & illustrated by William Grill (Particular Books)

Wildlife in the Balance by Dr Sharon Wismer & illustrated by Terri Po (Flying Eye Books)

Hamza’s Wild World by Hamza Yassin & illustrated by Louise Forshaw (Macmillan Children’s Books)

 

The Children’s Wainwright Prize for Picture Books

Flower Block by Lanisha Butterfield & illustrated by Hoang Giang (Puffin Books)

Bothered By Bugs by Emily Gravett (Two Hoots)

HERD by Stephen Hogtun (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

The World to Come by Robert Macfarlane & Johnny Flynn, illustrated by Emily Sutton (Magic Cat Publishing)

Frog by Isabel Thomas & illustrated by Daniel Egnéus (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Leave the Trees, Please by Benjamin Zephaniah & illustrated by Melissa Castrillon (Magic Cat Publishing)

The Wild by Yuval Zommer (Oxford University Press)

Alastair Giles, The Wainwright Prize Director, says, ‘As The Wainwright Prize enters its second decade, the need to celebrate the best in nature and conservation writing has only grown stronger. While the challenges facing our planet have never been more urgent, we’ve also seen an inspiring surge of enthusiasm from readers. The Prize aims to continue motivating people to reconnect with the environment, both physically and intellectually. With this year’s expansion, we’re especially excited to reflect the evolving landscape of environmental storytelling and champion work that engages younger generations in the care and protection of the natural world. We’re eager to see which books from our 2025 shortlist will resonate with readers and inspire action.’

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 10th September 2025 at FarmED in Oxford. In addition to the six individual category winners, two exceptional titles will be honoured as the overall winners of The Wainwright Prize: one for adult writing and one for children’s writing. These will be chosen from the respective category winners and will be celebrated as the 2025 Wainwright Prize Book of the Year and the 2025 Wainwright Children’s Prize Book of the Year. Both overall winners will receive £2,500, with the remaining category winners each awarded £500.

Publishers Frances Lincoln, in association with the National Trust, launched The Wainwright Prize for UK Nature and Travel Writing in November 2013. The Prize aims to reward outstanding titles inspired by the general outdoors, nature and travel.

 

 

Debut Authors and Interrupters – the 2025 Little Rebels Award Shortlist

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The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction has announced its 2025 shortlist, on behalf of the Alliance of Radical Booksellers. The six shortlisted titles ‘boldly interrupt the children’s literature landscape’, say the organisers, reflecting back on queer histories and commenting on urgent social justice issues in the present.

 

 

 

 

The Little Rebels Award 2025 shortlist is:

Cottonopolis by S F Layzell (Northodox Press)

The Fights That Make Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt (Usborne)

Keedie by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of)

Kende! Kende! Kende! text by Kirsten Cappy, Yaya Gentille; illustrated by Rahana Dariah (Child’s Play)

Mayowa And The Sea Of Words by Chibundu Onuzo (Bloomsbury)

Zac And Jac by Cathy Jenkins (Graffeg)

The Little Rebels Award judge Dr. Darren Chetty said, ‘The stories that make up this year’s Little Rebels shortlist stretch across time, space and realms reminding us that the fight for justice is nothing new, nor a fight that is over. We are invited to join the dots between then and now, here and there, all the time paying close attention to the careful, radical prose and illustrations on display in each of the shortlisted books.’

The other judges this year are author and illustrator, Chris Haughton, Centre for Literacy in Primary Education librarian, Phoebe Demeger, teacher and author, Alom Shaha, and designer and illustrator, Soofiya.

‘A good book has the power to counter mainstream assumptions. To me that is what publishing should really be all about, to challenge the narrative and get us thinking and questioning. The Little Rebels Award highlights the books that do this. Books that challenge the status quo and amplify marginalised voices,’ says Chris Haughton.

The Little Rebels Award is proud to continue its history of recognising debut authors (most notably when Zanib Mian took the prize in 2018) who take up half of the 2025 shortlist: S F Layzell, Cathy Jenkins and Chibundu Onuzo (with her children’s fiction debut). Indie publishers, including micro presses, dominate, with titles from Northodox Press, Graffeg, Knights of and Childs Play. Elle McNicoll appears on the shortlist for the third time and Sarah Hagger Holt, winner of the 2022 award, returns to the shortlist.

The 2025 Little Rebels Award winner will be announced at an evening ceremony in October. The winner’s prize includes £2,000 funded by the Marxist Socialist funder, The Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust. Free downloadable reading guides for each of the shortlisted titles will shortly be available through the Little Rebels Award website, enabling educators and carers to discuss and plan activities around the social justice topics raised in the shortlist.

Longlist announced for the 2025 Branford Boase Award

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The longlist for the 2025 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author and editor of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children. The Branford Boase Award is the only award to honour the editor of the winning book, highlighting the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

In addition to highlighting the most exciting authors at the start of their careers, the Branford Boase Award also spotlights current trends in writing for children and young people. This year’s longlist of 20 books features original new fantasy stories such as Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm by Ash Bond, edited by Ruth Bennett (Piccadilly Press) and The Boy to Beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne). Contemporary life and the challenges faced by too many young people are depicted in Ashley Hickson-Lovence’s verse novel Wild East, edited by Katie Sinfield (Penguin Random House), and Margaret McDonald’s Glasgow Boys, edited by Alice Swan and Ama Badu (Faber), and, for younger readers, in The Boy in the Suit by James Fox, edited by Lauren Fortune (Scholastic).

Watch out too for post, pre and even mid-apocalyptic adventures, from Songlight, the debut novel for young people by playwright Moira Buffini, edited by Alice Swan (Faber), to The Love Interest by Helen Comerford, edited by Carla Hutchinson (Bloomsbury Children’s Books), and Apocalypse Cow by O.R. Sorrel, edited by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books).

The 2025 Branford Boase Award longlist in full:

Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm by Ash Bond, edited by Ruth Bennett (Piccadilly Press)

Songlight by Moira Buffini, edited by Alice Swan (Faber)

The World Between the Rain by Susan Cahill, edited by Mikka Haugaard (Everything with Words)

The Love Interest by Helen Comerford, edited by Carla Hutchinson (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

The Boy in the Suit by James Fox, edited by Lauren Fortune (Scholastic)

Skylar and the K-Pop Headteacher by Luan Goldie, edited by Megan Middleton (Walker Books)

This Dark Heart by Zeena Gosrani, edited by Hayley Fairhead (Firefly Press)

Wild East by Ashley Hickson-Lovence, edited by Katie Sinfield (Penguin Random House)

The Exes by Anam Iqbal, edited by India Chambers (Penguin)

All the Hidden Monsters by Amie Jordan, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)

These Stolen Lives by Sharada Keats, edited by Julia Sanderson and Genevieve Herr (Scholastic)

Bringing Back Kay-Kay by Dev Kothari, edited by Emma Lidbury and Susan Van Metre (Walker Books)

The Whisperwicks by Jordan Lees, edited by Carmen McCullough (Puffin)

Badgers Are Go! by Susannah Lloyd, illus by Nici Gregory, edited by Meggie Dennis (David Fickling Books)

Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald, edited by Alice Swan, assisted by Ama Badu (Faber)

The Virtue Season by L.M. Nathan, edited by Tierney Holm (Scholastic)

Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo, edited by Hannah Sandford (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

The Untameables by Clare Pollard, illus by Reena Makwana edited by Emma Dai’an Wright (The Emma Press)

Apocalypse Cow by O.R. Sorrel, edited by Bella Pearson (Guppy Books)

The Boy to Beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne)

Chair of the judges and co-founder of the Branford Boase Award, Julia Eccleshare says, ‘From very varied submissions, featuring memorable stories and voices, we are delighted to present the judges with this sparkling longlist. Children’s literature feels even more vibrant today than when the Branford Boase Award was established over 25 years ago; we thank our sponsors Walker Books and ALCS for enabling it to continue to highlight and support the best new writers and the talented editors who nurture them.’

This year’s panel of judges will be led by Nathanael Lessore, who together with his editors Ruth Bennett and Ella Whiddett won the 2024 Branford Boase Award with Steady for This. Joining him on the panel are Phoebe Demeger, CLPE’s librarian; author, former bookseller and now BA Bookshop Mentor Nicki Thornton; and Rumena Aktar, an SLA School Librarian of the Year and expert reviewer for Inclusive Books for Children. The judging panel will be chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.

The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.

The shortlist for the Award will be announced on Thursday 24 April 2025.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday, 9 July 2025 at an award ceremony at CLPE in London.

