The Diverse Book Awards

Bessie is an active and busy preschooler with ADHD who loves being outside and keeping her buzzy bees busy. This is easy for her to do when she is at home and in her garden with her Granny, her bees explore the flowers, loop the loop and find adventures.

However, when it is time for Bessie to start nursery, her bees find it hard as they do not know what to do. They interrupt games, knock down block towers and stop Bessie and her new friends from listening to the new story. Bessie does not know what to do with her bees and thinks they do not belong at the nursery, but she wants to stay. With the help of Granny, Bessie needs to find a way to share her bees and manage them at the nursery so everyone has a lovely time.

This beautifully written story encapsulates the journey of a neurodivergent child learning to manage their wiggles (bees) within a nursery setting and learning how to manage new routines and make new friends.

Bobby tries really hard to concentrate like his friends, but whenever he is distracted by the sights, sounds and smells around him, he floats away into the clouds.  He tries to find a solution by tying himself to the ground, but this means his thoughts and dreams escape and he feels empty inside.

Cloud Boy is a colourful exploration of a common challenge faced by neurodivergent children, and how a little understanding and seeing how others perceive the world around them can make a hugely positive difference.  The story references sensory stimulation and distractions, the worry and shame often felt by pupils who find concentration challenging, the limits and restrictions that society can place on individuals and how this can result in overwhelm, which can take a long time to recover from.  It finishes by celebrating the wonderful creativity that can be borne from a mind that thinks outside the box.

A great ‘I see me’ read for any pupils who see the world differently, and their peers and family who support them through the trickier times.

Shane loves his rice and peas, and it does look enticing, steaming hot with its scent wafting into his living room, and the most ultra-super-duper litany of adjectives to describe it. What’s wonderful is the careful insertion of family heritage – a recipe passed down through generations, with its own secret ingredient of pimento seeds. The illustrations take us from Shane’s domestic life, complete with notices on the fridge and a stash of tinned tomatoes behind proud mum, to his visions of grandiosity after eating the best rice in the world.

Until lunchtime at school, and Yinka’s claim that her Jollof rice is the best and the pair embark upon a stand off. But that’s not it. In this ultimate battle of food, everyone joins in, proclaiming their own rice is best – risotto, paella, pilau and more. The resolution, of course, is a tasting and sharing, but there’s also a beautiful little twist.

An absolute zinger of a picture book, vibrantly showing that food and culture and heritage is diverse, and is to be shared and celebrated.

Yazmin is so excited to meet her Nani for the first time and play superheroes with her, but when she arrives, communication proves difficult as Nani only speaks Punjabi. However, love has a language all of its own, and Nani creates Yazmin a new superhero doll that looks just like her! They begin using their imagination, sharing play and individual words, and they build a strong bond together, proving that communication is more than just spoken language.

I love the references to Yazmin’s Punjabi heritage – the inclusion of words such as khedo and khaao, applying mhendi and wearing the salwar kameez, as well as the Pakistani tradition of mothers making rag dolls for their children. The vibrant illustrations complement the superhero theme, and speech bubbles and clever text placement all combine to make this a very engaging read.

The back matter includes a glossary, brilliant instructions for creating a rag doll and a personal note from the author about the inspiration for the story.

How to Roller-Skate with One Leg follows the story of 12-year-old Maya, an extraordinary girl navigating ordinary tween years after an accident resulted in limb difference.

Maya is determined to achieve her pre-accident goals, including learning to roller-skate and mending friendships. This honest and hope-filled story captures Maya’s journey of self-discovery, supported by some loyal friends.

Inspired by the author’s own experiences, this book is authentic, warm and engaging. Maya’s story is a powerful testament to hope and resilience, showing that with courage and good friends, bright futures can still happen even when life takes an unexpected turn. Readers will undoubtedly fall in love with Maya and cheer her on every step of the way.

This split narrative story – dividing time between Samim’s current situation in foster care awaiting his asylum decision, and his narrated past of how he came to Britain from Afghanistan – is both moving and pacey, standing out as a powerful refugee story.

Pathos is built through Samim’s narrative of his horrific journey and those he lost along the way, but also through the present tense story in which he is bullied at school, and the guilt he feels that he has let down and lost his best friend, Zayn. Throughout the present tense narrative, Zayn appears to him as a ghost, giving witty insights into his situation at school and his endeavours in chess club.

When Samim narrates his journey to his caseworker, Zayn is both alive and a lively character – Samim’s best friend and the closest thing he has to family. Both boys are superbly rendered, their personalities clear and engaging, which invokes empathy and understanding.

This book deals with many topical issues, not just refugees, but also the importance of cultural heritage, hobbies, friendships and an understanding of identity and rights.

