Congratulations to all the authors and illustrators shortlisted for this year’s Little Rebels Award. The award was set up by the Alliance of Radical Booksellers to celebrate fiction for children aged 0-12 that challenges stereotypes and promotes social equality.

Selected by a panel of authors, teachers and children’s book experts, this year’s shortlist includes a range of formats and caters for a wide range of ages and reading abilities. The eight shortlisted titles ‘speak to a generation of young activists and critical thinkers’, say the organisers.  They explore a range of social justice issues, from Black History and the politics of Pride to access to the arts and perceptions of disability.

Commenting on the Little Rebels Award, judge Darren Chetty, lecturer at UCL and columnist for Books for Keeps, said, ‘Radical, rebellious fiction has found itself under attack from conservative forces in recent years. We’ve seen authors’ books removed from shelves in the USA as the culture warriors have tried to limit the imaginations of writers and readers. The Little Rebels Award matters more than ever- and I’m proud to be associated with it.’

The winner of the Little Rebels Award 2024 will be announced at an award ceremony in London in October.

The 2024 Little Rebels Award shortlist:

Grandad’s Pride by Harry Woodgate (Andersen Press)

Is That Your Mama? by Patrice Lawrence, illustrated by Diane Ewen (Scholastic)

A Hero Like Me by Angela Joy and Jen Reid, illustrated by Leire Salaberria (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books)

Man-Man and the Tree of Memories by Yaba Badoe, illustrated by Joelle Avelino (Zephyr)

You’re So Amazing by James and Lucy Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George (Faber & Faber)

We are Here by Kate Rafiq (Dune Books)

The Lizzie & Belle Mysteries: Portraits and Poison by J. T. Williams, illustrated by Simone Douglas (Farshore)

The Piano at the Station by Helen Rutter, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Barrington Stoke)

For more children’s book awards, click here.