J.T. Williams wins 2024 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction

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Little Rebels Award Winner and judges, photo by Lily Slaymaker

J.T. Williams is the winner of the 2024 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction for Portraits and Poison, the second book in her Lizzie & Belle junior detective series. The first in the series, Drama and Danger, was longlisted for the Little Rebels Award in 2023. Set against a backdrop of real-life British Black History, Portraits and Poison explores a history of Black British activism, introducing young readers to real life, Georgian-London, campaigners such as the Sons (& Daughters) of Africa. The novel also exposes the racist mechanisms at work in the conventions of Western portraiture.

Little Rebels Award Judge, Farrah Serroukh, described Portraits and Poison as, ‘A fantastic means of countering erasure across all spheres including artistic, fictional, historical and political; challenging misrepresentations whilst encased in a brilliantly crafted, engaging and accessible story.’ The organisers of the Little Rebels Award said, ‘We love how Portraits and Poison, with its themes of civil disobedience and rebellion, channels the spirit, energy and optimism of the Little Rebels Award.’

J.T. Williams was awarded £2k prize money, funded by the Barry Amiel & Norman Melburn Trust, plus £250 through the Gill Lewis Award, a sum which will be donated by the winner to a charity of their choice, and a limited edition print by Ken Wilson Max, commissioned by and exclusive to the award.

The announcement was made at the Little Rebels Award Ceremony, held at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, on Wednesday October 16th. It followed a panel discussion on centring radical fiction for children, chaired by Dr. Darren Chetty and attended by 2024 shortlistees, Yaba Badoe; Jen Reid; Kate Rafiq; Harry Woodgate; JT Williams; James Catchpole & Karen George; Helen Rutter & Elisa Paganelli.

This is the 12th year of the Little Rebels Award. Given on behalf of the Alliance of Radical Booksellers (ARB), the award is administered by ARB members, Housmans Bookshop and Letterbox Library, it recognises children’s books which explore political ideas, challenge the status quo, or promote social justice, social equality and a more peaceful and fairer world.  In 2023 the award was won by Patrice Lawrence for Needle (Barrington Stoke).

This year’s judges were author-illustrator (and former award shortlistee), Emily Haworth-Booth; reading development and children’s book consultant, Jake Hope; Research and Development Director at the Centre for Literature in Primary Education (CLPE), Farrah Serroukh; teacher and author, Alom Shaha; illustrator, designer & lecturer, Soofiya.

The other shortlisted books were:

Man-Man and The Tree Of Memories by Yaba Badoe and Joelle Avelino (Head of Zeus Books)

A Hero Like Me by Angela Joy, Jen Reid and Leire Salaberria (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)

We Are Here by Kate Rafiq (Dune Books)

Grandad’s Pride by Harry Woodgate (Andersen Press)

Is That Your Mama? By Patrice Lawrence and Diane Ewen (Scholastic)

You’re So Amazing! by James & Lucy Catchpole and Karen George (Faber & Faber)

The Piano At The Station by Helen Rutter with illustrations by Elisa Paganelli (Barrington Stoke)

Winners announced for inaugural Graphic Novel Prize 2024

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The winners of the inaugural Graphic Novel Prize were announced today 7 October at an awards ceremony, hosted by broadcaster and author Konnie Huq at The Cartoon Museum, London. The audience which included school children was treated to performances from graphic novelists and comic creators Jim Smith, Sophy Henn, Thiago de Moraes and, attending via video link, Sarah Bowie.

The winners of the award were revealed as:

Mark Bradley for Bumble and Snug and the Shy Ghost (Hachette Children’s Group)

John Patrick Green for Investigators: All Tide Up (Macmillan Children’s Books) in the Graphic Novel for Older Readers category

Alice Oseman for Heartstopper Volume 5 (Hachette Children’s Group) in the Graphic Novel for Teens category.

Scholastic set up the award to recognise the appeal of the genre as well as the role that graphic novels play in developing readers and building strong reading habits and positive associations with books.  Scholastic’s Rachel Partridge, Group Marketing & PR and Schools Commercial Director said, ‘We are so delighted to have seen the response to the inaugural Graphic Novel Prize, both from the industry and the schools and children who have voted for their winners. Graphic novels are often a vital route into reading for children who may not think of themselves as readers. We frequently hear from schools that investing in graphic novels for their libraries and reading corners tempts more children to pick up a book and they have an increasing role to play when we currently have the lowest levels of reading enjoyment for children aged 5-18 since 2005. I hope the shortlists for the prize act as a signpost for teachers, parents and children to discover more of these brilliant authors and illustrators in support of the work that already exists to showcase this fantastic genre.’

The judging panel was made up of Jon Biddle English lead at Moorlands School; Jo Cummins teacher, blogger and podcast host; Sha Nazir Event Producer at ACME Comic Con; Richard Ruddick teacher and Comics in Class blogger and Michael Stirling Creative Director at The Beano. Whilst the judges selected the shortlist however, the winners of the awards were decided entirely by children’s votes submitted from schools across the UK and Ireland.

The shortlists in full:

Best Graphic Novel for 6-8-year-olds

A SUPER SCARY NARWHALLOWEEN by Ben Clanton

Max and Chaffy: Welcome to Animal Island by Jamie Smart

Bumble and Snug and the Shy Ghost by Max Bradley

Too Pig to Fail by Rob Harrell

Best Graphic Novel for 9-12-year-olds

Barb and the Shadow Army by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson

Mexikid by Pedro Martín

InvestiGators: All Tide Up by John Patrick Green

Finding My Voice by Aoife Dooley

Best Graphic Novel for Teens

Vern: Custodian of the Universe by Tyrell Waiters

If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

Skulduggery Pleasant: Bad Magic by Derek Landy, P. J. Holden and Matt Soffe

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

Longlists announced for the 2025 UKLA Book Awards

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The longlists have been announced for the 2025 UKLA Book Awards, the only national children’s book awards to be judged by teachers. A total of 470 books were submitted across the four categories, publishers represented for the first time include Rocket Bird Books, The Neem Tree Press, Alanna Max and Greystone Books.

Awards Chair, Christine Lockwood, said, ‘We always approach this difficult but exciting task with great anticipation.  The longlisting team were challenged to select from a very rich and exceptional list of submissions this year and they have come up with four enticing longlists.  It is always a joy to meet our committed, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic longlisters in person, after a long summer of reading and exchanging views online.  I would like to thank them for their hard work over the summer.  The longlists will now pass to our teams of teacher judges and their group leaders in Liverpool and the North-West, and I can’t wait to share these books with them over the next year.’

This year there are 87 judges covering the four categories and they have until mid-March to read the longlisted books, discuss them with their group leaders, and share them with pupils.

Longlist 3-6+

I Want a Dog. Written and illustrated by Jon Agee (Scallywag Press)

Gigantic. Written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph (HarperCollins)

Gina Kaminkski Saves a Wolf. Written by Craig Barr-Green and illustrated by Francis Martin (Little Tiger Press)

Doris. Written and illustrated by Lo Cole (Rocket Bird Books)

The Magic Callaloo. Written by Trish Cooke and illustrated by Sophie Bass (Walker Books)

Beneath. Written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld (Scallywag Press)

There’s A Tiger on The Train. Written by Mariesa Dulak and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb (Faber)

Grey. Written by Laura Dockrill and illustrated by Lauren Child (Walker Books)

The Golden Hare. Written and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly (The O’Brien Press)

Champ. Written by Payam Ebrahimi, illustrated by Reza Dalvand and translated by Caroline Croskery (Aldana Libros)

Dim Sum Palace. Written and illustrated by X. Fang (Pushkin Press)

Let’s Go! haw êkwa!. Written and illustrated by Julie Flett (Greystone Books)

Mr Mornington’s Favourite Things.  Written and illustrated by Karen George (Welbeck)

Stop! That’s Not My Story. Written by Smriti Halls and illustrated by Erika Meza (Simon & Schuster)

I Love Books. Written and illustrated by Mariajo Ilustrajo (Frances Lincoln)

Lulu’s Nana Visits. Written by Anna McQuinn and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (Alanna Max)

Poetry is Not for Me! Written by Joshua Seigal and illustrated by Rebecca Burgess (Collins)

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. Written by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Hatem Aly (Andersen Press)

The Elephant and the Sea. Written and illustrated by Ed Vere (Puffin)

The Starling’s Song. Written by Octavie Wolters and illustrated by Michele Hutchinson (Pushkin Press)

 

Longlist 7-10+

Puppet. Written by David Almond and illustrated by Lizzy Stewart (Walker Books)

Little House. Written by Katya Balen and illustrated by Richard Johnson (Barrington Stoke)

The Wonder Brothers. Written by Frank Cottell-Boyce and illustrated by Steven Lenton (Macmillan)

