The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist

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.

Hannah Gold’s animal books always go down a charm in the library, and this return to the Arctic is another absolute triumph. The story follows April Wood (who we first encountered in The Last Bear,  but the story works as a standalone) as she volunteers for a long-distance dog sled race across the frozen tundra, facing both a treacherous landscape and a (somewhat ruthless) rival. This time, the spotlight is on April’s growing connection with a solitary husky named Blaze.

The evocative setting descriptions beautifully capture the wonder and peril of the icy wilderness. What we love most about Hannah Gold’s books is how tenderly she portrays human-animal bonds, and true to form this is what remains the beating heart of this latest story.

A gripping adventure that weaves themes of environmental conservation and personal integrity into a high-stakes, icy race, with a compelling choice of lead animal character that readers will quickly fall in love with.

The First Year by Matt Goodfellow is the highly anticipated sequel to the emotionally powerful The Final Year. The previous book has made a profound impact on readers and significantly boosted the popularity of verse novels for Key Stage 2. The First Year follows into KS3, on as Nate navigates the ups and downs of his first year of secondary.

Matt Goodfellow explores the themes of family bonds, resilience, finding one’s voice, the power of language and the influence of supportive (and unsupportive) adults in school. This sequel is just as emotive – perhaps even more – as Nate is torn away from the familiar comfort and safety of primary school and finds himself thrown into the stark environment of secondary. The story also celebrates the joy of new friendships and the strong sense of belonging Nate shares with his brothers and friends.

This is a verse novel where the story unfolds through poetry. Some of the shortest and most sparse poems are the ones that evoke the greatest depth of emotion, with the white space on the page providing the reader with a moment to reflect and process – but only a moment, as this is really a page-turner that makes you greedy to read on.

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.

A choose-your-own-adventure style story with important, contemporary themes.

Fred is due to start secondary school, and his parents have a controlling nature that doesn’t allow him to be himself – he is often incapable of making even small decisions about his life. They all visit two prospective secondary schools. On his first day, two different school buses pull up to the stop. This becomes the first point at which the reader influences the story as Fred asks which bus he should catch; the two decisions lead to different pages in the story.

Depending on the choices made, there are alternative routes through the book, and various characters are introduced at the two locations. There are eight possible endings, and the length of the whole story depends on the decisions made. It is perfect for year 6 and transitions in general. It emphasises the importance of making good choices and taking responsibility for your actions.

A brilliant new series from the very talented Serena Patel. In the first book of this series, we are introduced to eight-year-old Pia, who is crazy about animals and even more so as she isn’t allowed one of her own. She lives with her older-but-annoying sister, Anjali, in two places – one with her mum in a nice little house and the other a flat with her dad.

Pia meets a boy called Hari in the communal garden. He is with his two dogs, an older basset hound called Raja and a boisterous puppy, Luna. Hari is upset because he has to train Luna to behave before his Nani comes to visit, or she will be given away. What ensues is plenty of chaos, giggles and new friendships.

This is a heartwarming read with such lovable, diverse characters. Emma McCann’s illustrations beautifully complement this fun story.

This is a fun school adventure which will appeal to fans of Pamela Butchart and Serena Patel. The story centres around Mina and her friends and their fears as they hear rumours of a spooky phantom that’s said to haunt the venue for their school camping trip.

The text is large, with wide-spaced lines and generous illustrations and some playful typesetting for emphasis, which all help with appealing to those children put off by extensive blocks of dense text. The authentic portrayal of Mina’s Bangladeshi family adds a layer of interest to the story.

This will be particularly popular with lower KS2 in a school library and will also be enjoyed by some of the older children looking for a lighter, entertaining read.

A funny, fast-paced graphic novel full of thrills and excitement, which would be perfect for any fan of similar texts such as Dog Man and Bunny vs Monkey.

This vibrant story documents the twists and turns of Josh and Daisy, who stumble upon Dadbot—a robot with super-strength at a car boot sale to save themselves from a telling off from a trader. Their summer holidays take a turn for the extraordinary as they activate Dadbot, only to find themselves facing the villainous Doctor Egg, who plans to steal Dadbot for world domination.

