The Little Rebels Award for radical fiction for children has announced its 2025 shortlist.

Set up to highlight books that ‘challenge the status quo and amplify marginalised voices’, this year’s shortlist was chosen by a panel of authors, illustrators, teachers and children’s book experts.

The six titles cover a range of social justice topics, from a historical portrayal of working class struggle to the experience of refugee families today. Free reading guides for all six shortlisted books are available from the Little Rebels Award website to facilitate discussions about the books and the issues raised.

Commenting on this year’s award, judge Dr. Darren Chetty, lecturer at UCL and columnist for Books for Keeps, said, ‘The stories that make up this year’s Little Rebels shortlist stretch across time, space and realms reminding us that the fight for justice is nothing new, nor a fight that is over. We are invited to join the dots between then and now, here and there, all the time paying close attention to the careful, radical prose and illustrations on display in each of the shortlisted books.’

Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors and illustrators!

The 2025 Little Rebels Award shortlist:

Kende! Kende! Kende! text by Kirsten Cappy and Yaya Gentille, illustrated by Rahana Dariah (Child’s Play)

The Fights That Make Us by Sarah Hagger-Holt (Usborne Publishing)

Cottonopolis by S F Layzell (Northodox Press)

Keedie by Elle McNicoll (Knights Of)

Mayowa And The Sea Of Words by Chibundu Onuzo (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Zac And Jac by Cathy Jenkins, illustrated by Monique Steele (Cadno)

The winner of the Little Rebels Award 2025 will be announced at an award ceremony in London in October.

For more children’s book awards, click here.