Mis Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters: The Wrath of the Woolington Worm Written by Karen Foxlee and illustrated by Freda Chiu (Pushkin Press)

The Final Year. Written by Matt Goodfellow  and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Otter-Barry Books)

Stitch. Written by Pádraig Kenny (Walker Books)

Code Name Kingfisher. Written by Liz Kessler (Simon & Schuster)

Safiyyah’s War. Written by Hiba Noor Khan (Andersen Press)

And I Climbed And I Climbed. Written by Stephen Lightbown and illustrated by Shih-Yu Lin         (Troika Books)

On Poetry Street. Written by Brian Moses and illustrated by Mark Elvins (Scallywag Press)

The Wrong Shoes. Written and illustrated by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster)

The Boy Who Made Monsters. Written by Jenny Pearson and illustrated by Katie Kear (Usborne)

Impossible Creatures. Written by Katherine Rundell and illustrated by Tomislav Tomić (Bloomsbury)

The Letter with the Golden Stamp. Written by Onjali Q Raúf (Orion)

The Clockwork Conspiracy. Written by Sam Sedgman (Bloomsbury)

Murray  and Bun : Murray the Viking. Written and illustrated by    Adam Stower (HarperCollins)

Pizza Pete and the Perilous Potions. Written by Carrie Sellon and illustrated by Sarah Horne (Guppy Books)

Greenwild: The World Behind the Door. Written by Pari Thomson and illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Macmillan)

Norah’s Ark. Written by Victoria Williamson (Neem Tree Press)

Quiet Storm. Written by Kimberly Whittam (Usborne)

 

Longlist 11- 14+

This Book Won’t Burn. Written by Samira Ahmed (Atom)

Bird Boy. Written by Catherine Bruton (Nosy Crow)

You Could Be So Pretty. Written by Holly Bourne (Usborne)

I Am Wolf. Written by Alastair Chisholm (Nosy Crow)

Sing If You Can’t Dance. Written by Alexia Casale (Faber)

Where The Heart Should Be. Written by Sarah Crossan (Bloomsbury)

Eddy, Eddy. Written by Kate De Goldi (Old Barn Books)

Electric Life. Written by Rachel Delahaye (Troika)

Finding Phoebe. Written by Gavin Extence (Andersen Press)

Northern Soul. Written by Phil Earle (Barrington Stoke)

The Things We Leave Behind. Written by Clare Furniss (Simon & Schuster)

Noah Frye Gets Crushed.  Written by Maggie Horne (Firefly Press)

The Boy Next Door. Written by Jenny Ireland (Penguin)

If My Words Had Wings. Written by Danielle Jawando (Simon & Schuster)

The Grimmelings. Written by Rachael King (Guppy Books)

King of Nothing  Written by Nathaneal Lessore (Hot Key Books)

Little Bang. Written by Kelly McCaughrain (Walker Books)

Glasgow Boys. Written by Margaret McDonald (Faber)

Keedie. Written by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of)

Louder Than Hunger. Written by John Schu (Walker Books)

 

Longlist Information Books 3-14+

Stand Up and Speak Out Against Racism. Written by Yassmin Abdel-Magied and illustrated by Aleesha Nandhra (Walker Books)

Brilliant Black British History. Written by Atinuke and illustrated by Kingsley Nebechi (Bloomsbury)

Lads. Written by Alan Bisset (Wren & Rook)

Wildlife Crossings. Written by Catherine Barr and illustrated by Christiane Engel   (Otter-Barry Books)

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales. Written by Catherine Cawthorne and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (Bloomsbury)

Wild languages of Mother Nature. Written by Gabby Dawnay and illustrated by Margaux Samson- Abadie (Wide Eyed Editions)

Tasty Tales. Written and illustrated by Anna Lena Feunekes (UCLan)

Against The Odds. Written by Alastair Humphreys and illustrated by Pola Mai (Templar)

Story of Now. Written by Shelina Janmohamed and illustrated by Laura Greenan (Welbeck)

Slug Life. Written and illustrated by Moesha Kellaway (Rocket Bird Books)

Measuring Me. Written and illustrated by Nicola Kent (Little Tiger Press)

Explodapedia: Rewild. Written by Ben Martynoga and illustrated by Moose Allain (David Fickling Books)

This Book Will Make You An Artist. Written by Ruth Millington and illustrated by Ellen Surrey (Nosy Crow)

Homebody. Written and illustrated by Theo Parish      (Macmillan)

Stolen History. Written by Sathnam Sanghera and illustrated by Jen Khatun (Puffin)

Welcome to the Arts: Dance. Written by Sir Alistair Spalding and illustrated by Jason Raish (Big Picture Press )

Wilding. Written by Isabella Tree and illustrated by Angela Harding (Macmillan)

Rise Up and Sing. Written by Andrea Warner and illustrated by Louise Reimer (Greystone)

Mission Arctic Written by Katherine Weiss-Tuider and illustrated by Christiane Schneider (Greystone)

Stones and Bones. Written by Rob Wilshaw and illustrated by Sophie Williams (Cicada)

UKLA is a registered charity, which has as its sole object the advancement of education in literacy. UKLA is committed to promoting good practice nationally and internationally in literacy and language teaching and research.

UKLA especially supports the development of approaches to literacy learning and teaching which underpin these understandings. The Association recognises the significance for effective language and communication learning of literature, drama, the visual media, non-fiction texts and information technology, as well as welcoming approaches to teaching which draw on the resources of a wide range of cultures and which are informed by a detailed understanding of how literacy and language work.

The winners of the Yoto Carnegies 2024

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The Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing is awarded to the current Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho for his verse novel The Boy Lost in the Maze illustrated by Kate Milner (Otter-Barry Books). The story portrays a boy’s journey into manhood and integrating the myth of the Minotaur with the contemporary journey of a teenager searching for his father.

The Yoto Carnegies are judged by librarians and Joseph Coelho has made libraries a focus for his tenure as Waterstones Children’s Laureate (2022-2024) launching a ‘library marathon’ project which saw him visit and join a library in every region of the UK, a total of 213 nationwide, to highlight their importance. This will be a very popular win!

Receiving the award, Joseph Coelho said, ‘I am absolutely delighted to be the recipient of this year’s Carnegie Medal for Writing. The Boy

Joseph Coelho, Winner of the Yoti Carnegie Medal 2024, Photographed at the Cambridge Theatre where the award ceremony takes place this year. 19/6/24. Photo Tom Pilston

Lost in the Maze is a novel that means a great deal to me and so to have it recognised by the UK’s, if not the world’s, most prestigious award for children’s literature feels particularly special.

During my tenure as Laureate I have had the pleasure of joining a library in every local authority in the UK, meeting librarians and patrons of libraries on buses, in converted flats and in gorgeous Carnegie buildings. The one thing that has been consistent between all libraries has been the passion, skill and creativity of the librarians. Through their essential work they are tackling social isolation, providing access to essential services and of course creating the readers of the future. I feel completely honoured that it is librarians who have deemed The Boy Lost in the Maze as worthy of a Carnegie medal and will forever be grateful to the team at Otter-Barry Books, illustrator Kate Milner and my agent Caroline Sheldon for helping me bring this story to bookshelves and into the hands of readers.’

Aaron Becker is the winner of the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration for his wordless picture book The Tree and the River (Walker Books).

Accepting the award, Aaron Becker said, ‘I’m incredibly grateful to have received the Carnegie Medal for Illustration for The Tree and the River. It’s an honour and a testament to the power of wordless books.

Growing up, I was always drawn to illustrations and would get lost in pictures. When I began drawing images of my own, I was able to create a space where I could create, imagine and escape into worlds of my own design. Pictures became the way I processed the world. Within the pages of my wordless books, I invite readers to slow down and interpret stories on their own terms. Children and adults alike can project themselves onto the characters within my stories and find their own meaning and discoveries within the details of each spread, free of a narrator to dictate their pace and thoughts. My hope is that winning this award promotes the idea that books can be for anyone, even the reluctant readers among us for whom story resonates more deeply through imagery than words.’

The Yoto Carnegies celebrate achievement in children’s writing and illustration and each year thousands of reading groups in schools and libraries in the UK and around the world get involved in the Awards, with children and young people ‘shadowing’ the judging process, debating and choosing their own winners. They also chose Aaron Becker’s The Tree and the River as their winner, Aaron Becker adding the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Illustration to his Yoto Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

Shadowers loved how the wordless story left The Tree and the River open to interpretation. Emilie from Rebel Readers said, ‘It is like a movement of time and it could be in the past or in the future’. Dyslexic reader Alec from BurlingtonBookReaders said it helped him learn about the ‘cyclical nature of the world.’