This book was snapped up when it was first placed in our school library and was met with lots of rave reviews. The children are looking forward to further updates on DadBot and his adventures!

The story unfolds with plenty of action, puns, and unexpected twists, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. This text is perfect for Y3 readers or fans of graphic novels who enjoy humour and adventure.

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.

This is a madcap collection of short sketches, each 1-2 pages long, that will have huge appeal to fans of series such as Bunny vs Monkey.

Early on in the book, we are introduced to a bizarre range of characters, such as: Jammyboi, who creates havoc by squeezing jam over a variety of important historical and legal documents; Chalky – the ghost of a murdered Victorian donut; and an (unnamed) man going to extreme lengths (including space travel) to avoid an over-enthusiastic donut force feeding itself to him. There are also excellent ‘Ask Your Father’ features, which are very well-observed, and involve Dadnut over-explaining life lessons to Lil Timmy, his son. Alongside all this chaos, a host of bagel characters are planning a rebellion against their sweet relations, hoping to turn mankind against the sugary treats.

Only when Anxiety Donut is sent to investigate the rumours does the true scale of the conflict unfold.In addition to the mini-stories, there are pages of humorous ‘advertisements’ that start with innocuous fan merchandise and develop into war-mongering accessories. The ‘Rejected Donut Flavours’ feature was very appealing too – anyone for ‘broccoli glazed’ donuts?The short nature of these sketches will make them appealing to reluctant readers as well as graphic novel fans, and the sections at the end featuring step-by-step guides to create and draw your own characters will appeal to keen illustrators too. This will be a popular title on bookshelves!

This is a hilarious graphic novel about a girl who falls down a hole into the underworld and has to battle the ruler, while navigating terrifying challenges such as the “bog of intense emotions”.

A funny, weird, mysterious and absurd page-turner!

Fish are fishy! Have you ever noticed? This phenomenally tongue-in-cheek picture book starts deadpan and dull, explaining that a mammal is a mammal, a bird a bird – predictable features and characteristics, with staid illustrations. But when it comes to fish, the reader is warned that fish are different. Fish are not to be trusted. And things turn wild.

Sharpson’s deadpan tone makes for a fantastically funny book, allowing the reader to read between the lines. The book lends itself brilliantly to discussions about bias and evaluating what we read by considering the reliability of the source and context, perfect for the modern world in which even young children are confronted with fake news and online prejudice.

Dan Santat complements Sharpson’s text with clever wacky illustrations, from the tube that leads from a domestic fish tank to the sea, to the page that will make younger children think twice before sitting on the toilet, to the nightmarish vision of robot fish towards the end. This is a book that will challenge, while poking enormous fun at the whole endeavour.

A picture book that does not condescend to its audience nor preach any kind of sensible message – other than, obviously, don’t trust fish! Brilliantly funny. To be read again and again.

Baxter and Rory see the world differently. Rory often wants to race ahead, while Baxter likes to stop and experience the world around him. This book explores how Baxter and Rory journey to the playground with Mum, and Rory learns to see things from Baxter’s view.

Seeing things through Baxter’s eyes means Rory can learn to slow down and appreciate the amazing things around. Baxter has his sensory needs, but he sees and feels things others can, too, if they take the time. The following week, when it’s park visiting time again, it’s evident that Rory has learned that by slowing down, you can see exciting and wonderful things.

As well as celebrating neurodiversity, this engaging, earnest story gently encourages everyone to slow down and take time to see the beauty of the natural world. A book to share and discuss in EYFS and KS1 classrooms as well as with family members.

With heartfelt storytelling and stunning illustrations by Murphy’s Sketches, this book shows that if you slow down, you will see some wonderful things.

Boing! A Bouncy Book of Bugs is a colourful anthology of poems all about a variety of bugs and minibeasts, including butterflies, spiders and even dung beetles! The poems are catchy, memorable and often rhythmic, which are perfectly accommodated and supported by the colourful images on each page.

