Michael Rosen: ‘My daughter once called me an “optimistic nihilist”’
The former children’s laureate who has enjoyed a red letter year on striving for happiness, the secret to writing for kids, and which book he wants for Christmas
Five of the best young adult books of 2023
Tales of homecoming, forbidden love, dangerous adventures on an island of ghosts and more
Best children’s books of 2023
Dream-seeking bears, a pancake-making lion, an ingenious guide to rewilding and more
Children’s books show rise in racially minoritised characters, survey finds
Centre for Literacy in Primary Education records a 26% increase since its first report in 2017, but stresses continuing inequities in representation
Malorie Blackman’s career honoured in British Library exhibition
Show dedicated to the prolific children’s and young adult novelist includes 82 rejection letters alongside her children’s laureate medal
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels
A poetic Advent calendar, warming words from Neil Gaiman, a magnificent menagerie and a sinister secret Santa
Children’s and teens roundup – the best new chapter books
Michael Rosen returns with an adventurous French hound, while BBC sport presenter Damian Johnson offers inspiring football stories. Plus, a lion comes to tea and stays
Jan Needle obituary
Prolific author and screenwriter committed to exploring social justice in work such as Wild Wood and A Game of Soldiers
Children’s and teens’ roundup – the best new picture books and novels
A celebration of family; a guide to animal languages; Stonehenge spells; classroom crises; and dreams of becoming an alchemist
The Guardian view on the legacy of Judith Kerr: a cat, a rabbit and a tiger that romp on
Editorial: A hundred years after her birth, the power and charm of the author’s memoirs and picture books continue to win over new generations of children – and adults
Picture books for children – reviews
Benji Davies returns with more coastal charms, lonely animals find acceptance – plus Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s tale about a toddler
Hard stares, tea with the Queen and so many marmalade sandwiches – 65 years of Paddington Bear
Inspired by a lone teddy in a shop, Michael Bond’s courteous and clumsy hero from Peru has struck a chord with every generation. What is the secret to his enduring popularity?
‘If we don’t teach kids about consent, the internet will’: Natasha Devon on the importance of sex education
The mental health campaigner’s new book tackles sex and relationships through the eyes of a 16-year-old. In the face of a backlash against inclusive sex ed in schools she explains why we have to keep the conversation open
‘Libraries are the heart of community’: children’s laureate Joseph Coelho on inspiring the next generation of writers
Since his first anthology in 2014, Coelho has become a prolific author for children and YA readers – and it all started, he says, in a vital community space
‘A secret no one talked about’: Michael Morpurgo on discovering his real father – and hating Spielberg’s War Horse
As he turns 80, the prolific children’s author takes us on a tour of his Devon village, to talk about family bombshells, the burning of Joan of Arc – and finally getting a film adaptation he likes