Award-winning Children’s Books in 2025

This is a refreshing, positive picture book about loss and change.

It tells the story of Shingai and his mother, who are both struggling to cope with the departure of his father. It’s not spelt out whether the father has left or has died – the lessons could be equally applicable to either scenario. As Shingai’s destructive behaviour gets progressively worse, eventually his mother joins in, which leaves Shingai confused. This eventually leads him to the understanding that they both still have each other and they both consider what two people can enjoy and accomplish together.

Powerfully, Shingai only makes the breakthrough he needs to adapt to the changes in his life after his mother acknowledges and expresses her own grief and loss.

This is a lovely book for sharing in difficult circumstances. The illustrations are bright and appealing and the overall message is of hope and new beginnings.

This is the first in a fun illustrated chapter book series for 5-7-year-olds. The story provides an exploration of how children might overcome some of the worries associated with a first sleep-over or camp-out.

Through the eyes of Destiny, we explore how she feels about her upcoming camp-out at Olivia’s house and how she overcomes the butterflies in her tummy with the help of a very special friend. The story is lighthearted and creative, but also explores the physical symptoms children might experience when feeling apprehensive, which lends itself to discussion about emotional literacy.

The book is presented in an appealing and accessible way that will draw in younger or more reluctant readers and there are plenty of doodles to break up the text for those who find text-dense pages hard to navigate.

Have you ever wondered why frogs are green? Or if the sun is really yellow? Or maybe why the sea is blue? Well, this colourful science compendium suitable for KS2 may hold the answers!

Written by author and astronomer, Dr Sheila Kanani, this fascinating book starts by explaining what colour is and how we see it, before taking us on a journey of big colour questions. Each section is based on a colour of the rainbow (plus some added extras ‘beyond the rainbow’ such as black, white and fluorescent colours) and, after an introduction to that colour, asks five colour-based questions. Red, for example, explores why blood is red, why Mars is known as the red planet, why flamingos are pink, why some monkeys have red bottoms and why hippo’s sweat is red.

Each question is explained clearly, with lots of added information and ‘did you know’ sections to keep the reader engaged. This all leads to the big question of the book: Can you Get Rainbows in Space? As well as being a captivating read, it is the design, layout and illustrations that will get children picking up the book and delving in.

Unsurprisingly, in a book about colour, every spread is full of glorious images that celebrate each colour in turn. A feast for the eyes as well as the mind, I would highly recommend this engaging text for bookshelves in every school library.

The Illustrations and quirky characters of the book are definitely what draws children to the story. They love the idea of disgusting recipes and when read to one of our Year 1 classes, they loved it! I really enjoyed the way the two characters worked together to find a solution that fits both the morals of the cafe owner and the demands of the customer. It would be a great stimulus to get young children writing recipes for their own menu at the Cafe at the Edge of the Woods.

This wonderful illustrated story by Martin Impey details the moving story of one family living in London during World War Two.

The story is told from the perspective of the two children in the family and explains what life was like before the war and then what happens once the war starts. There are specific details included in the book, for example, the exact time the war was announced, what rationing was and what happened during an air raid.

The atmospheric watercolour illustrations complement the story superbly, and put visual storytelling at the centre of the reading experience. The wartime mood set by the nostalgic colour palette combined with the snippets of archived material like letters and broadcasts begin to bring alive a historian’s sense of recreating details of the war from an ageing generation’s living memory and recorded material – an important aspect of historical understanding to grasp for today’s younger readers who are more familiar with the ease of video footage and livestream accounts of news events.

This beautiful and moving book is well researched and rich with detail, making it an excellent addition to any classroom.

This is the first in a series of adventures from Kieran Larwood (the author of the much-loved Podkin series of books) and illustrated by the excellent Joe Todd-Stanton.

Hero Trial is a classic tale of the underdog triumphing against the odds, standing up to bullies and showing that size and strength are not everything. Kit is a gnorf (part gnome, part dwarf) and Dungeon Runners is a TV game show that Kit is desperate to be on. The trouble is that he has no magical powers, combat skills or even a team. After being bullied into entering the Dungeon Runners trial, Kit needs to find a team double quick to make sure he isn’t humiliated by his mean next-door neighbour Breg the Troggle.

