The Little Rebels Award Shortlist for 2025 has been announced by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers. The award is UK based and offers a prize for “radical fiction aimed at children aged 0-12.” Here are the six shortlisted titles:

Cottonopolis by S F Layzell (Available in US)

The Fights That Make Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt

Keedie by Elle McNicoll

Kende! Kende! Kende! by Kirsten Cappy & Yaya Gentille, illustrated by Rahana Dariah

Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo, with illustrations by Paula Zorite (Released in US in January 2026)

Zac and Jac by Cathy Jenkins, with illustrations by Monique Steele (Available in US)

The Lollies celebrate the best humorous books for children in the UK and Ireland with the winners selected by children themselves. Here are the books in the 2025 shortlists for each age category:

PICTURE BOOKS

The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat by Em Lynas, illustrated by Matt Hunt (Available in US)

The Princess with the Blazing Bottom by Beach

Spyceratops by Alex Willmore

There’s Nothing Faster Than a Cheetah by Tom Nicoll, illustrated by Ross Collins (Available in US)

AGES 6-8

Grimwood: Attack of the Stink Monster! by Nadia Shireen (Available in US)

Keisha Jones Takes on the World by Natalie Dennie, illustrated by Chanté Timothy

The Shop of Impossible Ice Creams: Big Berry Robbery by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Jeff Crowther (Coming to the US in January 2026)

Trixie Pickle Art Avenger: Toxic Takedown by Olaf Falafel

AGES 9-12

The Boss of Everyone! by Danny Wallace, illustrated by Gemma Correll (Available in US)

Evil Emperor Penguin: The World Will Be Mine! by Laura Ellen Anderson

Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer by Jeffry Boakye, illustrated by Beth Suzanna and Paul Kellam

Solve Your Own Mystery: The Transylvanian Express by Gareth P. Jones, illustrated by Louise Forshaw

NONFICTION

Comic Strip Science: Physics by Paul Mason and Jess Bradley

Funny Beasts by Paul Mason, illustrated by Tony De Saulles (Available in US)

Kay’s Incredible Inventions by Adam Kay, illustrated by Henry Paker

Would You Rather? Ancient Romans by Clive Gifford, illustrated by Tim Wesson (Available in US)

The Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education has announced their collection of the best children’s books published in 2024. The collection includes over 600 titles that represent literary quality and potential emotional impact of the books. The entire list is available for free download here.

The 2025 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winners have been announced. The awards celebrate excellence in children’s and YA literature. Winners and honor books are selected in each category. You can learn more about the awards here. The winners and honor books are below.

PICTURE BOOK AWARD WINNER

I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippely; illustrated by Matt James

FICTION AWARD WINNER

Everything We Never Had by Randy Ribay

NONFICTION AWARD WINNER

Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming

PICTURE BOOK HONOR BOOKS

My Daddy Is a Cowboy by Stephanie Seales; illustrated by C. G. Esperanza

Nose to Nose by Thyra Heder

FICTION HONOR BOOKS

Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White

Oasis by Guojing

NONFICTION HONOR BOOKS

Up, Up, Ever Up!: Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains by Anita Yasuda; illustrated by Yuko Shimizu

Uprooted: A Memoir About What Happens When Your Family Moves Back by Ruth Chan

The Carnegies are the longest running children’s book awards in the UK. The medals are judged by children’s librarians. The Shadow Awards allow children and youth throughout the UK to vote on their favorite books. Here are the winners:

CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR ILLUSTRATION

Clever Crow illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill, written by Chris Butterworth (available in US)

CARNEGIE SHADOWERS’ CHOICE MEDAL FOR ILLUSTRATION

Home Body by Theo Parish (available in US)

CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR WRITING

Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald

CARNEGIE SHADOWERS’ CHOICE MEDAL FOR WRITING

King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore

The winners of the 2025 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards have been announced by the Ontario Arts Foundation. Here is the link to the shortlists that I posted about in May.

PICTURE BOOK WINNER

The Little Regent by Yewande Daniel-Ayoade, illustrated by Ken Daley

YA/MIDDLE GRADE WINNER

The New Girl by Cassandra Calin