The winner of the Yoto Carnegie Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing is Tia Fisher for her verse novel, Crossing the Line (Bonnier Books UK), based on a true story about teenagers swept up into county lines.

Commenting on why they chose Crossing the Line, Emelie from shadowing group KEVICHG said ‘the verse style fits this book like a glove’.

The winners were revealed at an in-person ceremony held at the Cambridge Theatre, home of the RSC’s award-winning Matilda The Musical. Over 600 children enjoyed the ceremony in-person with the event live-streamed and watched by thousands of shadowing groups around the country. The awards were hosted by Manjeet Mann, winner of the 2021 Shadowers’ Choice Medal for Writing for her debut novel, Run, Rebel. Her second novel, The Crossing, was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing in 2022.

Maura Farrelly, Chair of Judges for The Yoto Carnegies 2024, said, ‘The Boy Lost in the Maze is a multi-layered immersive read which is playful in its language and construction and is as architectural as the mythical maze itself. The Tree and the River is a beautiful visual narrative of the natural world and the impact of humankind which invites readers to become absorbed in the landscapes. The epic spreads are alive with intricate detail and gorgeous use of light and colour. Both are ambitious and exciting books that inspire the imagination and empower young readers.

Congratulations to our 2024 medal winners and to the Shadowers’ Choice winners. Thank you to all the young readers who took part in the Shadowing programme and to the librarians who continue to support and inspire readers and to champion the best in books for children and young people everywhere.’

The winners will each receive a specially commissioned golden medal and a £5,000 Colin Mears Award cash prize. The winners of the Shadowers’ Choice Medals – voted for and awarded by the children and young people – will also be presented at the ceremony. They will also receive a golden medal and, for the first time this year, £500 worth of books to donate to a library of their choice.

Yoto, the innovative, screen-free audio platform for children, is the headline sponsor of the Awards. The Yoto Carnegies are also sponsored by ALCS. Scholastic are the official book supplier and First News are the official media partner.

Winners of 2024 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards

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The winners of the 2024 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards were announced today, Saturday 25 May, at the Awards Ceremony in London.

Established in 1995, the awards are presented by the English Association to the best children’s picture books of the year.  Awards are given to Fiction and Non-Fiction in age ranges 4-7 years and 7-11 years. The winning books are chosen by the editorial board of English 4-11, the journal for primary teachers published by the English Association, the National Association for the Teaching of English, and the United Kingdom Literacy Association, from a shortlist selected by a panel of teachers and Primary specialists. Each year, one of the books submitted to the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards is selected as the recipient of the Margaret Mallett Award for Children’s Non-Fiction.

The winners in each category are:

 

 

 

Non-fiction 4-7

LIFESIZE Deadly Animals by Sophy Henn (Farshore)

The judges said, ‘The textured, bold illustrations and conversational text beg for this book to be read aloud.  Young readers are promised an adventure and won’t be disappointed.  There are plenty of interesting facts (including some to make you squirm) interspersed with fun questions.’

Fiction 4-7

Holey Moley by Bethan Clarke and Anders Frang (Little Tiger)

‘If you delight in the hilarious and revel in the ridiculous, you’re going to love this romp in rhyme’ said the judges, ‘The illustrations are bold and colourful with eye-catching simplicity. The words are playful, poetic and laugh-out-loud funny. Expect your classroom to reverberate with nonsense rhymes after reading this book and get ready to read it again and again.’

Non-fiction 7-11

Brilliant Black British History by Atinuke and Kingsley Nebechi (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

‘One of the most powerful children’s non-fiction books that has been published over the past few years’ said the judges. ‘It’s a book that will certainly make children think and reflect, as well as providing a fantastic springboard to further reading and learning. It links beautifully to history and geography topics that are taught in primary schools and will help ensure that Black History is embedded throughout the entire school year and not just for a month in October.’

Fiction 7-11

The Panda’s Child by Jackie Morris and Cathy Fisher (Otter-Barry Books)

‘This tale explores themes of love, loyalty and connections with nature,’ said the judges. ‘The story is recounted through lyrical prose in engaging chapters, ending with a magical conclusion. An exciting plot pits a brave young hero against a group of cruel, mercenary strangers. The hero’s intelligence and care for the forest and its inhabitants outwit and overcome the wickedness of the men; a wonderful theme in a book which will appeal to readers.’

The Margaret Mallett Award for Children’s Non-Fiction

Saving H’Non: Chang and the Elephant by Trang Nguyen and Jeet Zdung (Kingfisher)

‘This inspirational book is crammed with detail and incredible, jaw-dropping illustrations’ said the judges. ‘Facts about elephants (in the form of Chang’s notes and sketches) are skilfully woven throughout the text which help the reader to appreciate the unique nature of the animal… a beautiful and, ultimately, uplifting and empowering story, highlighting the vital importance of wildlife conservation.’

Chair of the judging panel, Dr Sally Wilkinson, commented ‘There’s something for every classroom: non-fiction to pore over and explore, and fiction to delight and entrance. It’s a pleasure to celebrate debut books (like Bethan Frang’s wonderfully silly Holey Moley, illustrated perfectly by Anders Frang) alongside books from established and well-loved authors and illustrators (like Jackie Morris and Cathy Fisher’s lyrical tale, The Panda’s Child). We’re celebrating books that are deserved winners of a host of other awards, like Atinuke and Kingsley Nebechi’s powerful and empathetic Brilliant Black History. Sophy Henn’s series of LIFESIZE animals continues with Deadly Animals, sure to enrapture teachers and pupils alike; and Saving H’Non: Chang and the Elephant builds on the success of Trang Nguyen and Jeet Zdung’s previous collaboration. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the publishers, authors, and illustrators who sent in books to the Awards, and we look forward to reading next year’s submissions!’

You can find information on previous winners of the Picture Book Awards on the English Association website.

SLA announce shortlists for Primary School Library of the Year Award and Honour List for 2024 Secondary School Librarian of the Year Award

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The School Library Association have announced the shortlist for the Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year Award, sponsored by Usborne, and the Honour List for the 2024 Secondary School Librarian of the Year Award, sponsored by OverDrive.

The SLA’s awards honour the hard work of library staff who run school libraries fostering a love of reading in children and teaching them skills for life.

To commemorate the late Peter Usborne’s commitment to supporting literacy, Usborne are sponsoring the newly named Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year Award. This award celebrates outstanding primary school libraries and the staff and pupils who are making an impact in their school.

The shortlist for the Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year, in alphabetical order, is as follows:

East Hunsbury Primary School, Northampton

East Hunsbury Primary School serves over 400 pupils and encompasses a specialist provision for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties. The library space unites all the children in a shared space they all love where they can tap into the power of reading. The school’s librarian works with all the school staff and leadership to ensure the children are able to access quality and relevant books both through the curriculum and in their spare time.

Fairfield School, West Yorkshire

Fairfield School educates over 100 pupils with profound and complex disabilities, between the ages of 3 and 19. The staff have a passion to bring a love of books to all the pupils, whatever their age or individual needs. The creative solutions employed in the inclusive and accessible library range from high tech communication aids to the ingenious addition of lolly sticks to regular books to aid page turning. Pupils are encouraged to feel ownership of their library through helping with book stamping and telling stories to other pupils.

Steyning C of E Primary School, West Sussex

Steyning Primary School library’s effect is far reaching in terms of space, spreading to roaming book trolleys and an outdoor reading shed, and in learning. The experienced librarian teaches all the school’s 350+ pupils skills in reading for pleasure and information literacy in dedicated lessons. The librarian also identifies reluctant readers and seeks to understand their attitudes to reading to find a way to engage them. The library’s impact is further maximised through highly trained pupil librarians who take an active role in book lending, choosing stock and guiding younger readers. Over the last five years, borrowing has increased 600%.

Sudbury Primary School, Middlesex

Established in 2016 and named ‘Booktropolis’, the Sudbury Primary School library is having a big impact on reading progress. The vision behind Booktropolis is to provide ‘mirrors and windows’ to the school’s 930 pupils. The Library Leader, EAL Leader and Diversity Board ensure pupils of all backgrounds can see themselves reflected in a book, and also have a view out on different cultures and experiences, through the library’s books. Pupil librarians help to spread a love of reading through a scheme where they buddy up with younger readers.

Chair of the Judges, Paul Register said, ‘This year’s shortlist all show a commitment to whole school literacy that is plain to see. The impact these libraries are having is astounding and inspirational.’

Nicola Usborne said, ‘We are thrilled to be able to celebrate inspiring primary school libraries and the passionate professionals who work so hard to shape them. I hope that this award will encourage students to feel proud of their school library.’