There is a variety of poems in this book in terms of length and type – shape poems, riddles and acrostic poetry are just some examples included, as well as other poems with longer or repetitive verses. This further helps to make the book accessible to all and would support it being used across Key Stage 1 into Lower Key Stage 2.

Children would certainly enjoy the opportunity to listen to and perform many of these poems aloud, as well as use them for inspiration to write their own poems. This book is a nice introduction to some poetic features, including rhyme, repetition and alliteration. Interestingly, as well as a poem on each page, some pages include interesting facts about specific bugs or minibeasts.

This is a fun and interesting addition to the poems and would certainly appeal to any budding nature enthusiast or scientist, as well as to those who enjoy poetry.

This is an impressive and visually striking large hardback book that offers a wonderfully hands-on way for children to explore the Viking world.

The book covers a broad range of Viking life, from long-distance travel and exploration to myths, daily routines, superstitions and famous warriors. The questions it raises, such as how Vikings reached places as far apart as modern-day Canada and Baghdad, or why berserkers were known for their ferocity, are pitched for KS1 and KS2 children.

The book also offers opportunities for cross-curricular links with geography, as readers trace Viking trade routes and voyages. All in all, it’s a beautifully produced, highly engaging and full of fascinating facts and manageable chunks of history learning.

Bridges is a large-format book that covers absolutely everything you would want to know for your first look into the topic, and anyone with an interest in architecture or geography will find plenty to interest them.

Paragraphs are accompanied by beautiful drawings by the illustrator Jakub Bachorik and so every page is a vibrant display that draws you in and around the information as you read; you could spend just as much time looking at the drawings as reading, making the book accessible to readers of all ages. The book covers topics you would expect such as the purpose of bridges, the historic influences, the construction and the record-breaking bridges of the world. But throughout, the reader will learn about human ingenuity and achievements that are very surprising, such as the Peruvian grass bridge which is renewed annually by the locals, or the bridge that allows people to walk below the water level it crosses, or the Lotus bridge in China which manages the transition between the left-hand driving in Macau and right-sided driving in China.

Also nestled amongst the content are surprising statistics as well as invitations for the reader to try making their own bridges or add in their favourite. Overall, this is a comprehensive as well as intriguing book that is suitable for sharing with younger ones or for older children to delve into themselves.

Ever wondered how fruit starts to grow? This fun, lift-the-flap book guides you through the parts of a flower, how different pollinators support the plant life-cycle and how other parts of plants are used in our food. There is a great mix of scientific detail and engaging story-telling and this book is a great accompaniment to primary science topics about lifecycles and growing plants.

The information is presented attractively in bite-size chunks, making it accessible for children across the primary age-range, and the illustrations are colourful and eye-catching.

This would be a great text to use as a model when writing explanations about plant life-cycles, and there are step-by-step instructions at the end of the book for conducting your own pollination investigation.

Mega is a fascinating information book that allows children (and adults!) to explore the various enormous animals that have roamed our planet, from animals that existed millions of years ago to ones we see alive today.

The book explains how these creatures might have evolved to become so huge and what made some of them extinct. Jules Howard, the author, has selected a range of animals including ‘Mighty Mammals’, ‘Really Big Birds’, ‘Rampaging Reptiles’, ‘Supersize Fish’ and ‘Monstrous Molluscs to write about. Each page includes a range of illustrations that bring the creatures to life. There is a range of fascinating facts that are clearly presented so that the size of each animal can be understood. The book also explores the impact of animal extinctions and ways in which we can help protect our planet and the animals that inhabit it. The glossary and index support quick navigation and deeper understanding of some complex terminology. The book cover also folds out to create a large poster of a range of mammoth animals featured.

A great animal-themed non-fiction book choice for KS2.

A book to broaden horizons! Although aimed at KS2 pupils, this information book about neurodiversity and brains is as much for adults as children: parents and teachers will learn, or be gently reminded, about mindful language and changing perceptions of neurodiversity. Do you and your pupils know about sunflower lanyards, identity-first versus person-first language or neuroplasticity?

