Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
Sleepy monsters; a wacky broken robot; a search for magical treasures and more
Bestselling Australian Bad Guys author Aaron Blabey signs eight-figure deal for seven new books
First title of series for tweens titled Game of Pets will be fantasy story to debut in 2026
Martha Mills young writers’ prize 2025 opens for entries
This year’s competition for 11- to 14-year-olds, in memory of the budding writer who died aged 13, is on the theme of A New World
Lauren Child in running for repeat Carnegie medal after 25 years
Former children’s laureate joins shortlists for prestigious children’s book prizes that ‘highlight the diversity and high quality’ in British work
A Squash and a Squeeze review – Donaldson and Scheffler favourite crammed with songs
Ingenious puppetry and jolly performances help animate the beloved story about an ever-expanding indoor menagerie
Picture books for children – reviews
Laughter abounds with tales of mini beasts at bedtime, a box filled with babbling babies and an odd-couple comedy from Julia Donaldson
From The Sheep-Pig to His Dark Materials: the best audiobooks for children and teens
As research reveals children want to listen to books rather than read them, here are some of the best audiobooks to enjoy
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
A boy with his head in the clouds; a Kurdish refugee’s tale; helicopter heists, a dancer’s dreams, a mission to save Mars and more
Meet-cute at Mansfield Park: can modern covers turn young readers on to Jane Austen?
New editions of her novels are aimed squarely at the BookTok demographic – but will this make these classics appeal to fans of ‘spicy’ romance?
Young adult books roundup – reviews
A bookshop becomes a sanctuary in a post-apocalyptic romance, a connection is forged through food – and a codebreaker learns the language of big beasts
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
Animal magic, little dinosaurs, dangerous strangers, death-flies and zombies, four lost girls who live wild in the woods and more
Children facing a ‘happiness recession’ says laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Author will highlight the ‘enormous disadvantage’ handed to children without access to books, and call on government to improve early-years literacy
Magic Beach review – Alison Lester’s classic picture book is enchanting on screen
Ten animators have produced 10 beautiful stories in this anthology film, ranging from fabulous stop-motion to delicate illustration
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books
From ecology-saving zombies to a murderous tattoo and a chilly new school for magic, the new year launches with fresh twists on familiar themes
Colin Barrett’s Wild Houses among winners of Nero book awards
The booker longlisted title takes the debut fiction prize while Adam S Leslie, Sophie Elmhirst and Liz Hyder win fiction, nonfiction and children’s categories