The Secondary School Librarian of the Year, sponsored by OverDrive, highlights the achievements of staff in secondary school libraries who have gone above and beyond to make reading the heart of their students’ education and support learning across the school. After a rigorous process of interviews and school visits, the judges have named three librarians as this year’s Secondary School Librarian of the Year Honour List.

The Honour List for the School Librarian of the Year , in alphabetical order of first name, is as follows:

Alice Leggatt – Oaks Park High School, Surrey

Under Alice’s guidance, the library at Oaks Park High School has become a place for all students to read and celebrate their achievements, interests and cultural lives. The clubs, activities and events that Alice leads are student-centered and engaging, equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need. Alice’s innovative museum space encourages students to expand their interests whilst boosting their cultural capital.

Elizabeth Vale – Thomas Mills High School, Suffolk

Elizabeth’s passion has fostered a love of reading that has turned the library into the cultural hub of Thomas Mills High School. Elizabeth has ensured the library is embedded in the school’s daily life through many popular clubs and book events. Students are encouraged to take an active role in organising events, leading assemblies and running book groups, giving them a boost in confidence.

Heather Grainger – Weatherhead High School, Wirral

For the past ten years, Heather has dedicated herself to bringing the joy of reading to each and every pupil at Weatherhead High School. Through lessons, book recommendations, author visits and clubs, Heather seeks to engage all readers whatever their interests or needs. Through her Student Librarian Leadership Scheme, students are being empowered with life skills they need to excel.

Paul Register, Chair of Judges, said, ‘As a team of experienced school librarians ourselves, our judging panel was excited to read through the bumper bundle of entries from schools for this year’s Secondary School Librarian of the Year Award. Taking those entries and narrowing them down into an Honour List was not an easy task but we have chosen a group of school librarians who show creative innovation within their schools, dedication to their students and a passion for the profession. We hope they are all very proud to have made it this far into the whole process. Their schools are lucky to have them.’

Alison Tarrant, CEO of the School Library Association said, “The schools and staff on these lists should be incredibly proud. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication that the pupils in these schools are being supported, inspired and encouraged not just to read but to learn and be well. They are benefiting from the space, staff and stock and are learning skills, developing confidence and experiencing empowerment – which together are creating bright futures for pupils. They are an example of the quality of school libraries across the UK.

Ros Harding, UK Schools’ Account Manager at the award’s sponsor OverDrive said, ‘We are so proud to honour these outstanding librarians whose dedication, innovation and leadership have positively impacted their communities. They have worked tirelessly to make their school libraries a safe space to learn, be creative and develop a love of reading.’

The winners will be announced at a ceremony later this year, alongside the winners of the SLA’s Enterprise of the Year Award. The Awards process for 2025 will open in July. For more information about all of these awards visit www.sla.org.uk/awards

Shortlist announced for the 2024 Klaus Flugge Prize

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Following a celebration event at Waterstones Piccadilly last night, the shortlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize is announced today (Wednesday 15 May). Established in 2016, the prize was set up to honour Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and a leading light in the world of children’s publishing and illustration. It is awarded to the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

From a longlist of 17 picture books by debut illustrators, the panel of judges have chosen six to shortlist. This year’s judges are multi award-winning illustrator Petr Horáček; Mariajo Ilustrajo, winner of the 2023 Klaus Flugge Prize; Olivia Ahmad, Artistic Director at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration; and Alex Forbes, founder of independent bookshop Fourbears Books. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, Director, Hay Children’s Festival.

The judges were looking for technical skill, the ability to tell a story and to create character, as well as originality and promise. The six shortlisted illustrators have very different approaches and artistic styles, their subjects are as varied as the power and importance of the natural world; a little girl with the most amazing dreams; the purpose of art; and a mango tree full of surprises. This year there are two information picture books on the list, one shining a light on the lives of Black British people in history, the other telling the story of Victorian fossil hunter, Mary Anning.

 

 

 

 

The Crown illustrated by Emily Kapff (Walker Books)
The Dream Book by Bia Melo (Templar)
Henri and the Machine illustrated by Olga Shtonda, written by Isabelle Marinov (Templar)
Farah Loves Mangos illustrated by Sarthak Sinha (Flying Eye Books)
Bright Stars of Black British History illustrated by Angela Vives, written by J. T. Williams (Thames and Hudson)
The Fossil Hunter illustrated by Kate Winter (Puffin Books)

Chair of the judges Julia Eccleshare says, ‘From another strong longlist, our judges have selected a shortlist that fully represents the extraordinary variety of picture books on offer to children today. At a time when computers and software are as important tools for illustrators as brush and pen, our six shortlisted illustrators demonstrate exceptional skill at drawing, painting and observation. In a crowded market, they have developed their own style, creating characters and scenes we haven’t encountered before. When it is so hard for new talent to break through, Klaus Flugge’s generosity in sponsoring the Prize and his lifelong support for authors and illustrators is vital.’

The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 11 September 2024 and will receive a cheque for £5,000.

 

An invitation to make friends with poetry – shortlist for the CLiPPA 2024

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At a live online event starring shortlisted poets and watched by thousands of school children across the UK, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) has announced the shortlist for the 2024 CLiPPA (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Poetry Award), the UK’s leading award for published poetry for children.

Established 21 years ago, each year the CLiPPA highlights the best contemporary poetry for children. This year’s shortlist is particularly exciting, featuring outstanding new collections from both a past winner and frequently shortlisted poet; a carefully compiled anthology exploring the world of feelings; poems describing the everyday lives of young siblings in Guatemala, translated from Spanish; and an emotionally intense collection drawing on the poet’s experience as a wheelchair user after becoming paralysed following an accident.

The shortlisted collections are:

A Dinosaur at the Bus Stop by Kate Wakeling, illustrated by Eilidh Muldoon, Otter-Barry Books
My Heart is a Poem, various poets, various illustrators, Little Tiger Press
Balam and Lluvia’s House by Julio Serrano Echeverria, illustrated by Tolanda Mosquera, translated by Lawrence Schimel, The Emma Press
The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton, Otter-Barry Books
And I Climbed And I Climbed by Stephen Lightbown, illustrated by Shih-Yu Lin, Troika Books

Poet Liz Berry is chair of the 2024 judges and says, ‘We’re so excited to share this year’s CLiPPA shortlist with the world: five brilliant and very different books to enchant and transport young readers, listeners and dreamers. Each book on the shortlist is unique and offers something special: there are poems full of feeling, poems to make us laugh and dance, poems to help us see into the hearts and lives of others and feel changed. It’s wonderful to see poetry for children flourishing and to discover such diverse and inspiring voices at work. Here, children are equals and collaborators in the poetry magic-making, invited to keep poems as friends for the rest of their lives.’

With the announcement of the shortlist, the CLiPPA Shadowing opens too. Now a highlight on the calendar for many schools, the CLiPPA encourages classes to read shortlisted collections and choose a favourite poem to learn and work into a performance. CLPE create support materials for schools including videos with the poets. Over 40,000 children are expected to participate in the Shadowing this year.

The Shadowing Scheme is free and schools can register their interest to take part now.

The CLiPPA winner will be announced at the CLiPPA Poetry Show, live onstage at the National Theatre, Friday 12 July and receives £1,000. The award ceremony will also feature live poet readings from each shortlisted collection and the winning Shadowing performances too. Long-time CLiPPA supporter, former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell will live draw the event.

Shortlist announced for the 2024 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards

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The English Association has announced the shortlist for the 2024 English 4-11 Picture Book Awards.

Established in 1995, the awards are presented by the English Association to the best children’s picture books of the year. Awards are given to Fiction and Non-Fiction in age ranges 4-7 years and 7-11 years. The winning books are chosen by the editorial board of English 4-11, the journal for primary teachers published by the English Association, the National Association for the Teaching of English, and the United Kingdom Literacy Association, from a shortlist selected by a panel of teachers and Primary specialists. Each year, one of the books submitted to the English 4-11 Picture Book Awards will be selected as the recipient of the Margaret Mallett Prize for Children’s Non-Fiction.