So starts his adventure in finding friendship, and courage and learning that you can win by being kind and using your intelligence. This imaginative and brilliantly illustrated story will appeal to quest lovers and adventure fans in lower KS2.

‘Into The Volcano’ is an engaging and informative text full of interesting facts for a Key Stage 2 audience. The book supports the National Curriculum objective of understanding the processes that give rise to key physical features of the world – it describes, in a way that the reader will be able to understand, whilst still using ambitious vocabulary, how and where volcanoes are formed, the different types of volcanoes, as well as discussing their positive and negative effects.

We enjoyed the inclusion of myths and legends inspired by real-life volcanoes, details about books and films that feature volcanoes (both real-life and fictional ones); and stories of artists who have chosen volcanoes as their subject.

Throughout the book, there are fascinating ‘Did you know?’ snippets – for example, did you know that scientists believe that the ‘scream heard piercing through nature’ which inspired Edvard Munch’s world-famous painting ‘The Scream’ was in fact the effects of Krakatau exploding?

This volcano-themed children’s book is a fascinating read from start to finish.

Any child who has loved Phil Earle’s war stories or Sheila Burnford’s ‘The Incredible Journey’ will love ‘I am Rebel’.

Ross Montgomery tells the story of Tom, a restless and idealistic farm boy, who makes the dangerous decision to join a civil rebellion against an oppressive and heartless king, and Rebel, his brave and faithful dog. Rebel, determined to track Tom down, sets out on a journey to find him and makes friends along the way. What begins as one dog’s search for his boy turns into an epic animal odyssey.

Montgomery draws in all kinds of issues to his narrative; the desire of a young boy to rebel and follow the promise of a dream in defiance of his parents, his misguided trust in an unknown adult, and, more positively, the power of love and faithfulness in friendships and family.

It is often said of new releases that they read like classics – but this one truly does. Ross Montgomery’s vivid and emotive storytelling paired with simple language make it a must for school libraries. It’s timeless, touching, and thrilling throughout.

An atmospheric and beautifully worded story by Katya Balen, which transports the reader to feel at one with nature.

Ghostlines is set on the island of Ayrie, where Tilda is at her happiest. She thrives in nature, loves exploring and breathes in every moment of the wilderness. Living in a small and tight-knit community, Tilda is intrigued when a new boy, Albie, arrives. Tilda spends all of her efforts showing him the hidden treasures of the island, but to no avail, as he misses living life in the city.

Despite his reluctance to be friendly, they explore a nearby haunted island and strike an unexpected friendship.

Readers will find themselves absorbed in the cleverly crafted descriptions of the wild, while also rooting for the characters within. It is hard not to fall in love with Tilda and her determination to show everyone the importance of bonding with nature.

What a great read! This is a superb book to share with one child or a whole class. The inside cover alone is a delight – crammed with emojis showing an array of emotions which children can share and talk about.

The story is written in an informal style and follows a young neurodivergent girl, Gina, as she journeys through the story of Red Riding Hood, fixing mistakes and recounting the facts.

Craig Barr-Martin weaves into the narrative simple everyday strategies that Gina and her supporting adults utilise –  the use of charts to show how she feels, the making of lists to keep her organised and the importance of familiar items when she goes on a journey.

The first reading is fun, the second builds further understanding and the third reveals even more about the way we all think and feel.

Find more fun twists on fairy tales on our new Fairy Tales and Traditional Stories booklist.

Safiyyah’s War is a gripping story of heroic defiance set in World War II Paris, all the more gripping for being based on underknown real-life events. It invites the reader to reflect on our shared humanity and the importance of community and compassion.

The story focuses on the central mosque, where a small team of devout North Africans see it as their moral duty to help endangered Jews escape to safety, despite the massive risks. Safiyyah’s Baba is among them. He does what he can to keep his actions secret from his daughter to protect her, but reckons without her strength of character and purpose. Unafraid to break a few rules in the process, Safiyyah insists on being trusted with the truth and allowed to make her own contribution. There is plenty of tension, but Safiyyah’s nerve holds in the face of her fear of the Nazis, leading her to a triumphant act of heroism.

