IBC – Books For Keeps

Excluded Voices cover, illustration Nila Aye.

Fewer than half of the ‘diverse children’s books’ published last year in the UK were by British minoritised ethnic, disabled or neurodivergent authors and illustrators according to the new Excluded Voices report by Inclusive Books for Children (IBC).

The report surveys baby and toddler books for ages 1 to 3, picture books for ages 3 to 7 and children’s fiction for ages 5 to 9.

The report finds that of 2,189 books published for children under 10 in 2025, just 150 (6.9%) featured main characters with neurodivergent, disabled or minoritised ethnic backgrounds, and only 73 of those 150 titles were by authors and illustrators who shared the same backgrounds as the books’ protagonists.

Key findings in the IBC Excluded Voices report:

Just 47 books (2.1%) had Black main characters, down 7.8% on the previous year, despite around 8.5% of 1- to 9-year-olds being of Black heritage
South Asian main characters featured in just 30 books (1.4%), down 14.3%, despite children of South Asian heritage making up around 12.4% of the 1 to 9 age group
Only 3 books (0.1%) had main characters of Middle East and North African heritage, down 50% year on year, against an under 10s population of around 2.2%
Picture books centring disabled characters decreased by 60% in 2025 to just 2 books, and neither title was by a disabled creator
The increase in neurodivergent representation in picture books was sustained yet modest, from 3 to 13 books, with fewer than half being by neurodivergent authors and illustrators
Of the 462 baby and toddler books surveyed, 22 (4.8%) had marginalised main characters, up 29.4% on the previous year, and of those, 5 were by British authors and illustrators of the same marginalised identities, a 2.5-fold increase

Most of the books surveyed were traditionally published fictional stories, except in the baby and toddler category, which featured a broader

Excluded Voices pages

range of texts.

IBC has been running this research for three years, tracking the same age categories and employing the same methodology since the first report’s launch in 2024. The hope is that the sector will notice and take necessary actions to redress imbalances in representation, say the organisers.

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education’s (CLPE) new Reflecting Realities report, the first UK study looking at diversity in children’s literature, will be published next month and covers books for the entire primary age range (3 to 11). Last year’s report, published in November 2025, showed an overall increase in the percentage of racially minoritised characters featured in published children’s books reviewed from 17% in 2023 to 24% in 2024.

Meanwhile, Reflecting Disability announced the results of its study into the representation of disabled people in children’s books last month, which found that 10% of children’s books feature disabled people in some way. Funded by Arts Council England with analysis carried out by The Reading Agency, it is the first project of its kind to offer a comprehensive exploration of the extent and quality of disabled characters in picture books, fiction and non-fiction across a full year (2024) of UK children’s publishing for 3-11 year olds.

Jake Hope, children’s book consultant and awards executive for the Carnegies, commented on the findings of the IBC report: ‘It’s a sobering thought that talented authors and illustrators with lived experiences continue to face barriers getting their stories published. The Excluded Voices report shows us who is still missing from UK publishing for children. At a time when children’s enjoyment of reading is at a significant low, it’s more important than ever that the stories children encounter reflect their lives, identities, experiences and emotions. These figures need to be more than mere statistics and a call to action for continued change and improvements.’

Author Serena Patel said, ‘At an age when children are figuring out the world around them and where they fit in, it’s vital they have access to funny, inspiring, adventurous books that reflect both the lives they live and the ones they don’t. We must do better.’

The full 2026 Excluded Voices report can be freely downloaded.

Inclusive Books for Children (IBC), is expanding its flagship IBC Book Box scheme, increasing the boxes of 100 books gifted to primary schools from 60 to 100. This equates to 10,000 free books for children.

Each box contains hand-picked, expert-reviewed, inclusive children’s titles, a collection worth around £800 and comprising mainly fiction picture books, board books, chapter books and anthologies for 3- to 11-year-olds.

As the Department for Education in collaboration with National Literacy Trust (NLT) encourages the country to ‘Go All In’ on reading during the National Year of Reading 2026, expansion of the 2026 IBC Book Box scheme is a direct and practical response, putting enticing books in the schools where they are most needed.

IBC highlight that lack of diverse representation in books may pose an additional barrier to piquing children’s interest in reading. Last year’s IBC Excluded Voices survey reported that despite 30.7% of primary school-aged children in the UK being from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, only 5.5% of children’s books published in 2024 featured main characters from those same communities.

Sophie Hostick-Boakye, the charity’s book box coordinator says, ‘Past reading surveys have shown that for some children, continually not seeing diverse cultures and identities reflected in book characters can mean reading motivation suffers. IBC Book Box addresses this disconnect. Every title in every box is reviewed by experts with relevant lived experience, ensuring schools receive high quality books with representation that’s authentic, not tokenistic, and rings true for all children.’

Since launching as a pilot scheme in 2024, demand for IBC Book Box has been overwhelming. The scheme grew from 12 to 46 boxes in 2024, to 60 in 2025 and now, for 2026, IBC is scaling up once more to 100 boxes, responding to proven need.

Marie Hardy, library leader and class teacher at Springfield Junior School in Suffolk, shared the impact of the scheme on their pupils: ‘The IBC Book Box has been huge this year with helping to promote reading for pleasure. The array of books within the boxes were unpacked and explored with delight by our Reading Champions. The book box has encouraged us to think about the diversity of the books we purchase but also to take children’s voice into consideration. So many of them have enjoyed these books and want more of the same.’

How to apply

Applications for IBC Book Box open at 9am 17 June 2026 and close on 16 July 2026 (BST). The scheme is available to all state primary schools in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Find out more about the scheme and register for updates.