The shortlists are:

Non-fiction 4-7

The Secret Elephant by Ellan Rankin (Hachette Children’s Group)

LIFESIZE Deadly Animals by Sophy Henn (Farshore)

Saving H’Non- Chang and the Elephant by Trang Nguyen and Jeet Zdung (Kingfisher)

My First Space Atlas by Jane Wilsher and Paul Daviz (Weldon Owen Children’s Books)

Fiction 4-7

The Artist by Ed Vere (Penguin Random House UK)

One Little Word by Joseph Coelho and Alison Colpoys (The Quarto Group)

My Dad is a Tree by Jon Agee (Scallywag Press)

Holey Moley by Bethan Clarke and Anders Frang (Little Tiger

Non-fiction 7-11

How to Chat Chicken by Nick Crumpton and Adrienne Barman (What on Earth Books)

Weird Sea by Sophie Burrows (Penguin Random House UK)

Brilliant Black British History by Atinuke and Kingsley Nebechi (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica by Andrew Pettie, Conrad Quilty-Harper, and Valentina D’Efilippo (What on Earth Books)

Fiction 7-11

Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc by Joe Todd-Stanton (Flying Eye Books)

Tourmaline by David Cali and Fatinha Ramos (TatePublishing)

The Grand Hotel of Feelings by Lidia Brankovic (Cicada Books)

The Panda’s Child by Jackie Morris and Cathy Fisher (Otter-Barry Books)

Ten Word Tiny Tales by Joseph Coelho and friends (Walker Books

The winners in each category, plus the winner of this year’s Margaret Mallett Award for Children’s Non-Fiction, will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday 25 May 2024.

Shortlists Announced for The UKLA Book Awards 2024

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The shortlists have been announced for the UKLA Book Awards, the only national UK children’s book awards judged entirely by teachers. The Awards highlight texts from a ‘wide and inclusive range’ of publishers that ‘recognise a broad range of perspectives, experiences and voices’ but first and foremost the judges are looking for well written, engaging reads. This year’s shortlist features a number of small, independent publishers, with UCLan, the children’s publishing arm of the University of Central Lancaster and The O’Brien Press from Dublin both appearing for the first time.

 

 

The shortlists are:

3-6+                                   

Fox & Son Tailers written and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly (The O’Brien Press)

The Hare-Shaped Hole written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln)

10 Dogs written and illustrated by Emily Gravett (Two Hoots)

Martha Maps It Out written and illustrated by Leigh Hodgkinson (Oxford)

The Wilderness written and illustrated by Steve McCarthy (Walker)

Dick the Delightful Duck written by Kaye Umansky and illustrated by Ben Mantle (Alison Green)

The 3-6+ category features author Steve McCarthy, currently also shortlisted for the Carnegie medal for Illustration, for The Wilderness alongside two times Carnegie winner, Emily Gravett,  who is shortlisted for 10 Dogs, described by the judges as, ‘a really funny story about dogs which brilliantly teaches about number bonds to 10’. The shortlist also features best-selling author Kaye Umansky with Dick the Delightful Duck, who is hilariously having a very bad mood day, in a book which opens up discussions about feelings. The judges also chose John Dougherty’s The Hare Shaped Hole,  described as ‘a touching and beautifully age appropriate metaphor to depict bereavement, which leaves young readers in a hopeful, optimistic place’.

7-10+  

                               

The Song Walker written by Zillah Bethell and illustrated by Saara Katariina Söderlund (Usborne)

Call Me Lion written by Camilla Chester and illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich (Firefly)

How to be More Hedgehog written by Anne Marie Conway and illustrated by Danielle Dey (Uclan)

Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest written by Liz Flanagan and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Uclan)

Finn Jones Was Here written by Simon James Green and illustrated by Jennifer Jamieson (Scholastic)

Where the River Takes Us written by Lesley Parr and illustrated by David Dean  (Bloomsbury)

 

 

The 7-10+ category  has something for the whole age range, say the judges. Camilla Chester’s touching debut Call Me Lion and Anne Marie Conway’s sensitive How to be More Hedgehog both feature protagonists battling with communication difficulties, bullying and family issues and in Finn Jones Was Here Simon James Green features a young boy in total denial about his best friend’s death and manages to be both hilarious and heartbreaking. There is a second shortlisting for Lesley Parr with Where the River Takes Us, a thrilling adventure mystery about the power of friendship, set in a Welsh valley in the 1970s. The list also features a current Carnegie shortlisted title, Zillah Bethell’s The Song Walker, which weaves Aboriginal folklore into a courageous story of friendship, loss and discovery, and Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest, Liz Flanagan’s fantasy world full of magic, mystery and dragons.

11-14+ 

                             

Away with Words written by Sophie Cameron (Little Tiger)

Crossing the Line written by Tia Fisher (Hot Key)

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow written by Zoulfa Katouh (Bloomsbury)

Steady for This written by Nathanael Lessore (Hot Key)

All My Rage written by Sabaa Tahir (Atom)

I Must Betray You written by Ruta Sepetys (Hodder)

 

 

In the 11-14+ category, Hot Key Books has two books on this shortlist, Tia Fisher’s powerful verse novel debut, Crossing the Line,  dealing with highly topical county lines exploitation of vulnerable youths, and Nathaneal Lessore’s comedic and authentic debut Steady For This. Both are also featured on the Carnegie shortlist as is Sophie Cameron for Away With Words and Ruta Sepetys with I Must Betray You which powerfully explores what it was like for families and friends under the brutal Ceausescu regime. The judges describe fantasy author Sabaa Tahir’s All My Rage as ‘an unforgettable contemporary novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a story that crosses generations and continents’. It has already won a National Book Award, the Michael J Prinz Award and the Boston Globe Horn Award in the author’s native USA.

Information Books 3-14+                                      

Unspoken written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Dare Coulter (Andersen)

Lands of Belonging: A History of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain written by Vikesh Amey Bhatt, and Donna Amey Bhatt and illustrated by Salini Perera (Nosy Crow)

The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die written by Peter Lantos (Scholastic)

Whose Tracks in the Snow? Written and illustrated by Alexandra Milton (Boxer Books)

Saving H’Non: Chang and the Elephant written by Trang Nguyen and illustrated by Jeet Zdung (Macmillan)

Darwin & Hooker written by Alexander Stewart and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Bloomsbury)

Kwame Alexander repeats his 2021 shortlisting in the Information Books category with The Unspoken, which describes the horrors of slavery yet is balanced with hope for the future. Darwin and Hooker is an accessible biography by Alexander Stewart exploring one of science’s most important friendships and enables reader to understand the struggles of making ground-breaking scientific discoveries.  In a moving autobiographical account, written for children, The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die, Peter Lantos shares his experiences as a child in Bergen-Belsen.  Husband and wife team Donna and Vikesh Amey Bhat’s Lands of Belonging explores  the rich and complicated history of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Britain. The final book in this wide ranging shortlist demonstrates the variety of text types available. Using a graphic novel scientist-notebook style Saving H’Non: Chang and the Elephant with a mix of Vietnamese art and manga, tells an important environmental story about the work of the Animals Asia Foundation.

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 demonstrated the links between teachers’ knowledge of children’s books and the likelihood of pupils becoming successful readers. Despite this evidence, teachers are seldom given time to read new books or funding to purchase them when they do. As judge Jane Branson said, ‘The book talk with colleagues has been stimulating and invaluable’. Fellow judge Rachel Gonin agreed, ‘My school is definitely a richer, more knowledgeable and better-read place for me having taken part.’

Twelve teachers nominated from the 84 involved in the shortlisting will now form the final judging panel andwill read all the shortlisted books in all categories. The winner’s announcement will take place at the UKLA International Conference at the University of Sussex on 5th July.

The awards are sponsored by LoveReading4Kids and Reading Cloud.

25 debut writers -and their editors – on Branford Boase Award’s 25th longlist

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The longlist for the 2024 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of the year’s outstanding debut novel for children. The Branford Boase Award is the only award to honour the editor of the winning book, highlighting the importance of the editor in nurturing new talent.

Founded in 2000, 2024 marks 25 years of this unique award.

Past winners and shortlisted authors include Meg Rosoff, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Jenny Downham and Patrick Ness as well as Frances Hardinge, Philip Reeve, M.G. Leonard and most recently Maisie Chan (2022) and Christine Pillainayagam (2023).

Winning editors include Philip Pullman’s editor David Fickling, and Barry Cunningham, who famously published J K Rowling, plus Fiona Kennedy, Sarah Odedina and Bella Pearson.

For the fourth consecutive year, over 60 books were submitted, more than three times the number in 2000, and from 30 different publishing houses.

Chair of the judges and co-founder of the Branford Boase Award, Julia Eccleshare says, ‘We are delighted to be celebrating 25 years of the Branford Boase Award as it continues to highlight the most talented new writers for children and the editors who support them. We’re excited that this year’s longlist features a particularly wide variety of voices and stories, all freshly told. It demonstrates the vibrancy of current children’s literature and is an inspiring memorial to the work of Henrietta Branford and Wendy Boase, in whose names the award was established 20 years ago.’

