The shortlists for this year’s The Week Junior Book Awards have been revealed. Now in their third year, the awards were set up to celebrate the best books for young readers, inspire young people to discover their next great read and raise awareness of the lifelong benefits of reading for pleasure. The awards celebrate the full breadth of children’s publishing, with 13 different award categories ranging from Audio Books to Hobbies and Interests.

The 63 shortlisted titles were selected by a committee made up of children’s book experts, booksellers and representatives from the two award founders – The Week Junior and The Bookseller. The winners will now be chosen by panels of judges recruited from across the world of children’s books, education and the media. Schools that subscribe to The Week Junior can also encourage their pupils to vote for their favourite title in the Children’s Choice and Cover of the Year award categories.

Commenting on this year’s awards, Anna Bassi, chair of judges and editorial director of The Week Junior, said: “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 at The Bookseller said: “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.”

Congratulations to all the winning authors and illustrators!

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Animals & Nature

Wildlife in the Balance by Dr Sharon Wismer, Terri Po (Flying Eye Books)

Lots of Things to Know About Seas and Oceans by Emily Bone (Usborne)

Beasts from the Deep by Matt Ralphs, Kaley McKean (Nosy Crow)

There is a Season by Murphy’s Sketches (Fox & Ink Books)

Wildlife Crossings – Protecting Animal Pathways Around the World by Catherine Barr, Christiane Engel (Otter-Barry Books)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Audiobook

Totally Chaotic History: Roman Britain Gets Rowdy! by Greg Jenner, Dr Emma Southon, Rikin Parekh (W.F. Howes)

Grimwood: Party Animals! by Nadia Shireen (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)

Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Myths of China by Xiaobing Wang, Katie Ponder (DK)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Breakthrough Book

The Boy in the Suit by James Fox (Scholastic)

Peregrine Quinn and the Cosmic Realm by Ash Bond (Bonnier Books UK)

The Boy to Beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe (Usborne)

The Cheat Book vol.1 by Ramzee (Hachette Children’s Group)

Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit by Clare Harlow (Penguin Random House)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Cover of the Year

A Head Full of Magic by Sarah Morrell (Hashtag Press Ltd)

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin (Rock The Boat)

The Boy Who Fell From the Sky by Benjamin Dean (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)

Guinness World Records 2025 (Guinness World Records Limited)

The Shy Book by Howard Pearlstein, James Munro (Graffeg)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Factual

Tasty Talesby Anna Lena Feunekes (UCLan)

Deborah Meaden Talks Money by Deborah Meaden (Farshore)

The History of Information by Chris Haughton (DK)

Explodapedia: Rewild by Ben Martynoga, illustrated by Moose Allain (David Fickling Books)

First Questions and Answers: Why Are There Wars? by Katie Daynes, Mairi Mackinnon, illustrated by Oksana Drachkovska (Usborne)

 

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Older Fiction

Keedie by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of)

Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold (HarperCollins UK)

Shipwrecked by Jenny Pearson (Usborne)

The Letter with the Golden Stamp by Onjali Q. Rauf (Hachette Children’s Group)

The Wrong Shoes by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Younger Fiction

Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton (Nosy Crow)

Betty Steady and the Toad Witch by Nicky Smith-Dale, illustrated by Sarah Horne (Farshore)

Badgers are GO! by Susannah Lloyd, illustrated by Nici Gregory (David Fickling)

Watts & Whiskerton: Buried Bones and Troublesome Treasure by Meg McLaren (Bonnier Books)

Grimwood: Party Animals! by Nadia Shireen (Simon & Schuster Children’s Books)

 

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Graphic Novel

Unicorn Boy by Dave Roman (Hachette Children’s Group)

Rune by Carlos Sanchez (Flying Eye Books)

Pablo and Splash by Sheena Dempsey (Bloomsbury Children’s)

Blitz: One Family’s War by Martin Impey (Harbour Moon Publishing)

Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Beach Ball Bedlam by Dan Abdo, Jason Patterson (Rock the Boat)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Hobbies and Interests

This Book Will Make You an Artist by Ruth Millington (Nosy Crow)

The Ultimate Kids’ Guide to Dogs by Graeme Hall (Penguin Random House)

The Life-Changing Magic of Skateboarding by Sky Brown (Magic Cat Publishing)

Chefs Wanted by Allegra McEvedy (DK)

100 Things to Know About Sport (multiple authors) (Usborne)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Picture Book 

Blue Monster by Petr Horacek (Otter-Barry Books)

Godrey is a Frog by Alex Latimer (Oxford University Press)

Grandpa Kuma by Michelle Maiden (Wacky Bees Books)

Serena and the Little Blue Dog by Rosemary Clunie (Head of Zeus)

The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please (HarperCollins UK)

There’s a Tiger on the Train by Mariesa Dulak, Rebecca Cobb (Faber)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Poetry

And I Hear Dragons edited by Hanan Issa, Eric Heyman (Firefly Press)

Out of this World by Michael Rosen, Ed Vere (HarperCollins UK)

Fia and the Last Snow Deer by Eilish Fisher, Dermot Flynn (Penguin Random House)

Tomorrow We Begin by Matt Goodfellow (Bloomsbury Children’s)

We Are Family: Six Kids and a Super-Dad by Oliver Sykes (Otter-Barry Books)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: STEM Book

Big Bad Wolf Investigates: Fairy Tales by Catherine Cawthorne (Bloomsbury Children’s)

The World’s First Rollercoaster by Mike Barfield (Bonnier Books UK)

Science is Lit: Crazy Chemistry and Epic Experiments by Big Manny (Penguin Random House)

Scientists in the Wild: Antarctica by Helen Scales and Kate Hendry (Flying Eye Books)

The Week Junior Book Awards Shortlist: Wellbeing

Every Body by Molly Forbes (Penguin Random House)

Little Dinosaurs, Big Feelings by Swapna Haddow (Magic Cat Publishing)

The Get Well Spell by Hannah Peckham (Award Publications Ltd)

Happy Days: 365 Facts to Brighten Every Day of the Year by Emily Coxhead (Walker Books)

The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in central London on 29th September.