Scott Evans, a teacher and neurodivergent spokesperson, has created an empowering guide that celebrates the uniqueness of every brain and blends neuroscience with understanding, offering readers an accessible introduction to how the brain works and why neurodiversity matters. The narration speaks directly to the reader, reassuring them that their brains are not only powerful but are extraordinary. All Brains Are Wonderful encourages self-awareness, kindness and curiosity, making it a valuable resource for classrooms and families alike.

The illustrations by The Boy Fitz Hammond are a great match for the text—bright, expressive and inclusive (from freckles to braces to vitiligo) – they bring the science to life, helping to convey the book’s core message: that all people matter.

A really well-presented, beautifully thought-out book. The layout makes it easy to dip in and out of and is very visually appealing to a reader. The author’s introduction is heart-warming and inspirational, with clear messages that ‘disabled is not a bad word.’ Though the title might lead you to believe that the main audience is the disabled population, it is also a great read for non-disabled readers to understand the best ways to support their disabled peers and loved ones, and to understand that we all must advocate for a more accessible, accepting world.

This is best for Key Stage 2 pupils and is definitely a book which should become a classroom staple read to pupils as an enjoyable text and not simply popped in the library to hit a diversity quota.

Emma Swan has nailed the gap in the market for a female protagonist on the level of Tom Gates or Wimpy Kid. Cruise Ship Kid is everyday life with a difference – the protagonist, Silver, lives on a cruise ship. This opens up a myriad of intriguing and wonderful conceits – where does she do her schooling, how does she shop, and of course, the most pressing matter for Silver – how does she make and keep friendships.

The book is offered as a detective story with motives and clues and red herrings as well as how to solve the mystery of making friendships whilst being true to yourself. Delightfully funny, the novel is written in casual, confessional first person with an authorial wink so that the reader can glimpse things that perhaps Silver herself can’t see, as well as have Silver explain to the reader what her life is like.

Silver is both lovable and authentic, the ship is extraordinarily detailed and interesting, and the text is accessible, super modern, and fun. This book is highly illustrated throughout, with a revolting vomit scene and also bottom jokes, as well as giving information on the tourist stops where the ship docks. Something for everyone – just like a cruise ship.

Badger Books is the sequel to Tailer and Sons and is set in the same town of Ballybrush.

Badger owns a bookshop which has books about everything imaginable. But one day, Rory the Fox comes in, and Badger doesn’t have a book to satisfy Rory’s imagination. Badger encourages Rory to write his own…and a partnership blossoms.

Imagination, creativity, friendship, kindness and community.

This is a tour-de-force of fantasy stories, combining mythical beings such as werewolves, vampires, dragons, talking books and magicians, alongside fearsome warriors and long-buried secrets.

Hundreds of years ago, the Seven Sovereigns – the final mortal rulers of the world – were defeated by the evil White Prince and his vampir legions. With them, the secret of the Midnight Treasure, the source of all mortal magical power, died too; so named because it can only be found just before midnight on Spectre Night. Immortals and mortals now live uneasily alongside each other with the latter often in service to the former. Many mortals have developed small powers that they use to make lives easier but still live in fear.

Our hero, Tibor, and his best friend Rosa live with Tibor’s vampire guardian, the Baron. Tibor, aged 13, is to become a full-grown werwolf on Spectre Night and is desperate to know his family history. Then the arrival of a wizard brings news that Tibor must leave his fairly comfortable existence and use the magical Sleeping Knight – an object endowed with the power to uncover truth and dreams – to hunt down the Midnight Treasure for White Prince.

On his quest, Tibor joins forces with the Feathers – the fiercest mortal warriors in the country. They must contend with fearsome creatures, including vampires that can transform into inanimate objects and those they thought were allies, but truly have their own selfish agendas.

There are themes of courage, resilience, friendship, loyalty and hope. The plot twists come thick and fast and it’s quite a complex story. The writing is atmospheric and covers a wide range of event and many different characters.