The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards (LOLLIES) celebrate the best and funniest children’s books in the UK and Ireland and were set up by Scholastic UK in 2015 after the withdrawal of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Funny books are often overlooked by other awards but can play an important role in encouraging children to become readers.

A shortlist of four titles for each of the four award categories is selected by a panel of experts, but the winners are voted for by children across the country. The award categories include:

• Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book
• Best Laugh Out Loud Graphic Novel
• Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8 year-olds
• Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-12 year-olds

See our shortlist announcement for the Lollies 2026.

Timetable:

• Voting opens with the announcement of the 2026 shortlist on 10th June.
• Voting closes on 23rd October.
• The winners will be announced in December.

Cost: Supporting resources are free with registration but schools will need to buy copies of the shortlisted titles.

About Scholastic UK: Scholastic UK is part of Scholastic Corporation, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books.