The 25 books on the  2024 Branford Boase Award longlist are:

Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King, illus Claire Powell, edited by Gráinne Clear (Walker Books)

Glow Up, Lara Bloom by Dee Benson, edited by Ruth Bennett (Hot Key Books)

Gwen and Art are NOT in Love by Lex Croucher, edited by Hannah Sandford (Bloomsbury)

Finding Phoebe by Gavin Extence, edited by Chloe Sackur (Andersen Press)

Digging for Victory by Cathy Faulkner, edited by Leonie Lock (Firefly Press)

Crossing the Line by Tia Fisher, edited by Emma Matthewson supported by Tia Albert (Hot Key Books)

The Final Year by Matt Goodfellow, illus Joe Todd-Stanton, edited by Charlotte Hacking (Otter-Barry Books)

How Far We’ve Come by Joyce Efia Harmer, edited by Lucy Pearse (Simon and Schuster)

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, edited by Eishar Brar (Knights Of)

The First Move by Jenny Ireland, edited by Ruth Knowles with Sara Jafari (Penguin Books)

The Detention Detectives by Lis Jardine, edited by Katie Sinfield and Millie Lean (Puffin)

Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan, edited by Eloise Wilson (Andersen Press)

Steady for This by Nathanael Lessore, edited by Ella Whiddett and Ruth Bennett (Hot Key Books)

The Swifts by Beth Lincoln, illus Claire Powell, edited by Ben Horslen and Julie Strauss-Gabel (Puffin)

You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud, edited by Sarah Stewart (Usborne)

The Kingdom Over the Sea by Zohra Nabi, edited by Ali Dougal (Simon and Schuster)

Last Girl In by Cheryl Diane Parkinson, edited by Sonya McGilchrist (Dinosaur Books)

City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, edited by Natalie Doherty and India Chambers (Puffin)

The Destiny of Minou Moonshine by Gita Ralleigh, edited by Lauren Atherton (Zephyr)

The Witchstone Ghosts by Emily Randall-Jones, edited by Rachel Leyshon (Chicken House)

Influential by Amara Sage, edited by Alice Swan (Faber)

Yomi and the Fury of Ninki Nanka by Davina Tijani, illus Adam Douglas-Bagley, edited by Mattie Whitehead and Karelle Tobias (Little Tiger)

Greenwild by Pari Thomson, illus Elisa Paganelli, edited by Emma Jones (Macmillan)

The Sleeping Stones by Beatrice Wallbank, edited by Janet Thomas and Rebecca F. John (Firefly Press)

Never Trust a Gemini by Freja Nicole Woolf, edited by Non Pratt (Walker Books)

This year’s judges are Christine Pillainayagam, author and winner of the 2023 Branford Boase Award; Emily Drabble, Head of Children’s Books Promotion and Prizes at BookTrust; Lucas Maxwell, former School Librarian of the Year and winner of the UK Literacy Association’s Reading for Pleasure Teacher Champion Award 2022; and Amy McKay, also a past UK School Librarian of the Year and for ten years Yoto Carnegies National Coordinator. The judging panel will be chaired by Julia Eccleshare, children’s director of the Hay Festival.

The Branford Boase Award is delivered in partnership with the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and supported by Walker Books.

The shortlist for the Award will be announced on Thursday 25 April 2024.  The winner will be announced on Thursday, 11 July 2024 at an award ceremony at CLPE in London.

Longlists announced for the 2024 UKLA Book Awards

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The longlists for the 2024 UKLA Book Awards have been announced. These are the only national children’s book awards to be judged by teachers and consequently of great interest to fellow teachers in schools around the UK.

This year saw a record-breaking number of submissions with publishers putting forward over 500 books. This year there are 84 judges covering the four categories and they have until mid-March to read the longlisted books, discuss them with their group leaders, and share them with pupils. All the groups will then meet, hopefully in person, for the difficult task of choosing their shortlist of 6 books in each category.

Awards Chair, Christine Lockwood, said ‘We always approach this difficult but exciting task with great anticipation.  The longlisting team were challenged to select from a very rich and exceptional list of submissions this year and they have come up with four sparkling longlists.  It was a joy to meet the majority of our committed, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic longlisters in person, rather than via digital platforms.  I would like to thank them for their hard work over the summer.  The longlists will now pass to our teams of teacher judges and their group leaders in Brighton and the South East, and I can’t wait to share these books with them over the next year.’

Longlist 3-6+

Speak Up written by Nathan Bryon and illustrated by Dapo Adeola (Puffin)

A Ticket to Kalamazoo! – Zippy Poems to Read Out Loud written by James Carter               and illustrated by Neal Layton (Otter-Barry Books)

You’re So Amazing written by James & Lucy Catchpole and illustrated by  Karen George (Faber)

Budgie written by Joseph Coelho and illustrated by David Barrow (Barrington Stoke)

Fox & Son Tailers  written and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly (The O’Brien Press)

The Hare-Shaped Hole written by John Dougherty and illustrated by Thomas Docherty (Frances Lincoln)

Maybe You Might written by Imogen Foxell and illustrated by Anna Cunha (Lantana)

10 Dogs written and illustrated by Emily Gravett (Two Hoots)

Gory Rory Fangface Needs a Kiss written by Ziggy Hanaor and illustrated by Ollie Silvester (Cicada)

Martha Maps It Out written and illustrated by Leigh Hodgkinson (Oxford)

The Perfect Present written and illustrated by     Petr Horáček      (Otter-Barry Books)

Lost written and illustrated by Mariajo Ilustrajo (Frances Lincoln)

I say Oh, You say No written and illustrated by  John Kane (Templar)

Who Ate All the Bugs? Written and illustrated by Matty Long (Oxford)

The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat written by Em Lynas and illustrated by Matt Hunt (Nosy Crow)

The Wilderness written and illustrated by Steve McCarthy (Walker)

What Feelings Do When No One’s Looking written and translated by Tina Oziewicz and illustrated by Aleksandra Zajac (Pushkin)

Don’t Be Silly written and illustrated by Padmacandra (Scallywag)

Faruq and the Wiri Wiri written by Sophia Payne and illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Templar)

Five Bears written and illustrated by Catherine Rayner (Macmillan)

The Zebra’s Great Escape written by Katherine Rundell and illustrated by Sarah Ogilvie (Bloomsbury)

Dadaji’s Paintbrush written by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane (Andersen)

Tap! Tap! Tap! Dance! Dance! Dance!  Written and illustrated by Hervé Tullet and translated by Christopher Franceschelli   (Chronicle Kids)

Dick the Delightful Duck written by Kaye Umansky and illustrated by Ben Mantle (Alison Green)

The Artist written and illustrated by Ed Vere (Puffin)

 

Longlist 7-10+

Birdsong written by Katya Balen and illustrated by Richard Johnson (Barrington Stoke)

The Song Walker written by Zillah Bethell and illustrated by Saara Katariina Söderlund (Usborne)

Call Me Lion written by Camilla Chester and illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich (Firefly)

Swimming on the Moon written by Brian Conaghan (Bloomsbury)

How to be More Hedgehog written by Anne Marie Conway and illustrated by Danielle Dey (Uclan)

The Rescue of Ravenwood written by Natasha Farrant (Faber)

Digging for Victory written by Cathy Faulkner (Firefly)

Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest written by Liz Flanagan and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Uclan)

Can you Feel the Noise written by Stewart Foster (Simon & Schuster)

If You Read This written by Kereen Getten (Pushkin)

Finn Jones Was Here written by Simon James Green and illustrated by Jennifer Jamieson (Scholastic)

The Stories Grandma Forgot (and How I Found Them) written by Nadine Aisha Jassat and illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat (Orion)

The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice written by Rachel Chivers Khoo and illustrated by Rachel Sanson (Walker)

A Passing On of Shells written by Simon Lamb and illustrated by Chris Riddell (Scallywag)

Moonflight written by Gill Lewis and illustrated by Pippa Curnick (David Fickling Books)

Jodie written by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Keith Robinson (Barrington Stoke)

Spellstone written by Ross Montgomery (Walker)

Mwikali and the Forbidden Mask written by Shiko Nguru and illustrated by Melissa McIndoe (Lantana)

Where the River Takes Us written by Lesley Parr and illustrated by David Dean  (Bloomsbury)

Bertie and the Alien Chicken written by Jenny Pearson and illustrated by Aleksie Bitskoff (Barrington Stoke)

Paradise Sands written and illustrated by Levi Pinfold (Walker Studio)

The Twig Man written by Sana Rasoul (Hashtag Press)

House of Shells written by Efua Traoré (Chicken House)

Cuckoo Summer written by Jonathan Tulloch (Andersen)

