The Week Junior Book Awards have unveiled the 2025 shortlist, celebrating the best in children’s literature across 14 categories, from exciting adventures, heartwarming stories and gripping graphic novels to fascinating factual books and eye-catching front covers.
The shortlist committee, including children’s book consultant Jake Hope, award-winning bookseller Sanchita Basu de Sarkar, and The Bookseller’s children’s editor Caroline Carpenter, have selected 63 books for consideration. Author and singer Geri Halliwell-Horner, TV presenter and author George Webster, presenter and actor Rhys Stephenson, and lexicographer Susie Dent are among the judges who will select the winning titles. The Week Junior readers will also vote for the winners of the Children’s Choice and Cover of the Year Awards categories. Winners will be announced at an award ceremony in central London on 29 September.
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Now in their third year, The Week Junior Book Awards were created to celebrate the very best in books for young readers, increasing awareness of the lifelong benefits of reading for pleasure and ultimately inspiring children to discover their next great read.
A recent survey of 2,000 UK families commissioned by The Week Junior magazine found that while an overwhelming 82% of children are keen to discuss current events, just three in 10 parents report feeling fully confident in their ability to talk about what’s going on around the globe in a manner that is accessible, accurate, and reassuring to their children.
The shortlist reveals the vital role children’s literature plays in tackling important topics in an approachable way, helping young people make sense of their world. Debut novel The Boy in the Suit (James Fox) and The Wrong Shoes (Tom Percival) both explore the impact of child poverty; Elle McNicoll’s Keedie tackles bullying; The Letter with the Golden Stamp (Onjali Q. Rauf) highlights the challenges of being a young carer, and poetry anthology And I Hear Dragons explores identity. First Questions and Answers: Why Are There Wars? (Mairi MacKinnon and Katie Daynes) and Martin Impey’s graphic novel Blitz: One Family’s War are accessible and informative aids for discussing conflict with children, while Deborah Meaden Talks Money provides a simple and enjoyable introduction to finance.
Editorial Director of The Week Junior, Anna Bassi says: “From anarchic animals, rowdy Romans, riddles and rollercoasters, to magic, money and monsters, the outstanding books on this year’s shortlists are guaranteed to ignite young imaginations and spark family conversations. At a time when the world can feel unstable and overwhelming, it’s incredibly reassuring to see children’s authors, illustrators and publishers rising to the ever more important challenge of informing, entertaining and boosting empathy through their work. I’m delighted to have the help of so many expert and enthusiastic judges – including The Week Junior’s readers – to help decide which of these exceptional books should triumph.”
Caroline Carpenter, children’s editor and deputy features editor at The Bookseller, says: "We are delighted to support The Week Junior Book Awards again as they continue to grow their scope and reach. Initiatives to encourage children reading for pleasure are needed more than ever and these awards celebrate the whole breadth of children's literature - from brilliant fiction to engaging non-fiction, illustration and poetry - ensuring there is something for every child to enjoy on these shortlists, while also recognising the hard work and talent of the authors, illustrators and publishers involved."
To view the full shortlist, plus find out more about the awards, visit theweekjuniorbookawards.co.uk.
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