Harry and his bucketful of dinosaurs are going on holiday to Australia and can’t wait. But everything is very different down under. There are lots of new sights, sounds and experiences and, without Nan there to comfort them, Harry AND Tyrannosaurus begin to feel a bit homesick. Luckily, a surprise gift makes all the difference and they soon all have a raaah-tastic time!
Simon is in Darwin, Australia, preparing to travel through the unique mix of tropical forest, savannah and desert that make up the Australian Outback. But he’s already worrying if his 4×4 is up to the job, and about the dangers posed
by crocodiles, spiders and snakes – and road trains!
Simon Chapman, winner of the Blue Peter Book Award, brings geography to life, and his Expedition Diaries are a great way to introduce the world’s biomes and habitats to children, direct from someone who’s actually been in them – sometimes up to his neck! These books are perfect for sparking interest in this key school topic.
Travel along Melbourne’s twisting Yarra river in a glorious celebration of indigenous culture and Australia’s unique flora and fauna.
Yarra Riverkeeper Andrew Kelly and Aboriginal Elder of the Wurundjeri people Aunty Joy Murphy join to tell the indigenous and geographical story of Melbourne’s beautiful Yarra river – from its source to its mouth and from its pre-history to the present day. The writing dazzles with poetic descriptions of the trees, plants and wildlife that thrive in harmony along the iconic waterway, while lush and vibrant acrylic paintings from indigenous illustrator Lisa Kennedy make the mighty Yarra come to life – coursing under a starry sky, drawing people to its sunny shores, mirroring a searing orange sunset.
The end matter includes an author’s note and a glossary of the Woiwurrung words used in the story.
Here at BooksForTopics HQ, we were delighted to be involved in judging the longlist for this year’s Diverse Book Awards. Now in their fourth year, these awards were created by award-winning author Abiola Bello and award-winning publicist Helen Lewis, to highlight the best of the diverse voices published in the UK and Ireland.
We are very excited to share the shortlist for these awards, showcasing the best of the UK and Ireland’s diverse children’s books, and featuring several of our own favourite authors, illustrators and titles.
Among the selected picturebooks are Dadaji’s Paintbrush, a universal story of love and loss in a beautiful Indian setting, which features on our Year 1: 50 Recommended Reads booklist. Also shortlisted is Our Tower by Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, a modern-day fable about learning to find nature and magic everywhere, which was the BooksForTopics pick for the 2023 Read for Empathy collection.
The Children’s category highlights a BooksforTopics favourite, The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Drama and Danger, which our review panel described as, “…a fantastic mystery story, which could also lead to discussions about race, theatre, slavery and family history.” Author Sangu Mandanna is shortlisted for Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse – a welcome return for one of our favourite characters who first featured on our Diverse & Inclusive Books for Upper KS2 booklist with Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom.
Check out the full shortlist for the 2023 Diverse Book Awards below!
The first book in a major new series: FUTURE HERO – featuring high-octane adventure, perfect for fans of Black Panther!
Destiny is Calling…
When Jarell discovers that the fantasy world he is obsessed with doodling is actually real, he is launched into an incredible adventure.
Ulfrika, the land of his ancestors, is in trouble and he is the hero they need.
With the help of brave and wise-cracking Kimisi, Jarell must stop the evil Ikala. The future of Ulfrika depends on it…
A winning blend of future tech gadgets and a fantasy world inspired by the mythology of Africa and its diaspora.
Jarell, an ordinary boy who loves to draw, is the chosen one to save the world of Ulfrika.
Told in accessible short chapters, filled with action and humour, this is a fun fast-paced adventure – with plenty more books in the series coming soon!
A BEAUTIFULLY EVOCATIVE STORY OF A CHILD’S JOURNEY TO ENGLAND ON BOARD EMPIRE WINDRUSH, FROM AN INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED, MULTI-AWARD-WINNING POET AND AN EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT ILLUSTRATOR.
“you’re stepping into history
bringing your Caribbean eye
to another horizon”
With one last hug, Windrush chid waves goodbye to his Caribbean home and sets sail across the ocean to Britain. In this powerful picture book, full of hope and promise, celebrated poet John Agard and illustrator Sophie Bass movingly evoke the journey made by children and their families as part of the Windrush Generation.
Forced to take shelter when their Syrian city is plagued with bombings, young Nour and her cousin begin to bravely build a secret underground library. Based on the author’s own life experience and inspired by a true story, Nour’s Secret Library is about the power of books to heal, transport and create safe spaces during difficult times. Illustrations by Romanian artist Vali Mintzi superimpose the colorful world the children construct over black-and-white charcoal depictions of the battered city.
A beautifully lyrical and empowering picture book about the importance of dreaming big, from award-winning author Manjeet Mann and the exceptionally talented debut illustrator, Amanda Quartey.
Small lived in a small house.
She had a small room
with a small window
and at night
she slept in a small bed
with a too small blanket.
Despite being small,
Small had BIG dreams.
In Small’s world, everything is small – her shoes, her bed, everything. But her dreams are big. And Small discovers that when you dream big, anything – and everything – can happen.
Small’s Big Dream is the first picture book from Manjeet Mann, with artwork by exciting debut illustrator Amanda Quartey. Manjeet Mann is the author of the Costa Children’s Book Award winning The Crossing and critically acclaimed and Carnegie-shortlisted Run, Rebel.
A heart-warming, fresh and original story about family and friendship from brand-new picture book author, writer and performer Jordan Stephens.
Sunny loves jigsaw puzzles – the bigger the better. When she completes one, she gets a warm, happy honeybee buzz. One day, her Gran gives her a ONE-THOUSAND-PIECE puzzle. Piece after piece, all by herself, she puts together the picture, until … DISASTER! The final piece is missing. Sunny may be small, but she is very determined – so she sets off to find it.
As the day whizzes by in a whirl of new places and friends, Sunny discovers that looking for something is every bit as fun as finding it, and that perhaps the missing piece was there all along …
The sparklingly funny debut picture book from Juno Dawson, bestselling writer and activist.
Sometimes people say to me: ‘What happened to your brother, Bill?’
That’s when I look them in the eye and say: ‘Hun, you need to chill.’
When Bill can’t be found at school one day, the imaginations of the other children run wild. Is he on holiday? Is he lost in the park? Has he been eaten by a shark?! It’s up to Bill’s sister to explain…
Juno Dawson’ debut picture book is a witty and fun-filled rhyming story about family, identity and allyship. Bold, joyful and warm-hearted, its message of love and inclusivity shines through on every page.
© BooksForTopics 2015-2024
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