The story illustrates how extreme circumstances can lead ordinary people to do extraordinary things and raises the old question of justice: can it sometimes be right to break the law? A beautiful, hope-affirming book for young people.

This wonderful illustrated story by Martin Impey details the moving story of one family living in London during World War Two.

The story is told from the perspective of the two children in the family and explains what life was like before the war and then what happens once the war starts. There are specific details included in the book, for example, the exact time the war was announced, what rationing was and what happened during an air raid.

The atmospheric watercolour illustrations complement the story superbly, and put visual storytelling at the centre of the reading experience. The wartime mood set by the nostalgic colour palette combined with the snippets of archived material like letters and broadcasts begin to bring alive a historian’s sense of recreating details of the war from an ageing generation’s living memory and recorded material – an important aspect of historical understanding to grasp for today’s younger readers who are more familiar with the ease of video footage and livestream accounts of news events.

This beautiful and moving book is well researched and rich with detail, making it an excellent addition to any classroom.

A moving and heartfelt story about the relationship between an orphan and a pit pony in 1950s Yorkshire.

Reminiscent of classics like Black Beauty and Goodnight Mr Tom, Birdie is both a heart-warming animal story and a powerful exploration of belonging and bravery. A must-read for young readers, teachers and anyone who cherishes stories about finding hope in the face of adversity. Timeless, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting, Birdie is destined to become a classic.

There is a wealth of WW2-inspired fiction for KS2 readers and it was refreshing to have a story that is set in a different country than those often written about – in this case Norway.

I really enjoyed the opening to the story, which sets the scene of young Georgy listening to his Grandmother and Grand-Aunt retelling the story of what happened: this makes the reader feel like they are part of the story, listening to Tove and Liva recall what life was like during that time.

The dual narrative throughout the main story offers a chance for children to gain more insight into the two main characters and their emotions, motives and thoughts. This is also what would potentially make it more challenging for LKS2 or less confident readers.

The story also spans the majority of WW2, allowing children to experience a narrative in which characters grow and change throughout.

In this collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, Tom Percival has written a book that should be in every school library in the country. For Will, things just keep going wrong. Bullied for having cheap shoes, misunderstood by his teachers, and struggling to come to terms with the bleak and hungry life he leads after his dad lost his job, life seems to be pushing him down a path of self-destruction.

The love of his family, the persistence of his friends, and a freak encounter with nature keep filling him with just enough hope to keep doing the next right thing. Will is living on the poverty line, and this will be a sensitive issue for some children. Life for Will is hard, but he learns that he is still powerful and in a position to make choices about his future and the path he wants to take.

The Wrong Shoes is a story that will increase empathy in children whose lives are easier than Will’s and empower those who relate to him. Suitable for Upper KS2 and beyond.

This is the first in a series of adventures from Kieran Larwood (the author of the much-loved Podkin series of books) and illustrated by the excellent Joe Todd-Stanton.

Hero Trial is a classic tale of the underdog triumphing against the odds, standing up to bullies and showing that size and strength are not everything. Kit is a gnorf (part gnome, part dwarf) and Dungeon Runners is a TV game show that Kit is desperate to be on. The trouble is that he has no magical powers, combat skills or even a team. After being bullied into entering the Dungeon Runners trial, Kit needs to find a team double quick to make sure he isn’t humiliated by his mean next-door neighbour Breg the Troggle.

So starts his adventure in finding friendship, and courage and learning that you can win by being kind and using your intelligence. This imaginative and brilliantly illustrated story will appeal to quest lovers and adventure fans in lower KS2.

This is a really good book to read to your little one, or to the whole class. It is written mainly in rhymes and the illustrations bring the story to life. The message about the dad being too busy on his mobile phone to take any notice of his son is also topical. On a train journey to the seaside, the dad and little boy are joined by all sorts of animals that the boy is fascinated by – and the dad does not notice! This leads to a fun adventure with the boy and the tiger. This is a story about connection and imagination, and there’s a message for adults too, here – don’t miss those early years of fun with your child!

