The Carnegies are the UK’s longest running children’s book awards. They offer two medals, one for illustration and one for writing. Here are the longlisted titles for 2026.

WRITING LONGLIST

Birdie by J. P. Rose

Birdy Arbuthnot’s Year of “Yes!” by Joanna Nadin

Black Star by Kwame Alexander (available in US)

The Boy I Love by William Hussey

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Tim Miller (available in US)

Fia and the Last Snow Deer by Eilish Fisher, illustrated by Dermot Flynn

Ghostlines by Katya Balen

Handle with Care by Louisa Reid

Not Going to Plan by Tia Fisher

On the Wall by Anne Fine

Popcorn by Rob Harrell (available in US)

Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson

Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai (available in US)

The Spick and the Span by Pil Van Martin

Stealing Happy by Brian Conaghan

Traumaland by Josh Silver

Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds (available in US)

When It’s Your Turn for Midnight by Blessing Musariri (publishing in US in April 2026)

Wolf Siren by Beth O’Brien

ILLUSTRATOR LONGLIST

Be Back Soon illustrated by Jenny Bloomfield, written by Anna Wilson

Beanie and the Bansheenie illustrated by Steve McCarthy, written by Eoin Colfer (available in US)

The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please (available in US)

Coorie Doon illustrated by Jill Calder, written by Jackie Kay

Don’t Trust Fish illustrated by Dan Santat, written by Neil Sharpson (available in US)

The Endless Sea illustrated by Linh Dao, written by Chi Thai (available in US)

The Faerie Isle illustrated by Dermot Flynn, written by Síne Quinn

Fia and the Last Snow Deer illustrated by Dermot Flynn, written by Eilish Fisher

Freedom Braids illustrated by Oboh Moses, written by Monique Duncan (available in US)

Good Golden Sun by Brendan Wenzel (available in US)

Higher Ground by Tull Suwannakit (available in US)

Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel illustrated by Aimée de Jongh, written by Golding William

The Ordinary Life of Jacominus Gainsborough by Rébecca Dautremer (available in US)

The Paper Bridge illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh, written by Joelle Veyrenc (available in US)

The Playdate illustrated by Clara Dackenberg, written by Uje Brandelius (available in US)

Sleep Tight, Disgusting Blob by Huw Aaron (available in US)

The Sleeper Train illustrated by Baljinder Kaur, written by Mick Jackson (available in US)

Wiggling Words by Kate Rolfe

Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto (available in US)