This is not just an ‘issue’ book, but an engaging read. The story contains references to medication, fighting, and gender identity, and also portrays death and a graphic journey across water. Most suitable for the very oldest in primary or KS3, and is compelling and powerful, sitting alongside Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird or Boy Everywhere by AM Dassu.

My Soul, a Shining Tree is a short, powerful novel that looks at war through the eyes of different characters. By showing multiple perspectives, it helps readers understand the different ‘sides’ of the conflict and the very real impact on people’s lives. I also really enjoyed how the different perspectives interacted with each other. I found Ernst’s story, in particular, incredibly moving: his experiences really brought the experiences of young people who went into battle to the forefront. Because the book is short, teachers could easily use extracts from the different perspectives as writing prompts or as a stimulus to support lessons about World War I.

The shifting narratives also help children think about how perspective can shape a story, while encouraging discussion about courage, loss, and resilience. I also really liked the inclusion of Khudadad, an Indian gunner, highlighting the important role soldiers from across the Commonwealth played in supporting the war. My Soul, a Shining Tree is perfect for helping young readers connect with history and develop empathy.

Naeli lives in India and one day receives an anonymous ticket to England. She feels that she must go, despite not knowing who it is from, because that’s where she believes her father is. She takes her precious violin with her and boards a ship to England where she meets Jack, who is on his way to boarding school.

Once she arrives in England, things are not quite as she expected, and several people seem very interested in her violin. Naeli decides to enlist Jack’s help to find the place where her father was last seen, as none of the adults seem willing to help her.

I really enjoyed the mystery element to this story, and not knowing what was so special about the violin. All the adults the children met along the way seemed to know more about Naeli’s father than they were letting on, so Naeli had to get creative to find out information. I also enjoyed the contrast in setting between India at the start of the book and Victorian London.

Suitable for children Y4 and up, this would make a good read aloud in the classroom. Children who are fans of mysteries, historical fiction, or adventures will enjoy this.

There are many links in this complex, but simply written, story – links between: the present day and the past; Chinese and British culture; fantasy and reality. They all intermingle. Jirou the ghost’s search for peace over his betrayal of Ping An mirrors modern boy Nate’s behaviour towards former friend Leighton, being reconciled with and to Chinese family and heritage and the notion of secrets needing to be uncovered and understood rather than causing hurt.

The ant facts at the beginning of every chapter, which sometimes link very obviously to the story, are interesting. Chapter 19 is a good example: ants releasing a ‘death pheromone’ being like the job of Chinese Labour Corps service personnel in World War I, moving bodies away from the battlefield trenches. The book could link into the WWI curriculum topic, offering a different perspective – that of people from a Chinese background who signed up to help the British war effort.

KS2 readers of Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths will be pleased to see this latest addition on their bookshelves, and librarians to increase the diversity of their stock.

Kofi’s mum wants him to be ‘somebody’ – she has come to believe that because he’s black, he needs the best education to compete in the real world, and so she makes him do the exams to win a scholarship to a prestigious private school.

Kofi is successful and wins the scholarship, and his mum is overjoyed – in fact, the whole community is proud of him and keeps telling him so. Others keep telling him how fortunate he is, but the problem is he doesn’t feel very lucky – he didn’t want this, and now he just feels pressure from all around. The one good thing about his new school is the athletics club – the coach has spotted his potential, and he has a good chance of competing in the London Schools’ Championships. But Kofi’s mum doesn’t approve of him running (she wants him to focus on his studies), and the school bully will do anything to ruin his chances because he doesn’t want Kofi to outshine him. Kofi’s best friend says that he needs to start standing up for himself, but that’s easier said than done.

Running My Own Race is a book about learning to find your path and having the courage to speak up for what you want. With themes of sports, resilience and prejudice, the book is best suited to lower KS3 or mature KS2 readers. It is an engaging yet easy read from start to finish and will inspire young readers to stand up for what they want and to follow their dreams.

This ‘out of this world’ graphic novel has lots to like and is a strong first offering from a brand new series of young graphic novels.

The story follows Nova, who is from a family of scientists and creative geniuses. Influenced by an environmental problem she sees on the news, Nova rushes to her secret lab to try to find a solution. After a few attempts, she succeeds, and all seems well until things get out of control and she is in a race against time to stop Chomp on his path of destruction. Nova soon realises that she cannot do this on her own and needs to enlist the help of her sister Cassi.

This short and easy-to-read graphic novel is fast-paced, fun and the perfect read for budding inventors or scientists. With bright colours, energetic characters and important themes like plastic pollution, girls in STEM and environmental problem-solving, this is pitched for 7-9 year olds and will surely appeal across primary schools.