The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger written by J.T. Williams and illustrated by Simone Douglas (Farshore)

 

Longlist 11- 14+

The Door of No Return written by Kwame Alexander (Andersen)

Warrior Girl Unearthed written by Angeline Boulley (Rock the Boat)

Away with Words written by Sophie Cameron (Little Tiger)

Choose Love written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Petr Horáček (Graffeg)

Crossing the Line written by Tia Fisher (Hot Key)

The Way of Dog written by Zana Fraillon and illustrated by Sean Buckingham (Chicken House)

Wild Song written by Candy Gourlay (David Fickling Books)

The Unraveller written by Frances Hardinge (Macmillan)

Leila and the Blue Fox written by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and illustrated by Tom de Freston (Orion)

The Lorikeet Tree written by Paul Jennings (Old Barn Books)

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow written by Zoulfa Katouh (Bloomsbury)

The Battle of Cable Street written by Tanya Landman (Barrington Stoke)

Steady for This written by Nathanael Lessore (Hot Key)

You Think You Know Me written by Ayaan Mohamud (Usborne)

Children of the Stone City written by Beverley Naidoo (HarperCollins)

Different for Boys written by Patrick Ness and illustrated by Tea Bendix (Walker)

Oxygen Mask written by Jason Reynolds and illustrated by Jason Griffin (Faber)

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker written by JP Rose (Andersen)

Tyger written by SF Said and illustrated by Dave McKean (David Fickling Books)

I Must Betray You written by Ruta Sepetys (Hodder)

The Silver Chain written by Jion Sheibani (Hot Key)

Happy Head written by Josh Silver (Rock the Boat)

The Notorious Scarlett and Browne written by Jonathan Stroud (Walker)

All My Rage written by Sabaa Tahir (Atom)

Brown Girl Dreaming written by Jacqueline Woodson (Orion)

 

Longlist Information Books 3-14+

Unspoken written by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Dare Coulter (Andersen)

Lands of Belonging: A History of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain written by Vikesh Amey Bhatt, and Donna Amey Bhatt and illustrated by Salini Perera (Nosy Crow)

Africana written by Kim Chakanetsa and illustrated by Mayowa Alabi (Wide Eyed Editions)

One Little Bug written by Becky Davies and illustrated by Jacob Souva (Little Tiger)

Lessons From Our Ancestors written by Raksha Dave and illustrated by Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong (Magic Cat)

Very Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: The Amazing Power of Activism written by Lily Dyu and illustrated by Ekaterina Gorelova and Ana Seixas (Oxford)

Honest written by Milly Evans and illustrated by Lucia Picerno (Hot Key)

The Truth Detective written by Tim Hartford and illustrated by Ollie Mann (Wren & Rook)

A is for Bee written and illustrated by Ellen Heck (Pushkin)

Medicine written by Briony Hudson and illustrated by Nick Taylor (Big Picture Press)

Human 2.0 written by Patrick Kane and illustrated by Sam Rodriguez (Big Picture Press)

We Are Palestinian written by Reem Kassis and illustrated by Noha Eilouti (Templar)

Amy Gets Eaten written by Adam Kay and illustrated by Henry Paker (Puffin)

Nomads: Life on the Move written and illustrated by Kinchoi Lam (Cicada)

The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die written by Peter Lantos (Scholastic)

Our Story Starts in Africa written by Patrice Lawrence and illustrated by Jeanetta Gonzales (Magic Cat)

Explodapedia: The Cell written by Ben Martynoga and illustrated by Moose Allain (David Fickling Books)

A Wild Child’s Book of Birds written by Dara MacAnulty and illustrated by Barry Falls (Macmillan)

Whose Tracks in the Snow? Written and illustrated by Alexandra Milton (Boxer Books)

Saving Hn’on: Chang and the Elephant written by Trang Nguyen and illustrated by Jeet Zdung (Macmillan)

A History of Words for Children written by Mary Richards and illustrated by Rose Blake (Thames & Hudson)

This Book Will Save The Planet written by Dany Sigwalt and illustrated by Aurélia Durand (Frances Lincoln)

Engineers Making a Difference written by Shini Somara and illustrated by Manual Šumberac and Adam Allsuch Boardman (What On Earth Books)

Darwin & Hooker written by Alexander Stewart and illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Bloomsbury)

Every Word Tells a Story  written by Tom Read Wilson and illustrated by Ian Morris (Words & Pictures)

The UKLA Book Awards are sponsored by Reading Cloud and Lovereading4kids.

 

Joy, frivolity and the importance of choice highlighted on the 2022 Klaus Flugge Prize shortlist

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The shortlist for the 2022 Klaus Flugge Prize has been announced. Established in 2016, the prize was set up to honour Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and one of the most influential figures in children’s picture books. It is awarded to the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

From a longlist of twenty-four picture books by debut illustrators, the panel of judges have chosen six to shortlist. This year’s judges are award-winning illustrator Emily Gravett; Flavia Z Drago, 2021 Klaus Flugge Prize winner; Nikki Bi, Co-Founder and the Beyond Books Lead at Civic Square in Birmingham; and Martin Salisbury, Professor of Illustration at Cambridge School of Art in Anglia Ruskin University. The panel is chaired by Julia Eccleshare, Director, Hay Children’s Festival.

They were looking for fresh, exciting picture book illustrators and, after two years of pandemic isolation, stories that reflected our desire for community, freedom and joy. The six shortlisted books star a lonely mammoth (in New York), a bear with extraordinary hair, and an alley cat rally driver (at the wheel of a washing machine); one is set at the swimming pool, another on the deck of the RMS Carpathia, the ship that sailed to the Titanic’s rescue. Themes include the importance of choice, the urgency of cleaning our polluted oceans, and being yourself.

The six shortlisted books are:

Mammoth, Adam Beer, written by Anna Kemp, editor Helen Mackenzie Smith, art director Jane Buckley (Simon and Schuster)
The story of a mammoth with nobody to trumpet with, the judges found this joyful and full of humour. They loved how Adam Beer gives this mammoth real personality and admire the way the illustrations are full of detail, offering a wonderful variety of perspectives. They felt the text and illustrations work together particularly well.

Rescuing Titanic, Flora Delargy, editor Lucy Brownridge, art director Karissa Santos (Wide Eyed Editions)
Flora Delargy’s book is an illustrated version of the true story of the RMS Carpathia, which changed course mid voyage to help rescue survivors of the Titanic disaster. The judges admired her use of colour and light and the way she fills the different scenes with life and movement, capturing the full drama of the events.

Pierre’s New Hair, Joseph Hollis, editor Emilia Will, designer Jade Wheaton (Tate)
Pierre is a bear who loves hair and roller-skating. But can his moves and his quiff impress his favourite roller disco team, the Poodle Squad? The judges loved the anarchy and edge Joseph Hollis brings to his story, and his clever use of the pages and layout. Despite the absurdity, he builds a believable world, the details adding up into something real.

The Tale of the Whale, Padmacandra, written by Karen Swann, editor Janice Thomson, designer Ness Wood (Scallywag Press)
A small child begins a magical journey on the back of a huge and beautiful baleen whale. Together they sail the oceans, dancing with dolphins, diving through the blue seas and exploring the ocean beds. The judges admired the way the illustrations carry the story “so that you are swimming with the whale”. Padmacandra’s images are full of atmosphere and beautiful to look at.

Choices, Roozeboos, designer Sarah Dellow (Child’s Play)
This book is all about choices: little ones (like which ice cream to have), big ones (such as whether to go on the super-duper giant slide), and whether to dive into the swimming pool, even though you are afraid. The judges describe this book as freewheeling and full of energy, with an unruly chaos that feels completely genuine. The message about the importance of making choices is subtly delivered, and Roozeboos is clearly a great observer of humanity.

Alley Cat Rally, Ricky Trickartt, editor Emily Ball, designer Ivanna Khomyak (Flying Eye Books)
Asta the ginger cat reengineers the family washing machine into a racing car and signs on for the big cat auto race. She’s determined to show the other racers she’s no slow-poke but winning, well, that would be a dream come true. The judges loved the fizz and fun of Asta’s world and the clever details. Ricky Trickartt controls the pace of the story superbly and children will relish it.

Chair of the judges Julia Eccleshare said, ‘Our judges have selected a shortlist full of humour, drama, beauty and big ideas. We can see in these six books values that are intrinsic to so many of the picture books published by Klaus Flugge: empathy, diversity, a child-centredness and a generosity of spirit. The illustrators’ ability as artists and storytellers is very exciting. Post-pandemic, picture books are booming.’

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 14 September 2022 and will receive a cheque for £5,000.

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