Young Quills 2025 – Shortlist Announced!
4 June, 2025The shortlist for the Young Quills 2025 competition was announced in May. This annual award run by the Historical Association celebrates the best historical fiction for children and young adults aged 5-14+.
This year’s shortlist of 19 titles has been compiled based on the reviews of children and young people in schools across the UK. Young reviewers were asked to judge the longlisted books against the award’s four criteria:
- Is the book a ‘good read’ that engages the imagination of the reader?
- Does it have good historical content and factual information?
- Does it have history as a component of the story, not just a convenient backdrop or setting?
- Will it inspire young readers to find out more about the historical period or people?
The final winners will be chosen by an adult judging panel made up of historians, authors and literacy experts and announced in July.
Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors!
For Readers Aged 5-8
Delta and the Lost City by Anna Fargher, illustrated by David Dean (Macmillan Children’s Books)
Cobweb by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman (Harper Collins Children’s Books)
King Alfred and the Ice Coffin by Kevin Crossley-Holland, illustrated by Chris Riddell (Walker Studio)
Blitz – One Family’s War by Martin Impey (Harbour Moon Publishing)
Mo’s Best Friend – A Stone Age Story by Bridget Marzo (Otter-Barry Books)
For Readers Aged 8-11
Birdie by J. P. Rose (Andersen Press)
The Boy, the Witch and the Queen of Scots by Barbara Henderson (Lauth Press)
Circus Maximus – Return of the Champion by Annelise Gray (Zephyr)
Roman Boy by Tony Bradman (Walker Books)
The Angel of Grassmere by Tom Palmer (Barrington Stoke)
For Readers Aged 11-14
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Rock the Boat)
Fallout by Lesley Parr (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
The Fights that Make Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt (Usborne Publishing)
Kirin of the Dobunni by Anne Buffoni (Crumps Barn Studio)
Nine Girls by Stacy Gregg (Puffin)
Shadow Creatures by Chris Vick (Zephyr)
For Readers Aged 14+
Cobalt by Sue Klauber (Troika Books)
The Djinn’s Apple by Djamila Morani, translated by Sawad Hussain (Neem Tree Press)
Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan (Bloomsbury YA)
For more children’s book awards, click here.
