Young Quills 2026 – Shortlist Announced!
21 May, 2026The shortlist for the Young Quills 2026 award has been revealed. This annual award run by the Historical Association celebrates the best historical fiction for children and young adults across four categories: Readers aged 5-8; Readers aged 8-11; Readers aged 11-13 and Readers aged 14+
This year’s shortlist of 16 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- Does it have good historical content and factual information?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.
Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors!
Readers Aged 5-8
The Boy Who Became Queen by Christina Balit (Otter-Barry Books)
Readers Aged 8-11
Becoming Grace by Hilary McKay (Barrington Stoke)
Dance of Resistance by Catherine Johnson (Barrrington Stoke)
My Family, the Enemy by Karen McCombie (Bloomsbury Education)
Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson (Usborne Publishing)
The Line They Drew Through Us by Hiba Noor Khan (Andersen Press)
Wrong Tracks by Susan Brownrigg (UCLan Publishing)
Readers Aged 11-13
Kata and Tor by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Walker Books)
The Dawn of Adonis by Phil Earle (Andersen Press)
To War with Wallace by Barbara Henderson (Luath Press Ltd)
Under a Fire-Red Sky by Geraldine McCaughrean (Usborne Publishing)
Under the London Sky by Anna Woltz (Rock the Boat)
Readers Aged 14+
Black Star by Kwame Alexander (Andersen Press)
Lobster Blues by Jacqueline King (Zuntold)
Songs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai (Zephyr)
The Boy I Love by William Hussey (Andersen Press)
The winners of this year’s award will be announced at a special ceremony in the autumn. For more children’s book awards, click here.