For more information and ideas for using the book with children, check out author Mariesa Dulak’s guest post on the BooksForTopics blog.

Fia lives in what feels like permanent winter. Her people haven’t seen or felt the warmth and light of the sun for several years, since the snow deer left.

Only one snow deer, Solas, remains. Born at the same time as Fia, Fia has sworn to protect her. Now Fia’s people are starving and their eyes are turning to the remaining snow deer. There is only one hope – for Fia to go on a treacherous journey across the frozen wastes to find the Deer Mother and fulfil the prophecy written about her long before she was born. Accompanied only by her beloved snow deer and her (sometimes irritating) cousin, Mish, the adventuresome trio strives to make it to the Deer Mother before it’s too late, knowing that sacrifices will need to be made along the way.

Beautifully told in the form of verse, with enchanting illustrations, this is a tale like no other I have read. It would make a fantastic wintry class read-aloud story as well as being used as a base for inspiring writing.

A moving and heartfelt story about the relationship between an orphan and a pit pony in 1950s Yorkshire.

Reminiscent of classics like Black Beauty and Goodnight Mr Tom, Birdie is both a heart-warming animal story and a powerful exploration of belonging and bravery. A must-read for young readers, teachers and anyone who cherishes stories about finding hope in the face of adversity. Timeless, heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting, Birdie is destined to become a classic.

Written in verse. Ronny moves out of London after his friend is attacked, but he struggles to fit into his new town until he discovers spoken word.

Powerful, empathetic, raw, inspiring and creative!

A jam-packed encyclopaedia full of information, maps and stunning images. This beautiful book will allow children to discover the incredible history and diversity of Asia in all its splendour, with this stunningly illustrated and fact-filled book perfect for a reading area or library. The children can dive deep into this vast and epic continent, looking at its incredible past, its fascinating present.

Amazing Asia celebrates the five geographic regions – East, West, North and Central, South and South East. 
Each regional section includes maps, geographical information, historical timelines, political history, landmarks, wildlife and cultural insights.

Amazing Asia will bring its readers right up to date, exploring everything from the origin of Asian migration to pockets of its culture all over the planet. This text is a fantastic read for children aged 8 and above. It would be a fantastic addition to a reading area or library and an essential for a topic on Asia linked to geography or history.

There’s nothing faster than a cheetah… or is there?

The eye-catching cover, with its bright pink background and comical illustrations, creates a real buzz and get the book talk flowing. From start to finish, this book does not disappoint!

Packed with large, bold print, repetitive language and comical illustrations, it hooks younger readers and is a great read-aloud story with lots of giggles guaranteed.

After reading, the children are keen to share their wacky ideas about what might be faster than a cheetah. The speed stats on the inside covers are also a great starting point for further discussions! This is a brilliant book to inspire EYFS children.

Trixie Pickle is an arty ‘sort-of-superhero’ and this is her second adventure (the first being Trixie Pickle, Art Avenger). Trixie and her best friend, Beeks, have a lot going on in their lives. First, there is the latest edition of their comic, Blammo, to work on. Then there are the ‘mean girls’ to avoid or they will cause all sorts of trouble for Trixie and Beeks. There is also a new mystery illness doing the rounds; nicknamed ‘Wormwood fever’, it makes the patient very ill and can be briefly summed up by the words ‘it’s coming out both ends’. Could the mystery illness have anything to do with someone Trixie sees dumping toxic waste in the local reservoir? Who is it and can they be stopped? Trixie has a comic to finish, a mystery to solve and enemies to get revenge on . . . but all in an artistic way of course and with plenty of scope for mishap.

Full of fantastic, detailed fact files of the real artists who inspire Trixie and fully illustrated by the author, it was great to discover some artists I hadn’t been aware of before. This is a fast-paced, funny, fact-filled book which will appeal to art lovers, adventure lovers and humour lovers. It would also lend itself extremely well to a variety of art projects based on the artists featured.